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Thursday 21 December 2023
Aryan Brotherhood Prison Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Murder in Aid of RacketeeringRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Brant Daniel, 49, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty Wednesday to murder in aid of racketeering as part of a long-running investigation into the California Aryan Brotherhood prison gang, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller immediately sentenced Daniel after his guilty plea to the mandatory sentence of a life term in federal prison.
“This guilty plea and sentence represents a significant setback for one of California’s most notorious white supremacist prison gangs,” said U.S. Attorney Talbert. “We will continue to use every law enforcement tool to protect the communities plagued by the violence and criminal activities of the Aryan Brotherhood.”
“The Aryan Brotherhood hides behind prison walls while they direct criminal activities and brutal crimes of violence. In this case, Brant Daniel murdered an individual in cold blood to maintain his status and prove allegiance to the prison gang,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian Clark. “We will relentlessly pursue and prosecute those who commit such heinous acts from behind bars and beyond.”
“This is a great example of successful coordination among various agencies to ensure safety,” said CDCR Secretary Jeff Macomber. “I would like to express my appreciation to all the law enforcement agencies involved, and in particular, I commend the staff at California State Prison Sacramento for their dedication throughout the entire investigation.”
According to court documents, between 2011 and 2016, Aryan Brotherhood (AB) members and associates engaged in racketeering activity, committing multiple acts involving murder, conspiracies to murder, and drug trafficking crimes. AB members allegedly oversaw a significant heroin and methamphetamine trafficking operation from their California prison cells using smuggled cellphones to direct drug trafficking activities, order murders, and oversee other criminal activities inside and outside of the prisons.
As part of his guilty plea, Daniel admitted that he murdered an inmate at Salinas Valley Prison on Oct. 29, 2016, as part of an AB-related killing. In particular, Daniel admitted that he committed the murder because the victim failed to carry out a hit assigned by an AB member and then lost valuable drugs belonging to Daniel and, by extension, the AB. In his plea, Daniel admitted that he willfully, deliberately, and with premeditation, murdered the victim in order to maintain his status within the AB.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration with substantial investigative assistance from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Vallejo Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office, and the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Hitt, Ross Pearson, and David Spencer are prosecuting the case.
Five remaining defendants—Ronald Yandell, Billy Sylvester, Danny Troxell, Pat Brady, and Jason Corbett—are scheduled for trial in February 2024.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
daniel_plea_agreement.pdfArizona Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison for Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual ConductRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Jonathan John James was sentenced to 46 months in prison. James, 59, of Tsaile, Arizona, pleaded guilty to travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct on April 5, 2023.
According to court documents, on April 20, 2022, James followed a child as she shopped with her grandfather at a Home Depot in Gallup, New Mexico. When her grandfather went to the bathroom, James approached the child, told her she was attractive and gave her his telephone number, written on a wet wipe package, in hopes they would communicate. The child told her grandfather what had occurred and provided a physical description of James.
Afterwards, the grandfather began communicating with James. He told James his name was “Simone,” he was 11 years old, and would turn 12 years old next week. The communication became sexual in nature and James shared he did not care that “Simone” was only 11 years old. After about a week, the grandfather called the FBI and consented to a search of his phone and for them to assume the identity of “Simone” and continue communicating with James.
James’s communications with the FBI continued to be sexual in nature. James sent adult pornography – approximately 25 images, including an image that is likely of his own penis - and requested to meet up so he could perform sexual acts on “Simone.” James shared he lived near Tsaile, Arizona, but could come to Gallup, New Mexico to meet with “Simone.” James stated the graphic sexual things he planned to do to “Simone” when they met up. They formed a plan to meet on May 5, 2022, and “Simone” requested that he bring a Dr. Pepper for her when they met in the park, and he replied he would bring her a bracelet too.
When James arrived at the meeting time in the park, the FBI arrested him. James possessed a bracelet and a Dr. Pepper. James waived his rights and admitted he was at the park because he drove across state lines to engage in sexual activities with a 12-year-old named “Simone.” He also confirmed his cell phone number. As part of the search of his vehicle law enforcement found two types of condoms and a USB thumb drive.
Upon his release from prison, James will be subject 5 years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the FBI Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC).
PSC is a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
View the Indictment View the Plea Agreement# # #
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Albuquerque Man Charged with Coercion and Enticement of MinorsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Adrian Puentes appeared in federal court on an indictment charging him with 2 counts of coercion and enticement of a minor. Puentes, 24, of Albuquerque, will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not been scheduled.
According to the indictment, between June 29, 2021, and December 1, 2021, Puentes coerced Jane Doe 1, a minor, to engage in sexual activity. Also, between October 19, 2021, and March 23, 2023, Puentes coerced Jane Doe 2, a minor, to engage in sexual activity.
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Puentes faces a minimum of 10 years to life in prison.
The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jesse Pecoraro is prosecuting the case.
View the Indictment# # #
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Albuquerque Investment Broker Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison for Mail and Wire Fraud and Failure to File Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Albert A. Childress, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, announced today that Richard Kessler was sentenced to 24 months of imprisonment for the fraud charges and 12 months for the tax charges, to run concurrently. Kessler, 52, of Albuquerque, pleaded guilty on April 18, 2022, to one count each of mail fraud and wire fraud and four counts of failure to file tax returns.
According to court documents, Kessler was self-employed as a financial advisor and investment broker doing business as Guardian Group Investments LLC. In that capacity, Kessler earned commissions by managing retirement accounts for small businesses. Those businesses included an oil and gas company in Farmington, New Mexico. Kessler occasionally made presentations to employees of that business regarding retirement planning and financial investments. He used those interactions—and the private conversations that followed—to convince several of that business’s workers to take funds out of their established retirement accounts and entrust their retirement funds to him. Between 2013 to 2016, several investors entrusted Kessler with retirement funds totaling more than $161,000. Kessler represented to those investors that he would place their retirement funds in qualified investment accounts. Instead, Kessler deposited investors’ retirement funds into his company’s business savings account. From there, Kessler converted and expended those funds through transfers to personal bank account, cashier’s checks that he would use for personal expenses, and cash withdrawals. Kessler also used a portion of investors’ retirement funds to make payments to earlier investors to replace funds that he had previously misappropriated.
In addition to defrauding investors and converting their retirement funds his personal purpose and to perpetuate his Ponzi scheme, Kessler also failed to file federal tax returns or pay federal income tax for tax years 2014 through 2017. During that time period, Kessler earned commissions from legitimate investment management, as well as the illicit income from his frauds. Kessler’s income over these four years—legitimate and illegitimate—came to $446,925. This resulted in a tax liability of $82,627. Kessler knew he was required to pay taxes on his income from his company, having done it from the company’s inception in 2008 through 2011.
In his plea agreement, Kessler admitted that he devised and executed this scheme with the intent to defraud the investors.
Upon his release from prison, Kessler will be subject to 3 years of supervised release with the special condition that he make full restitution to the victims of his fraudulent scheme and pay the income taxes owed to the United States. At the time of his sentencing, Kessler had prepaid $82,500 of the $97,481.35 owed to his victims.
Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy S. Vasquez is prosecuting the case.
View the Indictment View the Plea Agreement# # #
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Wednesday 20 December 2023
Woman Convicted of $7M COVID-19 Relief FraudRead the Press Release
A federal jury in the Northern District of Georgia convicted a Georgia attorney and former City of Atlanta police officer yesterday of fraudulently obtaining over $7 million in loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Shelitha Robertson, 62, of Atlanta, conspired to submit PPP loan applications on behalf of four businesses she owned. The loan applications falsely inflated the number of employees and average monthly payroll for each of the four businesses, inducing larger PPP loans than Robertson could legitimately obtain. Robertson and a co-conspirator also caused the submission of false tax documents to support the false statements in each loan application. Robertson used the loan proceeds to purchase luxury items, including a 10-carat diamond ring, and to transfer funds to family members and her co-conspirator.
The jury convicted Robertson of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, and one count of money laundering. She is scheduled to be sentenced on April 11, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud, and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for money laundering. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Robertson is the second defendant to be convicted as part of the Justice Department’s prosecution of an approximately $15 million PPP fraud conspiracy. Robertson’s co-conspirator pleaded guilty prior to trial.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia, Inspector General Hannibal “Mike” Ware of the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG), Acting Inspector General Tyler Smith of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), and Acting Inspector General Heather Hill of the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) made the announcement.
The SBA-OIG, FDIC-OIG, and TIGTA investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Ariel Glasner of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bernita Malloy for the Northern District of Georgia are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the PPP. Since the inception of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 200 defendants in more than 130 criminal cases and has seized over $78 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/ppp-fraud.
In May 2021 the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Justice Department in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Wisconsin Man Sentenced to Year in Prison for Causing the Creation of an Obscene Animal Crush VideoRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – A Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin man was sentenced today for knowingly causing the creation, sale, and distribution of an obscene animal crush video, in violation of the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act (“PACT Act”). U.S. District Judge William M. Conley sentenced Kenneth Herrera, 40, to a year and a day in prison and a $5,000 fine. Herrera will serve three years of supervised release following the prison sentence.
The PACT Act makes it illegal to create or distribute depictions of “animal crushing” that will be sold or distributed internationally or between states. Animal crushing includes burning, suffocating, impaling, or causing the serious bodily injury of animals. Herrera pleaded guilty to this charge on September 15, 2023.
As part of an investigation titled “Operation Dry Eyes,” agents from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and Federal Bureau of Investigation learned about an individual, later identified as Herrera, who ordered videos depicting animal crushing from an international videographer. Specifically, USFWS and FBI agents uncovered evidence that, in December 2021, Herrera sent money to a videographer in Indonesia in exchange for a video of a monkey being physically abused. Herrera sent detailed instructions to the videographer asking that the monkey be physically abused in specific violent ways. The videographer complied with these requests and sent the video to Herrera via an encrypted messaging application.
In sentencing Herrera, Judge Conley remarked on the abhorrent nature of the video and pointed out that Herrera did not just view the video but played a role in its production.
“Video recordings of animal torture are cruel, inhumane, and illegal,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea. “Evidence shows that animal torture can be a precursor to other violent crimes. Our office will work with law enforcement, domestically and internationally, to investigate and prosecute all crimes of this nature.”
“The primary mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and our specific role in the Office of Law Enforcement, is to protect all wildlife from being unlawfully commercialized, in whatever form we find it. The heinous crimes against wildlife that are centered in this investigation are an extreme example of that commitment. The success of this case is a direct result of our partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” said Assistant Director Edward Grace of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement.
“The FBI stands resolute in our dedication to working with our federal and international partners to address animal cruelty violations,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Hensle. “We view the sentence handed down in this case under the Animal Crushing Statue not only as a measure of justice served, but also as a deterrent against future violations. We appreciate the opportunity to work with our partners at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Wisconsin on this investigation and will continue to rigorously enforce the laws designed to prevent such heinous acts.”
The charge against Herrera was the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Chadwick M. Elgersma of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin and Trial Attorney Mark T. Romley of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section prosecuted the case.
If you are aware of animal cruelty, please report it to law enforcement. You can also call the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at 1-844-FWS-TIPS or the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Westford Man Sentenced for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Mexican man residing in Westford was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Pedro Romo-Gonzalez, 42, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to time served (approximately six months in prison). On Oct. 19, 2023, Romo-Gonzalez pleaded guilty to unlawful reentry of a deported alien.
On at least eight separate occasions between April 1998 and July 2010, Romo-Gonzalez was removed from the United States or voluntarily returned to Mexico. After each removal, he illegally re-entered the United States without obtaining the appropriate permission to reenter. He was first encountered by federal authorities in April 1998 after he entered the United States via California without being admitted by an immigration officer. In December 2009, Romo-Gonzalez was convicted in Arizona state court of solicitation to commit smuggling. Most recently, on June 13, 2023, federal immigration authorities were notified of Romo-Gonzalez’s presence in Massachusetts after he was arrested on unrelated state charges.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Todd M. Lyons, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations; and Westford Police Chief Mark Chambers made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
West Virginia Man Sentenced for Obstructing Tree of Life TrialRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – A West Virginia man was sentenced to prison today for his attempt to intimidate and influence jurors and witnesses in the Pittsburgh Tree of Life trial.
