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10 January 2024
Former Pennsylvania Resident Pleads Guilty to Possessing with Intent to Distribute Illegal DrugsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – Jamir Hughes was convicted of possessing trans-3-methylfentanyl, cis-3-methylfentanyl, and cocaine with intent to distribute, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Hughes, age 23, formerly of Delaware County (Pennsylvania), pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Robert J. Colville. Judge Colville scheduled sentencing to occur on May 8, 2024, at 10:00 a.m.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on May 27, 2020, Hughes possessed 17 grams of a mixture of trans-3-methylfentanyl and cis-3-methylfentanyl and 115 grams of cocaine in a car that was traveling on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Somerset County.
Hughes was on his way from the Philadelphia area to Butler in Butler County. Hughes intended to distribute the controlled substances after arriving in Butler. Hughes, however, did not make it to Butler because the Pennsylvania State Police stopped the car in Somerset County and thereafter seized the controlled substances.
The law provides for a sentence of at least 5 years up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $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 Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Pennsylvania State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Butler County District Attorney’s Drug Task Force led the investigation leading to the conviction in this case.
Former Detention Officer Pleads Guilty to Abusive Sexual Contact with Federal InmateRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Yesterday, LAMARCUS DEWAYNE EDWARDS, 35, of Houston, Texas, pleaded guilty to engaging in abusive sexual contact with a federal inmate while working at a correctional facility housing federal inmates, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On January 2, 2024, Edwards was charged by Superseding Information with engaging in abusive sexual contact. The Superseding Information alleges that Edwards worked as a detention officer at Cimmarron Correctional Facility, which was under contract with the United States Marshals Service to house federal inmates. The Superseding Information further alleges that on June 18, 2023, Edwards engaged in sexual contact with an inmate, despite having authority over her.
Yesterday, Edwards pleaded guilty and admitted to having sexual contact with an inmate over whom he had supervisory and disciplinary authority. At sentencing, Edwards faces up to two years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Edgmon is prosecuting the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Small Business Administration to Obtain COVID Relief Loan while in Federal CustodyRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Today, ADONIJAH LINDSAY, 38, of Miami, Florida, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On August 16, 2023, a federal grand jury returned an Indictment, which charged Lindsay with two counts of wire fraud. According to the Indictment, on June 24, 2020, Lindsay applied to the Small Business Administration (SBA) for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), which provided loans to small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Indictment alleges that in his loan application, Lindsay claimed to own a business with revenue of more than $200,000 in 2019. In fact, Lindsay did not own a business. The Indictment explains that Lindsay spent most of 2019 incarcerated in federal prison and applied for the loan while in a Bureau of Prisons residential reentry center in Florida. Based on his false statements, Lindsay’s application was approved by the SBA, and $74,000 was disbursed to a banking account in Enid, Oklahoma in June 2020.
Today, Lindsay pleaded guilty to the Indictment, and admitted he provided false information to defraud the SBA. At sentencing, he faces up to 30 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC). The PRAC was established to promote transparency and facilitate coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The PRAC’s 20-member Inspectors General identify major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending, including spending via the Paycheck Protection Program and EIDL program. The PRAC’s Pandemic Analytics Center of Excellence applies the latest advances in analytic and forensic technologies to help OIGs and law enforcement pursue data-driven pandemic relief fraud investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney D.H. Dilbeck is prosecuting the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Fifth Defendant to Be Arraigned for Allegedly Conspiring to Rob ATMs in Illinois, Indiana, and IowaRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A fifth defendant will be arraigned today in Chicago on federal charges of conspiring with four others to rob automated teller machines in Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa.
The robbers often used chains connecting the ATMs to stolen pickup trucks to break into the machines and steal cash, according to an indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Chicago. After the heists, the robbers abandoned the trucks and fled in another vehicle, the indictment states. One of the pickup trucks was stolen from an auto dealership in Portage, Ind., and some of the chains and other materials used in the robberies were obtained from a hardware store in Burbank, Ill., according to the indictment.
The indictment identifies eight ATMs allegedly robbed as part of the conspiracy:
- March 12, 2022: First Source Bank ATM in Portage, Ind.
- March 23, 2022: Inland Bank ATM in Countryside, Ill.
- March 25, 2022: Parkway Bank ATM in Glen Ellyn, Ill.
- March 30, 2022: Grundy National Bank ATM in Conrad, Iowa.
- April 1, 2022: First State Bank ATM in Lynnville, Iowa.
- April 1, 2022: First Central State Bank ATM in LeClaire, Iowa.
- April 2, 2022: Solon State Bank ATM in Tiffin, Iowa.
- April 3, 2022: Resource Bank ATM in Hinckley, Iowa.
Charged with conspiracy to commit robbery are DANNY ROLAND, 27, of Missouri City, Texas, BRYCE JONES, 26, of Webster, Texas, CHANDLER WILLIAMS, 27, of Missouri City, Texas, DAQUAN BENS, 29, of Houston, Texas, and TRISTIAN MILLER, 27, of Stafford, Texas.
Miller was arrested last month in Houston, Texas. He is scheduled to be arraigned today at 2:00 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sunil R. Harjani in Chicago. The four other defendants have pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial.
The charges were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Douglas A. Williams, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Houston Field Office of the FBI. Substantial assistance in this investigation has been provided by the Countryside, Ill. Police Department, DuPage County, Ill. Sheriff’s Office, DeKalb County, Ill. Sheriff’s Office, Portage, Ind. Police Department, LeClaire, Iowa Police Department, Bettendorf, Iowa Police Department, Johnson County, Iowa Sheriff’s Office, Grundy County, Iowa Sheriff’s Office, Jasper County, Iowa Sheriff’s Office, and the Houston, Texas Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan DeMarco.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Roland et al indictmentFentanyl and Cocaine Trafficker Sentenced to Nearly 12 YearsRead the Press Release
BOISE – Peter Timothy Eromenok, 34, of Idaho Falls, was sentenced to nearly 12 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today.
According to court records, Eromenok was interviewed by investigators on May 9, 2022, about suspected fentanyl left behind at an Airbnb. During his interview, he admitted to possessing between 10,000 and 15,000 fentanyl pills in his room at a relative’s house in New Plymouth, Idaho. Investigators searched this residence and found 1,419 grams of fentanyl in pill form (approximately 14,000 fentanyl pills) and more than a half-pound of cocaine.
On May 24, 2022, investigators again encountered Eromenok and found 71.1 grams of fentanyl in pill form (approximately 710 fentanyl pills) and 35.2 grams of methamphetamine in his vehicle.
“Unfortunately, we are seeing significant amounts of fentanyl on our streets and, in this case, left dangerously behind in an Airbnb,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “But we are also seeing law enforcement rise to the challenge and seize larger and larger amounts of fentanyl. And we stand ready to bring to justice anyone who would distribute this poisonous drug in Idaho.”
On January 9, 2024, Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye sentenced Eromenok to 140 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the investigations by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Nampa Police Department, and the Malheur County Sheriff’s Office, which led to the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Morse prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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Federal Officer Charged with Stealing Cash from Airline Passenger at Naples AirportRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest and filing of a criminal complaint charging William Joseph Timothy (43, Naples), a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer (CBP), with stealing cash from an international airline passenger during the course of his employment as a CBP Officer at Naples Airport. If convicted, Timothy faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.
According to court documents, after an international airline passenger reported that more than $2,000 in cash was missing after it had been inspected by a CBP officer at Naples Airport, an investigation was undertaken by agents from CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility. During the investigation, surveillance video was examined which showed Timothy hiding and taking approximately 22 bills of U.S. currency belonging to the airline passenger during a border enforcement examination in May 2023.
A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by U.S. Customs and Protection’s Office of Professional Responsibility. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth.
If you believe you have also been a victim of such a theft from the Naples Airport, please contact the CBP Joint Intake Center at (877) 246-8253 or [email protected].
Download Criminal ComplaintFederal Jury Finds St. Albans Man Guilty of Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A St. Albans man was found guilty this week of conspiring to distribute and possess controlled substances. The verdict came after a two-day jury trial in U.S. District Court in Bangor with Judge Lance E. Walker presiding.
According to evidence presented at trial, between June 2017 and February 2018, Adam Johnson, 32, participated in a conspiracy to traffic fentanyl in central Maine. Johnson would travel out of state to meet the source and pick up fentanyl that he would then bring back to Maine to package and sell to dealers. The amount of fentanyl exceeded 400 grams. Just 2 milligrams of fentanyl is a potentially lethal dose.
Johnson faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison followed by five years to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and Somerset County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
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Federal Jury Convicts Tennessee Man for Armed Bank Robbery in AshevilleRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A federal jury has convicted Paul Gordon Day, 36, of Brentwood, Tennessee, for the armed robbery of a bank in Asheville, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in North Carolina and Interim Chief Michael Lamb of the Asheville Police Department join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to filed court documents, trial evidence, and witness testimony, on November 9, 2022, at approximately 4:20 p.m., Day entered the PNC Bank branch at 8 O’Henry Avenue, located across the street from the federal courthouse in Asheville. Upon entering the bank, Day walked up to the teller counter, held up a firearm, and demanded money from tellers. According to trial evidence, the tellers complied and gave Day the cash. Unbeknownst to Day, the tellers also included a GPS tracking device concealed within the money. Day then fled the scene on a bicycle.
According to trial evidence, law enforcement tracked the GPS device and determined it was located inside a vehicle traveling on I-26 highway toward Weaverville, North Carolina. Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle and arrested Day, who was the sole driver and occupant of the vehicle. Law enforcement searched the vehicle and recovered the firearm, the stolen cash and GPS tracking device, a bicycle, and numerous articles of clothing worn by Day during the commission of the robbery.
