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Friday 17 November 2023
Former Massachusetts State Senator Arrested for COVID FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Former Massachusetts State Senator Dean Tran was arrested today and charged in federal court in Boston with allegedly scheming to defraud the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance and collecting income that he failed to report to the IRS.
Tran, 48, of Fitchburg, was indicted on 25 counts of wire fraud and three counts of filing false tax returns. Tran was arrested this morning and will appear in federal court in Boston at 1:30 p.m. today.
According to the indictment, Tran served as an elected member of the Massachusetts State Senate, representing Worcester and Middlesex from 2017 to January 2021. It is alleged that after his State Senate term ended in 2021, Tran fraudulently applied for pandemic unemployment benefits after he had already accepted employment as a paid consultant for a New Hampshire-based automotive parts company. While working as the paid consultant, it is alleged that Tran fraudulently collected $30,120 in pandemic unemployment benefits.
It is further alleged that Tran concealed over $50,000 in consulting income that he received from the automotive parts company on his 2021 federal income tax return. This was in addition to thousands of dollars in rental income that Tran allegedly concealed from the IRS while collecting rent from tenants of a Fitchburg rental property from 2020 to 2022.
“The indictment returned by the grand jury alleges that Former State Senator Tran exploited pandemic unemployment benefits – diverting critical resources intended for deserving individuals genuinely in need,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Our office and our law enforcement partners are committed to safeguarding the integrity of public assistance programs and holding accountable those who exploit them – no matter who they are – particularly during times of widespread hardship.”
“Dean Tran was once elected to serve taxpayers, but today we arrested him for allegedly cheating them out of tens of thousands of dollars in fraudulent unemployment benefits that were meant to be a lifeline for those struggling for survival as a result of the pandemic,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “This former state senator allegedly made the conscious decision to repeatedly lie about his employment status and underreport his rental property income so he could get a tax break. The FBI and our partners are working hard every day to shut down such fraud schemes and protect the public from being fleeced.”
“An important part of the mission of the Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations of fraud involving the Department of Labor’s unemployment insurance programs. With the passage of the CARES Act and creation of the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, we focused our efforts on these types of allegations. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate fraud that has a negative effect on the American workforce,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Jonathan Mellone, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
“Elected officials are rightly held to a higher standard when they take an oath to serve,” said Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston. “Instead of honoring his commitment to the public trust, Tran allegedly defrauded the citizens that elected him by failing to pay tax on his income and fleecing a public-assistance program at a time when his constituents needed this help the most, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Rooting out public corruption remains one of IRS CI’s highest priorities.”
The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of filing false tax returns provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $100,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy, FBI SAC Cohen, DOL-OIG SAC Mellone and IRS-CI SAC Chavis made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Mulcahy and Dustin Chao of the Criminal Division are prosecuting 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 augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former FIU student convicted of cyber harassing New York familyRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On Nov. 7, a federal jury found a former Florida International University (FIU) student guilty of three counts of cyber harassment.
Anthony Brillante II, 35, of Miami, a student at FIU during most of the time of the crimes, spoofed hundreds of different phone numbers to send three victims—his cousin, her husband, and their 12-year-old daughter—tens of thousands of phone calls and text messages, including countless explicit threats to kill them over a 15-month period between 2021 and 2022.
Brillante texted two of his victims that he would shoot them in the face, run them over with a car, and even messaged the minor victim that he planned to kill her parents, had “been practicing at the range,” and he thought he was “a pretty good shot.”
Brillante’s cellphones revealed he contemplated bribing a law enforcement officer in his quest to find his victims’ new phone numbers after they changed them due to the spam calls and threatening text messages. They also demonstrated his interest in buying guns and a silencer, and his disregard for multiple law enforcement warnings to stop the threats—even texting his brother “idk is threatening to kill a child different…lol.”
U.S. District Judge Donald L. Graham is scheduled to sentence Brillante on Jan. 24, 2024. Brillante faces up to 20 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, announced the convictions.
FBI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Egozi and Alexandra D. Comolli are prosecuting it.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 22-cr-20493.
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Former Detroit Resident Sentenced for Violating Federal Narcotics LawsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A former resident of Detroit, Michigan, has been sentenced in federal court to 78 months of imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Chief United States District Judge Hornak imposed the sentence on Nicholas Lamont Carter, age 33, formerly of Detroit, Michigan.
According to information presented to the court, Carter was found in possession of 216 grams of fentanyl during a routine traffic stop that he intended to distribute. Carter has a significant criminal history that includes prior violent offenses and prior drug-related offenses, and he was on parole for offenses in West Virginia and Pennsylvania at the time of his possession of the 216 grams of fentanyl.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Hornak noted the harm fentanyl has caused to the community and the need to protect the public from further crimes by this defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Allegheny County Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Carter.
Former Correctional Officer Sentenced to Federal Prison for Smuggling Controlled Substances into the Prince George’s County Department of Corrections Detention FacilityRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced former Prince George’s County Department of Corrections correctional officer Danielle Dominique Smith, age 34, of Waldorf, Maryland, to four months imprisonment, followed by four months of home detention as part of three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, in connection with her smuggling drugs to a prisoner with whom she had an intimate relationship.
The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division; Director Corenne D. Labbe of the Prince George’s County Department of Corrections; and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
According to her guilty plea, from November 23, 2009 through April 15, 2022, Smith was employed as a correctional officer at the Prince George’s County Department of Corrections (“PGDOC”) detention facility. During her employment, Smith developed a romantic and sexual relationship with Avante Daquan Lee, an inmate at PGDOC, discussing their relationship on recorded jail calls beginning on at least June 3, 2021 and continuing until March 2, 2022.
As detailed in the plea agreement, from August 29, 2021 and March 2, 2022, Smith conspired with Lee and other co-conspirators to distribute Suboxone, and the synthetic cannabinoid commonly known as K2. Specifically, Smith obtained the controlled substances from co-conspirators outside PGDOC, then smuggled the drugs into PGDOC where she concealed them on special diet food trays designated for Lee. Once Lee received the food tray, he distributed the controlled substances to other inmates within PGDOC. Other inmates, or relatives and friends of inmates then sent Smith money for the controlled substances.
Smith and Lee discussed the distribution of the controlled substances on recorded jail calls, referring to the controlled substances as food products in an effort to conceal the nature of the conversation. On September 24, 2021, PGDOC Special Investigations and Intelligence Section conducted a targeted cell search of Lee’s cell for contraband and recovered white paper that was found to contain K2. On February 16, 2022, PGDOC Special Investigations and Intelligence Section conducted a targeted cell search of another PGDOC inmate for suspected contraband and found a bottle containing 395 strips that were found to contain Suboxone. The K2 and Suboxone were smuggled into PGDOC by Smith.
According to court documents, at the end of February 2022, Smith took pre-approved leave from work. Smith continued to speak to Lee on jail calls during that time. On a March 2, 2022 jail call, the day Smith was scheduled to return to work, Lee asked Smith if she was bringing the “meals,” and Smith said she was. Concerned that Smith was going to smuggle additional controlled substances, PGDOC administratively suspended Smith when she arrived at work that same day.
On October 13, 2023, Judge Chuang sentenced Avante Daquan Lee, age 30, to 30 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Lee had previously pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy.
U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DEA, the PGDOC, and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron also thanked Assistant United States Attorney Leah B. Grossi, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Foreign National Convicted of Racketeering and Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A federal jury in Beaumont, Texas, convicted a Romanian national today for plotting to traffic hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from the United States in a scheme that also included money laundering, arms trafficking, and an attempt to assassinate rival gang members.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Marius Lazar, 50, of Bucharest, Romania, was a “founding member” of his local chapter of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, a transnational outlaw motorcycle gang that was founded in the United States and is now active on six continents. Through his relationship with a fellow Hells Angels member from New Zealand, Lazar joined a conspiracy to purchase more than 400 kilograms of cocaine from a person in the United States, who the conspirators believed was a powerful drug trafficker but who was actually an undercover agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). As part of his negotiations for the cocaine purchase, Lazar also solicited the undercover agent to kill two members of a rival motorcycle club in Romania, and offered to supply the undercover with rifles, grenades, armored vehicles, and other military-grade equipment that Lazar understood would be used against police officers in the United States. Members of the conspiracy sent nearly $1 million to the United States, via bank wires and Bitcoin transfers, as payment for the drugs and murders.
The jury convicted Lazar of conspiracy to commit racketeering, conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He faces a maximum penalty of life years in prison. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Co-defendants Murray Michael Matthews and Marc Patrick Johnson remain fugitives.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Damien Diggs for the Eastern District of Texas, DEA Administrator Anne Milgram, Special Agent in Charge Mark B. Dawson of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Houston, U.S. Marshal John Garrison of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus Jr. of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Dallas Field Office made the announcement.
The DEA, HSI, USMS, and IRS-CI investigated the case, with significant assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Trial Attorney Conor Mulroe of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Rapp for the Eastern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Romania to secure the arrest and extradition of Lazar.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Florida Man Who Trafficked in Florida Box Turtles, Loggerhead Musk Turtles, and Ornate Diamondback Terrapins Pleads Guilty to Lacey Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Kevin Olbrych (48, Spring Hill) today pleaded guilty to two counts of Lacey Act Trafficking. Olbrych faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.
According to the plea agreement, in 2018, officers from the Tampa Police Department executed a search warrant at Olbrych’s residence. During the search, the officers discovered several 300-gallon pools filled with turtles and other containers for the rearing of turtles. In total, Olbrych unlawfully possessed 120 turtles. The animals were not housed properly, and Olbrych did not have proper licensure to possess them. Law enforcement confiscated the turtles and turned them over to an individual qualified to rehabilitate them on behalf of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
After the search, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began investigating Olbrych. The investigation revealed that for years Olbrych had illegally sold turtles to a co-conspirator in Oregon, who later sold them to buyers in China. Further investigation revealed that even after law enforcement seized the turtles from Olbrych’s home in 2018, he continued to traffic in turtles through 2021.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with substantial assistance from the Tampa Police Department and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin Claire Favorit.
Federal grand jury indicts Kenai man for threatening U.S. SenatorRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment this week officially charging a Kenai man with making interstate threats to kidnap and injure a U.S. Senator.
"Actions that threaten the safety and well-being of public officials are unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “The Justice Department and U.S. Attorney’s Office, in collaboration with our law enforcement partners, will prioritize the vigorous investigation and prosecution of any individual who chooses to threaten and instill fear in elected officials.”
According to court proceedings, Arther Charles Graham, 46, was ordered to be temporarily detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service on Nov. 3, 2023. His formal detention hearing will be held on Nov. 21, 2023, in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew M. Scoble.
According to court documents, Graham sent a web form submission to a U.S. Senator on Sept. 28, 2023, threatening to injure the Senator. Congressional staff members reported the threat to the U.S. Capitol Police and an investigation was launched.
The defendant identified himself in the threat. Law enforcement later confirmed the sender was Graham and lived in Kenai. He was taken into custody by special agents from the U.S. Capitol Police and FBI on Oct. 30, 2023. He made his initial appearance before a U.S. magistrate judge on Nov. 3, 2023.
Graham is charged with using interstate communications with a threat to kidnap and injure in violation of 18 U.S.C. §875(c). If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Capitol Police, with assistance from the FBI Anchorage Field Office, the Kenai Police Department and the Alaska State Trooper, is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Vandergaw is 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.
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Federal Supervisee Sentenced on New Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Monroeville, Alabama, man was sentenced in federal court today for his ongoing drug dealing and illegal possession of a firearm while on supervision for a previous federal conviction. James Edward Hill, Jr., 50, was arrested in February of 2022 after Monroe County law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on his residence in a drug investigation. Hill was on federal supervision as part of a previously imposed federal sentence. Hill’s first federal conviction came in 2011, for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine. While he was on federal supervision after he was released from prison, Hill was again involved in the drug business. He was charged in federal court by information with attempt to manufacture crack cocaine and felon in possession of a firearm. Hill pled guilty to the new charges in July of 2023.
According to court documents, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on Hill’s residence in Monroeville and discovered cocaine powder and various materials and equipment used to manufacture cocaine powder into crack cocaine. Hill admitted to the officers that he used the baking soda they found in his house for that purpose. Investigators also recovered a .38 caliber firearm in the kitchen where the drugs were. Because Hill was actively being supervised for a federal felony drug conviction, he was aware of his status as a convicted felon and the prohibition against his possession of a firearm.
United States District Court Judge Kristi K. Dubose imposed a sentence of 57 months in Hill’s case, to be followed by five years on supervised release after his release from custody. As conditions of next period of supervision following his second federal conviction, Hill will undergo testing and treatment for drug and/or alcohol abuse, and he will be subject to a search of his person and premises upon reasonable suspicion. No fine was imposed but the judge ordered that the defendant pay $200 in special assessments. The judge ordered the forfeiture of the firearm, a .380 caliber revolver, seized during the investigation.
