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5 January 2024
Home Healthcare Company Agrees to Pay Nearly $10 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Relating to Its Participation in the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation ProgramRead the Press Release
Atlantic Home Health Care LLC (AHH), a home health care agency operating in Arizona and eight other states, has agreed to pay $9,990,944 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting false claims to the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program (EEOICP or the Energy Program), a healthcare program administered by the Department of Labor (DOL) for the benefit of Department of Energy employees and contractors with occupational illnesses. The settlement is based on AHH’s financial condition.
The United States alleged that, between 2017 and 2021, AHH falsely billed the Energy Program for in-home nursing and personal care when its employees were not physically present in patients’ homes. The government also alleged that AHH paid kickbacks, in the form of cash payments up to $5,000 for patient referrals via its “friends and family program” and in-kind payments for food, internet, travel and other expenses made to patients and their families. The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits parties who participate in federal healthcare programs, such as the Energy Program, from knowingly and willfully paying or receiving any remuneration in return for referring an individual to, or arranging for the furnishing of, any item or services for which payment is made by, the federal healthcare programs. Prior to the United States’ disclosure to AHH of its investigation, AHH made a voluntary disclosure to the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (DHS-OIG) concerning the company’s “friends and family” program and in-kind remuneration to patients and their families. In the settlement agreement, the United States acknowledged AHH’s cooperation in this regard.
“The department is committed to protecting the integrity of the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program, a vitally important program that addresses the medical needs of vulnerable individuals who sustained injuries or illnesses while performing their official duties for the Department of Energy,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We are dedicated to ensuring that program beneficiaries receive proper care and that taxpayer dollars are protected from waste, fraud and abuse.”
“Quality care is critical to beneficiaries participating in the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program,” said U.S. Attorney Gary M. Restaino for the District of Arizona. “The payment of cash kickbacks to induce referrals has no place in our healthcare system. False Claims Act enforcement protects the integrity of federal healthcare programs.”
“The Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP), which oversees the Energy Program within the Department of Labor, wishes to thank all involved in attaining this settlement,” said OWCP Director Christopher J. Godfrey. “With our committed partners at the Justice Department and within DOL’s Office of the Inspector General, we believe that we can continue to hold medical providers accountable for their actions when they take advantage of our claimants and program. That accountability will reduce future fraud, waste and abuse by other providers.”
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Tonya Cass, who was formerly employed as the Corporate Administrator and Director of Human Resource Administration and Management by AHH and its predecessor, Victory Medical Solutions, from September 2017 through January 2020. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Cass v. Atlantic Home Health Care LLC, et al., No. CV-20-00202-TUC-AMM (D. Az.). As a part of the resolution with AHH, Cass will receive approximately $1.7 million.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The matter was handled by Trial Attorney Allie Pang of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Nelson for the District of Arizona, with the assistance of U.S. Attorney’s Office Auditor Connie Mudd, Civil Division Auditor John Ounsted and Financial Analyst Sheryl Paynter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only\, and there has been no determination of liability.
SettlementHartford Man Charged with Making Threats to West Haven VA Facility, Members of Congress, Other Federal EmployeesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut today announced that AUBREY WAYNE ROSE, JR., 43, of Hartford, was arrested yesterday on a federal criminal complaint charging him with making threats against the Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in West Haven, certain U.S. members of Congress, and other federal employees.
Rose appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford and was detained until a hearing scheduled for January 8.
As alleged in court documents, on March 7, 2023, Rose sent a threatening email to the Defense Finance Accounting Service, which is the U.S. Department of Defense agency that, among other things, maintains and pays military retirees their monthly retirement and disability benefits and Combat Related Special Compensation. He also sent the email to the offices of four members of the United States Congress. In the email, he asked for a formal appeal of his military pay and stated, “If not[,] the 2d Amendment is in our Constitution for a reason. . . . ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. I PICKED UP A RIFLE TO PROTECT THIS COUNTRY BEFORE. I WILL MAKE SURE I PICK IT UP FOR MYSELF. IM TIRED OF GAMES YALL CAN FIX IT OR NOT. MY DECISION HAS BEEN MADE[.]”
In addition, according to court documents, on the morning of December 20, 2023, Rose entered the VA Medical Facility in West Haven wearing a tactical vest and carrying a bullhorn. As VA police officers followed him, he stated, “Next time I come back, I’m bringing a weapon.” Later that morning, Rose went to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New Haven office and told an agent that if he did not get assistance from the VA, he would have “to go back to the VA with a firearm.”
Court documents also describe other instances of threatening behavior. On May 30, 2023, Rose sent an email to several individuals, including an employee of the Connecticut Superior Court. The email contained a draft of another email he was planning to send to an unnamed member of Congress stating, “Your continued refusal to acknowledge fact and ignore me will leave me with no other choice but use my 2nd Amend Rights to force this GOVT to do the right thing. . . . Your continued non compliance will only solidify my decision and force me to act with the only decision that yourself and other govt agencies have left. To force you comply or be killed in the process.” Then on June 5, 2023, Rose attempted to gain access to the Connecticut office of a Member of the United States Congress. He was wearing a tactical vest on his chest and what appeared to be two knives strapped to the back of the tactical vest. Office staff was able lock the door before he entered. He returned later that afternoon, stood outside the office, and yelled through the intercom in a threatening manner.
The complaint charges Rose with making threats against federal officials, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Protective Service, the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the Inspector General, Northeast Field Office, and the Department of Veterans Affairs Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Neeraj N. Patel and Sean P. Mahard.
Gulfport Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute over 81 Grams of FentanylRead the Press Release
Gulfport, MS – A Gulfport man pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute over 81 grams of fentanyl.
According to court documents, on April 21, 2023, the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office conducted a search warrant on the residence of Ashton Craig Cuevas, 19, in Gulfport. The search took place the day after agents conducted a controlled purchase of fentanyl pills from Cuevas. The search of Cueva’s home yielded 81.1 grams of fentanyl, as well as the pre-recorded buy money from the controlled purchase.
Cuevas is scheduled to be sentenced on April 16, 2024, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of forty years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, fentanyl is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin. The DEA reports that two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal, and one kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people. More facts on fentanyl can be found at https://www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl and https://www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose is prosecuting the case.
Greenville Woman Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to Sex Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Brittany Danielle Cromer, 34, of Greenville, has pleaded guilty to Human Trafficking Conspiracy in federal court in Columbia.
According to evidence presented in court, from at least March through Nov. 2022, Cromer worked together with co-defendant Eric Rashun Jones, 31, of Newberry, to exploit women in the commercial sex trade by force, fraud, and coercion. Jones was convicted of Human Trafficking Conspiracy, Witness Tampering, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm in June 2023 and is awaiting sentencing.
Jones led the conspiracy by recruiting vulnerable victims, including victims of domestic violence and those who were dependent on drugs. He prostituted victims for his financial gain, confiscating between 60% and 100% of the proceeds. He did so by physical violence: Jones broke one victim’s orbital socket and burst her ear drum; he hit another victim regularly with a closed fist. Videos recovered by the FBI showed Jones directing the physical assault of women who worked for him. He did so by sexual violence, including by forcing women into sex acts. He did so by fraud related to the promised division of proceeds. And he did so by coercion, including by manipulating victims’ drug addictions and withdrawal symptoms.
Cromer knew that Jones was a fugitive, that he was the member of a documented street gang, that he had no legitimate job, that he prostituted women, and that he confiscated their proceeds. She also knew that he used physical violence, including by assaulting women if they did not work, by directing victims to assault other victims, and by assaulting one victim for not working in commercial sex after having a child. She also knew victims felt like they had no option but to stay with Jones. She knew how photographs were taken and advertisements were posted, how money was transferred from customers to the conspiracy, how proceeds were divided, and how the conspiracy responded to customers.
Cromer facilitated the conspiracy and helped Jones, including by setting up a CashApp account used to confiscate proceeds and registering it to her personal e-mail address and phone number. She monitored victims, particularly while Jones was in custody, and the conspiracy continued to exploit victims. Recorded jail calls show she coordinated with victims and Jones as for when victims would work for the conspiracy. Victims told the FBI that they were afraid of Cromer and that Jones used Cromer to monitor their activity and report back to Jones what she saw.
“This case demonstrates the power that traffickers have over their victims’ lives, controlling their communication, money and freedom,” said Adair F. Boroughs, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina. “Our office will continue to prosecute trafficking in all its forms and support survivors in their healing journey. We look forward to a just sentence for Cromer and Jones.”
Cromer faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. She also faces a fine of up to $250,000 and lifetime supervision to follow a term of imprisonment. Pursuant to a plea agreement, Cromer agreed to pay victims restitution.
United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Cromer after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office, Greenville Police Department, Newberry County Sheriff’s Office, Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, Simpsonville Police Department, and Anderson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliott B. Daniels and Elle E. Klein are prosecuting the case.
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Franklin Man Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison for 3-D Printing and Trafficking Firearms and Glock SwitchesRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Alexander Clark, 28, of Franklin, Indiana, has been sentenced to two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to making a firearm in violation of the National Firearms Act, possession of an unregistered firearm, and possession of a machinegun.
According to court documents, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives began to investigate Alexander Clark based on occasions in which he sold privately made firearms. Over a one-month period, Clark was observed selling five Glock style pistols that were made with use of a 3-D printer for the frames, a 3-D printed AR-15 rifle lower receiver, and two machinegun conversion devices.
Machinegun conversion devices, sometimes called “Glock switches” or “auto-sears” are devices that convert ordinary semiautomatic firearms into fully automatic machineguns. Machinegun conversion devices are themselves considered machineguns under federal law, even when not installed, and are illegal to possess or sell in almost all cases.
On August 22., 2022, ATF agents searched Clark’s home and located multiple firearms, machineguns, silencers, firearm accessories, and a 3-D printer with other electronic devices in aid of 3-D printing.
In total, Clark possessed seven machineguns, 27 machinegun conversion devices and seven silencers, none of which were legally registered.
“Machinegun conversion devices are an urgent public safety challenge—an ordinary pistol equipped with a conversion device and an extended magazine can fire 31 rounds in just two seconds,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Criminals like this defendant exploit modern technology to illegally manufacture deadly weapons and illegally arm others, including felons and juveniles. The serious federal prison sentence imposed here demonstrates that our office is committed to making our communities safer by getting these devices off our streets and holding illegal gun traffickers accountable.”
