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Tuesday 28 November 2023
Mount Airy Restaurant Owner Pleads Guilty to Employment Tax SchemeRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Francesco Illiano, a/k/a Frank Illiano, age 62, of Mount Airy, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to willfully failing to pay employment taxes withheld from employees of his businesses to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division; and Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Illiano owned and operated two restaurants and a property management company which employed over 100 people. Illiano was responsible for collecting, accounting for, and paying the income and Social Security and Medicare taxes withheld from the wages of employees of the three companies he controlled. From at least April 2014 to at least July 2016, Illiano did not pay the taxes withheld from the wages of his employees to the IRS. Illiano had previously been assessed a Trust Fund Recovery Penalty for not paying more than $1.4 million in taxes withheld from employees of five Green Turtle restaurants the defendant owned in 2011 and 2012. In total, from April 2011 to July 2016, Illiano caused a tax loss to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of approximately $1.729 million.
Illiano faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for willfully failing to pay employment taxes to the IRS. U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has scheduled sentencing for March 6, 2024.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg commended the IRS-Criminal Investigation for its work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jefferson M. Gray and Trial Attorney Shawn T. Noud of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Mobile Man Convicted of Transmitting Interstate Threats to InjureRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A federal jury convicted a Mobile man this week for transmitting an interstate threat to injure.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, following his termination from a local construction company, Cloepha Franks sent a series of threatening text messages to his former boss threatening to kill him.
The jury heard evidence that Franks sent the messages from Alabama to the victim who was in Mississippi. Records of the text messages and cell phone records confirmed Franks’ phone transmitted the messages to the victim.
The victim testified about receiving the threats. He and other witnesses from the construction company testified about precautions taken after Franks transmitted the threats and the fear his actions caused. The FBI testified concerning the ongoing threat to life investigation and evidence obtained from Franks’ cell phone and cell phone records.
Franks faces up to 5 years in prison and will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kristi K. DuBose in March 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant United States Attorneys Beth Stepan and Chris Bodnar prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Mishawaka Man Sentenced to 102 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Damone McFerren, 28 years old, of Mishawaka, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
McFerren was sentenced to 102 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in October 2022, following a verbal argument in a South Bend residence, McFerren fired three gunshots at one of the persons inside the house. Officers who responded to the scene were able to recover the firearm McFerren attempted to hide in a discarded tire in the alley he ran to after leaving the residence. At the time of the offense, McFerren was on federal supervised release for a felony drug conviction, and he had multiple prior felony convictions, any one of which prohibited him from possessing the firearm.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of the South Bend Police Department and the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Katelan McKenzie Doyle.
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.
Mexican National Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Reentry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Mexican national was sentenced today in federal court for his illegal reentry into the United States after being deported twice, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Luis Aragon-Lara, 40 was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Steven J. McAuliffe to 24 months in prison and one year of supervised release. On August 16, 2023, the defendant pleaded guilty to one count of illegal reentry.
“The defendant was using counterfeit United States currency, which impacts our local businesses and economy. Even worse, he conducted this criminal behavior after having been removed from this country repeatedly,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “Today’s sentence sends a deterrent message that this office will vigorously prosecute individuals that are in the United States illegally and committing crimes in New Hampshire.”
“Those who seek to exploit our immigration law and engage in fraudulent financial crimes will not be allowed to use our immigration system to victimize the residents of New Hampshire,” said Todd M. Lyons, Field Office Director, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Boston. “We applaud the commitment of the U.S. Attorney for New Hampshire in prosecuting this case. Together with the great teamwork of our law enforcement partners at the Office of the U.S. Attorney for New Hampshire and the Keene Police Department we remain committed to protecting communities in New Hampshire from criminal immigration violators.”
On October 26, 2022, the Keene Police Department arrested the defendant in connection with the passing of counterfeit currency at retail stores in the area. A subsequent investigation revealed that the defendant was again illegally in the United States, after having been deported on or about June 9, 2009, and April 3, 2020.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Keene Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Ward prosecuted the case.
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Mansfield Woman Defrauds Health and Human Services Technology Solutions Company Out of $3.7 MillionRead the Press Release
A Mansfield woman pleaded guilty today to a $3.7 million wire fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Tanisha Adderley, 51, was charged via criminal information in September. She pleaded guilty to wire fraud before U.S. Magistrate Judge Irma Carrillo Ramirez.
“We are very proud of the work our Secret Service partners did in this investigation,” said U.S. Attorney Simonton. “No company should face the scenario that this one did, in which a trusted employee steals millions of dollars from its accounts. The Justice Department will not tolerate such breaches of trust.”
“The Secret Service has a long tradition of investigating those who aim to exploit our financial systems,” said Christina Foley, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Dallas Field Office. “Working together with our partners in the U.S. Attorney’s office, we were able to put an end to this fraud scheme and ensure that those involved will be brought to justice.”
According to court documents, Ms. Adderley worked for a health and human services technology solutions company that recovered fees paid by their clients and remitted refunds to them via wires from their funds recovery bank account. Ms. Adderley had access to the funds recovery bank account and was responsible for obtaining approvals and processing fee refunds.
Over the course of five years, from 2019 to 2023, Ms. Adderley prepared false approvals and processed wire payments to non-vendor business bank accounts that were controlled by Ms. Adderley.
Ms. Adderley fraudulently obtained $3.7 million in company funds.
She now faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Her sentencing date is slated for May 6, 2024.
The United States Secret Service Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nashonme Johnson is prosecuting the case.
Man Sentenced for Series of Firearm Thefts from Grand Haven Pawn ShopRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Casey Johnson, 29, of Muskegon, was sentenced to seven and a half years in federal prison after being convicted of three counts of Theft of Firearms from a Federal Firearms Licensee and three counts of Felon in Possession of Firearms.
“My office is committed to being part of the solution to keep illegal guns off our streets and out of the hands of felons,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “Today’s sentence reflects the joint commitment of law enforcement to hold Mr. Johnson accountable for the theft of guns from Michigan Pawn Brokers and to keep our communities safe from gun violence.”
Police were investigating a series of thefts from multiple businesses, including three break-ins at Michigan Pawn Brokers, when their investigation led them to Casey Johnson. Investigators executed a search warrant at a motel room at which Johnson was staying and recovered two of the 11 firearms that Johnson stole.
“In the end, the moral of this case is simple: Crime does not pay. Casey Johnson decided to steal firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer, because as a prior convicted felon it was easier than passing a background check,” said ATF Detroit Special Agent in Charge James Deir. “Casey will have a lot of free time to reflect on his poor choices while serving time in a federal prison. If you choose to illegally possess an illegal firearm, you should pack your bags for prison.”
This case was investigated by the Grand Haven Department of Public Safety, the Muskegon Police Department, the Norton Shores Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Roosevelt Park Police Department, and the Michigan State Police.
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MS-13 Gang Leader Sentenced to Life in Prison for Racketeering Charges Including the Murder of 16-Year-Old Victim in Alley Pond Park in QueensRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Melvi Amador-Rios, a leader of the Centrales Locos Salvatruchas (CLS) clique of La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, a transnational criminal organization, was sentenced by United States District Judge Rachel P. Kovner to life in prison for murder in-aid-of racketeering. The defendant was also sentenced to 80 years in prison for four Hobbs Act robberies, 40 years in prison for ordering a non-fatal shooting and 38 years in prison for firearms charges, to run consecutive to the sentences on all other counts. Amador-Rios was convicted of racketeering, murder in-aid-of racketeering in connection with the May 16, 2017 fatal stabbing of 16-year-old Julio Vasquez in Queens, attempted murder in-aid-of racketeering, assault-in aid-of racketeering, firearms offenses and four counts of Hobbs Act robbery after a three-week jury trial in July and August 2023.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James Smith, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Edward A. Caban, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the sentence.
“The defendant will deservedly serve a life sentence for the murder, attempted murder and armed robberies he committed on behalf of MS-13,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Today’s sentence reflects justice for the heinous and senseless nature of the defendant’s crimes and the terror he inflicted on his victims, their families and the community.”
“This is the culmination of another thorough, intelligence-led investigation of a violent gang member who will thankfully never have the opportunity to victimize another New Yorker,” stated NYPD Commissioner Caban. “I commend our NYPD investigators and law enforcement partners, whose tireless efforts on this important case ensured today’s meaningful prison sentence. We vow to remain relentless in identifying, arresting, and holding to full account everyone responsible for driving crime and disorder in our city.”
Murder of Julio Vasquez
As proven at trial, beginning in fall 2016, the CLS clique, led by Amador-Rios, decided to kill a CLS chequeo, or low-level MS-13 member (referred to in the superseding indictment as John Doe 3) who had been violating the clique’s rules, including by associating with members of the rival 18th Street gang. Amador-Rios ordered Julio Vasquez, also an MS-13 chequeo, to carry out the killing of John Doe 3. Vasquez was tasked with killing John Doe 3 because he too had been violating the clique’s rules and was suspected of cooperating with law enforcement. After Vasquez failed to kill John Doe 3, Amador-Rios ordered Vasquez be killed. On May 16, 2017, Vasquez was lured to a wooded area of Alley Pond Park where co-conspirators Josue Leiva and Luis Rivas stabbed him more than 30 times, killing him. Vasquez’s body was discovered by a bird watcher in the park on May 21, 2017. Leiva and Rivas pleaded guilty on July 14, 2023 to racketeering charges, including Vasquez’s murder. They are awaiting sentencing.