The case was investigated by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Federal Jury Finds Ohio Man Guilty of Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – After deliberating for less than one hour, a federal jury found Norberto Castillo-Lopez guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Castillo-Lopez, 34, of Columbus, Ohio was tried before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The evidence introduced during the three-day trial established that, beginning in December of 2019 and continuing through August of 2020, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) received authorization to conduct a Title III wiretap investigation into a drug trafficking organization that was trafficking kilogram-quantities of cocaine from Columbus, Ohio into the Western District of Pennsylvania. Castillo-Lopez was intercepted agreeing to supply kilograms of cocaine to his coconspirator. That coconspirator redistributed Castillo-Lopez’s cocaine to lower-level distributors for resale in the cities of New Castle and Farrell. In September 2020, investigators executed a search warrant at Castillo-Lopez’s residence and recovered cocaine, bulk United States currency, and a kilogram wrapper.
Assistant United States Attorneys Mark V. Gurzo and Katherine C. Jordan prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Judge Ranjan scheduled sentencing for February 15, 2024. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 10 years to a maximum of life imprisonment, a fine not to exceed $10,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Castillo-Lopez remains in custody pending sentencing.
DEA in Pittsburgh, PA; the DEA, Columbus, OH; the DEA, Harrisburg, PA; Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Pittsburgh, PA; HSI, Orlando, FL; Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations; United States Postal Service, Columbus, Ohio; Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General; Lawrence County Drug Task Force – Special Investigations Unit; and New Castle Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the prosecution of Castillo-Lopez.
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.
Federal Jury Finds Minneapolis Bloods Gang Member Guilty of Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A federal jury found a Minneapolis felon and known Bloods gang member guilty of illegally possessing a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to evidence presented at trial and court documents, in the early morning hours of October 16, 2022, Isaiah Lemuel Elisha Ferguson, 27, was involved in a fight at the Basement Bar in the North Loop Neighborhood of Minneapolis. The fight led to a confrontation outside the bar that quickly escalated into a shooting where Ferguson pulled and fired a gun. Officers from the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) were nearby, heard the gunshots, and were able to quickly subdue and arrest Isaiah Ferguson. Officers found a FN Herstal 5.7 x 28 caliber semi-automatic pistol nearby.
Prior to this incident, on November 7, 2019, a hotel staff member found a firearm in a room registered to Ferguson and called the police. MPD officers discovered a Glock .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol in the room. In July 2020, MPD officers executed a search warrant at Ferguson’s residence and found several firearms and ammunition in his cars and residence.
Because Ferguson has prior felony convictions in Winona and Hennepin Counties, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
On November 15, following a three-day trial before Judge Susan Richard Nelson in U.S. District Court, Ferguson was found guilty on one count of possessing a firearm as a felon. He will be sentenced at a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, Minnesota Department of Corrections, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Minneapolis Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Esther Soria Mignanelli and Thomas Calhoun-Lopez tried the case.
Federal Jury Convicts Sisseton Man for Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child and Abusive Sexual ContactRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal jury has convicted Thomas Avery Drum, age 59, of Sisseton, South Dakota, of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child and Abusive Sexual Contact following a three-day jury trial in federal district court in Aberdeen, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on November 15, 2023.
Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child carries a mandatory minimum of 30 years and a maximum penalty of up to life in custody; Abusive Sexual Contact carries any term of years and a maximum penalty of up to life in custody. Each conviction carries the possible maximum of a $250,000 fine, and a required a mandatory minimum of five years to life of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Drum was indicted by a federal grand jury in October of 2022.
According to evidence presented at trial, between August of 2014 and August of 2015, Drum knowingly engaged in at least one sexual act and contact with a child under the age of 12. The sexual abuse took place at Drum’s residence on the Lake Traverse Reservation near the town of Sisseton. At the time of the abuse, Drum was approximately 50 years of age, while the victim was seven.
This case was investigated by the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Tribe’s Law Enforcement and the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri is prosecuting the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date has been set for May 20, 2024. Drum was ordered to self-surrender on November 27, 2023.
Federal Jury Convicts Okmulgee Resident of Attempted Murder, Child Abuse, and Child NeglectRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced today that JOHN RAY COLLINS, JR., age forty-eight, of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, was convicted at trial by a federal jury of one count of Attempted Murder, two counts of Child Abuse, and one count of Child Neglect.
The jury trial began with testimony on November 13, 2023, and concluded on November 17, 2023, with the guilty verdict.
During the trial, the United States presented evidence that between January 1, 2023, and June 12, 2023, Collins abused two children, that he attempted to murder one child, and that he failed to provide food, water, medical care, and sanitary living conditions to that same child, all while responsible for their health, welfare, and safety. The crimes occurred in Okmulgee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
On October 24, 2023, Collins’ co-defendant, TAMBARA LORENE COLLINS, age thirty-seven, of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to two counts of Child Abuse, and one count of Child Neglect.
The guilty verdicts were the result of an investigation by the Okmulgee County Sheriff’s Office, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Lighthorse Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Honorable John F. Heil, U.S. District Court Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the trial in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and ordered the completion of a presentence report. Sentencing will be scheduled following the completion of the report. John Ray Collins, Jr. was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorneys Caila M. Cleary and Sarah McAmis represented the United States.
Federal Indictment Unsealed After U.S. Postal Employee and Two Co-Conspirators Are Arrested for $24 Million Stolen Check SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A U.S. Postal Service employee and two co-conspirators have been arrested on federal charges for a scheme involving stolen checks worth over $24 million, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. The federal indictment was unsealed following the defendants’ initial court appearances.
Nakedra Shannon, 29, Donnell Gardner, 27, and Desiray Carter, 24, all of Charlotte, are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit financial institution fraud and five counts of theft of government property. Carter and Gardner are also charged with seven counts of possession of stolen mail matter, and Shannon is charged with eight counts of theft of mail by a postal employee.
According to allegations in the indictment, from March 2021 to July 2023, Shannon was employed by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) as a mail processing clerk at a USPS processing and distribution center in Charlotte. From April to July 2023, Shannon conspired with Gardner and Carter to steal incoming and outgoing checks from the U.S. mail, which Gardner and Carter then sold to other individuals including using the Telegram channel OG Glass House. Over the course of the conspiracy, the co-conspirators allegedly stole checks totaling more than $24 million, including more than $12 million in stolen checks which were posted for sale on the Telegram channel OG Glass House, and more than $8 million in stolen U.S. Treasury checks. The indictment also alleges that the defendants obtained hundreds of thousands of dollars in criminal proceeds of the mail theft scheme.
Shannon, Gardner, and Carter were released on bond following their initial appearances in court.
The bank fraud conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. The charge of theft by a postal employee and possession of stolen mail has a statutory maximum penalty of five years in prison for the counts charged in the indictment. The charge of theft of government property carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for each offense.
The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked U.S. Postal Service’s Office of the Inspector General, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the IRS’s Criminal Investigation Division, the U.S. Department of Treasury Bureau of the Fiscal Service, and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department for their investigation which led to the charges.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny G. Sugar and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Frick with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the case.
Federal Indictment Charges Dentist for $3 Million Loan Scheme and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
UPDATE
Matthew Johnson was acquitted of the charges alleged in the indictment as described in the press release below.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal grand jury in Charlotte has indicted Matthew Johnson, 58, of Troutman, N.C., for orchestrating a fraudulent loan scheme that defrauded the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) of more than $3 million and tax evasion, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. The indictment was unsealed today following Johnson’s initial appearance in court.
Donald "Trey" Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), Charlotte Field Office, joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to allegations in the indictment, Johnson was a dentist and oral surgeon that owned Johnson Oral Surgery in Mooresville, N.C. In addition to the dental practice, Johnson also owned Mount Mourne Springs LLC, a real estate development company. The indictment alleges that from August 2018 to November 2021, Johnson submitted a false and fraudulent loan application in the name of his dental practice and the real estate development business. The application was for a loan backed by the SBA, and allegedly contained fraudulent information, including false information regarding the status of Johnson’s personal and business taxes and outstanding tax debts. For example, the indictment alleges that one of the fraudulent documents Johnson allegedly submitted in support of the loan application was a fabricated letter purporting to be from the IRS, falsely representing that Johnson was on a payment plan with the IRS. As a result of the fraudulent loan application, Johnson received more than $3 million in an SBA-backed loan. Contrary to claims Johnson made on the application about the purpose of the loan, Johnson allegedly used the loan funds to pay for personal expenses including travel, cash withdrawals, and to pay for farm equipment and home improvement projects.
In addition to the loan scheme, the indictment alleges that, from October 2015 to November 2021, Johnson committed tax evasion, and failed to pay more than $615,000 in taxes he owed to the IRS for tax years 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016.
Johnson has been released on bond. He is charged with wire fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and tax evasion, which has a maximum statutory penalty of up to five years in prison. Both charges also carry a fine of up to $250,000 for each offense.
The charges against Johnson are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked IRS-CI for their investigation which led to the federal charges.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
Ex-Spouses Plead Guilty to Receiving and Laundering Money Stolen from Retirement and Investment AccountsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Prince George’s County, Maryland, man and woman pleaded guilty to their involvement in laundering the proceeds of various fraud schemes targeting victims’ retirement and investment accounts.
According to court documents, from approximately September 2017 to April 2020, Dasola Abdulraheem, 41, and Ismaila Abdulraheem, 44, both Nigerian nationals and formerly spouses, received the proceeds of various financial frauds into accounts that they controlled, and thereafter, conducted financial transactions with the proceeds to disguise the nature and source of the funds.
Unknown co-conspirators targeted the victims of this scheme by gaining access to their financial accounts, typically retirement or investment accounts. In one case, co-conspirators gained access to a victim’s severance payout from his former employer. The conspirators compromised a victim’s account, they posed as the victim and instructed the victim’s financial institution to add a new outside bank account to the victim’s account. The outside account was controlled by either the Abdulraheems or one of the money mules that they used. Once the victim’s financial institution added a conspirator’s account to the victim’s account, the conspirators directed that money from the victim’s account be siphoned from the victim’s account and deposited into the Abdulraheems’ accounts or into a co-conspirator’s account. The proceeds were used in some cases to purchase salvage cars at auction or to wire money to business entities in Nigeria. The overall money laundering conspiracy intended to cause a loss of approximately $866,195 and caused an actual loss of approximately $641,260.
The Abdulraheems attempted to conceal their involvement in laundering proceeds by using shell companies to receive and launder the proceeds of the fraud scheme.
Ismaila Abdulraheem pleaded guilty on October 27, 2023, to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Dasola Abdulraheem pleaded guilty today to one count of receipt of stolen monies in violation.
Ismaila Abdulraheem is scheduled to be sentenced on February 9, 2024. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Dasola Abdulraheem is scheduled to be sentenced on March 22, 2024. She faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine E. Rumbaugh and Kathleen E. Robeson are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-107.
El Salvador Man Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison following Trial Convictions for his Role in Fentanyl ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced an El Salvador man and a Victorville, California, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencings took place on November 13, 2023, in Aberdeen, South Dakota.
Edwin Giovanni Salinas, age 44, was sentenced to life in prison. He was ordered to pay $200 as a statutorily required special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Berta Rosmelvi Gonzales, age 33, was sentenced to three years and five months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. She was ordered to pay $100 as a statutorily required special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Salinas and Gonzales were indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in May of 2023. Gonzales pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance on July 10, 2023. On July 19, 2023, Salinas was found guilty at trial of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
According to evidence admitted at trial, on November 26, 2022, Salinas and Gonzales were pulled over during a traffic stop. During a search of the vehicle, approximately 16 pounds of fentanyl was found. The fentanyl was contained in 12 packages – two containing powder weighing 3.5 pounds and another 10 containing approximately 50,000 pills. The 10 separate packages contained small blue pills marked “M” on one side and “30” on the other, apparent counterfeit “M-30” pills containing fentanyl. The fentanyl was mixed with a horse tranquilizer. The approximate street value of the drugs was estimated at $2,000,000.
“Fentanyl is the deadliest drug our communities have ever faced,” said Alison J. Ramsdell, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota. “It is almost fifty times more potent than heroin, and just two milligrams - an amount that can fit on the tip of a pencil - is enough to kill an average adult. So when this defendant trafficked more than 50,000 fentanyl pills and 3.5 pounds of fentanyl powder into our state, he brought enough poison to wipe out the entire population of South Dakota. It is therefore paramount that we continue to aggressively pursue and prosecute the trafficking of fentanyl, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to doing so alongside our federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners.”
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), one kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people. Laboratory testing indicates seven out of every 10 fentanyl pills seized by the DEA contained a lethal dose of fentanyl.
During the sentencing of Salinas, the Court stated that his conduct was “reprehensible,” citing the lethality of the controlled substances and the likely intended location of where a portion of the fentanyl was headed – tribal lands. The Court noted that this case involved the largest ever fentanyl seizure and prosecution in the state.
This case was investigated by the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Sioux’s Law Enforcement, Roberts County Sheriff’s Department, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremy R. Jehangiri and Paige Petersen prosecuted the case.
Salinas and Gonzales were remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to continue serving their sentences.
Eagle Butte Woman Sentenced for LarcenyRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, woman convicted of Larceny. The sentencing took place on November 15, 2023.
Jacie Toki, age 30, was sentenced to three months in federal prison, followed by eighteen months of supervised release. She was further ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Toki was indicted for Larceny by a federal grand jury in April of 2023. She pleaded guilty on August 17, 2023.