“Machine gun conversion devices, which convert semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic weapons, are one of the most serious challenges facing ATF and our law enforcement partners at the moment,” stated Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Columbus Field Division. “These conversion devices increase the lethality of a firearm, while also reducing the ability of the person firing the weapon to control where they shoot. This combination is deadly and random and represents a clear threat to our community. We will work with our partners to remove these devices, and those who are manufacturing and selling them, from our streets.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by Chief U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt. Chief Judge Pratt also ordered that Clark be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for three years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Jayson W. McGrath, who prosecuted this case.
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Former Pharmaceutical Executive and Doctor Sentenced for Insider Trading Around Alexion Pharmaceuticals’ Acquisition of Portola PharmaceuticalsRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that JOSEPH DUPONT and SLAVA KAPLAN, a/k/a “Stanley Kaplan,” were sentenced to three years’ probation and five months in prison, respectively, for securities fraud in connection with their participation in an insider trading scheme surrounding the announcement of Alexion Pharmaceutical, Inc.’s acquisition of Portola Pharmaceuticals, Inc. DUPONT and KAPLAN were arrested June 2023 and pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods in September 2023.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “This Office continues to keep a watchful eye over Wall Street, and we will work quickly to prosecute those who choose to cheat to make a quick buck. These sentences reflect our commitment to ensuring fairness in the stock market and combatting corruption.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment and statements made in public court proceedings:
In 2020, DUPONT, KAPLAN, and others engaged in an insider trading scheme surrounding the announcement of Alexion’s acquisition of Portola. DUPONT was a vice president at Alexion and, on January 31, 2020, was informed of Alexion’s upcoming acquisition of Portola. Before that acquisition was publicly announced, in April 2020, DUPONT provided material, non-public information (“MNPI”) that he misappropriated from Alexion about the acquisition to a friend so that the friend could use the information to trade profitably in securities.
In turn, DUPONT’s friend provided KAPLAN, who was also known to DUPONT, the MNPI about Portola’s pending acquisition, both so that KAPLAN could trade in advance of the acquisition and so that KAPLAN would assist DUPONT’s friend in formulating trading strategies to maximize DUPONT’s friend’s own trading profits. KAPLAN further shared MNPI about the upcoming acquisition with a family member and a friend and colleague. After Alexion’s acquisition of Portola was publicly announced on the morning of May 5, 2020, causing Portola’s stock price to increase significantly, KAPLAN and others who had purchased shares and options based on DUPONT’s inside information sold their shares of Portola and call options for Portola stock, reaping millions of dollars of illegally obtained trading profits.
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Additionally, JOSEPH DUPONT, 45, of Rehoboth, Massachusetts, was fined $75,000. SLAVA KAPLAN, 45, of Hopewell Junction, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and was ordered to forfeit $472,053.61.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Mr. Williams also thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which has filed a parallel civil action.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret Graham, Sarah Mortazavi, and Samuel P. Rothschild are in charge of the prosecution.
Former Metropolitan Correctional Center Inmates Found Guilty at Trial for Bribery and Prison Contraband SchemeRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ANTHONY ELLISON and STARLIN NUNEZ, two former inmates of the Metropolitan Correctional Center (“MCC”), a federal jail, were found guilty today in Manhattan federal court for perpetrating wide-ranging bribery and prison contraband conspiracies with other inmates and MCC employees at the jail. Six additional former MCC inmates and three former MCC employees previously pled guilty in this case. NUNEZ will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Andrew L. Carter, Jr., on June 6, 2024, and ELLISON will be sentenced by Judge Carter on July 9, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Our federal detention centers are entrusted to provide care, custody, and order over inmates. Anthony Ellison, Starlin Nunez, and their co-conspirators undermined the MCC’s mission through wide-ranging schemes of bribery and distribution of dangerous contraband, including drugs and cellphones. Today’s unanimous verdict convicting Ellison and Nunez, and the convictions of their co-conspirators through guilty pleas, demonstrates that correctional officers and inmates who corrupt our detention centers will be held accountable.”
According to the Indictment, public court filings and proceedings, and the evidence presented at trial:
NUNEZ, a/k/a “Chino,” and ELLISON, a/k/a/ “Harv,” were both inmates at the MCC and perpetrated with other inmates and MCC guards an extensive bribery and contraband distribution scheme within the jail between approximately 2018 and 2021. During the course of the conspiracy, between approximately 2019 and 2020, at least 10 MCC inmates, including NUNEZ and ELLISON, paid nearly $80,000 in bribes to Perry Joyner, a corrupt MCC correctional officer. The inmates paid the bribes through friends and relatives outside the jail, who used money transfer applications such as CashApp to transfer money to associates of Joyner. The associates then provided the bribes to Joyner himself. In exchange for those bribes, Joyner smuggled large amounts of contraband into the MCC. That contraband included drugs (such as oxycodone, alprazolam, Suboxone, marijuana, and synthetic cannabinoids, commonly known as “K2”), dozens of cellphones, and cartons of cigarettes, among other contraband. MCC inmates, including NUNEZ and ELLISON, then sold much of that contraband to other inmates at a profit as part of a widespread illicit market within the MCC. For example, ELLISON charged other inmates as much as $100 for a single cigarette and as much as $5,000 for a used iPhone.
In approximately early 2020, Joyner left the MCC, and the jail initiated a series of lockdowns, first to search for contraband and then in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of those lockdowns and Joyner’s departure, the contraband market in the MCC dried up until ELLISON found a new source of contraband. In particular, between approximately 2020 and 2021, ELLISON conspired and had a sexual relationship with another corrupt MCC employee, Sharon Griffith-McKnight, who provided contraband to ELLISON, most of which he then re-sold to other inmates.
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ELLISON, 36, from Brooklyn, New York, was convicted of one count of conspiring to commit honest services wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of conspiring to possess and provide prison contraband, including marijuana and other controlled substances, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
NUNEZ, 47, originally from the Dominican Republic, was convicted of one count of conspiring to commit honest services wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of conspiring to possess and provide prison contraband, including cellphones, which carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison.
The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants would be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General, the Special Agents from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in New York.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aline R. Flodr, Jessica Greenwood, Jonathan E. Rebold, and Daniel H. Wolf are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialists Rachel Wechsler, Christopher de Grandpre, Andrea Gieseman, and Connor Hamill.
Florida Man Charged with Passport Card Fraud, Bank Fraud, Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that on January 4, 2024, the federal grand jury returned a thirteen-count indictment against Scott Jamie Ashness, 43, most recently of Stuart, Florida. Ashness was charged with ten counts of bank fraud, two counts of passport fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft. Previously, on December 1, 2023, Ashness was charged by criminal complaint. Ashness is currently in state custody in the state of New Hampshire. The government has applied for a writ to bring Ashness into federal custody for prosecution.
According to court records, Ashness committed these offenses at various banks in Vermont on September 19 and 26, 2023. As detailed in the criminal complaint affidavit, the government alleges that Ashness visited six different bank branches throughout Vermont on September 19, and another four Vermont bank branches on September 26. At each bank, Ashness obtained or attempted to obtain cash withdrawals from other people’s accounts by purporting to be those people. In some instances, Ashness presented falsified U.S. passport cards containing others’ biographical information and Ashness’ photograph.
If convicted, Ashness faces a maximum sentence of 30 years of imprisonment on the bank fraud counts, a maximum sentence of 10 years of imprisonment on the passport fraud counts, and a two-year mandatory minimum prison sentence. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the Court with guidance from the advisory Federal Sentencing Guidelines and the United States Code. The United States Attorney emphasizes that the charges in the indictment are merely accusations, and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty.
U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Diplomatic Security Service’s St. Albans Resident Office. He also thanked the Derry, New Hampshire Police Department, the Vermont State Police, the South Burlington Police Department, the Essex Police Department, the Winooski Police Department, the Burlington Police Department, the Newport Police Department, and the Barre Police Department for their assistance in the investigation.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Cate. Counsel information for Ashness is not yet available.
The Diplomatic Security Service and the United States Attorney’s Office encourage any financial institution or individual who believes they may have been a victim of similar offenses, particularly involving falsified U.S. passport cards, to contact the St. Albans Resident Office of the Diplomatic Security Service at [email protected].
Correction: The press release was edited to reflect the correct spelling of the defendant's hometown.
Federal jury convicts Mayville man of sex trafficking a minorRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that a federal jury has convicted William A. Quinones, 49, of Mayville, NY, of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and sex trafficking of a minor. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum of life.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron J. Mango and Franz M. Wright, who handled the prosecution of the case, stated that in July 2021, the Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office received a complaint that Quinones had been sexually abusing two children over the past eight years. A subsequent investigation identified a total of four minor victims. During interviews with investigators, the victims stated that Quinones raped or attempted to rape and sexually abused them. Quinones threatened them with violence or threatened to hurt their families if they disclosed what he was doing. Quinones had regular sexual contact with one minor victim, referred to in the indictment, beginning when she was eight years old, as often as three to four times each week. The minor victim told investigators that Quinones started paying her in exchange for sexual contact, beginning when she was 13 years old until age 16 years old. On one occasion, Quinones took her to Erie, PA, to pick up drugs. Prior to returning home, Quinones stopped at a motel to engage in sexual intercourse. During the course of the sexual abuse, Quinones repeatedly raped and physically abused her.
The verdict is a result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 28, 2024, 9:30 a.m. before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. who presided over the trial.
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Federal Grand Jury Returns Indictment Charging Convicted Sex Offender with Failing to Update Sex Offender RegistrationRead the Press Release
Bowling Green, KY – A federal grand jury in Bowling Green returned an indictment on November 15, 2023, charging a local man with failure to update his Sex Offender Registration as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and United States Marshal Gary B. Burman of the Western District of Kentucky made the announcement.
According to the indictment, sometime before October 13, 2023, Kelly Lamont Mason, 52 of Bowling Green, Kentucky, failed to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Mason was required to register by reason of a conviction under state law and knowingly failed to update a registration as required by the Act.
The defendant made his initial court appearance yesterday. If convicted, Mason faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
The case is being investigated by the United States Marshals Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Nicholas Rabold is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Federal Grand Jury Indicts Paducah Woman for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
Paducah, KY – A federal grand jury in Paducah returned an indictment on December 12, 2023, charging a Paducah woman with six counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and Sheriff Ryan Norman of the McCracken County Sheriff’s Office made the announcement.
According to the indictment, from September 2019 to February 2023, Nichole M. Lawrence, 34, used her position as office manager to unlawfully obtain funds and services totaling over $400,000 from her employer in McCracken County, Kentucky. By accessing the company’s bank account, Lawrence scheduled electronic payments for her personal expenses that had been charged to various accounts and charge cards. She also used a stamp with the signature of the company’s general manager to issue unauthorized company checks to herself.