Hardy Carroll Lloyd, 45, of Follansbee, was sentenced to 78 months in prison.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Lloyd threatened jurors and witnesses involved in the recent trial for the Tree of Life shooter, Robert Bowers. Throughout the proceedings, Lloyd made threatening social media posts and website comments, and sent intimidating emails. Lloyd, a self-proclaimed white supremacist, admitted that he engaged in this conduct because of the actual or perceived ties to the Jewish community of the witnesses and the victims of Bowers.
On September 19, 2023, Lloyd entered a guilty plea to obstruction of the due administration of justice.
United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Randolph Bernard and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod Douglas prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
Watertown Man Pleads Guilty to African Sports Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Watertown man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to defrauding investors who believed they were financing lucrative short-term sports ventures in Africa.
Adrian Kawuba, 33, pleaded guilty to four counts of wire fraud. United States District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for March 14, 2024. Kawuba was arrested and charged in November 2022.
Kawuba told his victims that he would invest their money in short-term financing of sports ventures in Africa and elsewhere overseas and that he would personally guarantee their investments. Kawuba did not invest any of the victims’ funds. Instead, Kawuba used the money to pay for luxury goods and to pay purported returns to his investors – in some instances paying back a victim’s earlier investment with money that victims had just sent Kawuba for a new investment. The scheme involved at least 26 fraudulent deals, involving more than $2.3 million in victim funds.
The charges of wire fraud each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 or twice the monetary loss or gain, whichever is greater, restitution and forfeiture. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. The Watertown Police Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil of Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
Visiting Brazilian Attorney Sentenced to Prison in Insider TradingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Romero Cabral Da Costa Neto (Costa), 33, of Rio de Janeiro, was sentenced today to two months in prison for unlawfully trading on material, nonpublic information, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist, of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols ordered Costa to forfeit $42,649.13 and a $100 fine. Costa pleaded guilty November 1 in U.S. District Court to a charge of insider trading.
Costa had been residing and working as a visiting attorney in Washington D.C., on a one-year J-1 Visa, at a global U.S. law firm (the Law Firm).
According to court documents, Costa began working at the Law Firm in September 2022. Until the FBI arrested him in August 2023, Costa used his position at the firm to access privileged and confidential client files on the Law Firm’s internal file management system and systematically perform keyword searches on this Law Firm database to explore client files in search of valuable material non-public information that he could exploit for financial gain.
Costa traded on material non-public information from law firm clients in advance of an $1.7 billion international BioPharma merger, a $5.7 billion oilfield merger, and a major drug trial announcement. In one of his trades, Costa pocketed a quick financial gain of $8,500; in another he reaped $42,649.13.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Rosenberg, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. In particular, valuable assistance was provided by the Philadelphia Regional Enforcement office of the SEC, which promptly identified the offense conduct, enabling swift enforcement action.
Vermont Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Vermont man pleaded guilty in federal court in Concord to conspiring to distribute a controlled substance in New Hampshire, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Lamar Carter, 32, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, namely, cocaine base, also known as crack cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliott scheduled sentencing for March 29, 2024. The defendant was indicted on August 29, 2022.
Carter was a leader of a drug distribution organization that obtained powder cocaine from New Jersey, “cooked” the cocaine to manufacture crack, and distributed the crack in and around Keene, New Hampshire. The organization had several employees who worked for Carter and conducted hand-to-hand drug transactions with customers. The group operated out of a local resident’s home, as well as several hotel rooms. During the investigation 364 grams of cocaine base and 2 handguns were seized.
The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, at least three (3) years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. 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.
Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Keene Police Department.
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Vancouver Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Penny Stock FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Vancouver man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to participating in a conspiracy to defraud investors in the Boston-based biomedical company Endeavor Power Corp.
Marco G. Babini, 62, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for March 14, 2024. Babini was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston in September 2015. He was arrested in Canada on April 21, 2020, at the request of the United States, and was extradited to the United States in July 2023.
Between approximately July 2012 and March 2013, Babini agreed to participate in a securities fraud scheme involving the planned sale of stock under concealed control during a promotional campaign, a course of conduct commonly known as a “pump-and-dump.” Babini had trading authority over brokerage accounts in Switzerland in the names of nominee entities that held a significant portion of the purportedly unrestricted shares of Endeavor. To raise money to fund a promotional campaign to generate investor demand for the shares, Babini agreed to execute pre-arranged trades with an undercover federal agent. The undercover agent was posing as an individual who had a corrupt network of stockbrokers willing to purchase and hold shares on behalf of their clients in exchange for monetary kickbacks. Babini agreed to execute pre-arranged trades with the goal of raising at least $200,000, and, in December 2012, Babini attempted to execute an initial test trade valued at $20,000.
Babini’s co-conspirators Edward Withrow III and Samuel Brown were previously charged with and convicted of federal offenses. In May 2018, Withrow pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements to the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC). Brown separately pleaded guilty in July 2015 to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud and one count of making false statements to the SEC. Withrow and Brown were sentenced in December 2018 and January 2019, respectively.
The charge of conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 25 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000, or twice the amount involved, whichever is greater. 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 Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. The U.S. Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Department of Justice Canada’s International Assistance Group provided valuable assistance in securing the extradition of Babini. Assistant U.S. Attorney James R. Drabick of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
Vancleave Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. - A Vancleave, Mississippi man pled guilty to possession of more than 9,900 images and videos of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to court documents, Cameron Willis Cotrill, 67, was identified in an online child exploitation investigation on the BitTorrent network for offenders possessing and sharing child sexual abuse material. As part of the investigation, a direct download was completed of 139 files that were being made available from Cotrill’s device at his Vancleave address. On January 11, 2022, the FBI assisted state officers with the execution of a state search warrant at Cotrill’s address. Full forensic examinations of Cotrill’s electronic devices recovered at the search determined that Cotrill possessed over 9,900 images and videos on his desktop computer depicting the sexual abuse of children.
Cotrill is scheduled to be sentenced on April 11, 2024, at 10:00 a.m., in Gulfport. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case with assistance from the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.
United Memorial Medical Center to pay $2M plus additional payments for allegedly causing false claims related to excessive cost outlier payments and double billing for Covid-19 testsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Doctor’s Hospital 1997 L.P. dba United Memorial Medical Center LLC (UMMC) has agreed to pay $2 million and to make additional contingent payments to resolve alleged False Claims Act violations.
UMMC is an entity that formerly operated hospitals in the Houston area. They allegedly claimed excessive cost outlier payments from government health care programs and double billed the government for COVID-19 tests that were also billed either to the State of Texas or the City of Houston.
According to the agreement between UMMC and the United States, the settlement funds will be paid by one of UMMC’s principals, Ravishanker Mallapuram, and UMMC has guaranteed the payment of those funds.
“This over $2 million settlement is significant,” said U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas (SDTX). “We depend upon medical providers to be good stewards of a community’s healthcare services and of the federally funded programs that pay for those services. The case alleges UMMC made millions by overbilling those health care programs and intentionally double billing for COVID-19 testing. Instead of returning those monies to America’s taxpayers, they allegedly pocketed the money for themselves. Finding the wrongdoing and lost monies in these types of cases involves complexities akin to playing three-dimensional chess, but know this, the SDTX will not stop in its quest for justice until it can claim checkmate.”
“Hospitals and other providers who participate in federal health care programs have an obligation to the taxpayers to ensure that they are billing appropriately,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton, head of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “We will hold accountable those who knowingly overbill or double bill for the medical services they provide to federal beneficiaries.”
In addition to its standard payment system, Medicare and Tricare provide supplemental reimbursement to hospitals called “cost outlier” payments in cases where the cost of care is unusually high. Congress enacted the supplemental outlier payment system to ensure that hospitals possess the incentive to treat inpatients whose care requires unusually high costs. This settlement resolves allegations that UMMC submitted claims for cost outlier payments by rapidly increasing its charges for inpatient care and underreporting its charges on Medicare cost reports, thereby preventing the government health care programs from adjusting those charges so that they would reasonably reflect UMMC’s actual costs. The settlement also resolves allegations that UMMC concealed and improperly avoided its obligation to reimburse the federal health care programs for any excessive outlier payments its hospitals received.
In addition, UMMC has agreed to settle allegations that it submitted claims to the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Uninsured Program for COVID-19 testing services, despite being reimbursed for those same services by either the State of Texas or the City of Houston.
“Hospitals and executives who run them should prioritize accurate, lawful billing of Medicare and other taxpayer-funded health care programs at all times,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows of the Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “This practice is especially imperative, however, when the world is responding to a public health crisis. At HHS-OIG, it is our fundamental responsibility to, along with our law enforcement partners, safeguard federally funded health care programs and American taxpayer monies.”
“The Department of Defense (DOD) Office of Inspector General's Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) is committed to rooting out fraud schemes that waste valuable taxpayer resources intended for the healthcare of our service members, military retirees and their families,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Gregory P. Shilling of the DCIS Southwest Field Office. “DCIS, along with our law enforcement partners, will aggressively pursue and hold those accountable who took advantage of the pandemic for profit at the expense of DOD's taxpayer funded healthcare program, known as TRICARE.”
“The FBI and its partners will relentlessly pursue bad actors that participate in nefarious double billing at the cost of the American taxpayer and our health care system,” said Executive Assistant Director Timothy Langan of the FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response and Services Branch. “Violations of the False Claims Act will not be tolerated. If you do not follow the law, you will face the consequences of your noncompliance.”
The settlement resolves a lawsuit originally brought by Ryan Griffin, a former employee of UMMC, under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. The Act permits private citizens with knowledge of fraud against the government to bring a lawsuit on behalf of the United States and to share in any recovery. Under the settlement announced today, Griffin will receive $300,000.
This settlement was the result of a coordinated effort by the Justice Department's Civil Division; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas; HHS, Office of Counsel to the Inspector General and Office of Investigations; DCIS and the FBI.
The lawsuit resolved by this settlement is captioned United States, et al., ex rel. Ryan Griffin v. Mediscope Global Services Pvt Ltd., et al., 3:21-cv-183 (S.D. TX.).
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
United Memorial Medical Center to Pay $2 Million Plus Additional Contingent Payments for Allegedly Causing False Claims Related to Excessive Cost Outlier Payments and Double Billing for Covid-19 TestsRead the Press Release
Doctor’s Hospital 1997 L.P., doing business as United Memorial Medical Center LLC (UMMC), an entity that formerly operated hospitals in the Houston, Texas area, has agreed to pay $2 million, and to make additional contingent payments, to resolve alleged False Claims Act violations for claiming excessive cost outlier payments from government health care programs and for double billing the government for COVID-19 tests that were also billed either to the State of Texas or the City of Houston.
According to the settlement agreement between UMMC and the United States, the settlement funds will be paid by one of UMMC’s principals, Ravishanker Mallapuram, and UMMC has guaranteed the payment of those funds.
“Hospitals and other providers who participate in federal health care programs have an obligation to the taxpayers to ensure that they are billing appropriately,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton, head of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “We will hold accountable those who knowingly overbill or double bill for the medical services they provide to federal beneficiaries.”
In addition to its standard payment system, Medicare and Tricare provide supplemental reimbursement to hospitals called “cost outlier” payments in cases where the cost of care is unusually high. Congress enacted the supplemental outlier payment system to ensure that hospitals possess the incentive to treat inpatients whose care requires unusually high costs. This settlement resolves allegations that UMMC submitted claims for cost outlier payments by rapidly increasing its charges for inpatient care and underreporting its charges on Medicare cost reports, thereby preventing the government health care programs from adjusting those charges so that they would reasonably reflect UMMC’s actual costs. The settlement also resolves allegations that UMMC concealed and improperly avoided its obligation to reimburse the federal health care programs for any excessive outlier payments its hospitals received.
In addition, UMMC has agreed to settle allegations that it submitted claims to the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Uninsured Program for COVID-19 testing services, despite being reimbursed for those same services by either the State of Texas or the City of Houston.
“This over $2 million settlement is significant,” said U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas (SDTX). “We depend upon medical providers to be good stewards of a community’s healthcare services and of the federally funded programs that pay for those services. The case alleges UMMC made millions by overbilling those health care programs and intentionally double billing for COVID-19 testing. Instead of returning those monies to America’s taxpayers, they allegedly pocketed the money for themselves. Finding the wrongdoing and lost monies in these types of cases involves complexities akin to playing three-dimensional chess, but know this, the SDTX will not stop in its quest for justice until it can claim checkmate.”