Today, the jury convicted Day of bank robbery using a dangerous weapon, which carries a maximum statutory sentence of 25 years in prison, and possession and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, which carries a minimum sentence of seven years in prison, consecutive to any other term of imprisonment imposed. Day will remain in federal custody. A sentencing date has not been set.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI, the Asheville Police Department, and the Weaverville Police Department for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex M. Scott of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Essex County Man Sentenced to 20 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Commit Mortgage FraudRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County man was sentenced today to time already served – 20 months – for conspiring to commit mortgage fraud, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Cabral Simpson, 47, of Orange, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty to Count One of an indictment charging him with conspiring to commit wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Julien X. Neals imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
Simpson, a real estate investor, and his conspirators engaged in mortgage fraud by creating fake bank statements and fake employee verification records for buyers of properties and transferring money into the buyers’ bank accounts for payment of the deposit for a property. Simpson and his conspirators submitted fraudulent mortgage loan applications, supporting documents, and closing documents on behalf of the buyers. They also induced lenders to issue more than $1 million in loans, resulting in defaults and exposing the lenders and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to more than $1 million in losses.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Neals sentenced Simpson to two years of supervised release and ordered restitution of $1.29 million.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Janine Rocheleau in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Kogan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Cybercrime Unit in Newark.
District Man Sentenced to 42 Years in Prison for 2019 Shooting of Four People in Northeast Washington D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Travis Littlejohn, 38, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 42 years in prison for the July 5, 2019, shooting of three men and a woman in Northeast Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He was sentenced by the Honorable Maribeth Raffinan of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
Littlejohn was found guilty by a jury on March 10, 2023, of all charges in the 28-count indictment, following a two-week trial in the Superior Court. Specifically, the jury found Littlejohn guilty of four counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, one count of aggravated assault while armed, and three counts of assault with significant bodily injury, along with related firearms offenses.
According to the government’s evidence, on the night of July 5, 2019, after getting into a verbal and physical altercation with a group of people gathered in the 3800 block of Minnesota Avenue NE, Washington, D.C., Littlejohn drove to a nearby apartment and returned to the block minutes later armed with a handgun. After exchanging words with the group again, Littlejohn fired at least seven rounds at them from a semiautomatic firearm from a short distance away. Four people in that group were struck before two members of the group returned gunfire. Three of the victims suffered significant injuries, but one victim was more seriously injured.
This case was investigated by Metropolitan Police Department the Sixth District Detectives with valuable assistance from Sixth District Patrol Officers who initially responded to the scene. The case was prosecuted and tried by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Toogun and Samuel White, and indicted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael McCarthy of the Major Crimes Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by Paralegal Specialists Renee Prather, Debra McPherson & Crystal Waddy, SA Nelson Rhone of the Case Investigation Unit, and Litigation Technology Specialist Lief Hickling.
Deland Man Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Francis Galen Dulac has pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion. Dulac faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, from 2016 through 2022, Dulac filed taxes with the IRS each year showing a total income of between $12,000 and $20,000, while in reality, he was earning between $275,000 and $366,000 annually. By doing so, Dulac avoided paying more than half a million dollars in income taxes over seven years. Dulac was operating a nutrition and supplements business and derived more than $10,000 from the sale of illegal steroids. Dulac made extensive use of cash in his business, and purchased numerous Mercedes, Lamborghini, and Ferrari sports cars worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, which he financed by claiming annual incomes of $125,000 and $480,000.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.
DEA Controlled Buys Lead to 6-Year Sentence for Violent Massachusetts FelonRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Worcester, Massachusetts man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for distributing and possessing with intent to distribute controlled substances.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Devon Ashton, 28, to 72 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release. Ashton pleaded guilty on July 26, 2023.
According to court records, between January and March 2023, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) conducted four controlled purchases of fentanyl from Ashton, for a total of approximately 192 grams. At the end of March 2023, Ashton was stopped for speeding in Lewiston, and $8,000 and approximately 59 grams of cocaine were seized. He was arrested in May 2023.
Ashton has previous convictions for unlawful firearms possession and assault, among other offenses. While awaiting sentencing, he was involved in an altercation at the Strafford (NH) County Department of Corrections and has been indicted in New Hampshire state court for the crime of Assault by Prisoner.
The DEA investigated the case.
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DC Rapper Pleads Guilty to Possessing a Firearm in Connection with Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Earl Isaac III, a previously convicted felon, pleaded guilty yesterday in connection with possessing a Glock “ghost gun” with a machine gun conversion device, narcotics trafficking, and related counts.
The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves, Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Isaac, 20, aka “Frontline,” of Washington D.C., pleaded guilty on January 9, 2024, to a four-count information in U.S. District Court for possessing a firearm in connection with drug trafficking; unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year; unlawful possession with intent to distribute fentanyl; and unlawful possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly set a sentencing date for May 8, 2024.
Isaac styled himself as a rapper and was known to the YouTube community as “Frontline.” On the video sharing website, he posted veiled threats, to a specific group, with automatic firearms pointed directly at the viewer. Under the Frontline alias he uploaded several rap tracks glorifying violence with guns. Isaac posted “Frontline – PTSD” while he was on probation in 2021 and pointed firearms directly at the camera.
According to the government’s evidence, police executed a search warrant at a residence on Stanton Road on June 1, 2023. Under a bathroom sink, police found a .40 caliber Glock firearm, outfitted with a machinegun conversion device, and loaded with a high-capacity magazine that contained 21 rounds of ammunition. Police also found 100 small, round, blue pills inscribed with “M30” littered throughout the premises that were determined to contain fentanyl; 2.68 kilos of marijuana; and $2,020 in cash in the front left pocket of Isaac’s jeans.
Isaac previously was convicted and sentenced to a 14-month suspended prison term under the Youth Rehabilitation Act with a one-year probationary term in D.C. Superior Court for carrying a pistol without a license on October 28, 2022.
Isaac’s social media account showed that Isaac advertised marijuana for sale, sold marijuana and fentanyl, and posed with marijuana and the money he had earned from drug sales.
The case is being handled by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Leiter and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sitara Witanachchi of Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The investigation was handled by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) with valuable assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration.
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Citizen of El Salvador Charged with Illegally Reentering U.S.Read the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven returned has returned an indictment charging FREDY ADALBERTO GUARDADO SALGADO, also known as “Fredy Guardado” and “Fredy Salgado,” 42, a citizen of El Salvador, with one count of illegally reentering the United States after being deported.
The indictment was returned on January 3, 2024, and Salgado was arrested yesterday. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven, entered a plea of not guilty to the charge, and was ordered detained.
As alleged in the indictment and in statements made in court, Salgado was deported from the U.S. to El Salvador following a felony conviction in December 2010 in Connecticut Superior Court for assault in the second degree involving a stabbing. Salgado illegally reentered the U.S. and, on August 6, 2023, he was arrested by Hamden Police on state assault and breach of peace charges.
If convicted of the charge of illegal reentry, Salgado faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
The state charges against Salgado are pending.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel George.
Castor Man Sentenced for Possessing Methamphetamine and Numerous FirearmsRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Jereaud Egans, 38, of Castor, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to 195 months (16 years, 3 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for drug possession and illegal possession of firearms.
Egans pleaded guilty on February 22, 2023, to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to information presented in court, in October 2022, agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began investigating the suspected drug trafficking activities of Egans. Law enforcement agents were able to seize methamphetamine purchased from Egans and had it tested at a DEA laboratory. The results of the testing confirmed that it was a net weight of over 360 grams of methamphetamine.
On another instance in January 2023, agents conducted a traffic stop of Egans near his residence in Castor due to traffic violations committed by him. During the traffic stop, agents conducted a consensual search of the vehicle and found a loaded Canik 55 TP-9 9mm pistol under the driver’s seat. Agents also found and seized two vacuum sealed plastic bags containing approximately one pound of methamphetamine in a compartment under the front middle seat. The seized narcotics were tested at the DEA laboratory and confirmed to be methamphetamine with a net weight of over 444 grams.
A short time later, law enforcement agents obtained a search warrant for Egans’ residence and during the search recovered approximately 51 grams of suspected crack cocaine, 584 grams of suspected marijuana, 530 gross grams of cannabis pre-roll cigars, 528 gross grams of THC edibles, 104.3 gross grams of THC “moon rocks,” and marijuana seeds. In addition, agents recovered 18 firearms, one of which had been reported as stolen.
The case was investigated by DEA, ATF and the Bienville Parish Sheriff's Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brian C. Flanagan.
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Cape Coral Man Sentenced to 17 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Child Sexual Abuse VideosRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Anthony Vincent Organo (32, Cape Coral) to 17 years and 6 months in federal prison for distributing videos depicting the sexual abuse of a child. The court also sentenced Organo to a term of 15 years of supervised release and ordered him to register as a sex offender. Organo had pleaded guilty on October 3, 2023.
According to court documents, between March 9 and May 9, 2023, Organo distributed videos depicting minors being sexually abused through his social media account. Among those who Organo had distributed the child sexual abuse material to were undercover special agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). In addition, Organo distributed videos of children being sexually abused to an undercover detective from the Montgomery County Constable’s Office in Texas. During the investigation, law enforcement discovered that Organo was an administrator of a social media chat group and had helped to run the chat group that had the main purpose of sharing child sexual abuse material.
On June 14, 2023, a search warrant was executed at Organo’s residence and agents seized Organo’s cellphone. A subsequent forensic examination of Organo’s cellphone revealed more than 400 videos depicting the sexual abuse of children.
