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14 December 2023
West Plains Man Sentenced to 40 Years for Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A West Plains, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for the sexual exploitation of a 13-month-old child and distributing child pornography.
Kenneth Howard Worthy, 48, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 40 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Worthy to 15 years of supervised release following incarceration. Worthy will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.
On Dec. 6, 2022, Worthy was found guilty at trial of one count of the sexual exploitation of a child by producing child pornography and one count of distributing child pornography.
Worthy’s criminal activities came to light during an investigation of another individual involved with child pornography. That individual informed investigators that Worthy had transmitted images of himself engaged in sexual acts with a child.
On March 4, 2021, law enforcement officers contacted Worthy at his residence. Worthy admitted that he had used a child victim under the age of two, identified in court documents as “John Doe,” to produce child pornography. Worthy also told investigators he sent pornographic images of the child victim to another person.
Officers seized Worthy’s cell phone. Investigators found 10 images of child pornography that depicted John Doe and Worthy.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cameron Beaver, James J. Kelleher and Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, and the West Plains, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Venezuelan Citizen Found Guilty of Three Separate Hostage-Takings of American Citizens in the Dominican RepublicRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Deivy Jose Rodriguez Delgado, 29, a Venezuelan national, was found guilty on December 11 in the District of Columbia for the 2022 hostage-takings of three U.S. Citizens in the Dominican Republic at knifepoint.
The conviction was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office.
A jury in U.S. District Court convicted Delgado of conspiracy to commit hostage-taking and three counts of hostage-taking. Chief U.S. District Court Judge James E. Boasberg scheduled sentencing for Apr. 12, 2024.
According to the government’s evidence, Delgado, also known as “Sebastian,” kidnapped the men in separate instances between July 5 and July 30, 2022. In all three instances, Delgado lured his victim online with the promise of a friendly “date,” and picked the victim up in his car. After driving a short distance, Delgado stopped suddenly to let an accomplice into the backseat, at which point Delgado and his accomplice held the victim at knifepoint and demanded ransom for their release. Delgado demanded ransom from each of the three men and asked for it to be paid to various online banking accounts, including the same CashApp account.
All three victims were forced at knifepoint to call their friends and family and ask for money to secure their release. The victims were held in captivity by Delgado and his accomplices for extended periods of time and were only released after Delgado believed a ransom payment had been made by their friends and family. In all three hostage takings, the victims were also robbed of their personal belongings before being released on the streets of the Dominican Republic.
Following victim reports and a request from the FBI to act on the hostage takings, Dominican authorities began an investigation in August 2022. Local law enforcement in the Dominican Republic traced a vehicle used in one of the hostage takings to Delgado and arrested him on Sept. 10, 2022. During a search of the vehicle, Dominican authorities found two serrated knifes, similar to those used in the hostage takings. On Oct. 4, 2022, Dominican authorities transferred Delgado to U.S. custody.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Miami Field Office.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Korba and Jolie Zimmerman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow Statement on the Passing of Judge Nydia M. Cotto VivesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow released the following statement regarding the passing of The Honorable Nydia M. Cotto Vives, President of the Independent Prosecutor Panel, on behalf of the United States Attorney’s Office.
We are saddened by the passing of former Judge of the Puerto Rico Court of Appeals Nydia M. Cotto Vives. She was a tireless public servant, distinguished jurist and a great woman who served the Court of Appeals, the Puerto Rico Superior Court, and the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections, and served them all with righteousness and distinction. We honor her many years of dedicated public service.
On behalf of the United States Attorney’s Office, I extend our deepest condolences to her family, her colleagues on the Panel, and all who knew and admired her. May her memory be eternal.
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Two Plead Guilty, One Sentenced in Separate Fentanyl CasesRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – Two co-defendants pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges and one defendant was sentenced to prison today resulting from separate investigations into the distribution of large amounts of fentanyl in the Athens and Milledgeville communities.
James Hill, 41, of Athens, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years up to a maximum sentence of life in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release and a maximum $10,000,000 fine. Co-defendant Jasmine Jackson, 29, of Athens, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl and faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a maximum $1,000,000 fine. Both defendants entered their guilty pleas before U.S. District Judge Tilman E. “Tripp” Self, III on Dec. 14 in Case No. 3:22-CR-25. Sentencing is scheduled for March 21, 2024, at the U.S. Courthouse in Athens.
Brandon Ector aka “Big,” 39, of Atlanta was sentenced to serve 150 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release by Chief U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell on Dec. 14 after he previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in Case No. 5:22-CR-40. Ector is not eligible for parole.
“Stopping armed fentanyl trafficking and holding those associated with its distribution accountable is a top priority for our office and our law enforcement partners across the Middle District of Georgia,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Thanks to the efforts of many law enforcement agencies in both investigations, nearly four kilograms of fentanyl was prevented from circulating in the Athens and Milledgeville communities. Law enforcement is facing unprecedented challenges, and I am grateful for their dedication to protecting our citizens.”
“The success of these investigations demonstrates DEA will use all of its resources to destroy drug distribution networks that are endangering our communities,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division.
According to court documents in the Hill and Jackson case, a confidential informant working with the Northeast Georgia Regional Drug Task Force provided information that Hill was mixing fentanyl into heroin and selling it inside his Athens apartment located on Chateau Terrace that he shared with his girlfriend, co-defendant Jackson. A search warrant was executed at the apartment on Nov. 11, 2021, and agents found two plastic bags later confirmed to contain heroin and fentanyl in one and fentanyl in the other. In a kitchen cabinet, investigators located a small laboratory with mixing containers, measuring utensils, Acetone and a mixer, which they suspected Hill was using to mix the narcotics he was distributing. Investigators located additional, but smaller, quantities of drugs in Hill’s automobiles. Another search warrant was executed on the same day at the Sleep Inn and Suites in Athens, where Hill was using rooms to store and distribute narcotics. Agents seized 1.3 kilograms of fentanyl, two pistols, $33,525 cash, approximately 70 grams of heroin and 27.8 grams of methamphetamine.
According to court documents in the Ector case, law enforcement agents with the DEA Macon Resident Office, GBI and Ocmulgee Drug Task Force received credible information from multiple confidential sources regarding illegal drug activities occurring in the Milledgeville area in July 2020. Co-defendant Damon Hayes aka “D-5” was identified as a multi-kilogram distributor of methamphetamine, powder cocaine and crack cocaine operating in Milledgeville. Ector was a member of Hayes’ drug trafficking organization. Through surveillance, agents observed Hayes acquire bulk quantities of narcotics from co-defendant Lagary Williams aka “Frog” at his luxury high-rise apartment in downtown Atlanta, where Ector resided. On Sept. 10, 2021, a federal search warrant was executed at Williams’ Atlanta apartment. Both Williams and Ector attempted to flee law enforcement by jumping from the apartment’s balcony. Ector broke a bone from the jump. Agents recovered 2.5 kilograms of fentanyl in the apartment, as well as one kilogram of methamphetamine, two kilograms of cocaine, approximately 50 grams of cocaine base, approximately seven pounds of marijuana, a Glock 19 9mm pistol and a Ruger model 57 handgun. For more information about this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation and the other co-defendants in this case, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdga/pr/atlanta-based-fentanyl-meth-supplier-central-georgia-pleads-guilty.
The Hill and Jackson case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Northeast Georgia Regional Drug Task Force and the Athens-Clarke County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Morrison is prosecuting the case for the Government.
The Ector case was investigated by DEA, GBI, the Ocmulgee Drug Task Force, the Baldwin County Sherriff’s Office, the Wilkinson County Sheriff’s Office, the Jones County Sheriff’s Office, the Atlanta-Carolina’s HIDTA Office and the Gwinnett Metro Task Force. Deputy Criminal Chief Will Keyes prosecuted the case for the Government. Former Middle District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Kalim previously prosecuted the case.
Two Los Angeles County Men Agree to Plead Guilty in Connection with Bribery Scheme to Unlawfully Obtain Tribal Police BadgesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Two Los Angeles-area men who unlawfully sold or purchased police badges from a southeastern San Diego County tribe – one who lied to the FBI about the scheme, the other who was arrested while high on drugs while carrying a stash of firearms and claiming to be a police officer – have agreed to plead guilty, the Justice Department announced today.
The two defendants named in court papers filed Tuesday are:
- Colin Gilbert, 80, of Marina del Rey, who has agreed to plead guilty to one count of making false statements, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison; and
- Akiva Grunewald, 45, of West Los Angeles, who has agreed to plead guilty to one count of bribery, a crime that carries a penalty of up to 10 years in federal prison.
Gilbert and Grunewald are expected to formally enter guilty pleas in the coming weeks.
According to court documents, beginning in 2016, Gilbert and others recruited wealthy people to join the Manzanita Tribal Police Department. Gilbert lived approximately 177 miles – three hours by car – from the Manzanita Reservation, was not a member of and had no affiliation with the Manzanita Tribe. The wealthy individuals were asked to make a large payment, ranging from $5,000 to $100,000 and sometimes styled as a “donation,” in exchange for membership in the Manzanita PD, which they wanted because of the benefits they believed having law enforcement credentials would bring them.
In August 2019, Gilbert arranged for an individual whom Gilbert understood had no prior law enforcement experience or training to become a member of the Manzanita Tribal Police Department after making a $5,000 payment. The buyer told Gilbert that his primary motivation for obtaining the badge was so he could carry a concealed firearm without a permit.
During a November 2019 interview with the FBI, Gilbert lied, in part, by telling agents “…everybody that I had brought on had proper credentials, had the proper training, had everything done correctly,” according to his plea agreement. Gilbert then falsely told the FBI that everyone, including the newest recruit, had taken a specific law enforcement training class before receiving credentials, even though Gilbert knew this individual had not. After his interview with the FBI, Gilbert called the new recruit and asked him to return the credentials and, if ever asked, deny having received them.
For his part, in July 2018, Grunewald corruptly gave the Manzanita Tribal Police Department chief $20,000, intending to obtain a tribal police badge. Grunewald had never served as, or trained to become, a law enforcement officer and had never served in the military or as a private security officer. Instead, Grunewald’s motivation was to conceal-carry firearms in California without getting a permit.
After obtaining the badge, in August 2018, Grunewald – then an addict and unlawful user of oxycodone and other narcotics – was pulled over by Culver City Police after an officer saw Grunewald run across a busy street and enter a black Range Rover that was missing a front license plate, had tinted windows, and had a rear license plate that rightfully belonged to a different car.
During the traffic stop, Grunewald displayed his Manzanita PD badge out of his window and identified himself as a police officer. Grunewald “was shaking visibly, sweating, and appeared extremely nervous,” his plea agreement states.
The police officer asked Grunewald to exit the vehicle after Grunewald said he was carrying a firearm on his right hip. During a search of the vehicle and Grunewald himself, law enforcement recovered two loaded firearms, approximately 43 oxycodone pills, a police gun belt with handcuffs, a collapsible baton, a tactical vest, pepper spray, and numerous other badges and credentials associated with other law enforcement agencies.
After his August 2018 Culver City arrest resulted in the seizure of his badges, Grunewald then asked the Manzanita Tribal Police chief for another badge. Grunewald then used these new credentials to purchase several firearms, including a semi-automatic rifle. During these gun buys, Grunewald lied on federal forms that he was not an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance when, in fact, he was.
In May 2019, Los Angeles Police arrested Grunewald, who possessed firearms and ammunition and was under the influence of oxycodone at the time, following multiple 911 phone calls reporting indecent exposure at a gas station, with an undressed man – Grunewald – in distress, hitting himself.