“Hospitals and executives who run them should prioritize accurate, lawful billing of Medicare and other taxpayer-funded health care programs at all times,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “This practice is especially imperative, however, when the world is responding to a public health crisis. At HHS-OIG, it is our fundamental responsibility to, along with our law enforcement partners, safeguard federally funded health care programs and American taxpayer monies.”
“The Department of Defense (DOD) Office of Inspector General's Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) is committed to rooting out fraud schemes that waste valuable taxpayer resources intended for the healthcare of our service members, military retirees and their families,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Gregory P. Shilling of the DCIS Southwest Field Office. “DCIS, along with our law enforcement partners, will aggressively pursue and hold those accountable who took advantage of the pandemic for profit at the expense of DOD's taxpayer funded healthcare program, known as TRICARE.”
“The FBI and its partners will relentlessly pursue bad actors that participate in nefarious double billing at the cost of the American taxpayer and our health care system,” said Executive Assistant Director Timothy Langan of the FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response and Services Branch. “Violations of the False Claims Act will not be tolerated. If you do not follow the law, you will face the consequences of your noncompliance.”
The settlement resolves a lawsuit originally brought by Ryan Griffin, a former employee of UMMC, under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. The Act permits private citizens with knowledge of fraud against the government to bring a lawsuit on behalf of the United States and to share in any recovery. Under the settlement announced today, Griffin will receive $300,000.
This settlement was the result of a coordinated effort by the Justice Department's Civil Division; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas; HHS, Office of Counsel to the Inspector General and Office of Investigations; DCIS and the FBI.
The lawsuit resolved by this settlement is captioned United States, et al., ex rel. Ryan Griffin v. Mediscope Global Services Pvt Ltd., et al., 3:21-cv-183 (S.D. TX.).
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Settlement ComplaintU.S. Attorney Easley Issues Warning on Machine Gun Switches - Two Men Recently Sentenced for Machine Gun Conversion DevicesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – In a new public service announcement link being promoted by the office on social media, U.S. Attorney Michael Easley issued a warning reminding people that they face up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine for possessing a Glock or auto-sear switch. A Glock or auto-sear switch is a small, conversion device that can be attached to a handgun, converting it into a fully automatic machine gun. This warning comes after two defendants were sentenced for possession of these devices in Eastern North Carolina.
“In the last week we’ve sentenced two defendants caught with ghost guns modified into fully automatic machineguns. According to ATF, from 2017 to 2021, over 5,000 machinegun conversion devices, or “switches,” were recovered in the U.S. – a 570% increase from the 814 recovered between 2012 and 2016. The number of switches continue to increase, with thousands recovered nationwide over the last two years,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “A gun with a switch can automatically fire an entire 30-round magazine in about two seconds. Owning the switches is equivalent to owning a machine gun, and if you have them, our office will prosecute you.”
In the past two weeks, two individuals have been sentenced to 80 months and 162 months respectively for possession of a machine gun or machine gun conversion device.
A Farmville man, Lamikah Baptist, age 19 and a member of a local gang, pled guilty and was sentenced to 80 months for possession of a machine gun. According to court documents and other information presented in court, on January 15, 2023, the Greenville Police Department responded to a shots-fired call outside a residence where shots were fired at individuals in the yard. A SpotShotter report indicated that 21 rounds of automatic gunfire were discharged, and officers found 20 spent shell casings on the road in front of the home. Surveillance video showed Baptist as a passenger in a car leaving the scene after the shooting, and within five minutes, Baptist went live on Instagram with a video that appeared to reference the shooting and indicate that it was directed at members of a rival gang that had killed Baptist’s friend. On and around the date of the shooting, Baptist posted other videos titled, “Just me and my switch,” where he is heard talking about owning a switch and “Come get this off me,” where he is shown with a privately manufactured Polymer80 handgun and a bag of marijuana. A search of the residence where Baptist was apprehended revealed a ghost gun with a switch loaded with 20 rounds of ammunition, additional ammunition, a 50-round drum magazine, marijuana and a ballistic vest.
A Wilmington man, Tyrese Jerry Dawson, age 24, pled guilty and was sentenced to 162 months for two counts of possession of a machine gun conversion device, two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and two counts of possession of a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking crime. According to court documents and other information presented in court, Dawson was involved in multiple traffic stops in the Wilmington area, including one where he led officers on a high-speed chase traveling in excess of 70 miles per hour and drove on the wrong side of the road. Searches of the vehicles involved in the traffic stops revealed, cocaine, fentanyl, marijuana and three personally made firearms without serial numbers, also known as “ghost guns,” two of which had high-capacity magazines. Dawson’s fingerprints were located on at least one of the guns with an extended magazine. A fourth ghost gun with a switch and a 31-round magazine was found in a bag Dawson was observed to have left near a car wash.
“Machine gun conversion kits are turning up more and more in our streets and at crime scenes,” said Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims. “These conversion devices are illegal, incredibly dangerous, and pose a serious threat to the community. ATF is working closely with our law enforcement partners to keep these devices off our streets.”
Easley encouraged individuals with information on machine gun conversion devices to call the tip line at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) at 1-888-ATF-TIPS or ATF.gov/ATF-Tips.
U.S. District Court Judge C. Dever III handed down both sentences. The Baptist case was investigated by the Greenville Police Department and the ATF and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Phil Aubart. The Dawson case was investigated by the Wilmington Police Department, the New Hanover and Brunswick County Sheriff’s Offices and the ATF and prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Van Trigt. Van Trigt is a prosecutor with the New Hanover County District Attorney’s Office assigned to the U.S. Attorney’s Office to handle federal cases. This has been made possible by a grant from the county.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:23-cr-00009-D and 7:23-cr-00042-D.
U.S. Attorney Announces Terrorism Charges Against High-Ranking Hizballah Member Who Helped Plan 1994 Bombing in Buenos Aires, ArgentinaRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Matthew G. Olsen, the Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Edward A. Caban, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced the unsealing of terrorism charges against SAMUEL SALMAN EL REDA, a/k/a “Samuel Salman El Reda El Reda,” a/k/a “Salman Raouf Salman,” a/k/a “Sulayman Rammal,” a/k/a “Salman Ramal,” a/k/a “Salman Raouf Salman,” a/k/a “Hajj,” a dual Colombian-Lebanese citizen and member of Hizballah’s Islamic Jihad Organization (“IJO”), in connection with EL REDA’s alleged role leading decades of terrorist activity on behalf of Hizballah and the IJO. EL REDA is charged with, among other offenses, conspiring to provide and providing material support to Hizballah, a designated foreign terrorist organization. The charges are contained in an Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court. EL REDA is based in Lebanon and remains at large.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, for decades, Samuel Salman El Reda has led terrorist operations on behalf of the Islamic Jihad Organization of Hizballah, including a 1994 bombing in Buenos Aires that massacred 85 innocent victims. The career prosecutors of this Office have not forgotten the pain and suffering that El Reda has allegedly caused, and we thank the dedication of our law enforcement partners for pursuing this important case. The Southern District of New York continues to be a leader in prosecuting violent terrorists and terrorist organizations, and we will not rest until those who create chaos and destruction are brought to justice.”
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen said: “Nearly three decades ago, long-time Hizballah terrorist operative Samuel Salman El Reda allegedly helped plan and execute the heinous attack on a Buenos Aires Jewish community center that murdered 85 innocent people and injured countless others. This indictment serves as a message to those who engage in acts of terror: that the Justice Department’s memory is long, and we will not relent in our efforts to bring them to justice.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: “The evil and horror wrought by terrorism reaches all corners of the globe. Samuel Salman El Reda was allegedly involved in carrying out terrorist activity on behalf of Hizballah throughout the world. The New York Joint Terrorism Task Force and our law enforcement partners are unwavering in our determination to bring any individual who supports the evils of terrorism to justice.”
NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban said: “As alleged, El Reda was an on-the-ground coordinator of the fatal attack against South America’s largest Jewish center nearly 30 years ago. In the decades after that attack, he allegedly continued to direct and support terrorism activities in the Western Hemisphere on behalf of Hizballah and has been involved in plots all across the world. We want this alleged killer brought to justice.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment charging the defendant and other public court documents:[1]
Hizballah is a Lebanon-based Shia Islamic organization with political, social, and terrorist components. Hizballah was founded in the 1980s with support from Iran after the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, and its mission includes establishing a fundamentalist Islamic state in Lebanon. Since Hizballah’s formation, the organization has been responsible for numerous terrorist attacks that have killed hundreds, including U.S. citizens and military personnel. In 1997, the U.S. Department of State designated Hizballah as a foreign terrorist organization, pursuant to Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, and it remains so designated today. In 2001, pursuant to Executive Order 13224, the U.S. Department of the Treasury designated Hizballah as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity. In 2010, State Department officials described Hizballah as the most technically capable terrorist group in the world and a continued security threat to the United States.
The IJO, which is also known as the External Security Organization and “Unit 910,” is a component of Hizballah responsible for the planning and coordination of intelligence, counterintelligence, and terrorist activities on behalf of Hizballah outside of Lebanon. In July 2012, an IJO operative detonated explosives on a bus transporting Israeli tourists in the vicinity of an airport in Burgas, Bulgaria, killing six people and injuring 32 others. Law enforcement authorities have disrupted several other IJO attack-planning operations around the world, including through the arrest of an IJO operative surveilling Israeli targets in Cyprus in 2012, the seizure of bomb-making precursor chemicals in Thailand in 2012, the seizure of similar chemicals in May 2015 in connection with the arrest of another IJO operative, and the seizure of approximately three tons of ammonium nitrate in London in the fall of 2015. Since June 2017, multiple IJO operatives have been arrested, charged, and convicted in the Southern District of New York for terrorism-related offenses.
Beginning in at least 1993, EL REDA has led terrorist operations on behalf of Hizballah and the IJO in South America, Asia, and Lebanon. EL REDA was responsible for, among other things, helping to plan and execute the July 18, 1994, bombing of the Asociaión Mutual Israelita Argentina (“AMIA”) building in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which killed 85 people and injured hundreds more. EL REDA’s activities for Hizballah in connection with the AMIA bombing included relaying information to IJO operatives that was used for planning and executing the attack. In the decades following the attack, EL REDA continued to engage in terrorist activity on Hizballah’s behalf by recruiting, training, and managing IJO operatives around the world. EL REDA deployed IJO operatives to Thailand, Panama, and Peru, among other places, to help Hizballah and the IJO conduct pre-operational surveillance in support of attack planning and stockpile explosive precursor chemicals, including ammonium nitrate. For example, in or about May 2009, EL REDA instructed an IJO operative to travel to Thailand to help destroy a cache of ammonium nitrate and other explosive materials that the IJO believed was under law enforcement surveillance. In or about February 2011, EL REDA instructed an IJO operative to travel to Panama to surveil the Panama Canal and Embassies maintained by the United States and Israel, and in or about January 2012, EL REDA instructed an IJO operative to travel again to Panama to conduct additional pre-operational surveillance.
* * *
EL REDA, 58, of Lebanon, has been charged with: (i) providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; (ii) conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; (iii) aiding and abetting the receipt of military-type training from a designated foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison or a fine; and (iv) conspiring to receive military-type training from a designated foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentence would be imposed by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which principally consists of agents from the FBI and detectives from the NYPD. Mr. Williams also thanked the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, Counterterrorism Section, and the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, for their assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob H. Gutwillig and Jason A. Richman are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Deputy Chief Larry Schneider of the Counterterrorism Section.
The charges in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Two Suburban Chicago Physicians Sentenced to Federal Prison for Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — Two suburban Chicago physicians have been sentenced to federal prison for prescribing opioids to individuals who lacked a legitimate medical need for the drugs.