During an interview with agents on June 14, 2023, Organo admitted that he had received videos and images of children ranging in age from 5-15 years old. Organo estimated that he had sent and received over 500 images and videos depicting children being sexually abused in 2023, and he admitted that he had created the social media group chat where he would send and receive child sex abuse material.
This case was jointly investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Fort Myers Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, with assistance from the Montgomery County (Texas) Constable’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Browning man admits assaulting neighbor with crossbow on Blackfeet Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Browning man accused of shooting and wounding his neighbor with a crossbow on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation admitted to an assault charge today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Alonzo Gene Skunkcap, 22, pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon. Skunkcap faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The court set sentencing for May 15. Skunkcap was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that on Oct. 1, 2023, Skunkcap was outside of his residence and a neighbor, John Doe, was in his driveway working on a vehicle. Skunkcap made a comment in which he threatened to shoot Doe’s dog. Doe responded that if Skunkcap shot his dog, he would shoot Skunkcap. Skunkcap then retrieved a crossbow from his residence and, without saying anything further, fired the crossbow at Doe, who was standing by a fence. The bolt pierced the side of Doe’s neck. After the assault, Skunkcap went back into his house and waited for law enforcement. Skunkcap told officers he shot Doe because he didn’t know how to deal with threats, was scared and that it was just his “instinct.” Doe removed the bolt himself, suffered two puncture wounds and sought medical attention. Because of the location of the wounds, Doe did not suffer serious injury or life-threatening injury.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah A. Paisley is prosecuting the case. The Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services and FBI conducted the investigation.
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Brighton Man Sentenced for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
DENVER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Steven Darbee, age 50, formerly of Brighton, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison for tax evasion.
According to the plea agreement, the defendant last filed a tax return with the IRS in 2014. Beginning in April of 2013, and continuing until January of 2021, the defendant evaded the assessment of federal income tax by submitting to his employers false Form W-4s claiming multiple dependents so that his employers would not withhold federal income tax. While the defendant was only allowed to claim two allowances, during the relevant time period the defendant claimed up to 99 dependents and in 2021 claimed he was “exempt” from paying federal taxes. The defendant had an opportunity to pay all taxes due and owing for each calendar year by the April filing date and did not do so. Nor did he file a tax return for any of the years in question. The IRS’s attempts to bring the defendant into compliance were unsuccessful.
“Our office will hold tax cheats accountable,” said United States Attorney Cole Finegan. “Everyone must pay their taxes, and if you don’t, there will be consequences.”
“Attempting to defraud the IRS by falsifying Form W-4s unfairly shifts the tax burden to honest American taxpayers and criminals must know they will not get away with it,” said IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) Special Agent in Charge, Todd Martin. “CI special agents identified more than $5.5 billion in tax fraud last year and we will remain committed to holding tax cheats accountable.”
United States District Court Judge Nina Y. Wang sentenced Darbee on January 10, 2024. In addition to his term of incarceration, Darbee was ordered to pay $308,370.59 to the IRS in taxes, interest, and penalties. Darbee was also ordered to serve 3 years on supervised release after his custodial sentence.
The Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Martha A. Paluch handled the prosecution of the case.
Case Number: 23-cr-00099
Big Lake Woman Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud in $250 Million Feeding Our Future Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Big Lake woman has pleaded guilty to her role in the $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally-funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, Sharon Denise Ross, 53, was the executive director of House of Refuge Twin Cities, a St. Paul-based non-profit which she enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future and Sponsor A. Ross claimed that House of Refuge operated distribution sites at a dozen locations throughout the Twin Cities that served food by a vendor called Brava Café, a restaurant in Minneapolis run by Hanna Marakegn. Between September 2021 through February 2022, Ross falsely claimed to be serving thousands of children each day at her House of Refuge sites. In total, Ross fraudulently claimed to have served nearly 900,000 meals and received approximately $2.4 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. Ross distributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to family members and used the rest of the money to fund her lifestyle, including to pay for vacations to Florida and Las Vegas, to purchase a suite at a Minnesota Timberwolves game, and to purchase a house in Willernie, Minnesota.
Ross, who is the 17th defendant to plead guilty to charges relating to the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, appeared today in U.S. District Court before Judge Nancy E. Brasel and pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph H. Thompson, Chelsea A. Walcker, Matthew S. Ebert, and Harry M. Jacobs are prosecuting the case.
Baltimore Man Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining COVID-19 CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program LoansRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Reginald Alphonso Hopkins, age 52, of Prince George’s County, Maryland, today to two years in federal prison, followed by one year of home confinement as part of three years of supervised release, for a wire fraud conspiracy relating to the submission of fraudulent claims for the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) benefits under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. The CARES Act was a federal law enacted in March 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland and Acting Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
Financial assistance offered through the CARES Act included forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the Paycheck Protection Program, administered through the Small Business Administration (SBA). The SBA also offered an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and/or an EIDL advance to help businesses meet their financial obligations. An EIDL advance did not have to be repaid, and small businesses could receive an advance, even if they were not approved for an EIDL loan. The maximum advance amount was $10,000.
According to his plea agreement, Hopkins fraudulently obtained $1,007,224 in PPP funds and $9,000 in Economic Injury Disaster Loan funds for various purported businesses he controlled—a transportation business, a car sales business, and an assisted living facility. He also attempted to fraudulently obtain more than $3,132,224 in PPP and EIDL funds.
As detailed in the statement of facts submitted as part of the plea agreement, between June 11, 2020 and March 23, 2021, Hopkins, with the assistance of a co-conspirator submitted fraudulent PPP loan applications for Prestige Executive Transportation, Prestige 24/7 Auto Sales & Services LLC (“Prestige 24/7”), and Prestige Assisted Living Inc. (“Prestige Assisted Living”), all businesses owned by Hopkins. Each loan application contained multiple material misrepresentations, including as to the number of employees and average monthly payroll. Fabricated IRS tax forms and bank records were also submitted in support of the loan applications. In fact, IRS tax records reveal that none of the companies reported paying wages to any employees.
Based on the fraudulent submissions, the PPP loans were funded. Approximately $291,090 was distributed to Prestige Transportation’s bank account; approximately $294,771 was distributed to Prestige 24/7’s bank account; and approximately $421,363 was distributed to Prestige Assisted Living’s bank account. All the bank accounts were controlled by Hopkins. Hopkins agreed to pay the co-conspirator a kickback payment for his work in submitting the false applications. Hopkins provided the co-conspirator: a check for $58,000, approximately 20 percent of the PPP loan amount for the Prestige Executive Transportation loan; eight checks totaling $75,000 or 25 percent of the Prestige 24/7 loan; and five checks totaling $44,000 or approximately 10.5 percent of the Prestige Assisted Living loan.
Hopkins admitted that he spent the fraudulently obtained loan proceeds in various ways unrelated to job retention or other business expenses, including the $177,000 in kickbacks paid to the co-conspirator, providing PPP funds to various friends, family members, making large cash withdrawals for himself, and paying off various personal debts. Hopkins also used $30,000 of the PPP funds to purchase an auto body repair shop called B&G Auto Repair LLC, for which he planned to obtain a fraudulent PPP loan.
In addition to obtaining the PPP loans discussed above, Hopkins also conspired with the co-conspirator to fraudulently obtain PPP loans for various other purported businesses, including Prestige Executive Protection Services, LLC, Prestige Paradise Promotions, LLC, Prestige Executive Protection Services II, LLC, Prestige Real Estate & Development, LLC, and B&G Auto Repair LLC. Hopkins repeatedly sought the co-conspirator’s assistance in obtaining PPP loans for these entities, but the loans never closed.
Hopkins further admitted that he caused to be submitted numerous fraudulent EIDL applications, including for Prestige Executive Transportation and Prestige Executive Protection Services II. Both of those loans, as well as others, were ultimately declined, but Hopkins received an EIDL advance of $5,000 and $4,000, for Prestige Executive Transportation and Prestige Executive Protection Services II, respectively.
The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI for their work in the investigation and thanked the Baltimore County Police Department and the U.S. Small Business Administration – Office of Inspector General (“SBA-OIG”). Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Riley, who prosecuted the federal case. Mr. Barron also recognized the assistance of the Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force Paralegal Specialist Joanna Huber.
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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Appleton Woman Charged with Producing & Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on January 4, 2024, a federal criminal complaint was issued alleging that Charlotta A. Belgum (age: 38) of Appleton, Wisconsin, produced and distributed child sexual abuse material (“CSAM”) in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2251(b).
According to the criminal complaint, between approximately December 2021 and June 2022, Belgum produced CSAM of a minor child which she then shared with a male acquaintance in Texas via the internet. The complaint further alleges that Belgum frequently engaged in online conversations on a “fetish” website centered around the sexual abuse of children. Belgum faces a mandatory 15 years’ imprisonment and up to 30 years’ imprisonment if convicted of the production charge. She also could be fined up to $250,000.
This case was investigated by the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Appleton Police Department, with the assistance of the Department of Homeland Security, Milwaukee Field Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
A criminal complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove her guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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9 January 2024
Western District of New York Human Trafficking Task Force announces series of trainingsRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - January is Human Trafficking Prevention Month, a time to raise awareness about all forms of trafficking, including sex trafficking and labor trafficking. U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that the Western District of New York Human Trafficking Task Force is kicking off a series of training conferences to educate members of law enforcement, the legal community, and non-government organizations that provide services to victims and survivors of human trafficking.
The first training conference is scheduled for tomorrow, January 10, 2024, from 9:00 am-12:30 pm at Jamestown Community College, Hultquist Library Building Lenna Theater, 525 Falconer Street, Jamestown, NY, 14701.
