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Monday 23 October 2023
Jacksonville Beach Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute CocaineRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Diandre Murel (29, Jacksonville Beach) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute over 500 grams of cocaine. Murel faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years, and up to 40 years, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the court documents, Murel and another individual were investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration for distributing cocaine in the Jacksonville Beach area. As part of the investigation, DEA agents tracked Murel to Atlanta where he purchased almost a kilo of cocaine. Murel was stopped in Baker County on his way back from Atlanta. Deputies from the Baker County Sheriff’s Office searched Murel’s car and located the cocaine. DEA agents and officers from the Jacksonville Beach Police Department then executed a search warrant at the condominium where Murel was renting a room. Law enforcement recovered additional cocaine, three firearms, and more than 100 rounds of ammunition from inside Murel’s room. As part of his plea agreement, Murel has agreed to forfeit the firearms and ammunition seized by law enforcement.
This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the Baker County Sheriff’s Office, the Jacksonville Beach Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The State Attorney’s Office for the Eighth Judicial Circuit also provided assistance with the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Talbot. The forfeiture was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.
Inmate Serving A 30-Year Sentence in Florida State Prison Sentenced for Mailing Threatening Letters to Florida JudgesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Aaron Thompson (43, Raiford) to three years and five months in federal prison for mailing interstate threats. Thompson, who is currently serving a 30-year state sentence for kidnapping, was ordered to serve his federal and state sentences consecutively. The court also ordered Thompson to serve three years of supervised release and have no contact with the victims of his offense or any judges in the 2nd District Court of Appeals in Florida. Thompson had pleaded guilty on July 28, 2023.
According to court documents, in 2004 in Sarasota County, Thompson was convicted at trial of aggravated battery, kidnapping, robbery, and aggravated assault. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison. While incarcerated at the Union Correctional Institute in Raiford, Thompson hand-wrote various letters that included death threats and white supremacy statements. Thompson mailed the letters from the correctional institution directly to sitting judges on the Second District Court of Appeals in Lakeland.
Thompson specifically referenced committing acts of violence upon the completion of his state sentence in 2034. For example, he wrote:
“I AM AN EXPERT WITH THE NRA GUNS, ESPECIALLY WITH A SCOPE. YOU WENT BEYOND ANY RESPECT FOR MY SERVICE RECORD TO SLOW THIS DOWN, XXXX YOU! AND-I’M VERY CLOSE, 2034 TO ERADICATE YOUR WHOLE FAMILY”
“I WILL EXECUTE YOUR WHOLE FAMILY PERSONALLY IN 2034. I WOULD LIKE TO DO WHAT MOST JUDGES EXPERIENCE IN 3RD WORLD CIVILIZATION.”
“Those who devote their career to service and the American system of justice should not be subjected to threats of violence, especially through the U.S. Mail,” said Juan Vargas, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Miami Division. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is proud of its work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in this case. The conviction and sentence demonstrate our society will not tolerate efforts to erode the rule of law.”
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin Claire Favorit.
Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Robert Lee Taylor, 42, Huntington, was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 8, 2022, a law enforcement officer encountered Taylor asleep in the driver’s seat of his running vehicle, parked at a Milton gas station. The officer saw controlled substances in Taylor’s lap. Taylor admitted that he possessed approximately 28 grams of methamphetamine and 16 grams of fentanyl that he intended to distribute. Taylor further admitted to possessing $24,724 in drug proceeds.
Taylor also admitted to conspiring with Phillip Antoine Rucker and Marshall Luther Williams to distribute heroin in the Southern District of West Virginia from around February 2021 to around September 2022. Taylor was provided heroin and fentanyl on consignment at the direction of Williams. Taylor gave the proceeds from selling the controlled substances to Williams.
Rucker, also known as “Chocolate,” 43, of Proctorville, Ohio, previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. Williams, also known as “Chuck” and “Chubs,” 41, of Chicago, Illinois, previously pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. Rucker and Williams await sentencing.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Milton Police Department and the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Courtney L. Finney and Joseph F. Adams prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 3:23-cr-58 (Taylor) and 3:22-cr-34 (Rucker and Williams).
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Hope Man Sentenced to Twenty-Five Years in Federal Prison for Online Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
TEXARKANA, ARKANSAS – A Hope, Arkansas, man was sentenced on October 19, 2023, to 300 months in federal prison, with credit for time served on a related state court conviction, for using the internet to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity. The Honorable Judge Susan O. Hickey, Chief United States District Judge, announced the sentence. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, Jonathan Tyrell Haney, age 36, used the online social media service “Badoo” to entice a 12-year-old Ashley County girl to meet him for sexual intercourse. The victim disappeared from her mother’s home in April 2021, reappearing alone the next day at a Columbia County gas station. Haney’s DNA was later found on the victim’s clothing. Haney was apprehended near Sulphur Springs, Texas, the same day the victim was found, after learning that Arkansas authorities were looking for him.
Upon completing his prison sentence, Haney will be supervised by the United States Probation Office for the next 20 years. He is also required to register as a sex offender.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes, of the Western District of Arkansas, made the announcement.
The Crossett, Arkansas, Police Department, Magnolia, Arkansas, Police Department, Hopkins County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham Jones prosecuted the case for the United States.
This case was prosecuted 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 CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov.
Georgia emissions inspector pleads guilty to fraudulent emissions testsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Mehboobhusain Malik, who performed thousands of fraudulent emissions tests, has pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Air Act.
“The Georgia emissions program exists to protect our community’s air quality,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “With his guilty plea, Malik admits that he essentially sold his position as a licensed emissions inspector by issuing fake emissions certificates for cars that should have failed the test.”
“This case demonstrates how local, state, and federal agencies work together to uphold and enforce laws designed to protect human health and the air that we breathe,” said Sara Lips, Director of Communications and Community Engagement for the Georgia Environmental Protection Division. “It further underscores EPD’s emphasis on compliance and enforcement in the Enhanced Inspection and Maintenance Program to ensure Georgia and Metro Atlanta continues to meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Under the Clean Air Act (the “Act”), states with areas that exceed the National Ambient Air Quality Standards must implement a vehicle inspection and maintenance program. In Georgia, implementation of the Act requires motor vehicle emissions testing in multiple counties, including Fulton, DeKalb, and Gwinnett. To perform the tests, a licensed emissions inspector logs into the Georgia Analyzer System (“GAS”) using biometric technology, inputs the Vehicle Identification Number and license plate number, and conducts the emissions inspection. Once the test is complete, the GAS uploads the test record to allow the vehicle to be registered if the test is passed, or blocked if the test is failed.
Since May 1, 2002, Georgia has been testing 1996 and newer vehicles by using their On Board Diagnostic (“OBD”) systems to check for emissions compliance. The OBD II is accessed through a 16-pin data connector, generally located beneath the vehicle’s dashboard. Simulators have been developed to allow auto manufacturers to simulate different conditions when they design new engines and/or vehicles. Because the simulators are designed to work with vehicle diagnostic tools, these simulators have the same 16-pin data connection as a vehicle’s actual OBD II system and can be used fraudulently to perform an emissions test.
Mehboobhusain Malik was an emissions inspector for Georgia who used his biometric login to initiate emissions tests. For vehicles that could not pass the emissions test, Malik and his confederates programmed a simulator with the vehicle information of the non-passing vehicle. The emissions test was run while the system was attached to the simulator in order to pass the test. That way, Malik falsely attributed the passing test to the vehicle that was programed into the simulator, allowing the vehicle to be improperly registered.
Malik performed thousands of these fraudulent emissions tests at multiple testing locations in the Atlanta metro area.
Mehboobhusain Malik, 72, of Lilburn, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of violating the Clean Air Act. Sentencing is scheduled for January 18, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Mark H. Cohen.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-Criminal Investigation Division and the Georgia State Environmental Protection Division.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Huber is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Fresno Man Sentenced to Prison for Cyberstalking the Father of a Parkland VictimRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On Oct. 20, U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola sentenced James Catalano, 62, of Fresno, California, to 12 months in prison for sending hundreds of harrowing messages to a local activist against gun violence whose daughter was murdered during the 2018 mass shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
On March 28, 2023, Catalano pled guilty to cyberstalking. According to the court record, beginning in or around December 2021 and continuing through July 2022, Catalano sent the victim hundreds of disparaging messages, which graphically described the victim’s daughter’s death, and focused on the debate surrounding gun control and the victim’s activism against gun violence.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Arielle Klepach prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 22-cr-20356.
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Former Postal Employee Pleads Guilty to Desertion of MailRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Michael Burdette, 34, of St. Albans, pleaded guilty today to desertion of mail. Burdette admitted that he discarded mail in a dumpster behind a Winfield business on two occasions while employed by the United States Postal Service.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in January 2023, the United States Postal Service hired Burdette as a Rural Carrier Associate. In this position, Burdette was routinely assigned to deliver mail to residents in the Putnam County area. Burdette admitted that he abandoned his route on March 27 and April 1, 2023. Each time, Burdette was running late for a personal matter and discarded all remaining mail assigned to him for delivery in the dumpster to ensure he arrived at his personal obligation on time. Burdette admitted that he knowingly and intentionally deserted more than 200 individually addressed parcels of mail that he was entrusted to deliver.
Burdette is scheduled to be sentenced on January 29, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of one year in prison, one year of supervised release, and a $100,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Postal Service and the U.S. Postal Service-Office of Inspector General (OIG).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander A. Redmon and Ryan Blackwell are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-153.
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Former NSA Employee Pleads Guilty to Attempted EspionageRead the Press Release
Jareh Sebastian Dalke, 31, of Colorado Springs, pleaded guilty today to six counts of attempting to transmit classified National Defense Information (NDI) to an agent of the Russian Federation (Russia).
According to court documents, from June 6, 2022, to July 1, 2022, Dalke was an employee of the National Security Agency (NSA) where he served as an Information Systems Security Designer. Dalke admitted that between August and September 2022, in order to demonstrate both his “legitimate access and willingness to share,” he used an encrypted email account to transmit excerpts of three classified documents to an individual he believed to be a Russian agent. In actuality, that person was an FBI online covert employee. All three documents from which the excerpts were taken contain NDI, are classified as Top Secret//Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) and were obtained by Dalke during his employment with the NSA.
On or about Aug. 26, 2022, Dalke requested $85,000 in return for all the information in his possession. Dalke claimed the information would be of value to Russia and told the FBI online covert employee that he would share more information in the future, once he returned to the Washington, D.C., area.
Dalke subsequently arranged to transfer additional classified information in his possession to the purported Russian agent at Union Station in downtown Denver. Using a laptop computer and the instructions provided by the FBI online covert employee, Dalke transferred five files, four of which contain Top Secret NDI. The other file was a letter, which begins (in Russian and Cyrillic characters) “My friends!” and states, in part, “I am very happy to finally provide this information to you. . . . I look forward to our friendship and shared benefit. Please let me know if there are desired documents to find and I will try when I return to my main office.” The FBI arrested Dalke on Sept. 28, moments after he transmitted the files.
As part of his plea agreement, Dalke admitted that he willfully transmitted files to the FBI online covert employee with the intent and reason to believe the information would be used to injure the United States and to benefit Russia.
Dalke faces a maximum penalty of up to life in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for April 26, 2024. A U.S. district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan for the District of Colorado and Executive Assistant Director Larissa L. Knapp of the FBI's National Security Branch made the announcement.
The FBI Washington and Denver Field Offices are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julia K. Martinez and Jena R. Neuscheler for the District of Colorado and Trial Attorneys Christina A. Clark and Adam L. Small of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
Dalke plea agreementFormer HSI Special Agent Sentenced to More Than Six Years in Prison on Tax, Structuring, and Concealment ChargesRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A former special agent with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) has been sentenced to more than six years in federal prison for tax, structuring, and concealment offenses.
A jury in May convicted ANTHONY SABAINI, 41, of Naperville, Ill., of illegally structuring financial transactions, concealing material facts from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and filing false federal tax returns. In addition to the 74-month prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Andrea R. Wood on Thursday ordered Sabaini to pay $93,422 in restitution to the IRS.