Grunewald, who was sweating profusely, again identified himself as a police officer and told law enforcement he had taken Percocet and Ambien. Police found two Manzanita PD badges and other law enforcement ID on Grunewald’s person. Police searched Grunewald’s black Range Rover and found four firearms, including the semi-automatic rifle, along with more than 200 rounds of ammunition.
Federal prosecutors in October 2021 secured a guilty plea from Anthony Reyes Vazquez, 51, of Oxnard, who admitted to stealing more than $300,000 while serving as the head of the Manzanita Tribal Police from 2012 to 2018. Vazquez pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in San Diego to one count of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds. Vazquez sold fake badges to buyers who made substantial payments to become members of the Manzanita Tribal Police Department and have privileges available to law enforcement officers, such as carrying concealed weapons.
Vazquez is scheduled for sentencing on April 29, 2024.
The FBI in Los Angeles and San Diego investigated this matter with substantial assistance from the Culver City Police Department and the Los Angeles Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Frances S. Lewis of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section is prosecuting this case.
Toadlena Man Charged with Failing to Update Sex Offender RegistrationRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced that Anthony Brian Manuelito appeared in federal court on an indictment charging him with failure to update sex offender registration in violation of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Manuelito, 46, of Toadlena, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, will remain in custody pending an arraignment and detention hearing scheduled for December 15, 2023.
According to the indictment, from on or about May 5, 2019, continuing to on or about December 5, 2023, Manuelito, a person required to register under the sex offender registration and notification act, by reason of a conviction under federal law, knowingly failed to update a registration.
SORNA, also known as the Adam Walsh Protection and Safety Act, requires that a convicted sex offender register in each jurisdiction where the offender resides, where the offender is employed, or where the offender is a student, and that the sex offender maintain current registrations.
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Manuelito faces up to 10 years in prison.
The United States Marshal Service investigated this case with the assistance of the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meg Tomlinson is prosecuting the case.
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23-285
Three federal prison inmates charged in separate indictmentsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Kansas City returned separate indictments charging federal inmates with crimes.
According to court documents, on April 19, 2023, Thaddeus D. Daniel, 45, allegedly attacked a corrections officer at U.S. Penitentiary Leavenworth where Daniel is an inmate.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel is prosecuting the case.
In a separate case, Jeremiah L. Harris, 44, of U.S. Penitentiary Leavenworth, was indicted on one count of escape from custody for an alleged escape on June 23, 2023. Harris is serving a prison sentence following a conviction in the U.S. District Court of Western Missouri.
The U.S. Marshals Service is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel is prosecuting the case.
James Thompson, 50, of U.S. Penitentiary Leavenworth, was indicted on one count of escape from custody for an alleged escape on November 9, 2023. Thompson is serving a prison sentence following a conviction in the U.S. Northern District of Georgia
The U.S. Marshals Service is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Stockton Man Charged with Attempted Sexual Exploitation of Minors Using Social MediaRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment earlier in December against Elmer Yusay Ngo, 28, of Stockton, charging him with one count of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, four counts of attempted coercion and enticement of minors, and one count of possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. The indictment was unsealed following Ngo’s arrest.
According to court documents, Ngo utilized social media to sexually exploit female minors nationwide. This sexual exploitation included attempting to coerce, entice, and persuade the minors to produce child pornography for Ngo. Ngo also possessed child pornography on his cellphone.
The FBI Sacramento Field Office is seeking to identify potential victims of Elmer Ngo. To assist the investigation and receive information regarding resources available to victims, please complete this questionnaire to the best of your ability: https://forms.fbi.gov/elmer_ngo/
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internet Against Crimes Against Children Task Force with assistance from state and local police departments nationwide. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin F. Scott is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Ngo faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
St. Paul Felon Sentenced to over Three Years for Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A St. Paul man has been sentenced to 46 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegally possessing a firearm as a felon, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on March 7, 2023, officers with the St. Paul Police Department were conducting surveillance at an apartment looking for De’Voncea Lashoun Griffo, 24, a suspect in an ongoing investigation. Officers observed Griffo leave his apartment building wearing a cross-body bag across his chest and get into the driver’s seat of a Chevrolet Equinox. After Griffo pulled into a thrift store parking lot, officers activated emergency lights and conducted a felony stop. Griffo removed his cross-body bag and set it behind the center console of the car, and was placed under arrest. Officers later obtained a warrant to search Griffo’s vehicle and recovered the cross-body bag, which contained a .45 caliber Glock pistol with an extended magazine containing 23 rounds of ammunition. The firearm had been modified with an auto sear, also known as a switch, which is a device used to convert a semi-automatic firearm into a fully automatic firearm.
Because Griffo has a prior felony conviction, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
On July 18, 2023, Griffo pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm as a felon. He was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Michael J. Davis
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Paul Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary A. Taylor prosecuted the case.
St. Paul Felon Sentenced to 10 Years in Drug Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A South St. Paul felon has been sentenced to 120 months in prison for possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to the defendant’s plea agreement and court documents, on December 4, 2022, Nicholas Neil Nikiforakis, 34, posted a photo on Facebook that showed him in possession of a black firearm with a tan-colored extended magazine. Based on his prior felony convictions, Nikiforakis was prohibited from possessing a firearm of any kind. Law enforcement officers successfully located Nikiforakis and conducted physical surveillance. When the defendant was spotted getting behind the wheel of a black Ford Explorer, officers attempted a traffic stop on the vehicle. Nikiforakis responded by ramming into a responding squad car and fled the area at a high rate of speed. He eventually crashed as he attempted a high-speed turn, hit a fire hydrant, and collided with a nearby building. The defendant fled on foot but was ultimately apprehended at the scene. A subsequent search of the black Ford Explorer revealed a black and dark green privately-made-firearm – PMF or “ghost gun” – with a tan-colored extended magazine in the center console with a large black bag that contained fentanyl pills, marijuana, and a digital scale. A subsequent review of Nikiforakis’s phone confirmed that he possessed the fentanyl for the express purpose of distributing the drugs to others.
Nikiforakis pleaded guilty on June 23, 2023, to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. He was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Minneapolis Police Department, and the Hennepin County Violent Offender Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan L. Sing prosecuted the case
Six Defendants Plead Guilty to Fraud Charges in Multi-Million-Dollar, Nationwide Skimming ConspiracyRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala – Six defendants indicted for defrauding credit unions across the country have pleaded guilty to bank fraud conspiracy and identity theft charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples, and United States Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis.
Maria Matei, 22, and Larisa Iordache, 28, each pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Liles C. Burke to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Florin Matei, 27, pleaded guilty in October to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Ionut Iamandita, 28, and Milena Iamandita 25, pleaded guilty in November to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Marius Iordache, 29, pleaded guilty in November to conspiring to commit bank fraud.
According to the plea agreements, between October 2022 and June 2023, the defendants defrauded credit unions in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Jacksonville, Florida; Philadelphia Pennsylvania; Albany, New York; Florence, Alabama; Dallas, Texas; Birmingham, Alabama; and Saginaw, Michigan. The defendants placed covert video cameras and skimming devices on the targeted credit unions’ Automatic Teller Machines, and then used the collected information to make fraudulent withdrawals for credit union customers’ accounts. The fraudulent withdrawals totaled more than $5 million dollars.
The maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit bank fraud is 30 years in prison. Aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory sentence of two years in prison, which must be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed.
The FBI and United States Secret Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John M. Hundscheid is prosecuting the case. The Lauderdale County’s Sherriff’s Office, Tuscaloosa County Sherriff’s Office, Hoover Police Department, and Vestavia Hills Police Department aided the investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania also provided significant assistance.
Shalimar Man Found Guilty of Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Jeffrey L. Pybus, 41, of Shalimar, Florida, was found guilty by a federal jury for receiving and possessing images and videos of child pornography. The guilty verdict returned yesterday morning, at the conclusion of a two-day trial, was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Between February 18, 2022, and May 4, 2022, Pybus received material containing child pornography through a Peer-to-Peer file sharing program. On May 4, 2022, Pybus’ residence was searched by law enforcement, and he was found to be in possession of over 23,000 images and/or videos of child pornography.
Sentencing is set for March 13, 2024, at 3:00 p.m., at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before the Honorable United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers. Based on his convictions, Pybus faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years in federal prison, with a maximum of 20 years.
This case was investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, and the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey M. Tharp 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 and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it 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.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Sanford Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Production and Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Sanford man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for producing and distributing child sexual abuse material.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Joseph Daniel Zoll, 63, to 25 years imprisonment followed by 10 years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Zoll shared child sexual abuse material with a child sex trafficker in the Philippines and paid the trafficker to sexually abuse a prepubescent minor over a livestreaming videochat platform. For around two years, Zoll communicated with the trafficker and repeatedly instructed them how to abuse the child, watching over video calls. Zoll engaged in similar conduct with other child sex traffickers over the same platform for years. Zoll frequently recorded the livestreaming video calls, which he would then show to other traffickers when instructing them on how to sexually abuse children during their own calls.
Trial Attorney William G. Clayman of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig M. Wolff for the District of Maine prosecuted the case.
Homeland Security Investigations in New England investigated the case.
“It is difficult to put into words the horror and pain experienced by the children abused at Zoll’s behest. Not only did he direct the sexual abuse of several children, he used the videos of that abuse to teach others how to do the same, equipping more predators with the tools to hurt children,” said Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “Today’s sentence puts Zoll behind bars and away from the means to abuse more children. We will continue to work alongside our partners in Maine and around the world to detect and end this type of sex trafficking.”
“Joseph Zoll paid for and directed the sexual abuse of children overseas from the comfort of his home in Maine, destroying lives half a world away,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee. “That Zoll caused the abuse of young children to occur and observed and shared it with others, which led to the sexual abuse of additional victims, is beyond sickening and heartbreaking. Today’s sentence ensures that he will no longer be able to victimize another child. I commend the extraordinary work of HSI in this operation.”
Reports of child sexual exploitation are increasing: In 2022, The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTipline received 32 million reports of suspected child sexual exploitation. That included more than 80,000 reports of online enticement of children for sexual acts, an increase of 82% from 2021 to 2022, and more than 31 million reports of child sexual abuse materials. Victimization can take place across every platform, including social media, messaging apps, gaming platforms, etc. To make a CyberTipline Report, visit https://report.cybertip.org/. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Sacramento Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Fentanyl and Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Michael Valentino Lovato, 34, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, in April 2022, Lovato engaged in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine in Sacramento. During the conspiracy, Lovato sold fentanyl pills to a law enforcement source on multiple separate occasions. He also sold 4 pounds of methamphetamine to the source.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Sacramento Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily G. Sauvageau and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew De Moura are prosecuting the case.
U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley is scheduled to sentence Lovato on March 28, 2024. Lovato faces a minimum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of life in prison, and a $10 million fine on each count. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
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 U.S. Department of Justice 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.
Real Estate Investor Pleads Guilty to $165M Mortgage Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A New York man pleaded guilty yesterday to engaging in an extensive multi-year conspiracy to fraudulently obtain over $165 million in loans and fraudulently acquire multifamily and commercial properties.
According to court documents, between 2018 and 2020, Boruch “Barry” Drillman, 36, of New York, conspired with at least four others to deceive lenders into issuing multifamily and commercial mortgage loans. Drillman and his co-conspirators provided the lenders with fictitious documents, including purchase and sale contracts with inflated purchase prices. Drillman managed BRC Williamsburg Holdings LLC, which purchased multifamily property Williamsburg of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Troy Technology Holdings LLC, which purchased commercial property Troy Technology Park in Troy, Michigan.
