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12 December 2023
Former Hollywood-Based Anti-Poverty Nonprofit CEO Sentenced to Six Months in Federal Prison for Embezzlement and Cheating on TaxesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The former president and CEO of a Los Angeles-based anti-poverty nonprofit agency was sentenced today to six months in federal prison for embezzling money from the nonprofit for his personal benefit, failing to report these funds on his tax returns, and intentionally misapplying more than $600,000 in grant money to pay for unauthorized expenses.
Howard Dixon Slingerland, 54, of Studio City, was sentenced by United States District Judge Dolly M. Gee, who also ordered him to serve six months of home confinement, pay a fine of $10,000, pay $750,470 in restitution and to perform 200 hours of community service.
Slingerland pleaded guilty on March 8 to one count of conversion and intentional misapplication of funds from an organization receiving federal money and one count of subscribing to a false federal income tax return.
From 1996 until he was fired in September 2019, Slingerland led the Youth Policy Institute Inc. (YPI), a Hollywood-based nonprofit agency that worked to eradicate poverty, eventually becoming president and CEO. YPI operated in some of the highest needs neighborhoods in Los Angeles, running programs aimed at supporting youth education, development, safety, job training, and health and wellness. As the head of YPI, Slingerland had check-signing authority over YPI’s bank accounts and was the personal guarantor of YPI’s credit card.
From January 2015 to February 2019, Slingerland caused at least $71,533 of YPI funds to be spent on unauthorized expenditures, including Slingerland’s personal property tax bill that exceeded $14,000; a Slingerland family dinner at an upscale New York City restaurant costing more than $6,000; private tutoring for a family member costing nearly $11,000; and a home computer and software valued at nearly $2,000.
Slingerland also caused federal grant money YPI had received under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, administered by the United States Department of Labor, to be used for unauthorized purposes. The grant was awarded to support a YPI education and training program designed to prepare young adults in Los Angeles for jobs in growing industries such as construction, customer service, food preparation and service. Instead, in July 2019, Slingerland caused approximately $401,561 of these funds to be used for the unauthorized payment of YPI payroll. That same month, he caused another approximately $201,466 of the federal grant money to be illegally used to pay off YPI’s credit card bill, including for expenses Slingerland had incurred.
Slingerland underreported on his individual federal income tax returns more than $100,000 in income each year for the tax years 2015 through 2018. Slingerland did not report the money he obtained from YPI through the embezzlement or the value of benefits he received from YPI, including retirement plan contributions and a housing allowance and a vehicle allowance. Slingerland admitted to owing the United States Treasury a total of approximately $147,398 in unpaid taxes – not including penalties and interest – for these years.
“Entrusted with the management of a large non-profit organization on which many community members had come to depend, [Slingerland] ignored the rules and used the organization’s money to pay for his own personal expenses, some of which were extravagant, even profligate,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. In November 2019, two months after Slingerland was fired, YPI declared bankruptcy.
IRS Criminal Investigation; the FBI; the United States Department of Labor Office of Inspector General; the United States Department of Education Office of Inspector General; the United States Department of Justice Office of Inspector General; and the Los Angeles Unified School District investigated this matter. The Office of the United States Trustee provided substantial assistance.
Assistant United States Attorney Ranee A. Katzenstein of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.
Florida attorney convicted at trial for role in COVID-19 fraud schemeRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: A Florida attorney has been convicted at trial for participating in a scheme to illegally obtain funding from a federal COVID-19 small business relief program.
Shaquandra Woods, 40, of Jacksonville, Fla., was convicted after a four-day trial in U.S. District Court on a charge of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The conviction subjects Woods to a statutory penalty of up to 20 years in prison, along with substantial financial penalties and restitution, followed by a period of supervised release upon completion of any prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Congress provided more than $6 billion in funding for the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act as a lifeline in the midst of a generational catastrophe for struggling small businesses,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “This year alone, our office has prosecuted defendants responsible for more than $11 million in CARES Act fraud, and with our law enforcement partners we continue to identify and hold accountable those who illegally enrich themselves through these programs.”
As authorized by the CARES Act, the Small Business Administration (SBA) provided Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) to eligible small businesses experiencing substantial financial interruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Woods, an attorney licensed to practice law in Florida and Georgia, completed at least nine applications for EIDL funding for herself and others, fabricating and submitting false documents to support the applications.
As a result of the fraudulent applications, Woods attempted to secure nearly $800,000 in COVID-19 funding for herself and others in the conspiracy and was successful in obtaining more than $300,000 for herself.
U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker will schedule sentencing for Woods upon completion of a pre-sentence investigation by U.S. Probation Services.
“Fraud in and against the CARES Act amounts to theft from American taxpayers,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI, together with our law enforcement partners, will continue to investigate and prosecute those who take advantage of these programs designed to help struggling Americans.”
“Conspiring to fraudulently obtain federal pandemic relief funds that are meant to provide assistance to nation’s small businesses is unacceptable,” said SBA-OIG’s Eastern Region Special Agent-in-Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite. “I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s office and our law enforcement partners for their support and dedication to pursuing justice in this case.”
The case is being investigated by the FBI and the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General and prosecuted for the United States by Senior Litigation Counsel Jennifer G. Solari and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan C. Grover.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Final Defendant Sentenced in Large-Scale Methamphetamine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. – A Somerset, Ky., man, Dennie Smith, 50, was sentenced to 217 months on Monday, by U.S. District Judge Robert Wier, for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Smith is the last of six defendants sentenced for their roles in the conspiracy.
According to his guilty plea agreement, between November 2021 and May 2022, Smith developed a relationship with a methamphetamine supplier from Pulaski County and regularly obtained pound quantities of methamphetamine, for resale. Smith also assisted this supplier in obtaining multi-pound quantities of methamphetamine from another source for drugs, in Fayette County.
In February 2022, law enforcement seized a safe from a residence Smith shared with his co-defendants and located more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, three loaded firearms, and a large amount of cash. Smith admitted that these items belonged to him, that he intended to distribute the methamphetamine, and that he possessed the firearms to protect his drug trafficking operation. Then, in May 2022, Smith travelled to Fayette County to obtain methamphetamine. On his return, he was stopped by law enforcement, who seized more than nine kilograms of high purity methamphetamine.
Smith’s co-defendants have previously received the following sentences:
- Wesley Calhoun: 240 months and five years of supervised release;
- Timothy Grundy: 235 months and five years supervised release;
- Michael Henderson: 104 months and three years of supervised release;
- David Upchurch: 78 months and three years of supervised release; and
- Autumn Smith: 76 months and three years of supervised release.
Under federal law, Smith and his co-defendants must serve 85 percent of their prison sentences. Upon his release from prison, Smith will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for four years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA, Louisville Field Division; and Chief William Hunt, Somerset Police Department, announced the sentences.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA and Somerset Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Trimble prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Shier coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
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Fentanyl Distributor Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Causing DeathRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger today sentenced Anna Parsons (38, Poinciana) to 15 years in federal prison for fentanyl distribution and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl. Parsons had pleaded guilty on August 29, 2023.
According to court documents, at approximately 1:00 a.m. on March 15, 2022, Parsons arrived at a homeless encampment to meet with an individual (C.J.). Parsons distributed fentanyl to C.J. and another individual living at the site, J.A. C.J. became unresponsive after using the fentanyl. Parsons attempted to get Narcan but did not call 911 until approximately 10:30 a.m. when C.J. stopped breathing. The Medical Examiner’s Office (District 9) later concluded that C.J. had died from fentanyl toxicity. When Parsons and J.A called 911, they initially lied to police and the Drug Enforcement Administration about the circumstances of C.J.’s death. The DEA searched Parson’s apartment and phone to find that she had been distributing fentanyl and that she possessed 158 grams of fentanyl, worth approximately $15,800 at the prices she was charging, at her apartment.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.
Federal Jury Convicts Tahlequah Resident of First Degree Murder in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced today that Isaac Newman Sockey, age 39, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, was found guilty by a federal jury of one count of First Degree Murder in Indian Country.
The jury trial began with testimony on Monday, December 11, 2023, and concluded on Tuesday, December 12, 2023, with the guilty verdict.
During the trial, the United States presented evidence that on September 8, 2023, Sockey stabbed the victim in the head, neck, and back after a verbal altercation at a private residence. The victim was life-flighted to a Tulsa hospital but died from injuries sustained in the attack. The crime occurred in Tahlequah, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The guilty verdict was the result of an investigation by the Tahlequah Police Department, the Cherokee Nation Attorney General’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the trial and ordered the completion of a presentence report. Sentencing will be scheduled following completion of the report. Sockey will remain in custody of the United States Marshal until sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin Gross and Gregory Dean Burris represented the United States.
Eight-Time Felon Convicted at Trial for Drug Trafficking and Possessing an Illegally Modified Machinegun in Furtherance of Drug-Trafficking CrimesRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A federal jury convicted a Mobile man last week for drug conspiracy, possessing bulk marijuana with intent to distribute it, possessing an illegally modified machinegun in furtherance of drug-trafficking crimes, illegally possessing firearms as an eight-time convicted felon, and illegally possessing an unregistered machinegun.
According to court documents and evidence presented at a three-day trial, Hassan D. Jones, 25, conspired with several individuals to distribute bulk marijuana in the Mobile area and elsewhere from at least March 2021 through February 2023. In May 2021, deputy sheriffs in Louisiana arrested Jones and two of his coconspirators following a traffic stop of a car they were using to return to Mobile from a drug pickup in Houston, Texas. In the car, police found a loaded Glock pistol equipped with an extended magazine, marijuana, promethazine syrup, and more than $5,000 in cash.
In February 2023, narcotics detectives with the Mobile Police Department executed a search warrant at Jones’s apartment in Eight Mile. During the search, detectives seized, among other things, four pounds of vacuum-sealed bulk marijuana, two loaded Glock pistols equipped with extended magazines, and two of Jones’s cell phones. One of the pistols was equipped with a machinegun-conversion device, commonly known as a “Glock switch,” which illegally converted the semiautomatic pistol into a fully automatic machinegun. The jury also heard from a DNA expert who located Jones’s DNA on the Glock pistols seized from his apartment. Jones’s phones and social media accounts contained dozens of videos, photos, and messages regarding Jones’s drug dealing and his illegal possession of firearms, including illegally-modified machineguns.Jones will be sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock in March 2024. Jones is subject to a mandatory 30-year prison sentence for possessing a machinegun in furtherance of his drug-trafficking crimes. That 30-year sentence must run consecutively to any other sentence he receives. Jones faces up to 15 years in prison for being a felon in possession of firearms, up to 10 years in prison for illegally possessing an unregistered machinegun, and up to five years in prison for each of his drug convictions.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Mobile Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin Roller and Jessica Terrill are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
District Man Sentenced to 60 Month Prison Term for Burglary and Sexual Assaults Committed in Northwest and Southeast D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Darren West, 28, of Washington D.C., was sentenced to 60 months in prison and three years of supervised release for burglarizing a home in Northwest Washington, D.C., and for sexually assaulting two women in Northwest and Southeast Washington, D.C. respectively, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
West pleaded guilty in September 2023 to one count of second degree burglary and two counts of misdemeanor sexual abuse in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced on December 11, 2023 by the Honorable Andrea Hertzfeld.
According to the Government’s evidence, on June 11, 2023, West entered the victims’ home through an unlocked rear door and cornered one of the victims in her bedroom. When the victim called out to her roommate for help, the victim’s roommate confronted West with pepper spray and told West to leave the home. The defendant returned to the rear of the victims’ home and stole an iPhone before fleeing from the residence.
In a separate incident on March 9, 2023, West approached the victim at her workplace and propositioned the victim for oral sex. When the victim declined, West grabbed the victim’s buttocks. In another incident on June 8, 2023, West approached the victim, asked the victim how she was doing, and then grabbed her buttocks. When the victim pushed the defendant away from her, He threatened the victim with physical harm.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department.
The Case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Helfand of the Major Crimes Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Assistant United States Attorney Alexis Dunlap of the Misdemeanor Domestic Violence Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
District Man Pleads Guilty in a Spree of Six Armed Robberies Targeting Small Businesses in the District of ColumbiaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A District man pleaded guilty today to a string of armed robberies occurring in early 2022, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves and Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Michael Daniels, 36, of Washington D.C., pleaded to interference with interstate commerce by robbery (also known as a Hobbs Act robbery).
Beginning in late January 2022, an armed robber held up a half-dozen small commercial establishments in the District of Columbia. At a dry cleaner on Capitol Hill on Jan. 28, 2022, a man wearing a distinctive sweatshirt with an image of the Pink Panther and Inspector Clouseau approached the cash register with a dollar bill and asked for change. The cashier opened the register. The man pulled out a weapon, demanded “all the money,” and then ordered the cashier to lie down on the floor and count down from 100.
Five similar robberies followed. On Jan. 30, 2022, a man entered a liquor store shortly before 2:30 p.m. on the 1900 block of 9th St., NW. He asked for a bottle of cognac and a pack of rolling papers. Then he pulled out a black handgun. On Jan. 31, 2022, at a mobile phone store on the 1700 block of Columbia Rd., NW, a man wearing a mask asked an employee for change for a dollar. Flashing a black handgun, he demanded money from the register. He fled after ordering the employee to lie down on the floor and count down from 100. On the way out he dropped a mask. The ATF determined that the DNA recovered from the mask originated from Michael Daniels.