The defendant made her initial court appearance yesterday, before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. If convicted, Lawrence faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud followed by a mandatory 24 months in prison for identity theft. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and the McCracken County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Raymond McGee, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Essex County Man Admits Illegally Possessing Firearm and Cocaine, Heroin, and FentanylRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man today admitted illegally possessing fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine for distribution and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and in furtherance of drug trafficking, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Taurean Gordon, 40, of Irvington, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. Circuit Judge Stephanos Bibas in Camden federal court to a superseding information charging him with one count of being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Gordon admitted that on Feb. 11, 2021, he possessed heroin, fentanyl and cocaine packaged for distribution with the intent to distribute. Gordon, a previously convicted felon, possessed a North American Arms Inc. revolver loaded with five rounds of ammunition.
The narcotics offense carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $1 million. The count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison. The count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, which must run consecutively to any other sentence imposed, and a maximum potential penalty of life in prison. Each firearm count carries a maximum fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for May 8, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited officers of the Newark Police Division under the direction of Director Fritz Fragé and special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys DeNae Thomas of the Health Care Fraud Unit and George Barchini of the Narcotics/Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force Unit.
gordon.sinformation.pdfErie Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 72 months in prison on his conviction of violating federal drug laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter imposed the sentence on Marcus Dwayne Thompson, 37, of Erie, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, on or about December 11, 2019, Thompson distributed more than fifty grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul S. Sellers prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Thompson.
Delaware County Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Failing to Register Email AddressRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Michael J. Frascatore, age 59, of Treadwell, New York, pled guilty yesterday to failing to register and update his registration as a sex offender to include an email address he failed to disclose. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and United States Marshal David L. McNulty made the announcement.
Frascatore admitted that he was designated as a Level I sex offender in New York after he was convicted in federal court in 2008 for distributing child pornography. Frascatore knew that as a registered sex offender he was required to report, among other things, all email addresses he used. Despite this requirement, he created an email address in April 2019, using his own name and home address, which he maintained for approximately four years without disclosing as required under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Frascatore was on supervised release at the time of this offense, and he also did not disclose his email address to U.S. Probation. In addition to pleading guilty to violating SORNA, Frascatore admitted that he violated the terms of his supervised release by using an unauthorized internet-capable phone; maintaining the undisclosed email account; and knowingly communicating with minors online, including by sending explicit photos of himself to minors and requesting nude photos in return.
Frascatore will be sentenced for the SORNA offense and for his violations of supervised release on May 2, 2024, by United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci. The SORNA offense carries a maximum term of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. The supervised release violations carry a maximum term of 2 years in prison. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
The United States Marshals Service investigated this case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael F. Perry as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Dajuan Williams and Multiple Others Sentenced in Nationwide Drug and Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Dajuan Williams, 31, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced in the United States District Court on January 4, 2024, following his guilty plea to drug trafficking and money laundering charges described in counts 1 and 4 of the October 5, 2021 superseding indictment.
Chief United States District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford sentenced Williams to 144 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 4-year term of supervised release. The Court also ordered Williams to pay a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $600,034.09.
According to court records, Williams, who is the lead defendant in this 11-defendant case, supervised a well-organized nationwide drug trafficking business that distributed vast quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other drugs for profit. Some of the drugs involved were fentanyl pills created to resemble prescription opiate medications. Williams also supervised the laundering of drug proceeds via cash deposits into bank accounts followed by the transfer of proceeds using a variety of methods, including mobile payment services such as Cash App, Zelle, and Venmo. Williams’s business had locations across the country, including in Burlington, Vermont; Bismarck, North Dakota; and Billings, Montana. To staff these locations, Williams recruited workers and directed them where to go and what to do. The business relied on complicated logistics to obtain drugs from suppliers, transport them across the country, and distribute them to customers. At times, Williams tested drugs on customers to determine which product was favored. On the financial side, Williams micro-managed on-the-ground distribution, checking in with his workers and frequently demanding the “count” – an accounting of drugs sold and money earned. Earnings of over a million dollars were returned to bank accounts controlled by Williams. Williams laundered drug proceeds, enriched himself, and surrounded himself with the trappings of affluence: cars, cash, clothes, jewelry, houses. Among the cars Williams purchased with his illegally-obtained wealth were a black 2016 Maserati Ghibli; a white 2017 Audi A7; and a grey 2017 BMW X6. Before his arrest on January 13, 2021, in Los Angeles, California, Williams was living in a mansion that rented for approximately $15,000 per month perched high in the hills of Los Angeles under the Hollywood sign.
To date, nine of Williams’ co-defendants have pleaded guilty to federal charges and have been sentenced. The following summarizes the results of this multi-defendant drug trafficking and money laundering case:
- Juwon Robinson: Pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges described in count 1 of the indictment. Sentenced to 51 months’ imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release.
- Dashawn Pulley: Pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and money laundering charges described in counts 1 and 4 of the superseding indictment. Sentenced to 40 months’ imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release resolving federal charges in Vermont and North Dakota.
- Jaylinn Lenoir: Pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges described in count 1 of the indictment. Sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release.
- Rendell Perkins: Pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges described in count 1 of the indictment. Sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release.
- Mohamed Luhizo: Pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and money laundering charges described in counts 1 and 12 of the indictment. Sentenced to 70 months’ imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release.
- Stephen Alexander: Pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and money laundering charges described in counts 1 and 2 of an information. Sentenced to 32 months’ imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release.
- Juan Orozco-Hernandez: Pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and money laundering charges described in counts 1 and 2 of a superseding information. Sentenced to 42 months’ imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release.
- Abigail Houston: Pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges described in count 1 of the superseding indictment. Sentenced to 5 years’ probation.
- Javonte Sovey: Pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and money laundering charges described in counts 1 and 4 of the superseding indictment. Sentenced to 1 year and 1 day of imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release and now participating in federal Reentry Court in Vermont.
- Jessica Elwell: Pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and money laundering charges described in counts 1 and 4 of the superseding indictment. Sentencing scheduled for March 8, 2024.
The sentencing of Williams and his co-defendants follows a twelve-month investigation conducted by state and federal agencies which was led by Homeland Security Investigations. HSI was assisted in this investigation by agents from IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, troopers from the Vermont State Police Drug Task Force, the Burlington Police Department, and the South Burlington Police Department. The coordinated law enforcement effort focusing on Williams and his drug trafficking organization was conducted as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest praised the coordinated work of law enforcement in this year-long investigation and also thanked all of the United States Attorney’s Offices across the country who assisted, with specific credit to federal prosecutors in Maine, North Dakota, and the Central District of California for their assistance. “Dajuan Williams and his co-defendants spread deadly drugs throughout the Burlington, Vermont area as well as several other small cities across the United States. The focus of the organization was on profit without a care for the addicted victims of Williams’ illegal business. Multiple law enforcement agencies, led by HSI and IRS-CI, worked with focus and determination and have now successfully dismantled Williams’ organization. While we recognize the importance of prevention and treatment and rehabilitation, this office, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to prosecute those who seek to profit off of the addiction of their fellow community members.”
“Dajuan Williams was responsible for spreading misery and poison throughout our region,” said Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of HSI New England. “HSI is proud to have collaborated with our local, state, and federal partners in Vermont and beyond to put an end to Williams’s crime spree, which included the trafficking of deadly fentanyl and other dangerous drugs.”
The United States is represented in this matter by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Boscia. Chandler Matson, Esq. represents Dajuan Williams. Ernest Allen, Esq. represented Juwon Robinson. Stephanie Greenlees, Esq. represented Dashawn Pulley. Jordana Levine, Esq. represented Jaylinn Lenoir. Robert Behrens, Esq. represented Rendell Perkins. Richard Bothfeld, Esq. represented Mohamed Luhizo. Kevin Henry, Esq. represented Stephen Alexander. Frederic Warner, Esq. and Richard Goldsborough, Esq. represented Juan Orozco-Hernandez. Allan Sullivan, Esq. represented Abigail Houston. Gregory Mertz, Esq. represented Javante Sovey. Michael Turndorf, Esq. represents Jessica Elwell.
D.C. Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Corporations by Using Their UPS Accounts to Create and Sell Shipping LabelsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Raekwon Malik Harrod, 24, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to fraudulently using the UPS accounts of two American companies to create shipping labels, which he and another conspirator sold online. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division.
Harrod pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud, which has a statutory maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment. As part of his plea agreement, Harrod must pay restitution to the two companies. He also will be liable for a forfeiture money judgment for proceeds he received as a result of the scheme. U.S. District Court Judge Ana C. Reyes, who accepted Harrod’s guilty plea in the District of Columbia, scheduled sentencing for June 18, 2024.
In his plea agreement, Harrod admitted that no later than 2020, a California co-conspirator gained access to one company’s UPS account and provided Harrod with the account’s log-in credentials. Harrod provided the credentials to a Maryland co-conspirator. Initially, Harrod and the Maryland co-conspirator, who both re-sold shoes online, used the account to create UPS shipping labels to mail the shoes that they sold, which reduced their shipping costs to zero. The California co-conspirator intended that they use the account in this manner. However, in late 2020, Harrod and the Maryland co-conspirator decided to use the account to sell UPS shipping labels to third parties. They advertised the service online and each created thousands of UPS labels using the compromised account. Harrod acknowledged that the fraudulent use of the company’s account caused the company to lose more than $900,000.
In late July 2021, Harrod and the Maryland co-conspirator lost access to the account, prompting them to tell the California co-conspirator that they had been selling labels using the account. The California co-conspirator requested that they pay him $120,000, which Harrod and the Maryland co-conspirator understood would be used to compensate the person who gave the California man access to the account. Thus, in August 2021, Harrod and the Maryland co-conspirator withdrew nearly $70,000 in cash and flew with the money to Los Angeles, where they gave the proceeds to the California co-conspirator. When they were in California, they withdrew another $50,000 in cash and provided it to the California co-conspirator as well.
Eventually, the California co-conspirator secured access to a second American company’s UPS account, which he provided to Harrod and the Maryland co-conspirator. The two men then resumed selling UPS shipping labels online, this time with direct involvement and knowledge of the California co-conspirator.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi Kleinman with the assistance of paralegal specialist Sonalika Chaturvedi. Former paralegal specialist Michon Tart and former Financial Analyst Bryan Snitselaar also assisted with the investigation.
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Convicted Felon Sentenced to 8+ Years on Federal ChargesRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A district judge sentenced a felon from East St. Louis to 97 months’ imprisonment after he admitted to conspiring to launder money and distribute drugs in southern Illinois.
Donald B. Perkins, 37, pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy, one count of conspiracy to distribute marijuana, one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana and one count of felon in possession of a firearm.
