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27 December 2023
Man Indicted in Connection with Denver-Area Carjackings, RobberiesRead the Press Release
DENVER—The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Keenan Shane Clodfelter, age 20, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on 11 counts, including 3 counts of Carjacking, 3 counts of Robbery, and 5 counts of Brandishing a Firearm in relation to the Carjacking and Robbery charges. The crimes took place throughout the Denver metro area.
According to the indictment, on or about October 4, 2023, Clodfelter carjacked a 2013 Toyota Highlander. On the same day, he attempted to carjack a Hyundai Genesis, resulting in a gunshot wound to the arm of a victim. On or about November 20, 2023, Clodfelter carjacked a 2010 Toyota Scion TC. The Indictment also charges Clodfelter in connection with the robberies of a 7-Eleven located on East Quincy Avenue in Aurora and Pour Boy Liquor on 20th Avenue in Lakewood on November 20th, as well as the robbery of a Circle K on Kalamath Street in Denver on November 21st.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Lakewood Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah Perczak and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Dunn.
The charges contained in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Case Number: 23-cr-00503-RMR
Laplace Resident Charged with Preparing and Submitting Fraudulent Applications for Cares Act Financial AssistanceRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that MUNIRA SCHOFIELD, age 28, a resident of LaPlace, Louisiana, was charged last week for her role in preparing and filing false applications for loans related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). SCHOFIELD was charged in a one-count bill of information with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371 and 1343. SCHOFIELD’s co-conspirators, Lynn Schofield and Bashir Schofield, were charged previously.
According to the charging document, MUNIRA SCHOFIELD, Lynn Schofield, and Bashir Schofield worked together to submit applications to obtain money from Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster (EIDL) loans fraudulently. The applications they submitted contained numerous materially false statements, including that the applicant had a sole proprietorship and generated substantial income from the business by overinflating gross receipts. They also represented that the loan proceeds would be used for business released purposes, and the defendants intended to use the money for personal reasons. In fact, the entities either did not exist or earned far less money than MUNIRA SCHOFIELD, Lynn Schofield, and Bashir Schofield represented.
LYNN SCHOFIELD faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five (5) years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that a bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
For more information on the Department of Justice’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, is in charge of the prosecution.
Former NASA employee and husband charged in mortgage fraud schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A Missouri City couple has been indicted for orchestrating a fraudulent financing and refinancing mortgage loan scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Noreen Khan aka Noreen Khan-Mayberry, 50, and her husband Christopher Mayberry, 51, surrendered to federal authorities this morning. They are expected to make their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Yvonne Ho at 2 p.m.
According to the indictment, returned Dec. 12, both are charged with one count of conspiracy to make false statements to mortgage loan businesses.
Beginning in 2016, Mayberry and Khan, while still employed at NASA, allegedly took out significant personal loans to fund the purchase of their luxury home before quickly defaulting on those loans.
According to the charges, the couple allegedly attempted to eliminate and dispute the debts, claiming to be victims of identity theft. Khan allegedly filed a false police report, submitted a false report to the Federal Trade Commission and sent letters to the credit bureaus in order to have the loans removed from her credit.
As part of the scheme, the couple allegedly signed three separate loan agreements with mortgage lenders related to the financing of their home from 2017 to 2021.
As part of the loan application process, the couple provided false employment information and fake documents which included pay stubs, tax forms and account statements to lenders, according to the charges.
If convicted, they face up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine in addition to the possible forfeiture of their luxury home.
NASA’s Office of Inspector General-Office of Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Winter is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Bogalusa and New Orleans Men Plead Guilty to Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on December 19, 2023, JEROME SHAQUILLE WILSON (“WILSON”), age 27, of Bogalusa, plead guilty to Counts 1, 2, 3, and 4 while GERROY TOCA (“TOCA”) age 20 of New Orleans, plead guilty to Counts 1, 2, and 3 of a superseding indictment.
Count 1 charged WILSON and TOCA with conspiring to distribute Fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(b)(1)(C) and Title 21, United States Code, Section 846. Count 2 charged WILSON and TOCA with conspiring to possess firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking activity, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(o). Count 3 charged WILSON and TOCA with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i). Count 4 charged WILSON with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).
For Count 1, WILSON and TOCA face up to (20) twenty years in prison, a fine of up to $1,000,000, at least (3) three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
For Count 2, WILSON and TOCA face up to (20) twenty years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, up to (3) three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
For Count 3, WILSON and TOCA face a up to (5) five years in prison, to be run consecutive to all other counts, a fine of up to $250,000, up to (3) three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
For Count 4, WILSON faces up to (15) fifteen years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, up to (3) three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
On December 6, 2022, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) special agents (agents) conducted surveillance of the 1900 block of Frenchmen Street in New Orleans. Their surveillance was for an unrelated investigation during which they observed JEROME SHAQUILLE WILSON. WILSON drove a white Dodge Challenger with one passenger, who was later identified as GERROY TOCA. Agents observed TOCA, WILSON, and a third co-defendant Harry Banks engage in apparent illegal narcotics transactions, while in possession of firearms. Agents observed Banks enter the white Dodge Challenger and exit with a pistol in his left hand. Banks then appeared to conceal the firearm in his waistband. TOCA was found with several suspected Tramadol pills and a Polymer Model P80, 9-millimeter pistol. The firearm also had a Glock Model 19 slide. ATF Agents notified the New Orleans Police Department who detained TOCA and Banks. During the search, officers recovered a Sarsilmaz Model Sar 9, 9-millimeter pistol, from inside the center console of the vehicle.
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 track violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Maurice Landrieu of the Narcotics Unit and Mike Trummel of the Violent Crimes Unit.
Blandburg, PA Resident Sentenced to 25 Months in Prison for Violating Federal Narcotics LawsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Blandburg, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 25 months of imprisonment followed by two years of supervised release on her conviction for violating federal narcotics laws related to a nine-month Title III wiretap investigation into drug trafficking in and around the counties of Jefferson, Clearfield, and Allegheny, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand imposed the sentence on Danielle Gillam, age 44.
According to information presented to the court, Gillam was a narcotics distributor who obtained between 500 grams and 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine from Derek Hillebrand, the leader of the drug trafficking organization, which Gillam then redistributed.
Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan D. Lusty prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Services, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Police, and Pennsylvania State Police. Also assisting were the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, Clearfield County District Attorney’s Office, and the Clarion Borough Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Gillam.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
26 December 2023
Sioux Falls Woman is the Second to be Sentenced in Multi-Pound Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on December 18, 2023.
Katrina Green, 39, was sentenced to 10 years and eight months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Green, along with four co-conspirators, was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in March of 2023. Green pleaded guilty on September 22, 2023, and her co-defendants, Janet Mallet and Tara Clayton, both of Sioux Falls, pleaded guilty on August 21, 2023, and November 15, 2022, respectively. Mallet was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment on November 27, 2023, and Clayton is set to be sentenced on February 12, 2024. The remaining co-defendants Frank Baker and Amber Justus have not pleaded guilty to the charge and are currently set for trial in February. They are presumed innocent.
Green and her co-conspirators obtained methamphetamine from out of state and would re-distribute it in the Sioux Falls area. Green herself was held accountable for the distribution of at least 17 pounds of meth. In February of 2023, Green provided two ounces of methamphetamine to a co-conspirator who then sold the methamphetamine to a confidential informant who was working with law enforcement to conduct a controlled buy.
This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.
Green was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rosebud Man Sentenced for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Rosebud, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on December 19, 2023.
Anthony Edward Farmer, age 39, was sentenced to two years and two months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Farmer was indicted by a federal grand jury in August of 2023. He pleaded guilty on October 12, 2023.
Farmer was convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact With a Child in 2010. As a result of this conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender and to update his registration within three business days of relocation or changing employment. In March of 2023, Farmer was released from prison and began a period of supervised release. At that time, he appropriately updated his sex offender registration to reflect he was residing at a residence in Rosebud. Farmer subsequently moved out of his registered address, but he did not update his sex offender registration. Farmer was arrested by Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services officers following a traffic stop in Rosebud on June 9, 2023.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Farmer was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rosebud Man Sentenced for Assaulting a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced Rosebud, South Dakota, man convicted of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer. The sentencing took place on December 19, 2023.
Jeffery Yellow Hawk, age 34, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Yellow Hawk was indicted by a federal grand jury in July of 2023. He pleaded guilty on October 23, 2023.