On Feb. 7, 2022, a man wearing a mask walked into a mobile phone store on the 3100 block of Mt. Pleasant St. NW. He lingered for a few minutes, asked about various items for sale, and inquired about a job. He next handed a dollar bill the cashier and asked for change. When the cashier opened the register, the man flashed a handgun and began counting down from five. The cashier handed over cash. The man fled. The cashier noted that the robber had tattoos of numbers near his eyes that were visible despite the suspect’s mask. Michael Daniels has tattoos of numbers near his eyes.
On Feb. 10, 2022, a man walked into a vape shop on the 600 block of Pennsylvania Ave., SE. He asked for a pack of rolling papers, flashed a handgun, and demanded money from the cashier. On Feb. 13, a man wearing a black mask entered a mobile phone store on the 3700 block of Georgia Ave, NW. He requested change for a $10 bill, asked about a job, then brandished a gun and demanded money. He fled with cash and a cell phone.
Daniels was arrested on Apr. 12, 2023, in Washington, D.C.
U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras scheduled sentencing for Apr. 5, 2024. Daniels faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case was investigated by the ATF.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nihar Ranjan Mohanty and Madhu Chugh of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Candace Battle and Kim Hall provided valuable assistance.
District Man Found Guilty After Trial on Enhanced Simple Assault for October 6, 2020 Assault at Fort Totten Metro StationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kevin Brown, 39, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty today by a jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on one count of bias enhanced simple assault stemming from the October 6, 2020, attack at the Fort Totten Metro Station, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves announced.
Brown is to be sentenced on December 13, 2023, at a hearing before Superior Court Judge Jason Park. Brown faces a maximum of 270 days in prison.
According to the government’s evidence, on October 6, 2020, Brown approached the victim, who was with his husband and twelve-year-old nephew, on the Fort Totten Metro Station. Brown, never having met the victim before, inquired if the victim was homosexual and followed the victim and his family for several minutes while making homophobic slurs. Brown accused the victim of being a pedophile and having sex with his twelve-year-old nephew before asking the victim’s nephew if “these gays were hurting him.” Brown called the victim and his husband fa****s multiple times before striking the victim about the face with a closed fist three times. The defendant then fled on a southbound red-line metro towards Brookland Station where he was apprehended by Metro Transit Police.
Brown was convicted by a jury after a four-day trial. Brown is subject to enhanced penalties based on the bias related nature of the assault.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Transit Police Department (MTPD).
The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Dal Lago, Luke Albi, Samuel Ison.
UPDATE: On December 13, 2023, Judge Park sentenced Brown to 270 days in prison after remarking that the government's evidence was overwhelming.
Customs and Border Protection Officer Admits Using Unreasonable Force and Agrees to Resign from Law EnforcementRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – December 12, 2023
SAN DIEGO – U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer Andre Maurice Chevalier pleaded guilty in federal court today to using unreasonable force on an individual who had applied for admission to the United States from Mexico.
Chevalier admitted in his plea agreement that on April 23, 2022, while he was on duty at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, he encountered a woman at a primary inspection booth. Chevalier admitted that he pulled the woman, identified in court documents by the initials Y.F., out of her vehicle and slung her into the booth. Her face struck the booth. She sustained injuries to her face and fell to the ground. Chevalier then picked up Y.F., shoved her against her vehicle and handcuffed her. Chevalier admitted that he acted willfully and intentionally and deprived Y.F. of her right to be free from an unreasonable use of force.
Chevalier agreed to resign and not seek future employment with a federal law enforcement agency.
“Mr. Chevalier’s conduct was inexcusable,” said U.S. Attorney Tara K. McGrath. “His guilty plea and resignation mean he no longer has authority over, or the opportunity to abuse, those entering the country.”
“Federal law enforcement officers are expected to treat the public with courtesy and respect,” said Department of Homeland Security Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari. “Those who fail to adhere to this standard will be held accountable.”
Chevalier is scheduled to be sentenced on March 8, 2024, at 9 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Battaglia.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth Askins and Jill Streja.
DEFENDANT Case Number 23cr2510.
Andre Maurice Chevalier Age: 41 Temecula, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law (misdemeanor) – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 242
Maximum penalty: One year in prison and $100,000 fine
AGENCY
Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General
Court Grants Default Judgment against Tampa-Area Tax Return PreparerRead the Press Release
The District Court for the Middle District of Florida permanently enjoined Tyrone Johnson and TJ Professional Services LLC yesterday from preparing federal income tax returns for others, from owning or operating any tax return business in the future and from transferring customer lists or other customer information.
In issuing the injunction, the court accepted as true that since 2016, the defendants prepared returns that claimed fictitious businesses and fabricated business losses so that those returns claimed larger refunds than the defendants’ customers were entitled to receive. The civil complaint alleged that the defendants’ schemes have cost the Treasury millions of dollars. The order also accepted that Johnson does not file using his Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) but hides his involvement by using only the taxpayer’s identification number. According to the IRS, anyone who is paid to prepare or assists in preparing federal tax returns is legally required to have a valid PTIN and paid preparers must sign and include their PTIN on the return. Not signing a return, commonly known as “ghost preparation,” is often a red flag that a preparer is attempting to avoid detection by the IRS. The complaint alleged that Johnson acted as a ghost preparer.
The injunction against the defendants was entered by default: according to the order, both Johnson and TJ Professional Services failed to appear in the action. The court also permitted the United States to conduct post-judgment discovery to monitor compliance with its order.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
As the 2024 tax season approaches, taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers. The IRS offers tips on how to accurately file returns and how to choose a tax return preparer, as well as steps taxpayers can take to get a jumpstart on filing.
Taxpayers seeking assistance can access the IRS’s free directory of federal tax preparers. The IRS also has programs offering free basic return preparation for qualifying seniors and individuals with low to moderate income. In addition, IRS Free File, a public-private partnership, offers free online tax preparation and filing options on IRS partner websites for individuals whose adjusted gross income is under $72,000. For individuals whose income is over that threshold, IRS Free File offers electronical federal tax forms that can be filled out and filed online for free.
In the past decade, the Justice Department’s Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.
t._johnson_injunction_order.pdfConvicted Felon Charged with Robbing Armored Vehicle Courier at Gunpoint While on Supervised Release for Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – An Inglewood man, who last year was granted compassionate release after serving 26 years in federal prison for armed robberies of armed couriers, was indicted today for allegedly robbing a Brinks courier at gunpoint in a bank parking lot in Westchester in August.
Markham David Bond, 60, is charged in a three-count federal grand jury indictment with interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act), using a firearm during a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Bond’s arraignment is scheduled for December 18 in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
According to the indictment returned today and other court documents, on the morning of August 18, 2023, Bond stole approximately $145,000 in cash from a Brinks armored carrier outside a bank branch in the Westchester neighborhood of Los Angeles. The armored vehicle was parked in the bank parking lot as one of its employees got out of the vehicle with a blue duffle bag on a rolling cart and which contained the cash. Bond allegedly approached the driver, pointed a handgun at him and said, “I got you, bro” and “Don’t try nothing.”
Fearing for his life, the Brinks employee dropped the duffle bag. Bond allegedly then ordered the victim to get down on the ground. After the victim complied with this order, Bond grabbed the blue Brinks duffle bag then fled the area, according to court documents.
Police put out a crime alert after obtaining stills of the getaway car from surveillance footage. On August 27, patrol officers located the car – a Chevrolet Tahoe with distinctive rims and damage to a rear window. Police seized from the car, among other items, a blue Brinks duffle bag and a black baseball cap with the same Raiders NFL logo as seen on surveillance footage of the robber.
Bond was arrested on November 22 and police seized at his residence a .40-caliber pistol containing 10 rounds of ammunition, a maroon-colored long-sleeve shirt similar in appearance to one used in the August 18 robbery, and crumpled cash totaling $9,005 that was located inside multiple plastic bags hidden inside of a mini-refrigerator.
Bond has multiple felony convictions dating from 1985 and 1995 for Hobbs Act robbery, armed bank robbery, and use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, among other crimes. As a convicted felon, Bond is not permitted to possess firearms or ammunition.
In January 1995, Bond was sentenced to 562 months (46 years and 10 months) in prison after being convicted of bank robbery and firearms offenses, but in January 2022 he was granted a compassionate release. He was on supervised release for his 1995 conviction when he allegedly robbed the Brinks employee at gunpoint on August 18.
A federal magistrate judge on November 28 ordered Bond jailed without bond.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted of all charges, Bond will face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
The Los Angeles Police Department’s Robbery Homicide Division and the FBI investigated this case.
Assistant United States Attorney Haoxiaohan H. Cai of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
Clinic office manager sentenced for $1.2M pill mill schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A medical clinic office manager has been sentenced for operating a pill mill clinic that unlawfully distributed over 600,000 opioid pills, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
A federal jury convicted Andres Martinez, Jr., 30, and Dr. Oscar Lightner, 74, both of Laredo, April 11 for unlawfully distributing and dispensing controlled substances and conspiracy.
Chief U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal has now ordered Martinez to serve 84 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release.
At the trial, the jury heard evidence that Lightner and Martinez operated Jomori Health and Wellness (Jomori), a purported Houston pain management clinic, as a pill mill. Lightner, owner of and physician at Jomori, unlawfully prescribed dangerous combinations of controlled substances — including hydrocodone, carisoprodol and alprazolam — to his patients without a legitimate medical purpose in exchange for cash payments ranging from $250 to $500.
Martinez, Lightner’s stepson, coordinated with crew leaders to bring multiple people, including individuals living in homeless shelters, into Jomori to pose as patients to obtain prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances.
Jomori received more than $1.2 million in cash over 14 months through the scheme that resulted in the unlawful distribution and dispensing of more than 600,000 opioids and other controlled substances.
Lightner was previously sentenced to seven years in federal prison for his role.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Houston Division made the announcement as well.
The DEA conducted the investigation.
Trial Attorneys Monica Cooper and Andrew Tamayo of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted 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 the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, 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.
Clinic Office Manager Sentenced for $1.2M Pill Mill SchemeRead the Press Release
A medical clinic office manager was sentenced today to seven years in prison for operating a pill mill clinic that unlawfully distributed over 600,000 opioid pills in exchange for cash.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Andres Martinez Jr., 30, of Laredo, Texas, was the office manager of Jomori Health and Wellness (Jomori), a purported Houston pain management clinic. Martinez operated Jomori with Dr. Oscar Lightner, 74, also of Laredo, as a pill mill. Lightner, who was the owner of and physician at Jomori, unlawfully prescribed dangerous combinations of controlled substances — including of hydrocodone, carisoprodol, and alprazolam — to his patients without a legitimate medical purpose in exchange for cash payments ranging from $250 to $500. Martinez, who is Lightner’s stepson, coordinated with crew leaders to bring multiple people, including individuals living in homeless shelters, into Jomori to pose as patients to obtain prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances. Jomori received over $1.2 million in cash over 14 months through its scheme that resulted in the unlawful distribution and dispensing of over 600,000 opioids and other controlled substances.
On April 11, Martinez and Lightner were convicted of unlawfully distributing and dispensing controlled substances and conspiracy. On Nov. 30, Lightner was sentenced to seven years in prison.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas, and Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Houston Division made the announcement.
The DEA investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Monica Cooper and Andrew Tamayo of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted 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 the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, 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.
Clarksburg man sentenced to 15 years for selling heroin and fentanyl stampsRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Clarksburg, West Virginia, man was sentenced today to 188 months in prison for selling thousands of heroin and fentanyl stamps in Harrison County.
James Curtis Jones, also known as “Donk,” 26, pled guilty in August 2022 to a distribution charge near a protected location, Emmanuel Christian School in Clarksburg. Jones was supplying other dealers in the Clarksburg area with heroin and fentanyl and investigators determined that Jones was responsible for the distribution of more than one kilogram of the mixture. During a search of Jones’s home, officers found additional heroin, fentanyl, and approximately $10,000 in cash.
Jones has a prior felony conviction for aggravated assault from Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, as well as a felony conviction from Beaver County, Pennsylvania for use of communications device to engage in heroin trafficking.
The Greater Harrison Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Flower prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Canadian/Lebanese Citizen Charged with Mail and Wire Fraud and Money Laundering Conspiracies Makes Appearance in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Nemr Hallak, a citizen of Canada and Lebanon charged with operating a telemarketing fraud and money laundering conspiracy, was extradited from Greece to the United States to face charges in the Northern District of California, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey, U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Rafael Nunez, and Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Acting Special Agent in Charge Mark Silva of the Oakland Field Office.
Hallak was charged in a seven-count superseding indictment on April 21, 2016. The superseding indictment alleges that, between January 2010 and August 2014, Hallak and others operated a “business directory” telemarketing scam. Using a variety of means, including false and misleading cold calls and bogus invoices, Hallak and his co-defendants deceived churches, doctors’ offices, non-profits, mom-and-pop stores, and small businesses into paying for business directory services they neither ordered nor received.
As part of the scheme, Hallak and his co-defendants caused shell companies to be formed in Florida and Delaware in the names of nominees, who were paid in cash to be listed as officers and directors of the shell companies. Many of the shell companies used the term “Yellow Pages” to suggest their operations were legitimate. The superseding indictment further alleges that Hallak and the co-defendants caused others to cold call victims and tell them that they had a pre-existing business relationship with a “Yellow Pages” or other entity formed by the defendants; that they had previously purchased business directory services from the defendants; and that they owed the defendants for those services. Victims were told that they owed the defendants anywhere between $400 and $1800 for a previously purchased business directory listing. When such initial misrepresentations were not sufficient to induce payment, victims were harassed and threatened with legal action and sent additional bogus invoices with additional charges. The superseding indictment alleges that, as a result of the conspiracy, Hallak and others collected at least approximately $10.8 million.