The conference will cover a victim-centered approach to identifying, investigating and prosecuting trafficking cases and responding to trafficking victims and survivors. Presentations will include sex trafficking, labor trafficking, domestic violence and child trafficking, and services and resources that are available for victims and survivors. Additional conferences will be held in the coming weeks and months throughout the Western District of New York.
According to a proclamation from President Biden declaring January 2024 as Human Trafficking Prevention month, more than 27 million people around the world endure the abuse of human trafficking and forced labor, including thousands of people right here in the United States. For more information on sex and labor trafficking, including services and resources, go to: https://ovc.ojp.gov/program/human-trafficking/overview.
The Western District of New York Human Trafficking Task Force, which includes the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Erie County Sheriff’s Office, and International Institute of Buffalo, brings together law enforcement and social and legal service agencies to collaborate on human trafficking cases. The Western District of New York includes the 17 counties: Allegany; Cattaraugus; Chautauqua; Chemung; Erie; Genesee; Livingston; Monroe; Niagara; Ontario; Orleans; Schuyler; Seneca; Steuben; Wayne; Wyoming; and Yates.
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Washington County man pleads guilty to exploiting minors locally & internationallyRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Lower Salem, Ohio, man pleaded guilty in federal court here today to crimes related to exploiting minor victims in Ohio and in the Philippines.
James A. Sabolick, 58, admitted to bringing a minor from West Virginia to his hunting cabin in Washington County to engage in illicit sex acts. Sabolick also admitted to sending money to Filipino women for their basic living expenses in exchange for child sexual abuse material.
Sabolick pleaded guilty to two counts of sexually exploiting a minor and one count of possessing child pornography. As part of his plea, the parties involved in his case have recommended a sentence of 25 years in prison.
“This case shows that we are dedicated to working across all levels of law enforcement to hold people accountable for their crimes, no matter where they exploit their victims,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “Our priority is putting perpetrators like Sabolick behind bars for significant periods of time so that they can no longer prey on the vulnerable.”
“Our law enforcement priority will always be to protect the most vulnerable, especially children in our communities,” said HSI Detroit Special Agent in Charge Angie M. Salazar. “Our laws also protect children in other countries from Americans looking to sexually exploit them. HSI special agents will continue to leverage our international footprint to hold those violators accountable.”
“This predator fed his sick desires at the expense of vulnerable children,” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said. “Excellent work by our human trafficking task forces and federal partners to end his evil exploitation.”
According to court documents, on July 24, 2021, Marietta police officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle that Sabolick was driving. Sabolick told officers he was alone while attempting to conceal a minor female, who officers discovered in the back seat.
Further investigation conducted by the Southeastern Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office revealed that Sabolick had driven the minor from West Virginia to a cabin near his residence in Washington County to engage in various sex acts with the minor.
Some of the sex acts involved abuse such as needle pokes, lighter burns, restraints, strangulation and urination. Items recovered from Sabolick’s hunting cabin and vehicle included panty hose, lubricant and a box of t-pins. Sabolick photographed the minor victim during the sexual abuse.
Court documents detail that Sabolick had met the minor victim when she was approximately 13 or 14 years old. Sabolick possessed several communications and nude images of the minor victim on his phone.
Additional forensic review of Sabolick’s electronics and social media accounts revealed he had communicated with Filipino women he knew through prior trips to the Philippines in 2013 and 2014. In recovered Facebook chats, the women requested money from Sabolick for basic living expenses like food, utility bills, tuition, etc. In exchange, Sabolick requested sexually explicit images of their minor children and offered to send them money for the child sexual abuse material.
For example, in December 2020, Sabolick sent money to a Filipino woman for images of her daughter’s genitalia. Financial records from Paypal, Western Union, Xoom and Moneygram all revealed numerous transactions to the Philippines totaling more than $1,000, including to the Filipino women identified in the investigation on the same days that Sabolick was requesting child pornography from them.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Angie Salazar, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Washington County Sheriff Larry R. Mincks and Marietta Police Chief Katherine Warden announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and S. Courter Shimeall are representing the United States in this case.
The case was investigated by both the Southeastern Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force and the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force, which are operated under Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission.
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Virginia man admits to selling ghost guns in the Eastern PanhandleRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Brandon Michael Reckert, 29, of Purcellville, Virginia, has admitted to possessing and selling privately-manufactured and unregistered firearms.
According to court documents, Reckert was advertising and selling the firearms on social media. Reckert was found with a privately manufactured short-barreled AR-15 style rifle that wasn’t registered.
As a part of the plea agreement, Reckert will forfeit dozens of firearms, firearms parts, rounds of ammunition, and tools.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the West Virginia State Police; the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office; and the Loudon County, Virginia, Sheriff’s Office investigated.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eleanor Hurney is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Virginia Animal Breeders Surrender Approximately 200 Dogs and CatsRead the Press Release
Two North Chesterfield, Virginia, animal breeders, Elena Mikirticheva and Andrey Mikirtichev, recently surrendered approximately 200 dogs and cats following court-ordered injunctive relief secured by the Justice Department, on behalf of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), for alleged, pervasive mistreatment of the animals in their possession.
U.S. District Judge David J. Novak for the Eastern District of Virginia ordered the relief to replace a temporary restraining order after considering a joint agreement by the United States and the defendants. Following entry of the court order, around 45 dogs and cats were surrendered to USDA, which placed the animals in Virginia shelters and rescue organizations for adoption. The agencies then worked with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, which seized the remaining animals, more than 150, and placed them with the Humane Society of the United States.
Subsequently, the Justice Department filed a consent decree in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia to permanently ban Mikirticheva and Mikirtichev from Animal Welfare Act (AWA) licensure or registration. The USDA filed a corresponding consent decision and order in its administrative enforcement proceeding that includes more than $300,000 in civil penalties and permanent AWA license revocation. Both filings were approved.
In August, the Justice Department filed a complaint and motion for temporary restraining order alleging that Mikirticheva and Mikirtichev, licensed under the AWA, had received over 50 AWA citations for failing to provide adequate shelter, medical and other care, and access to USDA APHIS inspectors, thereby placing the health of their animals in serious danger. The filings alleged that, over the course of two years, APHIS inspectors repeatedly found animals in need of veterinary care. The defendants would delay seeking veterinary care, and, even when animals were seen by a veterinarian, the defendants would fail to follow the veterinarian’s advice. The filings further alleged that APHIS inspectors found animals in cages smaller than AWA requirements and others that were seemingly dehydrated or malnourished due to dominant or aggressive behavior displayed by animals with whom they should not have been housed. APHIS inspectors also allegedly observed junk, waste and/or hazardous materials in areas accessible to the animals.
Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and Deputy Administrator Dr. Roxanne Mullaney of the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Animal Care Program made today’s announcement.
USDA APHIS investigated and referred the case as well as removed and secured placement for animals surrendered to it from the facility. The Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Wildlife & Marine Resources Section filed the complaint, preliminary injunction motion, and consent decree in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
The federal case is United States v. Elena Mikirticheva and Andrey Mikirtichev, No. 3:23-cv-552.
Utah Man Sentenced to 26 Months’ Imprisonment for Credit Union RobberyRead the Press Release
ST. GEORGE, Utah – Jason Grace, 54, of St. George was sentenced to just over two years’ imprisonment followed by three years supervised release after he admitted to a credit union robbery. The sentence was ordered by United States Federal District Court Chief Judge Robert J. Shelby.
According to court documents, on July 26, 2023, Grace entered a Mountain America Credit Union (MACU) in St. George. Grace handed the teller a note which read “this is a robbery” and directed the clerk to provide $4,400 in lower denominations. The teller gave Grace ten $100 bills and Grace fled in a two-door black Chevy Silverado with black rims and a tonneau cover on the bed. St. George Police Department officers and FBI agents responded to the scene and began investigating and alerted surrounding neighboring law enforcement of the robbery and provided descriptions of the suspect and the Chevy Silverado. The next day, Mesquite police officers spotted a matching Chevy Silverado with a Utah plate in the parking lot of the Virgin River Casino. A records check of the vehicle determined it belonged to Grace and photos confirmed it was the getaway vehicle. Investigators also identified Grace as the suspect by comparing his driver's license photo to surveillance from the robbery and photos on social media. Grace, who was a guest at the casino, was served a search warrant and his hotel room and vehicle were searched. Officers located clothing that matched what Grace wore during the robbery. Grace was arrested and admitted to chewing up the robbery note and spitting it out the window as he was driving. He told officers that after obtaining the money, he purchased two money orders, a pool cue he recently pawned, paid his back rent, and fled to Mesquite with the remainder of the money.
“No individual should be threatened or intimidated at their place of business,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah. “This was not a spontaneous act of violence, but instead something Mr. Grace carefully considered for approximately a week. We are grateful to our law enforcement partners who acted quickly and carefully.”
The case is being investigated jointly by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, St. George Resident Agency, St. George Police Department and the Mesquite Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Chris Burton of the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Files Lawsuit Against Franklin County Jail Alleging It Discriminated Against Officer with Lyme DiseaseRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that it filed a lawsuit charging Franklin County Jail (the Jail) with violating Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The lawsuit alleges that the Jail unlawfully terminated a correctional officer whose disability substantially limited her ability to walk, stand, concentrate, and sleep. The correctional officer sought, but was denied, a modification of the Jail’s policy that a probationary employee could only have two unscheduled absences during her probationary period. Although the Jail initially provided the employee an accommodation, it later relied on the absence policy to terminate her.