In March 2019, Williamsburg of Cincinnati was acquired for $70 million. However, Drillman and his co-conspirators from Rhodium Capital Advisors utilized a stolen identity to present a lender and Fannie Mae with a purchase and sale contract for $95.85 million and other fraudulent documents. On March 8, 2019, Madison Title Agency performed two closings, one for the true $70 million sales price and another for the fraudulent $95.85 million sales price presented to the lender.
In September 2020, Troy Technology Park was acquired for $42.7 million. However, Drillman and his co-conspirators presented the lender with a fraudulent purchase and sale contract for $70 million. Additionally, to support the inflated purchase price, Drillman and his co-conspirators submitted to the lender and appraiser a fraudulent letter of intent to purchase the property from another party for $68.8 million and other fraudulent documents. To conceal the fraudulent nature of the transaction, Drillman and his co-conspirators arranged for a short-term $30 million loan, which was used to make it appear that they had the funds needed to close on the loan. On Sept. 25, 2020, Riverside Abstract performed two closings, one for the true $42.7 million sales price and another for the fraudulent $70 million sales price presented to the lender.
Drillman pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 16, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey, Inspector General Brian M. Tomney of the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG), and Postal Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group made the announcement.
The FHFA-OIG and USPIS are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Siji Moore of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Martha Nye for the District of New Jersey are prosecuting the case.
Raleigh County Man Sentenced for Export Fraud ViolationRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Rana Zeeshan Tanveer, 42, of Beckley, was sentenced today to five years of federal probation, including six months on home detention, and fined $5,000 for committing an export fraud violation. Tanveer admitted that he knowingly submitted false export valuations for two high-technology devices that Tanveer shipped to Pakistan.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 31, 2017, Tanveer ordered the two high-technology items, paying more than $4,000 for both items. The two items were shipped to Tanveer in Beckley and he received them on June 7, 2017. Tanveer admitted to creating a false invoice that intentionally understated the value of the items as less than $200. Tanveer further admitted to using the false invoice to ship the items to Pakistan using a freight forwarding service in July 2017.
Tanveer also admitted that he intentionally used false invoices on at least six other occasions, from June 14, 2014 through August 20, 2018, that deliberately undervalued the purchase cost of U.S.-origin technology that Tanveer exported to Pakistan.
Federal law requires the filing of accurate Electronic Export Information (EEI) through the Automated Export System (AES) about certain items that are exported from the United States. It is a federal crime to knowingly submit false or misleading Electronic Export Information. The purpose of this export requirement is to strengthen the ability of the United States to prevent the export of certain items to unauthorized destinations or end users. Accurate information in the Automated Export System also aids the United States in targeting, identifying, and, when necessary, confiscating suspicious or illegal items or shipments prior to export.
“Mr. Tanveer’s criminal conduct was deliberate, intentional, and spanned many years,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “Every time Mr. Tanveer misrepresented the price of export items to Pakistan, he committed a separate crime. Today’s sentence should send a message to anyone engaging in international trade throughout West Virginia, and the United States, that there are consequences for such criminal conduct.”
Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Department of Commerce Office of Export Enforcement (OEE) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
“Today’s sentencing sends a clear signal that knowingly submitting false export information to evade U.S. export controls will not be tolerated,” said OEE Washington Field Office Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Dugan. “This case demonstrates how BIS works with our law enforcement partners to aggressively investigate export violations and protect U.S. national security and foreign policy interests.”
“Mr. Tanveer knew what he was doing was wrong, and today he faces the consequences of his actions,” said FBI Pittsburgh Acting Special Agent in Charge Mike Shanahan. “I want to commend the determined efforts of the agents and our partners at the Department of Commerce for their countless hours of work and analysis throughout this lengthy investigation. These types of successful joint cases continue to strengthen the national security of the U.S. by protecting its economic interests.”
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes and National Security Division Trial Attorney R. Elizabeth Abraham prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-26.
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Postal Service Employee Is Sentenced for Stealing A Firearm from Mailed PackageRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A United States Postal Service employee was sentenced today for mail theft after stealing a firearm from a mailed package, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell ordered Demarkis Deon Houston, 31, of Charlotte, to serve 15 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release.
Jeff Krafels, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General (USPS-OIG) for the Mid-Atlantic Area Field Office (MAAFO), which oversees Charlotte, and Alicia Jones, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to information contained in court filings, Houston worked as a mail handling equipment operator at a USPS processing and distribution center in Charlotte. Between August and September 2022, Houston unlawfully opened and destroyed mail entrusted to him and removed firearms, to include a 9mm firearm, which was intended to be delivered by a carrier of the Postal Service. On October 10, 2022, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of Houston’s vehicle for a license plate violation. Over the course of the stop, law enforcement removed a firearm from Houston’s vehicle. Upon further investigation, law enforcement determined that the firearm recovered from Houston’s vehicle was one of the firearms reported stolen from a mailed shipment. On August 24, 2023, Houston pleaded guilty to destruction of theft of mail by a postal employee.
In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney King thanked USPS-OIG and ATF for their investigation of the case and thanked the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for their assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Regina H. Pack of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Pittsburgh Resident Pleads Guilty to Violating Federal Firearms LawsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – Raesean M. Wilson, age 21, a resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to two charges of violating federal firearm laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
According to information presented to the court, in March 2022, Wilson was convicted in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas of being a person not to possess firearms, a felony offense. On or about September 21, 2022, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police observed Wilson in possession of a 9mm semi-automatic pistol loaded with an extended magazine and 30 rounds of ammunition in the Northview Heights community in Pittsburgh’s Northside neighborhood. Under federal law, a convicted felon is prohibited from possessing ammunition. On January 3, 2023, a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh indicted Wilson for this incident and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
On or about January 26, 2023, after being indicted for the previous incident, Wilson was stopped by Pennsylvania State Troopers in downtown Pittsburgh for a moving traffic violation and found to be in possession of a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol loaded with an extended magazine and 23 rounds of ammunition. On February 28, 2023, a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh indicted Wilson for this second firearms offense.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than 15 years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Carl J. Spindler prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police; Pennsylvania State Police; and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation in this 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.
Parkersburg Man Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Brian E. Drake, 56, of Parkersburg, pleaded guilty today to tax evasion. Drake admitted to evading payroll and corporate income taxes while the owner and operator of River City Chem Dry (RCCD).
According to court documents and statements made in court, from at least 2008 and continuing through 2021, Drake owned and operated RCCD, which provided general building and specialty contracting services throughout West Virginia. Drake admitted that as an employer, he had a legal responsibility to collect and pay over to the IRS payroll taxes withheld from his employees’ wages and complete and file IRS Form 941. Drake further admitted that he knew that after he reorganized RCCD as a C corporation in 2012, he was required to pay corporate income taxes on earned income and complete and file IRS Form 1120 on behalf of RCCD every year.
Beginning no later than 2005, Drake amassed a significant tax debt due to unpaid personal income taxes. Drake admitted that while his tax problems began as personal in nature, they later extended to RCCD. Drake’s tax delinquencies grew exponentially from 2005 through 2016, despite IRS attempts to collect his outstanding balances and work with him to help him attain compliance.
Drake admitted that he willfully evaded payment of $299,765 in payroll taxes, including federal taxes and the employer-due portion of Social Security and Medicare, for reported wages paid to RCCD employees from at least 2016 through 2019. Drake further admitted that he evaded the assessment of $347,054.87 in payroll taxes by routinely paying RCCD employees substantially in cash from at least 2017 and continuing through 2021. Employees would receive paychecks reflecting a portion of their hourly wages and withheld taxes each payday along with envelopes containing cash for the hours they worked for which no federal taxes were withheld or paid over to the IRS.
Drake also admitted that he failed to report money earned by RCCD for tax year 2016 and continuing through tax year 2021 and did not file corporate income tax returns for RCCD for tax years 2019, 2020, and 2021 to evade payment of corporate income taxes.
Drake is scheduled to be sentenced on May 2, 2024 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Drake also owes restitution. The tax loss from Drake’s conduct exceeds $646,819.87
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Erik S. Goes and Ryan Blackwell are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-192.
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Owner of Maryland Paving and Construction Company Sentenced to Prison for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
A Maryland man was sentenced today to 13 months in prison for evading his federal income taxes.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Jerry Lee Redman, of Severn, siphoned money from his own paving and construction business, Redman Services Inc. (RSI), in the form of weekly cash withdrawals that he then used to pay for personal expenses, including alcohol and gambling. Redman did not report these cash withdrawals as income on his personal tax returns for the years 2014 through 2018. He also caused some of these cash withdrawals to be falsely deducted as business expenses on RSI’s corporate tax returns. During these same years, Redman directed some of RSI’s clients to write checks payable directly to Redman instead of RSI and deposited the checks into his personal bank account. As a result, these checks were not reported as income on RSI’s corporate returns. In total, Redman’s scheme caused a tax loss to the IRS of over $660,000.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Julie Rubin for the District of Maryland ordered Redman to serve one year of supervised release and to pay $894,338.04 in restitution to the United States.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Melissa S. Siskind and Christina M. Grimes of the Tax Division prosecuted the case.
Owner and Senior Executive of New York Contracting Company Charged for Paying Bribes to Obtain Construction Contracts from A Fortune 500 CompanyRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the unsealing of charges against TROY CARUSO, the owner and chief executive officer of a commercial construction and contracting company headquartered in New York, New York (the “Contracting Company”), and JOHN NOLAN, a senior executive at the Contracting Company, for their participation in a scheme to bribe a senior project manager at a Fortune 500 real estate services firm in order to obtain contracting work. CARUSO was arrested this morning in Melville, New York, and NOLAN was arrested this morning in Brooklyn, New York. Both CARUSO and NOLAN are expected to be presented in federal court in Manhattan later today.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Troy Caruso and John Nolan bribed a senior-level individual at a Fortune 500 company to award their company favorable contracts, resulting in the parties involved fraudulently obtaining millions. In the construction world, fair bidding is crucial to the success or downfall of a business, and kickback schemes like the one we allege in this case can undermine that process. Those attempting to corrupt the bidding process by gaining an unfair advantage over their law-abiding counterparts will face criminal prosecution.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment:[1]
From at least in or about February 2021, up to and including in or about September 2023, CARUSO and NOLAN agreed to pay and did pay kickbacks to an employee of a global and publicly traded commercial real estate services company (the “Real Estate Firm”) in exchange for assistance and preferential treatment so that the Contracting Company would be awarded projects managed by the Real Estate Firm (the “Kickback Scheme”).
In or about March 2021, CARUSO and NOLAN were introduced by an individual (“CC-1”) to a senior project manager at the Real Estate Firm (“CC-2”). CC-2 managed the process by which contracting companies bid for and were awarded contracts to work on construction projects for various of the Real Estate Firm’s clients. Beginning in or about March 2021 because of the Kickback Scheme, CC-2 took a series of actions CC-2 otherwise would not have taken to ensure that the Contracting Company was awarded a pre-construction contract and a construction contract relating to a certain project (“Project-1”), which was managed by the Real Estate Firm on behalf of its client, a health services business that provides hospital, medical, and other health services to patients. For example, CC-2 ensured that the Contracting Company was on the Real Estate Firm’s “bid list” so that it could submit bids relating to Project-1 that it otherwise could not have submitted. CC-2 also provided non-public information to CARUSO and NOLAN about the bidding process and recommended the Contracting Company for both the pre-construction contract and the construction contract relating to Project-1. As a result of the Kickback Scheme and CC-2’s actions, the Contracting Company was awarded the pre-construction and construction contracts for Project-1, the latter of which was valued at approximately $3.55 million (to be paid to the Contracting Company).