The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, Justin Campbell, Special Agent-in-Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago, Joseph V. Cuffari, Inspector General for DHS, and Michael K. Finerty, Resident Agent-in-Charge of the Office of Professional Responsibility at DHS. Valuable assistance was provided by the DEA.
“Corrupt law enforcement strikes at the heart of our system of government,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Hasten and Jonathan Shih argued in the prosecution’s sentencing memorandum. “When individuals in law enforcement break the law, it makes the job of legitimate law enforcement that much harder because it erodes public trust.”
Sabaini was assigned to the Oakbrook Terrace, Ill. field office of HSI, a criminal investigative unit within DHS. Evidence at trial revealed that Sabaini maintained a corrupt relationship with an HSI confidential informant and tipped off the informant to sensitive investigations conducted by other law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and DEA. In exchange for Sabaini’s protection, the informant paid Sabaini at least $50,000. Sabaini also stole cash from drug dealers and pocketed money from HSI that had been earmarked for investigative activity.
Sabaini deposited more than $250,000 into a bank account for which he was the sole signatory. He made the deposits in more than 160 transactions, with the amount of each deposit being less than $10,000. The deposits were structured in an effort to evade federal reporting rules, which require financial institutions to notify the U.S. Department of the Treasury about transactions of more than $10,000.
The evidence also showed that Sabaini lied on official HSI memoranda in 2017 and 2018 to protect his corrupt relationship with the informant. In the memoranda, Sabaini knowingly concealed material facts, including that the informant was a target of ongoing criminal investigations conducted by other law enforcement agencies, and that the informant had recently engaged in unauthorized criminal conduct that Sabaini knew would have affected his suitability as a paid HSI informant.
Sabaini also underreported income in federal tax returns from 2014 to 2018.
A separate federal jury in 2021 convicted Sabaini’s partner, FERNANDO ZAMBRANO, of lying to investigators during the Sabaini probe. Zambrano was a Palos Heights Police Officer assigned to an HSI task force. Zambrano was sentenced to three months in federal prison.
Former Executive Convicted at Trial of Mail Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that on October 20, 2023, a federal jury found SHAWN RAINS guilty of three counts — conspiracy to commit mail fraud, mail fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering — in connection with a scheme to steal over $4 million from a White Plains company where he was formerly a high-ranking executive. The defendant was found guilty following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román. Sentencing is scheduled for January 31, 2024, before Judge Román.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Shawn Rains, a former executive at a White Plains healthcare claims processing company, betrayed the trust of his employer by stealing millions of dollars. Rains was the ringleader of a scheme in which he and his co-conspirators created fake vendors, submitted fake invoices, charged their company for work that was never done, and then disguised the proceeds of the fraud. A federal jury has now convicted Rains of fraud and money laundering. This verdict should remind those in positions of trust that if you engage in fraud, we will catch you and hold you accountable.”
According to the Indictment, statements made in public court proceedings and filings, and the evidence at trial:
SHAWN RAINS was an executive at OrthoNet, a healthcare claims processing company based in White Plains, New York. Between approximately 2009 and 2017, RAINS and JOSEPH MAHARAJ, another OrthoNet executive, designed and executed a scheme to defraud OrthoNet of over $4 million and to launder the fraud proceeds. RAINS conspired with MAHARAJ and others to create fake vendors that purported to do work on behalf of OrthoNet. RAINS, MAHARAJ, and their co-conspirators then signed invoices approving payment for the fake work, and OrthoNet sent payments to the fake vendors. RAINS, MAHARAJ, and their co-conspirators then converted the money to cash to hide the source of the fraud proceeds and split it up amongst themselves.
On March 22, 2023, MAHARAJ pled guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced before Judge Román on December 4, 2023.
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RAINS, 57, of Le Bouscat, France, was convicted of (i) one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison; (ii) one count of mail fraud, which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison; and (iii) one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison.
MAHARAJ, 42, of Goldens Bridge, New York, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison.
The statutory maximum sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by Judge Román.
Mr. Williams thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their outstanding work on the investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Simon, Benjamin Klein, Jim Ligtenberg, and Jamie Bagliebter are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Shannon Becker.
Dialysis Providers Settle Civil Fraud Claims for More Than $9.5 MillionRead the Press Release
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced agreements with several entities that provide dialysis treatment and services to patients suffering from chronic kidney failure, also known as end-stage renal disease or ESRD. The defendants have agreed to pay a total of more than $9.5 million to settle civil fraud allegations that they caused double-billing to the Medicaid Program for certain medications. Under the terms of the agreements, these providers, including DaVita Healthcare Partners, Inc., Bay Ridge Sunset Park Dialysis Center, Inc., Midwood Chayim Aruchim Dialysis Associates, Inc., New York Artificial Kidney Center, Inc., The Rogosin Institute, for itself and as successor-in-interest to Nephrology Foundation of Brooklyn, Terence Cardinal Cooke Health Care Center, New York Renal Associates, Inc., and Dialysis Clinic, Inc., have paid $3,967,083.38 to the United States under the federal False Claims Act and $5,629,151.20 to New York State under New York State’s False Claims Act. The agreements were approved by United States District Judge Allyne R. Ross.
“No patients, especially those suffering from chronic diseases, should ever be used by health care providers to defraud Medicaid,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “This settlement sends a strong message that our office will vigorously prosecute anyone whose practices jeopardize Medicaid for their own enrichment.”
Mr. Peace thanked the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Office of the New York Sate Attorney General for partnering in the Government’s investigation and resolution of this important case.
The Government’s investigation revealed that, from 2000 through 2010[1], the dialysis clinics and management companies improperly caused claims to be made to Medicaid by retail pharmacies for certain injectable drugs that were administered during the course of dialysis treatment for ESRD. The injectable drugs had already been paid for by Medicaid as part of the composite dialysis payments received by the dialysis clinics and management companies for dialysis treatments.
The civil settlement resolved allegations brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the federal and state False Claims Acts against these entities. Under the qui tam provisions of these Acts, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of the settlement if the government takes over the case and reaches a monetary agreement with the defendant. The qui tam case is captioned United States and the State of New York ex rel. Island Rehabilitative Services, Corp. v. South Brooklyn Nephrology Center, Inc. et al, Civil Action No. 09-CV-1549 (E.D.N.Y).
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
The government’s case was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Anjna Kapoor and John Vagelatos.
[1] With regard to defendant Dialysis Clinic, Inc., the alleged conduct occurred between 2006 and 2010.
Defendant Admits to Attempting to Transmit National Defense Information to an Agent of a Foreign GovernmentRead the Press Release
Jareh Sebastian Dalke, 31, of Colorado Springs, pleaded guilty today to six counts of attempting to transmit classified National Defense Information (NDI) to an agent of the Russian Federation (Russia).
According to court documents, from June 6, 2022, to July 1, 2022, Dalke was an employee of the National Security Agency (NSA) where he served as an Information Systems Security Designer. Dalke admitted that between August and September 2022, in order to demonstrate both his “legitimate access and willingness to share,” he used an encrypted email account to transmit excerpts of three classified documents to an individual he believed to be a Russian agent. In actuality, that person was an FBI online covert employee. All three documents from which the excerpts were taken contain NDI, are classified as Top Secret//Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) and were obtained by Dalke during his employment with the NSA.
On or about Aug. 26, 2022, Dalke requested $85,000 in return for all the information in his possession. Dalke claimed the information would be of value to Russia and told the FBI online covert employee that he would share more information in the future, once he returned to the Washington, D.C., area.
Dalke subsequently arranged to transfer additional classified information in his possession to the purported Russian agent at Union Station in downtown Denver. Using a laptop computer and the instructions provided by the FBI online covert employee, Dalke transferred five files, four of which contain Top Secret NDI. The other file was a letter, which begins (in Russian and Cyrillic characters) “My friends!” and states, in part, “I am very happy to finally provide this information to you. . . . I look forward to our friendship and shared benefit. Please let me know if there are desired documents to find and I will try when I return to my main office.” The FBI arrested Dalke on Sept. 28, moments after he transmitted the files.
As part of his plea agreement, Dalke admitted that he willfully transmitted files to the FBI online covert employee with the intent and reason to believe the information would be used to injure the United States and to benefit Russia.
Dalke faces a maximum penalty of up to life in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for April 26, 2024. A U.S. district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan for the District of Colorado and Executive Assistant Director Larissa L. Knapp of the FBI's National Security Branch made the announcement.
The FBI Washington and Denver Field Offices are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julia K. Martinez and Jena R. Neuscheler for the District of Colorado and Trial Attorneys Christina A. Clark and Adam L. Small of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
Case Number: 22-cr-313-RM
Corrections Officer Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Richland, Washington – United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke sentenced Leticia Rodriguez,44, to 60 months in federal prison after her guilty plea to Conspiracy to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Actual (Pure) Methamphetamine, 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl, and 5 Kilograms or More of Cocaine. Rodriguez also will serve 5 years of federal supervision after she is released from federal custody.
According to information disclosed in court documents and proceedings, Rodriguez was part of a large drug trafficking organization that involved a legitimate landscaping business to cover up the organizations drug trafficking activities. Investigators developed information that Rodriguez would act a courier for cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine as well large amounts of money between Eastern Washington, Arizona and California. She was arrested at the Walla Walla State Penitentiary, where she worked as a corrections officer.
Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, stated, “Ms. Rodriguez violated the trust of the public she had been sworn to serve. Her criminal conduct undermines the respect many of our law enforcement officials earn on a day-today basis. Our community must remain confident that no one is above the law.”
“This case demonstrates how corrosive drug trafficking, and specifically fentanyl, has become in society. This makes DEA and our federal, state and local partners’ obligation to confront its corrupting influence on our communities even more vital,” said Ronald A.Deist, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, DEA Spokane District Office.
This case was investigated by the DEA Drug Task Force, USCBP, Walla Walla Federal Penitentiary, Walla Walla Police Department, Metro Drug Task Force, and the Milton-Freewater Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Van Marter.
4:21-CR-06028-MKD-7
Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison on Child Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A convicted sex offender was sentenced on child exploitation charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.
Chief U.S. District Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced Austin Jeremy Bobo, 34, of Trussville, to 180 months in prison followed by a lifetime term of supervised release. Bobo pleaded guilty to transportation of child pornography in May.
According to the plea agreement, on October 30, 2020, a social media outlet submitted a CyberTip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) relating to an account that uploaded images containing child sexual abuse materials. The investigation revealed that the account belonged to Bobo. Between November 2019 and October 2020, Bobo uploaded numerous images of child pornography to the account. Bobo was convicted in the Circuit Court for Lee County, Alabama, of an offense related to child pornography in March 2016.
FBI Birmingham’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force (CEHTTF), Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John M. Hundscheid prosecuted the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Columbus man pleads guilty to crimes related to armed robberies, I-70 shootoutRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man pleaded guilty in federal court here today to crimes related to the July 6 shooting of a Columbus police officer. Parties involved have recommended a sentence of 20 to 30 years in prison.
Faisal M. Darod, 23, pleaded guilty to all nine counts charged against him in a superseding indictment that was returned in September 2023. The crimes include aiding and abetting robberies and aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during the robberies.
His co-defendant, Aden Abdullahi Jama, 20, of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court on Oct. 11.
The two central Ohio men were involved in the July 6 shooting of a Columbus police officer. Jama admitted in court today to participating in related crimes on July 5 and July 6.
According to his plea agreement, on June 21, Darod aided in the robbery of a GameStop store on Hilliard-Rome Road in Hilliard. Darod and another man initially planned to rob a bank that day, but mistakenly thought the bank would be open until 6pm. When they realized the bank was closed, they shifted focus to the GameStop instead, and, at approximately 6:15pm, robbed the store at gunpoint using a handgun with an extended magazine.
Darod helped the other man obtain the firearm, extended magazine and ammunition, and served as a lookout during the robbery.
On July 3, Darod drove the other man to the Auto Gallery on Westerville Road in Minerva Park, where the man robbed the car dealership owner at gunpoint. The man stole a 2016 Corvette Stingray. Over the next two days, Darod had others record several videos of him driving the Corvette around the parking lot of the Baymont Inn and Suites at Morse Road, where he had rented a room.