“This prison sentence reflects the seriousness of breaking the law by distributing illegal drugs, laundering the proceeds and unlawfully having a firearm,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe.
According to court documents, Perkins conspired with a co-defendant to launder money to conceal drug proceeds by using cash exchanges and cashier’s checks. The pair are estimated to have laundered more than $1.2 million.
Byron Robinson, 60, of Florissant, Missouri, was also charged in the indictment with money laundering conspiracy and was sentenced to 3 years of probation in September 2023.
“The act of laundering ill-gotten gains is as important to drug dealers as the distribution of illegal drugs,” said IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Melissa McFadden. “The special agents of CI are proud to partner with other law enforcement agencies to take that profit-making potential away and help protect our communities from illegal drug activity.”
Law enforcement executed a search warrant on Perkins’s East St. Louis home in November 2021 and recovered more than 550 kilograms of marijuana. While executing the search warrant, officers also found a pistol belonging to Perkins, although Perkins was convicted on prior felony offenses and therefore unable to legally possess firearms.
IRS Criminal Investigation and DEA agents contributed to the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Quinley prosecuted the case.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
Coffee County Man and His Brother Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for Carrying Out a Murder-for-Hire PlotRead the Press Release
MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA – Today, a federal judge in Montgomery, Alabama, sentenced two men to life in prison for their roles in a murder-for-hire conspiracy that resulted in the November 27, 2017, death of an Enterprise woman, announced Acting United States Attorney Jonathan S. Ross. There is no parole in the federal system.
Last year, a jury found that Jason Starr, 50, from Coffee Springs, Alabama, was upset about the amount of money his ex-wife had been awarded after their divorce and that Jason Starr hired his brother, Darin Starr, 54, a resident of Lakehills, Texas, to kill her. On the Monday following Thanksgiving in 2017, Darin Starr shot and killed his brother’s ex-wife in her driveway as she was leaving for work. On September 20, 2023, a federal jury convicted Jason Starr and Darin Starr for committing their murder-for-hire scheme. In addition to the life sentence, the judge ordered Jason Starr to pay a fine of $25,000.00.
“This premeditated murder devastated the victim’s family and the surrounding community,” stated Acting United States Attorney Ross. “Jason and Darin Starr deserve to spend the rest of their lives separated from society for the terrible crime they committed.”
“Due to the extraordinary work by the investigative team comprised of the FBI, Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences, and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, these two men will be held accountable for their heinous actions,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of the victim. and our gratitude to our law enforcement partners.”
The FBI, the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences, and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency investigated the case, with Assistant United States Attorneys B. Chelsea Phillips and Joshua J. Wendell prosecuting.
Chicago Man Sentenced to Five and a Half Years in Federal Prison for $2.9 Million Covid-Relief FraudRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal judge has sentenced a Chicago man to five and a half years in prison for fraudulently obtaining more than $2.9 million in small business loans and grants under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
From April to November of 2020, QUAMDEEN AMUWO, 41, participated in a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. The EIDL program was intended to provide loan assistance and grants to cover working capital and other operating expenses for legitimate businesses suffering the economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. As part of the scheme, Amuwo submitted to the SBA numerous applications for loans on behalf of businesses that he and others purportedly owned. The applications contained false statements and misrepresentations concerning the purported entities’ owners, employees, revenues, costs, and dates of establishment. In support of his applications, Amuwo provided false business registration forms and bogus personal identifying information of the purported owners.
Amuwo led and organized a sophisticated fraud scheme that caused the SBA to disburse at least $2.9 million in EIDL loans and grants into bank accounts that he and others controlled. He used the money to make cash withdrawals, transfers, and purchases for his personal benefit.
A federal jury in June convicted Amuwo on all twelve wire fraud counts against him. In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Edmond E. Chang on Wednesday ordered Amuwo to pay more than $2.9 million in restitution.
The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Substantial assistance was provided by the SBA’s Office of Inspector General. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heidi Manschreck and Matthew Moyer.
Anyone with information about attempted fraud involving Covid-19 can report it to the Department of Justice by calling the National Center for Disaster Fraud at (866) 720-5721, or by filing a complaint online at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Charleston Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Weapon and Drug ViolationRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Antonio Lorenzo Huggins, 40, of Charleston, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine.
Evidence presented to the court showed that Charleston Police Department contacted Huggins on Oct. 3, 2021, because he had outstanding warrants for his arrest. Huggins fled from officers and tried to take off his pants during the chase. Police caught Huggins and located three bags in his pocket containing over 30 grams of crack cocaine and two grams of cocaine. Police recovered Huggins’ pants and located a loaded firearm that was stolen, $600 cash, and a cell phone. Huggins admitted possessing the firearm to the officers.
United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel sentenced Huggins to 180 months imprisonment, to be followed by eight years of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. Huggins faced an enhanced sentence due to previous federal convictions of a similar nature.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Charleston Police Department (CPD). Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Lietzow is prosecuting the case.
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Castine Man Who Used Snapchat to Send Obscene Images to 12-Year-Old in Sexual Exploitation Attempt Sentenced to 7 YearsRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Castine man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for transferring obscene material to a minor, attempting to possess child sexual abuse material, and obstructing a federal investigation.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Nicholas Wood, 26, to 84 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release. Wood pleaded guilty on April 24, 2023.
According to court records, in late July and early August 2018, Wood used Snapchat to send a series of obscene images of himself to a 12-year-old child. Wood attempted to manipulate the young victim into engaging in sex acts with him and asked her to send him sexually explicit images. After being informed by federal agents that they were investigating the use of his Snapchat account to send obscene images to minors, Wood deleted the application and associated data from his phone to prevent its use in the investigation.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.
Reports of child sexual exploitation are increasing: In 2022, The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTipline received 32 million reports of suspected child sexual exploitation. That included more than 80,000 reports of online enticement of children for sexual acts, an increase of 82% from 2021 to 2022, and more than 31 million reports of child sexual abuse material. Victimization can take place across every platform, including social media, messaging apps, gaming platforms, etc. To make a CyberTipline Report, visit https://report.cybertip.org/. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Brothers Charged with Sexual Abuse of a MinorRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Dustin Roy Rockmen and Kenzie Roy Rockmen appeared in federal court on an indictment charging them with coercion and enticement of a minor, transfer of obscene material to a minor, sexual abuse of a minor, and sexual abuse. Dustin Roy Rockmen is also charged with the distribution of obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of a child and possession of child pornography. Dustin Roy Rockmen, 32, of Navajo, New Mexico, and Kenzie Roy Rockmen, 24, of Hunters Point, Arizona, will remain in temporary custody pending a detention hearing.
According to the indictment, between Oct. 16, 2020, and Jan. 10, 2022, Dustin Roy and Kenzie Roy coerced Jane Doe, a minor, into engaging in sexual activity with both men using threats and by placing Jane Doe in fear of her life. Subsequently, Dustin Roy Rockmen transferred and distributed obscene material depicting him engaging in sexual activity with Jane Doe.
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Dustin Roy Rockmen and Kenzie Roy Rockman face up to life in prison.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert James Booth II is prosecuting the case.
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Billings man admits making threats to kill Montana U.S. Sen. Jon TesterRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Billings man admitted today to threatening to kill Montana U.S. Senator Jon Tester in voicemail messages, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Anthony James Cross, 30, pleaded guilty to threats to injure and murder a United States Senator. Cross faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The court set sentencing for May 1. Cross was detained pending further proceedings.
Under the terms of a plea agreement in the case, if the court accepts the agreement at sentencing, the government will seek to dismiss count two of the indictment, which charges Cross with threats against the president.
The government alleged in court documents that on April 17, 2023, at 5:34 a.m. and 5:37 a.m., two voicemails were left at Sen. Jon Tester’s Billings, Montana and Washington, D.C. offices. In the first voicemail, the caller stated that “Jon Tester…is gonna die a horrible death and so is your family…you’re not gonna do anything about this.” In the second voicemail, the caller stated, “I swear to God, you and your family will suffer such a horrendous death. And its not going to be by some white boy, no its gonna be by some Indian like me…I’m gonna kill every single one of your (obscenity) family members.” Law enforcement determined that the phone number associated with the calls was attributed to Cross.
The government further alleged that on April 25, 2023, Google contacted the FBI regarding multiple comments made to YouTube videos flagged as threatening. The comments were attributed to Cross’s YouTube account. Some of the comments made in April 2023 included:
- “I’m going to kill every trans I see.”
- “We are actively hunting down and killing any trans in our major cities. You won’t hear about it until trump overcomes his ‘indictment’ and Biden loses the ‘re-election.’”
- “I will personally kill Joe Biden.”
During an interview with law enforcement, Cross admitted to making the comments posted on YouTube and to using his cellular phone to make the comments.
The FBI and United States Secret Service conducted the investigation.
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Belcourt, ND, Man Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for Abusive Sexual Abuse with a Child Under the Age of 12Read the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota, announced that on January 5, 2024, Robert Houle, age 35 of Belcourt, ND, appeared before Chief Judge Peter D. Welte, U.S. District Court, Fargo, ND, and was sentenced to Life in federal prison, for abusive sexual contact with a child under the age of 12. Houle pleaded guilty to this offense on July 7, 2023.
As charged by the United States Attorney’s Office, an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation revealed that Houle sexually abused a Native American child under the age of 12, from the ages of 6 to 11, from about 2016 until approximately 2020.
Bureau of Indian Affairs law enforcement responded to a residence on Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation, ND, for a physical altercation. Houle was arrested and a child at the residence reported feeling unsafe due to physical and sexual abuse.
The child was forensically interviewed by the Northern Plains Children’s Advocacy Center and disclosed years of sexual abuse, physical abuse, and emotional abuse by Houle. The child was fearful to disclose the sexual and physical abuse sooner because the child feared being removed from the home if noncompliant with Houle’s demands.
“This is a strong sentence that protects children,” Schneider said. “It is also a real credit to our law enforcement partners and career prosecutors who worked hard to ensure this individual faced justice. The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to play its part in keeping kids safe by vigorously prosecuting crimes against children.”
“Today’s sentencing of Robert Houle demonstrates the FBI’s dedication to protecting children from those who seek to exploit their innocence,” said Special Agent in Charge of FBI Minneapolis Alvin M. Winston Sr. “These types of crimes cause profound harm to both the child victims and their families, leaving behind a trail of destruction and brokenness. The FBI and our partners remain committed to pursuing justice for our most innocent victims and holding offenders accountable.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dawn M. Deitz, District of North Dakota.
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Belchertown Man Sentenced for Social Security FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Belchertown man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Springfield for fraudulently receiving Social Security disability benefits.