In exchange for CC-2’s assistance and preferential treatment, CARUSO and NOLAN agreed to pay kickbacks to CC-2 in the amount of approximately one percent of the construction value of any project managed by the Real Estate Firm that resulted in a contract award to the Contracting Company. Accordingly, CARUSO and NOLAN agreed to pay CC-2 approximately $35,500 for Project-1 and ultimately paid CC-2 approximately $33,000 in kickbacks for CC-2’s assistance on Project-1. Most of these payments were made in cash at locations around New York City. CARUSO and NOLAN also paid CC-1 approximately $15,000 for CC-1’s assistance in the Kickback Scheme, which included connecting CC-2 with CARUSO and NOLAN.
CARUSO and NOLAN attempted to obtain additional contracts from the Real Estate Firm with CC-2’s assistance as part of the Kickback Scheme. Between in or about 2022 and in or about 2023, in exchange for CARUSO and NOLAN’s promise of payment for any contract awarded to the Contracting Company, CC-2 provided CARUSO and NOLAN with assistance relating to two additional construction projects managed by the Real Estate Firm that did not result in contract awards to the Contracting Company.
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CARUSO, 56, of Smithtown, New York, and Ludlow, Vermont, and NOLAN, 42, of Brooklyn, New York, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud and one count of honest services wire fraud, which each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants would be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Special Agents and the Task Force Officers of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Mr. Williams also thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their assistance in the investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jane Kim and Nicholas Folly are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Orthopedic Surgeon Convicted of Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Canton orthopedic surgeon has been convicted by a federal jury in Boston for his role in a health care fraud scheme.
Dr. Olarewaju James Oladipo, 60, of Canton, was convicted on Dec. 12, 2023 of 10 counts of health care fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for March 12, 2024 at 1 pm. Oladipo was arrested and charged in March 2022.
“In the midst of an opioid epidemic that is claiming thousands of lives, Dr. Oladipo deliberately exploited the medical system for financial gain, becoming one of the state’s most prolific prescribers of opioids,” said Amanda Strachan, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division. “Our office remains steadfast in its commitment to aggressively pursue those who compromise the sanctity of our health care system – especially those who use opioids to fuel their schemes.”
“Dr. Oladipo is no longer just one of the top prescribers of highly addictive opioids in Massachusetts—he is now a convicted felon—for cheating federally funded health care programs, taxpayers, and patients, for work he did not do,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “The unscrupulous tactics used in this scheme are what drive our investigators on a daily basis to combat healthcare fraud.”
“By submitting fraudulent medical claims and falsifying patient records, Dr. Oladipo put greed and personal gain above his professional responsibilities,” said Special Agent in Charge Roberto Coviello of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “This conviction underscores the commitment of HHS-OIG and our law enforcement partners to protecting the integrity of taxpayer-funded federal health care programs and holding criminals accountable for their actions.”
“The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General is dedicated to protecting the public’s safety and the U.S. Postal Service. The special agents of the USPS OIG will tirelessly investigate those who choose to defraud federal benefit programs and put profits above the safety of their patients. This verdict is a clear message that the USPS OIG is dedicated to rooting out corruption and bringing those responsible for these crimes to justice. The USPS OIG is thankful for the great longstanding relationships we have developed with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to combat healthcare frauds,” said Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG), Northeast Area Field Office.
From approximately January 2016 through December 2019, Oladipo devised and executed a scheme to defraud health care benefit programs by falsely billing for patient visits. Specifically, Oladipo used billing codes for more complex—and thus more expensive—services that were not provided (a practice that is sometimes referred to as “upcoding”). Oladipo falsified medical records of patient visits to reflect examinations and services that were not performed. During the four-year period, Oladipo frequently billed for more than 60 patients per day and sometimes more than 90 patients per day. The result was that many, if not most, of Oladipo’s patient visits on such days could have only lasted five minutes or less. However, Oladipo used billing codes that typically corresponded to visits of 15, 25, 30, or even 45 minutes. Additionally, Oladipo ensured this high flow of patients to his practice by prescribing powerful, highly addictive opioids at a rate that made him one of the top prescribers of such drugs in Massachusetts.
The charges of health care fraud and conspiracy to commit health care fraud each provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, FBI SAC Cohen, HHS-OIG SAC Coviello and USPS-OIG SAC Modafferi made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office; the National Insurance Crime Bureau; and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evan D. Panich and William B. Brady are prosecuting the case.
Ocala Woman Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison for Theft of COVID Relief FundsRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge Gregory A. Presnell has sentenced Passion Lajodia Jackson (31, Ocala) to two years in federal prison for wire fraud related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. As part of the judgment, Jackson was ordered to forfeit $20,132, which represents the proceeds obtained from the offense. Jackson had pleaded guilty on September 11, 2023.
According to court records, on April 2, 2021, Jackson electronically submitted a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan application to the Small Business Administration for an incorporated business. Her application included false statements. She also provided a fictitious Internal Revenue Service document in support of her application. Based on the fraudulent information, Jackson unlawfully received a PPP loan in the amount of $20,132 on April 6, 2021. The loan was electronically wired into her bank account. Within 30 days of receiving the loan, Jackson had withdrawn the funds in cash.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the City of Ocala Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Justice Department in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/webform/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Notice to Victims of the Sentencing of Former Nikola Motors CEO Trevor MiltonRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York is providing notice to individuals and entities that bought and sold stock of Nikola Corporation (ticker NKLA) or VectoIQ (tickers VTIQU, VTIQ, and VTIQW) between March and September 2020 of the upcoming sentencing of TREVOR MILTON, the founder and former CEO of Nikola. In October 2022, MILTON was convicted by a jury of securities fraud and wire fraud in connection with his scheme to defraud and mislead investors about the development of products and technology by Nikola.
The sentencing is scheduled for December 18, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. before the Honorable Edgardo Ramos in Courtroom 619 at the Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse, 40 Foley Square, New York, NY 10007. The proceeding is open to the public. MILTON faces a maximum term of 60 years in prison, and the sentence will be determined by the court. If you believe you are a victim of TREVOR MILTON and have questions about the sentencing or wish to submit a victim impact statement, please email: [email protected].
Ninth Defendant Pleads Guilty in Large-Scale Sacramento Cocaine and Heroin Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Tyrone Anderson, 43, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to traffic at least 5,000 grams of cocaine and 280 grams of cocaine base and one count of conspiracy to traffic heroin, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Anderson is among the 15 federal defendants arrested in 2021 and charged in a 45-count indictment for trafficking narcotics as part of a DEA-led multi-agency operation targeting cocaine and heroin traffickers in North Sacramento. Anderson was intercepted during wiretaps in 2018 and 2019 trafficking kilograms of cocaine and heroin and was arrested in possession of two firearms.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the California Department of Justice, the California Highway Patrol, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, and the Sacramento Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cameron L. Desmond and Aaron D. Pennekamp are prosecuting the case.
Anderson is scheduled to be sentenced on March 7, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley. Anderson faces at least 10 years and a maximum of life in prison and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
On March 16, 2023, Arlington Caine, 48, of Rio Linda, was sentenced to 22 months in prison on two counts of using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense.
On Dec. 8, 2022, Michael Hampton, 57, of Vallejo, was sentenced to 60 months in prison for to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine.
On Nov. 17, 2022, Charles Carter, 36, of Sacramento, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine.
On Sept. 29, 2022, Jason Tolbert, 45, of Sacramento, was sentenced to 57 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
On Feb. 22, 2023, Dwight Haney, 52, of Sacramento pleaded guilty to two counts of using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense. Haney is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 8, 2024.
On Jan. 26, 2023, Jerome Adams, 56, of North Highlands, pleaded guilty to two counts of using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense. Adams is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 18, 2024.
On Dec. 1, 2022, Bobby Conner, 51, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty to two counts of using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense. Conner is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 18, 2024.
On Nov. 17, 2022, Andre Hellams, 40, of North Highlands, pleaded guilty to two counts of using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense. Hellams is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 8, 2024.
Charges are pending against the following defendants: Maurice Bryant, 51, of Antelope; Yovanny Ontiveros, 41, of Sacramento; Alex White, 61, of North Highlands; Steven Hampton, 61, of Sacramento; Wilmer Harden, 52, of Elk Grove; and Mark Martin, 62, of Sacramento. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. The Sacramento Strike Force is a co‑located model that enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.
New York Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MELVIN CONTRERAS, age 33, a resident of Bronx, New York, pled guilty on December 7, 2023 to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine hydrochloride, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, on May 2, 2022, a Louisiana State Trooper conducted a traffic stop of a 2005 Peterbilt tractor-trailer bearing a New Jersey license plate on Interstate 12 East to perform a motor carrier inspection. The trooper identified CONTRERAS as the driver of the tractor and Pedro Sarante as the passenger in the sleeper area of the tractor-trailer.
The trooper interviewed both vehicle occupants regarding their itinerary and cargo. Neither of them could identify the cargo or detail their itinerary. Troopers conducted a consensual search of the vehicle and seized three (3) rolling duffel bags containing approximately seventy-four (74) kilograms of cocaine from the sleeper area of the tractor-trailer. The troopers arrested both CONTRERAS and Sarante.
In a post-arrest interview, Sarante informed law enforcement that he and CONTRERAS were hired to travel from New York to Baytown, Texas to pick up a load of narcotics and were to be paid $1,000.00 per kilogram when they delivered the drugs to Newark, New Jersey.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Louisiana State Police. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney André Jones of the Narcotics Unit.
New York City Police Officer Charged with Sex Offenses Relating to MinorsRead the Press Release
A four-count indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging Christopher Terranova, a New York City police officer, with attempting to exploit children and coercion and enticement of a minor. In at least one instance, Terranova is alleged to have used his position as a police officer to gain access to a victim who had previously been the victim of a crime. Terranova was arrested this morning and will be arraigned later today before United States Magistrate Judge Marcia M. Henry.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and James Smith, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the arrest and charges.
“The defendant allegedly preyed upon vulnerable youth in the same community he was sworn to protect,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Protecting minors from those who violate their position of trust will always be a priority of this Office. I urge parents and caregivers to have conversations with their children about the dangers of communicating online with strangers and individuals who seek to exploit them.”
Mr. Peace expressed his appreciation to the New York City Police Department's Internal Affairs Bureau and the Richmond County District Attorney’s Office for its significant cooperation and assistance during the investigation.
“The FBI takes crimes against children seriously—even more so when it involves someone who took an oath to serve and protect, and whom the public holds to a higher standard,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Smith. “The damage done by Terranova’s alleged depravity will likely outlast any punishment he ultimately receives. The FBI is dedicated to doing the work to restore public faith in law enforcement when individuals attempt to use the badge to hide their illegal behavior. We thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and our law enforcement partners for their efforts in this case.”
As set forth in the indictment and other court documents, Terranova is charged with using social media to engage in sexually explicit conversations with underage boys and attempting to entice those victims into taking sexually explicit photographs of themselves and sharing them with the defendant. Terranova used popular social media applications, such as Snapchat, to message with underage boys whom he encountered socially or through his job as a police officer. After establishing a relationship with the boys, Terranova solicited them for nude photographs. On at least one occasion, in the guise of giving a boy a ride home from a party, Terranova brought the boy to a secluded location where he directed the victim to engage in sex acts with him.
Between March 2023 and May 2023, the defendant targeted a 15-year-old boy (John Doe 3) who was the victim of a robbery. After viewing John Doe 3’s personal information in an NYPD database, Terranova messaged the victim’s personal phone under the pretense of checking on him after the robbery. The defendant wrote, “it’s Chris Terranova the cop you met at the 121 [Precinct] that day with mom, i just wanted to reach out to see if you were doing ok after the incident, I hate seeing these things happen to good Guys like yourself.” Terranova then connected with John Doe 3 via social media and attempted to engage him in conversation about sexual activity and pornography. After sending John Doe 3 a sexually explicit photograph of himself, Terranova messaged the victim: “See it’s nothing[.] Your turn[.]”