The conviction stemmed from Toki stealing a police vehicle belonging to the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services after a roadside encounter with law enforcement near Lantry, South Dakota, on February 28, 2023. Toki drove the vehicle away from the scene and left it in a ditch outside of Lantry.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuted the case.
Toki was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Eagle Butte Man Sentenced for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm. The sentencing took place on November 6, 2023.
Anthony Lawrence Collins, age 40, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Collins was indicted by a federal grand jury in October of 2022. He pleaded guilty on July 27, 2023.
Collins was convicted in federal court of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in 2003. His firearms rights have not been restored. On July 23, 2022, in Eagle Butte, the police observed Collins holding a shotgun. They arrested Collins and seized the shotgun. Collins knew he had been convicted of a felony and could not possess 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.
This case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.
Collins was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Durham Woman Convicted of Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Resulting in Death and Other Drug and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO - A jury in federal district court convicted CARLISA RENEA ALLEN today of multiple drug charges and illegal possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina.
According to court documents, ALLEN, age 46, was initially indicted on March 28, 2023, and was tried on charges in a third Superseding Indictment filed October 30, 2023. ALLEN was charged in Count One with conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine hydrochloride, and conspiracy to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, resulting in death; in Count Two, with distribution of cocaine hydrochloride; in Count Three with possession with intent to distribute cocaine; in Count Four with possession with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl; and in Count Five with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Evidence at trial showed that the death of Joshua Skip Zinner on or about March 9, 2023, resulted from the use of cocaine hydrochloride and fentanyl distributed in furtherance of the conspiracy.
A jury convicted ALLEN on all counts of the third Superseding Indictment after a four-day trial. At sentencing, ALLEN faces a term of imprisonment of 25 years to life, not less than 4 years of supervised release, and fines, restitution, and forfeiture. Sentencing is scheduled for February 13, 2024, before United States District Judge William L. Osteen, Jr. in Greensboro.
ALLEN’s co-defendant, CYE LEANCE FRASIER, pleaded guilty on October 25, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine hydrochloride, and conspiracy to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, resulting in death. FRASIER faces a term of imprisonment of twenty years to life. His sentencing is set for January 31, 2024, in Greensboro.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Durham Police Department, Duke University Police Department, Raleigh Police Department, Raleigh/Wake County City-County Bureau of Identification, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Cary Police Department, North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Nash County Sheriff’s Office, and the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael A. DeFranco and Tracy Williams-Durham.
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Dominican National Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Reentry and Identity Theft ChargesRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida –Senior United States District Judge Gregory A. Presnell has sentenced Papo Encarnacion De Oleo (46, Dominican Republic) to 18 months in federal prison for illegal re-entry by a previously deported alien, falsely presenting a social security number, making a false statement of citizenship to obtain a state benefit, and possession of false identification documents. Encarnacion De Oleo pleaded guilty to the crimes on June 16, 2023.
According to the plea agreement, Encarnacion De Oleo is a citizen of the Dominican Republic who was previously removed from the United States in 2014. Even though he never received permission to lawfully re-enter the country, Encarnacion De Oleo illegally returned to the United States following his removal.
In June 2019, Encarnacion De Oleo used another individual’s personal identifying information—name, date of birth, social security card, and birth certificate—to fraudulently obtain a Florida identification card. He also falsely represented himself to be a United States citizen when he obtained the card. Afterward, Encarnacion De Oleo used the card, along with the victim’s social security number, to fraudulently obtain employment with two businesses in Sumter County. Encarnacion De Oleo also falsely claimed to be a United States citizen on the employment eligibility documents for the businesses.
“This criminal repeatedly ignored the laws of our nation, illegally re-entered after being previously removed, and masqueraded under the false guise of United States citizenship by stealing someone’s identity,” said Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “This sentence demonstrates the law will not tolerate those who blatantly disregard it. Thanks to our partnership with the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, we were able to put an end to this recidivist’s activities.”
“This sentence demonstrates that misuse of a Social Security number to gain unlawful entry into the United States after deportation and to fraudulently obtain employment and state identity documents is a punishable crime,” said Rodregas W. Owens, Special Agent in Charge, Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, Atlanta Field Division. “We will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to curtail this type of illegal activity. I thank the Department of Homeland Security Homeland Security Investigation for their work in this joint investigation and I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecuting this case.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General (SSA/OIG), with assistance from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
Doctor at L5 Pain Clinic Pleads Guilty to Illegal Drug Dispensing ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A doctor from North Carolina, who was assigned to several pain clinics in Virginia but was rarely physically on-site at any of them, pled guilty this week in U.S. District Court in the Western District of Virginia.
Wendell Lewis Randall, 70, of Millers Creek, North Carolina, conspired with others to use, in the course of dispensing and distributing controlled substances, a DEA registration number issued to another person. DEA registration numbers are unique identifiers issued to medical providers in order to track who issues drug prescriptions and to ensure only qualified providers prescribe controlled substances.
According to court documents, between 2017 and 2020, Randall—a medical doctor who operated his own practice in North Carolina—was affiliated with L5 Medical Holdings, doing business as Pain Care Centers, an LLC operating pain clinics in Woodlawn, Lynchburg, Madison Heights, Blacksburg, and Christiansburg.
Randall was nominally assigned to the Woodlawn clinic, but he was only occasionally ever on-site. He was also absent from the Christiansburg and Madison Heights clinics, where Randall allowed other, unqualified medical providers to use his DEA registration number to prescribe Suboxone (buprenorphine) in his name, even though he had not seen the patients who received the drugs.
Court documents, including text messages, show L5 paid Randall in exchange for using his DEA registration number. Randall also acknowledged in these messages that he was not seeing patients at L5’s clinics and that he was aware his arrangement with L5 was illegal.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Washington Division, Jared Forget, Special Agent in Charge of HHS-OIG’s Philadelphia Region, Maureen Dixon, Superintendent of the Virginia State Police Col. Gary Settle, and Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares made the announcement today.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General, the Virginia State Police, and the Virginia Attorney General’s Office - Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys S. Cagle Juhan, Jason M. Scheff, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Janine M. Myatt, Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to Twelve Years for Assault with the Intent to Kill While ArmedRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Timothy Farrow, 65, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to twelve years in prison for a brutal stabbing which took place on May 6, 2023 by Superior Court Judge Michael O'Keefe. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Farrow pled guilty to assault with the intent to kill while armed on September 15, 2023 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. In addition to the prison term Judge O’Keefe sentenced him to five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence and Farrow’s plea, Farrow approached the victim in the 3000 block of Minnesota Ave. in Washington, DC on May 6, 2023, at approximately 9:14 PM. Farrow then pulled out a knife and stabbed the victim on his inner thigh, left shoulder, and across his face. The victim suffered extensive life-threatening injuries as a result of that assault.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Kubo.
District Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Armed Robbery in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tramayne Moore, 26, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today to six years in prison for the brazen mid-afternoon robbery of a District man in Southeast Washington DC by Superior Court Judge Jason Park. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Moore pleaded guilty, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, in August of 2023, to one count of armed robbery. During that plea hearing, Moore admitted that he approached the victim in the 800 block of Ridge Road Southeast at approximately 3:00 p.m. on May 25, 2023, armed with what appeared to be a handgun. Moore pointed the weapon at the victim and ordered him out of the car. The victim obeyed that command, leaving his wallet and cell phone as well. Moore then took the car and drove off. Within two hours, however, with the aid of information supplied by eyewitnesses to the offense, police were able to locate and apprehend Moore. Police recovered the victim’s car, which had sustained minor damage, and property, but were unable to locate a weapon.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Randle Wilson.
District Man Sentenced to 19 Year Prison Term for Sexually Abusing Multiple Child VictimsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – David Geddie, 35, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced on Thursday, November 16, 2023, to 19 years in prison, lifetime supervised release, and will be required to register as a sex offender for life for his repeated sexual abuse of multiple children in Washington DC. He was sentenced by the Honorable Anthony C. Epstein of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Geddie pled guilty to one count of First Degree Child Sexual Abuse, one count of Second Degree Child Sexual Abuse, and one count of Misdemeanor Sexual Abuse in March 2023
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Pamela Smith, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.
According to the government’s evidence, over the course of several months in 2021, the defendant acted as a babysitter for three child victims, ages 11, 6 and 6. During that time, the defendant forced the child victims to perform sexual acts on him and forced the child victims to perform sexual acts on each other. Following his arrest, the defendant admitted to sexually abusing the child victims, and admitted that he filmed the abuse.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the cases at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Alexis Spencer-Anderson and Tiffany Jones, and Victim Assistance Specialist Maria Sanchez Garcia.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marco Crocetti and Janani Iyengar, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Diseñadora de modas colombiana se declara culpable de importación ilegal de piel de caimán y pitón a los Estados UnidosRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Gzuniga Ltd., y su fundadora, Nancy Teresa González de Barberi, de 70 años, presentaron hoy una declaración de culpabilidad por cargos federales que surgieron de la importación ilegal de mercancía hecha de vida silvestre hacia los Estados Unidos desde Colombia.
Gzuniga y González se declararon, cada uno, culpables de los cargos en la acusación formal, que los imputaba a ellos y a otros dos individuos con un cargo de concierto para delinquir y dos cargos de contrabando por importación ilegal continua de bolsas de diseñador hechas de piel de caimán y pitón desde febrero de 2016 hasta abril de 2019. Tanto el caimán como el pitón son especies protegidas por la Convención sobre el Comercio Internacional de Especies de Flora y Fauna Silvestre en Peligro de Extinción (CITES, por sus siglas en inglés); de la que tanto los Estados Unidos como Colombia son signatarios. González, una ciudadana de Colombia, fue extraditada recientemente a los Estados Unidos para enfrentar los cargos en su contra.
Los acusados presentaron una declaración de culpabilidad antes el Juez del Tribunal de Distrito de los Estados Unidos Robert Scola. El Juez Scola estableció una audiencia de sentencia para ambos acusados para el 5 de febrero de 2024, a las 9:00 a.m. en Miami. González enfrenta hasta cinco años en prisión por el cargo de concierto para delinquir, y hasta 20 años en prisión por cada uno de los cargos de contrabando, seguido de un posible periodo de libertad supervisada. Adicionalmente, ella enfrenta posibles multas de hasta $250.000 dólares estadounidenses por cada cargo, o el doble de las posibles ganancias derivadas de la conducta relevante, lo que sea mayor. Gzuniga enfrenta posibles multas de $500.000 dólares estadounidenses por cada uno de los tres cargos de la condena, o el doble de las posibles ganancias derivadas de la conducta relevante, lo que sea mayor.
Los acusados solicitaron a amigos, familiares y empleados de la empresa manufacturera de González en Colombia que actuaran como mensajeros y transportaran bolsas de diseñador en su persona o en su equipaje durante sus viajes en aerolíneas de pasajeros. Una vez que las bolsas de diseñador fueron introducidas de contrabando en los Estados Unidos, fueron entregadas o enviadas a la sala de exposición de Gzuniga en Manhattan, Nueva York, en donde fueron puestas para exposición en tiendas minoristas de lujo para vista y compra de reventa en sus tiendas. La conducta involucró cientos de carteras y bolsos. El precio promedio de menudeo para estas bolsas marca “Nancy González” fue de más de $2.000 dólares estadounidenses.
Otro acusado en el caso fue también extraditado desde Colombia y se encuentra esperando juicio. Un cuarto acusado no se encuentra en custodia actualmente.
El fiscal de los Estados Unidos Markenzy Lapointe del Distrito Sur de Florida, fiscal auxiliar Todd Kim de la División de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales del Departamento de Justicia, y el Agente Especial a cargo Stephen Clark de la Oficina de Cumplimiento de la Ley del Servicio de Pesca y Vida Silvestre de los Estados Unidos (USFWS por sus siglas en inglés), Región Sureste, anunciaron las declaraciones de culpabilidad.
La Oficina de Cumplimiento de la Ley de USFWS en Valley Stream, Nueva York llevó a cabo una investigación con la asistencia de la oficina del Agente a cargo residente en Miami de USFWS. La Oficina de Asuntos Internacionales del Departamento de Justicia y la Sección de Narcóticos y Drogas Peligrosas (NDDS) de la División Penal, oficina del agregado judicial en Bogotá, Colombia proporcionaron asistencia valiosa para lograr el arresto y extradición de González de Barberi. El Servicio de Alguaciles de los Estados Unidos (USMS) proporcionó apoyo instrumental en este caso. Los Estados Unidos también agradecen a las autoridades del orden colombianas por su valiosa asistencia y colaboración.
El fiscal auxiliar de los Estados Unidos Thomas Watts-FitzGerald y el Abogado Litigante de Rango Superior R.J. Powers de la División de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales de la Sección de Delitos Ambientales se encuentran procesando el caso.
Una denuncia penal contiene simplemente alegatos, y todos los acusados son presuntamente inocentes a menos que y hasta que se demuestre su culpabilidad en un tribunal de justicia.
La información y los documentos judiciales relacionados se pueden encontrar en la página de internet del Tribunal de Distrito del Distrito Sur de Florida, www.flsd.uscourts.gov o en la página http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, bajo el número de caso 22-cr-20170.