The superseding indictment also charges Hallak with conspiracy to launder the proceeds of a separate telemarketing fraud, from March 2011 through in or about May 2013.
Hallak was arrested in Greece pursuant to an Interpol Red Notice and made his initial appearance in federal court in San Francisco on December 11, 2023. On the government’s motion, Defendant was detained. The Court set a detention hearing for December 21, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sallie Kim.
The superseding indictment charges Hallak with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h), one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349, four counts of mail fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1341, and one count of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,00 or twice the gross gain or loss, plus restitution if appropriate for each violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1341, 1343, and 1349. The maximum sentence for violation of 18 U.S.C. §1956(h) is 20 years in prison, plus a fine of $500,000, or twice the value of the monetary instrument or funds involved. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Leach is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Megan Pagaduan. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and IRS-CI. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided critical assistance in securing the extradition of Hallak. The Justice Department thanks the Ministry of Justice of the Hellenic Republic and the Hellenic Police which provided excellent cooperation in the arrest and re-arrest of Hallak and his subsequent extradition.
Brazoria man sentenced for producing and possessing hundreds of child pornography images and videosRead the Press Release
GALVESTON, Texas – A 40-year-old man has been ordered to federal prison for production and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Sean Michael Kriss pleaded guilty June 1, 2022, to one count of sexual exploitation of a child and one count of possession of child pornography.
U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown has now sentenced Kriss to 360 and 120 months for the production and possession convictions, respectively. They will run consecutively for a total 480-month term of imprisonment. At the hearing, the court also heard additional information including a letter from the victim’s mother detailing how Kriss’ actions destroyed their family and has caused them a lot of stress and anxiety. She further detailed how his betrayal took away their sense of security. In handing down the prison terms, the court noted that Kriss committed these acts against the victim who was at a vulnerable age. Kriss was further ordered to serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Kriss will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
“Individuals, like Kriss, who produce child pornography and share it with perverted like-minded individuals need to be stopped,” said Hamdani. This sentence will help to do that. The exploitation of children has no place in our community and my office will vigorously pursue prosecution of anyone involved in the production and distribution of child pornography to the fullest extent of the law.”
The investigation revealed Kriss had shared a video via Snapchat he created of a minor female from his cellphone.
Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for his residence and seized his electronic devices. Forensic examination on those items resulted in the discovery of child pornography videos and images depicting the minor victim.
In total, law enforcement found 408 images and two videos of child pornography Kriss had in his collection.
He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Pearland Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sherin Daniel and Kimberly Leo prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.
Bath man previously convicted on child pornography charges going back to prison on new chargesRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Ryan Hamilton, 32, of Bath, NY, who was convicted of possession of child pornography by an individual with a prior conviction, was sentenced to serve 162 months in prison and 15 years supervised release by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa. Hamilton was also ordered to pay $18,000 in restitution to victims.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who handled the case, stated that in August 2016 and again in September 2017, Hamilton was convicted in Steuben County Court of Possessing Sexual Performance by Child Less than 16. In October 2019, while being supervised by New York State Parole, Hamilton possessed approximately 87 videos and 1,124 images of child pornography on an SD card. Some of the images and videos included children under the age of 12 and depictions of violence.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Eugene Staniszewski, and the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, under the direction of under the direction of Acting Commissioner Daniel F. Martuscello III.
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Babasahin ng Departamento ng Hustisya sa Makatotohanang Pagpupulong sa Pagpapasimuno sa Kaparaanan sa Wika ng Pagpapatupad ng BatasRead the Press Release
Ngayon, bilang bahagi ng Pagpapasimuno sa Kaparaanan sa Wika ng Pagpapatupad ng Batas ng Departamento ng Hustisya, pinaghandaan ng Dibisyon sa Mga Karapatang Sibil ang isang makatotohanang pagpupulong kasama ang mga nakikipagsapalaran sa pagpapatupad ng batas upang talakayin ang kanilang mga pagsisikap na tugunan ang mga hadlang sa wika sa pagpupulis at pagtatayo ng mabisang mga programa sa kaparaanan sa wika.
Ang pagpapasimuno, na inilunsad noong Disyembre 2022, ay isang pagsisikap sa buong bansa upang makatulong sa mga ahensya ng pagpapatupad ng batas sa pagtupad sa kanilang obligasyon na magkaloob ng makahulugang tulong sa wika sa mga indibidwal na may limitadong kasanayan sa Ingles [limited English proficiency (LEP)] upang mas mahusay na mapaglingkuran at maprotektahan ang mga komunidad. Ang pagpapasimuno ay dumaragdag rin sa pangmatagalang trabaho ng dibisyon na tiyakin na ang mga ahensya ng pagpapatupad ng batas na tumatanggap ng pederal na tulong pinansiyal ay sumusunod sa kanilang pederal na mga obligasyon laban sa pagtatangi, sa ilalim ng Titulo VI ng Batas sa mga Karapatang Sibil ng 1964 at ng Sinasaklaw ng Batas sa Pagpigil ng Krimen at Ligtas na Mga Lansangan.
Sa kanyang pambungad na pananalita, nagbigay si Pangalawang Pangunahing Abogado Kristen Clarke ng isang pangkalahatang ideya na alinsunod sa mga pagsisikap ng dibisyon upang mapabuti kung paano makipag-usap ang mga ahensya ng pagpapatupad ng batas sa mga taong may LEP. Halimbawa, inihayag niya na naabot ng dibisyon ang isang Kasunduan sa Prinsipyo kasama ang Kondehan ng King (Washington) Tanggapan ng Serip [Agreement in Principle with the King County (Washington) Sheriff’s Office (KCSO)] na, kapag natapos na, lulutasin ang mga paratang na ang KCSO ay nagdiskrimina laban sa mga indibidwal na may LEP. Sa ilalim ng kasunduan, nangangako ang KCSO sa pagtitiyak ng kaparaanan sa wika ng mga indibidwal na may LEP, kasama ang paglikha ng isang patakaran sa kaparaanan sa wika at pagpapatupad ng mga pamamaraan; pagbuo ng isang pakikipag-ugnayan sa komunidad at estratehiya sa pag-abot sa karamihan; paglikha ng isang matatag na programa sa pagsasanay; at iba pa. Sinisilbihan ng KCSO ang mahigit na dalawang milyong mga tao at nagkakaloob ng mga serbisyong pagpapatupad ng batas sa labindalawa pang ibang mga lungsod sa kondehan.
Inihayag din niya na naglabas ang dibisyon ng isang sulat [letter] ngayon sa mga ahensya ng pagpapatupad ng batas na inuulit ang kanilang mga obligasyon sa pederal na mga karapatang sibil na magkaloob ng mga serbisyong tulong sa wika sa mga indibidwal na may LEP, at magkaloob ng mabisang pakikipag-usap sa bingi at hirap sa pandinig na mga indibidwal. Sa wakas, itinampok niya ang ilang mga mapagkukunan, kasama ang isang bidyo sa pagsasanay at mga pagsasalin sa Payo ng mga Karapatan ng FBI sa mahigit na 40 mga wika, upang tulungan ang mga opisyal na mabawasan ang mga hadlang sa wika, bumuo ng tiwala ng komunidad at mapanatiling ligtas ang mga opisyal. Namamahay ang mga mapagkukunang ito sa COPS Portal ng Pagsasanay [Training Portal]. Pinopondohan ng Tanggapan ng mga Serbisyong Pagpupulis na Nakatuon sa Komunidad [Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office)] at pinapalakas ng Pambansang Sentro para sa Pagbabago ng Pagpupulis [National Center for Policing Innovation], ang Portal ay isang walang-bayad na plataporma para sa mga propesyonal ng pagpapatupad ng batas at mga kasosyo sa komunidad na nagtatampok ng sama-samang pagsasanay at mga mapagkukunan sa umuusbong na mga paksa sa kaligtasan ng publiko at pagpupulis sa komunidad.
Sumunod sa mga pananalita ni Pangalawang Pangunahing Abogado Clarke, nakilahok ang mga opisyal ng Departamento ng Hustisya at mga pinuno ng pagpapatupad ng batas sa isang talakayan ng lupon tungkol sa mga mabisang estratehiya na pumapaligid sa kaparaanan sa wika, kasama ang pagbuo ng mga patakaran sa kaparaanan sa wika na naaayon sa komunidad at departamento ng pulisya; pag-iwas sa paggamit ng hindi kwalipikado at posibleng may kinikilingang mga tagasalin; paghirang ng isang tagapagtugma sa kaparaanan sa wika upang ipagpatupad ang mga patakaran at mga pamamaraan; pagsasalin ng mga mahahalagang impormasyon; pagsasanay ng mga opisyal sa mga pamamaraan sa kaparaanan sa wika; at pagtatag ng makahulugang mga pamamaraan sa daing. Itinampok din ng mga entrepanyo ang kahalagahan ng nakakaengganyong pagsang-ayon sa mga nakikipagsapalaran at mga komunidad na may LEP.
Kasama sa mga kalahok sa talakayan ng lupon ay ang Abogado ng Estados Unidos na si Breon Peace para sa Silangang Distrito ng New York; Unang Kawani Abogado ng Estados Unidos na si Matthew Kirsch para sa Distrito ng Colorado; Kinatawang Direktor sa Tanggapan ng COPS na si Robert Chapman para sa Pagsulong sa Pagpupulis sa Komunidad; Pinuno ng Yunit ng FBI na si Trent Glosson para sa Seksyon ng mga Serbisyo sa Wika; Hepe ng Pulis sa Departamento ng Pulisya ng Denver na si Ron Thomas; at si Serip Todd Delain para sa Kondehan ng Brown, Wisconsin.
Ang pagpupulong at mga pagpapahayag ngayon ay nagpapatuloy na magtaguyod sa pangmatagalang pangako ng Departamento ng Hustisya sa pagsulong sa kaparaanan sa wika. Noong Nobyembre, inihayag ng departamento ang paglulungsad ng Nagtatrabahong Grupo ng Pederal sa Kaparaanan sa Wika [announced the launch of the Federal Language Access Working Group], isang bagong pagsisikap ng pangkaloobang mga ahensya na magtutugma sa kaparaanan sa wika sa buong pederal na pamahalaan. Kasama sa paglikha ng nagtatrabahong grupong ito, inihayag din ng departamento ang paglabas ng pinakabagong mga plano sa kaparaanan sa wika ng pederal na ahensya sa website nito, www.LEP.gov, noong unang anibersaryo ng panandaan [memorandum] sa kaparaanan sa wika ni Pangunahing Abogado Merrick B. Garland sa pederal na mga ahensya. Kamakailan-lamang din na naglathala ang Dibisyon sa mga Karapatang Sibil ng isang katotohanang pilyego [fact sheet] tungkol sa kaparaanan ng mga hukuman sa wika [courts language access] sa pakikipagtugma sa isang webinar para sa mga hukuman ng estado [webinar for state courts]. Upang makakuha ng mga kopya ng sulat sa pagpapatupad ng batas o makahanap ng karagdagang impormasyon tungkol sa Pagpapasimuno sa Kaparaanan sa Wika ng Pagpapatupad ng Batas, bisitahin ang www.lep.gov.
Armed Harnett County Drug Trafficker Involved in a Kidnapping Sentenced to 15 YearsRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – An armed methamphetamine and cocaine trafficker from Dunn was sentenced to 180 months for drug trafficking and firearm charges after holding a victim at gunpoint. On August 22, 2023, Deandre Coleman, age 42, pled guilty to the charges.
“Drug traffickers the world over try to use kidnapping and intimidation to impose their will on their communities. We won’t allow it in North Carolina,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Coleman kidnapped a woman and held her at gunpoint in furtherance of his cocaine and meth trafficking scheme. Our Violent Crime Strategy targets violent drug traffickers like Coleman for federal prosecution and we aren’t backing down. I’m grateful to my law enforcement partners for keeping North Carolina safe.”
“The successful conviction of Deandre Coleman highlights how teamwork among different law enforcement groups can tackle drug and violent crimes,” said Dunn Police Chief Cary Johnson. “Dunn is lucky to have a strong working relationship with Federal agencies like the ATF and the U.S. Attorney's Office, which helped achieve this result. The Dunn Police Department and its partners are dedicated to keeping Dunn a safe and welcoming place for everyone who lives in, works in, or visits the area.”
According to court documents and other information presented in court, officials from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), along with the Harnett and Johnston County Sheriffs’ Offices, and the Dunn Police Department were involved in an undercover investigation of drug activity by Coleman. Working together, law enforcement executed multiple controlled purchases of both methamphetamine and guns, including a 9mm rifle with a high-capacity magazine and a shotgun with a drum magazine.
Coleman received an enhancement at sentencing for using force to restrain a person in connection with his drug trafficking. The enhancement stemmed from a June 13, 2022, response to a reported kidnapping. That investigation revealed that Coleman, and multiple others, held a victim at gunpoint while driving the victim around in a car. The victim was kidnapped because Coleman thought the victim had knowledge about a recent robbery of Coleman's drugs and drug proceeds. After the kidnapping, Coleman was stopped by Raleigh Police while driving the vehicle that had been used in the kidnapping. A search of the vehicle uncovered a loaded firearm with a high-capacity magazine, nearly $10,000 in cash, 70 grams of marijuana, 14 grams of THC wax, 17 grams of “moon rocks” or cannabis dipped in hashish oil, and a ski mask.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office, Johnston County Sheriff’s Office, and the Dunn and Raleigh Police Departments investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyler Lemons prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-00281-BO.