2016 Attempted Murder
In October 2016, Amador-Rios ordered a CLS chequeo to kill a member of the rival 18th Street gang. The chequeo targeted a boy that he believed to be a member of the rival 18th Street gang (referred to in the superseding indictment as John Doe 1). In the early morning hours of October 23, 2016, in the vicinity of 179th Street and 90th Avenue in Jamaica, Queens, the CLS chequeo, accompanied by two others, confronted John Doe 1, who was 16 years old at the time. At Amador-Rios’s direction, the chequeos beat John Doe 1, shot him in the head, and attempted to shoot him a second time as he lay on the ground. The gun malfunctioned, but, as a result of the gunshot wound, John Doe 1 was permanently paralyzed. Following the arrests of the chequeos for the shooting, Amador-Rios informed them in a prison call that “you guys already have the pass, you know, to be homeboys, you know,” indicating that they would be promoted in the gang for committing the attempted murder. The three chequeos have each pleaded guilty to their participation in the assault and attempted murder of John Doe 1, including variously assault in-aid-of racketeering, attempted murder in-aid-of racketeering and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Amador-Rios also participated in the armed robbery of a money transfer business during which an employee was pistol whipped, three armed robberies of convenience stores in Jamaica, Queens, one during which a four-year-old child was present, and related firearms offenses.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF
Today’s sentencing is the latest in a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York targeting members of the MS-13. The MS-13’s leadership was based in El Salvador and Honduras, but the gang has thousands of members across the United States. Since 2003, hundreds of MS-13 members, including dozens of clique leaders, have been convicted on federal felony charges in the Eastern District of New York. A majority of those MS-13 members have been convicted on federal racketeering charges for participating in murders, attempted murders, and assaults. Since 2010, this Office has obtained indictments charging MS-13 members with carrying out more than 45 murders in the district and has convicted dozens of MS-13 leaders and members in connection with those murders. These prosecutions are the product of investigations led by our law enforcement partners including the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, comprising agents and officers of the FBI and NYPD.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Nadia E. Moore, Anna L. Karamigios, and Raffaela S. Belizaire are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Emily Moosher.
The Defendant:
MELVI AMADOR-RIOS (also known as “Letal” and “Pinky”)
Age: 32
Briarwood, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-398 (S-3) (RPK)
Local Magician Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Sutton man who worked as a magician for over 20 years pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place and transportation of child pornography.
Scott Jameson, 46, pleaded guilty to one count of illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place and one count of transportation of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for March 7, 2024. Jameson was charged by criminal complaint in October 2022.
In early 2022, Action Pour Les Enfants (APLE), a Cambodian Non-Governmental Organization founded to prevent child sexual abuse and exploitation, contacted federal authorities to report that Jameson engaged in inappropriate behavior with minors in Cambodia.
In September 2022, authorities in the United States were notified that Jameson, a dual citizen of the United States and Ireland, had again traveled from Boston to Cambodia in August 2022. Upon his return to the United States on Oct. 19, 2022, Jameson was stopped at Logan Airport. During a search of his belongings, a video was discovered which he produced during his most recent trip to Cambodia, depicting the genitals of a young boy, 5-7 years old.
During a subsequent interview with law enforcement, Jameson stated that he worked as a magician for over 20 years, regularly performing at libraries and private and family events across New England, usually for children as young as kindergarten age and up to the eighth grade. He admitted to creating the video and transferring it from his camera to a hard drive that he possessed when he was stopped at Logan Airport.
The charge of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in foreign places provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of transportation of child pornography provides for a sentence of not less than five years and not more than 20 years, up to a lifetime 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.
Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Sutton Police Chief Dennis J. Towle made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by United States Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations and the Littleton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen M. Noto of the Worcester Branch Office 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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Lewiston Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Exchanging Cash/Drugs for Illegal Firearms PurchasesRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Lewiston man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for his role in an illegal straw purchasing conspiracy and for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Abdullahi Issak, 26, to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Issak pleaded guilty on April 13, 2023.
According to court records, between December 2021 and July 2022, Issak conspired to have 36 firearms straw purchased for him at federal firearms dealers throughout central and southern Maine. Issak directed the purchasers where to buy the firearms, what firearms to buy, and provided them cash or drugs in return for engaging in the illegal transactions. Issak took possession of the firearms from the straw purchasers following each sale. He was also sentenced for knowingly possessing one of the firearms which was purchased for him at a federal firearms dealer in Jay. A 2019 New York felony conviction precluded Issak from possessing firearms.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
Straw Purchasing: A straw purchase is an illegal firearm purchase where the actual buyer of the gun, being unable to pass the required federal background check or desiring to not have his or her name associated with the transaction, uses a proxy buyer who can pass the required background check to purchase the firearm for him/her.
Project Safe Neighborhoods: This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. To learn more information about Project Safe Neighborhood, visit www.justice.gov/psn.
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Lead Inspectors for City of Trenton Admit Receiving Illegal Overtime PaymentsRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Mercer County, New Jersey, man and a Bucks County, Pennsylvania, man today admitted participating in a conspiracy to obtain overtime payments from the city of Trenton for work they did not perform by fraudulently inflating the overtime hours they claimed to have worked conducting residential lead inspections, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Michael Ingram, 71, of Trenton, and William Kreiss, 40, of Yardley, Pennsylvania, each pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court to informations charging them with one count of conspiracy to embezzle, steal, and obtain by fraud more than $5,000 in funds from the city of Trenton.
According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Trenton’s Department of Health and Human Services (Trenton HHS) was required to provide services to identify lead sources in homes in Trenton where children had tested positive for elevated levels of lead in their blood. Beginning in approximately 2018, a New Jersey State grant funded inspections of Trenton properties identified with children with elevated blood lead levels. Trenton’s Bureau of Environmental Health (BEH), a subdivision of Trenton HHS, was responsible for performing these residential lead inspections.
Ingram, a public health investigator for BEH, and Kreiss, a registered environmental specialist for BEH, conducted residential lead inspections with other members of BEH from February 2018 through May 2022. The BEH employee to whom Ingram and Kreiss reported began directing them to bill overtime hours for work they did not perform. Ingram and Kreiss submitted their fraudulent and inflated overtime claims to this BEH employee, who then authorized overtime payments to each of them.
Ingram and Kreiss each admitted submitting claims for overtime work as directed by the BEH employee, including for work they had not performed. The two defendants also admitted they had inflated claims for overtime hours worked in connection with a meal delivery program administered by the city. Through this fraudulent overtime scheme, Ingram admitted he received $22,144 in overtime payments to which he was not entitled, while Kreiss separately admitted he received $32,806 in overtime payments to which he was not entitled.
Ingram and Kreiss each face a maximum penalty of five years in prison and maximum fine of $250,000. Sentencing for both defendants is scheduled for April 24, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; special agents of the Environmental Protection Agency, under the direction of Special Agents in Charge Tyler Amon, Criminal Investigation Division, and Nic Evans, Office of Inspector General; and special agents of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Janine Rocheleau, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric A. Boden, Attorney-in-Charge of the Trenton Branch Office, under the supervision of the Special Prosecutions Division.
kreiss.information.pdf
ingram.information.pdfLaredo salesman sent to prison for fraud conspiracy costing HUD $1M in lossesRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 38-year-old man was sentenced for his role in a complex mortgage fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Edmundo De La Torre pleaded guilty April 19 to orchestrating a mortgage fraud scheme in which he altered hundreds of documents to get otherwise unqualified buyers’ approval for government-backed mortgages.
U.S. District Judge Marina Marmalejo has now ordered De La Torre to serve 36 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. De La Torre was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1.17 million. In handing down the sentence, Judge Marmolejo noted the sophistication and persistence of De La Torre’s crime and remarked on the profound effects it has on potential first-time and low-income homebuyers seeking homes, and instead ending up entangled in legal and finances issues.
From 2018 to 2020, De La Torre admitted he was working as a salesman for a Laredo area homebuilder. De La Torre used his position to attempt to get potential customers approved for Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-backed mortgages. He forged various documents, including financial statements, bank statements, paycheck stubs and letters of reference for at least 38 otherwise unqualified homebuyers.
De La Torre then submitted these fake and forged documents to a Laredo area bank on behalf of the potential homebuyers. He admitted he was receiving a commission for each sale and personally profiting over $200,000 from the scheme. In addition, more than three dozen known loans in this scheme ultimately defaulted or had to be restructured, costing HUD roughly $971,310.10 at the time of his plea in April.
De La Torre was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
HUD - Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation with assistance from the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Carter prosecuted the case.
Lapwai Man Arrested Following Indictment for Second Degree Murder and Use of a Firearm During a Crime of ViolenceRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE – William O. Eyle, 20, of Lapwai, was arrested by the United States Marshals Service on November 27, 2023, in Pendleton, OR, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today.
According to a previously unsealed indictment, on October 17, 2023, Eyle was charged in U.S. District Court with one count of murder in the second degree and one count of use of a firearm during a crime of violence after he allegedly killed E.A. by shooting him repeatedly on or about May 12, 2023, on the Nez Perce Indian Reservation.
Eyle’s mother, Jacinta Wheeler, 43, also of Lapwai, was charged in the same indictment with accessory after the fact to murder. Wheeler allegedly cleaned out Eyle’s car, disposed of evidence, and assisted Eyle in leaving the Nez Perce Indian Reservation. Wheeler’s trial is scheduled for March 25, 2024.
If convicted on the murder count, Eyle faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the excellent coordination between tribal, state, and federal partners, including the Nez Perce Tribal Police, Umatilla Tribal Police, Yakama Nation Police, the Moscow Police Department, Oregon State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Marshals Service, which led to the arrest of Eyle.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Lame Deer woman admits distributing meth on Crow Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Lame Deer woman today admitted to methamphetamine trafficking charges, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Jacklyn Marcel Garcia-Littlebird, 58, pleaded guilty to distribution of meth. Garcia-Littlebird faces a mandatory minimum of five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release. Garcia-Littlebird was detained pending further proceedings.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The government alleged in court documents that in August 2022, Garcia-Littlebird sold approximately one ounce of meth to an individual at a location on the Crow Indian Reservation. Garcia-Littlebird was indicted as part of large-scale narcotics trafficking investigation on the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Indian reservations and elsewhere in Montana.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI conducted the investigation.
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Lake St. Louis Woman Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding Ailing UncleRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Tuesday sentenced a woman from Lake St. Louis, Missouri to 15 months in prison for stealing from her elderly, ailing uncle.
Judge Autrey also ordered Jessica Medrano, 42, to repay $79,827. Medrano pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in May to five felony counts of wire fraud and one felony count of access device fraud and admitted defrauding her uncle in two ways.
Medrano’s uncle, who is now 73 and suffers multiple health issues, entrusted Medrano with his debit card so she could make purchases on his behalf. Medrano instead used the card to make online and in-store purchases totaling more than $12,000 at Walmart for herself and other relatives between Jan. 21, 2022 and May 16, 2022, her plea agreement says.
Between Jan. 24, 2022 and June 6, 2022, Medrano also transferred a total of $57,950 from her uncle’s bank account to her own account via Cash App and her uncle’s debit card.
An investigation began when the victim’s bank alerted the Warren County Sheriff’s Department, according to testimony during the sentencing hearing.