On the evening June 16, 2023, Yellow Hawk was operating a motor vehicle in the Rosebud area when he approached a sobriety checkpoint. Yellow Hawk performed an illegal U-turn to avoid the sobriety checkpoint and drove away. Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services officers pursued Yellow Hawk to his residence. Upon arrival to his residence, Yellow Hawk ignored commands from the pursuing officers and carried two firearms into his residence. Yellow Hawk subsequently brandished a loaded firearm at the officers. A short time later, Yellow Hawk exited the residence and was placed under arrest. A loaded shotgun and a loaded rifle were seized from the residence. Yellow Hawk will forfeit ownership of the firearms and ammunition.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Yellow Hawk was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Ohio Man Sentenced for Interstate ProstitutionRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. – An Ohio man, Leon Sims, 41, was sentenced on Tuesday, to 37 months in prison, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, for a violation of the Mann Act, which is the engagement of interstate prostitution.
According to his plea agreement, on December 14, 2020, law enforcement officers responded to an advertisement for prostitution services posted on a sex-advertisement website. Law enforcement observed Sims transport a victim to a hotel room and proceed to wait for her in the car. Subsequent investigation revealed that, from at least October 2020 through January 2021, Sims arranged prostitution activities for the victim using online advertisements, managed those activities, communicated with prostitution customers and kept the profits from the prostitution appointments. During the course of managing the victim’s prostitution activities, Sims transported the victim from Kentucky to both Ohio and California for the purpose of prostitution. At sentencing, it was determined that Sims used fraud or coercion to get the victim to participate in prostitution including verbal threats, withholding basic necessities, and false promises.
Under federal law, Sims must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael E. Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; Daniel Cameron, Kentucky Attorney General; and Sheriff Michael A. Helmig, Boone County Sherriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by FBI, Kentucky Attorney General’s Department of Criminal Investigation, and Boone County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle Winslow and Erin Roth are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov
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Mission Man Sentenced for AssaultRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno has sentenced a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault by Striking, Beating, and Wounding. The sentencing took place on December 20, 2023.
Sewell Fool Bull, age 38, was sentenced to 12 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $25 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Fool Bull was indicted by a federal grand jury in March of 2023. He pleaded guilty on October 23, 2023.
The conviction stems from an incident that occurred on January 31, 2023, wherein Fool Bull assaulted his intimate partner at a residence in St. Francis, South Dakota, by striking her in the face.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Fool Bull was ordered to self-surrender to the U.S. Marshals Service by January 2, 2024.
Justice Department Secures Agreement from North Carolina-Based Towing Company to Resolve Violations of the Servicemembers Civil Relief ActRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that is has secured a settlement against Billy Joe Goines, owner and operator of Goines Towing & Recovery, based near Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, to resolve allegations that he violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) by towing and then selling vehicles without disclosing to the court that they were owned by servicemembers.
The SCRA provides a wide variety of financial and housing protections to members of the military. It requires a towing company to file an accurate affidavit stating whether the vehicle’s owner is in military service (i.e. a military affidavit) before it can get a court judgment authorizing it to sell a stored vehicle. If it appears that a vehicle’s owner is in military service, the court may not authorize the sale of the vehicle until it appoints an attorney to represent the interests of the servicemember. If that attorney then requests a postponement of the matter, the court must grant that request and postpone the case for at least 90 days.
In a complaint filed on March 3, the United States alleged that Goines auctioned off, sold or otherwise disposed of motor vehicles owned by eight servicemembers in violation of the SCRA, which provides a wide variety of financial and housing protections to members of the military. The SCRA requires a towing company to file an accurate affidavit stating whether the vehicle’s owner is in military service (i.e. a military affidavit) before it can get a court judgment authorizing it to sell a stored vehicle. If it appears that a vehicle’s owner is in military service, the court may not authorize the sale of the vehicle until it appoints an attorney to represent the interests of the servicemember. If that attorney then requests a postponement of the matter, the court must grant that request and postpone the case for at least 90 days. The complaint here alleges that Goines either failed to file or filed inaccurate military affidavits with the court. Goines also allegedly filed military affidavits stating that he was unable to tell whether a vehicle owner was in the military even in instances where the vehicle at issue was towed from a military installation or had military decals, and instances when the vehicle owner or owner’s spouse had informed Goines of the owner’s active military service.
“Under federal law towing companies are required to file accurate military affidavits after making a good faith effort to determine whether vehicle owners are in military service,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “By failing to follow federal law, Goines deprived servicemembers of the opportunity to reclaim their vehicles. This consent order demonstrates the Justice Department’s ongoing commitment to protecting the rights of servicemembers and their families.”
“Goines took a Marine Corporal’s SUV from a parking lot near Camp Lejeune while he was deployed in Okinawa. Then Goines asked a court to let him sell it and keep the proceeds, without ever flagging the Corporal’s service for the court,” said U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley Jr. for the Eastern District of North Carolina. “Servicemembers sacrifice a lot — and, in many cases, everything. Debt collectors and towing companies shouldn’t be allowed to take and sell their property behind their backs. The Justice Department will vigorously enforce servicemembers’ rights under the SCRA. Try to illegally take property from a Marine and find out.”
This is the first lawsuit brought by the United States against a towing company under the provision of the SCRA requiring the filing of military affidavits. Under the settlement, which still must be approved by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Goines has agreed to pay $66,805.06 in relief for impacted servicemembers, must forgive storage fees assessed to certain servicemembers, attend SCRA training and institute new policies and procedures that comply with the SCRA.
The case resulted from a referral to the Justice Department from U.S. Marine Corps legal assistance.
Since 2011, the Justice Department has obtained over $481 million in monetary relief for over 146,000 servicemembers through its enforcement of the SCRA. For more information about the Justice Department’s SCRA enforcement efforts, please visit www.servicemembers.gov. Servicemembers and their dependents who believe that their rights under the SCRA have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forced Legal Assistance Program Office. Office locations can be found at legalassistance.law.af.mil.
goines_proposed_consent_order.pdfIowa Man Sentenced for Theft of Government FundsRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Fort Dodge, Iowa, man charged with Theft of Government Funds pleaded guilty to and was sentenced on December 18, 2023, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Clarence Soper, age 64, was sentenced to three years of probation, and ordered to pay $13,372 in restitution to the Social Security Administration and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
After a cancer diagnosis in 2010, Soper was awarded Title II Disability Insurance Benefits through the Social Security Administration (SSA). When Soper was advised of the receipt of benefits, he was also advised of significant life events that would need to be reported, such as any change in employment or medical status, as these changes may impact his benefits. SSA completed a review of Soper’s file in 2020 after Soper received a “cancer free” diagnosis. Based on the review, Soper was notified his benefits would cease in November. Soper requested a reconsideration and his benefits resumed in December. Soper remained cancer free and began working while his file was under reconsideration. Soper did not report his medical status nor his employment status to SSA while he continued to receive Disability Insurance Benefits.
The investigation was conducted by the Office of the Inspector General. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Abby Roesler.
Hopkinsville Man Sentenced to over 11 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Methamphetamine and FentanylRead the Press Release
Paducah, KY – A Hopkinsville, Kentucky man was sentenced last week to 11 years and 6 months in federal prison for three counts of distribution of methamphetamine, one count of distribution of fentanyl, and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge J. Todd Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Office, and Chief Jason Newby of the Hopkinsville Police Department made the announcement.
According to court documents, Shaveon Richardson, 26, was sentenced to 11 years and 6 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for three counts of distribution of methamphetamine, one count of distribution of fentanyl, and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
On May 24, 2022, and June 1, 2022, Richardson distributed over 50 grams of methamphetamine in Christian County, Kentucky. On June 9, 2022, Richardson aided and abetted another person in the distribution of 96 fentanyl pills. On June 14, 2022, Richardson provided another person with approximately 1 pound of methamphetamine to distribute.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the DEA Paducah Post of Duty and the Hopkinsville Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Leigh Ann Dycus, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, prosecuted the case.
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Fort Thompson Man Sentenced for Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Fort Thompson, South Dakota, man convicted of Failing to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on December 18, 2023.
Michael Lovejoy, age 41, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Lovejoy was indicted by a federal grand jury in December of 2022. He pleaded guilty on September 25, 2023.
Lovejoy is required to register as a sex offender under federal law. Lovejoy registered an address in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, with tribal authorities in early September of 2022 following his release from prison. In mid-September, Lovejoy moved to McLaughlin, South Dakota, where he disregarded several warnings from his probation officer and tribal authorities to update his registration. Lovejoy then absconded to Fort Thompson, South Dakota. Lovejoy did not update his registration until his arrest for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender in May of 2023.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the U.S Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.