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21 People Indicted for Trafficking Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and Other Drugs in Western TennesseeRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – Twenty-one people in western Tennessee are facing federal charges for their involvement in an organized drug trafficking scheme, according to recently unsealed indictments. U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee announced the unsealing of the indictments today.
The charges are the culmination of a yearlong investigation by FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives—in conjunction with the Selmer Police Department, Bolivar Police Department, Lexington Police Department, and the Hardeman County Sheriff’s Office.
“Western Tennessee will not be a haven for traffickers, organized criminal enterprises, and others who would bring illegal drugs and firearms into our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Ritz. “We plan to use every tool at our disposal – including our close partnerships with local law enforcement – to root out traffickers and restore safety. I commend the investigative efforts of our law enforcement partners in bringing this important and impactful case.”
"This collaborative effort reflects the commitment of law enforcement agencies to safeguard our communities from the adverse effects of drug trafficking,” said Bolivar Police Department Chief Mike Jones. “We stand united in our dedication to ensuring the safety and well-being of the residents of Bolivar and Western Tennessee.”
“Fentanyl is a major priority for law enforcement across the country,” said Selmer Police Department Chief Kim Holley. “We are thankful to have a partnership with our federal counterparts who help stop these dangerous drugs from getting into our community and hold those accountable who are responsible for distributing these dangerous drugs.”
According to court documents, between June 2021 and February 2023, the defendants are alleged to have worked together and with others to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and marijuana throughout several counties. During the investigation, agents seized 16 firearms, $17,000 in cash, approximately 16,000 fentanyl pills, 15 pounds of methamphetamine, and approximately four pounds of marijuana.
The charges announced today span two criminal indictments. On February 13, 2023, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging 15 defendants with conspiracy to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl and conspiracy to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine and marijuana:
- Caricus Hendrix, 37 of Bolivar
- Shannon Wilder, 26 of Jackson
- Eula Evette Morris, 55 of Bolivar
- Jarrett Wilson, 26 of Henderson
- Joshua Fields, 28 of Lexington
- Sheneka Waller, 36 of Bolivar
- Myreon Woods, 40 of Bolivar
- Montrez Brown, 27 of Bolivar
- Carmaine Beauregard, 30 of Jackson
- Cordarvin McNeal, 34 of Bolivar
- Antonio Parham, Jr., 27 of Whiteville
- Danielle Boyd, 35 of Bolivar
- Jaylen Sain, 27 of Bolivar
- Shumarcus Cross, 39 of Bolivar
- Cameron Mickens, 25 of Henderson
That same indictment charged Jarrett Wilson, Cordarvin McNeal, and Joshua Fields with possession of firearms in connection with the drug trafficking charges.
On August 14, 2023, a federal grand jury returned another indictment charging six additional defendants with similar drug trafficking and firearms offences:
- Alfredia Atkins, 52 of Bolivar
- Tavaras Atkins, 45 of Bethel Springs
- Shalonda Bills, 35 of Bolivar
- Correy Brown, 42 of Bolivar
- Curtis “CJ” Brown, 32 of Selmer
- Michael Douglas, 31 of Lexington
If convicted, the defendants charged with conspiracy to distribute marijuana face up to 5 years imprisonment. The defendants charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl face mandatory minimum sentences of 10 years imprisonment up to life. Cordarvin McNeal, the individual charged with possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, faces a sentence of 5 years to life imprisonment. Joshua Fields faces a penalty of 25 years to life in prison because of enhanced sentencing for the distribution of fentanyl.
This investigation was conducted as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictments are merely accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence. Each charged defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law.
Assistant United States Attorney Christie Hopper is prosecuting this case on the government’s behalf.
11 December 2023
West Linn Man Pleads Guilty in Federal Court for Importing and Selling $2.5 Million in Counterfeit N95 MasksRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A West Linn, Oregon man pleaded guilty today in federal court for conspiring with others to illegally import and sell $2.5 million in counterfeit N95 masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jiang Yu, 70, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods.
According to court documents, in May 2020, Yu knowingly and intentionally conspired with others to import and sell N95 masks with counterfeit marks. Yu and his co-conspirators used social media and other means to market and sell the counterfeit masks and, when questioned by customers about their authenticity, designed and distributed fake certificates of authenticity. Over the course of their conspiracy, Yu and his co-conspirators sold at least $2.5 million worth of counterfeit masks and the majority of their sales were to third-party companies, many of whom sold to healthcare providers.
On October 10, 2023, Yu was charged by criminal information with conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods.
Yu will be sentenced on May 21, 2024, before U.S. District Court Judge Michael W. Mosman. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, a $2 million fine, and three years’ supervised release.
As part of his plea agreement, Yu must pay restitution in full as recommended by the government and ordered by the court. He must also forfeit nearly 600,000 counterfeit masks and all proceeds of his crimes including a 2004 Lamborghini Gallardo, a Mercedes SUV, and more than $25,000 in cash.
This case was investigated by the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It is being prosecuted by Quinn P. Harrington, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Anyone who has information about counterfeiting or other violations of intellectual property rights are encouraged to submit a tip to the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) by visiting www.iprcenter.gov/report.
Venezuelan National Sentenced to Federal Prison in Connection with Attempted Illegal Firearms ExportationRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber has sentenced Omar Arriojas (57, Cape Coral) to 18 months in federal prison for attempting to smuggle goods from the United States and making a false statement during a firearms acquisition. Arriojas had pleaded guilty on June 28, 2023.
According to court records, in January 2023, Arriojas attempted to ship a package from the United States to Venezuela, which was searched by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents prior to exportation. Inside the package, agents found a large used air conditioner within which several items were concealed, including three handguns, handgun magazines, and more than 50 rounds of ammunition. By law, such items require a special license prior to exportation, which Arriojas had never obtained.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and United States Customs and Border Protection. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth.
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.
United States Files Statement of Interest to Prevent Discrimination and Ensure Access to Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in Pennsylvania JailsRead the Press Release
Philadelphia, PA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced today that the United States Department of Justice has filed a Statement of Interest in federal court to clarify state and local jails’ obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to provide inmates with access to medication to treat opioid use disorder (OUD).
The Justice Department filed its Statement in the matter of Strickland v. Delaware County et al., a private action alleging that a jail denied methadone to an inmate who was taking it for OUD in accordance with a doctor’s prescription prior to being incarcerated. The lawsuit alleges that the jail banned methadone to all inmates except those who were pregnant and taking methadone prior to incarceration. As the Justice Department explains in its Statement, the ADA prohibits a jail from categorically denying an incarcerated person access to OUD medications without individually assessing whether such medication is medically necessary to treat their disability.
“My office is dedicated to fighting the opioid epidemic with every tool that we have,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “That includes enforcing the ADA to remove discriminatory barriers to treatment for OUD. Today’s Statement of Interest reminds jails and prisons about their obligations to address the needs of individuals with OUD and comply with the ADA.”
“Jails and prisons are on the frontlines of the opioid epidemic,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Individuals with substance use disorders who are in desperate need of treatment pass through these facilities daily. The ADA requires that jails individually assess the medical needs of each of these individuals and not categorically deny access to the Food and Drug Administration-approved OUD medications that many may need to effectively treat their disability.”
The Justice Department’s submission of this Statement furthers its broader efforts to combat discrimination against individuals with OUD and to remove discriminatory barriers to treatment. The United States has entered into settlements with jails and prisons in Pennsylvania and across the country to increase access to OUD medication, including in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Eastern Kentucky, and Massachusetts. It has also brought enforcement actions to combat discrimination against individuals with OUD in court supervision programs in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. And it has issued public guidance on the ADA’s protections for those with OUD.
Assistant U.S. Attorney and Deputy Civil Chief for Civil Rights Lauren DeBruicker handled this matter for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, in collaboration with attorneys from the Disability Rights Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
For more information about the Justice Department’s work to address discrimination against individuals with opioid use disorder, please visit: https://www.ada.gov/topics/opioid-use-disorder/. For more information on the ADA, please call the Department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (TDD 800-514-0383) or visit www.ada.gov. If you believe you have been discriminated against based on disability and wish to file a complaint, please visit www.ada.gov/file-a-complaint/. Anyone in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania may also report civil rights violations to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania by calling 215-861-8555 or emailing [email protected].
United States Files False Claims Act Complaint Against Property Management Company for Fraudulently Claiming Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars in Rent Assistance During COVID-19 PandemicRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that the United States filed a Complaint in federal district court against All Star Property Management, LLC (All Star), a property management company located in Spokane. The United States’ Complaint alleges that All Star falsely and fraudulently claimed hundreds of thousands of dollars in rent assistance intended to benefit struggling renters during the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress established an Emergency Rent Assistance program to provide funds through local and tribal governments to benefit struggling renters who had fallen behind on rent due to unemployment or other hardship. In Washington, the program was known as the Treasury Rent Assistance Program (T-RAP). Under T-RAP, landlords or property management companies could apply for T-RAP federal funding for a tenant’s past due and projected unpaid rent. As a material condition of receiving federal funds, landlords were required to certify that the information included in the T-RAP application, including the rent amounts, were truthful and accurate, and to certify compliance with material T-RAP program requirements. Landlords were further required to apply any funds received for a particular tenant to that tenant’s balance.
During the relevant time period, All Star was a property management company, owned by Defendant Gieve Parker, that managed rental properties on behalf of landlords in Spokane, including several properties owned by Arlin Jordin. According to the Complaint filed today, during the relevant time period, Jordin was serving a prison sentence at the Coyote Ridge Corrections Center in Connell, Washington, for drugging and raping a tenant, but Jordan continued to own and collect income from five Spokane properties managed by All Star, for which All Star and Jordin split the rental income.
The Complaint alleges that, between 2021 and 2022, All Star and Parker falsely and fraudulently sought and obtained T-RAP relief funding for more than 30 tenants for which All Star was not eligible, and shared the proceeds with Jordin for the properties that he owned. According to the Complaint, All Star and Parker violated the False Claims Act by falsely certifying that tenants had past-due rent when Parker and All Star knew that the tenants were not behind on rent. The Complaint also alleges that All Star and Parker knowingly claimed falsely inflated rent amounts that were higher than tenants’ actual rent. The Complaint further alleges that All Star and Parker fraudulently represented that T-RAP assistance was needed for tenants when Parker and All Star knew that the tenants were, in fact, consistently paying rent, either on the tenants’ own or through a charitable organization or government program. Further, the Complaint alleges that All Star and Parker falsely represented that the tenants were still residing at the residence when Parker and All Star knew that the tenants were no longer residents and therefore All Star was not eligible to receive any rental assistance. Finally, the Complaint alleges that All Star and Parker falsely and fraudulently represented that T-RAP funds would be used as rental assistance for tenants, when Parker and All Star knew that T-RAP were not being used as rent assistance, and in many cases the tenants did not even need rent assistance, resulting in Paker and All Star at times collecting double and even triple rent for the same tenant for the same month.
The Complaint alleges that All Star and Parker’s false and fraudulent T-RAP claims led them to receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in T-RAP funding for which they were not eligible. The Complaint also alleged that, as a result of the fraud, Jordin received T-RAP funds for which he was not eligible when All Star and Parker paid him a portion of the fraudulently-obtained funds.
“Building safer and stronger communities in Eastern Washington requires that residents have access to safe, secure, and affordable housing,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “Landlords and property management companies need to play by the rules, especially when they claim precious and limited rent assistance funds intended to protect members of the community struggling under the weight of a deadly pandemic. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who abuse critically-important housing support programs.”
This case was originally brought by the Northwest Justice Project, Washington’s largest legal aid organization, on behalf of Krystal Jeffries, a former tenant in a property owned by Jordin and managed by All Star. Under the False Claims Act, whistleblowers may file an action under seal in federal court. The United States investigates the allegations and determines whether to intervene in the action. Under the False Claims Act, the United States may recover up to three times the damages caused by the Defendant, plus additional penalties for each false claim or statement. If the United States obtains a recovery, the whistleblower is generally able to share in a portion of the recovery. Over the past decade, False Claims Act recoveries in the Eastern District of Washington have exceeded $400 million.
Assistant United States Attorneys Tyler Tornabene, Jake Brooks, and Dan Fruchter are prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Spokane Resident Office.
The complain can be found here:
all-star_complaint.pdfThe claims articulated in the Complaint are allegations only; at this time there has been no determination of liability.
Case No. 2:22-cv-00067-MKD
Union County Man Sentenced to 407 Months in Prison for Multiple Armed Robberies and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County man was sentenced today to 407 months in prison for participating in a multi-state armed robbery spree that spanned several months, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Vincent Chan-Guillen, 33, was convicted on March 8, 2023, of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, conspiracy to use and carry a firearm during a Hobbs Act robbery, three counts of Hobbs Act robbery, one count of attempted Hobbs Act robbery, three counts of brandishing a firearm during a Hobbs Act robbery, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Chan-Guillen was convicted following a one-week trial before U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler, who imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial:
Chan-Guillen committed nine armed robberies between August 2018 and November 2018 – five in New York and four in New Jersey. During each robbery, Chan-Guillen brandished a firearm, which he pointed at store employees and customers. The New Jersey robberies victimized liquor stores in Elizabeth, Woodbridge Township, Bloomfield, and Linden.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Chesler sentenced Chan-Guillen to five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents with the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s conviction. He also credited the Elizabeth, Rahway, Woodbridge, Bloomfield, Linden, Kenilworth, Union, and Lyndhurst police departments; the New Jersey State Police; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New York Division; and the New York Police Department for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Desiree Grace, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney John F. Mezzanotte of the Organized Crime/Gangs Unit in Newark.