Anyone with relevant information is asked to contact the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or 212-384-1000.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Terranova faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren Howard Elbert and Rachel A. Bennek are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendants:
Christopher Terranova
Age: 33
Staten Island, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-CR-516 (KAM)
New Britain Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Stealing Cash and Cigarettes in Month-Long Robbery SpreeRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that GILBERTO DELEON, 57, of New Britain, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 34 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for committing eight robberies of convenience stores and smoke shops in Connecticut in 2022.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between February 27 and March 16, 2022, Deleon and two associates, using BB guns that are designed to appear similar to real firearms, robbed the following retail locations of cash, cigarettes and other items:
- February 27 – Scott’s Village Mobil Gas Station, 843 Farmington Avenue, Farmington
- March 2 – Mystic Mobil Gas Station, 66 Whitehall Avenue, Mystic
- March 3 – Shell Gas Station, 168 Bridge Street, East Windsor
- March 3 – Food Bag, 960 Meriden Waterbury Turnpike, Southington
- March 5 – Valero Gas Station, 1 Main Street, Ellington
- March 5 – Sunoco Gas Station, 446 Bloomfield Avenue, Windsor
- March 8 – Smoker’s Discount World, 636 Silas Deane Highway, Wethersfield
- March 16 – Cove Smoke Market, located at 841 Cove Road, Stamford
During the robbery in Farmington on February 27, 2022, Deleon, who was serving as a “lookout,” took a banana off of the counter. When he exited the store, surveillance cameras recorded Deleon peeling and eating the banana, and then disposing the banana peel in a receptacle near the gas pumps. Investigators seized the banana peel and submitted it laboratory testing, which returned a match for Deleon’s DNA.
Deleon has been detained since his arrest on April 19, 2022. On October 18, 2022, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery.Steven Galarza, of Seymour, and Efrain Deleon, of New Britain, also participated in these robberies and pleaded guilty to related charges. On July 20, 2023, Galarza, who also committed three additional robberies in Connecticut, New York, and New Hampshire, was sentenced to 78 months of imprisonment. Efrain Deleon awaits sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Connecticut State Police, and the Farmington, Stonington, East Windsor, Southington, Windsor, Wethersfield, Stamford, New Britain, Salem (N.H.), and Somers (N.Y.) Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan Keefe.
Neshoba County Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute over 50 Grams of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Neshoba County man pleaded guilty to possessing over 50 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
According to court documents, on April 28, 2022, Darrell E. McBeath, 38, distributed over 50 grams of methamphetamine near the Pearl River Community of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. McBeath was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2023.
McBeath is scheduled to be sentenced on April 3, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Todd Gee, Regional Agent in Charge Whitney Woodruff of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Special Agent in Charge Brad Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement.
The Choctaw Police Department, the U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin J. Payne and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian K. Burns prosecuted the case.
Monmouth County Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Laundering Money for Black Axe in South AfricaRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Monmouth County, New Jersey, man was sentenced to 60 months in prison for laundering money on behalf of the Cape Town Zone of Black Axe, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Andrew Suarez, 30, of Middletown, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp to an indictment charging him with money laundering conspiracy. Judge Shipp imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From August 2017 through December 2017, Suarez worked with conspirators to launder money to entities in the Cape Town, South Africa, area, including to an account in the name of Abravoo Trading Company, an entity controlled by a founding member of the Cape Town Zone of Black Axe. Black Axe members were responsible for widespread internet-based fraud schemes.
Suarez opened up bank accounts in the United States, which were then used to conceal money obtained through business email compromises and other fraud schemes. Suarez transferred the proceeds of the fraud schemes to other U.S. bank accounts and wired proceeds to bank accounts in Cape Town, South Africa. To avoid detection, Suarez changed the information on some of his bank accounts, so the accounts listed the name and address of a victim. The total loss amount attributed to Suarez’s conduct is approximately $525,000.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Shipp sentenced Suarez to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, Red Bank Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, and the U.S. Secret Service’s Newark Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron Hatley. He also thanked the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago, for its assistance in the case.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard G. Shephard of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
Missouri Woman Sentenced for Fraudulently Applying for $168,000 Pandemic LoanRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – A woman who fraudulently applied for a $167,997 pandemic loan for a Poplar Bluff, Missouri business that she did not run or own was sentenced Thursday to six months in prison.
U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. also ordered Maxine Michelle Burns, 44, of Willow Springs in Howell County, Missouri, to repay the money. Burns will be on supervised release for five years after she gets out of prison.
Burns applied for a Paycheck Protection Program loan from the Small Business Administration on Jan. 20, 2021, using the name of the owner of a residential treatment facility in Poplar Bluff without authorization. She also used the owner’s signature stamp, her plea says. After the loan was granted, Burns used the money to buy vehicles for herself and pay for vacations. The loan was forgiven after Burns falsely claimed that she’d used the money for payroll and other permissible purposes.
“This case highlights a partnership between the United States Secret Service and the Butler County Sheriff’s Department to aggressively target individuals who have taken advantage of federal pandemic programs,” said Special Agent in Charge Travis Gibson of the U.S. Secret Service - St. Louis Field Office.
Burns pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau in July to bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Willis prosecuted the case.
Anyone with information about pandemic fraud should call the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or report via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Minneapolis Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud in $250 Million Feeding Our Future Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man has pleaded guilty to his role in the $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally-funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and court documents, Ahmed Sharif Omar-Hashim, also known as Salah Donyale, 40, admitted that from April 2020 through January 2022, he knowingly participated in a scheme to defraud the federal child nutrition program, a program designed to provide free meals to children in need. Omar-Hashim and his co-conspirators obtained, misappropriated, and laundered millions of dollars in program funds that were intended as reimbursements for the cost of serving meals to underprivileged children.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and court documents, in September 2020, the defendant created a company called Olive Management Inc., under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. Olive Management purported to operate a federal child nutrition program site in St. Cloud, Minnesota that served meals to 3,000 children a day, seven days a week. From September 2020 to September 2021, the defendant and his co-conspirators fraudulently claimed to have served more than 1.6 million meals to children at the Olive Management site. In support of these claims, the defendant prepared and submitted fake meal count sheets and invoices. Conspirators also submitted a fake attendance roster purporting to list the names of 2,040 children who attended the Olive Management site’s “after-school program.” Of the approximately 2,040 names on the list, only approximately 20 matched the names of children attending school in the St. Cloud Public School District. Based on these fraudulent claims, Omar-Hashim and his co-conspirators received approximately $7,490,711 in Federal Child Nutrition Program reimbursements for meals purportedly served to children at the Olive Management site.
Hashim-Omar pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court before Judge Nancy E. Brasel to one count of wire fraud. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph H. Thompson, Harry M. Jacobs, Matthew S. Ebert, and Chelsea A. Walcker are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining More Than $2 Million in COVID-19 Relief FundsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Maryland man was sentenced today to 41 months in prison for illegally obtaining more than $2 million in COVID-19 relief funds, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Mohamed Kamara, 43, of Greenbelt, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas to two counts of an indictment charging him with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Judge Salas imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger“The defendant was sentenced today for submitting falsified applications to the government to obtain business loans to which he was not entitled. These relief programs were set up to provide financial help to Americans who were struggling to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. Trying to turn them into a cash machine for personal benefit will only earn you what this defendant got today – a prison sentence.”
“Criminals have shown over and over again they will find ways to steal money that isn't theirs in times of crisis, like a hurricane, war, and in this case COVID,” FBI – Newark Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. “Kamara admitted he lied when applying for federal loans meant for struggling business owners who were forced to close their doors during the height of the pandemic. Fraudsters should stop assuming with so much red tape, and so much money being offered that they won't get caught. We found Kamara, and we'll continue to find others who thought the same thing.”
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
From March 2020 to October 2020, Kamara and others made fraudulent applications to the Small Business Administration (SBA) for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) using information belonging to other individuals and entities without their knowledge and consent. They also opened bank accounts using fraudulent documents. Kamara and his conspirators caused the SBA to grant fraudulent applications and send the proceeds of those loans to the fraudulent bank accounts by wire communication. Kamara then deposited or attempted to deposit checks from fraudulent bank accounts into a bank account in his name. Kamara and his conspirators fraudulent EIDL applications caused the SBA to provide more than $750,000 in EIDLs.
From January 2020 to September 2020, Kamara also submitted fraudulent applications to the state of New Jersey and six other states for unemployment insurance benefits using the names, dates of birth, and/or Social Security numbers of other individuals. The states provided more than $1 million, including funds to an account Kamara controlled, in response to these fraudulent applications.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Salas sentenced Mohamed to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, and special agents of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Jonathan Mellone in New York, with the investigation leading to the sentencing. He also thanked the FBI Baltimore Field Office; the Small Business Administration, and the New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development for their assistance.
The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Kogan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Cybercrime Unit in Newark.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Second Degree Murder While Armed for the Deadly Shooting of a 19-Year OldRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – David Botchway, 20, of Gwynn Oak, MD, pleaded guilty, on December 13, 2023, to second degree murder while armed for the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Andre Baker, of Washington, D.C. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt scheduled a sentencing hearing for March 8, 2024. Botchway faces a sentencing range of 16 to 20 years in prison.
According to the government’s evidence, the night of August 5, 2023, Mr. Baker and two friends were hanging out in front of a bus stop in the 1200 block of U Street Northwest after enjoying a night out in the U Street neighborhood. At around 5:01 a.m., Botchway approached the group and without warning or any provocation, pointed the gun at Mr. Baker and shot him multiple times in the head and torso. Mr. Baker died a short time later. One of the bullets also grazed one of the victim’s friends. Botchway fled on foot until officers, who were on routine patrol and heard the gunshots, observed the defendant fleeing on foot. After a short foot chase, officers apprehended Botchway at the corner of 12th and T Streets, Northwest. A .40 caliber Glock 22 handgun with an extended magazine was found on the defendant at the time of his arrest. The murder was also captured on several surveillance cameras in the area.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nebiyu Feleke of the Homicide section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Man Who Stole 37 Firearms Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Lubbock man who committed a burglary of a Lubbock Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
David Lara, 57, was charged via indictment in June 2023 and pleaded guilty to theft of firearms from a FFL in August 2023. Mr. Lara was sentenced today to 120 months in federal prison before U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix.
According to court documents, during the summer of 2020 there were numerous burglaries of FFLs in and around Lubbock. On June, 28, 2020, Lara and another individual entered Gebo’s Distributing Inc. by prying back the sheet metal on the side of the building and gained access to the building through a storage area attached to the building.
Once inside the building, the individuals began breaking out the glass displays with a sledge hammer, removed 37 firearms from the cases and placed them in a bag. The bag containing the firearms was eventually dropped while they were fleeing the scene, along with gloves and ski masks they wore during the burglary. The gloves were recovered by the Lubbock Police Department and submitted for forensic analysis. DNA results were a match for Lara.
When interviewed, Lara admitted to committing the burglary.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives, with assistance from the Lubbock Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Rancourt prosecuted the case.
Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Paying Philippine Sex Trafficker to Live-Stream Child Sex AbuseRead the Press Release
A Maine man was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) depicting a minor in the Philippines.
According to court documents, Joseph Daniel Zoll, 63, of Sanford, shared CSAM with a child sex trafficker in the Philippines and paid the trafficker to sexually abuse a prepubescent minor over a live-streaming videochat platform. For around two years, Zoll communicated with the trafficker and repeatedly instructed the trafficker to sexually abuse the minor over live-streaming video calls. Zoll engaged in similar conduct with multiple individuals in the Philippines over the same platform. In addition, Zoll frequently recorded the live-streaming video calls, which he would then show to other individuals when instructing them to sexually abuse children during their own calls.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee for the District of Maine, and Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New England made the announcement.