“Employers must make reasonable accommodations so that employees with disabilities can earn a living,” said U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam. “Lyme Disease creates debilitating health issues for numerous Pennsylvanians yearly, and employers should find reasonable solutions to allow employees with any kind of disability to work and not terminate them because of that disability. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to enforce civil rights laws and ensure equal employment opportunities for all.”
Title I of the ADA prohibits employers from discriminating against a qualified individual on the basis of disability in regard to the hiring, advancement, or discharge of employees; employee compensation; and other terms, conditions, or privileges of employment. An employer may not demote, terminate, or deny employment opportunities to an employee who is otherwise qualified if the demotion or termination is based on the need to make reasonable accommodations for the employee.
The U.S. Employment Opportunity Commission, Philadelphia District Office, found that the Jail violated the ADA and referred the matter to the Department of Justice. The United States is represented by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Butler, Civil Rights Coordinator, and Attorney Kimberly Scheckner of the Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section.
For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (TDD 800-514-0383) or visit www.ada.gov. Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at civilrights.justice.gov/report/. Anyone in the Middle District of Pennsylvania may also report civil rights violations to the Civil Rights Coordinator of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania by calling 717-614-4911 or emailing [email protected].
The complaint alleges unlawful conduct, but the United States must still prove that allegation in federal court.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit and Law Enforcement Partners Jointly Release Public Service Announcement in Recognition of Law Enforcement Appreciation DayRead the Press Release
BOISE – Today, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit, along with the Idaho Sheriffs Association, the Idaho Chiefs of Police Association, the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Police, and the Idaho State Police, released a public service announcement, available here, in recognition of Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. The PSA highlights the wonderful collaboration that Idaho’s law enforcement community enjoys with each other and the impact that community support has on law enforcement as a whole. This PSA showcases Idaho’s natural beauty and the peace and prosperity of its communities. A short version of the PSA is available here.
City Pocatello Police Chief Roger Schei (Past President of the Idaho Chiefs of Police Association President), Clearwater County Sheriff Chris Goetz (President of the Idaho Sheriffs Association), Coeur d’Alene Tribal Police Chief Sam Abrahamson, and Idaho State Police Director Colonel Kedrick Wills, and U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit participated in the filming of this PSA. Together, they highlight the strong law enforcement partnerships in Idaho and law enforcement’s commitment to keeping Idaho a safe and wonderful place to call home or visit.
“Like our state, Idaho law enforcement is strong,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “But we all share in the responsibility of creating safe and supportive communities. So we invite you to be a part of our team by respecting and supporting our officers in uniform. Together we will ensure that Idaho continues to offer peace and tranquility for all.”
"Law enforcement partnerships in Idaho are the bedrock of our commitment to ensuring that the Gem State remains safe for everyone,” said Colonel Kedrick Wills, Director of the Idaho State Police. “The collaboration between agencies reflects our collective dedication to upholding the values of safety, security, and community well-being."
U.S. Attorney Hurwit expressed his gratitude to all the law enforcement agencies who partnered in sharing this message and to law enforcement throughout the entire state who are committed to safeguarding our comminutes and achieving justice through their hard work and professionalism.
If you have a tip or information about crime in your community, please visit FBI.gov or contact local law enforcement in your community.
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U.S. Attorney Buchanan honors law enforcement officers on National Law Enforcement Appreciation DayRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Annually, January 9th is observed and commemorated as Law Enforcement Appreciation Day and is observed across the country. Today we honor the unwavering dedication of our law enforcement officers who selflessly serve our communities, often risking the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.
“We thank law enforcement officers in the Northern District of Georgia who faithfully risk their lives to protect our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “These brave men and women put on a badge each day, knowing that they may face dangerous situations while carrying out their duties and are frequently the target of violence and abuse. Despite these challenges, they continue to serve with the utmost dedication and commitment and are unfaltering in working tirelessly to protect and serve the public.”We also solemnly take time on Law Enforcement Appreciation Day to honor officers in our district who recently paid the ultimate price in the line of duty:
- Officer Kenya Galloway, Atlanta Police Department - Jan. 4, 2024
- Sgt. Marc McIntyre, Spalding County Sheriff's Office - Dec. 29, 2023
- Deputy Sheriff Eric Minix, Coweta County Sheriff's Office - Jan. 4, 2024
“We acknowledge and thank you for your sacrifice and hope to encourage support and respect for everything that you do to keep our communities safe. Your courage, commitment, and willingness to safeguard others inspire us all,” said U.S. Attorney Buchanan.
Law Enforcement Appreciation Day began when multiple organizations joined efforts to express gratitude for law enforcement officers throughout the United States. Their purpose was to provide the public opportunities to gain greater insights into the integral role that these individuals play in our society while also strengthening the social bonds between law enforcement officials and the communities that they serve.
“Thank you for your service, sacrifice, and commitment to protecting and serving. Your efforts are deeply appreciated,” said Buchanan.
For inquiries, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Two Tax Shelter Promoters Sentenced to 25 Years and 23 Years in Billion-Dollar Syndicated Conservation Easement Tax Scheme; Two More CPAs Plead GuiltyRead the Press Release
Two men were sentenced today for crimes arising from their organization, promotion and sale of abusive syndicated conservation easement tax shelters.
Jack Fisher, a certified public accountant (CPA) who began selling units in his abusive tax shelters at least as early as 2008, was sentenced to 25 years in prison. James Sinnott, an attorney who joined Fisher’s scheme in 2013 and oversaw the massive expansion of the tax shelters’ fraudulent deduction amounts claimed from the IRS, was sentenced to 23 years in prison. Also today, Victor Smith and William Tomasello, both Atlanta-area CPAs, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States.
“Using inflated appraisals, backdated documents and other sham actions, these conspirators generated more than $1.3 billion in fraudulent syndicated conservation easement tax deductions, causing hundreds of millions of dollars in losses to the U.S. Treasury,” said Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division. “The significant sentences and convictions obtained are the direct result of the skill and tenacity of career prosecutors and agents, whose multiyear investigation pulled back the curtain on this massive criminal scheme.”
“Today’s message should be a clear one: IRS CI Special Agents will use their financial investigative expertise to hold those involved in abusive tax shelter schemes accountable,” said Chief Jim Lee of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS CI). “As this complex investigation continues to evolve, today’s judicial actions illustrate our resolve to hold responsible every individual involved in tax evasion schemes.”
Jack Fisher and James Sinnott
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Fisher, Sinnott and their co-conspirators sold over $1.3 billion in fraudulent tax deductions, leading to a tax loss to the IRS of over $450 million. Five other tax professionals involved in Fisher’s scheme previously pleaded guilty. Fisher was not only a pioneer in the conservation easement industry, but also one of its biggest promoters across the country. Fisher and Sinnott each made millions of dollars promoting and selling their tax shelters to wealthy taxpayers. The two men also used fraudulent deductions generated by their tax shelters on their own personal income tax returns to reduce the taxes they owed on the millions earned.
A federal jury sitting in Atlanta convicted Fisher and Sinnott on Sept. 22, 2023, of conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aiding and assisting the filing of false tax returns and subscribing to false tax returns arising out of their fraudulent tax shelter scheme involving syndicated conservation easements dating back nearly two decades. Fisher was also separately found guilty of money laundering. One of the appraisers who was charged with Fisher and Sinnott pleaded guilty and was sentenced in November 2023. Fisher’s primary assistant, Kate Joy, who was also indicted, remains a fugitive.
The evidence proved that Fisher and Sinnott designed, marketed and sold to high-income clients abusive syndicated conservation easement tax shelters based on fraudulently inflated charitable contribution tax deductions, promising them deductions 4.5 times the amount the taxpayer clients paid to buy the deductions.
Fisher and Sinnott used the funds raised from their taxpayer clients to buy land through their property holding companies and then had the tax shelters cause those companies to donate the land or a conservation easement over the land – often within days or weeks of the land’s purchase. To reach the inflated fair market value of the donations, Fisher and Sinnott primarily used appraisals of the conservation easements and fee simple land donations at valuations often more than 10 times higher than the price Fisher and Sinnott actually paid to acquire the property.
The evidence further showed that Fisher and Sinnott backdated and instructed others to falsely backdate documents to be presented to the IRS, including subscription agreements, payment documents, engagement letters and other records. Fisher’s accountant, a partner at the accounting firm Fisher started, testified at trial and previously pleaded guilty for his role in the scheme. Along with Fisher and Sinnott, he oversaw the preparation of false tax returns, which claimed charitable contribution tax deductions based upon the false appraisals. The evidence demonstrated that Fisher, Sinnott and others received more than $41 million in payments from the sale of units in these tax shelters that involved backdated documents or untimely payments, which were paid to claim fraudulent and inflated tax deductions.
The government proved that Fisher and Sinnott personally made millions from their scheme. Fisher, specifically, used the illegal proceeds to purchase luxury items, including a Mercedes Benz car, a Recreational Vehicle and trailer and a private jet. Fisher also used proceeds of the scheme to purchase homes and condos in the United States and on the Caribbean Island of Bonaire, which the jury found to be forfeitable.
In total, the defendants sold over $1.3 billion in fraudulent tax deductions to wealthy taxpayers through this scheme.
In addition to the terms of imprisonment, U.S. District Chief Judge Timothy C. Batten for the Northern District of Georgia ordered both Fisher and Sinnott to serve three years of supervised release. He also ordered Fisher to pay approximately $457,855,755 in restitution to the United States and Sinnott to pay approximately $443,760,035 in restitution to the United States.