Lovejoy was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Final Defendant in Large Scale Family Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to over 22 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments.
Anahi Plascencia Cardona, 34, was sentenced on December 21, 2023, for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, to 22 years and one month in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200.
Anahi’s husband, Salvador Magana Madrigal, age 41, was sentenced on August 7, 2023, to 33 years and four months in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200.
Oscar Madrigal, age 30, was sentenced on July 27, 2022, to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Oscar Madrigal is Salvador Magana Madrigal’s brother.
Rosa Elena Magana Madrigal, age 65, was sentenced on August 15, 2022, to five years in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Rosa is the mother of Salvador Magana Madrigal and Oscar Madrigal.
Maria D. Magana-Zavala, age 53, was sentenced on December 27, 2022, to five years and 10 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Magana-Zavala is the sister of Rosa Madrigal.
William Burt Hartwick, age 54, was sentenced on November 21, 2022, to five years and 10 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Hartwick is the husband of Magana-Zavala.
All six defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in the summer of 2021. Oscar Madrigal pleaded guilty on April 4, 2022; Rosa Madrigal pleaded guilty on May 25, 2022; William Hartwick pleaded guilty on August 30, 2022; and Maria Magana-Zavala pleaded guilty on October 4, 2022. Salvador Magana Madrigal and Anahi Plascencia Cardona were found guilty of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and conspiracy to commit money laundering following a four-day federal jury trial in Sioux Falls on May 2, 2023.
The conviction stemmed from activities that started when Salvador Madrigal and Anahi Cardona, who are husband and wife, recruited other members of Madrigal’s family to assist them in obtaining large amounts of methamphetamine from California and distributing it in Sioux Falls. Salvador Madrigal and Cardona recruited Madrigal’s aunt and uncle, Maria Magana Zavala and William Hartwick, to transport methamphetamine by vehicle from California. Eventually, Salvador’s brother Oscar became involved in the conspiracy by assisting his brother in transporting and counting shipments of methamphetamine. In total, they obtained and distributed over 150 pounds of methamphetamine and 100 pounds of marijuana throughout the duration of the conspiracy.
Salvador Madrigal, Jr. and Cardona, along with Salvador’s mother, Rosa Madrigal, also intentionally conspired to knowingly conduct wire/money transfers which involved the proceeds of unlawful activities. The group conducted numerous financial transactions intended to transfer the proceeds from methamphetamine sales while concealing the nature and ownership of the money. Agents believe the group laundered over $1,000,000 of drug proceeds. At the time of their arrest, Cardona and Madrigal had approximately $215,000 stored in the garage of their home.
“This multi-defendant conspiracy case is yet another example of the impactful work the U.S. Attorney’s Office is doing alongside its law enforcement partners to dismantle drug organizations in South Dakota,” said Alison J. Ramsdell, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota. “We are especially grateful to our partners in the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the IRS-Criminal Investigations for their collaboration to bring down this family drug operation that brought more than 150 pounds of methamphetamine into our communities.”
“A 265-month sentence sends a strong message that trafficking drugs into our communities will not be tolerated," said IRS Criminal Investigation’s (CI) Assistant Special Agent in Charge Melissa McFadden, St. Louis Field Office. “When criminals launder their ill-gotten funds to hide the source of their crimes, the special agents of CI take pride in uncovering the money trail that leads to the source and helps put a stop to the drug trafficking operation.”
This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the IRS-Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.
All defendants were immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following their respective sentencings.
Eagle Butte Man Sentenced for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on December 18, 2023.
Rydell Iron Rope, age 50, was sentenced to two years and six months prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Iron Rope was indicted for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender by a federal grand jury in July of 2023. He pleaded guilty on September 15, 2023.
On September 30, 1996, Iron Rope was convicted of Sexual Abuse of a Minor. Iron Rope was subsequently convicted of Commission of a Sexual Offense While Registered as a Sexual Offender on June 16, 2008. As a result of these convictions, Iron Rope must maintain his registration for the rest of his life, including updating his registration within three business days of a change of residence address, employment, or student status. Iron Rope returned to Eagle Butte on April 10, 2023, after being convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender in North Dakota. Iron Rope registered an address on the south side of Eagle Butte with the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act Compliance Office. It was later discovered that Iron Rope had relocated to a different address in Eagle Butte without properly updating his registration.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Abby Roesler prosecuted the case.
Iron Rope was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Eagle Butte Man Sentenced for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on December 19, 2023.
Raymond Leon Blue Arm, age 51, was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Blue Arm was indicted for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender by a federal grand jury in September of 2023. He pleaded guilty on October 23, 2023.
In 1996, Blue Arm was convicted in North Dakota state court of Gross Sexual Imposition. In 2015, Blue Arm was convicted of Rape in Standing Rock Tribal Court. Both convictions require him to register as a sex offender and to update his registration within three business days of relocation or changing employment. In 2020, Blue Arm was convicted in U.S. District Court in North Dakota of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. In March of 2023, Blue Arm properly registered as a sex offender on the Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota. By July of 2023, Blue Arm began residing in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, but he did not update his sex offender registration and remained out of compliance until August 7, 2023.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Blue Arm was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Court Sentences Mobile Man to 148 Months Imprisonment in Interstate Methamphetamine Trafficking and Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – On December 18, 2023, United States Chief District Court Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock sentenced Shunn Lashun Sylvester, aka, “ATL” to 148 months imprisonment for methamphetamine trafficking and possession of a firearm in furtherance of his methamphetamine trafficking.
Documents filed with the Court in connection with his guilty plea established that on in January 2022 law enforcement arrested Sylvester after an undercover operation in which Sylvester was caught attempting to deliver 115 grams of methamphetamine in a vehicle. Sylvester also had a loaded Rossi .357 magnum handgun in the vehicle with him.
Court documents established that since January 2019 Sylvester had conspired with at least eight other named individuals to distribute methamphetamine. All of these co-conspirators were previously prosecuted on federal drug charges. Sylvester primarily served as a seller and a broker to various persons in Mobile County where Sylvester would sell directly to the buyers or broker transactions between the buyer and three different methamphetamine dealers located in the Moss Point, Mississippi area.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Mobile County Sherriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney George F. May.
California Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled SubstanceRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Long Beach, California, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on December 18, 2023.
Jamaul Carter, a/k/a Mud, a/k/a Mudd Roll, age 35, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison, followed by seven years of supervised release, a $1,000 fine, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Carter was indicted by a federal grand jury in October of 2022. He pleaded guilty on August 21, 2023.
The conviction stemmed from a drug conspiracy beginning in September of 2021 and continuing until November of 2022, when Carter was involved with several other individuals to distribute methamphetamine in and around the central South Dakota area, including on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. Carter was the source of supply of methamphetamine in California for several individuals in South Dakota. Carter would ship multiple pound quantities or personally deliver multiple pound quantities of methamphetamine to these various individuals on the reservation where the drugs were then distributed on the reservation. During the course of the conspiracy Carter conspired to distribute over 100 pounds of methamphetamine. Methamphetamine is a Schedule II controlled substance.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, the FBI’s Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, the Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.
Carter was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Box Elder Man Found Guilty of Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Vincent Alberto Barrios, age 42, of Box Elder, South Dakota, of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet, Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet, Receipt of Child Pornography, and Attempted Receipt of Child Pornography following a three-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on December 21, 2023.
The Sexual Exploitation charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years up to 30 years in custody; the Enticement charges carry a mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in prison; and the Receipt of Child Pornography charges carry a mandatory minimum of five years up to 20 years in custody. Each conviction carries the possible maximum of a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Barrios was indicted by a federal grand jury in August of 2023.
Evidence at trial established that Barrios was arrested as a result of an undercover sex trafficking operation conducted during the 2023 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, targeting internet predators. Following multiple chats and sexually explicit text messages with a person Barrios believed to be a 13-year-old girl, but who was in fact an undercover agent, Barrios proceeded to negotiate a time and place he would meet the minor to engage in unlawful sex acts. When Barrios went to the pre-determined location to meet the minor, he was instead met by law enforcement agents and placed under arrest. During this time Barrios was also chatting with two other undercover agents Barrios believed to be 14-year-old girls. After a review of Barrios’ phone, law enforcement located a text message conversation with a local 14-year-old female and child pornography.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, HSI, and the the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date has not been set. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Barren County Man Sentenced to over 4 Years in Federal Prison for Being Felon in Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
Bowling Green, KY – A Barren County, Kentucky, man was sentenced last week to 4 years and 9 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm after previously been convicted of a felony.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division made the announcement.