HSI New England investigated the case.
Trial Attorney William G. Clayman of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig M. Wolff for the District of Maine prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Armed Robbery and Shooting at Pensacola BarRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Quinton L. Pete, 35, of Ocala, Florida, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, for Attempted Hobbs Act Robbery and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. A federal jury found Pete guilty of all charges related to the incident in August 2023 after a three-day trial. The sentence was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“The investigation and prosecution of violent crime – in this case by an armed repeat offender – is central to our mission to protect the public,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “This sentence illustrates our shared resolve to keep our communities safe and the significant consequences associated with such federal crimes of violence.”
The evidence produced at trial revealed that, on March 9, 2022, a few minutes before 4:00 a.m., two employees at Coyote’s Sports Bar on Bayou Blvd. in Pensacola were shot at point blank range by the defendant during an attempted robbery of the business. The victims were not able to identify the shooter at the time because of their wounds, but they provided a general description to law enforcement. Law enforcement obtained surveillance videos from surrounding businesses and noticed a white Jeep Grand Cherokee in the area at the time of the crime. The Pensacola Police Department put out a BOLO (be on the lookout), and the defendant was apprehended the next day in Dallas, Texas, driving a matching white Jeep Grand Cherokee that was registered to him. The defendant was in possession of the firearm that was used in the commission of the robbery, as later identified by ballistics comparison. The defendant’s phone location also placed him in the area at the time he committed the crime. The defendant has prior felony convictions for Burglary of a Dwelling with a Firearm, Grand Theft, and Shooting at within or into a Dwelling, and was released from prison only seven months prior to these offenses. He is also pending other firearm related charges in central Florida.
“This is a huge win for public safety in Northwest Florida,” said Special Agent in Charge Kirk Howard of ATF’s Tampa Field Division. “The sentencing decision matches the severity of the crimes, and we’re glad to have contributed our expertise in federal firearm laws to the joint investigation.”
“This case is another excellent example of the collaboration between local, state and federal partners working together to ensure the safety of our community,” said Chief Eric Randall, Pensacola Police. “We will continue to utilize every resource available to ensure our community is safe. This sentence should serve as a reminder there are consequences for your actions.”
Pete’s imprisonment will be followed by 3 years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of multiple other law enforcement agencies to include the Pensacola Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, Grand Prairie Police Department in Dallas, Texas, the United States Marshals, and the Office of the State Attorney, First Judicial Circuit. Assistant United States Attorneys David Goldberg and Jessica Etherton 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.
As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Man Pleads Guilty to Aiming Laser at San Diego Sheriff’s HelicopterRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – December 14, 2023
SAN DIEGO – Ruben Ricardo Rodriguez pleaded guilty in federal court today to aiming a laser at a San Diego Sheriff’s helicopter.
According to admissions in his plea agreement, on June 12, 2021, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) control tower at San Diego International Airport received multiple reports of a green laser striking commercial aircraft while they were landing. The FAA notified the San Diego Sheriff’s helicopter ASTREA of the laser strikes and gave the approximate location of the origin of the laser near National City, CA.
ASTREA, an acronym for Aerial Support To Regional Enforcement Agencies, the air support unit of the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, responded to the area and was struck in the cockpit by a green laser. The entire helicopter illuminated green in the sky. Video captured Rodriguez walking around a house while pointing the laser at the ground and across the street. Rodriguez then looked at ASTREA and aimed the laser at it again. The pilot said the laser strike created a bright dazzling effect on the aircraft’s glass. The laser struck the other deputy onboard in the eyes.
“Laser pointers are not toys, and aiming them at aircraft is a crime, not a prank,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “Pilots could be blinded or incapacitated, causing deadly accidents.”
“Pointing a laser at an aircraft is a serious criminal act and can have potentially deadly consequences,” said FBI San Diego Acting Special Agent in Charge Jamie Arnold. “The FBI and its partner agencies take allegations of interfering with the operation of an aircraft seriously and encourage anyone with information about such incidents or if they see someone pointing a laser at an aircraft to report it to the FBI.”
Rodriguez is scheduled to be sentenced on March 4, 2024, at 9 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Cynthia A. Bashant.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jaclyn Stahl, Edward Chang, and Shivanjali Sewak.
DEFENDANT Case Number 23-CR-1467-BAS
Ruben Ricardo Rodriguez Age: 33 Logan, UT
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft – 18 U.S.C. § 39A
Maximum penalty: Five years in custody and a $250,000 fine
AGENCY
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Man Charged for Torturing PrisonersRead the Press Release
A Tennessee man was arraigned today on charges that he tortured prisoners during the armed conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 1990s.
According to a superseding indictment returned on Dec. 6, Sead Miljković, aka Sead Dukic, 51, of Chattanooga, was allegedly a member of the Obezbjeđenje objekata i lica (OBL), a police force of the so-called Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia (APZB). The OBL was responsible for guarding APZB headquarters at the Old Fort, a castle overlooking the town of Velika Kladuša, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Between December 1994 and August 1995, soldiers of the former Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina who had been captured in fighting against APZB armed forces were transported from detention camps to perform forced labor at the Old Fort under Miljković’s and other OBL members’ supervision and control.
“Sead Miljković allegedly tortured prisoners and then decades later lied about his identity to obtain a U.S. passport,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Neither the passage of time nor a defendant’s concealment efforts will prevent us from bringing human rights violators to justice and ensuring that perpetrators of torture cannot seek refuge in the United States.”
“The superseding indictment’s torture charges are serious human rights abuses that cannot go unpunished,” said U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee. “We thank our investigative partners on this case for their outstanding efforts to gather evidence required for these charges.”
Miljković and other OBL members allegedly inflicted severe and sustained beatings on the prisoners, using a metal pipe, rifle butt, and shovel handle, causing the victims to lose consciousness or suffer other injuries. Miljković and other OBL members also allegedly threatened prisoners with death, intentionally withheld water even while forcing the prisoners to perform hard physical labor, forced the prisoners to fight one another, and pushed one victim’s head down on a knife or bayonet as if to impale his throat on the blade.
“Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is resolute in its commitment to protecting human rights and the pursuit of justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of HSI Nashville. “The United States in not a safe haven for war criminals and human rights violators. Thanks to the dedication of our HSI Chattanooga special agents, Miljković will now have to answer these allegations in court.”
Miljković is charged with three counts of inflicting torture on prisoners under his supervision. In June, Miljković was charged in a three-count indictment with passport fraud for allegedly making false statements relating to his true name and date of birth. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count.
HSI Chattanooga investigated the case, with support from HSI Vienna, HSI Newark, and HSI’s Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center, and assistance from the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service Houston Field Office, Chattanooga Police Department Special Victims Unit, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, and Tennessee Highway Patrol. The Justice Department thanks the Ministry of Justice of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, which were instrumental in furthering the investigation.
Trial Attorneys Elizabeth Nielsen and Chelsea Schinnour of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecution Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Woods for the Eastern District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case, with assistance from HSRP historians. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided assistance.
Members of the public who have information about human rights violators in the United States are urged to contact U.S. law enforcement through the HSI tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or through the ICE online tip form at www.ice.gov/webform/ice-tip-form.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Man Charged for $60M Health Care Fraud and Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Miami returned an indictment yesterday charging a Texas man for his alleged role in a $60 million health care fraud, wire fraud, and kickback scheme involving the submission of false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (DME), genetic tests, and foot bath medications.
According to court documents, Robert Leon Smith III, 48, of Archer City, owned and/or operated a network of DME companies in Florida, Texas, and Maryland through which he allegedly billed Medicare for medically unnecessary orthotic braces that were ineligible for Medicare reimbursement. Smith also allegedly referred doctors’ orders for medically unnecessary orthotic braces, genetic tests, and foot bath medications to other DME suppliers, pharmacies, and laboratories in exchange for kickbacks and bribes.
Smith allegedly paid kickbacks and bribes to offshore call centers operated by his co-conspirators to obtain Medicare beneficiary information and falsified doctors’ orders. The offshore call centers allegedly used deceptive tactics to pressure Medicare beneficiaries to accept the orthotic braces, genetic tests, and foot bath medications. Smith and his co-conspirators allegedly paid kickbacks and bribes to the offshore call centers in exchange for the Medicare beneficiary information, sometimes together with a forged doctor’s order. Smith also allegedly paid kickbacks and bribes to purported telemedicine companies in exchange for doctors’ orders signed by telemedicine practitioners who did not examine or treat the Medicare beneficiary. Smith allegedly used some of the doctors’ orders he acquired as a result of the payment of kickbacks and bribes to bill Medicare through his own network of DME companies, and also referred doctors’ orders to other DME suppliers, pharmacies, and labs in exchange for kickbacks and bribes.
Smith is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, four counts of health care fraud, one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay and receive health care kickbacks, and two counts of solicitation and receipt of health care kickbacks. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud count, a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each health care fraud and anti-kickback violations count, and a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay and receive kickbacks count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.
The FBI Miami Field Office and HHS-OIG are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Andrea Savdie of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Malas Manas Transnational Criminal Organization Leadership Indicted on Charges of Human Smuggling and Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
On Nov. 29, a federal grand jury in Tucson returned an 11-count indictment against Jorge Damian Roman-Figueroa, Luis Eduardo Roman-Flores, Manuel Jose Bernal, Joel Salazar-Ballesteros, and Jesus Armando Gonzalez-Villela, all of Mexico, for conspiracy to transport aliens; conspiracy to launder monetary instruments; conspiracy to distribute marijuana, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine; distribution of marijuana, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine; and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
“These actions are the latest in a long line of the Justice Department’s efforts to dismantle, piece-by-piece, violent cartels like Malasa Manas and Sinaloa,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We will continue to target and prosecute the leaders and associates of the criminal groups responsible for poisoning the American people with fentanyl and endangering vulnerable migrants for profit.”
The indictment alleges that defendants Jorge Damian Roman-Figueroa, also known as Soldado, Luis Eduardo Roman-Flores, Manuel Jose Bernal, also known as Peque, and Joel Salazar-Ballesteros, also known as Catorce, are members of the Malas Manas Transnational Criminal Organization (TCO), operating in the Santa Cruz and Mascarenas areas of Mexico, with the permission of the Sinaloa Cartel.
The indictment alleges that these defendants operated a human smuggling organization as part of the Malas Manas TCO, trafficked drugs, and laundered the proceeds of both criminal activities. More specifically, the indictment alleges that beginning at an unknown time but including December 2020 and continuing through Nov. 12, 2021, defendants Roman-Figueroa, Roman-Flores, Bernal, and Salazar-Ballesteros conspired to transport aliens within the United States as part of the Malas Manas Transnational Criminal Organization.
The indictment alleges that between January 2019 and August 2023, Roman-Figueroa, Roman-Flores, and Salazar-Ballesteros conspired to launder the profits of alien smuggling and drug smuggling through the movement of monetary instruments from the United States to the Republic of Mexico.
The indictment further alleges that from 2019 until 2023 Roman-Figueroa, Bernal, Salazar-Ballesteros, and Gonzalez-Villela conspired to distribute and did distribute various quantities of fentanyl, marijuana, methamphetamine, and cocaine. Finally, the indictment alleges that Bernal brandished a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime involving methamphetamine on Feb. 3, 2021. The most serious of these crimes carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, and a fine of up to $10,000,000.