Kenneth Pontz, 59, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 10 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Restitution and forfeiture will be determined at a hearing on March 5, 2024. In August 2023, Pontz was convicted by a federal jury of one count of theft of public funds after a four-day trial.
Over a span of 16 years, Pontz repeatedly made false statements to the Social Security Administration to obtain over $114,000 in disability benefits to which he was not entitled by concealing that he lived with his wife, whose income would have been used in calculating his monthly benefit payment for the needs-based program. Pontz further concealed his living arrangements by reporting that he lived at a vacant lot, rather than the residence he shared with his wife. Additionally, Pontz provided a fraudulent rent receipt that overstated his actual rent by $575 per month.
Also during this time frame, Pontz embezzled approximately $46,000 from his trailer park association in his capacity as treasurer.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Sharon MacDermott, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division; and Belchertown Police Chief Kevin Pacunas made the announcement today. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg and Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil L. Desroches of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Beckley Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Mariah Diane Keffer, 25, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 12, 2022, Keffer sold approximately 60 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant at her Robert C. Byrd Drive residence in Beckley. Keffer admitted to this transaction and further admitted to selling a total of approximately 75 grams of methamphetamine to the confidential informant for a total of $900 during separate transactions on December 22, 2022, and January 9, 2023.
On January 10, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant of Keffer’s residence. Officers seized 71.5 grams of methamphetamine, 20.5 grams of fentanyl and various amounts of marijuana, oxycodone pills, alprazolam pills, suboxone, diazepam pills and psilocybin mushrooms. Officers also seized a Taurus model G2c 9mm pistol, a Ruger LCP .380-caliber pistol, and $2,011. Keffer admitted that she intended to distribute the seized drugs in and around the Southern District of West Virginia.
Keffer is scheduled to be sentenced on April 18, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Brian D. Parsons is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-116.
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Beckley Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Zackery Dale Jenkins, 30, of Beckley, was sentenced today to seven years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 18, 2023, Jenkins sold a controlled substance containing fentanyl to a confidential informant in a Beckley residence. Jenkins admitted to that transaction and to selling controlled substances containing fentanyl to the confidential informant on four other occasions in the Beckley area.
On June 1, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Jenkins’ residence and seized additional quantities of fentanyl and several firearms. Jenkins admitted that he intended to distribute the fentanyl.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-90.
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Armed fentanyl dealer sentenced to five years in prison for drug trafficking in Great FallsRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — An armed fentanyl trafficker from Washington who admitted to distributing the drug in the Great Falls community was sentenced on Jan. 4 to five years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
Jerry Scot Saunders, 35, of Houkem, Washington, pleaded guilty in August 2023 to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and to prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that Saunders was a significant drug dealer in Great Falls and that in early 2022, law enforcement searched for him because he had absconded from his state probation officer. Detectives learned Saunders was distributing fentanyl in Great Falls and located him in a motel room. Law enforcement found Saunders in possession of two firearms and more than 600 fentanyl pills. The investigation determined that Saunders had been driving to Spokane, Washington, to purchase fentanyl pills to sell in Great Falls. Saunders had a prior felony conviction from 2018 in Flathead County and was prohibited from possessing firearms.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica A. Betley and Jeffrey K. Starnes prosecuted the case. The Russell Country Drug Task Force and Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Albany Man Admits Stealing Nearly $1 Million in Federal FundsRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Asjid Parvez, age 37, of Albany, pled guilty today to stealing nearly $1 million in federal funds from a program that helped struggling farmers pay off their loans.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
In 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act authorized the United States Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) to financially assist certain distressed borrowers who had fallen behind on repaying their federally guaranteed farm loans. Parvez was one such borrower, having defaulted on a loan that he had used to purchase a Maryland chicken farm in 2014.
In pleading guilty, Parvez admitted that in May 2023, the FSA sent him a United States Treasury check in the amount of $972,564.61. Parvez knew that he needed to use these funds to pay off the federally guaranteed farm loan on which he had defaulted. But instead, he stole the money, and used the funds to pay personal expenses and to fund real estate investments. Parvez stole the money by opening a bank account in the name of his lender, Horizon Farm Credit; depositing the Treasury check – which was jointly payable to the defendant and the lender – into that account; and then quickly transferring the Treasury funds to other accounts that he controlled.
Parvez pled guilty to one count of theft of government property. He faces up to 10 years in prison, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000, when United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci sentences him on May 2, 2024. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. Parvez has also agreed to pay $972,564.61 in restitution to the FSA.
Additionally, the FBI has already seized $516,974.54 traceable to the federal funds that Parvez stole, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Asset Recovery Unit has filed a civil action seeking the forfeiture of a residential property in Albany that was purchased using approximately $202,675 in stolen funds.
The FBI investigated this case, with assistance from the United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett is prosecuting this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Conger is representing the United States in the asset forfeiture action.
20-Year-Old Peoria Man Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Possession of a MachinegunRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A Peoria, Illinois, man, Tajurie Amir Bennett, 20, was sentenced on January 4, 2024, to 41 months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a machinegun. He was also ordered to forfeit all of the firearms and ammunition involved, including a 9mm “ghost gun” pistol with no serial number.
At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid, the government established that on Saturday, February 24, 2023, at approximately 2:30 p.m., Bennett, along with another person, committed a drive-by shooting of a residence located on West Gift Avenue in Peoria, Illinois. A ShotSpotter gun detection system alert identified 15 rounds of fully automatic gunfire. Police responded to the scene and located gunfire damage on the front of a house and on a gas utility line of a separate residence nearby, along with bullet holes on a car on the adjacent street.
Peoria Police were able to locate the suspect vehicle and attempted to conduct a traffic stop. The vehicle, then occupied only by Bennett, fled from marked squad cars, driving at times into oncoming traffic at a high rate of speed. Police officers in covert vehicles maintained surveillance on Bennet’s vehicle as it traveled through Peoria at high speed. When his car came to a stop at a red light at the intersection of War Memorial Drive and Allen Road, officers in covert vehicles boxed in the vehicle from all sides. Bennett rammed his vehicle into police vehicles, nearly striking an officer attempting to conduct an arrest. After police extricated Bennett from the car, officers located a loaded 9mm “ghost gun” on the floorboard. The pistol was loaded and equipped with a high-capacity extended ammunition magazine. The gun was further equipped with an auto-sear, commonly referred to as a “switch”. The switch enabled the pistol to fire as a fully automatic machinegun.
A federal criminal complaint was filed against Bennett in February 2023, followed by a one-count indictment in March 2023. Bennett entered a guilty plea with no plea agreement in June 2023. He has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest.
The statutory penalties for possession of a machinegun are up to 10 years’ imprisonment, to be followed by up to three years of supervised release.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Peoria Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Hanna represented the government in the prosecution.
The case against Bennett 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.
4 January 2024
Two Women Sentenced for Murder Committed in the Talladega National ForestRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Two women were sentenced today for crimes committed in the Talladega National Forest, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples.
U.S. District Court Judge R. David Proctor sentenced Yasmine Marie Hider, 21, of Edmond, Oklahoma, to 35 years in prison and Krystal Diane Pinkins, 37, of Memphis, Tennessee to life in prison. Hider accepted responsibility and pled guilty to murder, kidnapping, and robbery in October 2023. Pursuant to a plea agreement, Hider cooperated in the prosecution and testified against Pinkins at trial. Pinkins was convicted of murder, robbery, and unlawful use of a firearm during a crime of violence in September 2023.
“My sincere hope is that these convictions and sentences bring justice to the victims and the victims’ families, reassuring them that these defendants have been held accountable for their actions,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “I want to thank our local, state, and federal partners for their tireless efforts in this investigation.”
According to court documents, on August 14, 2022, college students from Florida, were driving to Cheaha State Park, in Clay County, Alabama, to hike to the waterfalls. The couple was flagged down by Hider to help “jump start” Pinkins’s car, which was broken down. Hider robbed the young male and female and shot the male as he attempted to defend himself and his girlfriend. Officers found Hider with four gunshot wounds several feet away from where the murder occurred. Pinkins provided the firearm and assisted in the planning of the robbery. She watched from the woods as the robbery and murder took place. Pinkins was found six hours later at a secluded campsite.
The FBI and the Forest Service Law Enforcement Investigations - U.S. Department of Agriculture investigated the cases, with assistance from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Alabama State Park Rangers, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, St. Clair Correctional Facility K9 Tracking Team, District Attorney of the 40th Judicial Circuit of the State of Alabama- Joseph “Joe” D. Ficquette (which includes Clay County), Clay County Sheriff’s Office, Cleburne County Sheriff’s Office, Lineville Police Department, Ashland Police Department, Clay County Rescue Squad, Shinbone Valley Volunteer Fire Department, Tri-County Children’s Advocacy Center, and Jacksonville State University Center for Applied Forensics. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Cross and John B. Felton are prosecuting the case.
Two Charged with Stealing Identities, Cash from Credit Union CustomersRead the Press Release
NEW MARTINSVILLE, WEST VIRGINIA – Two men have been indicted for stealing the identities of West Virginians and withdrawing cash from their credit union accounts.
Benjamin Britford, 33, of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and Brandon Watkins, 29, of Douglasville, Georgia have been charged with making unauthorized transactions from accounts at Bayer Heritage Federal Credit Union in New Martinsville. In July and August of 2023, Britford and Watkins obtained the personal identifying information and account numbers for numerous credit union customers and then withdrew cash from those accounts. The defendants withdrew more than $10,000 in cash from accounts in West Virginia and withdrew additional funds from accounts of Bayer customers in South Carolina during the same time period.
Britford and Watkins are each charged with bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and bank larceny. Watkins faces an additional charge of aggravated identity theft.
United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer T. Conklin is prosecuting the case.
The FBI investigated.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Tucson Man Fined and Ordered to Pay $180,000 in Restitution for Molino II FireRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Michael J. Sobcynski, 64, of Tucson, was ordered last week by United States Magistrate Judge Michael A. Ambri to pay a fine and $180,000 in restitution to the United States Forest Service for his role in the fire dubbed as the “Molino II Fire.” Sobcynski pleaded guilty to Use of Incendiary Ammunition.
On April 30, 2023, Sobcynski was target shooting in the Molino Basin target shooting area of the Coronado National Forest. His shotgun was loaded with incendiary rounds, which ignited multiple small fires and ultimately caused a wildfire that burned within the Coronado National Forest. Fire suppression costs exceeded $200,000.
Investigators from the United States Forest Service conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 23-mj-09176-MAA
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-001_Sobcynski# # #
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.Tohatchi Man Sentenced to 13 Months in Prison for Involuntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Donavan Henry was sentenced to 13 months in prison, with restitution to the Crime Victim’s Reparations Commission for funeral expenses, and additional restitution to his living victim and to his deceased victim’s next of kin. Henry, 40, of Tohatchi, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter in Indian Country on July 14, 2023.