In a sentencing memorandum, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry said Medrano’s “financial exploitation of vulnerable individuals and her family members has escalated” since she stole and forged two checks from her stepfather’s relative while he was hospitalized in 2009.
Medrano’s used her uncle’s debit card to buy clothing and food at Walmart, but also jewelry, electronics, candy, beer, furniture, art supplies, home décor, phone cards, cat food, cat treats, fashion accessories, dishes, warranty protection plans and party supplies, the memo says. Medrano also nearly drained her uncle’s bank account with Cash App, with her final transfer leaving $88 in an account that once exceeded $71,000.
The Warren County Sheriff’s Department and Homeland Security Investigations handled the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry prosecuted the case.
KC Man Sentenced to 16 Years for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for distributing child pornography over the internet.
Daniel J. Street, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 16 years and six months in federal prison without parole. The court ordered Street to pay $15,000 in restitution to three victims.
The court also sentenced Street to spend the rest of his life on supervised release following incarceration. Street will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.
On April 17, 2023, Street pleaded guilty to distributing child pornography over the internet. Street admitted that he possessed a MEGA account, a cloud storage and file-hosting service, that was used to distribute thousands of videos of child pornography.
Street sent links to his MEGA account to online covert employees of the FBI on three occasions in 2022. In February 2022, he sent a MEGA link to an online covert employee in the Oklahoma City FBI division, with whom he was communicating on a social media platform, to more than 2,000 videos and images of child pornography. In July 2022, Street communicated with an online covert employee in the Jacksonville FBI division using the Kik application and sent at least two videos of child pornography via Kik as well as a MEGA link to hundreds of videos of child pornography. In July 2022, Street engaged in a group chat message conversation, which included an online covert employee of the San Francisco FBI division using the Kik application. Street posted several videos of child pornography during the group chat.
On Aug. 26, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Street’s residence. Officers seized Street’s cell phone, which contained hundreds of videos of child pornography. Following his arrest, Street told investigators he had sexually abused a minor female on several occasions.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth W. Borgnino. It was investigated by the FBI.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Justice Department Announces New Surge of Resources to Fight Violent CrimeRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – The Justice Department, together with numerous law enforcement partners, met today at the Memphis Police Department’s (MPD) Real Time Crime Center to announce a new initiative to surge law enforcement tools and resources to target gangs and other violent groups who are threatening and upending the safety and security of communities in Memphis.
“Violent crime deprives communities of a fundamental sense of security in their own homes and neighborhoods,” said Acting Assistant Attorney Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This violent crime initiative will bring additional tools and resources used to investigate and prosecute violent crime and apply those tools to gangs and groups who are harming and disrupting communities here in Memphis.”
The new initiative includes federal prosecutors from the Violent Crime and Racketeering Section, the nation’s foremost experts in charging federal racketeering (RICO) crimes, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys already working in Memphis and dedicated investigative agents, analysts, and forensic experts from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the MPD.
“Through data-driven, targeted, and focused enforcement against the worst-of-the-worst violent criminals and organized groups, coupled with a strong focus on crime prevention, intervention, and reentry, I believe all of us, working together, can make an incredible difference and secure a safer future for all of Memphis,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Argentieri.
“As U.S. Attorney and a lifelong Memphian, I know the citizens of this city are sick and tired of gun violence and violent crime,” said U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee. “I am too. The threat from organized criminal enterprises requires that we bring significant resources to bear. These additional prosecutors, working hand-in-hand our office’s experienced Assistant U.S. Attorneys and law enforcement partners, will build cases against gang members, trigger-pullers, and shot-callers.”
The initiative will also include efforts to invest in prevention and intervention, and the department will work with the Western District of Tennessee’s innovative Reentry Court Program and community organizations to assist offenders in reentering and reintegrating into their communities. As part of the announcement, Acting Assistant Attorney General Argentieri and U.S. Attorney Ritz met with community members to hear directly from them about the violence and gang activity in their neighborhoods.
“Initiatives like this are not about one takedown – they’re about working in partnership to build a long term and sustainable plan to fight gun crime. ATF Memphis does that every day,” said ATF Director Steven M. Dettelbach. “This summer, with the MPD and other state, local, and federal partners, we focused efforts here, using crime gun intelligence to help protect the people of this great city. Now we are here with additional partners both locally and nationally to continue that work -- that impact. By combining traditional investigative techniques with advancements in technology, ATF is creating data-driven investigations that turn into evidence-driven prosecutions of the most dangerous offenders.
“This violent crime initiative serves as a force multiplier to empower law enforcement, our partners, and communities to proactively fight against violent crime in big cities and small towns across our nation,” said Executive Assistant Director Timothy Langan of the FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch. “The FBI, in close collaboration with the Justice Department and our law enforcement partners, is committed to tackling violent crime threats in a methodical and effective approach to dismantle the roots of crime and reclaim our communities, for a promising future for our neighborhoods.”
“FBI Memphis, our dedicated special agents, task force officers, intelligence analysts, and professional staff are ready to join our partners in supporting this new initiative to disrupt and dismantle the criminal enterprises that are threatening our communities," said Special Agent in Charge Douglas DePodesta of the FBI Memphis Field Office. “Together we not only investigate and enforce the law, but we also live in, and are a part of the communities affected by the violent crime that is overwhelmingly the result of violent gangs. It is only together that we will be able to target and bring to prosecution the gang members and others who are driving violence in Memphis and throughout the area.”
“I am excited about the announcement by our U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz regarding an increased focus on violent crime in the city of Memphis,” said MPD Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis. “This new initiative is a positive step in the right direction, which fosters a since of renewed hope for improved quality of life for our citizens and visitors.”
Joining Acting Assistant Attorney General Argentieri and U.S. Attorney Ritz in the press conference today were ATF Director Dettelbach, MPD Assistant Chief Shawn Jones, and FBI Special Agent in Charge DePodesta.
Justice Department Announces New Surge of Resources to Fight Violent CrimeRead the Press Release
The Justice Department, together with numerous law enforcement partners, met today at the Memphis Police Department’s (MPD) Real Time Crime Center to announce a new initiative to surge law enforcement tools and resources to target gangs and other violent groups who are threatening and upending the safety and security of communities in Memphis.
“Violent crime deprives communities of a fundamental sense of security in their own homes and neighborhoods,” said Acting Assistant Attorney Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This violent crime initiative will bring additional tools and resources used to investigate and prosecute violent crime and apply those tools to gangs and groups who are harming and disrupting communities here in Memphis.”
The new initiative includes federal prosecutors from the Violent Crime and Racketeering Section, the nation’s foremost experts in charging federal racketeering (RICO) crimes, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys already working in Memphis and dedicated investigative agents, analysts, and forensic experts from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, and MPD.
“Through data-driven, targeted, and focused enforcement against the worst-of-the-worst violent criminals and organized groups, coupled with a strong focus on crime prevention, intervention, and reentry, I believe all of us, working together, can make an incredible difference and secure a safer future for all of Memphis,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Argentieri.
“As U.S. Attorney and a lifelong Memphian, I know the citizens of this city are sick and tired of gun violence and violent crime,” said U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee. “I am too. The threat from organized criminal enterprises requires that we bring significant resources to bear. These additional prosecutors, working hand-in-hand with our office’s experienced Assistant U.S. Attorneys and law enforcement partners, will build cases against gang members, trigger-pullers, and shot-callers.”
The initiative will also include efforts to invest in prevention and intervention, and the department will work with the Western District of Tennessee’s innovative Reentry Court Program and community organizations to assist offenders in reentering and reintegrating into their communities. As part of the announcement, Acting Assistant Attorney General Argentieri and U.S. Attorney Ritz met with community members to hear directly from them about the violence and gang activity in their neighborhoods.
“Initiatives like this are not about one takedown – they’re about working in partnership to build a long term and sustainable plan to fight gun crime. ATF Memphis does that every day,” said ATF Director Steven M. Dettelbach. “This summer, with the MPD and other state, local, and federal partners, we focused efforts here, using crime gun intelligence to help protect the people of this great city. Now we are here with additional partners both locally and nationally to continue that work – that impact. By combining traditional investigative techniques with advancements in technology, ATF is creating data-driven investigations that turn into evidence-driven prosecutions of the most dangerous offenders.
“This violent crime initiative serves as a force multiplier to empower law enforcement, our partners, and communities to proactively fight against violent crime in big cities and small towns across our nation,” said Executive Assistant Director Timothy Langan of the FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch. “The FBI, in close collaboration with the Justice Department and our law enforcement partners, is committed to tackling violent crime threats in a methodical and effective approach to dismantle the roots of crime and reclaim our communities, for a promising future for our neighborhoods.”
“FBI Memphis, our dedicated special agents, task force officers, intelligence analysts, and professional staff are ready to join our partners in supporting this new initiative to disrupt and dismantle the criminal enterprises that are threatening our communities," said Special Agent in Charge Douglas DePodesta of the FBI Memphis Field Office. “Together we not only investigate and enforce the law, but we also live in, and are a part of the communities affected by the violent crime that is overwhelmingly the result of violent gangs. It is only together that we will be able to target and bring to prosecution the gang members and others who are driving violence in Memphis and throughout the area.”
“I am excited about the announcement by our U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz regarding an increased focus on violent crime in the city of Memphis,” said MPD Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis. “This new initiative is a positive step in the right direction, which fosters a since of renewed hope for improved quality of life for our citizens and visitors.”
Joining Acting Assistant Attorney General Argentieri and U.S. Attorney Ritz in the press conference today were ATF Director Dettelbach, MPD Assistant Chief Shawn Jones, and FBI Special Agent in Charge DePodesta.
Johnstown, PA Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Possess CocaineRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Johnstown, PA, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of attempting to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Clinton Dudley, age 36, of Johnstown, PA pleaded guilty to Count One of the Indictment before Senior United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on or about August 11, 2021, Dudley knowingly, intentionally, and unlawfully, attempted to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. According to facts presented to the court, Dudley attempted to possess a United States Postal Service parcel found to contain 622 grams of cocaine.
Judge Gibson scheduled sentencing for March 27, 2024. The law provides for a total maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, a fine of $5,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard, Jr. is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Postal Inspection Service and FBI Safe Streets Task Force conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Dudley.