“DEA’s top operational priority is to defeat the two criminal organizations responsible for the influx of fentanyl into the United States — the Sinaloa and Jalisco Cartels. As alleged in the indictment, these defendants worked with the Sinaloa Cartel to send fentanyl and other deadly drugs into the United States,” said Administrator Anne Milgram of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “Today’s actions demonstrate that DEA will relentlessly pursue every member and associate of these global criminal organizations, which threaten the public health, safety, and national security of the American people.”
“The facts alleged here illustrate the breadth and diversity of the harmful actions by transnational criminal organizations,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona. “This case isn’t about just guns, or drugs, or aliens. In our continuing efforts to safeguard and bolster border communities, we look forward to establishing the interconnectedness of these three related crimes.”
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. This case also involves the OCDETF Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Homeland Security Investigations Nogales, DEA Tucson Division, and the FBI OCDETF Strike Force in Tucson conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rui Wang, Arturo Aguilar, and David Petermann for the District of Arizona worked on the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Petermann for the District of Arizona is prosecuted the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Malas Manas Transnational Criminal Organization Leadership Indicted on Charges of Human Smuggling and Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – On November 29, 2023, a federal grand jury in Tucson returned an 11-count indictment against Jorge Damian Roman-Figueroa, Luis Eduardo Roman-Flores, Manuel Jose Bernal, Joel Salazar-Ballesteros, and Jesus Armando Gonzalez-Villela, citizens of Mexico, for Conspiracy to Transport Aliens; Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments; Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana, Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, and Cocaine; Distribution of Marijuana, Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, and Cocaine; and Brandishing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
“These actions are the latest in a long line of the Justice Department’s efforts to dismantle, piece-by-piece, violent cartels like Malasa Manas and Sinaloa,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We will continue to target and prosecute the leaders and associates of the criminal groups responsible for poisoning the American people with fentanyl and endangering vulnerable migrants for profit.”
The indictment alleges that defendants Jorge Damian Roman-Figueroa, also known as Soldado, Luis Eduardo Roman-Flores, Manuel Jose Bernal, also known as Peque, and Joel Salazar-Ballesteros, also known as Catorce, are members of the Malas Manas Transnational Criminal Organization (TCO), operating in the Santa Cruz and Mascarenas areas of Mexico, with the permission of the Sinaloa Cartel.
The indictment alleges that these defendants operated a human smuggling organization as part of the Malas Manas TCO, trafficked drugs, and laundered the proceeds of both criminal activities. More specifically, the indictment alleges that beginning at an unknown time but including December 2020 and continuing through November 12, 2021, defendants Roman-Figueroa, Roman-Flores, Bernal, and Salazar-Ballesteros conspired to transport aliens within the United States as part of the Malas Manas Transnational Criminal Organization.
The indictment alleges that between January 2019 and August 2023, defendants Roman-Figueroa, Roman-Flores, and Salazar-Ballesteros conspired to launder the profits of alien smuggling and drug smuggling through the movement of monetary instruments from the United States to the Republic of Mexico.
The indictment further alleges that from 2019 until 2023 Roman-Figueroa, Bernal, Salazar-Ballesteros, and Gonzalez-Villela conspired to distribute and did distribute various quantities of fentanyl, marijuana, methamphetamine, and cocaine. Finally, the indictment alleges that Bernal brandished a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime involving methamphetamine on February 3, 2021. The most serious of these crimes carries a minimum mandatory term of 10 years and up to a maximum term of life in prison, and a fine of up to $10,000,000.
“DEA’s top operational priority is to defeat the two criminal organizations responsible for the influx of fentanyl into the United States— the Sinaloa and Jalisco Cartels. As alleged in the indictment, these defendants worked with the Sinaloa Cartel to send fentanyl and other deadly drugs into the United States,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “Today’s actions demonstrate that DEA will relentlessly pursue every member and associate of these global criminal organizations, which threaten the public health, safety, and national security of the American people.”
“The facts alleged here illustrate the breadth and diversity of the harmful actions by transnational criminal organizations,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “This case isn’t about just guns, or drugs, or aliens. In our continuing efforts to safeguard and bolster border communities, we look forward to establishing the interconnectedness of these three related crimes.”
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. This case also involves the OCDETF Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Homeland Security Investigations – Nogales Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration – Tucson Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation OCDETF Strike Force in Tucson conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSA) Rui Wang, Arturo Aguilar, and David Petermann worked on the investigation. AUSA David Petermann is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-23-01975-TUC-JCH (AMM)
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-200_Roman-Figueroa, et al.# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Louisiana man sentenced to ten years for transportation of a minor across state lines for sexual purposesRead the Press Release
OXFORD, Miss. – A Louisiana man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for transporting a minor across state lines with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Ronald Latiolais, III, age 28, met a Mississippi teen online and began chatting with her using an online application. In April of 2019, Latiolais drove from Louisiana to Mississippi to meet the 13-year-old girl. During their conversations, the minor revealed to Latiolais that she was underage. Despite knowing she was underage, Latiolais went to the teen’s house during the middle of the night, cut the screen on the minor’s bedroom window, and escaped undetected with the teen. Latiolais admitted to committing sexual acts with the minor during a stop on the drive from Mississippi to Louisiana. The minor was recovered at Latiolais’ house the next day.
At the conclusion of the March 2022 trial of this case, a jury found Latiolais guilty of transporting a minor in interstate commerce with the intent to engage in unlawful sexual activity, a charge requiring a mandatory minimum sentence of 120 months in prison. Latiolais has remained in jail since August of 2022, and was sentenced on Thursday to serve 120 months in prison. Upon release from prison, Latiolais will remain on supervised release for five years and must register as a sex offender.
U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner of the Northern District of Mississippi announced the sentence on Thursday afternoon.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation with assistance from local law enforcement agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Parker S. King and Julie Addison prosecuted the case.
Los Angeles Man Sentenced to More Than 5 Years in Prison for COVID-19 Business Loan Fraud Schemes and for Firearms and Ammo CrimeRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A downtown Los Angeles man was sentenced today to 63 months in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining more than $150,000 – and attempted to obtain an additional $1.85 million – in COVID-relief loans for several companies he claimed to own and operate, and for illegally possessing firearms – including three AR-style rifles – and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
Sean Schoepflin, 44, a.k.a. “Sean Fitzgerald,” was sentenced by United States District Judge Fernando M. Olguin, who ordered Schoepflin immediately remanded into custody at today’s hearing.
At the conclusion of a three-day trial in late 2022, a jury found Schoepflin guilty of two counts of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering. At a separate two-day trial that concluded on August 16, a jury found Schoepflin guilty of one count of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.
From April 2020 to October 2021, Schoepflin made numerous false statements to the United States Small Business Administration to secure more than $150,000 – and attempting to secure an additional $1.85 million – in Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) for his business.
In applying for the EIDL loans, Schoepflin falsely stated that the business entity he created had several employees and more than half a million dollars in revenue, and that he would use the EIDLs for working capital for the business. Schoepflin also falsely stated on loan application that he had never been convicted of a felony.
In fact, his purported business, Capital Adventures Inc., had no employees and little to no revenue. Schoepflin used the EIDLs largely for personal expenses, and he had previously been convicted of multiple felonies.
For example, Schoepflin falsely stated in the loan application that Capital Adventures had revenues of $560,000 in a one-year period just before the pandemic. When an SBA employee sent an email to Schoepflin requesting Capital Adventures’ business tax return to show proof of the company’s existence as a business entity, Schoepflin sent an unsigned tax form that stated that Capital Adventures had gross sales or receipts of $625,112 in 2019.
In fact, Capital Adventures did not file the required IRS form for 2019 until July 2021, after it requested and was denied an increase for its EIDL. Furthermore, between February 2018 and April 2020, Capital Adventures’ bank accounts had total deposits of approximately $35,000.
“While the rest of the world was grappling with the effects of the worst pandemic in modern history…Sean Schoepflin saw this time as an opportunity to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from American small businesses for his own gain,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “[Schoepflin]…utilized four fictitious companies over the span of a year to apply repeatedly for COVID-19 funds to which [he was] not entitled.”
In March 2022, federal law enforcement searched Schoepflin’s residence in connection with his COVID fraud scheme. While there, agents recovered nine firearms, including three AR-style assault rifles, and more than 4,000 rounds of ammunition belonging to Schoepflin.
Schoepflin is not permitted to possess firearms or ammunition because of his felony convictions dating back to the late 1990s in Florida state court, which include witness tampering, cocaine possession, and burglary.
Schoepflin’s wife, Erika Leon, 46, a.k.a. “Erika Fitzgerald,” also of downtown Los Angeles, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of wire fraud in the COVID fraud case. She is expected to go to trial early next year.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The FBI and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration investigated this matter. The Small Business Administration’s Office of Inspector General and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service provided substantial assistance with the investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Solomon Kim and David C. Lachman of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.
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 Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Leeds Woman Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Drug ConvictionRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Leeds woman was sentenced today on drug charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.
U.S. District Court Judge Corey L. Maze sentenced Joannah Ruth Ruoho, 34, to 120 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Ruoho pleaded guilty to the charge in September.
According to the plea agreement, in February 2022, a Moody Police Department officer initiated a traffic stop on Ruoho. Ruoho rolled down the window and the police officer could smell the odor of marijuana. At the request of the police officer, Ruoho got out of the vehicle. The officer searched the vehicle and found a bag with methamphetamine inside it, two prepackaged cannabis bags containing methamphetamine, two clear plastic bags containing marijuana, a plastic bag containing mushrooms, and a glass pipe with narcotics residue on it. The officer also found a loaded Taurus PT140 G2 40 SW pistol underneath the driver’s seat.
The FBI investigated the case, along with the Moody Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany Byrd prosecuted the case.
Lee County Man Pleads Guilty in Connection with $1.35 Million COVID Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Evan Graves (40, Alva) has pleaded guilty to wire fraud in connection with a $1.35 million COVID relief fraud scheme. Graves faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. As part of his guilty plea, Graves has agreed to forfeit approximately $1,355,600 and six properties in Fort Myers that he had purchased or funded using proceeds of his fraud.
According to the plea agreement and other court documents, between June 20 and July 23, 2020, Graves electronically submitted 10 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications to the Small Business Administration (SBA) on behalf of his various Fort Myers-based companies. In each EIDL application, Graves falsely represented his companies’ number of employees, gross revenues, and lost rental income due to the COVID-19 disaster to qualify for large loan amounts and advance funding. In total, Graves’s fraudulent representations caused the SBA to approve his 10 loans and deposit approximately $1.35 million into bank accounts controlled by Graves. Following disbursement of the EIDL funding, Graves unlawfully used the money to, among other things, pay off personal credit card debt, fund personal investment accounts, satisfy mortgages, and purchase real estate.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth. Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Nebesky is handling the forfeiture.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Justice Department in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/webform/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Download Plea AgreementJustice Department Announces Numerous Firearms, Illegal Narcotics, and Conspiracy Charges in Multi-Agency Take DownRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced that 20 individuals were charged in federal court in connection with firearms-trafficking, narcotics, conspiracy, or other firearms offenses after a targeted violent crime reduction initiative in West Columbia, South Carolina. The indictments are a result of a series of coordinated arrests made following a targeted multi-agency operation that spanned several months.
“This operation targeting gun and drug trafficking in South Carolina exemplifies the Justice Department’s partnership-centered, community-tailored strategy to combat violent crime,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will continue to work closely alongside our local law enforcement and community partners to target the most significant drivers of violent crime and keep people safe.”
“Partnerships are a powerful tool in combatting violent crime,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs for the District of South Carolina. “The significant impact of this operation is the product of hundreds of manhours from multiple federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Our communities are safer today because of their collaboration.”