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Delta Man Sentenced to 14 Years Imprisonment for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
TOLEDO – Kyle Brackman, 29, of Delta, Ohio was sentenced to 168 months imprisonment by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick after earlier pleading guilty to Receipt of Child Pornography. Judge Helmick also ordered Brackman to serve a 15-year term of supervised release upon release from imprisonment.
According to court documents, the case came to the attention of law enforcement after a high school principal in Iowa contacted local police in 2017 after learning a 15-year-old student was communicating with Brackman and the messages were sexual in nature. It was later determined that Brackman had received sexually explicit material from the Iowa minor.
Brackman was arrested on July 28, 2019, after officers responded to reports of a male making sexually suggestive remarks and gestures to a 10-year-old and 13-year-old, according to court documents.
This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tracey Ballard Tangeman and Frank Spryszak.
Defendants arraigned in international firearms trafficking caseRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Grevaughn Sanchez Goodman, Shavonte Justin Summers, Tranquilo G. Goodman, and Demetrius Lamont Randolph, Jr., have been arraigned on federal charges of conspiracy to deal in firearms without a license. Additionally, Grevaughn Goodman was arraigned on a charge of firearms trafficking conspiracy in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 933(a)(3), a new statute passed by Congress in June 2022. A fifth defendant, Dexter Wellington Roberts, III, is not yet in federal custody. He is charged with conspiracy to deal in firearms without a license, firearms trafficking conspiracy, and smuggling.
“Illegally purchasing firearms on behalf of others is a serious crime that frequently places guns in the hands of individuals prohibited from possessing a firearm,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Many of the firearms allegedly traced to the defendants in this case were recovered from criminals in Canada.”
“Among ATF’s top priorities is ensuring that firearms traffickers are aggressively investigated and swiftly brought to justice. This is an excellent example of such an investigation that was worked cooperatively by multiple partner agencies with outstanding results,” said Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge Raymond Connor.
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges, and other information presented in court: Beginning in mid-December 2022, Dexter Roberts allegedly began conspiring with a Canadian citizen and other individuals to obtain large numbers of firearms in the southeastern United States and to resell them to others, including in Canada and Mexico.
From December 2022 through February 2023, Roberts personally made retail purchases of at least 49 firearms. In January 2023, Grevaughn Goodman allegedly began purchasing firearms for the conspiracy, buying more than 50 guns from January through April 2023. Tranquilo Goodman, Grevaughn’s brother, allegedly joined the conspiracy by March 2023 and bought at least 11 firearms that month. Shavonte Summers allegedly joined the conspiracy by May 2023, and bought over 50 firearms in May and June 2023. Demetrius Randolph allegedly joined the conspiracy in June 2023, and bought at least 10 guns over two days from five different licensed firearms dealers.
During the investigation of the conspiracy, law enforcement officers completed four bulk seizures of firearms, totaling over 120 weapons in all, and including a load of 47 firearms seized from Roberts in Henry County, Georgia. Additionally, numerous other weapons allegedly purchased by defendants in this case have been seized by law enforcement throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Grevaughn Sanchez Goodman, a/k/a “The General,” 23, of Homestead, Florida, Shavonte Justin Summers, 22, of Homestead, Florida, Tranquilo G. Goodman, 24, of Miramar, Florida, and Demetrius Lamont Randolph, Jr., 23, of Homestead, Florida, were all arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Linda T. Walker.
Dexter Wellington Roberts, III, a/k/a “Science,” 43, of Austell, Georgia, is not yet in federal custody. Roberts was arrested in mid-October in the Bahamas on another weapons charge. He is charged with conspiracy to deal in firearms without a license, dealing in firearms without a license, firearms trafficking conspiracy and smuggling. Roberts, Goodman, Summers, Goodman and Randolph were indicted by a federal grand jury on October 24, 2023.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alana R. Black is prosecuting the case.
For further information 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.
Debit Card Skimming Suspect Arrested on Federal ChargesRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Christos Mavrokelos was arrested Thursday on a criminal complaint charging him with using debit card skimming devices on bank ATMs to steal victims’ debit card information and making unauthorized cash withdrawals on their accounts, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court records, in 2022, police departments recovered multiple debit card skimming devices from bank ATMs. Mavrokelos’ fingerprints were found on the skimming devices. Then, in January and February 2023, Mavrokelos was connected by bank surveillance footage to seven instances at a bank in Clovis where unauthorized cash withdrawals totaling thousands of dollars were made using victims’ debit cards.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Clovis, Fresno, and Madera Police Departments, as well as the California Department of Justice. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Barton and Cody Chapple are prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Mavrokelos faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations and Mavrokelos is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
mavrokelos_criminal_complaint.pdfDavid DePape Convicted of Assault and Attempted Kidnapping ChargesRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – A federal jury convicted David DePape of assault and attempted kidnapping charges today in connection with his Oct. 28 intrusion into the home of Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and her husband Paul Pelosi, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp. The verdict follows a trial before the Hon. Jacqueline Scott Corley, U.S. District Judge.
U.S. Attorney Ramsey stated, “We are grateful to the jury for their deliberations and the justice that this verdict signifies. Our public servants and their families deserve to work and live without threats and violence. Defendant’s violent plan to kidnap then-Speaker Pelosi was rooted in his virulent disagreement with her as a result of her official position. His violent plan ended with the assault on Mr. Pelosi. Today’s verdict brings justice to the Pelosi family and to the idea that violence has no place in politics.”
“The brutal and premeditated assault on Mr. Pelosi in the sanctity of his own home was fueled by DePape’s misguided ideology. I am deeply gratified by the jury's verdict, which has ensured that DePape will face the full weight of justice," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Tripp. "The unwavering collaboration between the FBI, the San Francisco Police Department, the San Francisco District Attorney's Office, and the United States Capitol Police played a pivotal role in securing this victory. We remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting our communities from those who seek to divide us through acts of violence and hatred.”
The evidence at trial established that weeks before the attack, DePape, 43, of Richmond, California, targeted Nancy Pelosi, who was then Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and collected personal information about her, including her home address. DePape kept the information in a computer file he labeled “favorite politicians.” DePape intended to kidnap the then-Speaker, hold her hostage, and break her kneecaps.
The evidence at trial demonstrated that on the night of the assault, DePape used public transportation to travel from the East Bay to San Francisco while carrying two backpacks that contained a hammer, sledgehammer, duct tape, rope, zip ties, and electronic items, among other items. After arriving at the Pelosi residence, DePape used the hammer to break the window of a glass door and enter the home. Then-Speaker Pelosi was not home and her husband, Paul Pelosi, was sleeping on the third floor of the home. DePape roamed the home until he found Mr. Pelosi in the third-floor bedroom.
The trial evidence demonstrated that DePape woke Mr. Pelosi and, while standing three to four feet from him holding the hammer and restraints, made various threats including, “I will take you out.” Mr. Pelosi managed to walk to his bathroom and call 9-1-1, during which he carefully used language to alert the emergency operator to the situation without agitating DePape.
Mr. Pelosi convinced defendant to go downstairs to the first floor and continued talking to DePape. When the police arrived, Mr. Pelosi opened the door and the police ordered DePape to drop the hammer he was holding. Instead, DePape struck Mr. Pelosi three times with full force, fracturing his skull. The responding officers immediately tackled Depape and took him into custody.
On November 9, 2022, a federal grand jury indicted DePape, charging him with one count of assault upon an immediate family member of a United States official with the intent to impede, intimidate, or interfere with the official while engaged in the performance of official duties or with intent retaliate against the official on account of the performance of official duties, and one count of attempted kidnapping of a United States official on account of the performance of official duties. The jury convicted DePape of both charges.
Judge Corley scheduled a status conference for December 13, 2022, at 10 a.m. The assault charge carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and the attempted kidnapping charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. However, any sentence will be imposed only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
The National Security and Cyber Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California is prosecuting the case. FBI San Francisco, the U.S. Capitol Police, and the San Francisco Police Department are investigating the case.
Coon Rapids Man Sentenced to Prison for $1.3M Romance Fraud Scheme that Targeted Elderly VictimsRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Coon Rapids man has been sentenced to 36 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and required to pay $1,356,995 in restitution for a romance fraud scheme that targeted elderly victims, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, from at least in or about June 2020 through in or about March 2021, Solomon Eghosa Wilfred, 43, and other scheme participants knowingly and intentionally participated in and facilitated an online romance fraud scheme that targeted primarily elderly victims and lured them into sending money under false pretenses. The scheme relied on impersonating a real or plausible but fictitious person, such as a senior U.S. diplomat or military official, that contacted the victims through online social media applications. The scheme participants then sought to forge a romantic connection with the victims. If successful, the scheme participants would then ask the victims for money purportedly to assist the false persona with some problem or need. Occasionally, the scheme participants would even introduce the victims to a purported third-party intermediary who would corroborate the false persona’s story and assist in defrauding the victims. The victims eventually were directed to send large sums of money by mail or other commercial means to a specified name and address.
Wilfred primarily assisted with the collection and transfer of the fraudulently obtained funds. Wilfred opened at least six Post Office boxes in Minnesota and received hundreds of victims’ packages. He then collected the fraud proceeds and dispersed the money throughout the fraud network. Wilfred also directly communicated with some victims. For example, he sent some victims romantic cards containing trinkets, like wedding rings, and made it appear those mailing came from the false persona. This deepened the fictitious romantic connection and lured the victims into sending more money. In total, Wilfred received over 400 victim packages containing over $1.3 million in fraud proceeds during the scheme. Wilfred kept some of the proceeds for his personal benefit and disbursed the remainder of the proceeds to other scheme participants.
Wilfred pleaded guilty on June 15, 2023, to one count of mail fraud. He was sentenced yesterday by Judge Katherine M. Menendez.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jordan L. Sing and Robert M. Lewis prosecuted the case.
Colombian fashion designer pleads guilty to illegally importing caiman and python skin into the United StatesRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Gzuniga Ltd., and its founder, Nancy Teresa Gonzalez de Barberi, 70, entered guilty pleas today to federal charges arising from the illegal importation of merchandise made from wildlife into the United States from Colombia.
Gzuniga and Gonzalez each pleaded guilty to the charges in the indictment naming them and two other individuals with one count of conspiracy and two counts of smuggling for repeated illegal importation of designer handbags made from caiman and python skin from February 2016 to April 2019. Both the caiman and python species are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), to which both the United States and Colombia are signatories. Gonzalez, a citizen of Colombia, was recently extradited to the United States to face the charges brought against her.
The defendants entered their guilty pleas before United States District Court Judge Robert Scola. Judge Scola set sentencing for both defendants for Feb. 5, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. in Miami. Gonzalez faces up to five years in prison on the conspiracy charge and up to 20 years in prison on each of the smuggling charges, which may be followed by a term of supervised release. In addition, she faces potential fines of up to $250,000 on each count, or twice the intended gain from the relevant conduct, whichever is greater. Gzuniga faces potential fines of $500,000 on each of the three counts of conviction, or twice the intended gain from the relevant conduct, whichever is greater.
The defendants solicited friends, relatives, and employees of Gonzalez’s manufacturing company in Colombia to act as couriers and transport designer handbags on their person or in their luggage while traveling on passenger airlines. Once the designer handbags were smuggled into the United States, they were delivered or shipped to the Gzuniga showroom in Manhattan, New York, where they were put on display for high-end retailers to view and purchase for re-sale in their stores. The conduct involved hundreds of purses, handbags, and totes. The average retail price for these “Nancy Gonzalez” brand handbags was over $2,000.
An additional defendant in the case was also extradited from Colombia and is awaiting trial. A fourth defendant is not currently in custody.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, and Special Agent in Charge Stephen Clark for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) Office of Law Enforcement, Southeast Region, announced the guilty pleas.
The USFWS Office of Law Enforcement in Valley Stream, New York conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Miami Resident Agent in Charge Office of USFWS. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section (NDDS) Judicial Attaché Office in Bogotá, Colombia provided valuable assistance with securing the arrest and extradition of Gonzalez de Barberi. The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) was instrumental in supporting the case. The United States also thanks Colombian law enforcement authorities for their valuable assistance and close collaboration and partnership.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Watts-FitzGerald and Senior Trial Attorney R.J. Powers of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 22-cr-20170.
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City of Miami police officer charged with attempted possession with intent to distribute cocaine and extortionRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A federal criminal complaint was filed today charging City of Miami Police Department (MPD) Officer Frenel Cenat, 40, of Boynton Beach, Florida, with Hobbs Act extortion and attempted extortion under color of official right, theft of government funds, and attempted possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
According to the criminal complaint, Cenat, in conjunction with an individual he believed to be involved in drug trafficking, agreed to use his MPD issued unmarked vehicle and police position to conduct a traffic stop on a driver who was represented to be carrying a large amount of drug proceeds. After making these arrangements, Cenat carried out this traffic stop on the evening of November 3, 2023, using his lights and siren to pull over the vehicle driven by an undercover agent posing as a drug trafficker who had a backpack containing what were represented to be drug proceeds. As the complaint details, Cenat identified himself as “Officer Martez” of the “Miami PD – Dade County Narcotics Unit,” told the driver that he had been investigating him, and then gave the driver the option of giving Cenat the backpack filled with $52,000 in $100 bills or going to jail. Cenat then took the bag of money, let the driver leave, and met up with the individual who told him about the deal, giving him $13,000 and keeping the other $39,000.