Indian National Sentenced for Money Laundering Conspiracy Related to Government Impersonator ScamRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew has sentenced Jignesh Purshottambhai Vekaria (30, Tampa) to four years and three months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering. As part of his sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $372,000, the proceeds of the offense. Vekaria had pleaded guilty on July 20, 2023.
According to court documents, India-based conspirators working in call centers placed calls to United States residents. The conspirators falsely and fraudulently identified themselves as federal law enforcement officers, such as Social Security Administration officials, FBI agents, or IRS officers. They provided “official” titles and/or “badge numbers,” and threatened their victims with imminent arrest, a lawsuit, and/or other economic consequences—usually based on alleged drug trafficking or money laundering crimes supposedly committed using the victims’ identities. The conspirators told victims, the majority of whom were older adults, that they could avoid these consequences by mailing checks or cash equivalents to conspirators in the United States.
From April 2018 through at least September 2018, Vekaria laundered money that had been extorted from these victims in the United States. Specifically, Vekaria acted as an intermediary between other U.S.-based conspirators who had a direct line of communication to the foreign call centers and the “runners” who received and cashed the victims’ checks. Vekaria’s intermediary role involved relaying information regarding the arrival of packages containing the victims’ checks to the runners, driving the runners to pick up the checks and cash them, and retrieving the fraudulently obtained funds from the runners. Once he retrieved the fraud proceeds, Vekaria provided them to his coconspirators and was paid for his role in obtaining the funds.
“Every day, countless Americans receive annoying spam calls from imposters pretending to be with the IRS. Today’s sentencing of Jignesh Vekaria serves as reassurance that IRS-CI agents will answer the call to bring justice to those who extort money and defraud hard-working citizens,” said Tara K. Reed, IRS-CI Acting Special Agent in Charge. “Putting dishonest fraudsters like Vekaria behind bars reinforces that the IRS is committed to ensuring the safety and trust of Americans throughout every community we serve.”
This case was investigated by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General (SSA/OIG), the Tampa Police Department, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Huyler.
German Man Admits Traveling to New Jersey to Engage in Sexual Activity with MinorRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A German man today admitted traveling from Germany to New Jersey in order to engage in illicit sex acts with a minor, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Christian Stefan Walther, 39, of Erfurt, Germany, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Law enforcement authorities have been investigating Walther since January 2023 for child exploitation offenses. Two undercover officers communicated with Walther via email, phone, and an encrypted messaging app concerning Walther’s desire for sexual encounters with young children. During the investigation Walther sent an undercover officer two videos, each of which depicted children being sexually abused. Walther also expressed his desire to engage in sexual conduct with children aged 8 to 12. On March 23, 2023, Walther traveled from Germany to New Jersey to meet the undercover officers in advance of what he believed would be a sexual encounter with one or more children at a hotel.
The charge of interstate travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct carries a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for April 10, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea. He also thanked the New Jersey State Police, under the leadership of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, for its assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Specht of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit in Newark.
walther.information.pdfFormer Virginia Police Officer Sentenced for Sexually Assaulting MinorRead the Press Release
Former Portsmouth, Virginia, Police Department (PPD) Officer Cleshaun A. Cox, 31, was sentenced today in federal court to 18 years in prison and five years of supervised release and required to register as a sex offender under the Federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act for violating the civil rights of a minor victim by forcibly sexually assaulting her while on duty.
“The defendant abused the public's trust and exploited his authority as a law enforcement officer in one of the most egregious ways imaginable,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Sexual assaults perpetrated by police officers are heinous crimes, especially when children are the targets, and particularly deplorable when facilitated by the sheer power and authority that police wield over the public. We commend this brave young survivor and her family for having the courage to come forward. We will continue to seek justice for victims of sexual misconduct by law enforcement officers and others who abuse their authority.”
“There are no words to describe Cox’s breach of our public trust,” said U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia. “The pain that he inflicted on the victim and the community is incalculable, but I hope this resolution can bring some measure of peace to those affected.”
“Sworn police officers are entrusted with safeguarding and protecting our community. Cleshaun Cox broke that trust when he, while acting under color of law, physically assaulted a teenage girl and violated her rights to bodily integrity,” said Special Agent in Charge Brian Dugan of the FBI Norfolk Field Office. “I hope today’s sentence brings some semblance of justice to the victim and her family, as well as sends a message that officers who abuse their positions of power to commit abhorrent acts will be held accountable.”
According to court documents, Cox admitted that on or about May 27, 2019, while he was in uniform and working in his official capacity as an officer with PPD, he encountered Victim 1, a 17-year-old female, during a call for a noise complaint. After a more senior officer told Victim 1 to drive home, Cox followed Victim 1 in his marked police vehicle and instead Cox instructed Victim 1 to drive to a parking lot. There, he offered her a “deal” whereby he would not charge her for fabricated traffic offenses if she would perform a sexual act. Victim 1 stated that she did not want to engage in any sexual acts with Cox. Nevertheless, he instructed her to get into his vehicle as he drove to an isolated area. Victim 1 complied because she feared Cox and believed that she had no other choice. There, he raped Victim 1. Cox admitted that he knew that Victim 1 was only 17 years old and that he knew that she did not want to have sex with him. Cox also admitted to lying to state investigators about his actions that night.
The FBI Norfolk Field Office investigated the case.
Special Litigation Counsel Kathryn E. Gilbert of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney E. Rebecca Gantt for the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case.
Former Scranton Police Officer and Police Union President Charged with Overtime FraudRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Paul Helring, age 47, a former Scranton police officer and the former elected police union president, was charged yesterday by Criminal Information with the offense of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds.
According to the United States Attorney’s Office, the Information alleges that Helring, while serving as the coordinator of Scranton Police Department’s extra duty overtime program, knowingly obtained by fraud over $5,000.00 in compensation paid to him for extra duty patrol shifts at several local, lower-income housing complexes that Helring claimed to work but did not in fact work.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Public Corruption Task Force with assistance from the Office of Inspector General within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Assistant United States Attorneys Jeffery St John and Philip J. Caraballo are prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years of 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.
The charges contained in a criminal information are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Former Portsmouth Police Officer Sentenced for Sexually Assaulting MinorRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A former Portsmouth Police Department (PPD) officer was sentenced today in federal court to 18 years in prison, and required to register as a sex offender under the Federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act for violating the civil rights of a minor victim by forcibly sexually assaulting her while on duty.
“There are no words to describe Officer Cox’s breach of our public trust,” said Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “The pain that he inflicted on the victim and the community is incalculable, but I hope this resolution can bring some measure of peace to those affected.”
“The defendant abused the public trust and his authority as a law enforcement officer in one of the most egregious ways imaginable,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We commend this brave victim and her family for coming forward. We will continue to seek justice for victims of sexual misconduct by law enforcement officers and others who abuse their authority.”
“Sworn police officers are entrusted with safeguarding and protecting our community,” said Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office. “Cleshaun Cox broke that trust when he, while acting under color of law, physically assaulted a teenage girl and violated her rights to bodily integrity. I hope today’s sentence brings some semblance of justice to the victim and her family, as well as sends a message that officers who abuse their positions of power to commit abhorrent acts will be held accountable.”
According to court documents, Officer Cleshaun A. Cox, 31, admitted that on or about May 27, 2019, while he was in uniform and working in his official capacity as an officer with PPD, he encountered Victim 1, a 17-year-old female, during a call for a noise complaint. After a more senior officer told Victim 1 to drive home, Cox followed Victim 1 in his marked police vehicle and instead Cox instructed Victim 1 to drive to a parking lot. There, he offered her a “deal” whereby he would not charge her for fabricated traffic offenses if she would perform a sexual act. Victim 1 stated that she did not want to engage in any sexual acts with Cox. Nevertheless, he instructed her to get into his vehicle as he drove to an isolated area. Victim 1 complied because she feared Cox and believed that she had no other choice. There, he raped Victim 1. Cox admitted that he knew that Victim 1 was only 17 years old and that he knew that she did not want to have sex with him. Cox also admitted to lying to state investigators about his actions that night.
In August 2021, Cox pleaded guilty in Portsmouth Circuit Court to charges of carnal knowledge and abduction and was sentenced to serve 5 years in prison. He completed his state sentencing pending federal sentencing and served approximately 4.5 years in state custody.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kristen Clarke, Assistant Attorney General of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division; and Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes.
Assistant U.S. Attorney E. Rebecca Gantt for the Eastern District of Virginia and Special Litigation Counsel Kathryn E. Gilbert of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-84.
Former Petersburg FCI Bureau of Prisons Lieutenant Sentenced for Violating Civil Rights of an Inmate Resulting in the Inmate’s DeathRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – Former Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Lieutenant was sentenced today to 36 months in prison for violating the civil rights of an inmate by showing deliberate indifference to the inmate’s serious medical needs, resulting in the inmate’s death.
“This inmate’s death was not the result of inadvertence or a lapse in judgment.” said Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “His death was the completely preventable result of the deliberate choices made by the defendant, who knew he had the constitutional duty to provide medical care. Inmates are entitled to basic human dignity.”
“Inmates entrusted to the care and custody of a correctional facility rely on correctional officials for basic healthcare, especially in a medical emergency,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue to hold correctional officials who blatantly disregard inmates’ serious medical needs accountable.”
According to court documents, Lieutenant Michael Anderson, 52, admitted that on January 9 and 10, 2021, he was working in his official capacity as a BOP lieutenant at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) at Petersburg. In that capacity, Anderson was the second-highest ranking officer at the prison and was responsible for the care of inmates. On January 9, 2021, a correctional officer notified Anderson that a 47-year-old inmate, W.W., was experiencing symptoms of an apparent medical emergency and asked the defendant to help W.W. obtain medical care. Anderson personally observed W.W.’s symptoms and stated that he would get medical help for W.W. The defendant nevertheless failed to notify medical staff, obtain a medical assessment, contact the facility’s on-call physician, or notify any other staff members of W.W.’s condition.
The next day, a correctional officer notified Anderson that W.W. had fallen to the ground in his cell. Even with this information, Anderson failed to obtain any assistance for W.W. whatsoever. W.W. then laid on the ground, dead or dying, for over an hour and a half before any correctional or medical staff entered his cell. By the time correctional and medical staff entered the cell, life-saving efforts failed, and W.W. was later pronounced dead.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kristen Clarke, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; Michael E. Horwitz, Inspector General of the Justice Department, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Roderick C. Young.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Garnett and Special Litigation Counsel Kathryn E. Gilbert and Trial Attorney Matthew Tannenbaum of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
The Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General investigated the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-80.