U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and State and Local Law Enforcement Officials Release Third “Don’t Click December” PSARead the Press Release
BOISE – During the holiday season, online criminals increasingly target Idahoans through online scams and fraud schemes. Today, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit, along with the FBI, the Idaho State Police, the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office, the Ada County Sheriff’s Office, the Boise Police Department, the Meridian Police Department, and the Garden City Police Department, released a third PSA as part of their joint “Don’t Click December” Consumer Protection Campaign. The Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, Idaho Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division, AARP Idaho, and the Better Business Bureau also participated in the announcement.
The campaign advises members of the public to exercise skepticism and caution when receiving unsolicited online, email, pop-up, or text communications from unknown or unverified sources. If there is any doubt about a link, message, or attachment, law enforcement cautions: “don’t click it.”
In the third PSA, available here, Ada County Prosecuting Attorney Jan Bennetts, Meridian Police Chief Tracy Basterrechea, and U.S. Attorney Hurwit warn the public about the “Account subscription” scam and explain some of the ways in which individuals can protect themselves.
In this scam, you could receive an email or text message indicating a subscription has been renewed for another year. The message encourages you to click a link to verify or to receive a receipt for the subscription. The criminals on the other end could be posing as a subscription service you participate in or as one you do not actively have. If you receive an unsolicited message asking you to click a subscription link you did not sign up for, don’t click it. If it appears to be a subscription you have signed up for, check the email address to verify it is from that service. Report as spam and delete any messages about auto-renewals from companies you don’t have subscriptions with.
As part of the ongoing campaign, one final PSA is planned to be released next week. These series of PSAs being released in the weeks leading up to Christmas is an effort to alert the public to other common online fraud schemes that Idaho law enforcement has seen affect Idahoans.
Unfortunately, these are not the only schemes affecting the public, and new schemes arise all the time. Law enforcement hopes that the “Don’t Click December” Consumer Protection Campaign will raise public awareness and encourage individuals to talk to their friends and relatives about not clicking suspicious links, texts, messages, pop-ups, or attachments.
“We have witnessed many Idahoans lose their hard-earned money or their entire retirement savings to online scams. And, sadly, this type of crime tends to spike during the holiday season,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “But, together, we can reduce the risks by talking with each other about how to avoid such scams, and I’m grateful to our law enforcement partners and the AARP for joining us in the Don’t Click December campaign. We also encourage Idahoans to report any scams as soon as possible so that law enforcement can investigate and we can bring these vicious online criminals to justice.”
“We can all play a part in preventing scammers from targeting their next victim in our communities,” said Ada County Prosecutor Jan Bennetts. “If you do find yourself the victim of a scam, contact local law enforcement. My office works closely with our law enforcement partners to hold offenders accountable for victimizing people through scams.”
“While the partnerships between our state and federal partners are vital, it is the partnerships with our community members that have the most impact on these types of crimes,” said Meridian Police Chief Tracy Basterrechea.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and its law enforcement partners recognize that we all must work to eliminate the stigma individuals may experience if they are victimized. There is no shame to falling victim to an online scheme, which are often designed by professional criminals, sophisticated, and tested repeatedly across the country.
For this reason, the “Don’t Click December” Consumer Protection Campaign also publicizes ways to report scams and incidents of fraud to the FBI and local law enforcement.
To learn more about these and other scams targeting Americans visit FBI.gov, and if you believe you are the victim of a scam, take action by reporting it to FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov or by contacting your local law enforcement agency.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office reminds hoteliers of obligations under the Americans with Disabilities ActRead the Press Release
Seattle – The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Washington is investigating six hotels following complaints the facilities violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. In addition to the six active investigations, three area hotels have entered into settlement agreements after findings that they were not compliant with the ADA.
“As we enter the busy holiday travel season, it is critical that hotels and motels review their properties and reservation systems to ensure people with disabilities can reserve and be appropriately accommodated in rooms that meet their needs,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “I’m pleased that three hotels have agreed to fix their accessibility issues, and we thank those customers who brought these issues to our attention. However, we’d rather see the hospitality community embrace the ADA guidelines without an investigation and action from our office.”
Over the last year, the Civil Rights Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office received and resolved complaints about three hotels in the Seattle area: The MarQueen Hotel on Queen Anne Avenue North in Seattle, The Hampton Inn and Suites in Lynnwood, Washington and the Holiday Inn and Suites in Bothell, Washington. In each case, a traveler who is disabled was assigned a room that did not meet the ADA even though the customer had requested appropriate accommodation.
- The MarQueen Hotel allegedly ignored the customer’s request for a first-floor room since the customer has mobility issues and the historic hotel has no elevators. While the investigation did not determine whether the hotel had promised a first-floor room, it did conclude that the MarQueen does not have the required number of rooms that accommodate people with mobility disabilities. Under the resolution, the hotel will provide the U.S. Attorney’s office with it’s plan to add an additional room for those with mobility disabilities.
- The Lynnwood Hampton Inn Suites resolved a claim that it failed to honor a request for an accessible bathroom from a guest with mobility impairment. Under the terms of the resolution the hotel will improve the reservations system and training for employees. If the hotel fails to have an accessible room for the person who has reserved one, it will assist the customer with finding an accessible room at another property or will move a non-disabled customer to provide such a room.
- The Bothell Holiday Inn and Suites similarly failed to have a room with an accessible bathroom for a customer who had reserved a room and believed the room would accommodate their disability. However, the hotel website was unclear as to the accommodation and the room did not have an accessible bathroom. The hotel has agreed to make changes to it’s website and changes in training for its employees so that it is ADA compliant.
In each of the resolutions listed above, the hotel management has agreed to alert the U.S. Attorney’s Office to any complaints of ADA violations that the hotels receive over the next year.
In some instances, the complainant is financially compensated as part of the resolution.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office actively works to ensure ADA compliance. You can learn more about our efforts here.
The resolutions in these cases were handled by Assistant United States Attorney Susan Kas.
U.S. Attorney Announces Distribution of over $158 Million to Nearly 25,000 Victims of Madoff Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Nicole M. Argentieri, the Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, announced today that the Madoff Victim Fund (“MVF”) began its ninth distribution of approximately $158 million in funds forfeited to the U.S. Government in connection with the Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC (“BLMIS”) fraud scheme.
In this distribution, payments will be sent to 24,875 victims across the globe, bringing their total recoveries to 91% of their fraud losses. Through its nine distributions, MVF has paid over $4.22 billion to 40,843 victims as compensation for losses they suffered from the collapse of BLMIS.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “In 2009, when the Southern District of New York charged Bernie Madoff for his $64 billion securities fraud ‘Ponzi’ scheme, it was one of the most prolific financial crimes in American history. Among Madoff’s many victims were not only wealthy and institutional investors, but charities and pension funds alike – some of which invested money with Madoff on behalf of individuals working paycheck-to-paycheck who were relying on their pension accounts for their retirements. The financial toll on those who entrusted their money with Madoff was devasting, and this Office’s unprecedented efforts to return money to Madoff’s victims has now resulted in clawbacks of 91% of fraud losses to their rightful owners. I commend the career prosecutors of this Office for today’s distribution of over $158 million and for their relentless pursuit of justice for victims of Wall Street fraudsters, like Bernie Madoff.”
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri said: “The department’s Madoff Victim Fund has exceeded expectations in the level of recovery provided to victims of the fraud committed by Bernard Madoff, which devastated thousands of lives. To date, the Madoff Victim Fund has assisted more than 40,800 individual victims in recovering over 90% of victim losses. The department continues to prioritize the use of civil asset forfeiture to ensure compensation is available for victims of fraud.”
According to court documents and information presented in related proceedings:
For decades, BERNARD L. MADOFF used his position as chairman of BLMIS, the investment advisory business he founded in 1960, to steal billions of dollars from his clients. On March 12, 2009, MADOFF pled guilty to 11 federal felonies, admitting that he had turned his wealth management business into the world’s largest Ponzi scheme, benefitting himself, his family, and select members of his inner circle.
On June 29, 2009, MADOFF was sentenced to 150 years in prison for running the largest fraudulent scheme in history. Of the over $4 billion that has been made available to victims, approximately $2.2 billion was collected as part of the historic civil forfeiture recovery from the estate of deceased MADOFF investor, Jeffry Picower. An additional $1.7 billion was collected as part of a deferred prosecution agreement with JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. and civilly forfeited in a parallel action. The remaining funds were collected through a civil forfeiture action against investor Carl Shapiro and his family and from civil and criminal forfeiture actions against MADOFF, Peter B. Madoff, and their co-conspirators.
* * *
The MVF’s payouts would not have been possible without the extraordinary efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the prosecution of MADOFF’s crimes and the recovery of assets supporting the forfeiture in the case.
The MVF is overseen by Richard Breeden, former chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, who serves as Special Master appointed by the Justice Department to assist in connection with the victim remission proceedings. Breeden and his team at MVF provided essential assistance to evaluate over 68,000 remission petitions involving billions in cash flows and to compute each victim’s fraud losses to enable payments to be made.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit. The remission of these forfeited funds is being handled by the Office and the U.S. Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section.
More information about MVF and its compensation of BLMIS is available on the MVF website at www.madoffvictimfund.com, such as eligibility criteria, process updates, and frequently asked questions. Further questions may be directed to the MVF at 866-624-3670 or [email protected].
Two South Jersey Men Charged for Roles in Dog Fighting RingRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Two South Jersey men have been charged for their participation in a dog-fighting ring that involved the “DMV Board,” a Telegram-based dog fighting collective, spanning several states, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger and Assistant Attorney General Todd S. Kim of the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice announced today.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Tommy J. Watson, aka “Snakes,” 43, of Clayton, New Jersey, and Johnnie Lee Nelson, aka “Johnny,” 34, of Bridgeton, New Jersey, conspired with others to violate the Animal Welfare Act, by fighting, training, transporting, and possessing pit bull-type dogs in dog-fighting ventures, from August 2017 through March 2019. Watson and others conducted a dog-fighting operation known as “From Da Bottom Kennels,” which posted bloodline information of fighting dogs owned by the kennel on the dog fighting website “Peds Online.” Watson and others also used the “DMV Board” to transmit videos of live dog fights, of training dogs for fights, and of the killing of underperforming fighting dogs, including by hanging.
In separate Animal Welfare Act counts, Watson is charged with fighting two pit bull-type dogs in dog fights on December 2, 2018. He is also charged with transporting a third dog, Rambo, along with do-it-yourself veterinary equipment, such as a skin stapler, to a location on Center Road in Upper Deerfield Township, New Jersey, for a dog fight on March 23, 2019. Law enforcement officials prevented that dog fight from occurring. At that location, law enforcement discovered, concealed in a car, two other dogs that had already fought. Both Watson and Nelson are charged with possessing and training Rambo for the March 23 fight.
Watson is also charged with one count of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.
Watson surrendered today and is scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sharon A. King in Camden federal court. Nelson was arrested Dec. 5, 2023, and appeared before Judge King.
The Animal Welfare Act counts, and the count of conspiracy to violate that statute, each carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The count of being a felon in possession of ammunition carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger and Assistant Attorney General Kim credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso; the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, under the supervision of Acting Special Agent in Charge Charmeka Parker; and the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs in Philadelphia, with the investigation leading to the charges. They also thanked detectives with the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae, for their assistance with the investigation.
The government is represented by Deputy Chief Desiree Grace and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen P. O’Leary of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Senior Trial Attorney Ethan Eddy of the U.S. Department of Justice, Environmental Crimes Section.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
watsonetal.sindictment.pdfTwo Employees of Brooklyn Moving Company Convicted of Defrauding CustomersRead the Press Release
Earlier today, a federal jury in Brooklyn convicted Kristy Mak and Andre Prince of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, the sole count of a superseding indictment, in connection with their participation in a fraudulent moving company scheme. The verdict followed a one-week trial before United States Second Circuit Judge Denny Chin sitting by designation. When sentenced, the defendants each face up to 20 years in prison and forfeiture in the amount to be determined by the Court.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the verdict.
“The jury found that these defendants conspired in a despicable scheme to steal from their victims when they were most vulnerable and at the mercy of crooked movers holding their worldly possessions hostage. No person who contracts for moving services should be exploited in this manner,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Make no mistake, this was not a disagreement over billing, rather the jury found the defendants were part of a cunning and deliberate scheme to defraud customers and were held accountable.”
Mr. Peace expressed his thanks to the Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office, and the United States Department of Transportation, Office of the Inspector General for their outstanding investigative work on the case.