Cenat followed this up by conducting another traffic stop theft in conjunction with that individual. As the complaint explained, Cenat asked the individual if he had anyone who they could stop and steal drugs and money from. This led to Cenat once again using his MPD unmarked vehicle and police lights to stop a different undercover agent who he had been told would be transporting both money and 7 “bricks,” a street term for kilograms of cocaine. This traffic stop took place late in the evening of November 16, 2023, in the area of Deerfield Beach in Broward County. During the stop, Cenat introduced himself as “Officer Martez of the Broward County Sheriff’s Office - Narcotics Unit.” Once again, Cenat pretended to have been investigating the driver and gave him the choice of giving up the drugs and money or going to federal prison. Cenat then took the duffle bag containing $80,000 in $100 bills and 7 kilograms of fake cocaine and allowed the driver to leave. When Cenat arrived at the location arranged for the split of the proceeds, he was arrested, and the 7 kilogram-shaped packages and a large quantity of $100 bills were found in his official MPD vehicle.
A pre-trial detention hearing has been scheduled in this matter for Nov. 28 at 9:00 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Panayotta Augustin-Birch in Fort Lauderdale. A preliminary hearing, arraignment and report rate counsel hearing is scheduled for Dec. 1 at 11:00 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Augustin-Birch.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of FBI, Miami Field Office, Chief of Police Manuel A. Morales of the City of Miami Police Department (MPD), and Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, announced the charges.
The FBI Miami Palm Beach Resident Agency, DEA Miami Division, along with the Miami Area Corruption task force which includes officers from the City of Miami Police Department’s Internal Affairs Section investigated the case. U.S. Attorney Lapointe thanked the City of Miami Police Department for their invaluable assistance with this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward N. Stamm is prosecuting the case.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners are committed to rooting out corrupt officials,” stated U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “We will continue to investigate and prosecute corrupt officials, to include law enforcement officers, that breach the public’s trust by carrying out criminal acts. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is grateful for the invaluable assistance provided by FBI, DEA, and City of Miami Police Department in this matter.”
“I want to thank the City of Miami Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida for their close partnership and diligence throughout this investigation,” said Jeffrey B. Veltri, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Miami Field Office. “The FBI is committed to bring to justice government officials, including police officers, who choose to abuse their positions of trust and authority for personal profit. Public corruption is our top priority among criminal investigations.”
“The DEA Miami Field Division stands ready to assist our federal and state law enforcement partners with the investigation and prosecution of any and all serious drug-related crimes,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “The DEA is committed to holding those accountable who violate the public’s trust.”
“The Miami police department is always pleased to work with our local and federal partners,” said Chief of Police Manuel A. Morales of the MPD.
A criminal complaint contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-mj-6566.
A copy of the criminal complaint is attached here:
Criminal Complaint###
Citrus County Convicted Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing Multiple FirearmsRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida –Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Timothy Roberts (28, Hernando) to six years and five months in federal prison for possession of an unregistered National Firearms Act (NFA) weapon (a short-barreled shotgun) and two counts of possession of a firearm affecting commerce by a convicted felon. Roberts pleaded guilty to the offenses on July 28, 2023.
According to court documents, on August 7, 2022, the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office stopped Roberts while he was driving a stolen vehicle. When deputies discovered a sawed-off shotgun on the back seat, Roberts admitted that he had tried to cover it with a backpack as he was being pulled over. This illegally modified shotgun was not registered to Roberts in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required under federal law.
Approximately three weeks later, Roberts was again stopped by Citrus County deputies for multiple traffic infractions. A subsequent search of his backpack revealed methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and two handguns. When questioned, Roberts claimed he had planned to sell the firearms. Roberts, who has four prior felony grand theft convictions in state court, is prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
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.
Centreville Man Sentenced for $300,000 Crypto-Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Centreville man was sentenced today to 2 years in prison for defrauding three cryptocurrency trading platforms out of more than $300,000.
According to court documents, between 2021 and 2022, Rayan Sharaf, 55, ran a novel cryptocurrency fraud scheme. As part of the scheme, Sharaf moved funds from his individual bank accounts to accounts at cryptocurrency trading platforms. After purchasing cryptocurrencies within the trading accounts, Sharaf then transferred the funds to different wallets and bank accounts nominally owned by third parties but which Sharaf actually controlled. These third parties included adult and minor family members whose identifying information was fraudulently obtained by Sharaf. He then contacted the original banks and falsely claimed that the initial transfers to the trading platforms had not been authorized, thereby fraudulently inducing the banks to issue refunds. In total, Sharaf defrauded three cryptocurrency platforms out of a total of over $300,000 which he used to purchase luxury goods international flights, and jewelry and to pay off debts.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis, III.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Morgan and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Mulbry prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-114.
Burlington County Man Admits Conspiring to Commit Bank Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Burlington County, New Jersey, man admitted participating in schemes to negotiate fraudulent checks with forged signatures and to launder money from another fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Eugene Koranteng, 30, of Medford, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on Nov. 16, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler in Camden federal court to an information charging him with one count of bank fraud conspiracy and one count of money laundering conspiracy.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Koranteng conspired with Misty Sarfo-Adu, Emmanuel Yirenkyi, and others to commit bank fraud by obtaining blank checks containing the names and account information of unsuspecting customers of a credit card company. They made the checks payable to members of the conspiracy, forged the customers’ signatures on the checks, and negotiated the checks at financial institutions. Koranteng admitted that the bank fraud conspiracy caused an actual loss of at least $95,000.
Koranteng also conspired to launder the proceeds of a separate fraud scheme. Koranteng used his personal bank account to negotiate checks that constituted the proceeds of unlawful activity. Koranteng then converted the fraud proceeds to cash to conceal and disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the proceeds. Koranteng admitted that he laundered at least $47,000.
The count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. The count of conspiracy to commit money laundering carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000. Sentencing is scheduled for March 21, 2024.
Sarfo-Adu and Yirenkyi previously pleaded guilty before Judge Kugler to their participation in the same bank fraud conspiracy.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea. U.S. Attorney Sellinger also thanked the Moorestown Police Department for its assistance in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
koranteng.information.pdfBurke County man sentenced to federal prison for possession of child pornographyRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: A Burke County man has been sentenced to federal prison after investigators discovered a massive cache of images of sexually exploited children on devices in his possession.
Jason Bonds Connelly, 61, of Waynesboro, Ga., was sentenced to 110 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of Child Pornography, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Connelly to pay a fine and assessment of $2,000, and to register as a sex offender and serve 15 years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
As described in court documents and testimony, investigators from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office in early 2022 were conducting an online investigation into network sharing of images of child pornography. They discovered an account with nearly 60,000 files believed to contain images of child sexual abuse, and the investigation led them to Connelly’s residence.
During a search of that home, investigators found images of child sexual exploitation, including images depicting sadistic and masochistic sexual contact between adults and children. As noted in court, the GBI identified Connelly’s internet address as one of the top offenders in the state of Georgia for sharing child sexual abuse material.
The case was investigated by the GBI, with assistance from the Coweta County Sheriff’s office, the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, and the Burke County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Jason W. Blanchard.
Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678, or https://report.cybertip.org/.
Brooklyn Men Indicted for Crimes Relating to the Theft of Postal Keys and Other OffensesRead the Press Release
A four-count indictment was unsealed today in United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York charging Kevin Grant with being a felon in possession of ammunition, possession of five or more false identification documents, possessing stolen United States Postal Service (USPS) arrow keys, and possessing stolen mail. The indictment was returned by a federal grand jury sitting in Brooklyn, New York on November 17, 2023, and relates to Grant’s alleged activities on October 3, 2023.
On October 31, 2023, Tyrone Santos was indicted by a grand jury sitting in the Eastern District of New York for the assault and robbery of two USPS letter carriers, on September 30, 2023, and October 14, 2023, respectively, who were on their delivery routes within the East New York area of Brooklyn. The indictment charges Santos with two counts for each robbery of a U.S. Postal Service employee and two counts for the theft of the postal keys from those employees.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Daniel Brubaker, Inspector-in-Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, New York Division (USPIS), and Edward A. Caban, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD) announced the charges.
“As these cases demonstrate, whether it is breaking into a Postal relay box, and possessing a ghost gun or assaulting postal workers, our Office will use all tools available to prosecute those who harm our public servants or public services,” stated U.S. Attorney Breon Peace. “I encourage all to educate themselves and take steps to protect their mail, and for bad actors to recognize the consequences involved in these crimes.”
“Today’s indictment is an example of the commitment of Postal Inspectors to spare no resource in their pursuit to bring those to justice who violate the sanctity of the U.S. Mail, commit criminal acts against USPS letter carriers, and steal from the public. Their reign of terror has ended against our letter carriers, and now they will face the justice they so rightly deserve. I would also like to acknowledge the role of our USPIS NYPD Task Force Officers in this fight. Together, and in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, eight additional defendants have been charged federally with mail theft related crimes in the past year,” said Inspector in Charge of the New York Division, Daniel B. Brubaker.
“The crimes outlined in these indictments bear witness to what has unfortunately become a national trend, and such acts will never be tolerated in New York City,” said NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban. “Together with our federal partners, the NYPD remains committed to using every resource at our disposal to protect the integrity of our mail service and eradicate violent crime in all its forms.”
To combat the rise in mail fraud crimes, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District is highlighting how to protect your mail through flyers translated into English, Spanish and Mandarin. Postal Inspectors and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York encourage all mail theft victims to report it directly to the Postal Inspection Service. Each report is helpful in building impactful cases against those responsible. You can report mail theft, identity theft, fraud or other crimes involving the U.S. mail by calling the Postal Inspection Service’s national toll-free number at 1-877-876-2455 or by going to http://uspis.gov/report and filing an electronic report.
U.S. v. Grant
According to the criminal complaint previously filed against the defendant, on September 5, 2023, the defendant was observed in a black BMW 535 series sedan with Florida license plate #DEP3 that was involved in the unauthorized accessing of a USPS relay box in the Flatbush area of Brooklyn (the “Subject BMW”). Similarly, on September 11, 2023, video surveillance appeared to capture a vehicle consistent with the Subject BMW but with Pennsylvania license plate #MCR5107 that was also involved in the theft of mail from a relay box in the Parkville area of Brooklyn.
On October 3, 2023, NYPD officers initiated a traffic stop of a vehicle consistent with the Subject BMW. As the officers approached the vehicle, the defendant, who was the sole occupant of the vehicle, rolled down his window, observed the officers, and then fled in the vehicle. After a chase, the defendant abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot.
NYPD officers seized the vehicle and conducted an inventory search, during which they discovered a personally manufactured firearm without a serial number (also known as a “ghost gun”) loaded with 15 rounds of ammunition and an additional 39 rounds of ammunition.
The officers also found evidence related to the mail thefts, including the same Florida license plate #DEP3 that had been observed on the Subject BMW during the defendant’s unauthorized access to the relay box on or about September 5, 2023. In addition, within a duffle bag in the vehicle, they found genuine postal arrow keys for the Flatbush area and the Parkville area, a postal uniform, mail addressed to individuals in the Flatbush Area and approximately 100 checks not belonging to the defendant (several of which appeared to have been made out by residents of the Flatbush area).
Within the same duffle bag, NYPD officers also uncovered approximately five fraudulent social security cards with names of other individuals on them, blank credit cards, credit cards with the names of other individuals on them, several identification documents with the defendant’s picture but bearing different names and additional identification documents bearing other pictures and names.
The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being prosecuted by the Office’s General Crimes Section. Assistant United States Attorney Sean M. Sherman is in charge of the prosecution with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Stephanie Heyward.
U.S. v. Santos
As alleged in the criminal complaint previously filed against the defendant, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) was investigating two robberies of U.S. Postal Service mail carriers while they were on their routes. Both robberies took place two weeks apart, on September 30, 2023 and October 14, 2023, and bore similar characteristics. In both robberies, surveillance footage reveals a perpetrator with similar physical characteristics, wearing similar attire: a gray hooded sweatshirt, black jeans, and tan shoes. Additionally, in both robberies, this perpetrator surveilled young, slight-in-stature female postal carriers on their mail routes, accosted them with a weapon—in the first robbery using what appears to be a pipe and in the second robbery using a firearm—demanded their arrow keys, and then fled the scene. Both robberies took place in a very limited geographic area, within four blocks of each other, and the perpetrator fled to the same residential building after both robberies.
The investigation led authorities to Santos, who was arrested on October 20, 2023, and charged by a federal criminal complaint with the theft of a postal key from a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier. Santos was arrested in his Brooklyn residence without incident by the U.S. Marshals Service Regional Fugitive Task Force, U.S. Postal Inspectors, and the USPIS NYPD Task Force Officers. Separately, the USPIS NYPD Task Force Officers arrested Santos on state first-degree robbery charges.
Santos was arraigned on the criminal complaint on October 20, 2023, before United States Magistrate Judge Taryn A. Merkl at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn and ordered detained. He was arraigned on the indictment on November 6, 2023. The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being prosecuted by the Office’s General Crimes Section. Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Shami is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendants:
KEVIN GRANT
Age: 29
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-477 (OEM)
TYRONE SANTOS
Age: 49
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-436 (OEM)
Braintree Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Braintree man has been sentenced in federal court in Boston for child pornography charges.