Former Insider at Major Financial Services Organization Admits Involvement in Multimillion-Dollar Insider Trading RingRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the guilty plea of LAWRENCE BILLIMEK in connection with his participation in a multimillion-dollar insider trading scheme. BILLIMEK was arrested in December 2022 and pled guilty to securities fraud based on insider trading before U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “For more than five years, Lawrence Billimek abused his trusted position in a major financial services organization to illicitly generate tens of millions of dollars in profits through insider trading. Billimek knew his actions were wrong, using burner phones and lies to try to cover his scheme, but he continued to undermine the integrity of the market anyway. Insider trading is a serious crime, and Billimek now faces substantial prison time.”
As alleged in the Indictment and statements made during court proceedings:
Through his employment at TIAA-CREF, BILLIMEK had advance access to certain of TIAA-CREF’s anticipated trades. Due to the size of certain of these TIAA-CREF trade orders, they often caused market movement in the securities they traded. From at least 2016 through his arrest in December 2022, BILLIMEK misused his insider access and provided inside information about these trades to his co-conspirator (“CC-1”) who then bought or sold the same securities in advance of the TIAA-CREF trading. CC-1 then provided BILLIMEK with a portion of the profits on these trades.
BILLIMEK and CC-1 engaged in these front-running trades on over a thousand occasions between in or about 2016 and December 2022. In an effort to hide their scheme, BILLIMEK used prepaid, unregistered “burner” phones to communicate with CC-1 throughout the trading day. BILLIMEK and CC-1 also lied to various financial institutions about the source of funds they received during the scheme, claiming that they were, among other things, gifts. In total, BILLIMEK and CC-1 generated tens of millions of dollars in profits.
* * *
BILLIMEK, 52, of Hailey, Idaho, pled guilty to one count of securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. BILLIMEK will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Mr. Williams also thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which has filed a parallel civil action.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason A. Richman is in charge of the prosecution.
Former Federal Bureau of Prisons Lieutenant Sentenced for Civil Rights Violation Following Failure to Address Medical Needs of Deceased InmateRead the Press Release
Former Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) Lieutenant Michael Anderson, 52, was sentenced today to 36 months in prison for violating the civil rights of an inmate by showing deliberate indifference to the inmate’s serious medical needs, resulting in his death.
“People held in jails and prisons are at the mercy of correctional officials when it comes to fair treatment and basic necessities like healthcare, especially when they are experiencing a medical emergency,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Correctional officials have a constitutional duty to ensure that those experiencing a health crisis or medical emergency are not ignored but instead are treated like human beings and provided basic life-sustaining care. The Justice Department will not stand by idly when officials inside jails and prisons deny people confined in their custody access to basic healthcare, leaving them to suffer grave injury or death. We will hold correctional officials accountable when their callous actions, or failure to act, violate our federal civil rights laws or the Constitution.”
“This inmate’s death was not the result of inadvertence or a lapse in judgment,” said U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia. “His death was the completely preventable result of the deliberate choices made by the defendant, who knew he had the constitutional duty to provide medical care. Inmates are entitled to basic human dignity.”
“Anderson’s appalling indifference resulted in the needless loss of life,” said Special Agent in Charge Russell W. Cunningham of the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General Mid-Atlantic Region. “Today’s sentencing sends a clear message that correctional officers who disregard their responsibility to provide a humane environment for inmates will be held accountable.”
According to court documents, Anderson admitted that on Jan. 9 and 10, 2021, he was working as an FBOP lieutenant at the Federal Correctional Institution at Petersburg, Virginia. In that capacity, Anderson was the second-highest ranking officer at the prison and was responsible for the care of federal inmates. On Jan. 9, 2021, a correctional officer notified Anderson that a 47-year-old inmate, W.W., was experiencing symptoms of an apparent medical emergency and asked the defendant to help W.W. obtain medical care. Anderson personally observed W.W.’s symptoms and stated that he would get medical help for W.W. The defendant nevertheless failed to notify medical staff, obtain a medical assessment, contact the facility’s on-call physician or notify any other staff members of W.W.’s condition.
The next day, a correctional officer notified Anderson that W.W. had fallen to the ground in his cell. Even with this information, Anderson failed to obtain any assistance for W.W. whatsoever. W.W. laid on the ground, dead or dying, for over an hour and a half before any correctional or medical staff entered his cell. When they finally did so, life-saving efforts failed, and W.W. was later pronounced dead.
The Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General investigated the case.
Special Litigation Counsel Kathryn E. Gilbert and Trial Attorney Matthew Tannenbaum of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Garnett for the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case.
Former Blackfeet Tribal operations manager suspected of stealing tribal COVID-19 relief funding arraigned on chargesRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — The former operations manager for the Blackfeet Tribe was arraigned today on charges accusing him of stealing federal COVID-19 relief funding the tribe received, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
James Cameron McNeely, 43, of Browning, pleaded not guilty to an indictment charging him with theft from an Indian tribal government receiving federal funding, wire fraud and theft from an Indian tribal organization. If convicted of the most serious crime, McNeely faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston presided. McNeely was released pending further proceedings.
The indictment alleges that the Blackfeet Tribe received federal grant funding from the American Rescue Plan Act to aid public health and economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. As alleged, from about October 2021 to October 2022, while working as the tribe’s operations manager in Browning, McNeely stole more than $5,000 from the tribe by fraudulently submitting requests for repayment to the tribe after falsely claiming to purchase COVID-19 supplies on behalf of the tribe from Amazon.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan G. Weldon is prosecuting the case. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation.
PACER case reference. 23-106.
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Florida man and woman plead guilty to stealing bank customers’ information through phone scamsRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Two defendants pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to conspiring to commit bank fraud through a phone scam that compromised 11 bank accounts and more than $108,000.
Deon O. Noel, 28, and Diamond Bezada, 25, both of Miami, Florida, admitted to a scheme to defraud Fifth Third Bank and multiple individuals in the Southern District of Ohio with Fifth Third Bank accounts.
According to court documents, in August and September 2019, Noel and Bezada would call bank customers and fraudulently represent themselves as employees of the bank. These calls were used to obtain the bank account and security information of the customers.
Coconspirators would then use the stolen information and contact the bank pretending to be the bank customer and get the bank account information added to a pay app.
Noel and Bezada received more than $108,000, which they used to purchase goods, services and money orders, primarily in Las Vegas, Nevada. As part of their plea agreements, they agree to pay the total funds in restitution.
Conspiracy to commit bank fraud is a federal crime punishable by up to 30 years in prison. Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence. Sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; announced the guilty pleas entered today before Senior U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett. Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy S. Mangan and Ryan A. Keefe are representing the United States in this case.
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Felon Sentenced to 20 Years for Illegally Possessing Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – James D. Brunson, 26, of Orem, Utah, was sentenced today to 240 months’ imprisonment, after a federal jury found him guilty of being a previously convicted felon in possession of stolen firearms and ammunition.
According to court documents, and the evidence presented at trial in July 2022, Brunson was found guilty of possession of firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon, and possession of stolen firearms. In March 2020, Brunson stole a duffle bag containing nine firearms, and ammunition for the weapons from a residence in Orem. Brunson, a convicted felon at the time of the offense, knew he could not possess firearms or ammunition. The duffle bag contained two shotguns; three handguns; one revolver; two .22 caliber rifles; an AR-15 rifle; and three boxes containing ammunition for the weapons. After obtaining search warrants, law enforcement officers tracked Brunson to an apartment complex in West Jordan, Utah. Prior to his arrest, officers witnessed Brunson remove a stolen 9mm handgun from his waistband and discard it in a nearby grassy area. Officers then arrested Brunson and recovered the discarded stolen handgun and six other stolen firearms from a nearby vehicle. Two of the firearms stolen by Brunson have not been located, and officers established that Brunson attempted to sell the firearms for cash to others prior to his arrest. The six stolen firearms and ammunition affected interstate commerce.
“Brunson’s criminal acts reflect a brazen disregard for the law and demonstrate why restricted persons having firearms is illegal,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah. “This case also highlights the valuable and ongoing relationship between the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Utah County Attorney’s Office, and our law enforcement partners as we continue to seek justice for federal offenders.”
The case was investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, Provo Resident Agency and was initially investigated by the Orem Police Department and the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force.
“Instead of learning from his past, Mr. Brunson chose to continue a life of crime and put our community at risk of potential gun violence,” said Special Agent in Charge Shohini Sinha of the Salt Lake City FBI. “The FBI and our partners are committed to keeping firearms out of the hands of felons so that our streets are safer for everyone.”
Assistant United States Attorneys Sam Pead and Angela J. Clifford of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case, which was originally filed by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) Kelsy Young working as a Deputy Utah County Attorney.
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.
Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing AmmunitionRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Derbie Michel, age 32, formerly of Troy, New York, pled guilty today to illegally possessing ammunition as a convicted felon.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
Michel, who has three prior felony convictions, admitted that he possessed five rounds of ammunition on October 15, 2022. According to court documents filed by the Government, Michel threw these rounds of ammunition from a car while fleeing from members of the Troy Police Department on October 15, 2022. According to court documents, he also threw a privately made firearm, or “ghost gun,” from the car during the same pursuit.
Michel faces up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 3 years when he is sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Frederick J. Scullin, Jr., on June 20, 2024. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
The FBI’s Capital District Safe Streets Gang Task Force, which includes FBI Special Agents and members of state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Troy Police Department, investigated the case. The U.S. Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) assisted in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua R. Rosenthal and Allen J. Vickey are prosecuting the case.
Federal Prisoner Charged with Escape Returned to Middle District of GeorgiaRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A recently convicted felon facing a federal charge alleging his participation in a Bibb County, Georgia, jailbreak on Oct. 16 had his initial appearance today at the U.S. Courthouse in Macon.
Johnifer Dernard Barnwell aka “Whoop” aka “Malixe,” 37, of Macon, had his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles Weigle for the Middle District of Georgia; Barnwell had a prior initial appearance in the Southern District of Georgia on Nov. 13 after he was taken into custody in Augusta, Georgia, on Nov 12. Today, Barnwell was ordered to continue to be held in federal custody without bond. Barnwell’s arraignment is expected to occur later this week.