As proven at trial, between at least January 2017 and August 2020, the defendants worked for a number of moving companies controlled by Yakov Moroz, which operated under various names including Great Moving USA, Green Movers, New City Moves, Cross Country Moving and Storage, and Movers Consulting. Mak was a customer service representative for the company and supervised Prince who was a member of the sales team. The defendants lured customers to these movers by posting fake reviews online and by having sales associates offer low-cost transportation of their household goods. After a contract was signed and, in some cases, after the customer’s belongings loaded on the truck, the movers would spring new expenses on them. If the customer tried contacting the sales associate about the surprise fees, that person was unreachable, and the customers were faced with the drivers threatening to hold their goods hostage unless they paid additional fees which were sometimes double or triple the original estimated cost. In a Slack message conversation with an uncharged co-conspirator about revising orders to squeeze more money from customers, Mak stated they will “f*ck [customers] onsite.” In another Slack conversation, Prince reacted to two memes sent to him from another sales person depicting their scheme to cut off contact with the customer on the day of the move, stating: “[rolling on the floor laughing emoji] that is so accurate”].
Moroz, the president of Great Movers Inc. and its successor company, New City Movers, absconded earlier this year while on pre-trial release and is currently a fugitive. As a result of the fraudulent scheme, the defendants, together with others, wrongfully obtained more than $3 million from over 800 victims.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Arun Bodapati and Elias Laris are in charge of the prosecution with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Stephanie Heyward.
The Defendants:
KRISTY MAK
Age: 34
Plantation, FloridaANDRE PRINCE (also known as “Allen Parks” and “Aaron”)
Age: 45
Taramac, FloridaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-342 (DC)
Two Defendants Convicted of Extortionate Collection of Credit in which Victim was Punched in FaceRead the Press Release
Today, a federal jury in Brooklyn convicted Anthony Romanello, also known as “Rom,” of extortionate collection of credit and conspiracy to commit the same in connection with a gambling debt, and convicted Joseph Celso of conspiracy to commit extortionate collection of credit. The verdict followed a one-week trial before United States District Judge Eric R. Komitee. When sentenced, Romanello faces up to 40 years in prison and Celso faces up to 20 years in prison.
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 verdict.
“Today’s verdict upholds the rule of law and demonstrates the defendants’ violent and brazen conduct will not be tolerated,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “I commend the jury for holding the defendants accountable for their crimes.”
As proven at trial, from March 2017 to June 2017, Romanello, Celso, and co-defendant Luan Bexheti conspired to use extortionate means to collect an unpaid gambling debt owed by John Doe #2 and a family member. Romanello and Celso used threats and violence in repeated attempts to collect the debt from John Doe #1, a relative of John Doe #2. Romanello confronted John Doe #1 three separate times to demand money in satisfaction of the debt. On the third time, Romanello and Celso went to John Doe #1’s restaurant in Manhattan to again demand the money. After John Doe #1 stated that he would only pay a portion of the amount Romanello was demanding, Romanello punched John Doe #1 in the face. John Doe #1 reported the assault to the New York City Police Department. The next day, Celso warned John Doe #2, John Doe #1’s brother, that if John Doe #1 did not drop the criminal charge against Romanello, the situation would escalate and “things would get ugly.” After John Doe #2 told John Doe #1 about the warning, John Doe #1 withdrew his complaint with the NYPD.
Luan Bexheti pleaded guilty in October 2023 to extortionate collection of credit conspiracy in connection with the same debt and is awaiting sentencing.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Dana Rehnquist, Irisa Chen and Rebecca Schuman are in charge of the prosecution with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Theodore Rader.
The Defendants:
ANTHONY ROMANELLO
Age: 86
Franklin Square, New YorkJOSEPH CELSO
Age: 50
Queens, New YorkAdditional Defendant Who Previously Pleaded Guilty:
LUAN BEXHETI
Age: 51
Queens, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-194 (EK)
Stoughton Man Sentenced for Social Security and Passport FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Stoughton man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for using the identifying information of another person to apply for a driver’s license and United States passport.
Wilfrido Baez Villar, 49, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to 18 months’ probation, with the first six months to be served in home confinement. On May 8, 2023, Baez Villar pleaded guilty to one count of false representation of a Social Security number and one count of making a false statement in an application for a passport.
Baez Villar first attempted to enter the United States in December 1994 using an altered passport from the Dominican Republic issued to another individual. The fraud was discovered when he arrived in New York City and Baez Villar thereafter voluntarily returned to the Dominican Republic.
Sometime thereafter, Baez Villar unlawfully reentered the United States. In April 1996, he used the identity of a second victim to fraudulently obtain a Massachusetts driver’s license. In November 1998, he used the identity of a third victim to receive an ID card from the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles.
In December 1998, Baez Villar applied for and received another Massachusetts driver’s license in the name of a fourth victim and, between August 1999 and January 2018, applied for and received a duplicate and/or renewed license in that individual’s name on eight other occasions.
In January 2019, Baez Villar applied for and received a replacement Real ID/Massachusetts driver’s license, again using the fourth victim’s identity. In December 2019, Baez Villar again used the fourth victim’s identity to apply for a United States passport.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Sharon B. MacDermott, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Boston Field Office; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Regional Office, made the announcement. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie A. Queenin of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Stanislaus County Woman Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Stealing Money from Recipients of Social Security and Other BenefitsRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Lorene Deanda, 64, of Ceres, was sentenced today to three years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, in relation to her stealing more than $550,000 from recipients of Social Security and other benefit funds, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Deanda was employed by a charitable organization in Modesto and managed the organization’s representative payee program. This program assisted recipients of Social Security and other federal and state benefits who could not physically manage their own financial affairs. Deanda, on behalf of the charitable organization, would set up bank accounts for the beneficiaries and receive benefit funds into those accounts. Deanda’s duties included paying beneficiaries’ bills and necessities from those accounts. However, from 2003 to May 2015, Deanda stole benefit funds from the accounts and spent the money on her own personal expenses, including paying for her personal credit card bills and residential mortgage. Deanda stole a total of more than $550,000.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Henry Z. Carbajal III and Brittany M. Gunter prosecuted the case.
St. John the Baptist Parish Man Indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute CocaineRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – EDEL FREYRE-SOTO, age 54, a resident of LaPlace, Louisiana, was indicted on December 7, 2023, for conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), and 846, and possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
For both counts, FREYRE-SOTO faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years, up to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000,000, at least five years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charging document and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers of the Narcotics Unit.
South New Jersey Residents Charged for Roles in Dog Fighting Conspiracy Involving the “DMV Board”Read the Press Release
Two New Jersey residents were charged for their participation in a dog fighting ring that involved the “DMV Board,” a Telegram-based dog fighting collective spanning several states. Tommy J. “Snakes” Watson, of Clayton, and Johnnie Lee Nelson Jr., of Bridgeton, appeared in court on the charges today and last Tuesday, respectively.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, Watson and Nelson conspired with others to fight, train, transport and possess pit bull-type dogs in dog fighting ventures from August 2017 through March 2019, in violation of the federal Animal Welfare Act. Watson and others conducted a dog fighting operation known as “From Da Bottom Kennels” and fought pit bull-type dogs in dog fights, housed and trained dogs for dog fighting and acquired, without veterinarian assistance or scrutiny, medical equipment including skin staplers to treat dogs injured during fights. Watson and others also used the “DMV Board” to transmit videos of live-streamed dog fights, dogs training to fight and underperforming fighting dogs being killed including by hanging.
Watson fought two dogs, including one named “Bunz,” in a December 2018 dog fight at a location on Center Road in Upper Deerfield Township, New Jersey. Watson also trained and transported a third dog, named “Rambo,” for a dog fight event at the same location on March 23, 2019, which law enforcement disrupted. Two still-fighting dogs were discovered by law enforcement at the Center Road location inside a car where participants had placed the dogs before fleeing to avoid detection by law enforcement. Nelson trained “Rambo” for purposes of having him fight in the March 23, 2019 dog fight event at the Center Road location. Watson is also charged with the unlawful possession of ammunition that he brought to the dog fight event.
If convicted, Watson and Nelson each face penalties up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine per count of animal fighting charges. Watson also faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the ammunition charge.
Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) and U.S. Attorney Philip K. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey made the announcement.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Inspector General, FBI, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and detectives with the Cumberland County, New Jersey, Prosecutor’s Office are investigating the case, which remains ongoing.
Senior Trial Attorney Ethan Eddy of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen O’Leary and Desiree Grace for the District of New Jersey are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
South Carolina, Florida Men Plead Guilty in Conspiracy to Distribute CocaineRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jason Laquwan Callum (43, Jamestown, SC) and Rodney Leandro (49, Jacksonville, FL) have pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute cocaine. Callum faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison for conspiring to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. Leandro faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. A superseding indictment was filed on September 27, 2023. Leandro and Callum will be sentenced on March 28, 2024.
According to court documents, in March 2019, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) learned about a kilogram-level cocaine dealer (CD) operating in Orange Park, Florida. On April 10, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant on the CD’s residence and located various narcotics, including cocaine, empty plastic heat-sealed kilogram bags with cocaine residue, and $34,530 in cash. The CD later confessed and identified Leandro and Callum as his sources of supply and agreed to set up a drug transaction.
On February 4, 2020, Callum and Leandro agreed to send a kilogram of cocaine to the CD via a courier from South Carolina to the Jacksonville area for $33,000. Once the courier arrived, Clay County Sheriff’s Office deputies intercepted the courier’s vehicle and, during this interaction, the courier admitted to having cocaine in the front seat. Further, the courier explained that she began transporting drugs for Callum in 2019, and stated that she delivered drugs to various states, including South Carolina, New York, Ohio, Florida, and North Carolina. The courier admitted to making at least 10 trips that involved cocaine—each delivery had at least one kilogram or more of cocaine. The courier has also pleaded guilty to cocaine distribution in the Middle District of Florida.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration – Jacksonville Tactical Diversion Squad and Task Force Two; DEA Charleston, South Carolina; the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Charleston County Aviation Authority Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kirwinn Mike.
Shreveport Man Sentenced for Illegal Possession of a Firearm While Serving Time in Halfway HouseRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced the sentencing of a Shreveport man for being a felon in possession of a firearm. United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote sentenced Recardo Cartrell Pierce, 27, to 93 months (7 years, 9 months) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
A jury in Shreveport returned a guilty verdict against Pierce after a trial in January of this year. Evidence introduced at the trial revealed that Bossier Parish Sheriff’s deputies conducted a stop of a vehicle for a traffic violation on May 21, 2022, in Bossier. Pierce was the sole passenger in the vehicle which was being driven by a female companion. When deputies approached the vehicle, they found Pierce with his seat pushed all the way back near the back seat of the vehicle and the seat was leaned back. Deputies were given consent to search the vehicle and found in the back seat behind the driver’s seat, and just within Pierce’s reach, a backpack containing a Kel-Tec semi-automatic 5.56 caliber rifle with a loaded magazine and a pair of safety gloves. This high-powered weapon had a round in the chamber ready to fire with the safety switch in the off position. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) joined the investigation and tested the firearm and found it to be in working order.
At the time of his arrest, Pierce was in a halfway house serving the remainder of his federal prison sentence where he was convicted in 2018 of being a felon possession of a firearm. As a convicted felon, Pierce knew that he was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Aaron Crawford and Seth D. Reeg.
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Settlement Agreement Reached to Resolve American with Disabilities Act ComplaintRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI –United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha today announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office has reached a settlement agreement with Fresh Start Learning Center (“Fresh Start”), a childcare center in Middletown, RI, that provides childcare for children ages 18 months to 5 years old, to resolve allegations that Fresh Start was not operating in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”).
The settlement agreement addresses an ADA complaint filed by the parent of a child with autism, alleging that Fresh Start refused to make any reasonable accommodations and terminated the child from the program because of his disability.
According to information contained in the settlement agreement, the child was initially enrolled at Fresh Start in January 2022, shortly after he turned three years old. After attending childcare at Fresh Start for more than one year, the child’s mother provided Fresh Start with an evaluation stating that her child had a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, and suggesting recommended reasonable accommodations. Shortly after receiving the evaluation and request for accommodations, and without any prior warnings or incidents, Fresh Start notified the parent that her child would be disenrolled from the daycare due to the standard of care that was required.
Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Fresh Start will implement new nondiscriminatory policies, practices, and procedures for children with disabilities who wish to attend their daycare; train its staff on compliance with Title III of the ADA; and evaluate each request for reasonable modifications on an individualized basis. Fresh Start has also agreed to pay a total of $7,000 in compensatory damages to the Complainant.
Title III of the ADA prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in places of public accommodations, including daycare centers. The ADA authorizes the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate complaints and undertake periodic reviews of compliance of covered entities. The Department of Justice is also authorized to commence a civil lawsuit in federal court in any case that involves a pattern or practice of discrimination or that raises issues of general public importance, and to seek injunctive relief, monetary damages, and civil penalties.
The United States’ case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Amy R. Romero.
For more information on the ADA, visit www.ada.gov or call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD). Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging that a place of public accommodation or public entity in Rhode Island is not accessible to persons with disabilities may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 401-709-5000.
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fresh_start_ada_agreement_0.pdfSeparate Indictments Charge Multiple Defendants in Armed Carjacking ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A 19-count indictment filed in Superior Court in the District of Columbia and a 33-count superseding indictment filed in U.S. District Court charge a total of 10 people as members of separate alleged carjacking rings that held victims, in Washington, D.C., and Maryland, at gunpoint, stole their vehicles and then sold them. The defendants are believed responsible for at least a dozen incidents involving carjacking or attempted carjacking in the District and parts of Maryland.
The charges and arrests were announced today by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg, of the Washington Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai, of the Washington Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
According to documents filed in Superior Court, seven defendants, five of whom were juveniles at the time of the alleged crimes, conspired to steal cars at gunpoint and sell some of the stolen vehicles.