On July 5, Darod arranged for Jama to pick up him and another individual after they robbed at gunpoint the Fifth Third Bank on Fishinger Road in Upper Arlington. Following the bank robbery, Darod texted Jama and instructed him to meet up with them on West Sixth Avenue in Columbus and drive them to the Baymont Inn and Suites.
While at the hotel, Darod and Jama recorded a video on Darod’s cell phone showing Darod lying on the bed surrounded by the recently stolen cash. In the video, Darod raps about “cheese” – i.e., money, being in the air and everywhere.
The next day, on July 6, Darod aided and abetted an armed robbery at Byers Imports in Whitehall. He and Jama drove a third individual to the car dealership to commit the robbery.
Shortly after the robbery, Darod and Jama met up with the car thief at townhomes on the southeast side of Columbus. The three men then drove the stolen Porsche Cayenne, sometimes exceeding 100 miles per hour, to Hilliard to commit another armed bank robbery.
Darod and Jama again served as the lookout and aided and abetted the armed robbery and the use of a firearm during that robbery at Fifth Third Bank on Hilliard-Rome Road in Hilliard.
Unbeknownst to the three men, Whitehall police detectives had been tracking their movements using the Porsche Cayenne’s onboard GPS system. The detectives surrounded the stolen car at Fifth Third Bank and ordered the men to stop the vehicle. The now-deceased driver drove the stolen Porsche through a gap in the detectives’ cars and fled over a grass embankment onto Hilliard-Rome Road, and, eventually, out to Roberts Road and the freeway.
Columbus police officers then located the stolen vehicle on I-70 traveling eastbound. The men reached speeds more than 125 miles per hour near rush hour while attempting to flee law enforcement.
The vehicle became damaged and came to an abrupt stop before Darod and Jama both fled on foot. The third man used a handgun with an extended magazine to ambush the responding officers. He opened fire from close range and struck one officer. That officer suffered life-threatening injuries. The driver of the stolen vehicle was struck several times and died of his gunshot wounds soon after.
Following the gun battle on I-70, a coordinated manhunt ensued for Jama and Darod. Darod was arrested in Columbus on the evening of July 7. By then, he had conducted several internet searches for flights out of Columbus to Somalia. U.S. Marshals and Homeland Security Investigation agents arrested Jama at Chicago O’Hare International Airport on July 8, bound for Turkey, with an ultimate destination of Somalia.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant; the United States Marshals in Columbus and Chicago; ICE and HSI Chicago; the Whitehall, Minerva Parka and Upper Arlington police departments; and Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin announced the guilty plea entered this afternoon before U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorney Noah R. Litton is representing the United States in this case.
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Clermont Man Sentenced to 80 Years in Prison for Production and Distribution of Child Sex Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Michael VanNess, Jr. (Clermont, 39) to 80 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for production and distribution of child sex abuse material. The court also ordered VanNess, Jr. to forfeit a cellphone, which was used to commit the offense. VanNess, Jr. had pleaded guilty on July 21, 2023.
According to court documents, the investigation began when VanNess, Jr. uploaded child sex abuse material involving young children to a social media group. Subsequently, a search warrant was executed on his phone. Evidence recovered from the phone showed that VanNess, Jr. had sexually abused a 14-year-old victim over a seven-month span. VanNess, Jr. recorded the sexual abuse and threatened the child victim to ensure his illegal conduct remained a secret.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Courtney D. Richardson-Jones and Shannon Laurie.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Civil Forfeiture Complaint Filed Against $300 Million Superyacht Amadea Involved in Sanctions EvasionRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Michael Khoo and David Lim, Co-Directors of Task Force KleptoCapture, announced today the filing of a civil forfeiture complaint against the Motor Yacht Amadea, a 348-foot luxury vessel reportedly worth over $300 million. The Complaint alleges that the superyacht, which is beneficially owned by Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov, was improved and maintained in violation of applicable sanctions against Kerimov and those acting on his behalf. The Complaint alleges that the Amadea is forfeitable based on violations of U.S. law, including International Emergency Economic Powers Act (“IEEPA”), and money laundering violations.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “The filing of this complaint exemplifies that the United States takes sanction evasion seriously and will use all tools at its disposal to ensure that sanctioned individuals are held accountable for their crimes. I thank our partners with Task Force KleptoCapture as well as the dedicated prosecutors of this office for their important work holding Russian oligarchs responsible and aiding our allies in Ukraine.”
Co-Director of Task Force KleptoCapture Michael Khoo said: “The United States brings this action today after a careful and painstaking effort to develop the necessary evidence showing Suleiman Kerimov’s clear interest in the Amadea and the repeated misuse of the U.S. financial system to support and maintain the yacht for his benefit. Getting to this point required extensive cooperation across the U.S. government and with foreign partners. It underscores our resolve to undertake challenging, cross-border investigations and to send a message to Russian oligarchs and their enablers: if you flout the rule of law, you can expect to pay real and meaningful consequences.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint filed in Manhattan federal court today:[1]
On April 6, 2018, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) designated Kerimov as a Specially Designated National (“SDN”) under IEEPA in connection with its finding that the actions of the Government of the Russian Federation in Ukraine constituted an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. In imposing sanctions, OFAC determined that Kerimov benefited from the regime of Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, and played a key role in advancing Russia’s malign activities. As alleged, Kerimov never sought a license from OFAC authorizing any transactions including any transactions in connection with expenditures related to the yacht. On or about September 30, 2022, OFAC redesignated Kerimov as an SDN.
In September 2021, following Kerimov’s designation by OFAC, Kerimov arranged to purchase the superyacht Amadea, contracting with the seller to receive use rights to the vessel even before Kerimov had completed payment or obtained title to the vessel. Kerimov gained beneficial ownership of the vessel in or about September 2021 through a series of transfers between shell companies conducted in a manner designed to conceal his ownership of the yacht. Between in or about July 2021 and in or about September 2021, beneficial ownership of the Amadea was transferred from the former title holder, Nereo Management Ltd., to Millemarin Investments Ltd., which was incorporated approximately 30 days before the sale. Ownership of the Amadea was then transferred to Errigal Marine Limited, another newly incorporated company, which was used to obscure Kerimov’s beneficial ownership of the Amadea. Beginning in October 2021 through the date the yacht was seized by Fijian authorities in April 2022, Kerimov and/or his family members took multiple trips aboard the Amadea, planned extensive renovations to the Amadea, made long-term plans for the Amadea’s travel schedule, and assumed all liability and responsibility for the Amadea’s upkeep and running costs.
During that time period, individuals and/or entities acting on Kerimov’s behalf accrued U.S. dollar-denominated costs necessary for the upkeep of the Amadea and sent or caused to be sent through the U.S. financial systems payments in satisfaction of those expenses, in violation of applicable sanctions.
The Amadea is currently under the control of the U.S. Government in San Diego, California, pursuant to a seizure warrant issued by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, which was enforced by a court order issued by the Republic of Fiji following a request from the United States. The United States is deeply grateful to the Fijian police and prosecutors whose perseverance and dedication to the rule of law made this action possible.
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Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI New York Field Office’s Eurasian Organized Crime Task Force. Mr. Williams further thanked the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, as well as the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Embassy Suva, and the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, for their assistance and cooperation in this investigation.
On March 2, 2022, the Attorney General announced the launch of Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions, and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed, along with allies and partners, in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. The Task Force will leverage all the Department’s tools and authorities against efforts to evade or undermine the economic actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit in partnership with the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and the National Security Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Mortazavi and Trial Attorneys Joshua L. Sohn and Andrew D. Beaty are handling the investigation.
A civil forfeiture complaint is merely an allegation that money or property was involved in or represents the proceeds of a crime. These allegations are not proven until a court awards a judgment in favor of the United States.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Chicago Attorney Indicted on Immigration Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago attorney has been indicted on federal fraud charges for allegedly providing false and fraudulent information to U.S. authorities to obtain immigration benefits for his foreign national clients.
MOHAMMAD REZA BANIASSADI owned and operated The Law Offices of Reza Baniassadi, which had offices in Chicago. From 2013 to 2020, Baniassadi conspired with two employees of his firm and others to knowingly provide false and fraudulent information to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on behalf of his foreign national clients who were seeking U.S. immigration benefits, according to an indictment unsealed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Baniassadi advised clients to enter into sham marriages with U.S. citizens or lawful permanent U.S. residents in order to obtain benefits, the indictment states. Among other schemes charged in the indictment, Baniassadi allegedly helped clients cheat on oral civics exams, falsified claims of spousal abuse purportedly suffered by clients, and fabricated job offers from U.S. companies that would purportedly sponsor clients for residency.
The indictment charges Baniassadi, 65, of Chicago, with one count of conspiracy to commit immigration fraud and five individual counts of falsifying applications for immigration benefits. Baniassadi is considered a fugitive. A warrant for his arrest has been issued.
The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Joseph V. Cuffari, Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey B. Rubenstein.
The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Each count of visa fraud is punishable by up to ten years in federal prison, while the conspiracy count carries a maximum sentence of five years.
Baniassadi indictmentCape Coral Man Sentenced to Prison for COVID Relief FraudRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Denis Casseus (44, Cape Coral) to two years in federal prison for bank fraud and an illegal monetary transaction. As part of his sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $298,875, the proceeds of the bank fraud. Casseus had pleaded guilty on May 23, 2023.
According to court documents, between February 22 and March 4, 2021, Casseus submitted two fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) applications to a financial institution federally insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) with branches in Lee County. In each application, Casseus falsely represented that the PPP funds would be used only for business-related purposes, as specified in the loan applications. Casseus falsely represented and certified that the PPP funds acquired from the requested loans would be used to retain workers and maintain payroll or make mortgage payments, lease payments, and utility payments on behalf of his purported businesses. In total, Casseus’s false and fraudulent representations caused the financial institution to approve and fund a total of $298,875 in PPP loans for his businesses.
On March 4, 2021, Casseus made a wire payment of $110,000 to a title company for the purchase of a residence in Cape Coral. That money was an illegal monetary transaction as Casseus used more than $10,000 in the PPP loan funds towards the purchase of his residence.
In March of 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was enacted as a federal law, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who were suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through a program referred to as the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
In May 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.
Cape Coral Man Sentenced to More Than 21 Years in Federal Prison for Manufacturing Counterfeit Pills Containing Fentanyl and Bank FraudRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Brandon Albanito (37, Cape Coral) to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison for possession of a controlled substance (fentanyl) with the intent to distribute it, possessing counterfeit drugs for sale, possessing equipment used to manufacture counterfeit drugs, possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and bank fraud. The court also ordered Albanito to pay a $500,000 fine, forfeit $97,146 to the United States, and make full restitution to a victim of his bank fraud. Albanito had pleaded guilty in June 2023.
According to court documents, in 2016, agents with the Food and Drug Administration—Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI) began investigating a series of packages destined for Cape Coral and North Fort Myers residences that had been intercepted from the mail stream. The packages contained prescription drugs (in bulk powder form, like sildenafil, commonly known as “Viagra”), drug precursors (such as tryptamine, a substance used in the manufacture of hallucinogens), and controlled substances (including methamphetamine). Ultimately, the investigation revealed that each of the addresses was associated in some way with Albanito.
To determine how Albanito might be connected to the seized packages, the United States Secret Service (USSS) initiated a financial investigation into Albanito. Amongst other things, the investigation revealed an array of bank, crypto, and gambling accounts controlled by Albanito. The accounts showed suspicious history of purchases from companies based in China and frequent transfers of money, consistent with money laundering techniques employed by criminals.
Additionally, federal investigators linked together other pieces of evidence demonstrating that Albanito was running a large-scale drug manufacturing operation. For instance, in January 2021, Albanito’s former federal cellmate was stopped by the Florida Highway Patrol in Alachua County. The vehicle contained a package of cocaine as well as parts for a pill press (i.e. a machine used to compress materials into a pill form). Ultimately, federal investigators determined that the cocaine and press had been destined for Albanito’s Cape Coral home.