According to court documents, Dwayne T. Smith, 37, of Glasgow, Kentucky, was sentenced to 4 years and 9 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a Glock GMBH, model 19, nine-millimeter semiautomatic pistol on June 7, 2022. Smith was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses:
On June 25, 2019, in Barren Circuit Court, Smith was convicted of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, receiving stolen property, and possession of synthetic drugs–second or subsequent.
On October 7, 2019, in Barren Circuit Court, Smith was convicted of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the ATF with assistance from the Kentucky State Police and the Glasgow Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark J. Yurchisin II and R. Nicholas Rabold, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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22 December 2023
Wisconsin Man Charged with Possessing Destructive DeviceRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – A Janesville, Wisconsin man is charged with unlawfully possessing a destructive device in a complaint filed today in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin. James Morgan, 30, was arrested in Janesville yesterday.
According to the complaint, the Federal Bureau of Investigation received information indicating that Morgan was involved in the making of, and possession of, destructive devices. Investigators searched Morgan’s travel trailer yesterday in Janesville pursuant to a federal search warrant. The complaint alleges that six homemade destructive devices were found in a safe inside the trailer and that materials that could be used for making additional devices were also found, including two 1-pound containers of Pyrodex, a black powder substitute.
Morgan appeared in U.S. District Court in Madison, Wisconsin today. U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen L. Crocker ordered that Morgan be held in custody pending a detention hearing, which is scheduled for Friday, December 29.
If convicted, Morgan faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. The charge against him is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Janesville Police Department, and the Whitewater Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Duchemin for the Western District of Wisconsin, Assistant U.S. Attorney John Scully for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Trial Attorney Justin Sher of the Justice Department’s National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia announces Project Safe Neighborhoods Violence Reduction Microgrant Program, Fiscal Years 20-22 subawardsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia announced additional commitments as part of the Department of Justice’s Comprehensive Strategy to disrupt violent crime. Instituted by U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in May 2021, Project Safe Neighborhoods was strengthened by four new strategies that now serve as the pillars of the program: Community Engagement; Prevention and Intervention; Focused and Strategic Enforcement; and Accountability.
Through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) FY20-22, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is pleased to announce that $227,676 in funding from the Department’s Bureau of Justice Assistance has been earmarked for state and local law enforcement violence-reduction projects.
“Achieving safe and thriving communities requires ongoing, creative, and deliberative collaborations between law enforcement agencies and community stakeholders,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Microgrants under Project Safe Neighborhoods play a crucial role in furthering this goal by providing funding to local initiatives aimed at preventing crime and violence. These grants empower law enforcement agencies to implement strategies such as youth programs, community engagement activities, and intervention efforts to address the root causes of crime. By supporting these localized initiatives, microgrants can help build stronger, safer neighborhoods by fostering law enforcement and community partnerships to strengthen violent-crime prevention efforts.”
The following local law enforcement agencies will receive subawards to combat violent crime and maintain public safety: the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office; the Police Departments of Atlanta, Brookhaven, Calhoun, Clayton County, DeKalb County, East Point, Ellijay, Floyd County, Griffin, Kennesaw, Kennesaw State University, Norcross, Rome, Roswell, Smyrna, and Villa Rica; and the Sheriff’s Offices of Carroll and Douglas Counties.
The PSN microgrant funds are intended to comprehensively augment ongoing public safety efforts, including by: fostering trust and increasing legitimacy in communities; implementing and enhancing community engagement and policing strategies through the development and testing of innovative strategies; strengthening knowledge about effective practices and outcomes; supporting new, creative approaches to prevent crime and promote safer communities; addressing violent gun crime and gang violence; and bolstering improved policing strategies – all throughout our district.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Two Louisville Men Sentenced for Multiple Carjackings and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – Two Louisville men were sentenced this week to 22 and 17 years in prison for a string of armed carjackings that occurred in Jefferson County, Kentucky, from May to June of 2022.
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, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Nashville, and Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
According to court documents, Fahad Alasawi, was sentenced to 22 years in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for four counts of carjacking and four counts of possessing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Alasawi was also ordered to pay $14,158.33 in restitution.
Mauricio Diaz, was sentenced to 17 years in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for three counts of carjacking, one count of attempted carjacking, and three counts of possessing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Diaz was also ordered to pay $13,585.33 in restitution.
There is no parole in the federal system.
From May 27, 2022, through June 2, 2022, Alasawi and Diaz stole or attempted to steal five vehicles including a Toyota Corolla, a Ford Focus, a Chevrolet Traverse, and a BMW 537xi from different victims, one of whom was 12-years old, with threats of violence and while possessing a firearm. Most of the carjackings occurred in a Louisville apartment complex. Diaz admitted to acting as a look out for the carjackings while Alisawi threatened the victims with violence.
The case was investigated by The FBI Louisville Field Office, HSI Louisville, and the Louisville Metro Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Porter prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from
occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Tres hombres acusados formalmente de un ardid internacional de cohecho y lavado de activosRead the Press Release
El miércoles se dio a conocer una acusación formal de cinco cargos que imputa a un hombre de negocios de Georgia, a un antiguo funcionario del gobierno de Honduras y a un antiguo residente de Florida por su presunta participación en un ardid internacional para pagar y ocultar pagos de cohecho efectuados a funcionarios del gobierno de Honduras a fin de garantizar la obtención de contratos para suministrar uniformes y otros artículos a la Policía Nacional de Honduras.
Según los documentos del tribunal, Carl Alan Zaglin, de 68 años, es el dueño de una empresa de fabricación de uniformes y accesorios para las fuerzas públicas con sede en el estado de Georgia, e hizo su comparecencia inicial ante el tribunal federal el miércoles; Francisco Roberto Cosenza Centeno, de 65 años, es el antiguo director ejecutivo del Comité Técnico del Fideicomiso para la Administración del Fondo de Protección y Seguridad Poblacional (TASA), un organismo del gobierno de Honduras que adquiría suministros para la Policía Nacional de Honduras; y Aldo Néstor Marchena, de 50 años, era residente de Boca Ratón, Florida.
Entre marzo de 2015, o alrededor de esa fecha, y continuando hasta noviembre de 2019, o alrededor de esa fecha, Zaglin, Marchena y otros presuntamente acordaron sobornar a funcionarios del gobierno de Honduras, entre ellos Cosenza, a fin de garantizar contratos con TASA por un valor de más de $10 millones de dólares estadounidenses. A cambio de los pagos de cohecho, Cosenza y otros funcionarios del gobierno de Honduras supuestamente ayudaron a Zaglin, Marchena y otros a obtener contratos para la venta de uniformes y otros artículos para la Policía Nacional de Honduras y asegurar el pago de los contratos. Zaglin, Marchena y sus cómplices presuntamente utilizaron las ganancias de los contratos corruptos del gobierno de Honduras para efectuar pagos de cohecho a funcionarios del gobierno de Honduras. Para promover el ardid y ocultar los pagos de cohecho, Zaglin, Marchena, Cosenza y otros presuntamente lavaron las ganancias del ardid corrupto por medio de cuentas bancarias y empresas testaferro en los Estados Unidos y Belice. Según se alega en la acusación formal, para promover el ardid, los conspiradores enviaron más de $166,000 dólares estadounidenses a cuentas bancarias controladas por Cosenza y otro funcionario extranjero hondureño.
A todos los acusados se les imputa conspiración para cometer lavado de activos. Cosenza y Marchena también han sido acusados, cada uno, de un cargo de lavado de activos y un cargo de participación en transacciones con bienes derivados del delito. Zaglin y Marchena también han sido acusados, cada uno, de conspiración para violar la Ley de Prácticas Corruptas en el Extranjero (FCPA, por sus siglas en inglés). Además, a Zaglin se le imputa un cargo de violar la FCPA. De ser declarados culpables, los acusados enfrentan una pena máxima de 20 años de prisión por cada uno de los delitos de lavado de activos, 10 años de prisión por el cargo de participación en transacciones con bienes derivados del delito y cinco años de prisión por cada uno de los delitos relacionados con la ley FCPA.
La fiscal general auxiliar en funciones Nicole M. Argentieri de la División Penal del Departamento de Justicia, el fiscal de los EE. UU. Markenzy Lapointe del Distrito Sur de Florida y el agente especial a cargo Anthony Salisbury de la oficina de Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional (HSI) de Miami hicieron el anuncio.