STANLEY DAVID DEMOREST managed Demorest Consultants LLC, a medical practice in Melrose Park, Ill. NICHOLAS RECCHIA was employed there as a physician. From 2015 to 2020, Demorest and Recchia agreed to dispense hydrocodone, oxycodone, fentanyl, and other controlled substances to individuals who visited Demorest Consultants but whom Demorest and Recchia knew had no legitimate medical need for the drugs. In some instances, Demorest, who voluntarily surrendered his DEA Registration Number in 2015 and lost his ability to lawfully prescribe controlled substances, used Recchia’s name and DEA Registration Number to issue prescriptions for controlled substances to patients. Demorest and Recchia caused pharmacies to submit numerous claims to Medicare and Medicaid seeking payment for the improper prescriptions.
Demorest, 67, of Bloomingdale, Ill., pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of health care fraud and one count of unlawfully using another person’s DEA registration number to dispense controlled substances. Recchia, 64, of River Grove, Ill., pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of health care fraud. Both defendants admitted in plea agreements that they dispensed controlled substances outside the usual course of medical practice and without a legitimate medical purpose. On Dec. 14, 2023, U.S. District Judge John F. Kness sentenced Demorest to two years in federal prison and Recchia to six months in prison.
The sentences were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Sheila G. Lyons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the DEA, Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, Mario Pinto, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
“During a time of epidemic prescription opioid abuse, a trained physician is the last person that the public should expect to knowingly and intentionally issue unauthorized prescriptions for opioids,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Hayes argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Knowing and intentional violations of controlled substances laws by medical professionals during this time must be met with serious sanctions.”
Two Men Indicted for Theft of 123 Guns from Dunham’s Sports Store in Benton HarborRead the Press Release
The men are charged with kidnapping, robbery, and stealing guns from a federally licensed firearm dealer.
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that the Grand Jury returned an indictment charging Darnell Bishop and Dontrell Nance, both from Benton Harbor, with kidnapping, interference with commerce by robbery, brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and theft of firearms from a federal firearms licensee. Nance is also charged with being a felon in possession of firearms. If convicted, both men face up to life in prison. The previous press release, complaint, and press conference can be viewed here.
“We are experiencing a gun violence epidemic across our country,” said U.S. Attorney Totten. “Incidents like what happened at Dunham’s Sports are stunning illustrations of crimes that are dumping guns into our neighborhoods and fueling the gun crisis. We are grateful to law enforcement for recovering nearly all the guns, and my office fully intends to satisfy our burden and prove this case in court.”
Bishop and Nance were previously charged by complaint. The complaint alleged that late on November 16, 2023, Darnell Bishop and Dontrell Nance approached the Dunham’s store manager outside his home and held him at gunpoint. Bishop and Nance then handcuffed and blindfolded the manager and took him to another location; there, they forced him to provide security access information for the Dunham’s store. Bishop took the manager’s keys, entered the Dunham’s store, and left with more than 120 handguns packed into two large coolers. Police later recovered all but one gun.
Investigators searched residences and vehicles associated with Bishop and Nance on November 17, 2023, and found firearms stolen from Dunham’s as well as an additional pistol. Both men were taken into custody that same day.
“The holidays just got merrier. Robberies and burglaries of gun dealers represent the biggest threat to our community’s public safety,” said Detroit Field Division Special Agent James Deir. “With the indictment of Dontrelle Nance and Darnell Bishop, and swift investigation from ATF’s law enforcement partners, the holidays can be celebrated without the fear of over 120 firearms finding their way into the wrong hands.”
“The FBI is incredibly proud of the Benton Harbor Safe Streets Task Force’s swift action in apprehending the defendants and ensuring the stolen weapons did not make their way into our community,” said Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the FBI in Michigan. “All too often, weapons like these are used to perpetrate violence and cause irreparable damage to Michigan families. The FBI, along with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, remain committed to working collectively to ensure the safety of our residents.”
This case was investigated by the Benton Charter Township Police Department, Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety, Berrien County Sheriff’s Department, Michigan State Police, ATF, and FBI.
The charges in an indictment are merely accusations, and both defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Tuscaloosa Woman Charged in $600,000 COVID-19 Loan FraudRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Tuscaloosa woman has been charged with defrauding the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and laundering the proceeds, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.
A twelve-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Tarnisha Doss Harrell, 46, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering.
According to the indictment, from July 2020 through June 2021, Harrell applied for and received two fraudulent PPP loans and conspired with four other Tuscaloosa residents to apply for an additional six fraudulent loans for which she received a share of the proceeds. Harrell submitted loan applications containing material misrepresentations and supported by falsified and fraudulent documentation. The eight loans total $603,976.
If convicted, Harrell faces up to 20 years in prison.
FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan “Jack” Harrington is prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Three Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Steal USDA-Mortgaged HousesRead the Press Release
Natchez, Miss. – Three individuals were sentenced for their respective roles in a scheme to steal houses from the United States Department of Agriculture.
Barry Martin, 47, of Georgia was sentenced to 46 months in prison; Fiesta Kagler, 59, of Georgia, was sentenced to 46 months in prison; and Ella Martin, 69, of Jayess, Mississippi, a former USDA employee, was sentenced to 35 months in prison.
According to court documents, the defendants conspired to identify and steal USDA-mortgaged properties. The targeted properties were mortgaged through the Brookhaven office of USDA Rural Development, an agency which helps rural residents buy or rent safe, affordable housing, especially low and very low income individuals. As an employee of that office, Ella Martin had access to a list of abandoned, foreclosed, nearly-foreclosed, or similarly distressed USDA-mortgaged properties and would create fraudulent warranty deeds designed to convey ownership of those properties to her co-conspirators and others. The fraudulent deeds included forged signatures from former homeowners, including at least one deceased individual. The fraudulent deeds were then filed in Chancery Courts around Mississippi with the intent to deprive the actual owners of the use and benefit of the properties and to deprive the United States Government of the actual value of the properties.
All three defendants will be required to pay restitution, which will be determined at a separate hearing.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Dax Roberson of the USDA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) made the announcement.
The USDA OIG and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie prosecuted the case.
Three Men Sentenced to Prison for Their Roles in Nationwide “Felony Lane Gang” ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Three men – Randall Taylor, age 37, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Cedric Lynch, age 38, of Orlando, Florida; and Keyshawn Arnold, age 27, of Schenectady, New York – have been sentenced to federal prison after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and to aggravated identity theft.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; James Smith, Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Putnam County Sheriff Kevin J. McConville made the announcement.
In previously pleading guilty, the three defendants each admitted that they were involved in a fraud scheme known as “Felony Lane Gang” at various times between 2015 and 2020. To operate the scheme, these defendants and their co-conspirators traveled across the country breaking into cars, often targeting those parked by women at locations such as health and fitness centers, daycares, and parks. They stole purses containing debit cards, credit cards, checkbooks and photo identifications in these “smash-and-grab” vehicle thefts, and they recruited women to commit bank fraud by impersonating the smash-and-grab victims in drive-through bank lines in order to cash stolen checks. The check cashers were almost always suffering from an addiction to controlled substances and were provided payment at least partially in drugs. The total loss amount from the conspiracy was over $1 million, with individual co-conspirators responsible for portions of that loss.
Taylor, Lynch, and Arnold received the following sentences imposed by United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino:
- Taylor was sentenced on December 20, 2023 to 61 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $54,967, along with a forfeiture money judgment of $11,240, and he was ordered to serve a 4-year term of supervised release after completing his term of imprisonment.
- Lynch was sentenced on November 22, 2023 to 61 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $80,464, along with a forfeiture money judgment of $11,740, and he was ordered to serve a 4-year term of supervised release.
- Arnold was sentenced on November 20, 2023 to 51 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $142,670, along with a forfeiture money judgment of $19,810, and he was ordered to serve a 4-year term of supervised release.
Six other defendants were charged in the indictment as co-conspirators with Taylor, Lynch and Arnold, and they all pled guilty and were sentenced previously, as follows:
- Joshua Mallory, age 38, of Fort Lauderdale, was sentenced on October 27, 2023 to 80 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $364,989.56, along with a forfeiture money judgment of $17,183.90, and he was ordered to serve a 5-year term of supervised release.
- Tyrone Parker Jr., age 24, of Fort Lauderdale, was sentenced on October 20, 2023 to 65 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $81,737, along with a forfeiture money judgment of $8,630, and he was ordered to serve a 4-year term of supervised release.
- Robert Natson, age 37, of Fort Lauderdale, was sentenced on October 4, 2023 to 46 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $34,400, along with a forfeiture money judgment of $4,352, and he was ordered to serve a 4-year term of supervised release.
- Gary Grier, age 37, of Fort Lauderdale, was sentenced on August 25, 2023 to 51 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $163,964, along with a forfeiture money judgment of $1,880, and he was ordered to serve a 3-year term of supervised release.
- Terrell McDonald, age 33, of Troy, New York, was sentenced on March 13, 2023 to 65 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $133,190, along with a forfeiture money judgment of $17,648.28, and he was ordered to serve a 3-year term of supervised release.
- Tyrone Parker (the father of co-defendant Tyrone Parker Jr.), age 42, of Fort Lauderdale, was sentenced on February 13, 2023 to 57 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $132,990, along with a forfeiture money judgment of $7,202, and he was ordered to serve a 3-year term of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the FBI Westchester Resident Agency of the New York Field Office and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, with assistance from the FBI Field Offices in Albany, Miami, and Salt Lake City, and Resident Agencies in Savannah, Georgia, and Portland, Maine, and from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine, the Saratoga County District Attorney’s Office, and the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office. Additional assistance was provided by numerous law enforcement agencies, including, within New York, the New York State Police; Columbia County Sheriff’s Office; Genesee County Sheriff’s Office; Monroe County Sheriff’s Office; Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office; Warren County Sheriff’s Office; and the police departments of the Town of Bethlehem; Glens Falls; Gloversville; Greenburgh; Greece; and Watervliet; and elsewhere, Connecticut State Police; Florida Department of Law Enforcement; Georgia State Patrol; Illinois State Police; Massachusetts State Police; Broward County, FL Sheriff’s Office; Northern York County, PA Regional Police; Southern Chester County, PA Regional Police; Utah County, UT Sheriff’s Office; and the police departments of Auburn, MA; Bath, ME; Biddeford, ME; Bozeman, MT; Brunswick, ME; Caernarvon Township, PA; Chester Township, PA; Cinnaminson, NJ; Darien, CT; East Norriton Township, PA; Easthampton, MA; Greenwich, CT; Lower Moreland Township, PA; Manheim Township, PA; Portland, ME; Portsmouth, NH; Saco, ME; Salisbury, MA; Sanford, ME; Scarborough, ME; Somersworth, NH; South Portland, ME; St. George, UT; Syracuse, UT; Tinicum, PA; Towamencin, PA; Tewksbury, MA; Wakefield, MA; Yarmouth, ME; and York, ME.
Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew J. McCrobie, Michael F. Perry and Paul Tuck prosecuted this case.
Texas Man Pleads Guilty for Facilitating Multi-Million Dollar Financial Fraud Schemes and Operating an Unlicensed Money Transmitting BusinessRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Emmanuel Unuigbe, 41, of Dallas, Texas, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan C. Rodriguez today and pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in North Carolina joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and today’s plea hearing, from 2018 to 2023, Unuigbe conspired with other individuals in the United States and overseas to launder millions of dollars of illegal proceeds obtained through extensive financial criminal activity. As Unuigbe admitted in court today, he created Stage 23 Konsult LLC (Stage 23) that claimed to be, among other things, a transportation business. In reality, the majority of Stage 23’s business was related to money laundering and the unlawful money transmitting of criminal proceeds.
According to court records, Unuigbe and his co-conspirators engaged in two separate but related conspiracies. The first, a conspiracy to commit money laundering, involved engaging in financial transactions involving the proceeds of various fraudulent schemes. This included online romance scams, in which co-conspirators contacted victims, most of whom were elderly, through various online dating and social media sites, and convinced those victims to transfer funds to bank accounts under the control of Unuigbe, Stage 23, and others. It also included laundering the proceeds of Business Email Compromise schemes, or BECs, which often target businesses involved in wire transfer payments. As Unuigbe admitted in court today, as part of this conspiracy, businesses were tricked into wiring legitimate payments into bank accounts controlled by Unuigbe and other co-conspirators. Once the fraud proceeds of the romance and the BEC scams were received, Unuigbe and other individuals rapidly depleted the accounts through multiple withdrawals and transfers into other accounts, including overseas accounts.