Victor Smith and William Tomasello
According to court documents and statements made in court, Smith served as a CPA and founding partner of an Atlanta-based accounting firm. Beginning at least in 2014 and through at least 2019, Smith promoted and sold tax deductions to his wealthy clients in the forms of units in illegal syndicated conservation easement tax shelters organized and created by co-defendants Fisher, Sinnott and Joy. For his part, beginning at least in 2015 and through at least 2019, Tomasello also promoted and sold units in the Jack Fisher syndicated conservation easement tax shelters to his wealthy clients at another firm.
Tomasello earned approximately $525,072 in commissions from Fisher and Sinnott for his role in promoting and selling the illegal tax shelters to clients, and his accounting firm received approximately $2,430,301 in commissions. Smith earned approximately $491,400 in commissions from Fisher and Sinnott for his role in promoting and selling the illegal tax shelters to clients.
Smith and Tomasello each face a maximum sentence of five years in prison. They also face a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
To date, in addition to the convictions of Fisher and Sinnott and today’s guilty pleas of Smith and Tomasello, six additional defendants have pleaded guilty to criminal conduct related to Fisher and Sinnott’s syndicated conservation easement tax shelters, including appraiser Walter Douglas “Terry” Roberts, CPAs Stein and Corey Agee, CPA Ralph Anderson, CPA James Benkoil and CPA and Attorney Randall Lenz.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia and Chief Jim Lee of IRS Criminal Investigation made the announcement. They thanked U.S. Attorney Dena J. King for the Western District of North Carolina for her office’s assistance.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Richard M. Rolwing, Parker Tobin, Jessica Kraft, Grace Albinson and Nicholas J. Schilling Jr. of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Huber, Deputy Chief of the Complex Frauds Section for the Northern District of Georgia, are prosecuting the case.
Two More Defendants Sentenced to Probation for Wire Fraud and Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – DILLON ARCENEAUX, age 33, a resident of Marrero, Louisiana, and ZEB SARTIN, age 37, a resident of Duson, Louisiana, were sentenced on January 3, 2024 by U.S. District Court Judge Jane Triche-Milazzo, after previously pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. ARCENEAUX received 3 years of probation, with the first 12 months to be served in home confinement, a $10,000 fine, and he was ordered to pay $1,604,581 in restitution to the victim. SARTIN received 3 years of probation, with the first 12 months to be served in home confinement, and he was ordered to pay $2,100,690 in restitution to the victim from U.S. District Court Judge Jane Triche-Milazzo. ARCENEAUX and SARTIN were also ordered to pay a mandatory special assessment of fee $100 per count.
As according to court documents, ARCENEAUX and SARTIN conspired with RYAN MULLEN, DUANE DUFRENE, GRANT MENARD, and LANCE VALLO to use several shell Louisiana corporations that were devoid of assets, to defraud a Georgia based merchant cash company. MULLEN and DUFRENE helped establish ARCENEAUX, VALLO, MENARD, and SARTIN as the owners of the existing corporations. MULLEN and DUFRENE then created fake vendor accounts for the corporations, and MULLEN, along with another person, created falsified bank records for the corporations. MULLEN then used an alias and represented himself to be a broker for the shell corporations he helped create.
Through the aid of another broker, MULLEN supplied the victim merchant cash advance company with the fake vendor accounts and false bank records in order to obtain funding. The victim cash advance company approved the advances and electronically wired ARCENEAUX, VALLO, MENARD, and SARTIN millions of dollars in advances. ARCENEAUX, VALLO, MENARD, and SARTIN laundered a some of the funds by paying MULLEN and DUFRENE percentages of the funds. ARCENEAUX, VALLO, MENARD, and SARTIN then closed their non-existent corporations before fully repaying the victim merchant cash advance company, resulting in overall losses of approximately $6.4 million. ARCENEAUX was responsible for approximately $1.6 million in losses to the victim, and SARTIN was responsible for $2.1 million in losses.
U.S. Attorney Evans commended the special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and IRS-Criminal Investigation for their handling of the matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Edward J. Rivera of the Financial Crimes Unit and Andre J. Lagarde of the Public Integrity Unit.
Three sentenced for domestic violence-related chargesRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Three men were sentenced on federal charges related to domestic violence.
Brian Michael Lewis, age 42, of Levels, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 60 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. According to court documents and statements made in court, Hampshire County Sheriff’s deputies were called to a domestic dispute at Lewis’s home. During a search of the home, officers found 8 firearms along with ammunition. Lewis cannot possess guns due to prior drug and larceny charges in Virginia.
Derik Wayne Bowers, age 44, of Hagerstown, Maryland, was sentenced to 41 months for stalking. According to court documents, Bowers harassed and intimidated his ex-girlfriend in Berkeley County and used social media to attempt to undermine her online business. Despite being subject to a protective order, Bowers placed more than 800 phone calls to her during a 48-hour period and sent nearly 2,000 text messages in six months.
Rodney Allen Mayhew, age 43, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced to 24 months for unlawful possession of a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, while responding to a domestic violence call, officers recovered two pistols and a rifle in Mayhew’s bedroom. Mayhew is prohibited from possessing guns due to a prior conviction.
The Lewis case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Hampshire County Sheriff’s Office. The FBI investigated the Bowers case. The Mayhew case was also investigated by the ATF, along with the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley Crockett prosecuted the Bowers case on behalf of the government.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Kane prosecuted the Mayhew and Lewis cases.
U.S. District Court Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Sioux City Man Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Federal Prison for Second Methamphetamine OffenseRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced January 5, 2024.
Anthony Bartusek, 37, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 4, 2023, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine after having been previously convicted of a felony drug offense. In 2015, Bartusek was convicted in federal court of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Evidence at the hearings showed that between April 2022 and March 2023, Bartusek and others distributed more than two kilograms of methamphetamine. On March 9, 2023, law enforcement officers responded to a disorderly call at a local hotel and found Bartusek under the influence of drugs, with marijuana on his person, and in possession of a backpack full of drugs. Law enforcement seized approximately 11 ounces of methamphetamine, 1.5 ounces of cocaine and 15 ounces of marijuana. This occurred about 11 months after he was released from federal prison.
Bartusek was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. He was sentenced to 153 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 6-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Bartusek 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 Shawn S. Wehde and investigated by Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-4024. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Sioux City Man Sentenced to 17 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine OffenseRead the Press Release
A man who possessed with intent to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced on January 4, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City.
Thomas Powell, 36, from Sioux City, Iowa, pled guilty on May 15, 2023, to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine after having been previously convicted of a felony drug offense. Amongst other convictions, Powell was previously convicted in federal court of conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine in 2010.
At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that on November 13, 2022, while in Sac County, Iowa, Powell was found with over 90 grams of pure methamphetamine that he planned to distribute to other persons. At sentencing, Powell was found to be a career offender with multiple prior convictions relating to drugs, fraud, and violence towards others.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Powell was sentenced to 17 years’ imprisonment and must serve a term of 10 years of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Powell remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Sac County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa DCI Laboratory, and Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-4002. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Second Man Admits Robbing St. Louis Foot LockerRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A second man has pleaded guilty and admitted the armed robbery of a Foot Locker in St. Louis, Missouri in 2021.
Demetrius Kirksey, 35, pleaded guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to robbery and possession and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. He admitted robbing the Foot Locker at 4651 Chippewa Street in St. Louis on Oct. 6, 2021. Kirksey admitted pointing a handgun at the clerk before running behind the counter and stealing cash from the register. Kirksey’s guilty plea interrupted his trial, which started Monday.
Marion Jones, 49, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty in August to robbery and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. In his plea agreement, Jones admitted stealing shoes while Kirksey took cash. Jones was caught by police two days later in a Waffle House parking lot in St. Charles, Missouri with a .22 caliber pistol. Jones is a convicted felon and barred from possessing a firearm.
Jones is scheduled to be sentenced February 9. Kirksey is scheduled to be sentenced April 11. The robbery charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. The firearm charge is punishable by at least seven years in prison, consecutive to any other charges.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cassandra Wiemken and Jennifer Szczucinski are prosecuting the case.
Rochester man charged with production of child pornography involving 13-year-old girlRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Nicholas Laffin, 28, of Rochester, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with production and possession of child pornography. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on December 27, 2023, the Albion Police Department received a report that a man was found in the bedroom of a 13-year-old girl (Minor Victim), together with the Minor Victim. The man fled the area but left a cell phone in bedroom. The Minor Victim told police that she met the man at the Hoag Library in Albion, and believed him to be approximately 20 years old. A few days later, on December 31, 2023, Laffin was located in Albion near the Minor Victim’s residence and advised Albion Police that his cell phone had been stolen on December 26, 2023, in Albion, NY. Laffin was arrested for endangering the welfare of a child. On January 3, 2024, seven items of digital evidence were turned over to the FBI. An initial review of Laffin’s cell phone located in the Minor Victim’s bedroom recovered multiple images and video files of child pornography involving the Minor Victim.
The complaint is a result of an investigation by the Albion Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Mogle, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Stauffiger.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Readout of Pardon Attorney Elizabeth Oyer’s Visit to Federal Correctional Institution DublinRead the Press Release
On Jan. 9, Pardon Attorney Elizabeth Oyer and members of her team visited Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Dublin, which has a low-security Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) facility for women with an adjacent minimum security camp, located in Dublin, California. The Pardon Attorney and her team provided a series of educational sessions about the federal clemency process and answered questions from inmates and staff. The Pardon Attorney and her team met with over 300 inmates and staff during their visit.
The visit to FCI Dublin was the fifth in a series of quarterly educational events that the Pardon Attorney is conducting for inmates and staff at different FBOP locations.