Cedae Hardy, the lead defendant in the federal indictment, who was indicted in August 2023 on 18 counts, is charged in 11 additional counts, including an attempted carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury for allegedly shooting a rideshare driver multiple times. The superseding indictment also adds two defendants.
“Carjackings are among the most violent crimes we prosecute,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “The overwhelming majority arrested for carjacking are juveniles and many of the adults are themselves teenagers. To the teenagers fueling these crimes, know that there is no such thing as a “free ride.” Masks will not protect you. We will track you down and aggressively pursue the charges that fit the crime in our continuing effort to make the community safe - including charging juveniles as adults where appropriate - and bringing federal charges.”
“The number of armed carjackings Cedae Hardy and his co-conspirators are alleged to have committed is truly astonishing,” said David Sundberg, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office. “Today’s indictment illustrates the ruthlessness with which these carjackers selected vulnerable targets of opportunity as their victims, including a dentist on her way to work; a mother buckling her young children into her vehicle in front of an elementary school; an elderly couple pulling into the driveway of their home; and a rideshare driver who was allegedly shot by Hardy. The FBI Washington Field Office Violent Crimes Task Force, the Metropolitan Police Department, and our other law enforcement partners who jointly investigated these crimes will continue to use all of our authorities to bring these and other carjackers to justice so they can no longer terrorize our communities.”
“These cases are an example of what we can accomplish through hard work by our detectives, community cooperation, and by bringing together our local, regional, and federal law enforcement partners,” said Chief Pamela A. Smith.
U.S. v Jordan, et al
View the press release for the Superior Court Indictment: Jordan et alJaelen Jordan, 18, and Warren Montgomery, 19, both of Washington, D.C., along with Byron Gillum, also known as Bryon Gillum, 18, Isaiah Flowers, 18, Jahkai Goff, 19, Taj Giles, 18, and Irshaad Ellis-Bey, 18, all of Prince George’s County, MD, are charged in a 19-count indictment arising from a conspiracy to commit armed carjackings in an around the District of Columbia between February and May 2023.
The conspiracy charges 90 overt acts, including multiple armed carjackings and robberies in the Maryland and Washington DC areas. Jordan, Montgomery, Gillum, Flowers, Goff, Giles, and Ellis-Bey were also charged with the armed carjackings committed in the District, and trafficking stolen property. Jordan was arrested on May 17, 2023, following an investigation. Montgomery and Gillum were arrested on warrants on October 10, 2023, and Goff, Giles, and Ellis-Bey were arrested on December 7, 2023. All defendants have been detained since their arrest. The seventh defendant, Isaiah Flowers, is detained in Prince George’s County on separate charges.
The defendants will be arraigned on December 14, 2023, before the Honorable Lynn Leibovitz.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), United States Marshals Service (USMS), and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Valuable assistance was provided by the Prince George’s County Police Department.
This case is being investigated and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily R. Kubo and Gregory J. Evans.
U.S. v Cedae Hardy, et al
View the press release for the District Court Indictment: Hardy et alThe superseding indictment charges two additional defendants - Landrell Jordan III and Malik Norman, both 19 of Washington, D.C. – for conspiring with Hardy and for their role in multiple carjackings in May and June 2023. The initial 18-count indictment charged Cedae Hardy, also 19, of Washington, D.C., in six separate carjackings throughout Washington, D.C., and Maryland, between April and June of 2023. The 33-count superseding indictment adds charges against Hardy in connection with five more carjackings between January and May of 2023, including an attempted carjacking in which he allegedly shot the victim multiple times. All of the defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit carjacking. Hardy is charged in 29 of the 33 counts, including four counts of interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle and three counts of sale or receipt of a stolen vehicle. Norman is charged in 13 counts, including four counts of carjacking, four counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, two counts of interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle, and two counts of sale or receipt of a stolen vehicle. Jordan is charged in five counts, including two counts of carjacking and two counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
According to the indictment, as part of the conspiracy, Hardy drove the carjacked vehicles to a garage adjoining an apartment complex located at 1326 Florida Avenue Northeast, Washington, D.C. (the “Florida Avenue Garage”). A co-conspirator would contact potential buyers, who in these instances were undercover officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The co-conspirator would arrange a time to meet the undercover officers at a predetermined location - usually the Florida Avenue Garage – and complete the sale of the carjacked vehicles. The co-conspirators and Hardy would then split the proceeds. For example, on April 8, 2023, Hardy arrived at the Florida Avenue Garage in a victim’s stolen Mercedes. Co‑Conspirator 1 and Co-Conspirator 2 opened the door to the Florida Avenue Garage for Hardy. The victim’s Mercedes was sold on April 10, 2023, by Co-Conspirator 1 to MPD undercover officers for $1,200.
It is further alleged that in May and June 2023, Norman contacted Hardy on multiple occasions to request that he obtain vehicles. In response to these requests, Hardy committed armed carjackings and transferred the carjacked vehicles to Norman in exchange for money. Landrell Jordan is charged for his direct participation, alongside Hardy, in two such armed carjackings committed in May 2023; following both offenses, the carjacked vehicle was then transferred to Norman.
It is also alleged that on June 13, 2023, Norman sent a text message to Hardy requesting two vehicles. A day later, Hardy carjacked a woman in Southeast Washington as she was putting her children into her car, picked up Norman in the carjacked vehicle and, after driving at a high rate of speed, crashed into another motorist.
All of the defendants are in custody. Following the execution of search warrants, law enforcement recovered multiple guns and proceeds from carjacking victims.
In federal court, the statutory maximum sentence for carjacking is 15 years in prison, or up to 25 years in prison if serious bodily injury occurs; the mandatory minimum sentence for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence is seven years in prison. The charges also carry potential financial penalties. The sentence imposed will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office Violent Crimes Task Force and the Metropolitan Police Department Carjacking Task Force. Valuable assistance was provided by the Prince George’s County, Hyattsville, and Montgomery County, Maryland, Police Departments.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meredith Mayer-Dempsey, Paul V. Courtney, and Jared English, of the Federal Major Crimes Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
View the District Court Superseding Indictment
View the Superior Court IndictmentScranton Man Sentenced to 84 Months in Prison for Luzerne County Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Robert Wazny, age 33, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani to a term of 84 months’ imprisonment for brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence – bank robbery.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Wazny pleaded guilty to brandishing a firearm during the bank robbery at an M&T Bank located in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania on July 23, 2021. During the robbery, Wazny pointed a 12-gauge shotgun at employees, demanding cash. After the robbery, Wazny fled the area in a vehicle while in high-speed pursuit by local officers. Wazny crashed his vehicle into a pole and fled on foot with a backpack containing the cash from the bank robbery. Police quickly apprehended him, took him into custody, seized the backpack, recovering the cash from the bank. Police also recovered a single-shot Sears and Roebuck 12-gauge shotgun and three buckshot shells from the crash location.
This case was jointly investigated by the FBI in Scranton and the Wilkes-Barre Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Todd K. Hinkley prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results.
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Schenectady Man Charged with Second Firearms Crime in Connection with Shots Fired Outside of Temple IsraelRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Mufid Fawaz Alkhader, age 28, of Schenectady, New York, was charged today with a second firearms crime arising from his firing of a shotgun into the air outside of Temple Israel on December 7, 2023.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Albany Police Chief Eric Hawkins.
Alkhader remains charged with possessing a firearm as a prohibited person, and today was additionally charged with conspiracy to make a false statement during the purchase of a firearm.
According to an amended criminal complaint, at approximately 2 p.m. on December 7, Alkhader stood outside of Temple Israel while possessing a Kel-Tec KS7 12-gauge pump-action shotgun. Alkhader twice fired the shotgun into the air. Albany Police Officers responded to the scene and arrested Alkhader.
As an unlawful user of a controlled substance (marijuana), Alkhader was prohibited under federal law from possessing the shotgun.
Additionally, Alkhader, believing he was potentially ineligible to purchase a firearm due to a prior order of protection or restraining order, obtained the shotgun about a month ago by giving a friend money to purchase it for him. On November 5, 2023, the friend purchased the shotgun for $599.99 at a licensed firearms dealer in Albany County and then gave it to Alkhader. The friend lied on an ATF Form 4473 when he checked the box “Yes” in response to a question asking him, in sum and substance, if he was buying the firearm for himself and warning him that it was federal crime to buy a firearm, from a licensed firearms dealer, for another person.
The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
If convicted of the charges alleged in the complaint, Alkhader faces up to 20 years in prison, up to 3 years of post-imprisonment supervised release, and a maximum fine of $250,000. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case is being investigated by the ATF, the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, and the Albany Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Belliss and Alexander Wentworth-Ping are prosecuting this case.
Registered Sex Offender Charged with New Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A registered sex offender from Jefferson County, Missouri appeared in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Monday to face a new child pornography charge.
Patrick Mayberry, 44, of High Ridge, was charged by complaint on Dec. 8, 2023, with receipt and distribution of child pornography as a prior offender. A criminal complaint says that after receiving information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about a Google user who had allegedly uploaded child sexual abuse material, the St. Louis County Police Department learned Mayberry may be selling child pornography that he obtained on the dark web to others.
The charge is punishable by a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 40 years, a $250,000 fine, or both.
Charges set forth in a criminal complaint are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division'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, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Powell man convicted for defrauding the U.S. Forest ServiceRead the Press Release
Ronald Ostrom, age 54, of Powell, Wyoming, was convicted on Dec. 8 by a federal jury of six felony charges, specifically, two counts of making a false writing, two counts of making false statements, one count of concealing and retaining government property, and one count of conversion of government property. Ostrom is a retired U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officer. According to evidence presented at trial, and the jury’s verdict, when Ostrom retired he failed to return, and then kept for his own use and gain, a government-owned horse named “Reo.” Ostrom also lied on forms about two horses he returned in place of government-owned horses.
Ostrom was indicted by a federal grand jury and pleaded not guilty to the charges in July. The trial lasted five days and was held before Senior U.S. District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal in Cheyenne. Sentencing has been set for Feb. 21, 2024. The judge will determine Ostrom’s sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This crime was investigated by the U.S. Forest Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Elmore.
Case No. 22-CR-00060
Pennsylvania Man Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for Dealing Fentanyl Analogue that Caused Fatal Overdoses in OregonRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Pennsylvania man who completed more than 7,800 individual darknet fentanyl sales in less than two years and was linked by investigators to dozens of fatal overdoses across the United States was sentenced to life in federal prison today for distributing a fentanyl analogue on AlphaBay, a former darknet marketplace, that caused the overdoses of three people in Oregon, two of whom died.
Henry Konah Koffie, 38, of Darby, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to life in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.
“Henry Koffie’s overdose victims purchased fentanyl from him on the darknet for as much as $40 a gram, waited for it to arrive, consumed it, and tragically overdosed. Today, individuals seeking fentanyl need only walk to a nearby street corner and hand over a dollar or two for a similar quantity. In many ways, it is darknet dealers like Henry Koffie who paved the way for the fentanyl crisis still gripping our communities,” said Natalie Wight, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “We know no sentence can heal the trauma experienced by families who have lost loved ones, but it is our hope that today’s sentence, and knowing Henry Koffie cannot take any more innocent lives, will bring some degree of closure for them.”
“While no sentence can bring back the lives lost to the blatant indifference and outright greed of this drug trafficker, he will no longer pose a threat to communities across the country,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, overseeing Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in the Pacific Northwest. “In less than two years, Koffie used the darknet to conduct thousands of drug transactions that could have resulted in more fentanyl overdose deaths. Through our numerous partnerships with local and federal law enforcement, HSI will continue conducting investigations to unveil the anonymity drug dealers attempt to use to avoid getting caught while selling deadly illicit narcotics.”
“In today’s sentencing of Henry Koffie, the culmination of a collaborative effort between federal and local law enforcement agencies in Portland, we see justice prevail. The United States Postal Inspection Service extends its gratitude to the Portland Police Bureau, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Attorney’s Office for their invaluable partnerships that led to the conviction of this purveyor of death on a national scale. Henry Koffie's reckless actions, demonstrating a blatant disregard for the lives of others, are reprehensible and have now met their reckoning,” said Tony Galetti, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Seattle Division. “Today's verdict is a resolute statement that such behavior will not go unpunished. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families, hoping that this outcome brings them a measure of closure and marks the beginning of the healing process.”
“Fentanyl has killed and destroyed too many lives in our community,” said Bob Day, Chief of the Portland Police Bureau (PPB). “We want to thank our partners for joining efforts to investigate and prosecute this important case. Combatting dangerous illegal drugs in our community remains a priority as we work to prevent further heartbreaking and senseless deaths. I also want to extend my sincere sympathy to the families of the victims and hope today’s sentencing brings some comfort to them.”
According to court documents, in just over a year, three Portland residents overdosed on furanyl fentanyl supplied by Koffie, a darknet narcotics vendor known as DNMKingpin and later Narcoboss on AlphaBay. The first victim was a 19-year-old student at Portland State University who, on May 2, 2016, overdosed 30 minutes after ingesting powdered furanyl fentanyl. Paramedics administered Naloxone and breathing assistance to the student, saving her life. Investigators interviewed the student’s source who said he supplied the student with the powdered furanyl fentanyl he purchased from DNMKingpin on AlphaBay.