According to filed court documents, Unuigbe and his co-conspirators earned compensation by keeping a percentage of fraudulent proceeds obtained through the schemes. They also earned compensation by conspiring to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, whereby he and his co-conspirators agreed to “pay” for the domestic deposits received by others by transferring Nigerian Naria from accounts the co-conspirators controlled in Nigeria to other accounts in Nigeria, based upon a “black market” exchange rate for United States Dollars to Naira.
Unuigbe is in federal custody. The charge of money laundering conspiracy carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The charge of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business has a statutory penalty of up to five years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI for their investigation of the case, which is ongoing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Ryan with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is in charge of the prosecution.
Stockton Man Indicted on Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — On Dec. 14, 2023, a grand jury returned an indictment Ricardo Sanchez, 31, of Stockton, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. The indictment was unsealed today.
According to court documents, on Aug. 20, 2023, Sanchez was found to be in possession of a Springfield Armory Hellcat 9 mm semi-automatic pistol. Sanchez is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to multiple prior felony convictions, including conspiracy to commit a crime and inflicting injury on a spouse/cohabitant or fellow parent.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Sacramento Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitnee Goins is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Sanchez faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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 U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Springfield Man Received Delivery of 30 Pounds of MethRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man has pleaded guilty in federal court to his role in a drug-trafficking conspiracy after receiving a delivery of approximately 30 pounds of methamphetamine from California.
Saul Fernandez, 29, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool on Dec. 13, 2023, to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
By pleading guilty, Fernandez admitted that he was the intended recipient of approximately 30 pounds (13.34 kilograms) of methamphetamine that was transported to Springfield from California.
According to today’s plea agreement, an officer with the Kansas Highway Patrol stopped a 2021 Nissan Altima for speeding on Feb. 19, 2022. The officer searched the vehicle and found 31 packages that contained a total of approximately 30 pounds of methamphetamine. The driver was transporting the methamphetamine to Fernandez and agreed to cooperate in a controlled delivery.
The next day, DEA investigators called Fernandez, who directed the cooperator where to go and when he would be picking up the vehicle and the methamphetamine. Investigators saw Fernandez pick up the vehicle from the cooperator, stopped him a short time later walking away from the vehicle, and placed him under arrest. Fernandez had the keys to the vehicle at the time of his arrest.
Fernandez admitted to investigators that he agreed to accept the car. Although he initially claimed he did not know what was in the vehicle, Fernandez admitted that he knew his contact in California had been arrested in January 2022 with 90 pounds of methamphetamine. Fernandez also told investigators that he was supposed to receive $1,000 for picking up the car and holding it for an individual in Chicago, who would come pick the car up.
Under federal statutes, Fernandez is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John D. Hatcher. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, and the Kansas Highway Patrol.
Six Connecticut Men Charged with Offenses Stemming from Gun Trafficking InvestigationRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, and Bridgeport Police Chief Roderick Porter today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned a 12-count indictment charging the following six individuals with gun trafficking and other offenses:
STEFAN BAGLEY, JR., 22, of Stratford
TREMAYNE FERGUSON, a.k.a., “Tre,” 23, of West Haven
JAMAINE ADKINS, JR., a.k.a. “G Banger,” 21, of Stratford
JEFFREY CHARLESTON, a.k.a. “J Dot,” 20, of Bridgeport
ESKAVAIL GORDON, a.k.a. “Vail,” 20, of Stratford
CHASE DRALLE, a.k.a. “Chevy,” 20, of TrumbullThe indictment was returned on December 12, 2023, and the six defendants were arrested on December 18.
As alleged in the indictment, court documents, and statements made in court, on July 26, 2023, Stefan Bagley, Jr. was shot and wounded while traveling in his vehicle in Bridgeport. Later that same day, Bagley’s vehicle was used in another shooting incident in Bridgeport. An investigation revealed that, between October 2022 and October 2023, Bagley purchased approximately 20 9mm handguns from licensed firearm dealers, and then trafficked the guns through a network of customers, including Ferguson, Charleston, Gordon, and Dralle. Bagley typically scratched the serial numbers off of the firearms before providing them to his customers, making the guns more difficult to trace. To date, only one of the firearms purchased by Bagley is accounted for.
The indictment charges Bagley with engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, and with making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. The indictment also charges Bagley, Ferguson, Charleston, Gordon, and Dralle with one or more firearms trafficking offenses, each of which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years. Adkins is charged with possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.
U.S. Attorney Avery noted that this case is being prosecuted, in part, under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress enacted and the President signed in June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Bridgeport Police Department, and the Connecticut State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret Maigret Donovan and Jessica Casey through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Shiprock Man Sentenced to 44 months in Prison for Federal Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Kendale Johnson was sentenced to 44 months in prison. Johnson, 34, of Shiprock, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition on March 2, 2023.
According to court documents, on the morning of Oct. 22, 2020, Johnson and another individual got into a confrontation at a residence in Shiprock which escalated into a shootout. The other individual fled the scene in a car with Johnson in pursuit. Johnson located the individual’s vehicle in front of a residence in Ojo Amarillo, New Mexico and fired on the residence with a rifle before fleeing the scene with the other individual now in pursuit of him. When the other individual’s vehicle malfunctioned and came to stop, Johnson pulled his vehicle alongside it, exited, and fired into the other vehicle. The occupant escaped the vehicle and fled on foot and was shortly arrested by officers from the Farmington Police Department.
Officers from the Navajo Police Department then began pursuing Johnson, who drove into oncoming traffic and at speeds upwards of 110 MPH while throwing items out of the vehicle. Officers from the Navajo Police Department were eventually able to immobilize Johnson’s vehicle using the PIT maneuver. Officers located 2 rifles and a night vision scope near the vehicle.
In his plea agreement, Johnson admitted to possessing a stock rifle, night vision scope, and 9mm ammunition magazine. At the time of the offense, Johnson had a prior conviction for assault with a dangerous weapon. As a convicted felon, Johnson could not legally possess a firearm or ammunition.
Upon his release from prison, Johnson will be subject to 3 years of supervised release.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. McGinley is prosecuting the case.
View the Indictment View the Plea Agreement# # #
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Serial Sexual Abuser, with Multiple Prior Convictions, Sentenced to Prison Term for Another Attack on a Female StrangerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michael Hilliard, 64, pleaded guilty on December 19, 2023, to two misdemeanor charges for sexually abusing a woman and physically assaulting another, both of whom were strangers to him. He was sentenced by the Honorable Hiram E. Puig-Lugo, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to 180 days on the misdemeanor sexual abuse charge—the maximum sentence available by statute—and 30 days on the misdemeanor assault charge, with the sentences to run consecutively to each other.
According to the government’s evidence, in the first offense, on June 28, 2023, Mr. Hilliard was observed by the victim walking in and out of traffic at 326 Rhode Island Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001. Mr. Hilliard approached the victim asking for water and, after she obliged, he proceeded to rummage through her vehicle. After the victim told Mr. Hillard to stop, he struck her left arm then fled the area. He was apprehended shortly thereafter.
In the second offense, on August 16, 2023, Mr. Hilliard approached the driver’s side of the victim’s vehicle at 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005, demanding money. After the victim stated she did not have any cash, Mr. Hilliard reached into the open window and grabbed her breast. The terrified victim inquired what he was doing, and Mr. Hilliard responded that he was grabbing her “titty.” Mr. Hilliard was apprehended shortly thereafter.
Following these guilty pleas, Mr. Hilliard now has 26 misdemeanor sexual abuse convictions since 1999. His most recent sentencing for misdemeanor sexual abuse took place on January 4, 2023, where he also received the statutory maximum of 180 days. Additionally, he was convicted of a 4th degree sexual offense in Montgomery County, Maryland, on October 3, 2022, for which he is on supervision until 2025.
Mr. Hilliard has remained detained since his August 2023 arrest.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexis Dunlap and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Betty Jean McNeil, who prosecuted the case through the guilty plea and sentencing.
Scituate Man Sentenced to Ten years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child Pornography Following Earlier Federal Conviction for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A North Scituate man, convicted in May 2009 and incarcerated in federal prison for possessing and distributing child pornography, has been sentenced to serve a further 10 years in federal prison for being in possession of child pornography after completing his previous sentence and while serving a term of federal supervised release, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Based on information received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in April of 2002, the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force identified an IP address, assigned to a business located on the ground floor of a multi-residence building in North Scituate, as having accessed child pornography. Further investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and Federal Probation officers successfully identified Brian Murphy, 54, a resident of the building, as having accessed child pornography using the business’ Wi-Fi. s. Murphy ultimately admitted to a federal judge that he used the Wi-Fi service and possessed child pornography.
He was sentenced on Tuesday by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith to a term of 120 months of incarceration in federal prison, to be followed by 10 years of federal supervised release.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Milind M. Shah.
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Resident alien sent to prison for conspiracy to distribute meth and fleeing while out on bondRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 54-year-old legal permanent resident of Mexico residing in San Antonio has been sentenced for possession with intent to distribute meth and failure to appear, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Abel Avendano pleaded guilty for failing to appear and the underlying drug offense Feb. 1, 2022, and Oct. 27, 2022, respectively.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now ordered Avendano to serve 158 months in federal prison for the possession with intent to distribute meth. He also received 10 months for the failure to appear which must be served consecutively. Not a U.S. citizen, Avendano is expected to face removal proceedings following his total 168-month-term of imprisonment. In handing down the sentence, the court noted his role in the conspiracy and the amount of narcotics involved.
On June 19, 2020, Avendano approached the Falfurrias Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint. Authorities became suspicious when the driver of the vehicle appeared nervous. At secondary inspection, they found four kilograms of meth and discovered the vehicle had been stolen.
The investigation revealed a seizure of five kilograms of meth concealed in the same manner at the Pharr Port of Entry May 31, 2020. At that time, those arrested identified Avendano as the individual who hired them to transport the narcotics from Mexico.
The court permitted Avendano to be released on bond after his arrest pending conditions. He subsequently cut off his ankle monitor and fled.
Avendano was been in custody since his re-arrest where he will remain pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara J. De Peña prosecuted the case.
Repeat smuggler imprisoned for attempting to transport more than 560 aliensRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 25-year-old Donna man has been sentenced for conspiring to transport illegal aliens into the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Miguel Angel Hernandez pleaded guilty April 26.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now ordered Hernandez to serve 108 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence regarding Hernandez’ violent history, including a conviction for robbery after he and others held a couple and their 7-year-old daughter at gun point while they robbed their fireworks stand. In handing down the sentence, the court noted there was a “huge number” of aliens involved in this case. Further, when Hernandez tried to say he wasn’t responsible for the age of the aliens or the conditions in which they were transported, Judge Ramos made it clear that as part of the conspiracy, he was responsible for the foreseeable actions of the others and he would be held accountable for that.
In July 2021, authorities discovered 67 undocumented aliens in the back of a tractor trailer. This began an almost two-year investigation into an alien smuggling organization who recruited drivers on social media and then failed to pay them for smuggling illegal aliens through Border Patrol checkpoints.
During the investigation, law enforcement discovered Hernandez was responsible for coordinating the smuggling of countless aliens, with at least 560 apprehended in failed attempts.
The apprehended individuals included men, women and children who were often smuggled in dangerous and inhumane ways. Due to extreme temperatures, those smuggled sometimes needed immediate medical treatment for severe dehydration.
In one of these cases, which occurred Sept. 11, 2022, authorities discovered 115 undocumented aliens in the back of a tractor trailer during a failed smuggling attempt.
“This individual oversaw a transnational criminal organization responsible for illegally smuggling thousands of noncitizens into the U.S. in the back of tractor trailers through the deadly Texas heat with no regard for their health and safety,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark Dawson, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Houston. “Today’s sentencing is the culmination of years of hard work by HSI Corpus Christi, HSI McAllen and our law enforcement partners in South Texas to successfully dismantle this human smuggling organization and restore some integrity to our nation’s immigration system.”
Hernandez will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara J. De Peña prosecuted the case.
Readout from United States Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez’s Listening Session with Escuela de Padres at West Mesa High SchoolRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Last week, Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, met with staff, students, parents, and families from West Mesa High School’s Escuela de Padres to discuss issues they are seeing in the school and the community and how the U.S. Attorney’s Office can assist the school with addressing students’ safety. U.S. Attorney Uballez was joined by Principal Michele Torres, Albuquerque Public Schools Police Department School Resource Officer Augustine Sena, and Albuquerque Police Department Deputy Commander Mark Torres.