In January 2023, the USSS, FDA-OCI, and the Cape Coral Police Department executed a search warrant at Albanito’s home. Almost immediately upon entry, law enforcement found a large, commercial-grade pill press in the garage and hundreds of counterfeit oxycodone pills on a nearby shelf. The counterfeit pills, which appeared identical to prescription oxycodone pills, were found by the FDA to contain fentanyl. Law enforcement also found a found a five-gallon bucket containing more than 40,000 counterfeit Xanax pills (which actually contained the designer drug clonazolam), a five-gallon bucket containing approximately 20 pounds of pill binding agent, pill dies (i.e. tooling used by a pill press to create pills), and two firearms within the residence. DNA testing arranged by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives conducted on the seized firearms demonstrated that Albanito had possessed them, which he was prohibited from doing because he was a convicted felon.
Law enforcement also gathered other items and information from his residence demonstrating that, in 2021, Albanito had defrauded an online bank out of nearly $100,000, making lavish purchases with the proceeds, including a luxury vehicle and a luxury watch.
This case was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration – Office of Criminal Investigations, the United States Secret Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Cape Coral Police Department, with assistance from the United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Florida Highway Patrol, and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael V. Leeman.
Bloomington Man Sentenced to over Three Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Steal over $669,000 from Businesses and COVID-19 ProgramsRead the Press Release
EVANSVILLE- Robert K. Hall, 73, of Bloomington, Indiana, has been sentenced to 41 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to court documents, from September 2019 to December 2020, Hall conspired with others to defraud multiple businesses through business email compromise schemes, and to defraud multiple states and the Small Business Administration by taking advantage of COVID-19 loan and unemployment programs. Hall also worked with his co-conspirators to launder the stolen money through his bank accounts.
In September 2019, an employee of Victim Business 1 received a fraudulent email purporting to be a recognized vendor that the business previously worked with. The purported vendor explained that due to an audit involving its’ primary bank account, future payments should be made to a different account. The account that was named belonged to Hall under the guise of an electric company. This fraudulent email caused Business 1 to unknowingly transfer $113,550 into Hall’s personal account.
In July 2020, following the passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), a fraudulent application was submitted to the Small Business Administration for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan without the knowledge or consent of the purported beneficiaries. Instead, the proceeds of the loans were deposited into an account controlled by Hall. Hall conducted a similar scheme when his co-conspirators fraudulently applied for three Economic Injury Disaster Loans using the names of an individual and two businesses, directing benefits to again be deposited into Hall’s personal accounts.
Additionally, between May 2020 and December 2020, applications for unemployment benefits were submitted to the states of Washington, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, Colorado, and Arizona on behalf of more than a dozen individuals whose identities had been stolen. The unemployment benefits were deposited into accounts controlled by Hall and then disbursed to his co-conspirators.
After receiving the fraudulent deposits in his accounts, Hall retained roughly 20% of the funds as compensation for his role in the schemes. He transferred the remaining money to his co-conspirators via checks and Bitcoin purchases.
In total, Hall attempted to steal $668,746.14. Some of the fraudulent transactions were blocked or reversed, and Hall only successfully received $399,868.36 in proceeds of the fraud schemes.
“This defendant played a critical role in multiple fraud schemes, including stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from vital relief programs created to support individuals and businesses in the midst of a global pandemic,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “We will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute those who defrauded COIVD-19 relief programs. My thanks to the U.S. Secret Service and our prosecutors for their efforts to hold fraudsters accountable and recover money stolen from the American public during this unprecedented crises.”
“Hall and his co-conspirators took advantage of government programs intended to assist small businesses and individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Jeffrey R. Adams, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Indianapolis Field Office. “The Secret Service remains committed to aggressively pursuing fraudsters who target the financial infrastructure of the United States."
The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Richard L. Young. Judge Young also ordered that Hall be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 3 years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Matthew B. Miller, who prosecuted this case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID 19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts.
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.###
Beaumont Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A Beaumont man was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 420 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
According to court documents, Kevin Ritchie, 34, directed others to continue his drug distribution of cocaine and heroin in Eagle Pass, Texas on a weekly basis while incarcerated on federal charges. Ritchie was a lieutenant in the Partido Revolucionario Mexicano (PRM) gang, an illicit prison-based gang with cells located throughout the United States, including Del Rio, Eagle Pass and San Antonio. The PRM gang cooperates with Mexican drug cartels, such as the Gulf Cartel and Sinaloa Cartel, to import and distribute various narcotics from Mexico into the United States. A search warrant granting access to a Facebook account revealed Ritchie orchestrated drug trafficking through social media correspondence. Under Ritchie’s direction, the individuals deposited the proceeds to his prison commissary account. Ritchie was sentenced as a career offender due to his numerous other federal felony convictions.
“This defendant, associated with a large drug trafficking network, has proven his tendency to place personal profit above the law,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “His dedication to criminal activity while in confinement has led to another much lengthier 35 years in federal prison. My office will aggressively prosecute criminals who continue to support the illicit activities of cartels while incarcerated.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Border Patrol, Maverick County Sheriff’s Office, El Paso Police Department and Texas Department of Public Safety investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Holly Pavlinski and Izaak Bruce prosecuted the case.
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Armed Fort Myers Drug Trafficker Sentenced to over 26 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell today sentenced Manuel Alfredo Dickerson Copland (30, Fort Myers) to 26 years and 10 months in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possession of MDMA, possession of oxycodone, and attempted possession with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. The court also ordered Copland to forfeit firearms, ammunition, and a vehicle, which were used to facilitate the offenses. A federal jury had found Copland guilty on July 21, 2023.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on December 30, 2021, Copland was stopped in his vehicle by members of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Tactical Narcotics Team. Detectives recovered nearly 1,500 fentanyl pills, MDMA, oxycodone, and three firearms from Copland’s truck. Forensic evidence linked Copland to the drugs and firearms found in the vehicle. During the subsequent investigation, information was obtained that revealed Copland was associated with mail packages that were believed to contain drugs that were being shipped to him in the Fort Myers area. As a result, the investigation identified a package containing approximately four pounds of methamphetamine sent through the U.S. Mail from California. The package was seized by the United States Postal Inspection Service. The intercepted package containing methamphetamine was linked to Copland.
This case was investigated by the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mark R. Morgan and Patrick L. Darcey.
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.
Affinity Acupuncture Agrees to Pay $250,000 to Resolve False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee announced today that Affinity Acupuncture, LLC (“Affinity”) has agreed to pay the United States $250,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act (“FCA”).
The United States contends that Affinity violated the FCA by submitting false claims to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”) for non-reimbursable acupuncture for which the claims were not authorized, not allowed as coded, or lacked supporting documentation. The settlement covers conduct for the period from January 2015 through December 2020, during which the VA reimbursed Affinity for claims arising from its false statements.
“The VA audit revealed that millions of dollars were improperly paid to non-VA acupuncture providers around the country for procedures that were not authorized, not allowed as coded, or lacked supporting documentation,” said United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis. “This settlement is in keeping with our commitment to working with the VA and its Office of Inspector General to identify, and, whenever possible, recover improper payments.”
This investigation follows an internal audit by the VA’s Office of Inspector General and its published report issued in December 2021 that found that the VA made an estimated $137 million in improper payments for acupuncture nationwide during Fiscal Years 2018 and 2019.
“VA’s Community Care programs provide veterans and their families the ability to obtain critical healthcare services locally,” said Special Agent in Charge Kim R. Lampkins of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Mid-Atlantic Field Office. “Today’s civil settlement demonstrates the VA OIG’s ongoing efforts to protect the integrity of VA’s programs and services.”
The civil claims resolved by this settlement are allegations. There has been no determination or admission of liability in this matter.
This case was investigated by the VA-Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Tackeff represented the United States.
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Friday 20 October 2023
Woman Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Obstruction of Justice in So-Called “Blind Mule” CaseRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – October 20, 2023
SAN DIEGO – Victoria Carmona of San Antonio, Texas, pleaded guilty in federal court this week to a four-count indictment charging her and an unnamed codefendant with importation of cocaine, conspiracy to import controlled substances, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and obstruction of justice. The obstruction charges stem from Carmona’s extensive efforts to concoct a cover story beforehand if she was caught smuggling drugs and paint herself as a so-called “blind mule.”
According to the indictment and plea agreement, Carmona conspired with her codefendant and others to import illicit narcotics into the United States from Mexico. The conspiracy culminated in Carmona’s arrest at the San Ysidro Port of Entry on February 20, 2023, after she imported 19.22 kilograms (42.37 pounds) of cocaine into the United States in her vehicle.
After her arrest, as part of the planned cover story, Carmona claimed she was unaware of the hidden drugs and said she recently accepted a job offer on Facebook to pick up cash in the United States and transport it to Mexico. According to Carmona, earlier that day she was instructed to give her vehicle to others to install a GPS device as an added security measure for the cash Carmona would be transporting. Carmona suggested those individuals planted drugs in her car without her knowledge.
Carmona showed investigators detailed Facebook Messenger conversations purportedly between herself and the individual who offered her the job that supposedly confirmed her account.
In her plea agreement, however, Carmona admitted she and her codefendant fabricated the Facebook Messenger communications to make it appear she was tricked into smuggling narcotics. In the communications, the codefendant played the part of the fictitious person who supposedly hired Carmona to transport cash to Mexico. Carmona admitted she smuggled drugs into the United States seven times and, with the aid of her codefendant, falsified Facebook Messenger communications before each trip that purportedly corroborated the account she planned to tell investigators if she was caught.
“Ms. Carmona went to extraordinary lengths to try to conceal over 40 pounds of cocaine from customs officers,” said U.S. Attorney Tara K. McGrath. “But her concocted story did not fool them or the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Ms. Carmona’s guilty plea today reflects the serious charges drug smugglers face when they try to bring dangerous drugs into this country.”
“HSI is committed to investigating criminal organizations that smuggle dangerous drugs into the United States and ultimately into our communities,” said Chad Plantz, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in San Diego. “I commend the work of our special agents and the U.S. Attorney’s office for uncovering this conspiracy and disproving this fabricated story used by the defendant to conceal her involvement in this smuggling conspiracy.”
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 29, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Miller.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 23cr1119-GPC
Victoria E. Carmona Age: 25 San Antonio, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Import Cocaine – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 952, 960 and 963
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $1,000,000 fine
Importation of Cocaine – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 952 and 960
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $1,000,000 fine
Conspiracy to Obstruct Justice – Title 18, U.S.C., Sections 371 and 1519
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine
Obstruction of Justice – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1519
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine
AGENCY
Homeland Security Investigations
Virginia Beach Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Firearms, Silencers and ExplosivesRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man pleaded guilty today in federal court to possessing unregistered silencers and explosives while being an unlawful drug user.
According to court documents, on July 14, 2022, Daniel Burky, 33, was being evicted from an apartment in Virginia Beach when law enforcement discovered explosives, silencers, firearms, and drugs in the apartment. During the search, law enforcement found, among other firearms, an AK-47 style firearm. Additional items found in the apartment include boxes of firearm suppressors, a ballistic helmet, a ballistic vest, a gas mask, and multiple rifle magazines. The Virginia Beach Fire Department, Fire Marshal, and Bomb Squad were called to the scene. Located throughout the apartment were chemicals that, when combined, become homemade explosives that are known to be extremely unstable and hazardous.
A subsequent review of the seized electronic devices showed numerous videos of Burky shooting both handguns and rifles outfitted with the silencers. Burky did not possess, and has never possessed, either a Federal Explosives License (FEL) or a Federal Firearms License (FFL).
Burky also pleaded guilty and was sentenced for drug and firearms charges in the Virginia Beach Circuit Court this past summer.
Burky is scheduled to be sentenced on April 11, 2024. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jason Miyares, Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Virginia; Colin Stolle, Virginia Beach Commonwealth Attorney; Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Paul Neudigate, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Doulas E. Miller accepted the plea.
Significant assistance was provided by the Virginia Beach Fire Department and Fire Marshals and the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin M. Comstock and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc W. West are prosecuting the case.