Michael Martin, 44, was sentenced on Nov. 15, 2023 by U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns to five years in prison and five years of supervised release. Martin was also ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution to one of the victims, a $5,000 special assessment under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act and a $10,000 special assessment under the Amy, Vicky and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act. On Aug. 14, 2023, Martin pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography.
On March 9, 2021, the social media platform Tumblr reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that one of its users – later identified as Martin – had suspected child pornography on their account. A subsequent search of Martin’s Braintree residence resulted in the seizure of various electronic devices storing child pornography. Additionally, a search of Martin’s Tumblr account determined that Martin has posted and received child pornography over the social media site. The child pornography included images of children believed to be between four and eight years old.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Braintree Police Chief Tim Cohoon made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Backpage Principals Convicted of $500M Prostitution Promotion SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal jury in Phoenix convicted three former owners of Backpage.com yesterday of multiple counts of promoting prostitution business enterprises and multiple counts of money laundering, including conspiracy offenses.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Michael Lacey, 75, of Paradise Valley, Arizona; Scott Spear, 72, of Phoenix; and John “Jed” Brunst, 71, of Phoenix, owned Backpage.com, which was the internet’s leading forum for prostitution ads from September 2010, when Craigslist shut down its prostitution ad section, until April 2018, when the United States seized Backpage.com. Evidence at trial showed that the conspirators knowingly promoted prostitution via various marketing strategies. For example, the conspirators engaged in a reciprocal link program with an independent web forum that permitted “johns” to post reviews of prostitution acts with specific women. Additionally, the conspirators used an automated filter and human moderators to remove terms known to indicate sex-for-money, while still allowing the ads to be posted. Through this attempt to sanitize the ads, the conspirators sought “plausible deniability” for what the conspirators knew to be ads promoting prostitution. Over the life of the conspiracy, the conspirators earned more than $500 million. In an effort to preserve the money earned, Lacey, Spear, and Brunst laundered the money through numerous shell companies they created in multiple foreign countries.
In March 2018, a grand jury in Phoenix charged the conspirators in an indictment with conspiracy to facilitate prostitution using a facility in interstate or foreign commerce, facilitating prostitution using a facility in interstate or foreign commerce, conspiracy to commit money laundering, concealment money laundering, international promotional money laundering, and transactional money laundering.
In April 2018, Carl Ferrer, 57, of Frisco, Texas, who was Backpage’s co-founder and CEO, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to facilitate prostitution using a facility in interstate or foreign commerce and to engage in money laundering. In August 2018, Dan Hyer, 54, of Dallas, who was Backpage’s Sales & Marketing Director, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to facilitate prostitution using a facility in interstate or foreign commerce. Additionally, several Backpage-related corporate entities, including Backpage.com LLC, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in money laundering.
Co-conspirator James Larkin, 73, died on July 31 before trial began.
Lacey, Spear, and Brunst each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each money laundering count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Gary M. Restaino for the District of Arizona, Special Agent in Charge Albert Childress of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Phoenix Field Office, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, Special Agent in Charge Akil Davis of the FBI Phoenix Division, and Inspector in Charge Carroll Harris of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Los Angeles Division made the announcement.
IRS-CI, the FBI Phoenix Field Office, and USPIS investigated the case. The Los Angeles Joint Regional Intelligence Center provided substantial assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Rapp, Margaret Perlmeter, Andy Stone, and Peter Kozinets for the District of Arizona and Trial Attorney Austin M. Berry of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section are prosecuting the case, with significant assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, the Office of the California Attorney General, and the Office of the Texas Attorney General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Boyle for the Central District of California is handling the asset forfeiture aspects of the case, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Bozdech for the District of Arizona.
Backpage Principals Convicted of $500M Prostitution Enterprises Promotion SchemeRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. - A federal jury in Phoenix convicted three former owners of Backpage.com yesterday of multiple counts of promoting prostitution business enterprises and multiple counts of money laundering, including conspiracy offenses. Michael Lacey, 75, of Paradise Valley, Arizona, was convicted of one count of international concealment money laundering, and the jury was unable to reach a verdict on most of the other counts charged against him. Scott Spear, 72, of Phoenix, was convicted of a conspiracy to violate the Travel Act by facilitating prostitution, and multiple separate violations of the Travel Act, along with a conspiracy to commit money laundering and multiple separate money laundering violations. John “Jed” Brunst, 71, of Phoenix, was convicted of a conspiracy to violate the Travel Act by facilitating prostitution, along with a conspiracy to commit money laundering and multiple separate money laundering violations. Lacey, Spear, and Brunst each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the money laundering charges. Spear and Brunst also face up to 5 years in prison for the Travel Act violations. Federal District Court Judge Diane J. Humetewa will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the defendants owned Backpage.com, which was the internet’s leading forum for prostitution ads from September 2010, when Craigslist shut down its prostitution ad section, until April 2018, when the United States seized Backpage.com. Evidence at trial showed that the defendants knowingly promoted prostitution via various marketing strategies. For example, the defendants engaged in a reciprocal link program with an independent web forum that permitted “johns” to post reviews of prostitution acts with specific women. Additionally, the defendants utilized an automated filter and human moderators to remove known sex-for-money terms, while still allowing the ads to be posted. Through this attempt at sanitizing the ads, the defendants sought “plausible deniability” for what the defendants knew to be ads promoting prostitution. Over the life of the conspiracy, the defendants earned more than $500 million. In an effort to preserve the money earned, Lacey, Spear, and Brunst engaged in extensive money laundering by creating numerous shell companies in multiple foreign countries.
On March 28, 2018, a grand jury in Phoenix charged the defendants in an indictment with the crimes of conspiracy to facilitate prostitution using a facility in interstate or foreign commerce, facilitating prostitution using a facility in interstate or foreign commerce, conspiracy to commit money laundering, concealment money laundering, international promotional money laundering, and transactional money laundering.
In April 2018, Carl Ferrer, 57, of Frisco, Texas, Backpage’s co-founder and CEO, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to facilitate prostitution using a facility in interstate or foreign commerce and to engage in money laundering. Additionally, several Backpage-related corporate entities, including Backpage.com LLC, have entered guilty pleas to conspiracy to engage in money laundering.
In August 2018, Dan Hyer, 54, of Dallas, Texas, Backpage’s Sales & Marketing Director, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to facilitate prostitution using a facility in interstate or foreign commerce.
Co-defendants Andre Padilla, 50, of Plano, Texas, and Joye Vaught, 42, of Dallas, Texas, were acquitted on all charges. The remaining defendant, James Larkin, 73, died on July 31 before trial was scheduled to begin in August.
United States Attorney for the District of Arizona Gary M. Restaino, Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Albert Childress of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Phoenix Field Office, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, Special Agent in Charge Akil Davis of the Phoenix Division, and Inspector in Charge Carroll Harris of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Los Angeles Division made the announcement.
IRS-CI, the FBI Phoenix Field Office, and USPIS conducted the investigation in this case. The Los Angeles Joint Regional Intelligence Center provided substantial assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin Rapp, Andy Stone, Margaret Perlmeter, and Peter Kozinets of the District of Arizona and Trial Attorney Austin M. Berry of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section are prosecuting the case, with significant assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, the office of the California Attorney General, and the office of the Texas Attorney General. Assistant United States Attorney Daniel Boyle of the Central District of California is handling the asset forfeiture aspects of the case, with assistance from Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Bozdech of the District of Arizona.
CASE NUMBER: CR-18-00422-PHX-DJH
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-181_Backpage###
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Atlantic County Man Sentenced to One Year and One Day in Prison for Health Care Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – An Atlantic County, New Jersey, man was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison for defrauding New Jersey state health benefits programs out of millions of dollars by submitting fraudulent claims for medically unnecessary prescriptions, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna announced today.
Corey Sutor, 42, of Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, formerly a Ventnor City firefighter, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler to an information charging him with conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Judge Kugler imposed the sentence on Nov. 13, 2023, in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Compounded medications are supposed to be specialty medications mixed by a pharmacist to meet the specific medical needs of an individual patient. Although compounded drugs are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), they are properly prescribed when a physician determines that an FDA-approved medication does not meet the health needs of a particular patient, such as if a patient is allergic to a dye or other ingredient.
Sutor was one of the owners of a company formed to market prescription compounded medications. From May 2015 through February 2016, Sutor and others associated with the company persuaded individuals in New Jersey to obtain very expensive and medically unnecessary compounded medications.
The conspirators learned that certain compound medication prescriptions – including pain, scar, and antifungal creams, as well as vitamin combinations – were reimbursed for thousands of dollars for a one-month supply. The conspirators also learned that the New Jersey State Health Benefits Program, which covers qualified state and local government employees, retirees, and eligible dependents, and the School Employees’ Health Benefits Program, which covers qualified local education employees, retirees, and eligible dependents, would cover compound medication prescriptions.
Sutor and his conspirators entered into an agreement in which Sutor’s company would receive a percentage of the amounts paid to compounding pharmacies for prescriptions secured by Sutor and his conspirators. Sutor and his conspirators then recruited public employees, offered them hundreds of dollars per month, and persuaded them to agree to obtain prescription compounded medications they did not need without any physical examination by a medical professional. Sutor would obtain insurance and personal information from the public employees and give that information to conspirators. Sutor’s company then would receive a percentage of the amounts paid on these fraudulent prescriptions, which Sutor and others would divide.
Sutor and his conspirators caused New Jersey to pay more than $2 million in fraudulent claims for compounded medications for public employees.
Sutor received $150,398 in gross proceeds for his role in the scheme.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Kugler sentenced Sutor to two years of supervised release. As part of his plea agreement, Sutor must forfeit his criminal proceeds and pay restitution of at least $2.09 million.
Attorney for the United States Khanna credited special agents of the FBI’s Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins in Newark; and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, New York Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone, with the investigation leading to the sentencing.
The government is represented by R. David Walk Jr., Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Friedman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
Atlantic City Woman Admits Defrauding Elderly VictimsRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – An Atlantic City woman today admitted engaging in a fraudulent scheme through which she defrauded elderly victims of over $100,000, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Victoria Crosby, 46, of Atlantic City, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on Nov. 16, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler in Camden federal court to an information charging her with wire fraud.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
Crosby used a prepaid cellular phone to contact victims whose spouses or family members recently died. Many of the victims were over the age of 70 and their spouses had recently passed away. Crosby used fictitious names and purported to be employees of either a retirement benefit office and/or a life insurance company. Victims were told that life insurance policies, obtained by their deceased family member and for which they were the beneficiary, were in arrears and that in order to correct the underpayment, victims needed to pay thousands of dollars in arrearages. Victims were instructed to purchase prepaid cards at various retailers and provide the caller with the 10-digit codes on the back. The money was loaded on the prepaid cards at the time of purchase, which are linked to an online account so the owner of the cards can manage their account. Once Crosby had the 10-digit number, she took over the account and transferred the money from the prepaid card account to her own accounts. Crosby withdrew victim funds from various ATMs in Atlantic City, Brigantine and Absecon, New Jersey.
Crosby also admitted that at the time that Crosby was involved in the fraud scheme, she was receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Benefits from the Social Security Administration and Medicaid Benefits. Crosby was also living in public housing in Atlantic City and receiving housing assistance through HUD’s Public and Indian Housing Program.
Between January 2020 and December 2020, Crosby received $110,380 into her bank account. Had SSA or HUD been aware of her income, Crosby would have been ineligible for SSI, Medicaid or HUD benefits.
The wire fraud count carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for March 28, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited criminal investigators of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney; special agents of the FBI Newark Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, New York Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Sharon MacDermott; special agents of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Christina D. Scaringi in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the Maryland Office of the Attorney General for its assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason M. Richardson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Camden.
crosby.information.pdfAmes Man Charged with Sex Trafficking Fourteen Victims and Sexually Exploiting One MinorRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – A federal grand jury in Des Moines returned an Indictment today charging an Ames man with fifteen counts of sex trafficking by fraud and coercion, one count of sexual exploitation and attempted sexual exploitation of a child, and one count of possession of child pornography.
According to the Indictment, Carl Dale Markley used and attempted to use fraud and coercion to cause 14 victims to engage in commercial sex acts. The sex-trafficking charges allege that Markley began trafficking one victim as early as 2004, and between 2004 to April 2023, Markley trafficked or attempted to traffic each of the fourteen victims. In addition, the Indictment states that from August 2020 to October 2020, Markley sexually exploited (or attempted to sexually exploit) one 15‑year-old minor by using the minor to create child pornography, and that Markley knowingly possessed child pornography.
Markley made his initial court appearance today before a United States Magistrate Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa.
Markley is charged with seventeen offenses in total. Each of the sex trafficking charges carries a 15-year mandatory minimum prison term, and a maximum term of imprisonment of life. Sexual exploitation of a child carries a 15‑year mandatory term of imprisonment and a maximum term of 30 years in prison. The charge for possession of child pornography carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Richard Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement.
The Ames Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Iowa Department of Public Safety’s Division of Criminal Investigation are investigating the case.