La oficina de HSI de Miami investiga el caso con la asistencia de la oficina de HSI de Atlanta.
Los abogados litigantes Peter L. Cooch y Anthony Scarpelli de la Sección de Fraude de la División Penal y el fiscal auxiliar de los EE. UU. Eli S. Rubin del Distrito Sur de Florida procesan el caso.
En junio de 2021, el Departamento de Justicia anunció la creación de una Fuerza de Tareas Anticorrupción para centrarse en investigaciones, procesamientos y recuperaciones de activos relacionados con corrupción en Guatemala, Honduras y El Salvador por medio del programa de cumplimiento de la ley FCPA, procesamientos antinarcóticos y la Iniciativa de Recuperación de Activos de la Cleptocracia. Cualquier persona con información sobre autores corruptos en estos países que estén quebrantando las leyes de los EE. UU. o trasladando las ganancias de sus delitos en o a través de los Estados Unidos pueden informar sobre la conducta, en español o inglés, en [email protected]. Las pistas sobre posible corrupción o traslados de fondos procedentes del delito que se reciban en la dirección de correo electrónico serán revisadas por la Fuerza de Tareas Anticorrupción. Los informantes que deseen reportar actividades sospechosas o delictivas también pueden comunicarse con la línea de pistas de HSI llamando al (866) 347-2423.
La Sección de Fraude es responsable de investigar y procesar asuntos relacionados con la ley FCPA. Se puede encontrar información adicional sobre los esfuerzos de aplicación de la ley FCPA por parte del Departamento de Justicia en www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
Una acusación formal es meramente una alegación. Se presume que todos los acusados son inocentes hasta tanto se pruebe su culpabilidad más allá de una duda razonable en un tribunal de justicia.
Three Men Charged in International Bribery and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A five-count indictment was unsealed on Wednesday charging a Georgia businessman, a former Honduran government official, and a former Florida resident for their alleged participation in an international scheme to pay and conceal bribes to Honduran government officials to secure contracts to provide uniforms and other goods to the Honduran National Police.
According to court documents, Carl Alan Zaglin, 68, is the owner of a Georgia-based manufacturer of law enforcement uniforms and accessories, and made his initial appearance in federal court on Wednesday; Francisco Roberto Cosenza Centeno, 65, was the former Executive Director of the Comité Técnico del Fideicomiso para la Administración del Fondo de Protección y Seguridad Poblacional (TASA), a Honduran governmental entity that procured goods for the Honduran National Police; and Aldo Nestor Marchena, 50, was a resident of Boca Raton, Florida.
Between about March 2015 and continuing until about November 2019, Zaglin, Marchena, and others allegedly agreed to bribe Honduran government officials, including Cosenza, to secure contracts with TASA worth over $10 million. In exchange for the bribes, Cosenza and other Honduran government officials allegedly assisted Zaglin, Marchena, and others in obtaining contracts for the sale of uniforms and other goods for the Honduran National Police and securing payment on the contracts. Zaglin, Marchena, and their co-conspirators allegedly used the proceeds from the corrupt Honduran government contracts to make bribe payments to Honduran government officials. To promote the scheme and conceal the bribe payments, Zaglin, Marchena, Cosenza, and others allegedly laundered proceeds of the corrupt scheme through bank accounts and front companies in the United States and Belize. As alleged in the indictment, the conspirators sent over $166,000 to bank accounts controlled by Cosenza and another Honduran foreign official in furtherance of the scheme.
The defendants are all charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering. Cosenza and Marchena are also each charged with one count of money laundering and one count of engaging in transactions in criminally derived property. Zaglin and Marchena are also both charged with conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). Zaglin is also charged with one count of violating the FCPA. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each of the money laundering offenses, 10 years in prison on the count of engaging in transactions in criminally derived property, and five years in prison on each of the FCPA-related offenses.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations’ (HSI) Miami Office made the announcement.
HSI’s Miami Office is investigating the case, with assistance from HSI’s Atlanta Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli S. Rubin for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Peter L. Cooch and Anthony Scarpelli of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
In June 2021, the Justice Department announced an Anticorruption Task Force to focus on investigations, prosecutions, and asset recoveries related to corruption in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador through the department’s FCPA enforcement program, counternarcotics prosecutions, and Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative. Anyone with information about corrupt actors in these countries who are violating U.S. laws or moving proceeds of their crimes in or through the United States may report the conduct in Spanish or English at [email protected]. Tips regarding possible corruption or movements of ill-gotten funds that are received through the email address will be reviewed by the Anticorruption Task Force. Tipsters who want to report suspicious or criminal activity can also contact the HSI Tip Line by calling (866) 347-2423.
The Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
You may find related court documents and information on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-CR-20454.
A copy of the indictment is attached here.
Indictment##
Three Men Charged in International Bribery and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
A five-count indictment was unsealed on Wednesday charging a Georgia businessman, a former Honduran government official, and a former Florida resident for their alleged participation in an international scheme to pay and conceal bribes to Honduran government officials to secure contracts to provide uniforms and other goods to the Honduran National Police.
According to court documents, Carl Alan Zaglin, 68, is the owner of a Georgia-based manufacturer of law enforcement uniforms and accessories, and made his initial appearance in federal court on Wednesday; Francisco Roberto Cosenza Centeno, 65, was the former Executive Director of the Comité Técnico del Fideicomiso para la Administración del Fondo de Protección y Seguridad Poblacional (TASA), a Honduran governmental entity that procured goods for the Honduran National Police; and Aldo Nestor Marchena, 50, was a resident of Boca Raton, Florida.
Between about March 2015 and continuing until about November 2019, Zaglin, Marchena, and others allegedly agreed to bribe Honduran government officials, including Cosenza, to secure contracts with TASA worth over $10 million. In exchange for the bribes, Cosenza and other Honduran government officials allegedly assisted Zaglin, Marchena, and others in obtaining contracts for the sale of uniforms and other goods for the Honduran National Police and securing payment on the contracts. Zaglin, Marchena, and their co-conspirators allegedly used the proceeds from the corrupt Honduran government contracts to make bribe payments to Honduran government officials. To promote the scheme and conceal the bribe payments, Zaglin, Marchena, Cosenza, and others allegedly laundered proceeds of the corrupt scheme through bank accounts and front companies in the United States and Belize. As alleged in the indictment, the conspirators sent over $166,000 to bank accounts controlled by Cosenza and another Honduran foreign official in furtherance of the scheme.
The defendants are all charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering. Cosenza and Marchena are also each charged with one count of money laundering and one count of engaging in transactions in criminally derived property. Zaglin and Marchena are also both charged with conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). Zaglin is also charged with one count of violating the FCPA. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each of the money laundering offenses, 10 years in prison on the count of engaging in transactions in criminally derived property, and five years in prison on each of the FCPA-related offenses.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations’ (HSI) Miami Office made the announcement.
HSI’s Miami Office is investigating the case, with assistance from HSI’s Atlanta Office.
Trial Attorneys Peter L. Cooch and Anthony Scarpelli of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli S. Rubin for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
In June 2021, the Justice Department announced an Anticorruption Task Force to focus on investigations, prosecutions, and asset recoveries related to corruption in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador through the department’s FCPA enforcement program, counternarcotics prosecutions, and Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative. Anyone with information about corrupt actors in these countries who are violating U.S. laws or moving proceeds of their crimes in or through the United States may report the conduct in Spanish or English at [email protected]. Tips regarding possible corruption or movements of ill-gotten funds that are received through the email address will be reviewed by the Anticorruption Task Force. Tipsters who want to report suspicious or criminal activity can also contact the HSI Tip Line by calling (866) 347-2423.
The Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Tahlequah Resident Sentenced for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announces that Shawna Marie Robledo, age 44, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 51 months imprisonment for one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Tahlequah Police Department, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On December 12, 2022, Robledo pleaded guilty to an Information of one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. On October 27, 2020, law enforcement officers discovered Robledo in possession of multiple clear baggies containing over 50 grams of methamphetamine mixture intended for distribution.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the sentencing hearing in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Robledo will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney T. Cameron McEwen represented the United States at sentencing.
Tahlequah Resident Sentenced for Assault with A Dangerous WeaponRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Ashly Mae Murphy, age 30, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 48 months in prison for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country.
The charges arose from investigations by the Tahlequah Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On October 18, 2022, Murphy pleaded guilty to the crime. According to investigators, on July 4, 2021, Murphy stabbed the victim more than 20 times with a knife.