According to court documents, on November 2, 2022, Henry was driving east on Route 134 in Sheep Springs, New Mexico, with two passengers when he lost control of his vehicle. The car went off the two-lane road and flipped when it hit a boulder. All three occupants were ejected. A Navajo Police officer arrived to find Henry underneath the vehicle and his two passengers lying on the ground near the vehicle.
Henry was airlifted to San Juan Regional Medical Center. The front-seat passenger, John Doe 1, also a member of the Navajo Nation, was placed in an ambulance bound for Northern Navajo Medical Center. The back-seat passenger, John Doe 2, was placed in an ambulance going to Gallup Indian Medical Center. John Doe 1 died of his injuries while in the back of the ambulance before it left the scene. Henry’s blood-alcohol content, which was drawn at the hospital following the wreck, was .16.
Upon his release, Henry will be subject to mandatory alcohol treatment and three years of supervised release.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator. Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Jones is prosecuting the case.
View the Indictment View the Plea Agreement# # #
24-9
Three Charged with 2020 Murder and Kidnapping of Zuni ManRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Camille Damon, Ronald Belone and Tyran Begay appeared in federal court on an indictment charging them with first degree murder and kidnapping resulting in death. Begay, 38, of Teec No Pos, Arizona, will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. Damon, 44, of Mexican Springs, New Mexico, Belone, 40, of Yahtahey, New Mexico, will remain in temporary custody pending a detention hearing, which is scheduled for Friday, January 5, 2024. All 3 defendants are enrolled members of the Navajo Nation.
According to the indictment, between Feb. 6 and Feb. 15, 2020, Damon, Belone and Begay kidnapped John Doe before killing him in a remote location near Smith Lake, New Mexico. John Doe was restrained, beaten, and strangled with a ligature.
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Damon, Belone and Begay face mandatory life imprisonment.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Probasco is prosecuting the case.
View the Indictment# # #
24-8
Thief Ordered to Pay Back Gun Lake Casino over $80,000 in Stolen FundsRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Jordan Lewis Cook, 26, of Hopkins, Michigan, was sentenced to four months in prison and two years of supervised release for theft from a tribal organization. He was also ordered to pay $84,564 in restitution.
“This case reflects my office’s strong commitment to working in partnership with tribal leadership and law enforcement to prosecute crimes that occur on tribal lands, including theft from tribal businesses,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “Together we will hold criminals accountable for their wrongdoing.”
Between September 2021 and November 2022, Cook stole over $100,000 from the Gun Lake Casino, which is owned and operated by the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians (Gun Lake Tribe). During his theft scheme, Cook was employed at the Gun Lake Casino. Shortly after being hired, Cook began stealing cash from the cash-out kiosks located around the casino gaming floor. An internal casino audit and security surveillance video footage showed Cook pocketing large amounts of cash when he was supposed to be clearing jammed cash-out machines. Cook’s bank records also revealed a large influx of cash deposits around the same time that the money was being stolen from the casino kiosk machines.
“The Gun Lake Tribe is committed to the safety and well-being of all persons within its jurisdiction and welcomes and appreciates the strong commitment and partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan and local law enforcement,” said Gun Lake Tribe Interim Director of Public Safety Seth Carter. “The Gun Lake Tribe is committed to building a safe community and supports comprehensive law enforcement, prevention, intervention, and support services.”
"The defendant's alleged theft and fraud actions against the tribal community is disturbing," said Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the FBI in Michigan. "Through our local partnerships, the FBI is uniquely poised to investigate cases like those documented in this case. We continue to request the help of the public by reporting violations to 1-800-CALLFBI (1-800-225-5324) or submitting tips online to http://tips.fbi.gov."
This case was investigated by the Gun Lake Tribal Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). The FBI and tribal police across the Western District of Michigan work closely together to prevent, investigate, and refer for prosecution certain crimes that occur on tribal lands.
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Texas Woman Sentenced to 80 Months for Money Laundering and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. — A San Antonio woman, Shimea Maret McDonald, 25, was sentenced to 80 months in federal prison on Thursday, by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, for conspiracy to commit money laundering and aggravated identity theft. She was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $4,690,870.81.
According to her plea agreement, McDonald conspired with Nana Kwabena Amuah to launder the proceeds obtained from business email compromise scams. Specifically, their coconspirators targeted business or municipal entities, which had ongoing financial relationships with other vendors who were owed current or future payments by the entities. Then, these coconspirators impersonated the vendors in email communications with the targeted entities and requested wire payments to a new bank account. McDonald opened these bank accounts, using fake identity cards in the names of real people and the names of fake companies she established with secretaries of state. McDonald would then attempt to withdraw the funds in a variety of payment methods, to quickly move the funds elsewhere at the direction of Amuah, retaining a sizeable cut for herself.
Also, in her plea, McDonald admitted that she laundered money arising out of a business email compromise scam targeting the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government (the “City”) in August of 2022. In the course of this scheme, coconspirators impersonated a nonprofit organization having business with the City through email and convinced a City official to wire funds owed to the nonprofit organization, to a bank account at Truist Bank in the name of Gretson Company LLC. The City wired a total of $3,905,837.05 to the Gretson Company LLC bank account at Truist Bank. Prior to the August 2022 wire transfer, McDonald, using the identity of K.N., had requested eight counter checks from Truist Bank, which would be funded from wires fraudulently received from the City. Then, when the money was placed in the Gretson Company account at Truist Bank, McDonald assigned payees and amounts to the counter checks and forged the signature K.N., and attempted to deposit a portion of these funds herself, while sending the remaining counter checks to other members of the conspiracy. Ultimately, Truist Bank and the City were able to recover all the funds that were transmitted.
In total, court records show that 70 businesses and individuals fell victim to the business email compromise scheme conducted by this conspiracy, with 40 of those victims suffering financial losses they have yet to recover. An additional 24 victims had their identities stolen by McDonald.
McDonald’s co-defendant, Nana Kwabena Amuah, was sentenced in November 2023 to 86 months in prison and was ordered to pay $4,695,442.81 in restitution.
Under federal law, McDonald must serve 85 percent of her prison sentence; and upon their release, both McDonald and Amuah will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentences.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the FBI and Lexington Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Dieruf.
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St. Louis County Bankruptcy Attorney Accused of Mail, Wire FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A bankruptcy attorney appeared in U.S. District in St. Louis Wednesday to answer charges accusing him of defrauding the state of Missouri and lending institutions.
Michael Toscano, 42, was indicted Dec. 20, 2023, in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on three counts of mail fraud and one count of wire fraud. He turned himself in Wednesday and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The indictment alleges that from roughly April 1, 2018, though Dec. 19, 2023, Toscano devised a scheme to defraud the state of Missouri and lending institutions by falsely claiming bankruptcy filers’ vehicles had been abandoned, and then selling some through his used car dealership. Toscano also obtained referrals from other bankruptcy attorneys whose clients sought to surrender their vehicles to creditors rather than to continue to pay their vehicle car loans, according to statements made in court Wednesday.
Toscano told debtors to deliver their vehicles to his office in Creve Coeur or to a St. Charles County storage facility, the indictment says. He also picked up some vehicles that were inoperable, it says. Toscano then mailed documents to the Missouri Department of Revenue and the holders of liens on the vehicles falsely claiming that they had been abandoned and that he’d incurred towing and storage fees, the indictment says. He demanded payment, writing that he would seek an abandoned motor vehicle title or mechanic’s lien if the fees were not paid within 30 days, the indictment says. In some cases, Toscano delayed notifying lienholders for as long as 45 days, causing storage fees to exceed $2,300, the indictment says.
If payment was not made, Toscano submitted false and fraudulent documents to the contract license offices of the DOR seeking the issuance of abandoned vehicle titles or mechanic lien titles and then offered the vehicles for sale through his used car dealership, the indictment says. The vehicles referenced in the indictment are a 2006 Audi A8, a 2018 Chevrolet Impala and a 2017 Kia Forte.
The mail fraud and wire fraud charges are each punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or both prison and a fine.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The Missouri Department of Revenue and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry is prosecuting the case.
St. Joseph Man Sentenced to 23 Years for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A St. Joseph, Mo., man who produced pornographic images of three child victims and shared them online was sentenced in federal court today for producing and possessing child pornography.
Tyler B. Wirth, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to 23 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Wirth to spend the rest of his life on supervised release following incarceration, and ordered him to pay $14,381 in victim restitution.
Wirth will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.
On Jan. 17, 2023, Wirth pleaded guilty to one count of producing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography. Wirth admitted that he produced pornographic images of three children, which he distributed to multiple users on the Kik application during his sexual conversations with them.
Wirth admitted that he communicated extensively with others over the Kik application in July and August 2020 about his desire to sexually abuse children. Wirth produced child pornography to distribute to other users within these Kik chats, taking pornographic photos of three child victims. He also discussed with numerous Kik users his desire to sexually abuse the child victims, and repeatedly asked for guidance from other Kik users on how he should go about sexually abusing them.
Wirth received hundreds of images and videos of child pornography from other Kik users, and distributed numerous other images and videos of child pornography from his possession of child pornography, which included over a thousand images and videos of child pornography.
Wirth entered chat rooms on Kik, which provided a forum for users to discuss the sexual exploitation of minors, as well as trade and shares images and videos of child pornography. He fully participated in these chat rooms and then engaged in private communications with other like-minded individuals where he discussed his desires to sexually exploit children. He routinely asked for advice on how to go about sexually abusing minors, and whether those other Kik users had any tips for how he could do so.
Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Wirth’s residence on Aug. 10, 2020. Officers seized Wirth’s electronic media and cell phone. Wirth possessed hundreds of other videos and images of child pornography on his cell phone.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Borgnino. It was investigated by the FBI.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
St. Clair County Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Attempted Online CoercionRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A St. Clair County man was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for attempting to coerce a minor into producing sexually explicit images online, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Field Division.
Raymond Alexander Elliott, 35, of Columbus, Michigan, was sentenced by United States District Judge Gershwin A. Drain. In 2021, Elliott engaged in a pattern of sexual exploitation online, requesting sexually explicit images of a 13-year-old boy who resided in Missouri.
The FBI began investigating Elliott after the victim disclosed abuse and gave agents his cellphone to use to communicate with those contacting him. Elliott reached out to the victim—not knowing it was an FBI agent with whom he was now communicating—requesting that the 13-year-old resume their sexual conversations and send him additional sexually explicit images. The FBI was able to track Elliott down to his home in Columbus, Michigan, after identifying him from the social media accounts through which he was attempting to communicate with the victim.