The Office of the Attorney General prosecuted the case in conjunction with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-116.
Vallejo Man Convicted of Methamphetamine Trafficking and Illegal Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — After a six-day trial, a federal jury found Henry Benson, 42, of Vallejo, guilty on Thursday of conspiracy to distribute and manufacture methamphetamine-laced pills, four counts of distributing or possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine-laced pills, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, from January 2015 until his arrest in February 2019, Benson made and sold thousands of methamphetamine-laced pills. He made the pills using pill presses, which are machines that compress powders into pills of various shapes and sizes. Benson made pills to look like traditional Ecstasy pills—colorful, candy-like pills in the shape of cartoon characters, well-known company logos, and other popular designs. On two occasions in July 2018, Benson’s co-conspirator, Rafael Ruiz, sold thousands of methamphetamine-laced pills to an undercover agent in furtherance of the conspiracy. On Feb. 7, 2019, agents searched Benson’s living quarters, which were in the back rooms of a licensed elder-care facility in Vallejo, and found a pill press, methamphetamine-laced pills, bags of powders and other items for pressing pills, and a 12-gauge shotgun. The next day, agents searched Benson’s storage unit in Vacaville and found five more pill presses.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Vallejo Police Department, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Spencer and Ross Pearson, and Cameron Desmond are prosecuting the case.
On April 25, 2022, Ruiz was sentenced to 13 years in prison after pleading guilty to distribution of methamphetamine, conspiracy to commit robbery, and assault on a federal officer.
Co-defendant Roselle Cipriano, 39, of Vallejo, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and manufacture methamphetamine-laced pills.
U.S. District Judge Dale. A Drozd is scheduled to sentence Benson and Cipriano on Jan. 9, 2024. Benson and Cipriano face 10 years to life in prison and a $10 million fine for the methamphetamine trafficking counts. Benson faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, up to life in prison, and a fine up to $250,000 for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The actual sentences, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
U.S. Attorney Obtains Consent Decree Compelling the Village of Airmont Again to End Discrimination Against Its Orthodox Jewish ResidentsRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the entry today of a Consent Decree with the Village of Airmont (“AIRMONT”) resolving the United States’ lawsuit against AIRMONT under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (“RLUIPA”). RLUIPA authorizes the Department of Justice to commence an action against any local government that implements a land use regulation that places a substantial burden on religious exercise or discriminates on the basis of religion. The Consent Decree significantly reforms zoning code provisions enacted in 2018, which the United States alleged were enacted to discriminate against Orthodox Jewish residents. In particular, the Consent Decree increases the amount of space in private homes that can be used as Residential Places of Worship (“RPW”), removes restrictions upon whom residents are allowed to invite into their own homes to pray, and eliminates the use of an arbitrary, drawn-out application process designed to delay and effectively deny permits for even minor alterations to private houses. AIRMONT had previously consented to entry of a preliminary injunction on March 15, 2021, barring enforcement of the same zoning code provisions. The Consent Decree makes this prohibition permanent in the context of a multiyear agreement that makes extensive changes to AIRMONT’s zoning code.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “When religious intolerance poses a threat to the unity of this nation of many faiths and traditions, it is vital to stand up for the First Amendment right to freedom of worship. While we are pleased that Airmont has agreed to settle this matter, the fact that this is the third time we have sued the Village over similar concerns demonstrates that this Office will be ever vigilant in protecting the rights of religious minorities.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office first sued AIRMONT in 1991, alleging that its founders had formed the Village for the purpose of excluding Orthodox Jews from its boundaries by, among other things, adopting zoning policies that would preclude Orthodox Jews from using their homes for prayer services. Following extensive litigation, including a jury verdict finding that AIRMONT engaged in discrimination, the U.S. District Court entered a judgment in 1996 barring the Village from engaging in discrimination and requiring the Village to create a new zoning classification ― Residential Places of Worship, or RPWs. The United States was again compelled to sue AIRMONT in 2005, when the Village denied an application to build a yeshiva on the ground that its zoning code prohibited residential student housing, even while allowing other building projects with similar group residential components, such as sleep-away camps, hotels, and nursing homes. That lawsuit ended with a consent decree in 2011 requiring AIRMONT to amend its zoning code to permit educational institutions with accessory housing.
Once the 2011 consent decree expired, however, a new political movement called “Preserve Airmont” won Village elections and, in February 2017, instituted a moratorium on all development pending consideration of a revision of its zoning code. When the moratorium finally ended, the Preserve Airmont administration enacted a new zoning code in 2018, which, in violation of the 1996 court judgment, removed RPWs from AIRMONT’s zoning code altogether, created a new category of “residential places of assembly” (or “RPAs”), which were “permitted by special permit” only, and imposed an onerous and restrictive review process for such permit applications. Following the filing of a lawsuit by private religious entities alleging that the 2018 zoning code was infringing upon their religious liberty (Congregation of Ridnik, et al. v. Village of Airmont, et al., 18 Civ. 11533 (NSR)), the U.S. Attorney’s Office conducted its own investigation, filed papers with the Court in the Ridnik case in 2019, and filed its third lawsuit against AIRMONT on December 2, 2020, obtaining a preliminary injunction on March 14, 2021.
Under the terms of the Consent Decree entered today by U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román, and consistent with the March 15, 2021, injunction, AIRMONT:
- Must not impose any or implement any land use restriction in a manner that imposes a substantial burden on the religious exercise of any person, including a religious assembly or institution, unless the Village can demonstrate that the imposition of that burden furthers a compelling government interest and is the least restrictive means of furthering that compelling government interest;
- Shall neither impose nor implement any land use regulation in a manner that treats a religious assembly or institution on less than equal terms with a nonreligious assembly or institution; nor shall impose nor implement a land use regulation that discriminates against any assembly or institution on the basis of religion or religious denomination;
- Must restore RPWs as a recognized land use category permitted as of right in all residential districts and may not enforce contrary provisions of local law enacted in 2018 that removed RPWs as a recognized of-right use from its zoning code;
- Must restore in full zoning provisions protecting the right to residential worship imposed by the 1996 Court-entered final judgment, including those provisions AIRMONT removed from its code in 2018;
- Must ensure that all applications for RPWs that are 49% or less of the total floor area of the residence are reviewed and approved on an expedited basis without public hearing; and
- May not adjudicate applications for RPWs that are 49% or less of the total floor area of the residence under the terms of the burdensome site development regulations enacted in 2018.
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The case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Unit in the Civil Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Kennedy is in charge of the case, which was previously litigated by former Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Cha-Kim.
Two Hells Angels Members Sentenced to Prison for Racketeering Conspiracy and Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Two Hells Angels members, one from Fresno and one from Sonoma County, were sentenced to prison for four and seven years, respectively, for their participation in the activities of the criminal enterprise of the Sonoma County charter of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HASC), announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Edward M. Chen, United States District Judge.
Jeremy Greer, 43, a former HASC member, was sentenced to a term of 84 months in prison for his violent crimes as part of the HASC racketeering conspiracy. Greer committed multiple brutal assaults, armed robbery, home invasion robbery, and witness intimidation. While on pre-trial release, Greer committed multiple violations of his release conditions, was arrested again, and was remanded to custody.
Merl Hefferman, 54, a member of the Fresno Hells Angels, was sentenced to a term of 48 months in prison for obstruction of justice. Hefferman arranged the illegal cremation of the body of former HASC member Joel Silva after Silva was murdered by Fresno Hells Angels president Brian Wendt, together with HASC president Jonathan Nelson and former HASC president Russell Ott. The murder took place at the Fresno Hells Angels clubhouse, and shortly after the killing, Hefferman arranged for Silva’s body to be taken to a nearby crematory and illegally incinerated. Wendt, Nelson, and Ott were convicted by a jury of the murder in 2022, and they are in custody awaiting sentencing by Judge Chen.
“The Hells Angels murdered one of their own, and Hefferman helped them try to get away with it. But for the dedicated efforts of FBI Task Force Officers and Special Agents, particularly officers from the Santa Rosa Police Department and the California Highway Patrol, they would have succeeded. Greer and other Hells Angels followed a malicious code of conduct, encouraging the beating, maiming, and even killing of anyone who dared to cross their criminal enterprise,” said U.S. Attorney Ramsey. “The defendants now face the consequences of their violent racketeering activities.”
“Hefferman used his connection at a funeral home to order the illegal cremation of a member of his own gang as part of the Hells Angels’ efforts to cover up a murder. For eight years, the victim's family grieved without a body to mourn or certainty about what had happened to their loved one. Greer committed serious violent crimes, including armed robbery, beating, and maiming,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Tripp. “Hefferman, Greer, and other members of their criminal enterprise attempted to use fear and intimidation to get away with their crimes. I commend the witnesses for their courage. Without them, these men may not have pleaded guilty. Now, they have been brought to justice.”
The sentencings bring the total number of sentenced defendants to five, out of 10 convictions—five by jury verdicts in two separate trials and five by guilty pleas. The investigation into the HASC began with Silva’s disappearance in 2014, culminating in an indictment in 2017 and a superseding indictment in 2018. Eleven members and associates of HASC were charged with racketeering conspiracy and violent crimes associated with the Hells Angels transnational outlaw motorcycle gang, including the murder of Silva, narcotics distribution, assault, robbery, extortion, illegal firearms possession, obstruction of justice, and witness intimidation. The convicted defendants include five former Presidents of three Hells Angels charters: Sonoma County, Fresno, and Salem (Boston).
The first trial in 2022 centered on the murder of Silva, a former HASC member, on July 15, 2014. In the second trial, in 2023, a jury convicted Christopher Ranieri, President of the Salem charter of the Hells Angels, for his role in hatching the plan to murder Silva, as well as a second defendant, Raymond Foakes, former President of HASC, of assault with a firearm in aid of racketeering, in connection with a multi-hour beating of a former HASC member who was expelled from the enterprise. Foakes was also convicted of witness intimidation, in connection with his sexual assault of that former member’s wife while that former member was still being beaten at the HASC clubhouse and threatening her to keep silent.
Ranieri and Foakes were additionally convicted of racketeering conspiracy for their agreement to conduct the affairs of the HASC through a pattern of racketeering activity. Ranieri and Foakes are in custody pending sentencing by Judge Chen. The sentences for these two defendants, as well as those of Wendt, Nelson, and Ott, will be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
The sentencings of Hefferman and Greer were the last for the five defendants who pleaded guilty. The sentences for those five defendants are set forth below.
Defendant
Date Convicted
Date Sentenced
Sentence Imposed
Merl Hefferman
December 21, 2022
October 19, 2023
48 months
Jeremy Greer
December 21, 2022
October 19, 2023
84 months
Russell Lyles
November 17, 2022
August 31, 2023
63 months
Damien Cesena
October 7, 2022
January 19, 2023
52 months
David Diaz
October 7, 2022
January 26, 2023
30 months
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Barry, Lina Peng, and Ajay Krishnamurthy handled the case, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Kevin Costello. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI, the Santa Rosa Police Department, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department, and the California Highway Patrol.
Twenty-One Charged with Firearms, Illegal Drugs, and Conspiracy Offenses Following Multi-Agency Violent Crime Reduction Effort in Memphis, TennesseeRead the Press Release
Federal and local law-enforcement officials announced today that 21 individuals were charged in connection with firearms-trafficking, drug-distribution, conspiracy, and other offenses as part of a targeted violent crime reduction initiative in Memphis, Tennessee. The indictments are the result of a series of coordinated arrests made following a months-long multi-agency operation.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Memphis Police Department (MPD) initiated this investigation after analyzing crime and gun recovery statistics. By examining more than 5,000 data points collected from the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), MPD’s Real Time Crime Center, and 911 calls referencing shots fired, analysts were able to identify areas of Memphis with the highest density of firearm-related crime. Based on that analysis and other information, ATF opened an investigation into illegal activity at several locations around Memphis and Shelby County.