Human trafficking is a crime involving the exploitation of youth under the age of 18 for commercial sex; the exploitation of adults for commercial sex through the use of force, fraud, or coercion; and the exploitation of any individual for compelled labor. Human trafficking does not require the transportation of individuals across state lines, or that someone is physically restrained. Signs that a person is being trafficked can include working excessively long hours, unexplained gifts, physical injury, substance abuse issues, running away from home, isolation from others, or having a person in their life controlling them or monitoring them closely. Victims particularly susceptible to being trafficked include those with criminal histories, a history of physical or sexual abuse, uncertain legal status, and dependency on controlled substances.
Anyone who suspects human trafficking is occurring, be it a minor engaging in paid sex acts, or anyone being coerced into prostitution or labor, is urged to call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. If anyone has information about this case, they are urged to call the Ames Police Department, FBI, or Iowa’s Division of Criminal Investigation, or call the National Human Trafficking Hotline.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Admitted Member of Peckerwoods White Supremacist Gang Sentenced to 200 Months in Federal Prison for Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
A meth trafficker was sentenced Thursday to 200 months in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Levi Chamberlin Hardcastle, a 35-year-old Rockwall, Texas man, pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. He was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Jane Boyle.
Mr. Hardcastle and eight other individuals, all tied to methamphetamine trafficking, were charged in an indictment with an array of federal crimes, primarily distribution of methamphetamine, unlawful possession of firearms, and conspiracy, in April 2022.
In plea papers, Mr. Hardcastle admitted that he delivered a total of 1,494.6 grams methamphetamine to an undercover officer on three separate occasions, the methamphetamine had a wholesale value of $10,500.00.
In a court hearing, Mr. Hardcastle admitted to being a member of the Peckerwoods, a white supremacist gang.
Additional defendants include:
• Stephen Scribner plead guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a schedule II controlled substance and was sentenced to 180 months
• Alexis Nicole Pacheco plead guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a schedule II controlled substance and was sentenced to 200 months
• Ruby Pauline Anderton plead guilty to illegal receipt of a firearm and was sentenced to 48 months
• Sandra Marie Hernandez-Pacheco plead guilty to possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and was sentenced to 168 months
• Robert James McKnight plead guilty to possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and was sentenced to 14 months
• David Michael Ford plead guilty to possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and was sentenced to 57 months
• Mayo Mena plead guilty to possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and was sentenced to 7 months
One defendant, Martin Talaver-Sanchez is pending sentencing.
The Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney George Leal prosecuted the Northern District of Texas case.
Thursday 16 November 2023
미 법무부, 다기관 간 언어 접근성 실무 그룹 출범Read the Press Release
법무부는 오늘 연방 정부 전반에 걸쳐 언어 접근성을 조정할 새로운 다기관 간 연방 언어 접근성 실무 그룹(Federal Language Access Working Group)의 출범을 발표했습니다. 이 실무 그룹의 생성과 함께, 법무부는 메릭 B. 갈랜드(Merrick B. Garland) 법무부장관의 연방 기관에 대한 언어 접근성 각서 1주년 기념일에 웹사이트, www.LEP.gov, 를 통해 개의 업데이트된 연방 기관 언어 접근성 계획 출시를 발표했습니다.
2022년 11월 갈랜드 법무부장관은 행정명령 13166, “영어 능력이 제한적인 사람들을 위한 서비스 접근성 개선”에 따라 연방 기관에 언어 접근성 계획을 수정하고 모범 사례를 공유하며, 언어 접근성 계획 및 노력에 대한 정보를 교환하도록 지시했습니다. 오늘은 그 업데이트 된 계획의 일 회분을 게시하며 향후 몇 달 안에 추가 연방 기관들이 업데이트 된 계획들을 포스팅하게 됩니다.
“언어의 장벽이 시민 생활의 참여에 방해가 되지 않도록 할 때에 우리 정부는 비로소 모든 국민들에게 더 나은 서비스를 제공합니다”라고 갈랜드 법무부장관은 말했습니다. “저는 정부 프로그램들이 지속적으로 모든 사람들에게 접근 가능하도록 보장하기 위해 업데이트된 언어 접근성 계획 및 정책을 발표하여 이러한 장벽을 해결하는 방법들을 재검토하라고 요청하였고, 12개 이상의 연방 기관들이 그에 응하였음을 오늘 발표하게 되어 기쁩니다. 법무부는 이 기관들이 언어 접근성 계획을 시행하는 것과 연방 프로그램 및 서비스 전반에 걸쳐 언어 격차를 줄이기 위한 그들의 광범위한 노력을 계속해서 지원할 것입니다.”
법무부 민권국의 크리스틴 클라크(Kristen Clarke) 법무 차관보는 “이 나라의 모든 사람들은 말하고, 읽고, 쓰는 언어와 상관없이 자신의 권리를 행사하고, 중요한 정보를 얻고, 자격이 있는 혜택과 서비스를 이용할 수 있어야 합니다”라고 말했습니다. 또한 “오늘 발표된 업데이트된 언어 접근성 계획들은 영어 능력이 제한된 사람들이 참되고 의미 있는 연방 프로그램 및 활동의 특권을 누리도록 연방 직원들이 취해야 하는 조치를 제시합니다. 또한, 연방 직원들이 모든 지역사회와 정확하고 효과적으로 소통하는 데 필요한 정보를 갖추도록 합니다”라고 말했습니다.
연방 언어 접근성 실무 그룹(Federal Language Access Working Group)은 업데이트된 언어 접근성 계획을 구현하기 위해 연방 기관들에 지원 및 기술 지원을 제공하는 중앙 자원 역할을 합니다. 이 실무 그룹은 또한 지역사회 단체, 영어 능력이 제한된 개인 및 기타 이해 관계자들과 직접 협력하여 행정명령 13166 및 기타 연방 언어 접근성의 의무를 준수합니다. 또한 연방 재정 지원 수령자들이 연방법에 따른 언어 접근성의 의무를 준수하도록 하는 데에도 집중할 예정입니다. 법무장관의 각서는 기관들에게1964년 민권법 제6장 및 그 시행 규정에 따라 연방 재정 지원 수령자가 효과적인 언어 접근성을 제공해야 하는 의무를 이해하고 준수하도록 보장하는 추가 방법을 고려할 것을 촉구했습니다.
오늘 발표는 언어 접근성 향상에 대한 법무부의 오랜 노력을 기반으로 합니다. 민권국은 최근 주 법원을 위한 웨비나와 함께 법원 언어 접근성에 관한 팩트시트를 발행했습니다. 또한 법 집행 기관들이 효과적인 언어 지원을 제공해야 하는 의무의 이행을 전국적으로 돕는 법 집행 언어 접근성 계획(Law Enforcement Language Access Initiative)을 시작했습니다.
2022년 11월 법무장관 각서에 따라 법무부는 2023년 8월에 개정된 언어 접근성 계획을 발행했으며, 여기에서 확인하실 수 있습니다. 스페인어, 중국어 간체, 중국어 번체, 베트남어, 한국어, 타갈로그어, 아랍어 및 프랑스어 번역본도 제공됩니다. 사법접근실의 언어 접근성 프로그램(Language Access Program)은 법무부의 개정된 계획의 실행을 조정하고, 법무부의 구성원들에 대한 교육 및 기술 지원을 제공하며, 언어 접근성 자원을 확장하고, 법무부의 계획에 따라 개선된 언어 접근성 정책 및 관행을 촉진합니다. 이 프로그램의 언어 접근성 코디네이터는 법무부의 계획을 구현하기 위한 법무부 차원의 노력의 일환인 언어 접근성 실무 그룹을 주관합니다.
민권국에 대한 추가 정보는 웹사이트 www.justice.gov/crt에서 확인할 수 있으며 영어 능력 제한 및 행정 명령 13166에 대한 정보는 www.LEP.gov에서 확인할 수 있습니다.
司法部成立新的跨部门语言服务工作组Read the Press Release
司法部今天宣布成立联邦语言服务工作组, 此项新的跨部门工作将协调整个联邦政府的语言服务。随着该工作组的成立, 该部门还宣布, 在司法部长梅里克∙B·加兰德向联邦机构发布语言服务备忘录一周年之际, 在其网站www.LEP.gov 上发布更新的联邦机构语言服务计划。
司法部长加兰德在2022年11月指令联邦机构根据第13166号行政命令,《改善英语水平有限者获得服务之机会》修订其语言服务计划, 分享最佳实践并交流有关语言服务倡议与努力之信息。今天标志着第一批更新后的计划的发布, 其他联邦机构将在未来数月发布其更新后的计划。
“当政府能确保语言障碍不会阻碍人民参与公民生活时，我们的政府就能更佳提供服务与所有美国人。”司法部长加兰德表示。“今天，很高兴与大家分享，十几个联邦机构响应了我的呼吁，重新审视了如何应对这些障碍的方法，透过发布更新后的语言服务计划与政策，以确保所有人都能使用政府的服务。司法部将继续支持各机构执行其语言服务计划，以及缩短联邦方案与服务间语言鸿沟之更广泛的努力。”
“无论使用何种语言讲话，阅读或书写，在本国的每一个人皆应能行使其权利, 取得重要信息, 以及获得与他们的资格相符的福利和服务。” 司法部民权司助理总检察长克里斯汀·克拉克说，“今天发布的最新语言服务计划规定了联邦工作人员必须采取的步骤，以确保限英语水平有限的个人能够名副其实地参与联邦计划和活动。这些计划将使联邦工作人员掌握所需的信息以准确有效地与所有小区沟通。”
联邦语言服务工作组将作为提供支持和技术援助的中心资源，协助联邦机构实施更新后的语言服务计划工作。工作组亦将直接与小区团体，英语水平有限的人和其他利益相关者互动，确保第13166号行政命令和其他联邦语言服务义务得以遵循。工作组还将着重确保获得联邦资助者按照联邦法律规定行使语言服务义务。司法部长的备忘录呼吁各机构考虑其他办法，确保联邦财政援助接受者了解并遵守根据1964年《民权法》第六章及其实施条例的要求提供有意义的语言服务之义务。
今天的公告是基于司法部对促进语言服务的长期承诺之上。民权司最近与州法院的网络研讨会协调，发布了一份关于法院语文服务情况的概况介绍。该司还发起了"执法语言服务倡议"，这是一项全国性的工作，旨在协助执法机构履行其义务，提供有意义的语言服务。
根据司法部长2022年11月的备忘录，司法部在8月发布了更新的语言服务计划， 该计划可在此处查阅。西班牙文、简体中文、繁体中文、越南文、韩文、他加禄语、阿拉伯文和法文翻译也可供查阅。司法部语言服务计划办公室协调执行该部的修订计划，贵司法部各下属部门提供培训和技术援助，扩大语言服务资源，并根据司法部的计划推动改进后的语言服务政策和实践。该计划的语言服务协调员担任本部之语言服务工作组主席，为全部门性责成努力执行本部之计划。
有关民权司的其他信息可上其网站 www.justice.gov/crt 查询，有关有限英语水平及第13166号行政命令的信息，可浏览 www.LEP.gov.
司法部成立新的跨部門語言服務工作組Read the Press Release
司法部今天宣佈成立聯邦語言服務工作組, 此項新的跨部門工作將協調整個聯邦政府的語言服務。隨著該工作組的成立, 該部門還宣佈, 在司法部長梅里克∙B·加蘭德向聯邦機構發佈語言服務備忘錄一週年之際, 在其網站www.LEP.gov 上發佈更新的聯邦機構語言服務方案。
司法部長加蘭德在2022年11月指令聯邦機構依照第13166號行政命令,《改善英語水準有限者獲得服務之機會》修訂其語言服務方案, 分享最佳實踐並交流有關語言服務倡議與努力之資訊。今天標志著第一批更新後的方案的發佈, 其他聯邦機構將在未來數月發佈其更新後的方案。
“當政府能確保語言障礙不會阻礙人民參與公民生活時，我們的政府就能更佳提供服務與所有美國人。”司法部長加蘭德表示。“今天，很高興與大家分享，十幾個聯邦機構響應了我的呼籲，重新審視了如何應對這些障礙的方法，透過發佈更新後的語言服務方案與政策，以確保所有人都能使用政府的服務。司法部將繼續支持各機構執行其語言服務方案，以及縮短聯邦方案與服務間語言鴻溝之更廣汎的努力。”
“無論使用何種語言講話，閲讀，或是書寫，在本國的每一個人皆應能行使其權利, 取得重要資訊, 以及獲得與他們的資格相符的福利和服務。” 司法部民權司助理總檢察長克里斯汀·克拉克說，“今天發佈的最新語言服務方案規定了聯邦工作人員必須採取的步驟，以確保英語水準有限的個人能夠名副其實地參與聯邦計劃和活動。這些方案將使聯邦工作人員掌握所需的資訊以準確有效地與所有社區溝通。”
聯邦語言服務工作組將作爲支援和技術援助的中心資源，協助聯邦機構實施更新後的語言服務方案工作。工作組亦將直接與社區團體，英語水準有限的人和其他利益相關者互動，確保第13166號行政命令和其他聯邦語言服務義務得以遵循。工作組還將着重確保獲得聯邦資助者按照聯邦法律規定行使語言服務義務。司法部長的備忘錄呼籲各機構考慮更多辦法，以便各機構確保聯邦財政援助接受者瞭解並遵守其根據1964年《民權法》第六章及其實施條例的要求提供名副其實的語言服務之義務。
今天的公告是基於司法部對促進語言服務的長期承諾之上。民權司最近與州法院的網路研討會協調，發佈了一份關於法院語文服務情況的概況介紹。該司還發起了"執法語言服務倡議"，這是一項全國性的工作，旨在協助執法機構履行其義務，提供有意義的語言服務。
根據司法部長2022年11月的備忘錄，司法部在8月發佈了更新的語言服務方案， 該方案可在此處查閲。西班牙文、簡體中文、繁體中文、越南文、韓文、他加祿語、阿拉伯文和法文翻譯本也可供查閱。司法部語言服務計劃辦公室協調執行該部的修訂方案，對司法部各下屬部門提供培訓和技術援助，擴大語言服務資源，並根據司法部的方案推動改進後的語言服務政策和實踐。該計劃的語言服務協調員擔任本部之語言服務工作組主席，為全部門性責成努力執行本部之方案。
有關民權司的其他資訊可上其網站 www.justice.gov/crt 查詢，有關有限英語水準及第13166號行政命令的資訊，可瀏覽 www.LEP.gov.