The first took place at FCI Fort Dix, a low-security institution in New Jersey, in January. During that visit, the Pardon Attorney and her team met with over 700 inmates and staff in a day-long series of trainings throughout the facility. The second took place at U.S. Penitentiary Lewisburg, a medium-security institution in Pennsylvania, in April. During that visit, the Pardon Attorney and her team met with over 300 inmates and staff in a day-long series of trainings throughout the facility. The third took place at FCI Aliceville, a low-security institution for women in Alabama, in July. During that visit, the Pardon Attorney and her team met with over 500 inmates and staff in a day-long series of trainings throughout the facility. The fourth took place at FCI Petersburg, a medium-security and low-security facility for men with an adjacent minimum security camp. During that visit, the Pardon Attorney and her team met with over 300 inmates and staff in a day-long series of trainings throughout the facility.
These educational sessions within the FBOP are part of an initiative by the Office of the Pardon Attorney to increase the accessibility and transparency of the clemency process through education and community engagement.
Randolph Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking MinorRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Randolph man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for sex trafficking a 15-year-old minor.
Admilson Gomes Pires, 26, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 11 years in prison and five years of supervised release. Pires was also ordered to pay $5,500 in restitution to the victim. In September 2023, Pires was convicted by a federal jury of one count of sex trafficking of a child and one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a child.
“Mr. Pires not only preyed upon a minor runaway, but he cruelly subjected her to sexual abuse and trafficking. His calculated manipulation, from grooming this vulnerable young girl to orchestrating commercial sex transactions, demonstrate a reprehensible lack of humanity,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “This case underscores why combatting human trafficking, which often hides in plain sight, is such a high priority for this office. January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month and our office remains steadfast in our commitment to combatting this heinous conduct, seeking justice for survivors and holding perpetrators accountable. The exploitation of vulnerable individuals, especially minors, will never be tolerated.”
“Admilson Pires is a predator who groomed a 15-year-old child who ran away from home for his own gratification and profit, and today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of his crimes,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Sex trafficking is among the most depraved crimes on the books, and using a victim-centered approach, FBI Boston’s Child Exploitation – Human Trafficking Task Force will continue to do everything it can to protect our most vulnerable from those who seek to manipulate and harm them.”
In February 2019, Pires met the minor victim who had run from her home in Western Massachusetts and began a sexual relationship with her. Pires groomed the minor victim and, in July 2019, began trafficking her in Boston and Norwood. He first sold the minor victim for sex to his adult uncle in Dorchester and then created and posted a commercial sex advertisement online that contained explicit photographs and a video of the minor victim. Pires told the minor victim that she would have to engage in prostitution with strangers if she wanted to stay in a relationship with him.
Pires used drugs to manipulate an adult female into agreeing to harbor the minor victim at her apartment in Norwood for sex trafficking. Over the course of 11 days, Pires had the minor victim engage in commercial sex for him out of the Norwood apartment – arranging four to five “dates” per day in exchange for money he kept himself. On at least one occasion, a sex buyer that Pires had arranged for the minor victim to have sex with was extremely violent toward her.
On Aug. 1, 2019, local law enforcement located the minor victim in Norwood and returned her home.
If you or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking, please contact [email protected].
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Suffolk and Norfolk County District Attorney’s Offices; the Massachusetts State Police; and the Arlington, Boston, Fall River, Norwood, Randolph and Springfield Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Moran, Chief of the Organized Crime and Gang Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Riley, Chief of the Civil Rights & Human Trafficking Unit prosecuted the case.
Pill Dealer Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Selling Fentanyl-Laced TabletsRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Nathan Ott, 28, of Moncks Corner, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison last week after pleading guilty to distributing a pill which was sold as “Roxy” (a street name for Roxicodone, a pharmaceutical drug which is an opioid that contains oxycodone hydrochloride). The pill Ott sold contained fentanyl.
Ott pled guilty to violating a section of Title 21, the Controlled Substances Act. The indictment specifically charged that he distributed "fentanyl,” a Schedule II controlled substance, which resulted in the death of Matthew Hearne on May 27, 2021.
Information presented during the hearing showed that the victim had suffered painful injuries from a motorcycle accident three weeks prior to his death. On May 27, 2021, his girlfriend, Victoria Racioppa (also charged in the case) found Hearne in the morning, unresponsive and called 911. The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, Coroner’s Office, and EMS all responded to his residence and found that Hearne had died during the night. The investigation revealed that Ott had “dropped off” what he claimed to be four “Roxy” pills for both Racioppa and Hearne. Hearne had run out of his prescription medicine and was seeking to relieve the pain from his injuries. He took one of the pills during the evening of May 26, 2021. The autopsy showed that Hearne had a lethal amount of fentanyl in his body, which caused his death.
During the hearing, the prosecution noted that the nation was experiencing a surge in opioid and fentanyl poisoning deaths and argued that the tragic death of Matthew Hearne warranted a substantial sentence. Ott, the prosecutor said, knew or should have known that was selling a deadly product. After Hearne’s death, Ott continued to sell “Roxy.”
“Dealers like Ott, who know they are selling fentanyl-laced pills, show a callous disregard for human life,” said Adair F. Boroughs, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina. “The fentanyl epidemic and the use of opioids is affecting our families, friends, and communities. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue people who push pills and advocate for strong sentences in federal court.”
United States District Court Judge Richard M. Gergel sentenced Ott to 300 months imprisonment, to be followed by a five-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. Judge Gergel also ordered restitution to be paid to the victim’s family in the amount of $8,000 for funeral and related costs.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, members of the DEA Tactical Diversion Squad and the Berkeley County’s Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Kittrell is prosecuting the case.
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Owner of Oregon Payroll Services Company Sentenced to More Than Two Years in Prison for Employment Tax SchemeRead the Press Release
An Oregon man was sentenced yesterday to 27 months in prison for willfully failing to pay employment taxes owed to the IRS.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Robert Kohnle, of Lake Oswego, was the president, secretary and chief executive officer of Real Benefits Group Inc. doing business as Aliat. Aliat was a professional employer organization that provided payroll and payroll-related services for its clients. Pursuant to service agreements with its clients, Aliat was responsible for receiving and paying to the IRS the payroll taxes withheld from wages the client businesses paid their employees, including federal income, Social Security and Medicare taxes.
Beginning with the fourth quarter of 2016 through the fourth quarter of 2022, Kohnle received funds from Aliat’s clients that represented payroll tax withholdings, but kept the money rather than pay the IRS, as required by law. Kohnle instead used the money to pay Aliat’s other expenses and creditors, including himself. In total, Kohnle caused a tax loss to the IRS of more than $22.6 million.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Karin J. Immergut for the District of Oregon ordered Kohnle to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $14,092,693.42 in restitution to the United States.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Natalie K. Wight for the District of Oregon made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Patrick Burns and Regina Jeon of the Justice Department’s Tax Division prosecuted the case.
Orlando Man on Federal Supervision for Distributing Drugs Charged with Distributing Kilograms of Cocaine and Fentanyl in Polk and Osceola CountiesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the charging of Maximo Espinosa (44, Kissimmee) with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, and fentanyl. If convicted, Espinosa faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison. Because Espinosa was on federal supervised release at the time of this offense, he will also face an additional sentence for violating his terms of supervised release.
According to the criminal complaint, on November 9, 2023, December 5, 2023, and December 7, 2023, Espinosa and others were part of a criminal conspiracy that distributed kilograms of cocaine and fentanyl throughout the Middle District of Florida, including Polk and Osceola Counties. On January 2, 2024, Espinosa again attempted to distribute controlled substances, and was arrested with 10 kilograms of cocaine and 2 kilograms of fentanyl. A search warrant executed at Espinosa’s home revealed another kilogram of cocaine, a half kilogram of fentanyl, two firearms and several hundred pills.
A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Winter Haven Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Diego F. Novaes and Adam J. Nate.
Ohio Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Leslie Russell Burney, 36, of Groveport, Ohio, was sentenced today to 15 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 20, 2021, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Burney on Interstate 77 in the area of Ripley, West Virginia. After the officer approached the vehicle and asked for his driver’s license, Burney drove off in an attempt to evade law enforcement.
Officers pursued Burney’s vehicle until he pulled off the interstate and fled on foot with a red backpack from his vehicle. Officers located and captured Burney utilizing a K-9 and seized the backpack, which contained suspected methamphetamine.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Mid-Atlantic Laboratory confirmed that the substance found in the backpack was over 6 pounds of methamphetamine. Burney admitted that he was going to receive payment to deliver the drugs in the backpack, and fled the traffic stop because he did not want the drugs to be discovered.
Burney has a long criminal history that includes prior felony convictions for kidnapping and felonious assault with a firearm.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Ripley Police Department, and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander A. Redmon and Ryan Blackwell prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-91.
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North Las Vegas Man Sentenced to Prison for $1.1 Million COVID-19 Relief FraudRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A North Las Vegas man was sentenced today by United States District Judge Gloria M. Navarro to 19 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for submitting at least 56 fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications on behalf of himself and others totaling more than $1.1 million dollars over the course of more than six months.
According to court documents, on March 17, 2021, Jaquari Davonte Woodward (25) submitted a fraudulent loan application in his own name, and when he was successful in obtaining $20,833 in fraudulent funds (the maximum available), he advertised on social media by posting the amount of fraudulent proceeds he had received and offered to do the same for others in exchange for a $10,000 fee payment for each successful application. In each of these fraudulent applications, Woodward provided false financial information, often for fake companies or companies which did not exist during the qualifying time period, and he created fictitious IRS Form 1040 Schedules C. Altogether, from March 2021 to October 2021, Woodward submitted at least 56 fraudulent applications in his own name and the names of others, and he caused over $1.1 million in loss to PPP lenders and the Small Business Administration.