“The dozens of charges and arrests announced today represent what federal, state, and local law enforcement can accomplish when we work hand-in-hand to take violent criminals and trigger-pullers off our streets,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “When we harness the Justice Department’s resources and technology — especially crime-gun intelligence from ATF’s NIBIN network — we are able to identify and arrest the culprits of gun violence and safeguard our communities. Across the country, our towns and cities are safer because of the dedication and bravery of federal agents and their state and local partners, and the 21st-century crime-solving tools DOJ is able to provide.”
“For months, ATF agents and our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners have been investigating violent criminals who have terrorized Memphis,” said Director Steve Dettelbach of the ATF. “The results are now clear: more than 20 arrests; nearly 100 seized firearms, including guns outfitted with machine gun conversion devices; and large quantities of narcotics – including fentanyl. All done better than ever using crime gun intelligence to catch the worst of the worst. ATF commits to continue using and sharing its intelligence with partners around the country to further drive down violent crime.”
“We have a serious gun violence problem in Memphis and strong law enforcement partnership is one of our most effective tools for addressing it,” said U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee. “This was an extensive, well-coordinated, and sustained effort to identify and take down some of our community’s most dangerous repeat offenders, serial shooters, and firearms trafficking rings so that we protect citizens and ensure our city’s safety. I want to thank our law enforcement partners for their hard work and reiterate this office’s commitment to working with them to make our streets safer.”
“ATF is committed to reducing the impact of firearm related violent crime in our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson of ATF Nashville. “Using technology helps us to identify the high crime areas and those who criminally possess firearms. We employ every technique available to law enforcement to dismantle criminal organizations and disrupt the illegal use of firearms for criminal activity. Working with our law enforcement partners, this enforcement initiative did just that.”
Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson of the ATF Nashville Division, U.S. Marshal Tyreece Miller, Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis of the Memphis Police Department, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Clint Cannon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Chief Deputy Anthony Buckner of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office provided additional details relating to the initiative, as well as on larger firearms enforcement and violence-prevention efforts.
Additionally, District Attorney General Steve Mulroy announced that his office obtained a court order under Tennessee law to shut down the Save a Stop 2 store as a nuisance and danger to the community. The order was based on the excessive illegal firearm and drug crimes being committed on and around the property.
“This is an excellent example of effective partnerships among agencies,” said Shelby County District Attorney Steven J. Mulroy. “Thanks to the great work of the ATF and our local law enforcement, we were able to file a nuisance action to shut down a breeding ground of crime in the community which had long degraded neighborhood residents' safety and quality of life. Because of that and the work by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, residents can now look forward to a safer community.”
Between 2022 and 2023, law enforcement officials investigated illegal firearm and drug crimes happening in Memphis and Shelby County. Information from 911 calls involving the Save a Stop 2 property showed repeated reports of armed persons, drug overdoses, shots fired, both aggravated and simple assaults, auto thefts, fights, drug sales, and other disturbances. Many of these activities took place in the store’s public parking lot during business hours while nearby uninvolved, law-abiding citizens were engaged in their shopping or day-to-day errands.
The joint investigation has led to nine indictments or complaints and 21 defendants facing federal charges. Federal agents purchased or seized 91 firearms, six of which were outfitted with machine gun conversion devices or “switches” designed to convert a firearm to a fully automatic weapon. Additionally, law enforcement purchased or seized almost two kilograms of methamphetamine, 332 grams of powder cocaine, 210 grams of powder fentanyl, almost 65 grams of crack cocaine, 2,826 fentanyl pills, and 767 MDMA/Meth pills.
Some defendants were charged together, but several others were charged individually. The following charges have been filed in United States District Court, according to court documents:
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Marvis Harris, 49, Christopher Butts, 41, and Antoinette Ozier, 41, were indicted together on drug distribution charges. In the same indictment:
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Harris and Butts were charged with conspiracy to distribute drugs as well as distribution of drugs.
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Butts and Ozier were charged with unlawfully possessing firearms following felony convictions and for possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
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Harris was also charged with unlawfully possessing firearms following felony convictions, illegal possession of machine guns, and with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
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Ozier was charged with using a premises for the purpose of manufacturing or distributing drugs.
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Ernell Paige, 45, was charged in an indictment with possessing drugs with intent to distribute and with distribution of drugs.
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Ulandus Mayes, 34, and Christopher Watts, 39, were indicted together for engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a federal firearms license and for unlawfully possessing firearms following felony convictions. Mayes was additionally charged with distribution of drugs and possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
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Enrique Cardenas-Otra, 41, was charged with unlawfully possessing firearms following felony convictions and for engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a federal firearms license.
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Xavier Ashford, 30, and Marquez Glover, 21, were both charged with distribution of drugs.
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Leedell Otis, 46, Ricky Brooks, 41, and Jeremiah Otis, 34 were indicted together. In the same indictment:
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Leedell Otis and Ricky Brooks were also charged with unlawfully possessing firearms following felony convictions.
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In addition, Leedell Otis and Jeremiah Otis were charged with distribution of narcotics, and use and carry of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
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Justin Bankhead, 33, was charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
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Jamar Anderson, 27, Tijerol Crawford, 33, Raymond Greenwood, 39, Broderick Harper, 26, Benjamin Jones, 28, Octavius McMullen, 32, and Larry Raiford, 58 were indicted together. In the same indictment:
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Anderson, Jones, Crawford, Greenwood, and McMullen were also charged with unlawfully possessing firearms following felony convictions.
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Anderson, Jones, Raiford, and Crawford were charged with distribution of narcotics.
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Harper and Jones were charged with possession of a machinegun conversion device.
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Crawford was charged with carrying and using a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
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Adrian Seymour, 37, was indicted for unlawfully possessing firearms following felony convictions, distribution of narcotics, and use and carry of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
ATF led the investigation preceding the indictments with assistance from MPD, the U.S. Marshals Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, HSI, and Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marques Young and Michelle Parks for the Western District of Tennessee are leading the team that is prosecuting the cases.
These indictments are 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, using data-driven methods to set focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Trafficker admits to smuggling cocaine in car batteryRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 28-year old man has pleaded guilty to importing cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
On July 18, Victor Torres approached the Hidalgo port of entry checkpoint and told law enforcement he did not have any contraband. Authorities referred him to secondary inspection where a K-9 alerted to the battery area of the vehicle.
Law enforcement conducted an X-ray examination and discovered several anomalies which resulted in the discovery of four bricks of cocaine.
The drugs weighed approximately four kilograms with an estimated street value of approximately $40,000.
During his plea, Torres admitted he knew he was transporting drugs into United States and that individuals in Mexico recruited him.
U.S. District Judge Ricardo Hinojosa will impose sentencing Jan. 25, 2024. At that time, he faces up to 40 years in federal prison and a possible $5 million maximum fine.
Torres has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodore Parran III prosecuted the case.
Three Topeka residents charged in money lending business robberyRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – Three Kansans have been charged through criminal complaint in Topeka in connection with a robbery that occurred on October 16, 2023, at money lending business, LendNation.
LendNation, located on Southwest 10th Avenue in Topeka, is a company that provides various loan options to customers.
According to the criminal complaint, Aaron Elizabeth Fish, 32, of Topeka, store manager of LendNation; Mejia J. Pattillo, 47, of Topeka; and Katelyn Nichole North, 32, of Topeka are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery for allegedly conspiring together to rob LendNation.
Pattillo is also charged with one count of Hobbs Act Robbery for allegedly robbing LendNation on October 16, 2023.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Topeka Police Department are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Hunting is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###St. Louis County Man Sentenced to 10+ Years in Prison for Armed Robbery of RestaurantRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Thursday sentenced a man from Riverview, Missouri to 125 months in prison for the armed robbery of the Steak ‘N Shake where he once worked and ordered him to pay $3,715 in restitution.
Jonathan Davis, 24, was found guilty at a June trial of two felonies: robbery and possession and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Evidence and testimony showed that on Jan. 23, 2021, at about 12:30 a.m., Davis walked to the back office of the Steak ‘N Shake at 9550 Natural Bridge Road in Berkeley and robbed the owner of cash at gunpoint.
Davis had worked at the restaurant until about two months before the robbery. After the robbery, Davis went on a five-day spending spree, paying his rent, buying an iPhone, buying a diamond ring for his girlfriend, paying her cell phone bill and giving her cash. He also lost $1,000 to a scammer while trying to buy a car online.
The Berkeley Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Szczucinski and Michael Hayes are prosecuting the case.
Southeastern Connecticut Cocaine Trafficker Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CARLOS ANTONIO CRESPO-FEBUS, 43, of New London, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 188 months of imprisonment, followed by eight years of supervised release, for trafficking large quantities of cocaine from Puerto Rico through the U.S. Mail for distribution in Connecticut and elsewhere.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in April 2021, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating a cocaine trafficking operation headed by Crespo-Febus. The investigation revealed that Crespo-Febus was coordinating the shipment of parcels, each typically containing two kilograms of cocaine, from U.S. Post Offices in Puerto Rico to various “drop addresses” in New London County. Crespo-Febus paid at least three individuals to receive parcels of cocaine at their homes, and at least two others to serve as “runners” who retrieved parcels from the drop addresses and delivered them to Crespo-Febus. The runners were paid $500 for each parcel they delivered.
Investigators intercepted and seized approximately 16 kilograms of cocaine that were mailed from Puerto Rico to Connecticut, and identified dozens of other suspicious parcels that likely contained kilogram quantities of cocaine. Crespo-Febus has admitted that he trafficked at least 50 kilograms of cocaine.
Crespo-Febus has been detained since his arrest on September 20, 2021. On October 21, 2022, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
Crespo-Febus’ criminal history includes a conviction in Puerto Rico for murder in the second degree, for which he was incarcerated for 11 years and four months, and a federal conviction in 2013 for unlawful possession of a firearm, for which he was sentenced to 60 months of imprisonment.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the New London and Town of Groton Police Departments. The Task Force includes members from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General, the Connecticut Army National Guard, and the Hartford, New Britain, Meriden and Town of Groton Police Departments.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Konstantin Lantsman through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Snohomish County man sentenced to 8 years in prison in connection with three arrests over two years for possessing guns and drugsRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 34-year-old Snohomish County man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 8 years in prison and three years of supervised release for persistently dealing drugs while armed, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Jade Alexander Beavin was caught three different times, twice with distribution amounts of narcotics while also carrying firearms. Beavin is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a lengthy criminal history. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones said, “It is an extremely dangerous circumstance when dealing that drug (fentanyl)with a firearm, because the gun is only there to protect you or protect the drugs.”
According to records filed in the case, Beavin was arrested by law enforcement officers ten times between 2020 and 2022. The sentence imposed today references three specific incidents:
- January 24, 2020, Beavin was arrested by Everett Police officers due to an active Department of Corrections warrant. In his car Beavin had a Rossi Revolver and heroin. Beavin also had materials to package the drug for distribution.
- On July 27, 2021, Beavin was again pulled over by Everett Police. In the vehicle was a Sig Sauer P365 9mm handgun, ammunition, and three kilos of fentanyl powder. The car also contained drug scales and a drug ledger.
- Finally, on February 25, 2022, Beavin was arrested by Everett Police on a Department of Corrections warrant. In the car was a loaded Taurus 9mm firearm.
Beavin is prohibited from possessing firearms due to multiple previous convictions: Residential Burglary, Second Degree Taking a Motor Vehicle Without Permission, and Bail Jumping, all in Snohomish County in 2018.
In asking for an eight-year prison sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson wrote to the court, “The defendant’s prior encounters with the criminal system also failed to deter or dissuade him from selling drugs and carrying firearms. A review of the defendant’s criminal history establishes that from the age of eighteen, the defendant has been in a revolving door of crime commission to prison admission.”
Speaking to the court, Beavin said, “I’ve struggled with addiction for the last ten years of my life… I made excuses and that is what I think addiction does to you – it takes away accountability…. Please help me.”
Judge Jones recommended drug treatment while incarcerated and ordered treatment as part of Beavin’s supervised release saying, “You have to make an affirmative decision that you want to change your life… Every day you need to get up and commit yourself to saying, ‘I need to make a change.’”
The case was investigated by the Everett Police Department with assistance from the FBI.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.