In January 2022, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Elliott’s home. They recovered his electronic devices, which contained numerous files of child pornography and communications with other online users in which Elliott discussed sexually exploiting children and shared and distributed child pornography. Elliott was arrested and admitted to possessing and distributing child pornography online and communicating with the 13-year-old victim in Missouri.
“Thanks to the victim’s bravery in coming forward to authorities to disclose his abuse at the hands of online predators like the defendant, the FBI was able to identify and arrest Raymond Elliott and stop his cycle of online exploitation,” U.S. Attorney Ison stated.
"The FBI prioritizes the protection of children from dangerous predators and is fully committed to investigating those who seek to harm the most vulnerable members of society,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “Those who make the unconscionable decision to victimize innocent children will be brought to justice. We would like to extend our appreciation to our wide network of law enforcement partners for their critical support. The FBI urges the public to report alleged crimes of child sexual or physical abuse by calling 1-800-CALLFBI (1-800-225-5324) or submitting tips online to http://tips.fbi.gov."
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane Princ.
South Texas dealer admits to selling fentanyl to teenager resulting in deathRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 22-year old resident of Laredo has admitted to providing fentanyl to a 15-year-old, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Jose Antonio Carlos III aka Jose Carlos entered a guilty plea to distributing fentanyl resulting in death.
On May 17, 2023, authorities responded to an overdose call at a home in Laredo. Once on scene, they found the victim laying in his bed unresponsive and holding a rolled-up dollar bill with a white powder on it. The white powder later tested positive for fentanyl. A toxicology report and autopsy confirmed the cause of death to be fentanyl toxicity.
The investigation revealed text messages which showed the victim wanting to buy “pase” from Carlos. “Pase” was code for cocaine. Carlos indicated the price and provided an address off Longoria Loop.
On the evening of May 16, 2023, an individual drove the victim to that address. There, a person later identified as Carlos handed the victim a small baggie with a white powder inside it. The driver then dropped off the victim at his home, a home he shared with his aunt.
The next morning, the victim’s aunt heard her nephew’s phone ringing. She thought the victim overslept, so she knocked on his door but heard no response. She then tried to open the door to the victim’s bedroom but was unable to, so she climbed in through one of the bedroom windows.
Once inside the room, she noticed her nephew laying face down on the bed. When she touched him, his body was stiff and cold. Law enforcement responded to the residence and pronounced the victim dead on-scene.
As part of his guilty plea, Carlos admitted to selling “pase” to the victim. He also acknowledged sending a text to the victim May 17, 2023, asking “What’s up was it good or no[?].”
“Carlos’ decision to sell illicit drugs caused the death of a 15-year-old child,” said Hamdani. “Tragically, this case illustrates that no person - regardless of age - is safe from fentanyl’s deadly grip. As long as drug dealers decide to ply their illicit trade, aunts, uncles, fathers and mothers everywhere will continue to discover the cold, lifeless bodies of the children they love and now have lost.”
U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo will impose sentencing at a later date. At that time, Carlos faces a minimum of 20 years and up to life in federal prison. He could also be ordered to pay up to a $1 million fine.
Carlos will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol, Laredo Police Department and Webb County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation with assistance from the Webb County Medical Examiner. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Bajew and Leslie Cortez are prosecuting the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF is the largest anti-crime task force in the country. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
More information on the dangers of fentanyl can be found on the DEA’s website. #OnePillCanKill
Six Individuals Charged in Twin Cities Fentanyl Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Six individuals have been charged in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed fentanyl throughout the Twin Cities and surrounding areas, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, between August 2022 and December 2023, Cornell Montez Chandler, Jr., 24, Robiel Lee Williams, 23, Quijuan Hosea Bankhead, 30, Stardasha Christina Davenport-Mounger, 24, Fo’Tre Devine White, 26, and Shardai Rayshell Allen, 24, conspired to distribute fentanyl in Minnesota. Several defendants traveled to Phoenix to obtain fentanyl pills from suppliers, hid the pills inside stuffed animals, and mailed them to addresses in and around the Twin Cities. Law enforcement in Dakota, Ramsey, and Washington counties became aware of the trafficking and initiated a joint investigation, which resulted in the seizure of six packages containing over 30,000 grams of fentanyl pills.
All six defendants are charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. White is also charged with one count of possession of a firearm as a felon and one count of possession of a machinegun.
All defendants made their initial appearances in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge John F. Docherty.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Dakota County Drug Task Force, the Washington County Drug Task Force, and the Ramsey County Violent Crime Enforcement Team.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Campbell Warner is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Sharon Resident Sentenced to 108 Months in Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – Alphonse Johnson was sentenced to 108 months in prison for trafficking fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Johnson, age 41, formerly of Sharon, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon. Johnson previously pled guilty to (1) conspiring to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, 100 grams or more of heroin, and quantities of cocaine, cocaine base, and methamphetamine, between June 2020 and June 2021; and (2) possessing with intent to distribute quantities of cocaine, cocaine base, and methamphetamine on April 20, 2021. Judge Bissoon also ordered Johnson to serve four years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin C. Dobkin and Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Lawrence County Drug Task Force, the Mercer County Drug Task Force, the New Castle Police Department, the Sharon Police Department, the Hermitage Police Department, and the Farrell Police Department led the investigation resulting in the convictions and sentence in this case.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Queens Couple Pleads Guilty to $380,000 COVID Unemployment Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – William Taylor, age 33, and Patricia Clarke, age 27, both of Jamaica, New York, pled guilty today to mail and wire fraud conspiracy. Taylor also pled guilty to aggravated identity theft.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge, Northeast Region, United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG); Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); and New York State Inspector General (NYSIG) Lucy Lang.
Taylor and Clarke each admitted that they used stolen identities to fraudulently obtain pandemic unemployment insurance benefits from the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL). They used the names, dates of birth and social security numbers of at least 20 individuals to submit claims to NYSDOL. Based on those false claims, NYSDOL wired funds to accounts controlled by Taylor, Clarke, or both; and NYSDOL directed bank cards to be mailed to the addresses provided by Taylor and Clarke. In total, NYSDOL paid $381,815 on the claims submitted by Taylor and Clarke under the stolen identities.
The conspiracy conviction carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison; a fine of up to $250,000; and a term of supervised release of up 3 to years. For Taylor, the aggravated identity theft conviction carries a mandatory term of 2 years in prison that must run consecutively to the prison term imposed on the conspiracy conviction. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
Taylor and Clarke agreed to pay $381,815 in restitution to NYSDOL. In addition, Taylor agreed to forfeit $315,723 and Clarke agreed to forfeit $66,092.
USDOL-OIG, HSI, USPIS and NYSIG investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner is prosecuting the case.
Pittsburgh Resident Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for his Involvement in the Distribution of Fentanyl and Heroin that Resulted in DeathRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA — A resident of Pittsburgh, PA, has been sentenced in federal court to seven (7) years of imprisonment, followed by five (5) years of supervised release, on his conviction for violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti imposed the sentence on Devontay Montaze Green, age 29.
According to information presented to the court, on the morning of Oct. 31, 2018, K.K. was found dead in the basement of an Alison Park, PA, residence. Paramedics and the McCandless Police Department responded to the residence. Paramedics were unable to resuscitate K.K., and he was pronounced dead at the scene. The McCandless Police Department recovered drug use paraphernalia and ripped, empty stamp bags marked “Hurricane Harvey” in red ink and “Burger King” in blue ink near his body. Law enforcement also recovered K.K.’s cellular phone and provided all evidence to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Opioid Task Force. The investigation confirmed that Green distributed the controlled substances that caused K.K.’s death.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Conti stressed that fentanyl has had a devastating impact on the community and expressed her condolences to K.K.’s family.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Opioid Task Force and the McCandless Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Green.
Parkersburg Man Pleads Guilty to Immigration CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Frederick Sayre Anderson, 63, of Parkersburg, pleaded guilty today to concealing, harboring, and shielding an alien from detection.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 10, 2010, Anderson signed and submitted Form I-129F, Petition for Alien Fiancée, to the United States Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Anderson admitted that he filed the petition to obtain a 90-day fiancée K-1 nonimmigrant visa so a foreign national could re-enter the United States.
The foreign national was granted the visa, which required her and Anderson to marry within 90 days. She arrived in the U.S. on January 8, 2011. Anderson picked her up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and transported her to Parkersburg, West Virginia, the following day. The foreign national lived and worked at Anderson’s place of business until May 7, 2021.
Anderson admitted that the foreign national did not receive compensation for the work she performed at his place of business. Anderson further admitted that he did not marry her, and her K-1 visa expired on April 8, 2011, making her ongoing presence in the U.S. unlawful.
In May 2021, federal immigration agents visited Anderson’s place of business on at least three occasions. Anderson admitted that he took steps to prevent government officials from detecting the foreign national. Anderson instructed her to hide behind the business during one of those occasions. Anderson then lied to the federal agents during that visit, falsely alleging that she did not live inside the business, that she had left months prior, and that he did not know where she was.
Anderson is scheduled to be sentenced on April 18, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
“Mr. Anderson’s criminal conduct facilitated the exploitation of an individual for more than a decade,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “While human trafficking is not charged in this case, it underscores the importance of learning how to identify, prevent and respond to coerced labor and other forms of human trafficking.”
Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the West Virginia State Police, and the Parkersburg Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the case.
January is Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Resources including facts and myths regarding human trafficking are available at https://humantraffickinghotline.org/en/human-trafficking.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-187.
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Owner of insurance company in Rosebud County sentenced to more than four years in prison for defrauding customersRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Forsyth businesswoman who admitted defrauding customers through her company, Rosebud County Insurance Inc., by spending their payments for insurance for her own personal expenses was sentenced today to four years and three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $155,436 restitution, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Kileen Moria Hagadone, 57, pleaded guilty in August 2023 to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The court allowed Hagadone to self-report to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
“When we pay our insurance premiums, we expect to have coverage when we need it. Here, Hagadone’s clients, including a community college, logically thought they had coverage because they paid for it. But Hagadone did not just cheat them of coverage, she stole their hard-earned money and spent it for her own personal use. The good news is she did not get away with it, and the only reason she didn’t is because of the diligent and collaborative work of the office of the Montana State Auditor, FBI, and Rosebud County Sheriff’s Office in investigating this case,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.