U.S. Attorney Uballez met with Escuela de Padres’ staff first to discuss the most pressing challenges facing school administrators, teachers, and counselors, ranging from drug and alcohol usage to truancy.
Next, U.S. Attorney Uballez met with the parents, families, and students and answered their questions about school safety. Many from the West Mesa community were concerned about the safety of students in school and whether there would be consequences when a gun is brought to school. U.S. Attorney Uballez discussed Second Judicial District Attorney Sam Bregman’s zero-tolerance policy for guns in school zones, New Mexico State’s Bennie Hargrove Gun Safety Act that holds gun owners accountable if they do not store their firearms safely, and how the federal government steps in to charge the most egregious offenses. He also discussed the responsibility every member of the community bears in taking care of not just their own families but building community networks to surround students with support and to work with school administrators and law enforcement to keep the community safe.
Many community members expressed concern about drug use in schools and the rise in overdose deaths, citing research conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and recent tests conducted by the New Mexico Environment Department on wastewater at 24 public high schools in Albuquerque and Rio Rancho. U.S. Attorney Uballez educated community members on the dangers of fentanyl—from masquerading as prescription pills, to its highly addictive properties, to how many other drugs, including marijuana, may be laced with fentanyl. Principal Michele Torres and teacher Carolyn Brown emphasized that the parents’ relationship with their children will make all the difference in preventing drug use and overdose deaths.
School Resource Officer Augustine Sena closed the meeting by speaking of his own connections to this community, and his commitment to the safety and success of all students at West Mesa.
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Portage Man Charged with International Telemarketing Fraud That Targeted Elderly VictimsRead the Press Release
The scheme operated for years and victimized seniors across the United States
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced an indictment charging Irfan Gill, 62, of Portage, Michigan, with 7 counts of mail fraud and 11 counts of money laundering. The indictment alleges that beginning as early as June 2018, and continuing through at least March 2022, Gill worked with a call center in Pakistan as part of a telemarketing fraud scheme that targeted elderly victims across the United States.
“As we have alleged, defendant Irfan Gill ran an international network to exploit America’s seniors,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “These scams are not going away and so we need to remain vigilant. Be cautious when you receive an unsolicited contact or offer. Resist the pressure to act quickly. Never send personally identifiable information or anything of value to unverified people or businesses. Combatting elder fraud and abuse is a top priority for my Office and we will continue to hold perpetrators accountable, whether at home or abroad.”
VIDEO: U.S. Attorney Totten’s remarks concerning the case can be viewed here.
Gill faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted of a telemarketing fraud that targeted or victimized 10 or more people over the age of 55. He faces up to 20 years in prison for the money laundering charges in the indictment.
According to allegations in the indictment, Gill claimed to operate several businesses: Cable Upgrade; D Network; D Tech; Direct Network; Dish; Dish Upgrade; and Sky Satellite. Telephone solicitors at a call center in Pakistan cold-called victims with offers of equipment upgrades, software upgrades, and subscription discounts for their cable television, satellite television, and internet services. While the businesses did not actually provide any of those services, callers instructed victims to send payments to Gill’s post office boxes in Portage. Gill deposited victims’ payments in his bank accounts. Gill tracked victims’ payments and used money transfer services like Remitly and Western Union to pay a portion of the proceeds to the telephone solicitors in Pakistan. The U.S. Attorney’s Office presently believes that the scheme victimized over 1,400 people nationwide.
“Postal Inspectors are dedicated to safeguarding the well-being and security of the American public, with a particular focus on protecting the elderly and vulnerable individuals, from fraudulent schemes,” said Inspector in Charge Rodney M. Hopkins of the Detroit Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “Today’s indictment serves as a stark reminder of the exploitation tactics employed by criminals who prey on the elderly and other susceptible individuals through deceptive telemarketing schemes, with the sole intention of extracting as much money as possible and, in some cases, causing irreversible financial damage to their victims. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service remains resolute in its mission to vigorously investigate and apprehend those responsible for perpetrating these telemarketing scams, thereby putting an end to their illicit activities.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are working to identify other individuals, nationwide, who may have been victimized by sending payments to the post office boxes listed below for any of the listed businesses:
Post Office Boxes
P.O. Box 122, Portage, Michigan 49024
P.O. Box 404, Portage, Michigan 49024
P.O. Box 421, Portage, Michigan 49024
P.O. Box 482, Portage, Michigan 49024
P.O. Box 1164, Portage, Michigan 49024
P.O. Box 1562, Portage, Michigan 49024
Businesses
Cable Upgrade
D Network
D Tech
Direct Network
Dish
Dish Upgrade
Sky Satellite
If you believe you are a victim in this case, please visit this page or contact Kathy Schuette, Victim Coordinator, at (616) 808-2034.
Federal law enforcement provides a number of tips on how to protect yourself from telemarketing scams, including:
- Be cautious of unsolicited phone calls, e-mails, and mailings.
- Never give or send any sensitive information (including your date of birth, account numbers, or passwords), credit or debit card numbers, or money to unverified people or businesses.
- Resist the pressure to act quickly. Scammers create a false sense of urgency to lure people to immediate action.
- If you recognize a scam attempt, immediately end all communication with the perpetrator.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Townshend is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
The charges in an indictment are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law
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Pilot Involved in Cocaine Trafficking Scheme Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RONIER SANCHEZ ALONSO, 47, of Naucalpan, Mexico, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 48 months of imprisonment for his role in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Sanchez conspired with others to transport approximately 1700 kilograms of cocaine from South America to the U.S. On August 6, 2016, Sanchez and Rupert De Las Casas flew a private jet, which was registered in the U.S., from the Dominican Republic to Venezuela where the cocaine was to be loaded onto the jet. De Las Casas was the pilot and Sanchez was the co-pilot. From Venezuela, the jet was to fly to Honduras where the cocaine would be loaded onto trucks for transport through Mexico into the U.S. A fake flight plan filed with Dominican authorities reported that the plane was traveling to Brazil. The plane crash-landed just short of a landing strip in Venezuela. Sanchez, De Las Casas and another co-conspirator evaded capture by Venezuelan authorities, and the cocaine was diverted back to Colombia.
On December 14, 2016, a grand jury in Bridgeport returned an indictment charging Sanchez and others with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine on board an aircraft registered in the U.S. Sanchez has been detained since he was arrested in Asuncion, Paraguay, on March 25, 2021. He was extradited to the U.S. in July 2022 and, on August 1, 2023, pleaded guilty to the offense.
De Las Casas, who last resided in Florida, pleaded guilty and is detained while awaiting sentencing.
Another co-conspirator, Arrinson De La Cruz, who had worked at an airport in the Dominican Republic and helped to coordinate the travel of the jet through the airport uninterrupted, was charged separately for his role in this scheme and other drug trafficking activity. De La Cruz, a citizen of the Dominican Republic who had resided in Wolcott, Connecticut, pleaded guilty and, on November 20, 2019, was sentenced to 144 months of imprisonment.
This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force, which includes members from the DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Waterbury, East Haven, Branford, West Haven, Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, and Shelton Police Departments. The DEA Country Office in Paraguay, Interpol and the Paraguayan National Police have assisted the investigation.
U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the U.S. State Department for coordinating the extradition proceedings in this matter, the U.S. Marshals Service for managing the defendant’s safe transport from Paraguay to the U.S., and the Paraguay Attorney General’s Office for its assistance with the extradition.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Kale through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Northern Nevada Man Sentenced to Prison for Assaulting A Tribal Police OfficerRead the Press Release
RENO – A Northern Nevada resident was sentenced Tuesday by United States District Judge Larry R. Hicks to 63 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for assaulting a law enforcement officer with a dangerous weapon.
In September 2023, a jury convicted Gelasio Johnson Guerrero (36) of two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon within Indian Country.
According to court documents, on July 10, 2022, Guerrero assaulted a tribal law enforcement officer with a firearm and metal object while on the Walker River Indian Reservation. As a result of the assault, the Walker River Tribal Police Department officer suffered a gunshot wound to the leg.
United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI made the announcement.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew Keenan and Penelope Brady prosecuted the case.
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North Carolina Man Admits Role in International Market Manipulation Scheme Related to New Jersey DeliRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A North Carolina man today admitted orchestrating a large-scale market manipulation scheme related to two publicly traded companies, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
James Patten, 64, of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn to securities fraud and conspiracy to commit securities fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From 2014 through September 2022, Patten, along with co-defendants Peter Coker Sr., and Peter Coker Jr., conspired to enrich themselves through a scheme to manipulate securities prices via a pattern of coordinated trading, which injected inaccurate information into the marketplace, creating false impressions of supply and demand for these securities.
As part of the securities fraud scheme, the defendants targeted two publicly traded companies – Hometown International Inc. and E-Waste Corp. – which were both traded on the OTC Link Alternative Trading System, also known as the OTC Marketplace. The OTC Marketplace is an alternative trading system that contains three tiers of markets, which are largely based on the quality and quantity of the listed companies’ information and disclosures.
Patten, Coker Sr., and Coker Jr. took steps to gain control of both entities’ management and stock with the ultimate intention of entering reverse mergers, a transaction through which an existing public company merges with a private operating company. A successful reverse merger would allow the defendants to sell shares of each entity at a significant profit.
In or around 2014, two New Jersey residents began the process of opening a local deli in Paulsboro, New Jersey. One of the individuals discussed his interest in opening the deli with Patten, a long-time friend, who suggested the creation of Hometown International, an umbrella corporation, under which the deli would operate as a wholly owned subsidiary. Unbeknownst to the deli owners, after Hometown International was formed, Patten and his associates began positioning Hometown International as a vehicle for a reverse merger that would yield substantial profit to them.
Around October 2019, Hometown International began selling shares on the OTC Marketplace. Shortly thereafter, Patten, Coker Sr., and Coker Jr. undertook a calculated scheme to gain control of Hometown International’s management and its shares from the deli owners. Patten, Coker Sr., and Coker Jr. took similar actions to gain control of E-Waste Corporation’s stock and management.
Once the defendants gained control of Hometown International and E-Waste’s shares, they arranged for the transfer of millions of shares of stock to a number of nominee entities, including entities controlled by Coker Jr., in an effort to mask their control of the shares.
The defendants transferred shares to family members, friends, and associates and gained control over their trading accounts by obtaining their log-in information in order to conceal the defendants’ involvement. The defendants then used those accounts to commit a number of coordinated trading events, often referred to as match and wash trades, to trade in Hometown International and E-Waste Corp.’s stock on both sides of the transaction.
These tactics artificially inflated the price of Hometown International and E-Waste’s stock by giving the false impression that there was a genuine market interest in the stock. Their scheme had the ultimate impact of artificially inflating Hometown International’s stock by 939 percent and E-Waste’s stock by 19,900 percent.
The securities fraud count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $5 million fine. The conspiracy to commit securities fraud carries a maximum penalty of five 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 April 23, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs; and special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins in Newark, with the investigation. He also thanked special agents from FBI Charlotte, FBI Los Angeles, FBI San Francisco, FBI Denver, and FBI Knoxville, for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren E. Repole, Deputy Chief of the Economic Crimes Unit, and Shawn P. Barnes, Chief of the OCDETF/Narcotics Unit.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment against Coker Sr. and Coker Jr. are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
patten.indictment.pdfNigerian National Arrested in Connection with Inheritance Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Nigerian national was arrested at Washington Dulles International Airport on Dec. 7 and arraigned today in Miami in connection with an inheritance fraud scheme.
Amos Prince Okey Ezemma, 50, of Lagos, Nigeria, faces federal charges in Miami. His co-defendants, Ezennia Peter Neboh, Kennedy Ikponmwosa, Iheanyichukwu Jonathan Abraham, 44, Emmanuel Samuel, 39, and Jerry Chucks Ozor, 43, of London, were all previously arrested in April 2022 by authorities in Madrid and London. Ezemma remained a fugitive until his surrender and arrest.