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.
Shiprock Woman Charged with Child AbuseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Jazmyne Deschinny appeared in federal court on an indictment charging her with two counts of abandonment and abuse of a child resulting in great bodily harm and three counts of abandonment and abuse of a child. Deschinny, 20, of Shiprock, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, will remain in custody pending a detention hearing set for Monday, October 23, 2023.
According to the indictment, on April 10, 2023, Deschinny was allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol and intoxicating substances, placing five minors under the age of 18 in a situation that may have endangered their life and health and that her alleged conduct resulted in great bodily harm to two of the minors.
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of the most serious allegation, Deschinny faces up to 18 years in prison.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.
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Serial Robber Sentenced to 9 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Robbery of an Indianapolis BusinessRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- James Bennett, 44, of Indianapolis, Indiana, has been sentenced to 9 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to attempted commercial robbery.
According to court documents, on November 4, 2022, Bennett entered a PetSmart store on the East side of Indianapolis. Once inside, Bennett pointed what appeared to be a firearm at the cashier’s head and hit her with the weapon as he demanded she give him money, but she was unable to open the cash register. Bennett then unsuccessfully attempted to open the register himself by banging on it with his firearm. Bennett left the store. The entire attempted robbery was captured on video.
Before attempting to rob the PetSmart, Bennet was convicted of five separate robberies and a burglary, and one prior conviction for sexual intercourse with a minor. He was sentenced to prison in 2007 and released on July 30, 2022, just 3 months before he attempted to rob the PetSmart.
“This defendant assaulted and terrorized an innocent woman just doing her job,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “The sentence imposed here demonstrates that robbery is not a quick way to make some money—it’s a quick way to end up in prison. Our office, the FBI and IMPD, are committed to protecting the public by taking repeat, violent criminals off our streets.”
FBI and IMPD investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson. Judge Stinson also ordered that Bennett be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 3 years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy C. Fugate, who prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Salmon Man Sentenced for Lemhi County ArsonRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Dennis Caffero-Hopkins, 24, of Salmon, was sentenced to three years of probation for causing a fire on public lands, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today. Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Raymond Patricco also sentenced Caffero-Hopkins to pay the full restitution requested for the loss of salvage logs to the Forest Service valued at $6,435 and fire suppression by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which cost $1,128.97. Caffero-Hopkins pleaded guilty on August 14, 2023.
According to court records, on October 8, 2021, Caffero-Hopkins started a fire on BLM public lands in Lemhi County, Idaho, near Stormy Peak Road. The fire burned logs, set up as a log deck, on United States federal land under the administration of the BLM.
Investigation into the fire determined that Caffero-Hopkins was responsible for setting the logs on fire after a local citizen reported Caffero-Hopkins’ involvement. Further, Caffero-Hopkins, after waiving his Miranda rights, admitted that he used oil and a rag to start the log deck on fire.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit credited the investigation by the Bureau of Land Management in Idaho Falls, which led to the charge.
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St. Thomas Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Conspiracy ChargeRead the Press Release
ST. THOMAS, USVI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced that Kelly Bruney, 36, of St. Thomas pleaded guilty on October 11, 2023 before United States Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
According to court documents, in January 2022, Bruney and a co-conspirator arranged to sell 200 kilograms of cocaine to U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) undercover agents. As part of the deal, on February 3, 2022, Bruney and his co-conspirator were to deliver 86 kilograms of cocaine to the undercover agents. That same day, federal agents raided a residence in Frenchtown and recovered 87 kilograms of cocaine and a Glock pistol. Bruney’s co-conspirator was found hiding inside a closet in the residence and Bruney was arrested a short time later driving a truck in the area of the residence.
This case was investigated by the DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, Air Marine Operations, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands Police Departments. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Payne.
Red Water Man Arrested for MurderRead the Press Release
Jackson, MS – On October 19, 2023, a Red Water man was arrested on a federal criminal complaint charging murder in the second degree.
According to court documents, Montero Ray Willis, 21, was charged in the criminal complaint which alleged he shot to death another person in the Pearl River Community of the Choctaw Indian Reservation.
A criminal complaint is an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent unless he is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Trails Task Force which is comprised of officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Choctaw Police Department, and various state and local law enforcement agencies.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin J. Payne and Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian K. Burns will prosecute the case.
Readout of Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim’s Address to Tribal SummitRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), Office of Environmental Justice and Office of Tribal Justice convened a Federal/Tribal Regional Summit in Albuquerque, New Mexico, this week. The event was hosted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). Summit participants also included representatives from the FBI, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as Tribal nations representatives from California, Oklahoma and New Mexico.
Assistant Attorney General (AAG) Todd Kim of ENRD addressed attendees on Tuesday over videoconference. He highlighted the U.S. government’s commitment to respect Tribal sovereignty and self-governance, further environmental justice and combat the climate crisis.
“Tribes face substantial challenges, exacerbated by the ever-increasing impacts of climate change, in establishing and preserving sustainable homelands,” he said. “I feel very confident that the federal and Tribal summit participants can make real progress in identifying ways to improve our cooperation – and the outcomes we achieve – on these incredibly complex, and incredibly important, matters.”
AAG Kim highlighted efforts by ENRD to adjudicate and litigate on behalf of Tribes, whose communities suffer disproportionately from pollution and other environmental justice concerns. He pointed to the Justice Department’s creation of the Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ), housed within ENRD, and publication of a Comprehensive Environmental Justice Enforcement Strategy, which provides guiding principles to ensure the Justice Department’s enforcement efforts are focused and coordinated to address environmental justice concerns. Last week, OEJ issued its first annual report on implementation of the Strategy.
In addition to addresses by AAG Kim and others, the summit featured breakout sessions focused on environmental justice and Tribal homelands, securing Tribal water rights, Tribal communities and the climate crisis, trespass claims and jurisdictional challenges. The third day of the summit focused on criminal enforcement, including addressing the alarming number of murdered and missing indigenous persons – a terrible phenomenon which can sometimes coincide with an uptick in illegal and legal resource extraction on or near a reservation.
The summit was the final of three Regional Summits planned for 2023, and followed national conversations with Tribes held in Washington, D.C., in November 2022 and Columbia, South Carolina, earlier this year. The summits are intended to deliver on the promise in the Justice Department’s Comprehensive Environmental Justice Enforcement Strategy to work with Tribal governments and other federal agencies to “address and incorporate Tribal concerns into the Department’s enforcement work.”
Oklahoma City Woman Sentenced to Serve a Year in Federal Prison for Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Ordered To Pay More Than $213,500 In Restitution to Her Former Employer
OKLAHOMA CITY – Earlier this week, ALEXANDRIA FISK, 45, of Oklahoma City, was sentenced to serve 12 months and one day in federal prison for identity theft, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On May 4, 2023, Fisk was charged by Information with identity theft. According to public record, Fisk was hired to be a bookkeeper for three businesses owned by the same person. Court documents allege that on November 17, 2020, the business owner alerted authorities that checks had been issued without his consent to a company owned by Fisk.
On May 10, 2023, Fisk pleaded guilty to the Information. As part of her plea, Fisk admitted to using the identity of the victim, her former employer, to forge checks for her own personal use.
At the sentencing hearing on October 18, 2023, U.S. District Judge David L. Russell sentenced Fisk to serve 12 months and one day in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Russell also ordered Fisk to pay $213,581.12 in restitution to the victim.
This case is the result of an investigation by the United States Secret Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney William E. Farrior prosecuted the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Felony Charge for Attacking Officers During Jan. 6 Capitol BreachRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – An Ohio man pleaded guilty on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, to a felony charge for his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.
Clifford Mackrell, 22, of Wellington, Ohio, pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to one count of assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers. In his plea agreement, Mackrell admitted that he forcibly assaulted a U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) officer. U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly scheduled a sentencing hearing for March 5, 2023.
According to court documents, Mackrell traveled from his home in Ohio to Washington, D.C., to participate in the January 6 political rally at the Ellipse. At the rally, Mackrell wore a red shirt covered by a heavy blue-toned, striped jacket and heavy tan-colored gloves. He also carried a black backpack and donned a gas mask. Following the speeches, he marched to the Capitol.
Around 2:30 p.m., Mackrell positioned himself on the front line of rioters on the west front of the U.S. Capitol building. While on the front line of rioters, he engaged with and assaulted law enforcement officers from both the USCP and the Metropolitan Police Department who were on a line attempting to hold back the mob.
At 2:30 p.m., Mackrell pushed back barricades with other rioters, forcing law enforcement to abandon their line and retreat closer to the Capitol building to form a new protective line without the use of barricades.
While there, between 2:28 p.m. and 2:35 p.m., Mackrell engaged in multiple assaults and unlawful conduct, which included striking and pushing officers who were engaged in and assisting officers of the United States in the performance of official duties. Specifically, Mackrell attempted to push an MPD officer, then successfully struck and pulled down the officer’s gas mask as the officer tried to help hold a line against rioters. In his plea agreement, Mackrell admitted that when he struck the officer and pulled down the officer’s gas mask, he knew the officer was engaged in the performance of official duties.
In another instance, Mackrell helped push a piece of what appeared to be plywood into a line of officers, pushing them off the protective line. When the plywood fell, another rioter pushed an officer to the ground. Mackrell then physically confronted other law enforcement officers on the front line by pushing them.
The FBI arrested Mackrell in Wellington on Mar. 17, 2021.
This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Cleveland Field Office, and the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Capitol Police.
In the 33 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,100 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 400 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
North Carolina and North Dakota Police Chiefs and Federal Firearms Licensees Indicted for Conspiracy to Illegally Acquire Machineguns and Other FirearmsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging five defendants with a conspiracy to illegally acquire machineguns and other regulated firearms. Charged in the indictment, which was unsealed yesterday are: Sean Reidpath Sullivan, age 38, of Gambrills, Maryland; Larry Allen Vickers, age 60, of Charlotte, North Carolina; James Christopher Tafoya, age 45, of Albuquerque, New Mexico; Matthew Jeremy Hall, age 53, of Four Oaks, North Carolina; and James Sawyer, age 50, of Ray, North Dakota.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) Baltimore Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), Washington, D.C. Field Office; and Inspector General Joseph Y. Cuffari of the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (“DHS OIG”).
According to the 26-count indictment, Hall and Sawyer were Chiefs of Police in Coats, North Carolina and Ray, North Dakota, respectively. Sullivan was the owner and operator of Trident, LLC, located in Gambrills, Maryland, and was also an Intelligence Analyst with the Department of Homeland Security Investigations. Sullivan and Trident were Federal Firearms Licensees (“FFLs”) and Special Occupational Taxpayers (“SOTs”), which allowed them, in certain circumstances, to possess, import, manufacture, and deal in fully automatic firearms (machineguns) and other regulated firearms. Tafoya and Vickers owned and operated firearms related businesses in New Mexico and North Carolina and were also FFLs and SOTs.
The indictment alleges that, beginning in at least June 2018 through at least March 2021, the defendants conspired to acquire machineguns and/or other restricted firearms, such as short-barreled rifles, by falsely representing that the firearms would be used for demonstration to law enforcement agencies, including the Coats Police Department and the Ray Police Department. The indictment further alleges that Hall, Sawyer, and other conspirators signed law letters with no expectation that the weapons would ever be demonstrated to their respective law enforcement agencies.
The defendants allegedly intended to impermissibly import into the United States and resell the machineguns and other firearms for profit or to keep for their own use and enjoyment. Sullivan allegedly submitted the false law letters to the ATF seeking to import the machineguns and other restricted weapons. Once the firearms were received, Sullivan allegedly kept some of the machineguns and other restricted weapons and transferred some of the weapons to Vickers, Tafoya, and other conspirators.
In addition to the indictment, Larry Vickers pleaded guilty yesterday to participating in the conspiracy to import and obtain machineguns and other restricted firearms and admitted that he received some of the imported machineguns and other weapons. As detailed in his plea agreement, Vickers kept some of the machineguns and other restricted weapons in his personal collection and transferred other machineguns and restricted weapons to other FFLs and third parties. Vickers also pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to violate U.S. sanctions against a foreign firearms manufacturer between July 2014 and March 2021, in the Southern District of Florida.