The crime occurred in Cherokee County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing in Muskogee. Murphy will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Sumner Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Bankruptcy FraudRead the Press Release
A woman who hid a $147,000 inheritance check from her creditors in bankruptcy court was sentenced on December 21, 2023, to federal prison. Debra S. Leisinger, age 58, from Sumner, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 7, 2023 guilty plea to one count of bankruptcy concealment.
In a plea agreement, Leisinger admitted that, on December 8, 2022, she filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, by means of sworn court filings. When a debtor files a petition seeking protection from creditors under the bankruptcy laws, a “bankruptcy estate” is created, which is comprised of all property belonging to the debtor, wherever located, and by whomever held, as of the time of the filing of the bankruptcy case, and debtors must truthfully disclose their assets to the court in court filings. Leisinger admitted she fraudulently concealed that she was in possession of a $147,969.28 inheritance check on the date she filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. An attorney had handed Leisinger the check on December 1, 2022, but Leisinger did not immediately cash it. On December 16, 2022, Leisinger cashed the check into an account she controlled at a local credit union. As a part of her scheme, Leisinger attempted to discharge over $65,000 in debts that she owed to her creditors but keep her entire inheritance. Ultimately, the United States Trustee discovered Leisinger’s scheme, she waived her Chapter 7 discharge, her bankruptcy was dismissed, her inheritance was applied to repay her creditors, and she was prosecuted federally.
Leisinger was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Leisinger was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment. Leisinger was also ordered to repay $5,000 for her court-appointed attorney fees. She must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Leisinger was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal in January 2024.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Office of the U.S. Trustee referred and assisted in the investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-2028.
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St. Louis Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Meth TraffickingRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A St. Louis, Mo., man traveling by bus from Los Angeles, Calif., was sentenced in federal court today after more than 31 pounds of methamphetamine was found in his luggage at a Kansas City, Mo., bus station.
Cregg L. Matthews, 56, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to 20 years in federal prison without parole. Matthews was sentenced as a career offender due to his prior felony convictions.
Matthews was found guilty at trial on June 6, 2023, of one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.
On March 9, 2019, investigators believed Matthews was traveling on a bus from California and would be arriving at a bus station in Kansas City, Mo., and could be transporting a large amount of methamphetamine.
Law enforcement officers at the bus station used a service canine to check the luggage under the bus in the luggage bins. After the bus arrived and the passengers were off the bus, a police service canine alerted to a suitcase with Matthews’s name on it. Matthews was carrying a black bag when he was contacted by the police. A police service canine also alerted to that bag.
When investigators searched the black bag Matthews was carrying, they found 10 bundles of methamphetamine that weighed a total of 10 pounds. In the suitcase retrieved from the bus, investigators found 16 bundles of methamphetamine that weighed a total of 21.6 pounds.
Matthews was discharged from parole about a year before he committed this federal offense, after a 10-year prison sentence for possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute. Including this conviction, Matthews has three drug-trafficking convictions and a prior felony conviction of statutory rape. While in pretrial custody in this case, according to court documents, he was in a jail fight.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean T. Foley and John Constance. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, MoWIN (the Missouri Western Interdiction and Narcotics Task Force), and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Sallisaw Resident Sentenced for Involuntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Troy Allen Stevenson, age 23, of Sallisaw, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 48 months in prison for Involuntary Manslaughter in Indian Country.
The charges arose from investigations by the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office, the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On October 13, 2022, Stevenson was found guilty by a federal jury at trial. On July 17, 2021, after being assaulted by his estranged father, Stevenson responded with excessive force, shooting and killing him.
The crimes occurred in Sequoyah County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing in Muskogee. Stevenson will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin Gross and Derick Blakely represented the United States.
St. Croix Woman Charged with Wire FraudRead the Press Release
St. Croix, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Nicole Morales, 47, a native of St. Croix, was charged in a 153-count wire fraud indictment.
According to court documents, on November 10, 2015, Morales began her employment as an office manager with Nichols, Newman, Logan, Grey and Lockwood, P.C. where she was responsible for processing employee payroll. In December 2015 through January 2019, Morales was engaged in a pattern of inflating her payroll. During this period, Morales also wired $371,595.74 from her employer’s bank account into three separate personal bank accounts. If convicted, Morales faces a sentence of up to 20 years imprisonment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel H. Huston.
Retired Police Officer Sentenced for Falsifying ATF Form to Transfer Machine GunRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A former Portland police officer was sentenced on Thursday in U.S. District Court in Portland for falsifying an application to acquire a machine gun.
Chief U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy sentenced Levi Thomas Robinson Jr., 69, to two months incarceration followed by two years of supervised release. Robinson pleaded guilty on June 21, 2023.
According to court records, Robinson was the owner of a federally licensed firearms dealer (FFL), Robinson Arms in North Yarmouth. In October 2022, he provided a falsified letter that included a forged signature of a Portland Police Department official and was written on department stationery in an attempt to transfer a Kriss USA Inc. Vector Cal. .45 ACP machine gun to Robinson Arms from an FFL in Rockwell, Texas. An FFL who pays the special occupational tax may acquire samples of post-1986 machine guns in order to demonstrate them to governmental entities for possible purchase. The qualifying FFL must obtain a letter from the governmental entity stating they are interested in having a demonstration of the machine gun for evaluation and possible purchase.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods: This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. To learn more information about Project Safe Neighborhood, visit www.justice.gov/psn.
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Pocatello Man Sentenced to over 11 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Joshua Christopher Tompkins, 35, of Pocatello, was sentenced to 140 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today. Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also sentenced Tompkins to serve 15 years of supervised release following his prison term.
According to court records, in July 2022, the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force found that an electronic device with an IP address associated with Tompkins had downloaded thousands of images of child pornography. In December 2022, investigators obtained and executed a search warrant at Tompkins’s residence where they seized several electronic devices belonging to him. Upon searching Tompkins’s electronic devices, investigators discovered the thousands of illicit images that Tompkins downloaded from the internet.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the investigation by the Idaho ICAC Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations in Idaho Falls, the Idaho Falls Police Department, and the Pocatello Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Paskett prosecuted this case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. As part of Project Safe Childhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office partner to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Pittsburg County Resident Sentenced for Distribution of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Layla Ann Myers, age 30, of McAlester, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 46 months in prison for Distribution of Methamphetamine.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics.
On December 12, 2022, Myers pleaded guilty to one count of Distribution of Methamphetamine. According to investigators, on March 19, 2021, Myers sold over 125 grams of methamphetamine.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearings in Muskogee. Myers will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney Erin Cornell represented the United States.
Phillips Respironics Pays $2.4 Million for Allegedly Giving KickbacksRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – December 22, 2023
SAN DIEGO – Phillips Respironics, a manufacturer of durable medical equipment based in Pennsylvania, has paid $2,471,359.25 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by giving kickbacks to sleep laboratories.
The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits paying money or giving goods to induce referrals for medical services or items covered by a federal health care program, such as Medicare, Medicaid or TRICARE. Claims submitted to these programs in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute give rise to liability under the False Claims Act.
The settlement resolves allegations that from 2016 through 2021, Philips RS North America LLC f/k/a Philips Respironics, Inc. provided sleep labs with free masks used to treat and diagnose sleep-related respiratory disorders to induce the labs’ physicians to write referrals or prescriptions for Respironics-brand masks that suppliers would fill and bill to federal health care programs.
“When kickbacks are used as bribes, patients suffer,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “Companies like Phillips Respironics will be held accountable if they undermine our trust in the medical system and shift medical advice from a patient’s best interest to lining their own pockets.”
“Respironics’ improper inducements corrupted the integrity of federal healthcare programs, including the Department of Defense's (DoD) TRICARE program,” said Bryan D. Denny, Special Agent-in-Charge of the DoD Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Western Field Office. “DCIS will continue to pursue those who defraud or attempt to defraud TRICARE, because those deceptive actions ultimately harm those defending our country and their families.”
This settlement was the result of a coordinated effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California; the Defense Criminal Investigative Service; the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General and Office of Counsel to the Inspector General; the Defense Health Agency Office of General Counsel; the Civil Division of the United States Department of Justice; and the National Association of Medicaid Fraud Control Units.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dylan M. Aste.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Owensboro Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine and Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
Owensboro, KY – This week an Owensboro man was sentenced to 25 years in prison for methamphetamine and fentanyl trafficking charges.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Sheila Lyons of the DEA Chicago Field Division, and Chief Art Ealum of the Owensboro Police Department made the announcement.