Woodward pleaded guilty to wire fraud. In addition to imprisonment, he was ordered to pay $1,264,252.02 in restitution to PPP lenders and the Small Business Administration.
United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada, Western Region Special Agent in Charge Weston King for the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG), and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI made the announcement.
The SBA OIG and FBI investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Oliva prosecuted the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of fraud related to COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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North Fort Myers Felon Sentenced for Unlawfully Possessing A Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sherri Polster Chappell today sentenced Chester Lewis Risco, III (20, North Fort Myers) to 3 years and 10 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Risco to forfeit the firearm and ammunition, which facilitated the offense. Risco had pleaded guilty on September 20, 2023.
According to the plea agreement, on April 27, 2023, Risco fled from a deputy on his bicycle after committing several traffic violations. Risco had a loaded Taurus pistol in a holster in his waistband when he was apprehended by the deputy. At the time, Risco had previous felony convictions which prohibit him from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. Risco was also under court ordered supervision when he was found in possession of the loaded pistol.
This case was investigated by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan.
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.
North Branford Man Who Downloaded Child Sex Abuse Videos from Dark Web Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that JOSEPH AMADEO, 39, of North Branford, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 84 months of imprisonment, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for downloading child sex abuse images and videos from the dark web.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2020, HSI began investigating Amadeo for his involvement in an online community of individuals who sent and received child pornography images and videos on the dark web. Amadeo was a registered sex offender on the Connecticut Sex Offender Registry based on a 2013 state conviction involving child pornography.
On March 24, 2021, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of Amadeo’s residence and seized Amadeo’s computer and other electronic devices. Analysis of the devices revealed thousands of images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, many as young as infants.
Amadeo was arrested on June 3, 2021. On April 19, 2023, he pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography.
Amadeo, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on February 2.
This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda Oakes and Shan Patel.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Nine Indicted in Federal Health Care Fraud ProbeRead the Press Release
LYNCHBURG, Va. – A November 2023 indictment, returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Roanoke, Virginia charging nine people with healthcare fraud conspiracy, money laundering, and obstruction of justice, has been unsealed following the arrest and initial court appearances of all nine defendants.
According to court documents, Carolyn Bryant-Taylor, 59, of Clinton, Maryland; Kafomdi “Josephine” Okocha, 48, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland; Samuel Okocha, 50, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland; Shekita Gore, a.k.a. Shekita Steele, 38, of Clinton, Maryland; Berthe Feuzeu, a.k.a. Berthe Djuni, 48, of Manassas Park, Virginia; Anthony Kanu, 57, of Bladensburg, Maryland; Elizabeth Ilome, 41, of Stafford, Virginia; Eno Utuk, 47, of Stafford, Virginia; and Rhabiatu Kamara, 45, of Fort Washington, Maryland, are all charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
Bryant-Taylor, Josephine Okocha, Samuel Okocha, and Gore also are charged with one count of health care fraud. Additionally, Bryant-Taylor is charged with two counts of obstruction of justice and one count of money laundering. Josephine Okocha is charged with three counts of money laundering.
According to the indictment, Bryant-Taylor, Josephine Okocha, Samuel Okocha, and Gore are owners and operators of 1st Adult N Pediatric Healthcare Service, a Medicaid-enrolled home health agency providing private duty nursing, personal care, and respite care services throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, including in the Western District of Virginia. Feuzeu, Kanu, Utuk and Kamara were employed by 1st Adult as nurses and Ilome as a medication technician. The defendants are alleged to have conspired to submit false claims to Medicaid for services that were not provided to patients, including falsifying records and documentation in support of the fraudulent claims submitted for reimbursement.
First Assistant United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, and Special Agent in Charge Stanley M. Meador of the FBI’s Richmond Division made the announcement today following the indictment’s unsealing.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Virginia Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit are investigating the case, with assistance from the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin B. Johnson and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Terry, a Senior Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Newington Couple Admit Large Tax Evasion SchemeRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, today announced that ANTHONY NIRO, 60, and NANETTE NIRO, 59, of Newington, have pleaded guilty in Hartford federal court to offenses stemming from a tax evasion scheme.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Anthony Niro was a co-owner of A. Niro Landscape Contractors, Inc. (“ANLC”), a business that provided landscaping and snowplowing services for large commercial properties and for personal residences. Nanette Niro, who is married to Anthony Niro, was the bookkeeper for ANLC and maintained ANLC’s financial records. For the 2006 through 2010 tax years, Anthony Niro, his business partner, and Nanette Niro conspired to evade both corporate and individual income tax by causing a large portion of ANLC’s receipts to be deposited into two non-interest-bearing checking accounts, and then transferred money out the accounts to themselves for their benefit. Anthony Niro, his business partner, and Nanette Niro failed to provide information about these non-interest-bearing accounts to the tax return preparer who prepared ANLC’s federal income tax returns. The 2006 through 2009 tax returns were filed with the IRS. A 2010 tax return was not filed.
Through this scheme, nearly $14 million in ANLC’s gross receipts were not reported to the IRS for the 2006 through 2010 tax years, resulting in a tax loss of $2,931,011.
Anthony Niro and his ANLC business partner also owned numerous residential and commercial properties through several entities. They earned rental income through some of the properties, and some of that income was also not reported to the IRS.
For the 2006 through 2010 tax years, Anthony and Nanette Niro failed to report to the IRS $8,022,644.90 in income, resulting in a tax loss of $1,472,735. As an example, on their 2009 federal individual tax return, Anthony and Nanette Niro reported taxable income of $131,895 when their correct taxable income for that year was $1,891,955.
On January 4, 2024, Anthony Niro pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion. Nanette Niro pleaded guilty to the same charge today. At sentencing, they each face a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.
Anthony and Nanette Niro have paid restitution of $1,472,735. They are still required to pay substantial financial penalties and interest.
This investigation is being conducted by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – TERRANCE RICHARDS, age 38, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on January 4, 2024 by U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier to 100 months incarceration after previously pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2). Judge Barbier also ordered that RICHARDS be placed on supervised release for three (3) years following release from imprisonment and pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, on August 22, 2020, New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) officers responded to a report of shots fired in a New Orleans neighborhood. NOPD, in partnership with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, determined through investigation that RICHARDS was one of the shooters. RICHARDS’s prior felony convictions for attempted distribution of cocaine (2010), possession of cocaine (2010), felon in possession of a firearm (2011) and distribution of cocaine (2012), prohibited his possession of a firearm.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Trummel of the Violent Crime Unit.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Distributing Methamphetamine and Maintaining Drug PremisesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – RYAN NEGROTTO, a/k/a “WHITE BOY,” age 43, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on January 4, 2024 by U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon to 255 months incarceration after previously pleading guilty to eight counts of the superseding indictment pending against him. Judge Fallon also ordered that NEGROTTO be placed on supervised release for five (5) years following release from imprisonment and pay a mandatory $100 assessment special assessment fee as to each count.
Count 1 charged NEGROTTO with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C § 841(a)(1) and 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(b)(1)(A), and 846. Count 2 charged NEGROTTO with distribution and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§841(a)(1), and 841(b)(1)(B), and 18 U.S.C. § 2. Count 3 charged NEGROTTO with distribution and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A), and 18 U.S.C § 2. Count 4 charged NEGROTTO with distribution of methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A), and 18 U.S.C § 2. Counts 5 and 7 charged NEGROTTO with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C § 924(c)(1)(A)(i). Count 6 charged NEGROTTO with possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B). Count 8 charged NEGROTTO with using or maintaining a drug premises, in violation of 21 U.S.C § 856(a)(1) and 18 U.S.C § 2.
According to public records, prior to March 2, 2021, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”) was informed that a New Orleans motorcycle shop harbored drug dealers. ATF used a confidential informant (“CI”) who both visited the shop numerous times, saw drug sales occurring and heard discussions about other drug sales. The CI learned that NEGROTTO was the co-renter of the shop.
On separate occasions in March 2021, NEGROTTO sold methamphetamine to a CI, one sale of which totaled over 300 grams, and also provided prices for future purchases. In May 2021, NEGROTTO sold over 400 grams of methamphetamine to a CI.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Louisiana State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Mike Trummel of the Violent Crime Unit handled the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Sentenced to 300 Months for Hobbs Act Robberies and Weapons ViolationsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that MARVIN LEGENDRE, age 40, of New Orleans, was sentenced on January 4, 2024 by U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier to 300 months imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release, and a $500 mandatory special assessment fee after previously pleading guilty to a five-count indictment.
The indictment charged LEGENDRE, in Counts 1 and 3, with Hobbs Acts Robberies, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1951(a). Counts 2 and 4 charged LEGENDRE with using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1). Count 5 charged LEGENDRE with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1).
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New Orleans Violent Crime Task Force, in conjunction with New Orleans Police Department and the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office, investigated several Hobbs Act Robberies linked to LEGENDRE. On March 7, 2021, LEGENDRE committed an armed robbery at a Cricket Wireless store in Chalmette, LA and on March 10, 2021, LEGENDRE committed an armed robbery at a Boost Mobile store in New Orleans. Using both physical and video surveillance to track a vehicle that LEGENDRE, used for the robberies, agents located LEGENDRE’s residence. After executing a search warrant for the residence, LEGENDRE was arrested. The search of the apartment yielded the clothes he wore during the robberies and other evidence, including firearms.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New Orleans Police Department, and the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Inga Petrovich and Mike Trummel of the Violent Crime Unit.