Barnwell is charged by indictment with one count of escape from custody. Co-defendant Janecia Green, 30, of Macon, is charged by indictment with one count of aiding and abetting Barnwell’s escape from custody and one count of assisting escape of a person committed to custody. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
According to the indictment, Barnwell was being held in the Bibb County Jail on behalf of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) after he was convicted by a federal jury on Oct. 2 of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine and heroin; and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine and cocaine base for which Barnwell faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and a $10,000,000 fine. A sentencing date has not been scheduled by the Court. In the indictment, Barnwell is alleged to have escaped the custody of the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office with the assistance of Green.
Green had her initial appearance in Macon on Nov. 15 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles Weigle of the U.S. Court for the Middle District of Georgia. On Nov. 21, Green had a detention hearing where she was ordered to remain in federal custody pending trial.
The case is being investigated by the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joy Odom is prosecuting the case. Deputy Criminal Chief Will Keyes represented the Government at today’s initial appearance.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Federal Charges Filed Against Nashville Woman for Making Violent Threats OnlineRead the Press Release
BENTON, Ill. – Alexia N. Willie, also known as Jason L. Willie, 47, of Nashville, Illinois, is facing 14 felony counts of interstate communication of a threat to injure. The crime is punishable by up to 5 years’ imprisonment per count.
“Law enforcement agencies take threats against children seriously and will extensively investigate adults who threaten to endanger them,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe.
According to court documents, Willie allegedly made threatening statements while on video in online chatrooms with victims across the country. The indictment highlights 14 alleged instances in which the defendant threatened to walk into schools or public restrooms to shoot or sexually abuse children.
“This indictment is a result of the public’s vigilance in reporting threats to law enforcement. The FBI will diligently investigate reports of threats, especially when directed at our most vulnerable,” said FBI Springfield Field Office Acting Special Agent in Charge Joe Rodriguez. “As always, we continue to ask the public to report immediately any online activity or behavior that appears suspicious.”
A district judge ordered Willie to be detained pending trial, which is currently scheduled for Jan. 16, 2024.
An indictment is merely a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
The FBI Springfield Field Office is conducting the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Burke is prosecuting the case.
Fargo Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Murder and Manslaughter in Navajo NationRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Shilo Aaron Oldrock was sentenced to 35 years in prison. Oldrock, 30, an enrolled member of the Spirit Lake Sioux Tribe, pled guilty in federal court to second degree murder and voluntary manslaughter relating to the deaths of two victims, E.B and P.S., on August 14, 2023.
According to court documents, on the night of January 29, 2021, Oldrock and the victims were drinking and Oldrock was using methamphetamine. P.S. and E.B. got into an altercation resulting in injury to P.S. Instead of rendering aid, Oldrock decided to “finish off” P.S. and struck him in the head with a metal iron, killing him. Oldrock burned P.S.’s body in a burn barrel to cover up his crime.
P.S.’s family reported him missing when they found his abandoned car. P.S. was subsequently added to the FBI’s List of Native Americans Verified as Missing Throughout New Mexico and the Navajo Nation. P.S.’s family continued to search for him for the next two years.
On October 10, 2021, driven by paranoia from the killing of P.S. and the death of Oldrock’s grandmother, Oldrock attacked E.B., stabbing him approximately 22 times before using an ax to decapitate him. Oldrock later admitted to law enforcement that he killed both P.S. and E.B. Both murders occurred within the exterior boundaries of the Navajo Nation in New Mexico.
“It is our solemn duty to bring justice and answers to grieving Tribal communities,” said U.S. Attorney Uballez. “No amount of investigation, prosecution, or years in prison will bring back a murdered loved one. But this team of local, tribal, and federal law enforcement partners will meet the case of each missing and murdered Indigenous person with urgency, transparency, and coordination. Everyone deserves to feel safe in their community and confident that law enforcement will be vigilant in the investigation of missing community members.”
"The rationale behind the depraved violent criminal acts committed in this case may be hard to understand, but our message today is crystal clear: the FBI and its partners will vigorously investigate and prosecute those who show such a callous disregard for innocent lives,” said Special Agent in Charge Bujanda. “The investigation of Oldrock, and his 35-year sentence, stand as a testament to the collaboration and dedication of the FBI, Navajo Nation Criminal Investigators, and the United States Attorney’s Office to bring justice to victims of violent crimes in Indian County.”
The FBI’s List of Native Americans Verified as Missing Throughout New Mexico and the Navajo Nation is the first of its kind in the nation and was created in an effort to improve the reporting of missing persons throughout New Mexico and the Navajo Nation. Partners involved in the project include the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services, New Mexico Attorney General’s Office, New Mexico Department of Public Safety, New Mexico Department of Indian Affairs, Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office, and the City of Albuquerque Office of Equity and Inclusion. The FBI also receives information and support from the Navajo Nation, Native American pueblos, and local law enforcement.
The list is updated monthly and can be found at fbi.gov/mmip.
The FBI is seeking public assistance and information on these cases. If you have information, please contact your local FBI office, the nearest American Embassy or Consulate, or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations and the Gallup Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.
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Eastern Kentucky Hospital System and Cardiologist Agree to Collectively Pay More Than $3 Million to Resolve Civil Liability for Improper Healthcare BillingsRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Appalachian Regional Healthcare, Inc. (“ARH”), a hospital system based in eastern Kentucky, and one of its cardiologists have agreed to collectively pay the United States $3,033,861.92 to settle civil allegations that they submitted, or caused the submission of, improper claims to Medicare and Kentucky Medicaid for non-covered services.
The case arises from diagnostic cardiac catheterizations and associated services performed or ordered by Padubidri Chandrashekar, M.D., a cardiologist who had admission privileges at ARH. Diagnostic catheterizations are minimally-invasive imaging procedures that can be used to evaluate heart problems. During the procedure, a thin, hollow tube is introduced into a patient’s blood vessel and then advanced to the heart, so that pressure and blood flow can be measured in the heart’s chambers or dye can be injected to allow x-ray visualization of the heart. Medicare and Kentucky Medicaid reimburse medical providers for services and procedures, such as diagnostic catheterizations, only when medically reasonable and necessary. Medicare and Kentucky Medicaid require that the patient’s records adequately document the medical need for the service provided.
The United States alleged that Dr. Chandrashekar caused ARH to bill Medicare and Kentucky Medicaid for diagnostic catheterizations performed at ARH Hazard that did not have sufficient documentation to support the medical necessity of the procedures. The United States also alleged improper billing in connection with services performed prior to the unnecessary catheterizations. Specifically, the United States contended that Dr. Chandrashekar and his practice, Mountain Heart Center, billed for medically unnecessary appointments in the days preceding patients’ diagnostic catheterizations and admitted patients to ARH Whitesburg in advance of their diagnostic catheterizations. The United States contended that ARH then submitted false claims to Medicare and Medicaid for those admissions, because the admissions did not meet Medicare and Medicaid’s requirements for severity of illness or intensity of services. Finally, the United States alleged that Dr. Chandrashekar caused the submission of improper claims for ambulance transfers for patients unnecessarily admitted to ARH Whitesburg who needed transport to their catheterizations at ARH Hazard.
In its settlement agreement with the United States, ARH agreed to pay the United States $2,884,046.50 to resolve its civil liability for improper billings, including its liability under the federal False Claims Act. In a separate settlement agreement, Mountain Heart Center and Dr. Chandrashekar agreed to pay $149,815.42 to resolve their False Claims Act liability.
This matter arose from ARH’s self-disclosure of false or non-covered claims. Because ARH self-reported the conduct to the government, it was able to resolve its False Claims Act liability for only 1.5 times the amount of monetary loss caused by its false claims. The False Claims Act establishes liability for three times the amount of loss suffered by the government.
Healthcare providers may voluntarily disclose self-discovered evidence of fraud to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of Inspector General. More information about how to self-disclose misconduct under the Provider Self-Disclosure Protocol is available at https://oig.hhs.gov/compliance/self-disclosure-info/protocol.asp. The United States also encourages anyone with information about potential fraud, abuse, or mismanagement of Medicare or Medicaid funds to call the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ hotline at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office of Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Control, and the Affirmative Civil Enforcement section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Meghan Stubblebine, Benjamin Long, and Jennifer Williams represented the United States.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
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Dubuque Man Sentenced for Selling Crack Cocaine Within 1,000 Feet of a PlaygroundRead the Press Release
A man who sold crack cocaine near a playground was sentenced today to more than 15 years in federal prison.
Orlandis Fred Murriel, age 35, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after May 18, 2023 guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance near a protected location.
In a plea agreement, Murriel admitted that between June and November 27, 2022, while living in Dubuque, he sold over 2,400 grams of cocaine base, commonly known as crack cocaine. Many of these sales occurred from his residence which was within 1,000 feet of three Dubuque playgrounds: Orange Park, Madison Park, and Jackson Park. On November 27, 2022, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop on a car as it approached Murriel’s residence. Murriel was seated in the front passenger seat. During a search of the car, the officers found 132 grams of crack cocaine and 111 grams of cocaine which Murriel intended to sell. At the time of the offense, Murriel was on Iowa state probation for three drug trafficking felonies.
Murriel was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Murriel was sentenced to 188 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a six-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Murriel is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-1005.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Derry Man Pleads Guilty to Passport Fraud and Hacking a Telecommunications CompanyRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Derry man pleaded guilty in federal court in Concord to passport fraud and wire fraud in connection with hacking a telecommunications company, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young and Acting U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual announce.
Andrew Mahn, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of passport fraud and one count of wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Landya B. McCafferty scheduled sentencing for March 7, 2024. Mahn was charged with passport fraud by indictment in the District of New Hampshire on February 15, 2023. Mahn was charged with hacking a telecommunications company by complaint in the Northern District of Illinois on March 17, 2021, and by indictment on October 4, 2021.
Mahn previously worked as a radio technician for a telecommunications company based in Chicago. He later worked for the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport). While working for Massport, Mahn sent spear-phishing emails to several employees at his former employer and tricked them into entering their login credentials into a fake website. The defendant also sent text messages to the employees and deceived them into providing him their multi-factor authentication code. Eventually, Mahn was able to get access to the telecommunications company’s servers. He used anonymous Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, an account tied to his Massport email address, and bitcoin to help facilitate the hack.