“This is a shining example of inter-agency cooperation. In this case the Commissioner of Securities & Insurance (CSI) for Montana and the U.S. Attorney’s office on the federal side. CSI opened this investigation and worked closely with our federal counterparts to bring this to an appropriate and just conclusion. Ms. Hagadone was licensed with our agency in a position of trust. She breached that trust and put her clients in harm’s way. We are pleased to see justice for the victims and consequences to Ms. Hagadone,” said State Auditor and Commissioner of Securities and Insurance Troy Downing.
The government alleged in court documents that Hagadone’s company, Rosebud County Insurance Inc., was an insurance brokerage business that acted as an intermediary between customers and national insurance companies. Hagadone was to negotiate insurance contracts for her customers and then receive and transmit customer’s payments to the companies for the policies. Hagadone received clients’ premium payments but failed to send the money to the insurance companies, resulting in her customers not being insured. Instead, Hagadone repeatedly lied to her clients and embezzled the money for personal expenses. The scheme ran from about 2020 until April 2023.
The government further alleged that one of the victims was the Chief Dull Knife College of Lame Deer, which paid Hagadone $91,883 in 2021 for a whole year of insurance coverage. Hagadone was supposed to send the money to the insurance company. Instead, Hagadone kept the money and set up a fraudulent premium finance agreement by falsely impersonating an employee of the college. This allowed Hagadone to pay for the college’s insurance premium in installments, but she failed to make the installments and the college’s insurance was canceled in April 2022. Hagadone concealed this cancelation from the college. Hagadone continued the scheme and in November 2022, she created a fictitious insurance policy for the college. She charged the college $98,893, which it paid. Hagadone stole the money and spent it. As a result, the college was unknowingly without insurance from about April 2022 until April 2023.
The government further alleged that Hagadone cheated and lied to other customers in a similar way, although the amounts paid were typically smaller.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin M. Rubich prosecuted the case. The Montana State Auditor, Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, FBI and Rosebud County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.
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Oregon Man Sentenced to Serve 30 Years in Federal Prison After Traveling to Oklahoma to Engage in Sexual Activity with a MinorRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Yesterday, CLAYTON CLEMENT STUBBS, 25, of Oregon, was sentenced to serve 360 months in federal prison for interstate travel with intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On August 17, 2022, a federal grand jury returned a two-count Indictment against Stubbs, charging him with interstate travel with intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor and sexual exploitation of a minor.
“The despicable behavior of this defendant, coupled with his repeated attempts to continue to abuse a minor, are clear indicators that swift, decisive action was necessary for the public’s safety,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Troester. “I applaud the work by Homeland Security Investigations in aggressively pursuing this child predator and bringing him to justice.”
“This lengthy sentence is proof that the predatory behavior of sexually exploiting children will not go unpunished,” said Robert Melton, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Oklahoma and Texas Panhandle Division HSI Dallas. “As result of a tip from the HSI Cyber Crimes Center and exemplary work by HSI special agents and federal prosecutors, this defendant is behind bars, preventing him from ever harming a child again.”
According to public record, in May 2022, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) became aware of images showing what appeared to be an adult male sexually abusing an underage female. Through an investigation, an agent with HSI was able to identify the child. The victim told authorities the adult male in the explicit images was Stubbs, and that Stubbs traveled to Oklahoma from Oregon in 2020 to engage in the illegal behavior. Flight records confirmed to authorities that Stubbs did travel to Oklahoma in October of 2020. The victim further alleged that despite blocking Stubbs from their social media accounts following the 2020 crime, Stubbs found the victim online again and had been attempting to contact them.
On November 3, 2022, Stubbs pleaded guilty and admitted to traveling to Oklahoma with the intent of engaging in a sexual act with a minor.
At the sentencing hearing yesterday, U.S. District Judge Timothy D. DeGiusti sentenced Stubbs to serve 360 months in federal prison, the statutory maximum, followed by supervised release for life. Judge DeGiusti also ordered Stubbs to pay $10,000 in restitution. In announcing the sentence, the court noted the egregious conduct of the defendant.
This case is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Edgmon prosecuted the case.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Tornado Alley Child Exploitation Task Force. Members of the Task Force in the Western District of Oklahoma include Homeland Security Investigations, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Oklahoma City Police Department, and Comanche County Police Department. The Tornado Alley Child Exploitation Task Force is part of the Western District of Oklahoma’s implementation of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Operation leader and 10 others plead guilty in prolific human smuggling and money laundering caseRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A Texas woman has pleaded guilty for her role in a scheme to illegally transport hundreds of foreign nationals within the United States and conspiracy to launder proceeds of illicit human smuggling, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
According to court documents, Erminia Serrano Piedra aka Irma and Boss Lady, 32, conspired with at least 14 other members of a human smuggling organization Piedra led that facilitated the unlawful transportation and movement of hundreds of migrants within the United States and harbored and concealed the migrants from detection by law enforcement authorities. The migrants were citizens of Mexico, Guatemala and Colombia, and they or their families paid members of the organization to help them travel illegally to and within the United States.
The organization used drivers to pick up migrants near the U.S.-Mexico border and transport them further into the United States, often harboring the migrants at “stash houses” along the way. Drivers for the human smuggling organization used various methods to transport migrants, including by hiding them in suitcases placed in pickup trucks and by cramming migrants into tractor-trailers, covered beds of pickup trucks, repurposed water tankers and wooden crates strapped to flatbed trailers. The methods the organization used to transport migrants placed their lives in danger as they were frequently held in confined spaces with little ventilation, which became overheated, and were driven at high speeds with no vehicle safety devices. Members of the organization commonly referred to the migrants as “boxes,” “packages” or “pieces.”
Typically, the fee paid to the organization was approximately $8,000, with $3,000 paid upfront to smugglers in Mexico and the remainder paid once the migrants entered the United States. Payments were routed through various accounts all over the United States, and the money from those accounts was then transmitted to the leaders of the organization. According to her plea agreement, Piedra admitted to stating during the course of the conspiracy that she made a lot of money from her involvement in human smuggling and was going to continue making a lot of money in the years to come. She also stated that she had been doing this “for a lifetime already” and was not planning to retire.
Piedra also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in financial transactions designed to conceal the nature, location, source, ownership and control of ill-gotten proceeds of illicit human smuggling. The leaders of the organization recruited and utilized straw recipients to accept human smuggling proceeds in the recipients’ bank accounts and then transferred the proceeds to the leaders under the pretense of work payments. The others also incorporated businesses and opened business accounts to transfer the human smuggling proceeds. Additionally, co-conspirators recruited individuals in the construction industry who accepted human smuggling proceeds in the form of cash in exchange for checks from the recruited individuals’ business bank accounts.
The superseding indictment in this case also notices the criminal forfeiture of two properties belonging to Piedra with current estimated values of $2,275,000 and $515,000 that were purchased with the illicit proceeds of human smuggling. Serrano is also agreeing to a money judgment of $942,537.00.
Piedra is scheduled to be sentenced April 10 and faces a maximum of 20 years in prison.
Ten others previously pleaded guilty for their roles in the scheme. Kevin Daniel Nuber aka Captain, 42, and Laura Nuber aka Barbie, 41, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport aliens, placing in jeopardy the life of any person and conspiracy to harbor aliens for the purpose of commercial advantage and private financial gain. Christine Dangler aka Tinkerbell, 46, Lloyd Bexley, 53, Jeremy Dickens, 47, Juan Manuel Hernandez Cordova aka Tio, 46, David Scott Tallant, 54, Katie Ann Garcia aka Guera, 40, and Abraham Geber Lopez, 28, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport and move aliens, placing in jeopardy the life of any person. Oliveria Campuzano Piedra, 54, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to harbor an alien for profit. The co-conspirators are awaiting sentencing.
The indictments and convictions of these defendants are the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), which was established by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to strengthen the Justice Department’s efforts to combat the rise in prolific and dangerous smuggling emanating from Central America and impacting our border communities.
JTFA is comprised of detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border, including the Southern and Western District of Texas, Districts of New Mexico, Arizona and Southern District of California. Numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division that are part of JTFA also provided dedicated support which the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) led. Also supporting the efforts are Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training, Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS), Office of Enforcement Operations, Office of International Affairs and Violent Crime and Racketeering Section.
JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in over 260 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers and significant facilitators of human smuggling; over 180 convictions; significant jail sentences imposed; and substantial seizures and forfeitures of assets and contraband – including hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, property, vehicles, firearms, ammunition and drugs.
HSI Laredo, along with Border Patrol - Laredo Sector and DHS Office of the Inspector General led U.S. investigative efforts and received substantial assistance from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) offices in Austin, San Antonio, Waco and Corpus Christi, New Orleans, Louisiana, Gulfport, Mississippi, Mobile, Alabama, West Palm Beach, Florida, and its Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., along with Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center; U.S. Marshals Service; Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations - Austin; Treasury Executive Office for Asset Forfeiture; Police Departments in Laredo, Killeen, Elgin, and Round Rock as well as Wiggins, Missouri, and Bogalusa, Louisiana; Webb County Constable’s Office; Webb County District Attorney’s Office; Sheriff’s Offices in Webb, Bastrop and Caldwell Counties, Harrison, George and Stone Counties, Mississippi, Mobile County, Alabama, and Jefferson and Washington Parishes in Louisiana; Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics; and Louisiana State Police.
Assistant U.S. Attorney and JTFA Detailee for the Southern District of Texas Jennifer Day, HRSP Trial Attorneys Christian Levesque and Angela Buckner and MLARS Trial Attorney Daria Andryushchenko are prosecuting the case with substantial assistance from MLARS Financial Investigator Kelly O’Mara and the Department of Justice’s Electronic Surveillance Unit of the Office of Enforcement Operations.
HRSP Trial Attorney Erin Cox previously provided significant assistance in this case.
Operation Smoke and Mirrors Update: Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Robert Dewayne Miller, 36, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, admitting to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Miller participated in the conspiracy from in or about October 2022 to in or about January 2023. Miller’s role in the conspiracy involved distributing quantities of methamphetamine provided by co-defendant Alexandria Jasmine Estep, who acquired pound-level quantities of methamphetamine from co-conspirator Jasper Wemh.
Miller is scheduled to be sentenced on April 22, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
Estep, 22, of Charleston, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine on November 15, 2023, and awaits sentencing. Wemh, 39, of Charleston, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on March 30, 2023, and awaits sentencing.
Miller, Estep and Wemh are among 32 individuals indicted as a result of Operation Smoke and Mirrors, a major drug trafficking investigation that has yielded the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history. Law enforcement seized well over 400 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 40 pounds of cocaine, 3 pounds of fentanyl, 19 firearms and $935,000 in cash.
Miller, Estep and Wemh are among 26 defendants who have pleaded guilty. Indictments against the other defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard Counter Drug program, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department..
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is prosecuting the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-33.
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