One year later, on May 6, 2017, PPB officers responded to a fatal overdose of a 27-year-old in southeast Portland. The victim’s roommates told the officers that the victim had ordered fentanyl from Narcoboss on AlphaBay who had advertised the furanyl fentanyl as “China White.” One roommate further told officers that he and the victim had ordered a gram of fentanyl from Narcoboss for $40 and that it had arrived in a USPS priority mail envelope shipped from Philadelphia.
Three weeks later, on May 29, 2017, PPB officers responded to a fatal overdose of another 27-year-old who had resided in northeast Portland. Officers located a small vial of furanyl fentanyl in the victim’s residence as well as a notebook containing information on accessing AlphaBay and a Bitcoin wallet. They further located an envelope in the victim’s trash can with a return address in Philadelphia.
Between May 25 and June 21, 2017, investigators conducted five controlled buys of powdered fentanyl from Narcoboss. All five orders were fulfilled from addresses in and around Philadelphia. Around the same time, investigators in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania located and identified Koffie’s fingerprints on packages of furanyl fentanyl resembling those shipped to law enforcement in Portland that were purchased from AlphaBay via Narcoboss.
Further investigation revealed that between April 6, 2016, and May 23, 2017, Koffie received 14 packages of furanyl fentanyl totaling approximately seven kilograms from distributors in China and Hong Kong. In May and June of 2017, two additional packages shipped to Koffie containing another half kilogram of furanyl fentanyl were intercepted by United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP). It was later determined that Koffie used an online postage company called Stampnik to purchase more than 5,700 postage labels he used to ship furanyl fentanyl throughout the United States, including the labels affixed to parcels seized in Oregon, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.
In just under two years, Koffie used AlphaBay to sell approximately 43 pounds of furanyl fentanyl in 7,849 individual transactions to customers in all 50 states. In addition to the three overdoses Koffie was convicted of causing in Oregon, investigators identified at least 27 other people who ordered furanyl fentanyl from Koffie and, shortly after, overdosed and died. Koffie was also linked to 27 other non-fatal overdoses.
On July 12, 2017, Koffie was charged by criminal complaint in the District of Oregon with distribution of a controlled substance resulting in serious bodily injury or death. Later, on April 21, 2021, he was charged by superseding indictment with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, distribution of a controlled substance resulting in serious bodily injury, distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death, and distribution of a controlled substance.
On March 7, 2023, a federal jury found Koffie guilty on two counts of distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death, one count of distribution of a controlled substance resulting in serious bodily injury, and five counts of distribution of a controlled substance.
Koffie is under federal indictment in two other judicial districts. On August 1, 2017, a federal grand jury in the Western District of Pennsylvania returned an indictment charging Koffie with four counts of distributing a controlled substance. On September 20, 2017, a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania returned a two-count indictment charging Koffie with distributing a controlled substance and distributing a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a playground. Both cases are pending.
This case was investigated by HSI, USPIS, and PPB with assistance from the FBI, Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) task force, CBP, Philadelphia Police Department, and Pennsylvania State Police. It was prosecuted by Scott M. Kerin, Parakram Singh, and Andrew T. Ho, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.
On July 20, 2017, the Justice Department, in partnership with the FBI, United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), HSI and IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), seized and shut down AlphaBay, which, at the time, was the largest criminal marketplace online. At the time of its seizure, AlphaBay had operated for over two years on the darknet and was used to sell illegal drugs, stolen and fraudulent identification documents and access devices, counterfeit goods, malware and other hacking tools, firearms, and toxic chemicals throughout the world.
If you or someone you know suffers from addiction, please call the Lines for Life substance abuse helpline at 1-800-923-4357 or visit www.linesforlife.org. Phone support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also text “RecoveryNow” to 839863 between 8am and 11pm Pacific Time daily.
Pasco County Men Indicted on Firearm and Narcotics OffensesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Marcel Morris (33, Port Richey) with possession of ammunition by a convicted felon. If convicted, Morris faces a maximum penalty of l5 years in federal prison. Darrence White (27, New Port Richey) has been charged with possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. If convicted, White faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in federal prison for the fentanyl offense, and up to life imprisonment for the methamphetamine offense. The indictment also notifies Morris and White that the United States intends to forfeit ammunition, as well as assets, which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense.
According to the indictment, on March 11, 2023, Morris, a previously convicted felon, possessed ammunition, including 3 rounds of Winchester 9 mm ammunition, 3 rounds of GECO 9 mm ammunition, and 9 rounds of Federal Cartridge 9 mm ammunition. White allegedly possessed with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maria Guzman.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve, to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
North Tonawanda businessman pleads guilty to tax evasionRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that George Ward, 57, of North Tonawanda, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to tax evasion. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas A. C. Penrose, who is handling the case, stated that between 2015 and 2020, Ward owned and operated a fire protection and inspection business in Amherst, NY. During this time period, Ward failed to file personal income tax returns, which included substantial business revenues received by his business. Ward also failed to pay income, social security, and Medicare taxes withheld from the pay of his employees. This resulted in a tax loss to the IRS of $953,793. Ward also failed to file his taxes with the New York Department of Taxation and Finance, resulting in a tax loss of $165,645. In addition to failing to file tax returns, Ward also made false statements to an IRS revenue officer regarding the filing of his taxes and the status of his business, used a check cashing business for over $2,000,000 in gross receipt checks from customers rather than depositing them into his business’ bank account, and deposited cash derived from his business’ activities into a bank account held in his wife’s name.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Thomas Fattorusso.
Sentencing is scheduled for March 28, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. before Judge Sinatra.
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New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Violation of the Federal Gun Control ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that ULYSSES MERCADEL, age 25, of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on December 5, 2023, to being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1).
According to court documents, on July 15, 2023, New Orleans Police officers detained MERCADEL at the Walmart Supercenter on Tchoupitoulas Street, in New Orleans. During a struggle to detain MERCADEL, officers removed a Plum Crazy Firearms Mod-M, .556/.223 caliber pistol from MERCADEL’s possession. This firearm was loaded, with one live round in the chamber and nineteen live rounds in the magazine. MERCADEL had been previously convicted of felonies, which prohibited him from possessing a firearm.
MERCADEL faces a maximum term of imprisonment of fifteen (15) years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to three (3) years of supervised release following imprisonment, as well as payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. Sentencing is scheduled for March 19, 2024.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas Rayburn of the Violent Crimes Unit.
New Jersey Man Who Posed as Nurse Charged with Kidnapping and Abusing Multiple WomenRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Edward A. Caban, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today that a grand jury in Manhattan federal court returned an eight-count Indictment charging New Jersey resident HERMAN CALVIN BRIGHTMAN, a/k/a “Nazir Griffiths,” a/k/a “Nazir Luckett,” with kidnapping, interstate travel to commit domestic violence, interstate communication of a threat, cyberstalking, and interstate stalking. BRIGHTMAN’s case is assigned to U.S. District Judge John P. Cronan.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, for over a year, Herman Brightman preyed upon woman after woman using the internet to lure these women into meeting and dating him and posing as a nurse or nurse practitioner to gain their trust. He then quickly became physically abusive towards them, going so far as to kidnap the women at knifepoint and threaten to kill them. Today’s charges put a stop to this abusive and violent behavior. We thank and commend the courageous women who came forward to report Brightman.”
NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban said: “The men and women of the NYPD condemn these deeply disturbing and heinous acts allegedly committed by a serial predator. Across jurisdictional boundaries, we and our law enforcement partners take all accusations of abuse seriously and remain dedicated to ensuring justice for the victims.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:[1]
From between in or about January 2022 to in or about September 2023, BRIGHTMAN used social media platforms such as Facebook and the dating application Hinge to meet, and occasionally date, several women under false pretenses. Specifically, BRIGHTMAN, often used an alias and posed as a nurse or nurse practitioner working at New York City-area hospitals, even sending pictures and videos of himself wearing scrubs and lab coats, and creating false IDs for himself. Some of those photos are included below:
Shortly after he began dating his victims, BRIGHTMAN began to act violently towards them, particularly if they attempted to end the relationship. As set forth in the Indictment, between January 2022 and September 2023, BRIGHTMAN brutalized at least four such women.
In or about July 2022, BRIGHTMAN traveled from New Jersey to the Southern District of New York and forced at knifepoint a woman (“Victim-1”) who had recently decided to break up with him and her minor child (“Minor Victim-1”) to travel from the Southern District of New York to BRIGHTMAN’s residence in New Jersey. Once they arrived at BRIGHTMAN’s residence, BRIGHTMAN threatened to kill Victim-1 if she “made any problems” and literally held onto Victim-1 for an entire evening to prevent her from escaping. Victim-1 eventually did escape the next morning and was able to contact local police after she convinced BRIGHTMAN to let her leave his residence temporarily.
In or about August 2023, BRIGHTMAN brutally attacked a Queens woman he had been dating (“Victim-2”) in her home and held her at knifepoint. During the attack, BRIGHTMAN threatened to “gut” Victim-2 “like a fish.” BRIGHTMAN also bound Victim-2’s hands and attempted to tape Victim-2’s mouth. Approximately one week after this incident, Victim-2 ended her relationship with BRIGHTMAN. In the 24 hours that followed, BRIGHTMAN called Victim-2 over 20 times, including from private blocked numbers. On one particular phone call, BRIGHTMAN repeatedly threatened Victim-2.
In or about early September 2023, BRIGHTMAN traveled from New Jersey to the Bronx, New York, and used his phone to lure a third woman he was dating (“Victim-3”) to his car. While in BRIGHTMAN’s car, BRIGHTMAN forced Victim-3 to call Victim-2. BRIGHTMAN then punched Victim-3, leaving a bruise on her arm. When Victim-3 attempted to escape, BRIGHTMAN chased after her and put her in a choke hold. Victim-3 escaped into her building and called the police.
A few days later, BRIGHTMAN returned to the Bronx to confront Victim-3 at her job. During the confrontation, BRIGHTMAN repeatedly asked Victim-3 if she had contacted the police. BRIGHTMAN then followed Victim-3 home where BRIGHTMAN assaulted her again, pushing Victim-3 to the ground and throwing a traffic cone at her.
In or about late September 2023, BRIGHTMAN traveled to the Bronx and convinced a fourth woman (“Victim-4”), who had previously ended their relationship, to allow him into her home. Inside Victim-4’s home, BRIGHTMAN assaulted and strangled Victim-4, leaving her with bruising on her neck. BRIGHTMAN also repeatedly threatened to kill Victim-4 and attempted to rape her. Victim-4 was ultimately able to escape with the help of a friend.
If you have been victimized by HERMAN CALVIN BRIGHTMAN, a/k/a “Nazir Griffiths,” a/k/a “Nazir Luckett,” or have any additional information about his alleged illegal behavior, please contact the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York at 1-866-874-8900 and reference this case.
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BRIGHTMAN, 30, of West New York, New Jersey, is charged with one count of kidnapping a minor, which carries a minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; one count of threatening physical harm by interstate communication, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of cyberstalking, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; two counts of kidnapping, which each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; two counts of travel in interstate commerce to commit a crime of violence, which each carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison; and one count of travel in interstate commerce to stalk, which carries a maximum potential sentence of five years in prison.
The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD, Task Force Officers assigned to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, and the Complex Analytics and Social Media Enhancement Team at the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas office for their work on the investigation. Mr. Williams also thanked the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, the Queens District Attorney’s Office, and the Ocean County District Attorney’s Office in New Jersey for their assistance in the investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Violent & Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick Moroney and Ni Qian are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is 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.
Nevada Man Sentenced to 70 Months in Federal Prison for Bank Fraud and Identity Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
BOISE – Anubor Bagbi, 63, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today.
According to court records, between May and December 2022, Bagbi obtained fraudulent or stolen checks issued to legitimate companies, then established fraudulent bank accounts in various states, including Idaho, using the name of the business payees on the stolen and fraudulent checks. In order open the fraudulent business accounts, Bagbi registered the business names with the Secretary of State and obtained employer identification numbers from the IRS. He used the fraudulent documents, false identifications, and fabricated tax documents and utility bills to open the accounts. Several of the identifications Bagbi used contained the real names of identity theft victims.
In addition to the bank fraud scheme, beginning in April 2020, Bagbi applied for and received funds though the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) under the CARES Act. Bagbi submitted fraudulent documents and applications in both his own name and other individuals’ names for businesses that did not exist. As a result, Bagbi caused a loss of $664,828.
In total, the bank fraud and COVID fraud schemes resulted in a loss of $886,879.86.
U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also sentenced Bagbi to five years of supervised release and to pay full restitution in the amount of $886,879.86.
“This defendant callously victimized businesses, individuals, and the American taxpayers through his related schemes,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “His prosecution and sentence show that those who commit mail fraud, identity theft, and COVID relief—either separately or in combination—will be brought to justice. I am grateful to the talented team of investigators and prosecutors who successfully handled this case.”
“This sentencing demonstrates our resolve to deter crimes which threaten our financial infrastructure and defraud taxpayer-funded relief,” said Special Agent in Charge Marc DellaSala, U.S. Secret Service. “I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and our local law enforcement partners for their dedication to this effort.”
“Providing false and stolen information to fraudulently gain access to pandemic relief funds is a theft of taxpayer funds,” said SBA OIG’s Western Region Special Agent in Charge Weston King. “OIG remains committed to rooting out bad actors and protecting the integrity of SBA programs. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and pursuit of justice.”
U.S. Attorney Hurwit credited the cooperative efforts of the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General who investigated the case with assistance from the Boise Police Department, the Ada County Sheriff’s Office, and the Garden City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Darci Crane and Brittney Campbell prosecuted the 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 (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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