In June 2022, in response to rising violent crime in the West Columbia area, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in Columbia launched an advanced, intelligence-based, multi-faceted law enforcement operation. The purpose of the operation was to target criminal entities and groups in the area, specifically those engaged in the illegal use, sale, and possession of firearms and narcotics. ATF established a controlled buy location, and ATF undercover agents and confidential informants began conducting controlled purchases of firearms and narcotics from criminal targets in the area, while local agencies conducted crime suppression operations.
Defendants included members of the Bloods, Crips, and Gangster Disciple street gangs. The joint investigation has led to 20 defendants facing federal charges. Federal agents purchased or seized 210 firearms, including several machine gun conversion devices or “switches” designed to convert a firearm to a fully automatic weapon, and thousands of rounds of ammunition. Additionally, law enforcement purchased or seized approximately 12 kilograms of methamphetamine, 500 grams of powder cocaine, 500 grams of powder fentanyl, 280 grams of crack cocaine, 2,826 fentanyl pills, and over 2,100 polydrug pills.
Some defendants were charged together, but several others were charged individually. The following charges have been filed in United States District Court, according to court documents:
- Christopher Huntington, also known as Crazy, 32, of Lugoff, was charged with multiple counts of distributing 50 grams of more of methamphetamine, as well as possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and unlawful possession of a firearms.
- Tyrek Carroway, also known as Everything, 24, of Columbia was charged with multiple counts of distributing 50 grams of more of methamphetamine as well as possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
- Marcelleus Robinson also known as Drawdown, 31, of Columbia and Howard Parker, 31, of West Columbia, were charged with unlawful possession of a firearms and unlawful possession of machineguns.
- Joseph Wadsworth, also known as J-Roc, 39, of Gaston, and Curtis Hill III, 33, of Lexington, were charged with multiple counts of distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl, as well as possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and unlawful possession of a firearms.
- Sean Smith, also known as D, 40, of Cayce, was charged with multiple counts of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, as well as possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and unlawful possession of a firearms.
- Lamark Gill, also known as Lamont, 47, of Lexington, was charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and crack cocaine, as well as possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and unlawful possession of a firearms.
- Ricky Bell Jr., 35, of Columbia, was charged with distribution of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and unlawful possession of firearms.
- Dequincy Marquez Jordan, 37, of Florence, was charged with two counts of distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
- Jordan Deshawn Waden also known as Yayo, 24, of Columbia, was charged with two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
- Joel Jeremiah Williams, 35, of Columbia, was charged with two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
- Angela Peterson Black, 51, of Lexington, was charged with possession with intent to distribute and distribution of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
- Michael Wright, 45, of Greenville, was charged with conspiring to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, as well as six counts of distributing methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
- Terrance Myers, also known as Terrance Toomer, 47, of Orangeburg, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
- Kendolius Jones, also known as Duke Brim, 30, of West Columbia, was charged with felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, as well as possession of an unregistered short barrel rifle.
- Reginald Pearson, 40, of Columbia, was charged with three counts possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, one count possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of cocaine, as well as felon in possession and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
- Everette Wanamaker, 36, of Columbia, was charged with two counts possession with intent to distribute a quantity of fentanyl, as well as six counts of felon in possession.
- Sean Dunagan, 44, of Marietta, Georgia, was charged with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, with possession with intent to distribute fifty grams or more of methamphetamine as well as possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and destruction of evidence.
- Davarious Keith, 30, of West Columbia, was charged with dealing in firearms without a license, distribution of crack cocaine, as well as felon in possession and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
- David Smith, 36, of West Columbia, was charged with distribution of crack cocaine.
- Gregory Huggins, 30, of Lexington was charged with two counts of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and two counts of possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine.
ATF, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the West Columbia Police Department, Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, and Richland County Sheriff’s Department investigated the case.
The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office is handling the prosecution of additional defendants facing state charges related to this investigation. The federal cases stemming from this investigation are being prosecuted by a team of Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elle E. Klein for the District of South Carolina.
The case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Justice Department's violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Jury convicts cartel leader in murder-for-hire conspiracyRead the Press Release
LAREDO – A federal jury has convicted a 40-year-old Mexican citizen residing in Laredo on multiple counts for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, kidnapping and murder-for-hire, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
The jury deliberated for approximately one hour before finding Noe Gonzalez-Martinez aka Tocayo guilty on all counts as charged following a three-day trial.
Gonzalez-Martinez was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, murder-for-hire conspiracy, murder for hire, conspiracy to kidnap, possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking related crime and interstate travel in aid of racketeering.
During the trial, the jury heard evidence that between Sept. 7, 2021, and Sept. 13, 2021, Gonzalez-Martinez, a leader and manager of the Cartel Del Noreste (CDN), and several other CDN members traveled from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, into Laredo. There, Gonzalez-Martinez solicited the help of other CDN affiliates to recruit, plan and coordinate the kidnapping and murder of an individual the Cartel believed had stolen from them.
The investigation revealed Gonzalez-Martinez communicated via cellphone with co-conspirators to plan and coordinate the recovery of drugs and proceeds from the intended victim. In addition, Gonzalez-Martinez provided co-conspirators with an address where they could retrieve firearms and a vehicle to execute the murder.
On Sept. 13, 2021, co-conspirators took possession of an automobile and firearms to carry out the murder. The firearms included a Colt Government Model caliber .45 pistol, Trooper MKIII caliber .357 magnum revolver, Bushmaster caliber .223-5.56 mm rifle and a Colt AR-15 A2 caliber .223.
Law enforcement set up the arrest of three “sicarios” (hitmen) who were secreted into Laredo by the CDN. The sicarios were led to a vehicle and firearms in an undercover operation. Authorities apprehended all three sicarios during a joint law enforcement operation.
The jury also heard testimony from all law enforcement agencies involved in the operation. Authorities detailed their investigation into the cellphones used by the CDN to commit this crime, the firearms obtain by the CDN and the defendants border crossing. A co-conspirator provided insider knowledge of the CDN and its operations. Additionally, he admitted to the jury he was a sicario, a hired killer for the CDN and his participation in the crime.
Co-conspirators Juan Antonio Martinez-Padilla aka Juan Antonio Martinez-Lopez or Otoniel Martinez-Padilla, 58, Gregorio Gonzalez-Barragan, 33, and Rodolfo Reyna-Zapata, 25, all from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, previously pleaded guilty to the kidnapping conspiracy and are pending sentencing on that charge.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos presided over the trial and set sentencing for March 25, 2024. At that time, Gonzalez-Martinez faces up to life in federal prison. He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations and the Laredo Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys José Angel Moreno and Steven Chamberlin prosecuted the case.
Jury Convicts Three Men for Violent Hobbs Act ConspiracyRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On Dec. 12, a federal jury found Palacio Valdes Farley, a/k/a “Bobo” and “Bo,” Joassaint Josiah Aristil, Jr., a/k/a “JoJo,”, and Jamar Brandon Nattiel, a/k/a “Debo” and “D-Boy,” guilty of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery.
According to evidence presented at trial, during 2016 and 2017, Farley organized and led a South Florida-based conspiracy to distribute marijuana. Farley sought to obtain marijuana for free, so that he could sell it at a 100 percent profit. To obtain free marijuana, Farley would obtain marijuana on credit, fail to pay for it, and conspired with others to rob suppliers of their product.
Farley’s conspiracy to rob drug-traffickers of their marijuana began on or about May 22-23, 2016, when Farley, co-defendant Andrew Francois Martin, and Farley’s known associate and unindicted co-conspirator, “John Doe,” flew from Florida to Los Angeles for the purpose of robbing a supplier of his marijuana. On the morning of May 24, 2016, the three robbers met with a supplier in an apartment in Van Nuys, California, for the purpose of taking 25 pounds of marijuana that the supplier intended to sell them. When the supplier refused to sell the marijuana on consignment; the robbers shot the victim several times, took his marijuana, and fled the scene.
Evidence was also introduced at trial that on April 20, 2017, Farley and Martin approached two additional victims, with guns drawn, as they exited a restaurant in Daytona Beach, Florida and were walking to their car. One victim was pushed to the ground at gunpoint, while another was robbed of a chain, watch, pendant, and wallet. Martin shot at the owner of the restaurant when the owner came to the aid of his customers. The owner shot back and wounded Martin in the leg.
Thereafter, the Hobbs Act conspiracy continued.
In and around Nov. 2017, Farley enlisted co-defendants Lisa Ann Flood, Karen Xiomara Williams, JoAristil and Nattiel, to rob a victim in southern California. To set up the robbery, Farley told the victim that he would send one of his representatives to pay a drug debt and buy more marijuana. On the night of December 5, 2017, Flood, Williams, Aristil, Nattiel, and an unidentified male co-conspirator, met in a hotel room to prepare for the robbery. Aristil, Nattiel, and the unidentified male donned black. Lisa Flood loaded the 9 mm pistols and gave the firearms to Aristil and Nattiel. The group then drove to the victim’s neighborhood. At approximately 11:30 pm., Flood knocked on the front door of the marijuana distributor and was let in. After a brief conversation, Flood excused herself to return to her car and get money. A moment later, Aristil, Nattiel, and a third man burst through the front door. They pointed their guns at the victim, tied the victim’s hands and feet with zip ties, and confined the victim to a room. One of the robbers went upstairs and pulled the victim’s wife out of bed, put his arm around her neck, stuck his gun in her back, and marched her downstairs to the den, where they tied her hands and feet, and put a plastic bag over her head. The robbers then ransacked the victims’ house, stealing marijuana, jewelry, and currency.
Martin and Flood previously pled guilty to participating in the conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and are pending sentencing. Williams pled guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and was sentenced to 168 months in prison.
U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman is scheduled to sentence Farley, Aristil, and Nattiel, on March 18, 2024. Each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, and Sheriff Gregory Tony of the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) announced the convictions.
FBI and BSO investigated this case with assistance from Lauderhill Police Department, Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), and Daytona Beach Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dwayne E. Williams and Elena Smukler are prosecuting it.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.
PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through the PSN program a broad spectrum of law enforcement and community stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs to reduce violence crime and gun violence, and to make our local neighborhoods safer for everyone.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 22-20556-Cr-Altman/Reid.
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Independence Man Sentenced for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for uploading hundreds of images and videos of child pornography to his online storage accounts, as well as sending videos of child pornography to an Ohio teenager.
Joshua M. Rodgers, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to eight years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Rodgers to spend the rest of his life on supervised release following incarceration and to pay $35,000 in restitution to his victims. Rodgers will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.
On July 17, 2023, Rodgers pleaded guilty to one count of transporting child pornography. Rodgers admitted that he uploaded hundreds of images and videos of child pornography to his cloud storage online Google account, particularly in his Google Drive file, as well as to Dropbox, an online cloud file storage program, from Dec. 4, 2017, to Feb. 27, 2019.
On April 29, 2019, the Western Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force received four CyberTip reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding a total of 548 videos of child pornography uploaded to Rodgers’s Google accounts. Investigators then identified 728 images and 771 videos of child pornography in Rodgers’s Google account. Of those, roughly 101 files involved infants or toddlers. An additional 1,022 images and 124 videos depicted “age difficult” persons and child erotica.
On Oct. 22, 2019, federal agents executed a search warrant at Rodgers’s residence. They seized his computer, which contained 658 videos and 139 images of suspected child pornography, including prepubescent victims, sadomasochistic behaviors, and bestiality.
Rodgers also admitted to previously communicating with a female from Ohio, beginning when she was 15 years old, and he admitted to sharing images and videos with her. Rodgers repeatedly asked her to send him pornographic images and videos of herself. He even bought her a sex toy, and had it sent to her to use in videos she could create for him. Rodgers also sent her videos of child pornography.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth W. Borgnino. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Western Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."