وزارة العدل تطلق مجموعة عمل جديدة بين الوكالات معنية بتيسيير التواصل اللغويRead the Press Release
أعلنت وزارة العدل الأمريكية اليوم عن إطلاق مجموعة العمل الفيدرالية لتيسيير التواصل اللغوي، وهي جهد جديد مشترك بين الوكالات من شأنه تنسيق تيسيير التواصل اللغوي عبر الحكومة الفيدرالية. أعلنت الوزارة أيضاً إلى جانب إنشاء مجموعة العمل هذه عن إصدار خطة للوكالات الفيدرالية لتيسسير التواصل اللغوي على موقعها www.LEP.gov وذلك في الذكرى الأولى لمذكرة (memorandum) وزير العدل ميريك بي. جارلاند للوكالات الفيدرالية الخاصة بتيسيير التواصل اللغوي.
في شهر تشرين الثاني / نوفمبر 2022، وجه وزير العدل جارلاند الوكالات الفيدرالية بمراجعة خططها الخاصة بتيسيير التواصل اللغوي ومشاركة أفضل الممارسات وتبادل المعلومات المتعلقة بمبادرات تيسيير التواصل اللغوي امتثالاً للأمر التنفيذي رقم 13166، "تحسين إتاحة الخدمات للأشخاص الذين لا يتقنون اللغة الإنجليزية". ويصادف اليوم إصدار الدفعة الأولى من تلك الخطط المستحدثة مع قيام وكالات فيدرالية أخرى بنشر خطط مستحدثة في الأشهر المقبلة.
وقال وزير العدل جارلاند: "إن حكومتنا تقدم خدمات لكل الأمريكيين بشكل أفضل عندما نتأكد أن الحواجز اللغوية لا تقف عقبة في طريق المشاركة في الحياة المدنية." وأضاف وزير العدل "اليوم، يسعدني أن أقول لكم بأن أكثر من إثنى عشر وكالة فيدرالية قد إستجابت لدعوتي لإعادة النظر في السبل التي تتعامل بها مع هذه الحواجز من خلال إطلاق خطط وسياسات مستحدثة لتيسير التواصل اللغوي والتي تهدف للتأكد من بقاء البرامج الحكومية في متناول الجميع. وسوف تستمر وزارة العدل في دعم الوكالات في تنفيذ خططها لتيسير التواصل اللغوي، وجهودها الأوسع نطاقاً لإغلاق الفجوة اللغوية عبر البرامج والخدمات الفيدرالية".
وقالت كريستين كلارك مساعدة وزير العدل في دائرة الحقوق المدنية بوزارة العدل: "يجب أن يكون كل شخص في هذا البلد قادراً على ممارسة حقوقه والحصول على المعلومات المهمة، والفوائد والخدمات التي يحق له الحصول عليها بغض النظر عن اللغة التي يتحدث بها أو يقرأها أو يكتبها. إن الخطط المُستحدثة لتيسير التواصل اللغوي التي صدرت هذا اليوم تُبين الخطوات التي يتخذها الموظفون الفيدراليون للتأكد من أن الوصول الفعلي والمفيد إلى البرامج والأنشطة الفيدرالية مُتاح للأشخاص الذين لديهم كفاءة محدودة في اللغة الإنجليزية، كما أن هذه الخطط تزود الموظفين الفيدراليين بالمعلومات التي يحتاجون إليها للتواصل الصحيح والفعال مع كل المجموعات."
قالت كريستين كلارك مساعدة المدعي العام بدائرة الحقوق المدنية بوزارة العدل الأمريكية: "يجب أن يكون كل شخص في البلاد قادراً على ممارسة حقوقه والحصول على المعلومات الهامة والحصول على المزايا والخدمات التي يحق له الحصول عليها بغض النظرعن اللغة التي يتحدث بها أو يقرأها أو يكتبها." إن الخطط المستحدثة لتيسيير التواصل اللغوي التي تم إصدارها اليوم تضع الخطوات التي يجب أن يتخذها الموظفون الفيدراليون لضمان توفير استفادة مجدية للأفراد الذين لا يتقنون اللغة الإنجليزية فيما يتعلق بالبرامج والأنشطة الفيدرالية، وتزويد الموظفين الفيدراليين بالمعلومات التي يحتاجون إليها للتواصل بدقة وفعالية مع كل المجتمعات."
وستكون مجموعة العمل الفيدرالية لتيسيير التواصل اللغوي بمثابة المورد المركزي لتوفير الدعم والمساعدة التقنية للوكالات الفيدرالية وهي تعمل على تنفيذ خططها المستحدثة لتيسيير التواصل اللغوي، وسوف تنخرط مجموعة العمل أيضاً بشكل مباشر مع الجماعات المجتمعية والأفراد الذين لا يتقنون اللغة الإنجليزية وغيرهم من أصحاب المصلحة لضمان الالتزام بالأمر التنفيذي 13166 وغيره من الالتزامات الفيدرالية المتعلقة بتيسيير التواصل اللغوي، وستقوم مجموعة العمل أيضاً بالتركيز على ضمان امتثال مُتلقي الأموال الفيدرالية بالتزاماتهم المتعلقة بتيسيير التواصل اللغوي بموجب القانون الفيدرالي. ودعت مذكرة وزير العدل الوكالات إلى النظر في سبل إضافية تضمن بها الوكالات فهم متلقو المساعدات المالية الفيدرالية لألتزاماتهم والامتثال لهذه الالتزامات لتوفير سبل التواصل اللغوي المجدية بموجب متطلبات المادة السادسة من قانون الحقوق المدنية لعام 1964 ولوائحها التنفيذية.
يستند إعلان اليوم إلى التزام وزارة العدل منذ فترة طويلة في المضي قدماً في تيسيير التواصل اللغوي. ولقد أصدرت شعبة الحقوق المدنية مؤخراً صحيفة وقائع (fact sheet) حول تيسيير التواصل اللغوي للمحاكم بالتنسيق مع حلقة دراسية على الانترنت لمحاكم الولايات. وأطلقت الشعبة أيضاً مبادرة تيسيير التواصل اللغوي في مجال إنفاذ القانون (Law Enforcement Language Access Initiative)، وهي مبادرة على الصعيد الوطني لمساعدة وكالات إنفاذ القانون على الوفاء بالتزاماتهم بتيسيير التواصل اللغوي على نحو مجد.
وعملاً بمذكرة وزير العدل الصادرة في تشرين الثاني / نوفمبر 2022، أصدرت وزارة العدل خطتها المُنقحة الخاصة بتيسيير التواصل اللغوي في آب / أغسطس 2023، التي يمكن الإطلاع عليها هنا (here). كما تتوفر أيضاً ترجمات إلى الاسبانية والصينية المُبسطة والصينية التقليدية والفيتنامية والكورية والتغالوغية والعربية والفرنسية. ويقوم مكتب تيسيير التواصل اللغوي (Language Access Program) التابع لوزارة العدل بتنسيق تنفيذ الخطة المنقحة التي أعدتها وزارة العدل وتوفير التدريب والمساعدة الفنية لمكونات وزارة العدل وتوسيع موارد تيسيير التواصل اللغوي وتعزيز سياسات وممارسات تيسيير التواصل اللغوي بشكل أفضل بما يتماشى مع خطة الوزارة. ويرأس منسق برنامج تيسيير التواصل اللغوي الفريق العامل المعني بتيسيير التواصل اللغوي التابع للوزارة وهو جهد يُبذل على مستوى الوزارة لتنفيذ خطة الوزارة.
تتوفر معلومات إضافية حول قسم الحقوق المدنية على موقعه على الإنترنت على: www.justice.gov/crt كما يمكن الإطلاع على معلومات حول الكفاءة المحدودة في اللغة الإنجليزية والأمر التنفيذي 13166 على موقع www.LEP.gov.
Women who led troubled Tacoma bakery pleads guilty to wire fraud in connection with COVID-19 loan fundsRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A woman who was part owner and CEO of Tacoma Baking Co. pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to wire fraud in connection with nearly $350,000 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan funds, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Jessica Heinlein, aka Jessica DeVisser, obtained three loans using fraudulent information. The largest, some $309,972, was obtained on behalf of Tacoma Baking Company. But much of the information in the applications was fraudulent, and the money was not used exclusively for payroll as required. Heinlein will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle on February 12, 2024.
According to the plea agreement, Heinlein made the first loan application on behalf of Tacoma Baking Company in April 2020. In the application she claimed two of the company’s eight owners were “sole owners” of the company. Heinlein created email accounts in the names of the two people she designated as “sole owners” so that she could respond to any questions from financial institutions. Heinlein forged the signatures of the two people and provided copies of their drivers licenses without their permission. The loan funds were deposited in Heinlein’s personal account, and she used some of the money for her personal expenses. In addition to the loan funds, the Small Business Administration (SBA) also paid nearly $25,000 in interest and processing fees on the loan.
Heinlein sought PPP loans twice more. In January 2021 she applied for a PPP loan under “Jessica DeVisser Consulting,” claiming she was an independent contractor and had a monthly payroll obligation of $7,189. In fact, she was not an independent contractor and had no payroll obligation. She submitted altered financial records to support the application. The $17,900 loan was approved, but before Heinlein could access the money her bank froze the funds and returned them to the lender.
In April 2021, Heinlein tried a second time for a loan for “Jessica DeVisser Consulting.” In this case, she claimed the monthly payroll was $20,833. She received $20,833 in loan funds even though she was not an independent contractor and had no payroll. The funds were used for improper purposes.
Heinlein has agreed to pay restitution to the Small Business Administration of $360,881. The amount includes the loan amounts as well as fees and interest paid by the SBA.
At sentencing, prosecutors will recommend a sentence at the low end of the guidelines range. Judge Settle is not bound by the recommendation and can impose any sentence up to the maximum of twenty years in prison.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mike Dion.
Women Who Bought Firearm for Mexican Cartel Member SentencedRead the Press Release
Two women who purchased firearms for a member of a Mexican drug cartel have been sentenced to a combined 18 months in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Cassandra Gonzalez, 51, and Imajah Tierra Cervantes, her 29-year-old daughter, were indicted in March. Ms. Gonzales pleaded guilty in June to false statements during the purchase of a firearm and was sentenced in October to 6 months in federal prison. Ms. Cervantes pleaded guilty in July to straw purchasing of a firearm and was sentenced today to 12 months and one day in prison.
Ms. Cervantes is among the first defendants in the Northern District of Texas to plead guilty to an offense outlined in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, signed into law by President Biden in June 2022.
According to plea papers, Ms. Gonzalez attempted to purchase a rifle from a federally firearm license (FFL) dealer in Lubbock, Texas on Dec. 30, 2022. On ATF Form 4473, Ms. Gonzalez certified that she was purchasing the firearm for herself and stated that she resided in Garland, Texas – an address that did not match her actual current address in Lubbock.
ATF agents contacted the FFL and notified them of the address issue. They learned that Ms. Gonzalez planned to return to the store on Jan. 4, 2023, to complete the transaction.
On that date, agents observed Ms. Gonzalez and Ms. Cervantes enter the FFL. Ms. Gonzalez paid for the firearm and Ms. Cervantes carried it out of the store. Agents intercepted the women, took custody of the rifle, and separated them for questioning.
Ms. Gonzalez admitted that the address she used on Form 4473 was not correct, but initially maintained that she purchased the rifle for herself.
Ms. Cervantes, however, told agents that a Mexican man living in Dallas provided her with the money to purchase the rifle, and said that she and her mother were going to receive $2,000 for purchasing the firearm and delivering it to the man, who she knew was affiliated with a Mexican drug cartel. She admitted that she’d delivered a gun to him before and that she knew the man intended to use the firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Confronted with Ms. Cervantes’ statements, Ms. Gonzalez admitted that she lied on the form, knowing full well that she intended to purchase the firearm not for herself, but on behalf of another person.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division – Lubbock Resident Agency conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew McLeod prosecuted the case.