Vickers faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for conspiracy to violate federal law regulating firearms and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin has not yet scheduled sentencing for Vickers.
If convicted, Sullivan, Tafoya, Hall, and Sawyer face a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for conspiracy to violate federal law regulating firearms and for each count of false statements related to submission of a law letter. Sullivan and Tafoya face a maximum of five years in federal prison for each count of unlawful importation of a firearm and for each count of making a false statement in records maintained by FFLs. Sullivan also faces a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for unlawful possession of unregistered machineguns and 10 years in federal prison for using criminal proceeds to conduct financial transactions. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sullivan and Tafoya have already had an initial appearance U.S. District Court in Baltimore and were released pending trial. Hall and Sawyer are expected to have an initial appearance at a later date.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF, the FBI, the IRS-CI on behalf of the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau and DHS-OIG for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys P. Michael Cunningham and Christine Goo, who are prosecuting the case and recognized Trial Attorneys Menno Goedman and Sean O’Dowd of the Justice Department’s National Security Division and Criminal Division, respectively, for their work on the Vickers guilty plea.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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New defendant pleads guilty in conspiracy involving $44 million in drug proceeds laundered to Mexico through local cell phone store frontsRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A ninth federal defendant pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to money laundering and conspiring to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin. The defendant orchestrated teams of drug dealers in central Ohio and laundered the proceeds to Mexico.
In the fall of 2020 and spring 2021, eight original, federal defendants were sentenced to prison for the same conspiracy, in which they laundered $44 million in drug proceeds to Mexico through local cell phone store fronts. The stores sold few, if any, cell phones, and they conducted little, if any, legitimate business otherwise. The defendants received sentences ranging from five to 18 years in prison.
In his guilty plea today, Cruz Alberto Perez-Nunez, 36, admitted to being a drug trafficker and regular “customer” of the cell phone store fronts who laundered his drug proceeds from Columbus to Nayarit, Mexico.
Perez-Nunez oversaw the narcotics-distribution operation of multiple teams of drug dealers in the Southern District of Ohio. In 2018, he oversaw the supply chain of heroin and directed and controlled drug-trafficking and money-laundering activities of individuals in and around Columbus. Perez-Nunez also set up living arrangements for the teams of drug traffickers.
Perez-Nunez and others coordinated with the owners of Los Rosales on Shady Lane Road, Los Rosales 2 on East Main Street and Express Cellular on Eastland Square Drive to send bulk money transfers to lists of names in Mexico. Thousands of illicit wire transfers were completed per year. Drug dealers from multiple narcotics-trafficking cells would drop large amounts of narcotics money at the stores, after which the store owners would falsify money sender names, addresses and phone numbers on the wire transfers to Mexico to conceal the nature of the proceeds.
In total, the joint state–federal efforts led to the prosecution of nine defendants federally and 35 defendants by the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office. The investigation and prosecution of these defendants removed approximately 34 kilograms of heroin, 516 grams of cocaine, 76 grams of fentanyl and 250 pounds of marijuana from Central Ohio streets. Additionally, investigators seized $458,500 in U.S. currency and a home valued at nearly $248,000 as part of the investigation and prosecution of these cases.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Cincinnati Field Office; Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Detroit Division; Franklin County Prosecutor Gary Tyack; Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant and officials with the Ohio HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Commission announced the guilty plea entered today before Chief U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley.
Assistant United States Attorneys S. Courter Shimeall and Jessica W. Knight are representing the United States in this case. Daniel J. Stanley, formerly with the office of Franklin County Prosecutor Gary Tyack, also represented the United States in this case as a Special Assistant United States Attorney.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, and gangs that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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New Kensington Resident Pleads Guilty to Preparing False Tax Returns for ClientsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of New Kensington pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of preparing false tax returns for clients, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Harvey Smith, Jr., 58, of New Kensington, PA pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan.In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Smith operated a tax return preparation business through which he prepared false tax returns for his clients. Smith falsely reported that his clients incurred educational expenses and business expenses they did not in fact incur, in an attempt to obtain larger tax refunds for his clients. Smith then frequently took his fees, which reached as high as $1,000 per return, from the inflated refunds. In total, Smith’s conduct resulted in a loss to the government of approximately $138,426.
Judge Ranjan scheduled sentencing for 11 a.m. on February 5, 2024. The law provides for a total sentence of 3 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court released Smith on his personal recognizance.Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen R. Kaufman and William B. Guappone are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Harvey Smith.
Nevada Man Sentenced to 77 Months in Prison for Firearms ConvictionRead the Press Release
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – A Nevada man, Jacob Pangborn, 34, was sentenced on October 18, 2023, to 77 months of imprisonment for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a felon, to be followed by three years of supervised release.
At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid, the government stated that Pangborn, who had previously been convicted of several felony offenses in the State of Nevada, was stopped when he attempted to enter the Rock Island Arsenal military installation. Officers determined that Pangborn’s driver’s license had been revoked, and he was arrested. A search of Pangborn’s vehicle revealed that he had a loaded 9 mm pistol under his seat. The firearm did not have a serial number.
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.
The Rock Island Arsenal Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John K. Mehochko represented the government in the prosecution.
NYPD Officer and Yonkers Man Arrested for Distributing Fentanyl and HeroinRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Edward A. Caban, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today the filing of a Complaint in Manhattan federal court charging GRACE ROSA BAEZ and CESAR MARTINEZ with conspiracy to distribute narcotics and distribution of narcotics. The defendants were arrested yesterday and were presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge James L. Cott.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Grace Rosa Baez took an oath to protect and serve the people of New York City. As alleged, she flagrantly violated that oath by pushing poison, including fentanyl and heroin, which are driving the nation’s deadly opioid crisis and have been responsible for thousands of tragic deaths in this city and around the nation. My Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively pursue those peddling these deadly poisons – no matter who they are.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: “Baez and Martinez allegedly took part in a conspiracy to distribute dangerous narcotics on the streets of our city. This is a direct violation of the oath Baez took to protect and serve. The FBI along with our partners in law enforcement will continue to investigate and hold responsible anyone who endangers our community through narcotics sales.”
NYPD Police Commissioner Edward A. Caban said: “These charges are extremely troubling because there is no place for corruption within the NYPD. If found guilty of these allegations, this officer will have tarnished the shield that she wore, as well as her sacred oath to New Yorkers. She and her co-defendant will certainly be held to the highest account provided by the law.”
As alleged in the Complaint filed today in Manhattan federal court:[1]
From at least on or about October 9, 2023, through on or about October 19, 2023, BAEZ and MARTINEZ had numerous conversations with a confidential source (the “CS”) working with law enforcement regarding wholesale narcotics trafficking. In particular, during those discussions, BAEZ and MARTINEZ offered to sell the CS kilogram quantities of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine. For example, on or about October 11, 2023, BAEZ told the CS, in substance and in part, that BAEZ could sell the CS two kilograms of fentanyl for $30,000 per kilogram, could sell the CS an additional 400 grams of heroin with pricing to be negotiated later, and further agreed to provide the CS with a sample of the fentanyl. BAEZ told the CS, in substance and in part, that the fentanyl was top quality and directed that the CS meet her on or about October 16, 2023, to obtain a sample of the drugs available for sale.
On or about October 16, 2023, BAEZ and the CS met in Yonkers, New York, near BAEZ and MARTINEZ’s shared apartment. During the meeting, BAEZ handed the CS a plastic candy container and indicated that the fentanyl sample was inside. As depicted below, the bottle contained a small, clear bag filled with a white powdery substance, which was later tested and confirmed to contain fentanyl.
On or about October 17, 2023, BAEZ told the CS, in substance and in part, that BAEZ had a sample of heroin ready for the CS and asked the CS to meet her in Yonkers. During their meeting, BAEZ handed the CS a clear plastic bag filled with a white powdery substance, which was later tested and confirmed to contain heroin. BAEZ told the CS, in substance and in part, that she had additional heroin available for sale and that she would provide the CS’s phone number to her boyfriend, MARTINEZ.
Later that day, on or about October 17, 2023, MARTINEZ called the CS and negotiated the sale of approximately one kilogram of heroin and 800 grams of fentanyl. MARTINEZ further stated, in substance and in part, that he would have cocaine for sale in the following weeks. Later in the evening on or about October 17, 2023, MARTINEZ told the CS, in substance and in part, that on or about October 19, 2023, MARTINEZ and BAEZ could sell the CS one kilogram of heroin for approximately $25,000 and an additional 800 grams of fentanyl with pricing to be negotiated later. MARTINEZ directed the CS to test the purity of the fentanyl and then pay BAEZ and MARTINEZ based on the quality of the fentanyl.
On or about October 18, 2023, BAEZ and MARTINEZ continued to discuss narcotics transactions with the CS, including negotiations over pricing. BAEZ and MARTINEZ told the CS, in substance and in part, that they would also sell the CS approximately 400 grams of a lesser-quality heroin and an additional sample of fentanyl.
On or about October 19, 2023, the CS and BAEZ met in Yonkers to complete the narcotics transaction. BAEZ handed the CS packages containing suspected narcotics, including what appeared to be one kilogram of suspected heroin, which was labeled “#1”; 400 grams of suspected heroin, which was labeled “400”; 640 grams of suspected fentanyl, which was labeled “640 MANZANA”; and an additional, separate sample of suspected fentanyl, as depicted below:
After BAEZ was arrested, members of law enforcement approached BAEZ and MARTINEZ’s shared apartment and observed a package of suspected narcotics being thrown from inside the apartment to outside the apartment. Inside the apartment, law enforcement discovered a kilogram press machine, as well as additional suspected narcotics that MARTINEZ had apparently attempted to throw outside.
Up to the date of her arrest, BAEZ had been employed as a police officer with the NYPD. BAEZ began her employment with the NYPD in or about 2012. In or about 2020, following accusations of misconduct, the NYPD began to investigate BAEZ, who was ultimately placed on modified duty. As of October 2023, during her participation in selling kilogram quantities of narcotics, BAEZ was assigned to modified desk duty at a particular NYPD facility.
BAEZ engaged in some of the above-described offense conduct while on duty. For example, BAEZ was on duty: (i) on or about October 11, 2023, when BAEZ communicated with the CS regarding where to meet to discuss the drug sales; (ii) on or about October 13, 2023, when BAEZ negotiated the price and quality of the fentanyl and arranged to deliver a sample of fentanyl to the CS; and (iii) on or about October 18, 2023, when BAEZ negotiated the final delivery with the CS.
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BAEZ, 37, of the Bronx, New York, and MARTINEZ, 43, of Yonkers, New York, are charged in Count One with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and heroin and in Counts Two, Three, and Four with narcotics distribution. Counts One and Four carry a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison. Counts Two and Three carry a maximum sentence of 20 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 defendants will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and NYPD.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda C. Weingarten is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation.
Muskogee Resident Sentenced for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Steven Eugene Estes, age 34, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 87 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Tahlequah Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On October 27, 2022, Estes pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. At the plea hearing, Estes admitted that he possessed five grams or more of methamphetamine that he intended to distribute to others within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable John C. Coughenour, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, sitting by appointment, presided over the hearing in Muskogee. Estes will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility where he will serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Pahl represented the United States.
Minnesota Man Who Defrauded Elderly Victim Pleads Guilty in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
A man who defrauded an elderly victim by abusing his power of attorney entered a plea of guilty on October 18, 2023, in federal court in Sioux City.
Hamilton Girard, age 65, of Stillwater, Minnesota, was charged with 1 Count of Wire Fraud.
In the plea agreement, Girard admitted that in February, 2020, he was designated as an agent, and given power of attorney and for an elderly person diagnosed with early onset dementia. Girard, acting with power of attorney, misappropriated approximately $149,000 of the victim’s funds. Girard signed and issued unauthorized checks from the victim’s personal checking account to purchase items such as home improvement and home construction-related goods and services for his own benefit.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Girard remains free on bond previously set. Girard faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3-years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being investigated by FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-3015.
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