While on release pending trial for hacking the telecommunications company, Mahn applied for a passport in a false name in Atkinson, New Hampshire. He provided false documents, including a falsely generated New Hampshire birth certificate and state identification card. Mahn wrote to a congressional office seeking to expedite the passport, stating the following:
I have just found out I need to book international travel shortly for family reasons in the coming weeks to Germany. I am trying to figure out the status of the application and when I can expect it to be processed and shipped.
The charge of wire fraud provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, and restitution. The charge of passport fraud provides a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander S. Chen and John J. Kennedy from the District of New Hampshire and Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Bond from the Northern District of Illinois are prosecuting the case.
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Defendant Pleads Guilty Following Jury Selection to Defrauding Investors of $17 Million in Offering Fraud, Stock Manipulation and Money Laundering SchemesRead the Press Release
Richard Dale Sterritt, Jr., also known as “Richard Richman,” pleaded guilty yesterday at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn to a five-count superseding indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit securities and wire fraud, multiple counts of securities fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. A trial in the case had been scheduled to begin yesterday, and Sterritt’s plea took place immediately following jury selection before United States District Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto. When sentenced, Sterritt faces up to 75 years in prison.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and James Smith, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the guilty plea.
“Investors trusted Sterritt with millions of dollars of their money and he repaid that trust with gimmicks and lies,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “The defendant’s guilty plea at the beginning of his trial is a testament to the hard work and commitment of this Office and our law enforcement partners to holding accountable fraudsters who deceive the investing public.”
Mr. Peace thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, New York Regional Office and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority for their invaluable assistance in the investigation.
As alleged in the superseding indictment, between March 2019 and January 2021, Sterritt and his co-conspirators defrauded investors of more than $17 million that they claimed would be used for an oil and gas venture called Zona Energy. Sterritt misappropriated the lion’s share of investor funds, which he spent on personal expenses, including luxury cars, travel and high-end clothing. Sterritt also wired investor money to other businesses he controlled, including a purported cannabis business, and to his friends and girlfriends. Sterritt used the alias “Richard Richman” when interacting with investors to conceal his prior criminal conviction for securities fraud.
Sterritt also engaged in a stock market manipulation fraud in which he conspired with others to manipulate the price and trading volume of publicly traded shares of OrgHarvest, Inc., which traded under the stock ticker “ORGH.” Sterritt, who secretly controlled the majority of ORGH shares through trusts in the name of his girlfriends, family members, and co-conspirators, sought to sell the fraudulently inflated shares to the investing public via a corrupt stock promoter, who was in reality an undercover law enforcement agent. Sterritt executed a series of matched trades with the undercover agent, after which regulators suspended trading in ORGH. Following the suspension of trading, he attempted to manipulate the price and trading volume of the shares of yet another public company—ERF Wireless, Inc., which traded under the stock ticker “ERFB.”
Sterritt is the last defendant to plead guilty in connection with the charges in the superseding indictment. Five of his co-conspirators pleaded guilty in 2022 and 2023, four of whom are currently awaiting sentencing.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorneys David C. Pitluck, Sarah M. Evans, Nick M. Axelrod, Jessica K. Weigel, and John O. Enright are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Paralegal Specialist William Daniels.
The Defendant:
RICHARD DALE STERRITT, JR. (also known as “Richard Richman”)
Age: 67
Garland, TexasCo-Conspirators Who Previously Pleaded Guilty:
MICHAEL GREER
Age: 48
Dallas, TexasROBERT MAGNESS
Age: 54
New York, New YorkCHRISTOPHER J. PITTMAN
Age: 52
Dallas, TexasMARK ROSS
Age: 56
Parkland, FloridaROBYN STRAZA
Age: 61
Dallas, TexasE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-CR-193 (KAM)
Davie County Man Sentenced to 50 Years for Production and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO – A Mocksville man was sentenced today to 600 months in prison after pleading guilty to production and distribution of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC).
According to court records, in September 2021 the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a cybertip that an individual in Davie County, North Carolina was uploading and distributing child pornography. Law enforcement investigated and determined Steven Tyler SMITH, age 24, was responsible. Based upon a forensic review, SMITH had a total of more than 1,500 images and videos of child sexual exploitation. The investigation further revealed that SMITH sexually abused a 15-18 month old child and shared videos and images of the abuse with others online.
SMITH was sentenced to a 600-month term of imprisonment followed by 20 years of supervised release by the Honorable Thomas D. Schroeder, United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the MDNC. In addition to prison time, SMITH was ordered to pay restitution to victims totaling $91,000 and special assessments totaling $5,200.00. He pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography on April 4, 2023.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security and the Davie County Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys K. P. Kennedy Gates and Lindsey Freeman.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States 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.
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D.C. Man Sentenced to 30-Year Prison Term for the Brutal Slaying of a Local Married CoupleRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Alonzo Lewis, 38, of Washington, D.C. has been sentenced to a 30-year prison term for two counts of second-degree murder while armed stemming from the brutal shooting of a local married couple, Venius Badgett – a school bus aide and Jaquan Helm – a youth football coach, which took place over Memorial Day weekend in 2018, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Lewis pleaded guilty in October 2023, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to two counts of second-degree murder while armed. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s, approval calls for an agreed upon 30-year prison term. Today, the Honorable Rainey Brandt approved the agreement and sentenced Lewis accordingly. Following his prison term, Lewis will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Saturday, May 26, 2018, at approximately 10:10 p.m., Ms. Badgett and her husband, Mr. Helm, encountered Lewis’s young son riding his bike in a dark parking lot. Fearful that the child might get hit, Ms. Badgett told Lewis’s son not to ride his bike in the parking lot at night. Lewis’s son then told his mother, Lewis’s wife, about the incident, and Lewis’s wife engaged Ms. Badgett in a physical altercation. Mr. Helm was able to break up the altercation, and as he and Ms. Badgett returned home on foot, Lewis’s son called Lewis to the scene. Lewis arrived on scene and fatally shot the couple in front of a number of children who were outside playing over the holiday weekend. The couple leaves behind a number of children, some of whom were on scene that day and who witnessed the murders.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alicia Long and Emma McArthur.
Convicted Murderer Sentenced to 30 Years for Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Fayetteville man was sentenced today to 360 months in prison for firearms possession and his role as a kilogram-level dealer of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and other substances. On December 22, 2022, Aaron Albert Goode pled guilty to conspiring to distribute heroin, cocaine and fentanyl, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, and possession of firearms by a convicted felon.
“Kilogram-level drug dealers often receive dangerous high-purity narcotics, such as fentanyl, from their suppliers, then mix those drugs with cutting agents in makeshift laboratories where they press the cut drugs into kilograms,” said US Attorney Michael Easley. “This dangerous process leads to unpredictable dosage amounts of potentially-deadly drugs that can kill unsuspecting drug users. We are shutting down these clandestine laboratories and prosecuting the drug traffickers who profit from them.”
“The Fayetteville Police Department’s Narcotic Vice Suppression Unit and Emergency Response Unit played a vital role during this investigation. Working collaboratively with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, we continue to aggressively combat Fayetteville's gun violence and trafficking,” said Chief Kemberle Braden.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Goode, 48, was identified by Fayetteville and Robeson County area law enforcement investigators as a significant source of drug supply dating back to at least 2016. After years of receiving information about Goode’s drug involvement, investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) were able to conduct multiple controlled purchases of fentanyl from Goode during the summer of 2021. Goode conducted these fentanyl sales out of a residence on Oakview Drive in Fayetteville.
On August 5, 2021, investigators with ATF and the Fayetteville Police Department (FPD) executed a search warrant at the Oakview Drive residence. Investigators familiar with Goode’s violent criminal history, which included a 1997 murder conviction in Hoke County, surrounded the residence and demanded that he exit so that the search warrant could be served. After a delay of several minutes, Goode exited the residence. Investigators later learned that during this delay, Goode destroyed several ounces of fentanyl by flushing it down the toilet.
During the search of the Oakview Drive residence, investigators located various items used to package bulk quantities of drugs for sale to include a hydraulic press, digital scales, blenders and plastic wrap with drug residue. Investigators also located six firearms, body armor, a ballistic shield, and approximately $70,000 in U.S. Currency inside the residence.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Fayetteville and Lumberton Police Departments, and the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Webb prosecuted the case.
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. 5:21-CR-334-D.
Colorado Man Sentenced for Creation and Participation in Darknet Marketplace Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.— A Denver man, Joshua Cook, 27, was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison on Tuesday, by U.S. District Judge Karen K. Caldwell, following his convictions for conspiracy to distribute drugs and conspiracy to launder the proceeds of drug trafficking.
According to Cook’s plea agreement, he created a darknet market drug trafficking organization, called PartyCrew, to distribute controlled substances through the U.S. Postal Service. The darknet is an overlay of the internet that is only accessible through certain software, configurations, or authorization. Access to the darknet is designed to anonymize the user, and it is generally used for illicit purposes. Marketplaces on the darknet are often used to buy and sell illicit goods and services. The PartyCrew darknet marketplace post advertised the sale of multiple controlled substances, in exchange for cryptocurrencies such as Monero and Bitcoin. Cook employed his friends and co-defendants, Haleigh and Benjamin Flanigan, who lived in Lexington, to assist him in the distribution of the controlled substances.
In their roles in the conspiracy, the Flanigans fulfilled orders for controlled substances, by packaging and mailing them through the U.S. mail to customers across the United States. Haleigh Flanigan received payment for her services in cryptocurrencies, which she then attempted to conceal through the use of cryptocurrency anonymizing tools.
Benjamin Flanigan also pled guilty to drug distribution and conspiracy to commit drug distribution; he was sentenced to 18 months. Haleigh Flanigan pled guilty to conspiracy to commit drug distribution and conspiracy to commit money laundering; she was sentenced to 48 months.
The investigation and prosecution also resulted in the total dismantling of the PartyCrew drug trafficking organization.
Under federal law, Cook must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge for the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Cincinnati Field Office, jointly announced the sentences.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn Dieruf and Emily Greenfield.
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Charlotte Man Is Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. District Judge Robert J. Conrad sentenced a local man to 11 years in prison today for receipt of child pornography, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Luis Ramirez Avila, 23, was also ordered to serve 30 years under court supervision, to register as a sex offender after he is released from prison, and to pay $15,300 in assessments.
Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to filed court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, in 2019, the FBI began an investigation that later identified that Avila had used the internet to receive and share child pornography. The FBI located Avila in Charlotte, and Avila agreed to talk to law enforcement. Court records show that Avila admitted that he used messaging applications like Snapchat and other online platforms to view, share, and receive child pornography. Avila also told law enforcement that he used Snapchat to find and communicate with minors. The investigation revealed that Avila convinced, and sometimes paid, minor victims to make sexually explicit videos of themselves and send the videos to Avila.
On November 29, 2022, Avila pleaded guilty to three counts of receipt of child pornography. He is currently in federal custody and he will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI and CMPD for their investigation of this case.
The prosecution for the government was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimlani Ford of U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte.
The 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.
Carterville Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Meth TraffickingRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Carterville, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for possessing methamphetamine to distribute.
Cody Goucher, 44, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 15 years and eight months in federal prison without parole. Goucher was sentenced as a career offender due to his prior felony convictions.
On May 18, 2023, Goucher pleaded guilty to one count of possessing methamphetamine to distribute.
On Oct. 7, 2022, a Carl Junction, Mo., police officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the gray Nissan Titan pickup truck Goucher was driving. Goucher initially stopped, but then began slowly driving away. As the officer followed the vehicle and activated his siren, Goucher increased his speed. Eventually the truck left the roadway and crashed into a ditch. Goucher was found lying in the ditch and was arrested.
The officer found a green backpack beside the vehicle that contained approximately 300 grams of methamphetamine as well as drug paraphernalia. According to court documents, Goucher was also in possession of more than 100 rounds of ammunition for two separate types of firearms.
According to court documents, Goucher’s criminal history includes six prior felony convictions and numerous misdemeanor or other convictions, including felony property crimes, felony drug crimes, and felony and misdemeanor acts of assault and violence. In one of his three convictions for domestic assault, Goucher threatened his girlfriend with a firearm, put the firearm to her chin and pulled the trigger, though a bullet was not fired. He also threatened a law enforcement officer involved in the investigation of this federal case.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron A. Beaver. It was investigated by the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Ozarks Drug Enforcement Team, and the Carl Junction, Mo., Police Department.
Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
California man pleads guilty to defrauding local business out of $10 millionRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A California man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court here today to embezzling more than $10.2 from his employer and violating orders of the Court in a lawsuit against him.
Brinson Caleb Silver, 43, of Culver City, California, pleaded guilty to one count each of wire fraud and contempt of court. As part of his guilty plea, Silver agrees to pay more than $10.2 million in restitution.
According to court documents, Silver was the Chief Marketing Officer of Root, Inc., an online car insurance company. From November 2021 through November 2022, Silver entered into contracts with four vendors for marketing services. Silver directed the vendors to send a portion of their contract proceeds to bank accounts in the names of businesses that Silver owned and controlled. Those diverted payments totaled more than $10.2 million.
Silver used the millions he embezzled to buy a $1.4 million dollar yacht, a Mercedes-Benz G550 for nearly $165,000, an amphibious plane, luxury watches and other items.
As a result of his fraud scheme, in February 2023, Root sued Silver. The Court granted a motion in his civil suit that limited him to financial transactions no greater than $5,000. Silver failed to appear in court for a hearing related to his civil suit and instead spent lavishly while traveling the globe.
His expenditures in February and March 2023 violated the Court’s orders and include $20,000 on plastic surgery, more than $25,000 at Indonesian businesses (including $8,000 at a luxury resort in Bali) and in withdrawals made in Indonesia, and more than $88,000 through PayPal to individuals. Silver also withheld from the Court information about a $1.8 million house he owned in California. During this time, Silver also made two phone calls to an “international relocation” company and asked for citizenship within a country that would not extradite him to the United States, and a foreign bank account that the United States could not freeze.
Silver was charged criminally and arrested in June 2023. Parties involved in his case have recommended a sentence range of 24 to 51 months in prison in addition to the $10.2 million in restitution.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorneys Peter K. Glenn-Applegate and David J. Twombly are representing the United States in this case.
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California Man Sentenced to 52 Months in Prison for Firearms-Related CrimesRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Trajordon Svarda was sentenced to 52 months in prison for crimes related to his firearms sales—including the sale of a machinegun—to a confidential informant (CI), announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Cicolani. The sentence was handed down by the Hon. William H. Alsup, Senior United States District Judge.
Svarda, 36, of San Francisco, pleaded guilty to one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), and one count of Illegal Possession of a Machinegun, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(o), on July 12, 2023. He was charged by Information on January 11, 2023.
According to his plea agreement, Svarda sold drugs and firearms to a CI throughout early 2021. The sales began in February 2021, when Svarda sold the CI ecstasy on two occasions. In March, Svarda added firearms to his list of goods for sale, selling the CI ecstasy and a pistol, which ATF later determined was stolen. Later in March, Svarda sold the CI ecstasy, a Smith and Wesson revolver, and a privately made, AR style, .223 caliber pistol. The AR style pistol was a “ghost gun,” meaning it was privately made and did not bear a serial number.
As court documents show, the sales continued throughout April and July. On July 22, 2023, Svarda sold the CI methamphetamine and another privately manufactured AR-style pistol. The privately manufactured AR-style pistol was capable of automatically shooting more than one shot without manual reloading, via a single function of the trigger. At the time of the sale, Svarda showed the CI how to turn the AR-style pistol into a fully automatic weapon using this function.
In total, Svarda admitted to selling to the CI over 150 grams of ecstasy, 157 grams of methamphetamine, and six firearms. In addition, Svarda admitted that he knew at the time that previously he had been convicted of at least one felony.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Alsup ordered Svarda to serve three years of supervised release to begin after his prison term is completed.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sophia Cooper prosecuted the case, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Tina Rosenbaum. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by ATF.
California Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Attempted Coercion of A ChildRead the Press Release
RENO – A Berkeley, Calif., resident was sentenced yesterday by Chief United States District Judge Miranda M. Du to 10 years in prison to be followed by lifetime supervised release for attempting to coerce a child to engage in prostitution.
Dustin Michael Joseph (41) pleaded guilty in August 2023 to one-count of attempted coercion and enticement. In addition to imprisonment, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, Joseph must register as a sex offender and keep the registration current.
According to court documents and admissions made in court, Joseph used social media to message who he believed to be a teenage girl. He asked if she would be interested in filming content for a paid subscription service where a lot of content involves sexually related activities. Between March 14, 2021 through June 24, 2021, Joseph told the girl that he would pay her a couple of hundred of dollars per video; and he was going to train her to be a working girl so that she could work the various Reno events and make money, which she would have to split with him. On June 24, 2021, Joseph traveled from Berkeley to Reno and paid for a hotel room in Carson City, so he and the girl could film a pornographic video and have sex.
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 case was investigated by the FBI and the Regional Human Trafficking and Exploitation Unit which is comprised of members from the Reno Police Department, Sparks Police Department, and Washoe County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Megan Rachow prosecuted the case.
The 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. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood and for information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or https://report.cybertip.org.
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Calera Resident Sentenced to Life for Aggravated Sexual Abuse in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Lance Keith Maytubby, Sr., age 55, of Calera, Oklahoma, was sentenced to life in prison after a federal jury found him guilty of three counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse in Indian Country and one count of Abusive Sexual Contact in Indian Country.
The charges arose from investigations by the Calera Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
During the trial, the United States presented evidence that Maytubby sexually assaulted two victims who were each under 12 years of age at the time of the crimes.
The crimes occurred in Bryan County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Scott L. Palk, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing in Oklahoma City. Maytubby will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony C. Marek and Nicole Paladino represented the United States.
Bridgeport Man Pleads Guilty to Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KENNETH JOYNER, 33, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty today in Bridgeport federal court to firearm and drug offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 25, 2022, Bridgeport Police stopped Joyner’s car for motor vehicle violations. Joyner was arrested after he was found in possession of a loaded Polymer P80 9mm semi-automatic pistol (“ghost gun”) and several bags of marijuana that he intended to sell. A subsequent search of Joyner’s residence revealed a loaded Ruger P95 9mm semi-automatic pistol with an obliterated serial number, marijuana that Joyner intended to sell, and drug paraphernalia.
Joyner pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm with obliterated serial number, and possession with intent to distribute marijuana. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford on February 22, 2024, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Joyner has been detained since his federal arrest on April 13, 2023.
This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the Bridgeport Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ross Weingarten and Karen L. Peck through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Baton Rouge Man Sentenced to 160 Months in Federal Prison for Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Hakeem Allen, age 28, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 160 months in federal prison following his convictions for distribution and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, clonazepam, methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The Court further sentenced Allen to four years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered that the firearm used be forfeited.
According to admissions made as a part of his guilty plea, between September 15, 2022, and October 2, 2022, Allen sold fentanyl and clonazepam to confidential informants in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, during controlled purchases monitored by law enforcement.
On October 4, 2022, East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office narcotics detectives executed search warrants on three residences associated with Allen’s drug activities. Upon arrival of law enforcement officers, Allen attempted to flee but was apprehended after a short foot pursuit. Agents located approximately $3,105 in U.S. currency in his pants pocket. Agents walked the route of Allen’s flight and located a Glock, model 19, 9mm handgun with an extended magazine. Agents also located a plastic bag containing approximately 7.28 ounces of marijuana, as well as a plastic bag containing 42.79 grams of a mixture and substances containing heroin and fentanyl on the route. A search of one of the residences revealed approximately 153 grams of fentanyl, 8 grams of crack cocaine, 17 grams of cocaine, 18 grams of methamphetamine, 186 grams of marijuana, and one handheld digital scale. Allen was found to be in possession of more than $84,000 in drug proceeds at the time of his arrest. Agents later determined that approximately $300 of this seized money was pre-recorded East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office funds used during the previous controlled purchases from Allen.
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eli J. Abad.
Asheboro Man Charged with Possession of a MachinegunRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO – An Asheboro man was charged today with possession of a machinegun, announced Sandra J. Hairston, United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina.
According to publicly filed court documents, KEANDRE BARETTA LEGRAND, 23, of Randolph County, was charged with unlawful possession of a machinegun and illegal possession of a firearm by a felon stemming from an incident which occurred on September 13, 2022. If convicted, LEGRAND faces a maximum term of 15 years of imprisonment, a fine not to exceed $250,000, or both. In addition to a possible prison sentence, LEGRAND will be ordered to forfeit a firearm and ammunition.
A criminal indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the Asheboro Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Mary Ann Courtney.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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