“Schemes that prey on the elderly are particularly insidious,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch will pursue and prosecute transnational criminals who defraud U.S. consumers, wherever they are located. I thank the Kingdom of Spain, including the Spanish National Police and the Ministry of Justice and our law enforcement partners in the United Kingdom and in Nigeria, for their tireless efforts in assisting U.S. authorities to find and arrest this fugitive so that he may face charges here in the United States.”
According to court documents, Ezemma is alleged to have operated an inheritance fraud scheme. Over the course of more than five years, he allegedly sent personalized letters to elderly consumers in the United States. The letters falsely claimed that the sender was a representative of a bank in Spain and that the recipient was entitled to receive a multimillion-dollar inheritance left for the recipient by a family member who purportedly had died years before in Spain. Ezemma allegedly told a series of lies to consumers including that, before they could receive their purported inheritance, they were required to send money for delivery fees and taxes and instructed to make other payments. Ezemma allegedly collected money sent in response to the fraudulent letters through a complex web of U.S.-based former victims, whom the defendants convinced to receive money and forward to the defendants or persons associated with them. According to the indictment, victims who sent money never received any purported inheritance funds.
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service has a long tradition of protecting citizens from these types of schemes and bringing those responsible to justice,” said Postal Inspector in Charge Juan A. Vargas of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Miami Division. “This arrest is a testament of the dedicated partnership between the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, to protect our citizens from these scams.”
“The arrest of the final defendant brings us one step closer to ensuring that those who conned elderly victims for pure financial greed are brought to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Scott Brown of HSI Arizona. “This recent arrest demonstrates the tenacity of HSI and our law enforcement partners to target offenders wherever they may live to answer for their crimes.”
Ezemma is charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, as well as mail fraud and wire fraud. Ezemma was arraigned yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Becerra of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. He has been detained pending trial. If convicted, Ezemma faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Five other defendants have already been convicted and sentenced in connection with this scheme. On Nov. 1, the Honorable Kathleen M. Williams sentenced Neboh, who was extradited from Spain, to 128 months in prison. On Oct. 20, Judge Williams sentenced another defendant who was also extradited from Spain, Ikponmwosa, to 97 months in prison. Three other defendants who were extradited from the United Kingdom also received prison sentences. Judge Williams sentenced Samuel, Ozor and Abraham to 82 months in prison, 87 months in prison and 90 months in prison, respectively, for their roles in the scheme.
The Consumer Protection Branch, USPIS and HSI are investigating the case.
Senior Trial Attorney and Transnational Criminal Litigation Coordinator Phil Toomajian and Trial Attorneys Josh Rothman and Brianna Gardner of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department's Office of International Affairs, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and the Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service at the U.S. Consulate in Lagos, Nigeria, all provided critical assistance.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Information about the Justice Department’s Elder Fraud Initiative is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Possessing Firearm as a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – DAJUAN MARTIN, age 24, of New Orleans, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Wendy B. Vitter to thirty-three (33) months imprisonment, three (3) years of supervised release and payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee after previously pleading guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2), announced United States Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, MARTIN was arrested on June 13, 2022, by New Orleans Police Department officers for driving a stolen scooter. When MARTIN fled from officers, he discarded a loaded Glock, 9millimeter handgun. MARTIN had previously been convicted in 2017 and 2018 for illegal carrying of a weapon. These convictions prohibited his possession of a firearm.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick Rayburn of the Violent Crimes Unit.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Fentanyl and HeroinRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – RODNEY OFFRAY, age 49, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on December 19, 2023 before U.S. District Judge Darrel James Papillion to a three-count indictment charging him with distribution of fentanyl and heroin, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 841(b)(1)(C), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agents began investigating OFFRAY in July 2023 for narcotics distribution in New Orleans. The ATF used a confidential informant and an undercover agent to conduct three controlled purchases, totaling 125 grams of heroin and fentanyl, from OFFRAY. On October 10, 2023, agents arrested OFFRAY, searched his residence, and located a semi-automatic rifle, 85 grams of heroin, 69 grams of cocaine, 120 fentanyl pills, and 13 grams of crack cocaine.
For Count 1, OFFRAY faces up to twenty years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and at least three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. For Counts 2 and 3, OFFRAY faces a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of five years, up to forty years imprisonment, a fine of up to $5,000,000, and at least four years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. Additionally, OFFRAY faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee per count.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers of the Narcotics Unit.
Nashua Man Indicted for Straw Purchasing FirearmsRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Nashua man appeared in federal court, after being indicted on firearms charges, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Mikell Baez, 25, was indicted on November 15, 2023 with six counts of making a false statement during the acquisition of a firearm. Baez made an initial appearance in federal court on December 19, 2023, and was released on conditions.
According to the charging document, on six separate occasions between August 3, 2021 and November 5, 2021, Mr. Baez straw purchased eight guns for someone else. He bought the guns from federally licensed firearms dealers in Merrimack, Hudson and Amherst, New Hampshire. Mr. Baez lied on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) form for the purchases when he said he was the actual buyer/transferee of each firearm.
The charges provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $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.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Gingrande 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.
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Multiple defendants named in newly unsealed indictment charging Savannah drug trafficking conspiracyRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Multiple defendants have been charged in a partially unsealed 14-count federal indictment alleging their involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy in the Savannah area. The indictment follows a prior related indictment in which two individuals also are charged in a violent carjacking.
The indictment in USA v. Grant et al. alleges that the defendants conspired starting at least as early as January 2021 to possess and distribute illegal drugs including methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, and marijuana, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. A conviction on the conspiracy charge carries a statutory sentence of up to 20 years in prison, along with substantial fines and penalties, followed by a period of supervised release upon completion of any prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“As our law enforcement partners continue to identify, infiltrate and disrupt drug trafficking operations threatening the safety of our community, we remain dedicated to complementing their efforts by holding accountable those involved in these criminal enterprises,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg.
The indictment charges all of the defendants with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine, Cocaine, Fentanyl, and Marijuana. Three defendants still are being sought.
Those named in the partially unsealed indictment include:
- Tremaine Grant, a/k/a “Trench,” 24, of Savannah;
- Laron Thompson, a/k/a “Hollywood,” 38, of Savannah;
- Tyquian Bowman, a/k/a “Quando Rondo,” 24, of Savannah;
- Donald Davis, a/k/a “Lil’ D,” 29, of Savannah;
- Ty’Sean Davis, a/k/a “Stro,” 21, of Savannah;
- Jarrell Palmer, a/k/a “Rel,” 36, of Pooler, Ga.
Thompson and Grant also face drug distribution charges. Grant and Palmer are charged with Conspiracy to Interfere with Commerce by Robbery, and Grant and Thompson face firearms charges.
The indictment provides notice of forfeiture of seven seized handguns and dozens of rounds of ammunition.
Two additional defendants – Robert Moss, a/k/a “Fat Boy,” 32, and Brandon McCall Williams, a/k/a “Lil’ B,” a/k/a “Dough Boy,” 32, both of Savannah – were already arraigned in connection with a partially unsealed indictment charging them in a related drug-trafficking conspiracy and alleging their involvement in a Sept. 2021 Savannah carjacking in which the victim was shot and wounded. An additional defendant is still being sought.
Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
Agencies investigating the case include the FBI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team; and the Savannah Police Department. The case is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley R. Thompson and Frank M. Pennington II.
Monrovia Man Charged in Federal Grand Jury Indictment with Producing and Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A federal grand jury has charged a San Gabriel Valley man with producing and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) depicting himself sexually abusing a toddler, the Justice Department announced today.
David Lisandro Perez Figueroa, 22, of Monrovia, is charged in a two-count federal grand jury indictment with production of child pornography and distribution of child pornography.
A federal grand jury returned the indictment on Tuesday. Figueroa’s arraignment is scheduled for December 28 in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. Figueroa was arrested earlier this month, and a federal magistrate judge on December 6 ordered him jailed without bond.
According to the indictment, Figueroa coerced a 2-year-old child into engaging in sexually explicit conduct with him for the purposed of making a visual depiction of the conduct.
On July 22, Figueroa allegedly distributed the CSAM by sending it on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, in an account linked to Figueroa.
British law enforcement investigating a target in the United Kingdom discovered the X chat logs with CSAM and, soon after, notified federal law enforcement in the United States, according to court documents. Based on this information, federal agents executed a search warrant at Figueroa’s residence on December 5 and arrested him.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted of all charges, Figueroa would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of 50 years in federal prison.
Homeland Security Investigations is investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Amy E. Pomerantz of the Violent and Organized Crime Section is prosecuting this case.
Monroe County Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Make Straw Purchases of FirearmsRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Windall Mitchell, age 34, of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on December 18, 2023, before United States District Court Judge Julia K. Munley, to the charge of conspiracy to make false statements in connection with the purchases of multiple firearms from federally licensed firearms dealers.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Mitchell admitted to conspiring with his girlfriend, Yesenia Ramos, age 43, of Stroudsburg, to provide false information to federally licensed firearms dealers regarding the purchases of ten firearms between May 15, 2021 and June 14, 2022 in Monroe County. The firearms were purchased from various federally licensed firearms dealers in Monroe County, including Dunkelberger’s Sports Outfitters in Stroudsburg and Brodheadsville, Pocono Mountain Firearms in Scotrun, The Gun Place in East Stroudsburg, and Lopez Firearms in Pocono Summit. The investigation began after one of the purchased firearms was recovered from another individual by police in New York City.
The charge against the defendants resulted from an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results.
The maximum penalty under federal law for conspiring to make false statements to firearms dealers is five 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.
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Money Laundering Girlfriend of Drug Kingpin Sentenced to over Three Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
DETROIT – What began as a delivery of drugs in a Sony PlayStation box led agents to a stash location in Novi where a drug organization stored more than 30 kilograms of fentanyl and over half a million dollars. Today, the girlfriend of the organization’s California based leader, who laundered the drug money and lived lavishly off the proceeds was sentenced to three years and six months in prison and ordered to forfeit her interest in a laundered home to the United States.
United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced the sentence and was joined in the announcement by Charles E. Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, and Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Detroit Field Division.
Teeauna White, 36, of Moreno Valley, California, conspired with her boyfriend Maurice McCoy to conceal his drug money by setting up multiple businesses and controlling access to the bank accounts. Members of McCoy’s drug organization deposited drug proceeds into the bank accounts and delivered hundreds of thousands of dollars in bulk cash to McCoy and White. Together, McCoy and White reaped the benefits of the drug trade, using the money to fund their lifestyle. McCoy purchased an expensive Porsche Panamera and White bought a Bentley and Mercedes Benz. They used one of McCoy’s relatives to try to conceal their purchase of a home worth more than half a million dollars in Southern California. McCoy and White paid off their house in less than six months by funneling cash from drug sales through a labyrinth of bank accounts. They also used the drug money to buy expensive jewelry, including diamond and gold pendants for themselves and some members of McCoy’s drug organization. White often bragged on social media, posting pictures of her cars, jewelry, and lavish vacations with McCoy. White knew McCoy, who had served 10 years in federal prison for a prior drug trafficking conviction, was a convicted felon when she helped him launder drug money.
DEA and IRS led a drug and money laundering investigation and discovered drug distribution hubs in multiple cities across the U.S., including Novi, Michigan, where the organization stored more than 30 kilograms of fentanyl and over half a million dollars that DEA seized. At the time, it was the largest fentanyl seizure in Michigan and one of the largest in the U.S. The seizure was the result of agents’ creative investigative work, after they traced a UPC code off a Sony PlayStation box that was used to deliver heroin to a drug customer. That UPC code led to the Novi condominium where the PlayStation was active. Agents identified couriers who crisscrossed the U.S. delivering kilograms, transporting bulk currency, or laundering money, leading to multiple arrests and additional seizures in Indianapolis and Baltimore, where the organization also operated.
Of the 18 defendants charged, only White and Robin Herndon, a relative who she and McCoy used to purchase their home, went to trial. The remaining defendants, including couriers, large-scale drug customers, and McCoy himself, pleaded guilty. White and Herndon were convicted by a jury in July 2023. After the verdict, White took to social media to threaten the witnesses who had testified at trial. Her bond was immediately revoked, and she spent nearly four months in jail awaiting her sentence.