According to court documents, Willie Watkins, 32, was sentenced to 25 years in prison, followed by a 5-year term of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a methamphetamine mixture and conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a fentanyl mixture.
The following co-defendants have previously been sentenced in this case.
On November 10, 2023, Richard Cason, 32, of Owensboro, was sentenced to 15 years and 10 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a methamphetamine mixture and conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a fentanyl mixture.
On February 16, 2023, Keith Watkins, 30, of Owensboro, was sentenced to 8 years and 4 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a methamphetamine mixture, conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a fentanyl mixture, and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl.
On December 13, 2023, Samuel White, 30, of Owensboro, was sentenced to 5 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a methamphetamine mixture, conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a fentanyl mixture, and distribution of methamphetamine.
On October 24, 2022, William Harvey Duhart, 40, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a fentanyl mixture.
On August 10, 2022, Derrick Lamont Bullitt, 40, of Louisville, was sentenced to 17 years and 6 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a methamphetamine mixture and conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a fentanyl mixture.
On June 9, 2022, Jeremy Poiles, 41, of Owensboro, was sentenced to 10 years and 10 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a methamphetamine mixture and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Co-defendants Christopher McNary and Nache Moore have previously pled guilty and will be sentenced at a later date.
The DEA Evansville Resident Office and the Owensboro Police Department investigated the case, with assistance from the Daviess County Sheriff’s Office and the ATF.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Dahl is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Odessan Sentenced to Prison for Smuggling Cocaine Inside Wheels of CheeseRead the Press Release
ALPINE, Texas – An Odessa man was sentenced in a federal court in Pecos to 37 months in prison for importing cocaine through the Presidio Port of Entry.
According to court documents, Aaron Balderrama, 23, advised U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers that he possessed “a couple bags of cheese” in his vehicle when he attempted to enter the U.S. from Mexico on July 20. The officers noticed four wheels of cheese inside the vehicle and proceeded with a secondary inspection. Upon inspection it was revealed that the wheels of cheese contained seven bundles of a substance that tested positive for properties of cocaine.
“Drug traffickers regularly try to disguise their product and sneak illicit substances past our proven safeguards and trained agents,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “Thanks to the keen eye and awareness of our port of entry partners, we continue to prevent drugs like this from infiltrating our communities and prosecute those who challenge us.”
“HSI remains committed to combatting the drug threat, keeping our communities safe from dangerous drugs, and bringing to justice traffickers who attempt to bring them into the country,” said Special Agent in Charge Francisco B. Burrola for the HSI El Paso Division. “Our robust, ongoing partnership with our law enforcement partners is crucial when investigating, prosecuting and punishing drug dealers.”
HSI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy Greenbaum and Kevin Cayton prosecuted the case.
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New York Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New York man was sentenced yesterday for distributing approximately three kilograms of fentanyl and 592 grams of fentanyl analogue in Woburn.
Ruben Davila Cardenas, 45, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf to four years in prison and three years of supervised release. On Sept. 25, 2023, Cardenas pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
In October 2021, Cardenas travelled from New York City to Boston and distributed approximately three kilograms of fentanyl and over 500 grams of fentanyl analogue to a cooperating source in Woburn.
Early in the day on Oct. 19, 2021, Cardenas picked up approximately three kilograms of fentanyl and over 500 grams of fentanyl analogue from an individual in New York City. Cardenas then travelled with the narcotics to Boston on a bus and to Woburn via a ride-share vehicle. There, Cardenas distributed the fentanyl and fentanyl analogue in a backpack to a cooperating source. Cardenas was immediately apprehended. The backpack was found to contain three kilograms of fentanyl and several thousand pills of fentanyl analogue.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in New England; John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; and Colonel Mark B. Hall, Director of the New Hampshire State Police made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
New York Man Pleads Guilty to Smuggling Cocaine from Panama to FloridaRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Egbert Philip (58, New York) has pleaded guilty to conspiring to import more than five kilograms of cocaine into the United States. He faces a minimum mandatory term of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, in April 2022 at the seaport in Colon, Panama, coconspirators loaded a container vessel with 15 kilograms of cocaine inside a refrigeration unit to avoid detection. On April 26, 2022, the vessel arrived in Port Everglades, Florida. Philip assisted with securing personnel at the port to offload the 15 kilograms of cocaine for further distribution, but law enforcement seized it.
The conspirators tried again in November 2022. This time, they hid 112 kilograms of cocaine on the container vessel. Philip was the intended recipient of the cocaine, and on December 7, 2022, he tried to receive the cocaine in Sarasota, Florida for further distribution throughout the state. However, he was arrested shortly after he loaded the cocaine into his car.
This case was investigated by the Panama Express Strike Force, an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) comprised of agents and analysts from the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and U.S. Southern Command's Joint Interagency Task Force South. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. The Sarasota Police Department also provided valuable assistance and coordination for this case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David J. Pardo.
Murray County Resident Sentenced for Federal Drug OffenseRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that William Parker Gray, age 34, of Sulphur, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 151 months in prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Murray County Sheriff’s Department.
On December 12, 2022, Parker pleaded guilty to one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. According to investigators, on October 11, 2022, Murray County Sheriff’s Officers conducting a traffic stop discovered Gray in possession of over 300 grams of methamphetamine, firearms, and a large sum of U.S. currency.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearings in Muskogee. Parker will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney Erin Cornell represented the United States.
Mexican man imprisoned for selling drugs out of Houston barber shopRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 45-year-old Mexican citizen illegally residing in Houston has been sentenced following his conviction of possession with intent to distribute nearly 50 kilograms of various narcotics, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Merbin Leodan Inestroza-Perez pleaded guilty Oct. 6.
U.S. District Judge David Hittner has now ordered Inestroza-Perez to serve 235 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, Judge Hittner noted the large amount of drugs and questioned his family members on their knowledge of the extent of the quantity of narcotics. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the negative impact drugs have had on the community. The court emphasized that authorities seized 500 grams of fentanyl from Inestroza-Perez and its potential deadly effects.
The investigation revealed Inestroza-Perez was distributing meth out of a local barber shop in Houston.
On March 25, 2022, law enforcement conducted a controlled delivery of 111 grams of meth from him and subsequently conducted a search of his residence. At that time, authorities discovered 30 kilograms of cocaine, nearly 18 kilograms of meth, over 500 grams of fentanyl and eight firearms. The total amount of the narcotics had an estimated street value of $850,000.
The investigation further revealed Inestroza-Perez was in league with individuals located in South Texas. The other conspirators have since been convicted and are pending sentencing.
Inestroza-Perez will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety and Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jimmy Leo prosecuted the case.
Metro Nashville Agrees to Settle Allegations that it Violated the Americans with Disabilities ActRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee announced today that the United States has reached an agreement with the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee (“Metro Nashville”) to settle allegations that Metro Nashville violated Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) by failing to provide reasonable modifications to policies to allow disabled individuals who are unable to attend public meetings in person to attend remotely. As part of the settlement, Metro Nashville will revise its ADA policies and pay $500.00 to the complainant who brought this issue to the United States’ attention.
“We are committed to enforcing the rights of persons with disabilities in Tennessee,” said United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis. “Individuals with disabilities that prevent them from in-person attendance at public meetings should receive reasonable accommodations to allow them to fully participate and vote in such meetings. It is the right thing to do and federal law requires as much.”
The United States alleged that Metro Nashville failed to provide the complainant with a reasonable accommodation, called a modification in the Title II context, that would permit the complainant to vote in public meetings virtually. The complainant’s disability prevented the complainant from attending in-person meetings of a public committee of Metro Nashville without severe discomfort. The complainant requested a modification to attend and vote in meetings of the committee by virtual or other electronic means, but Metro Nashville refused to grant a modification.
Under the terms of the Settlement Agreement, where an individual’s disability prevents that person from attending meetings of a local government board, commission, or other body in person, Metro Nashville will permit such individuals to fully participate virtually. Metro Nashville has also agreed to update its policies and procedures to fully implement this Agreement. As a result of this settlement, the participation of a person with a disability in virtual meetings shall not be diminished in any way, and they shall be entitled to vote, count towards a quorum, make and second motions, and otherwise permitted to participate in the same manner in which they would have if they were attending public meetings in person.
The civil claims settled by this Settlement Agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Tackeff investigated the complaint and negotiated the Settlement Agreement.
The Department of Justice has a number of publications available to assist entities in complying with the ADA including a Technical Assistance Publication entitled: ADA Requirements: Effective Communication and a Business Brief on Communicating with People Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing in Hospital Settings. For more information on the ADA and to access these publications, visit www.ada.gov or call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD). ADA complaints may be filed by email to [email protected].
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McCurtain County Residents Sentenced for Assault and Firearms Offenses at Mountain Fork RiverRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that McCurtain County residents Anthony Juan Armenta, age 34, and Kevin Ray Ward, age 39, were sentenced for assault and firearms offenses.
On December 1, 2023, the federal court sentenced Armenta to 240 months in prison for one count of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country, two counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country, and one count of Use Carry, Brandish, and Discharge of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.
On June 2, 2023, the federal court sentenced Ward to 180 months in prison for one count of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country, two counts of Assault with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country, and one count of Use, Carry Brandish, and Discharge of a Firearm During and In Relation to a Crime of Violence.
The charges arose from investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the McCurtain County Sheriff’s Office.
The trial for Armenta and Ward began on August 16, 2022, and concluded on Friday, August 19, 2022, with a federal jury finding Armenta and Ward guilty on all counts of the Indictment. During the trial, the United States presented evidence that on May 24, 2020, Armenta and Ward confronted three individuals returning from fishing on the Mountain Fork River. During the confrontation, Armenta and Ward beat one of the victims with a tire iron, and shot at all three of the victims, hitting one twice in the abdomen.
The crimes occurred in McCurtain County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Patrick R. Wyrick, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, sitting by assignment, presided over the sentencing hearings in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Armenta is in the custody of the United States Bureau of Prisons serving a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Ward will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin D. Traster and Nicole Paladino represented the United States.
Luzerne County Man Sentenced to 70 Months’ Imprisonment for Crystal Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Yerigardy Tejeda-Zoquier, age 23, of West Hazleton, Luzerne County, was sentenced on December 21, 2023, by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, to 70 months’ imprisonment on the charge of possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of crystal methamphetamine.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Tejeda-Zoquier previously pleaded guilty and admitted to possessing between 500 grams and 1.5 kilograms of highly pure crystal methamphetamine for further distribution in the Luzerne County and Carbon County areas in 2021. Investigators purchased crystal methamphetamine from Tejeda-Zoquier on multiple occasions between January and March 2021, in both Luzerne and Carbon Counties, and then seized additional crystal methamphetamine from two vehicles utilized by Tejeda-Zoquier.
The charges against the defendant resulted from an investigation conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Luzerne County Man Sentenced to 24 Months’ Imprisonment for Committing $350,000 in Covid-19 Pandemic FraudRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Daniel Wasielewski, age 59, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on December 21, 2023, by United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion to 24 months of imprisonment, for committing pandemic fraud. Wasielewski also was sentenced to serve a three-year term of supervised release following imprisonment.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Wasielewski pleaded guilty to filing and assisting others in filing fraudulent applications for pandemic stimulus funds, including under the Payment Protection Program (PPP), for Economic Injury and Disaster Loans (EIDLs), and for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits. The PPP and EIDL applications submitted by Wasielewski and his coconspirators were filed on behalf of corporate entities that did not, in fact, have actual business operations, and that bore false revenues and other business information. The applications also included forged IRS tax documents and stolen personal information.
Wasielewski received approximately $350,000 in PPP, EIDL, PUA, and other fraudulently-obtained funds, for himself and others. Instead of using the funds on business expenses, Wasielewski and others used them to purchase cryptocurrency and on other personal expenses. Banking and law enforcement officials successfully froze and recovered approximately $150,000 of the stolen funds, and Wasielewski was ordered to pay restitution to the remaining victims.
The PPP and EIDL programs, both funded by the March 2020 CARES Act, were designed to help small businesses facing financial difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic. PPP funds were offered in forgivable loans, provided that certain criteria are met, including use of the funds for employee payroll, mortgage interest, lease, and utilities expenses. EIDL funds are offered in low-interest rate loans, designated for specific business expenses, such as fixed debts, payroll, and business obligation. The PUA program was created by the CARES Act, as part of the United States government’s efforts to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the public’s health and economic well-being. The PUA program was designed to provide unemployment benefits to individuals not eligible for regular unemployment compensation or extended unemployment benefits.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo prosecuted the case.
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Las Vegas-Area Accountant Sentenced to Prison for Bribery and Tax FraudRead the Press Release
A Nevada man was sentenced Wednesday to 13 months in prison for his role in separate bribery and tax fraud conspiracies.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Dustin M. Lewis, of Henderson, was a certified public accountant employed by Las Vegas-based accounting firm L.L. Bradford & Company. Beginning in February 2015 through about February 2016, Lewis conspired with and paid a public official with the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) more than $150,000 in bribes and kickbacks. In exchange for those payments, Lewis’ co-conspirator, who was a member of a selection committee responsible for awarding government contracts to perform auditing services for USBR programs, steered an audit contract to L.L. Bradford.
Lewis and his co-conspirator also conspired to file a false 2013 corporate tax return and other tax forms on behalf of six business entities that collectively claimed over $11 million in fraudulent business deductions. Lewis’ conduct caused a tax loss to the IRS of more than $1.5 million.
In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Andrew P. Gordon for the District of Nevada ordered Lewis to serve three years of supervised release and to pay approximately $704,002 in restitution. The court also imposed a criminal forfeiture money judgment against Lewis in the amount of $704,002.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation, the FBI and the U.S. Department of Interior’s Office of Inspector General investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Patrick Burns of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Myhre for the District of Nevada prosecuted the case.
Las Vegas-Area Accountant Sentenced to Prison for Bribery and Tax FraudRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS - A Nevada man was sentenced Wednesday to 13 months in prison for his role in separate bribery and tax fraud conspiracies.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Dustin M. Lewis, of Henderson, was a certified public accountant employed by Las Vegas-based accounting firm L.L. Bradford & Company. Beginning in February 2015 through about February 2016, Lewis conspired with and paid a public official with the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) more than $150,000 in bribes and kickbacks. In exchange for those payments, Lewis’ co-conspirator, who was a member of a selection committee responsible for awarding government contracts to perform auditing services for USBR programs, steered an audit contract to L.L. Bradford.
Lewis and his co-conspirator also conspired to file a false 2013 corporate tax return and other tax forms on behalf of six business entities that collectively claimed over $11 million in fraudulent business deductions. Lewis’ conduct caused a tax loss to the IRS of more than $1.5 million.
In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Andrew P. Gordon for the District of Nevada ordered Lewis to serve three years of supervised release and to pay approximately $704,002 in restitution. The court also imposed a criminal forfeiture money judgment against Lewis in the amount of $704,002.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation, the FBI and the U.S. Department of Interior’s Office of Inspector General investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Patrick Burns of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Myhre for the District of Nevada prosecuted the case.
Justice Department Secures Denaturalization of Convicted Serial Child Rapist Who Fraudulently Obtained U.S. CitizenshipRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO – On December 20, 2023, the Honorable Catherine C. Eagles, Chief United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, entered an order revoking the naturalized U.S. citizenship of a convicted serial child rapist. The court held that defendant Gaetan Joseph Helard Lecompte, a native of Canada, illegally procured his U.S. citizenship. The court’s order was based on its finding that Lecompte lacked the good moral character required to naturalize because he had fraudulently concealed numerous sexual offenses in order to illegally procure citizenship.
According to court records, on July 17, 2009, Lecompte made a materially false statement under penalty of perjury on his naturalization application. In response to the question “Have you ever committed a crime or offense for which you were not arrested?” he answered “No.” On October 5, 2009, Lecompte was interviewed in person and under oath by a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officer. During the interview, Lecompte orally testified that he had never committed a crime or offense for which he had not been arrested. On October 29, 2009, Lecompte took the Oath of Allegiance and was granted U.S. citizenship.
On August 1, 2011, in the Superior Court of North Carolina in Forsyth County, Lecompte was convicted of 52 felony offenses, including statutory rape, first degree sex offense with a child, indecent liberties with a child, and dissemination of obscene materials to a minor. Lecompte was sentenced to a life term of imprisonment. He confessed to having committed the offenses against five different child victims between 1991 and 2005. Lecompte was not arrested until after he naturalized, thus immigration officials were unaware of his crimes.
United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina made the announcement. The case was investigated by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Division as part of Operation False Haven, an ongoing initiative designed to aggressively target child molesters and other egregious felons who fraudulently obtained citizenship. The case was jointly prosecuted by a Trial Attorney of the Civil Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation Enforcement Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Zeller of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina, with assistance from ICE’s Office of the Principal Legal Advisor.
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