“Money launderers are an essential, but often unseen, part of the drug trade. Their relative anonymity allows money launderers to profit handsomely from the drug business, while avoiding the more significant risks of drug dealing. But they help drug dealers access and enjoy the proceeds of a crime that poisons our communities. Money launderers should be held accountable and punished commensurately with the importance of their role in drug trafficking, and we will do our part by ensuring they are aggressively prosecuted,” stated United States Attorney Dawn Ison.
“IRS Criminal Investigation special agents work tirelessly in narcotics investigations to follow the money so we can financially disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations,” said Charles Miller IRS Criminal Investigation, Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Field Office. “We will not only seek to hold those accountable who traffic in drugs, but also those who help them hide or launder the illicit proceeds of these crimes that are destroying our communities. We are proud to work hand-in-hand with our law enforcement partners to bring these criminals to justice.”
“As drug traffickers and money launderers become more sophisticated and creative in the way in which they ply their trade, the DEA and our partners will endeavor to work smarter to hold them accountable. People who knowingly conspire to launder drug proceeds will also be held accountable for the harm they inflict on our communities” said Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement (OCDETF) Southeast Regional Strike Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrea Hutting, Craig Wininger, and Gjon Juncaj prosecuted the case for the United States.
Missouri Husband and Wife Sentenced for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Catherine D. Perry on Wednesday sentenced a man from Jefferson County, Missouri to nine years in prison for possessing and sharing child pornography with his wife.
Judge Perry also ordered David John Dohrman to pay $6,000 in restitution to victims who appeared in the images. Judge Perry sentenced Dohrman’s wife, Jacquelin Michelle Dohrman, to seven years in prison last month.
David Dohrman, 52, and Jacquelin Dohrman, now 49, pleaded guilty in June to one count of possession of child pornography.
David Dohrman admitted searching for and downloading child pornography and sending a video containing child sexual abuse material to his wife on Oct. 1, 2020. The couple shared child pornography in chats and discussed a young girl they’d seen in a restaurant. The video they shared resulted in a tip from Facebook to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. A St. Louis County Police Department detective then obtained a court-approved search warrant for the Dohrman’s home.
The St. Louis County Police Department, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson 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 Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who 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.
Missoula man admits distributing child pornographyRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Missoula man admitted today to trading videos and images of child pornography with others on social media sites, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Nicholas Geoffrey Combs, 28, pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography. Combs faces a mandatory minimum of five years to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and not less than five years to life of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for April 17, 2024. Combs was detained pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that in June 2022, Snapchat reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that a Snapchat user had uploaded two videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit content to its service. A law enforcement investigation determined that the Snapchat account belonged to Combs and that he had sent two videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit content to another Snapchat user. Combs admitted to an investigator to trading videos and images of minors engaged in sexually explicit content with other users on social media sites, including Reddit and Snapchat. Combs also admitted he was sexually attracted to minors, that he had solicited and received sexually explicit pictures from children with whom he interacted online and that he sometimes pretended to be a child to solicit the images. Law enforcement seized Combs’ electronic devices and determined that they contained thousands of images and videos of child pornography.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian C. Lowney is prosecuting the case. The Missoula Police Department conducted the investigation.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the 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.
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Mississippi Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison on Medicare Fraud Conspiracy ChargesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Vernon Sanders, 57 of Meridian, Mississippi, was sentenced yesterday to 18 months in federal prison followed by 3 years of supervised release, as well as restitution of more than $3.3 million, announced United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee. Sanders also was ordered to forfeit $383,260. In December 2020, Sanders pleaded guilty to a one-count Information charging him with conspiracy to defraud the United States and to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute through the payment and receipt of illegal health care kickbacks between 2016 and 2020.
Sanders was the owner of the marketing company FastScripts, LLC, and a patient broker who referred Medicare beneficiaries to laboratories in exchange for the payment of kickbacks. Sanders paid marketers kickbacks to recruit Medicare patients to provide their Medicare information and genetic material, which Sanders then sent to laboratories for Cancer genomic (“CGx”) testing in exchange for the payment of kickbacks from the laboratories. Sanders also paid kickbacks to doctors for signed orders for CGx tests, without regard for the medical necessity of the tests. Sanders was aware that these tests had been obtained through kickbacks, including kickbacks he paid to Individual 1, a co-conspirator physician in Loretto, Tennessee. In December 2020, Individual 1 pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud in the Middle District of Tennessee, and was also sentenced to 18 months in prison.
As a result of Sanders’ participation in the conspiracy, Medicare paid laboratories approximately $3,381,434 in reimbursements they were not entitled to receive because the patients had been procured through kickbacks, including orders signed by the physician in Loretto. From approximately June 2016 to January 2020, Sanders received approximately $383,260 in illegal kickback payments from laboratories and other marketing co-conspirators.
“Genetic testing fraud schemes bilk the Medicare system out of millions of dollars and trick Medicare beneficiaries into providing their personal information and genetic material,” said United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis. “In these national fraud schemes, marketers, like the defendant, together with unscrupulous doctors and laboratories, exploit vulnerable citizens as well as our federal health care programs. We remain committed to rooting out and prosecuting such crimes.”
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah K. Bogni prosecuted the case.
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Members of Bronx Crew Charged with Conducting Round-The-Clock Drug Operation Across the Street from A SchoolRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Edward A. Caban, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced the unsealing of an Indictment today charging three members of a Bronx-based narcotics trafficking organization with conspiring to distribute narcotics and with possessing firearms in furtherance of the narcotics trafficking conspiracy. BRYANT ESTEVEZ, a/k/a “Smack,” and TEREL BYERS, a/k/a “Rell,” a/k/a “Raff,” were arrested yesterday and will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stewart D. Aaron. A third defendant, JOHNNY MONTEDEOCA, a/k/a “Chi,” remains at large. This case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, the defendants took over an apartment building in the Bronx and used it to sell fentanyl, heroin, and other drugs, and carried guns to protect their operation. Worse still, they allegedly peddled these incredibly dangerous substances mere feet from a grade school. Today’s arrests make abundantly clear that this level of disregard for the safety and well-being of the communities in this district will not be tolerated. Thanks to the work of law enforcement and the prosecutors of this Office, these defendants now face serious federal penalties.”
NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban said: “Today’s charges exemplify the NYPD’s efforts to eliminate illegal drugs and guns from New York City neighborhoods – especially in the vicinity of our schools. I commend our dedicated NYPD investigators and everyone involved in this case from the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District because safeguarding our children will always be at the forefront of our shared public safety mission.”
As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court and in other court filings:[1]
From at least in or about February 2023 through at least in or about December 2023, ESTEVEZ, BYERS, and MONTEDEOCA were part of a narcotics trafficking organization that sold drugs and firearms in the Bronx. This organization (the “Concord Avenue Crew”) operated principally out of a residential building (the “Building”) located on Concord Avenue in the Bronx across the street from an elementary and middle school. The Concord Avenue Crew sold drugs — including fentanyl-laced heroin, crack cocaine, and powder cocaine — from the Building at all hours of the day and night, seven days a week. These sales were conducted, among other places, on the sidewalk in front of the Building; through the window of a street-level apartment in the Building; and inside a side entrance to the Building. The Concord Avenue Crew’s narcotics trafficking operation caused drug customers to line up on the street outside the Building, interfered with residents’ access to the Building, and prompted repeated complaints to the NYPD by residents and by parents whose children attended school across the street.
Members of the Concord Avenue Crew routinely carried firearms in connection with their narcotics trafficking operation, including by carrying firearms on their persons and storing them in areas where they were stashing and selling narcotics. On multiple occasions, members of the Concord Avenue Crew also sold firearms to undercover officers.
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ESTEVEZ, 25, of the Bronx, New York; BYERS, 21, of the Bronx, New York; and MONTEDEOCA, 34, of the Bronx, New York, are each charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams and more of mixtures and substances containing a detectable amount of fentanyl and mixtures and substances containing detectable amounts of heroin, cocaine base, and cocaine. This charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison. Each of the defendants is also charged with possessing firearms in furtherance of the narcotics trafficking offense charged in the Indictment, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, which must be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed, and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants would be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD and thanked the Office of the New York State Attorney General for its assistance.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Violent & Organized Crime Unit and Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick R. Moroney and Alexandra S. Messiter are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Member of Baltimore “Triple C” Gang Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for a Racketeering Conspiracy, Including Murders and Attempted MurdersRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Raekwon McMann, age 26, of Baltimore, yesterday to 25 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for a racketeering conspiracy, including two murders and two attempted murders, related to his participation in the violent street gang known as Cruddy Conniving Crutballs or Triple C. Triple C operated throughout Baltimore City.
The sentence was announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and Commissioner Richard Worley of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to McMann’s plea agreement and other court documents, Triple C members engaged in a pattern of criminal racketeering activity between 2015 and 2020, including more than a dozen murders and numerous non-fatal shootings, robberies, and carjackings, in order to promote the reputation of Triple C and to command respect from the neighborhood. Other spin-offs of the gang are “SCL” and recently, “TRD.”
As detailed in the plea agreement, the gang benefitted financially from selling narcotics, murdering drug dealers, taking contract killings, and engaging in street robberies. Triple C members also robbed dice games for cash and occasionally carjacked vehicles. Members divided the proceeds of illegal activities among those who participated in the crimes, and often contacted each other to commit a robbery if a member needed money.
Triple C members routinely used social media to identify and locate victims and to communicate with each other and share information concerning possible retaliation for violent crimes committed by gang members. Triple C members and associates used at least 14 firearms to commit crimes, often trading with each other or other groups to avoid detection through ballistic evidence. Details of the crimes committed by Triple C members were publicized on social media and thus were well-known to CCC members. Members of Triple C often critiqued each other after committing crimes regarding ways to improve their performance.
McMann admitted that he was present at two murders during which at least one member of the Triple C conspiracy discharged a firearm, including the murder of Darius Mason on July 29, 2018, and the murder of Larry Matthews on April 22, 2019. In addition, McMann was present at two attempted murders on February 24, 2019 and April 14, 2019. McMann liked to boast about his association with Triple C on social media and what members would do for each other. McMann frequently appeared in social media posts with other Triple C members, many times with firearms. McMann also admitted that as part of his activities with Triple C, he distributed controlled substances, including crack cocaine. McMann also knew that a victim could be murdered or show during the course of the conspiracy.
This investigation has led to the guilty pleas of 34 members and associates of Triple C, including Correy Cawthorn, one of the gang’s leaders. Cawthorn, age 25, of Baltimore, is scheduled to be sentenced on January 4, 2024, at 10:00 a.m.
This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ (ATF) National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.
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. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in this investigation and thanked the United States Marshals Service and the Office of the Baltimore City State’s Attorney for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia C. McLane and Michael C. Hanlon, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn.
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Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 42 Years in Federal Prison for 2020 Kidnapping and MurderRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BRANDON BATISTE, also known as “B,” 36, last residing in Chicopee, Massachusetts, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to 504 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for kidnapping and murdering another Massachusetts man in 2020.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 24, 2020, Batiste and Calvin Roberson, also known as “Cutty,” kidnapped Francisco Roman, Jr., 28, at gunpoint from a residence in Chicopee, Massachusetts. Batiste and Roberson threatened to harm Roman if he did not comply with their orders, handcuffed him, and stole cash, marijuana, and other items from Roman. Batiste and Roberson forced Roman into the rear of Roman’s 2010 Acura ZDX, and transported Roman and the other stolen property to Connecticut. Batiste shot and killed Roman while the car was en route to Hartford. They then drove the car to Shultas Place in Hartford and left it parked on the street.
Shortly before 9 p.m. on December 26, 2020, Hartford police and fire personnel responded to Shultas Place and found the car engulfed in flames. After the fire was extinguished, investigators discovered Roman’s body with multiple gunshot wounds in the rear of the vehicle.
Batiste has been detained since his arrest on February 11, 2021. On June 30, 2023, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit kidnaping, and causing the death of a person through the use of a firearm.
Roberson pleaded guilty to the same charges on April 27, 2023, and is detained while awaiting sentencing.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, FBI’s Springfield Gang Task Force, Massachusetts State Police, Hampden County (Mass.) District Attorney’s Office, Hartford Police Department’s Major Crimes Division, Chicopee Police Department and Springfield Police Department, with the assistance of the Waterbury Police Department and the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel M. Krull and Trial Attorney Brian P. Leaming of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section.
U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts for their assistance in this matter.