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Thursday 28 September 2023
New York Man Sentenced for Fraud Scheme and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that EMMANUEL COBBS, age 34, of New York, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo to 48 months in federal prison for his role in opening fraudulent bank accounts in New Orleans. COBBS’s sentence is comprised of 24 months for bank fraud conspiracy, and a mandatory consecutive sentence of 24 months for aggravated identity theft. Judge Milazzo also sentenced COBBS to three years of supervised release and the payment of a $200 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, in February 2020, in New Orleans, COBBS and a co-conspirator, also a New York resident, opened fraudulent checking accounts in other people’s names without their permission. The defendants used these victims’ accounts to cash counterfeit checks drawn from other customers’ accounts. They also fraudulently obtained, and used, debit cards to rent vehicles, allowing them to avoid being easily tracked.
This investigation began with the discovery of fake identification cards, discarded at a rental car agency at the Louis Armstrong International Airport. Homeland Security Investigations developed evidence to show that the man pictured in the fake cards (COBBS’s co-conspirator) had committed fraudulent transactions at various bank branches. Agents later learned that COBBS had assisted in the fraud.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Homeland Security Investigations New Orleans Field Office in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew R. Payne, Senior Litigation Counsel, is in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Carjacking and Weapons ViolationsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on Wednesday, September 27, 2023, TEVIS STANTON, age 22, a resident of Orleans Parish, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle to imprisonment for 114 months, 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory $200 special assessment fee after pleading to two counts of a four-count indictment.
Count 1 of the indictment charged STANTON with carjacking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2119(1). Count 2 of the indictment charged STANTON with using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(ii).
According to court documents, STANTON committed a carjacking on March 22, 2022, in the 1200 block of Fern Street in New Orleans. In order to gain access to the vehicle during the carjacking, STANTON threatened to kill the victims as he was brandishing a firearm. Later, after the vehicle was located at an apartment complex, detectives identified STANTON as the perpetrator of the carjacking.
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.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, as well as the New Orleans Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Inga Petrovich of the Violent Crime Unit.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Violations of the Federal Controlled Substances and Federal Gun Control ActsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – CHARLES ROY, age 34, of New Orleans, pled guilty to a three-count indictment charging him with possession with intent to distribute forty (40) grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B), felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2), and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, on July 20, 2021, Louisiana State Police Troopers providing security at the Hampton Inn and Suites Hotel in New Orleans observed ROY, who had an outstanding arrest warrant, at the hotel. The following day, troopers and Special Agents with the Office of Homeland Security arrested ROY. While advising ROY of his rights, the troopers and agents smelled marijuana on ROY and the backpack he was carrying. The troopers and agents searched the backpack and seized two bags containing approximately fifty (50) grams of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl and heroin, a digital scale, and a FN Model Five-Seven, 5.7x28 millimeter semi-automatic handgun, with an aftermarket “UTG” attached laser/flashlight, and a loaded magazine containing 26 rounds.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Louisiana State Police and the Office of Homeland Security. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney André Jones of the Narcotics Unit.
New Haven Teen Admits Assisting Armed Robbery of North Haven Gas StationRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ROBERT SMITH, also known as “Robbie,” 19, of New Haven, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to offenses related to his role in the gunpoint robbery of a North Haven gas station last year.
According to court documents and statements made in court, ATF and the New Haven Police Department investigators identified an individual who is alleged to have committed a series of gunpoint robberies and a carjacking that occurred in late June and early July 2022. The investigation revealed that Smith assisted the individual commit an armed robbery of a Shell Gas Station located at 195 State Street in North Haven on July 6, 2022.
Smith pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting Hobbs Act robbery, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and one count of aiding and abetting the carrying, using, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, which carries a mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of at least seven years.
Smith has been detained since January 3, 2023.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) with the assistance of the New Haven, East Haven, West Haven, Ansonia, and North Haven Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel J. Gentile and Sean P. Mahard.
U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the State’s Attorneys for the Judicial Districts of New Haven and Ansonia/Milford for their cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter.
The prosecution 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. In May 2021, the Justice 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.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and Smith’s co-defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Middlesex County Company Admits Undervaluing Gold Jewelry to Evade Customs DutiesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey, company and two individuals who own or control the business admitted that they evaded U.S. customs duties on gold jewelry imported into the United States, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
According to the admissions and contentions of the United States in the settlement agreement:
21st Millennium Inc. is a company based in Iselin, New Jersey, that buys and sells gold jewelry and is owned or controlled by Iqbal Virani and Aqib Virani. From Jan. 1, 2017, through March 31, 2020, 21st Millennium was the importer of record on more than 80 customs entries, each of which consisted of jewelry manufactured in foreign countries and imported into the United States. 21st Millennium was responsible for making truthful and accurate disclosures to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, concerning the total value of the merchandise that it imported into the United States. The Viranis caused 21st Millennium to provide the company’s customs broker with commercial invoices that failed to set forth the total value of the jewelry. By undervaluing the merchandise, 21st Millennium evaded paying $401,852 in customs duties that should have been paid. Under the settlement agreement, 21M and the Viranis agreed to pay a total of $1 million to the United States.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents with the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo in New York, with the investigation leading to the settlement.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David V. Simunovich of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.
21m.settlement.pdfMiddle District of Georgia Receives $7.6+ Million in Public Safety GrantsRead the Press Release
Macon, Ga. – U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary announced today that the Justice Department is awarding more than $7.6 million to support public safety and community justice activities in the Middle District of Georgia. The grants, from the Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), will help build community capacity to curb violence, serve victims and youth, improve behavioral health response, expand officer safety and support evidence-based juvenile justice strategies.
“These grants address many of the greatest concerns our citizens have today, which boil down to safer communities for all,” said U.S. Attorney Leary. “This kind of support for our community and law enforcement partners’ efforts goes hand in hand with our focused efforts to reduce violence and hold the most violent offenders accountable.”
15 grants for local community, civic, government and law enforcement groups in the cities of Albany, Americus, Athens, Butler, Columbus, Macon, Thomasville, Tifton and Warner Robins were announced for the Middle District of Georgia, including but limited to:
- Area Committee to Improve Opportunities Now, Inc., based in Athens, received $784,194 to supports its 36-county program providing employment coaching and mentoring for young people before and after their release from the criminal justice system.
- This WORKS, Inc., in partnership with the Dougherty County School System in Albany, received a $999,524 grant to provide a schoolwide behavioral health program, including antiviolence education.
- The Muscogee County School District in Columbus received a $998,567 grant to support its efforts to prevent group-based retaliatory violence with programs supporting educators and law enforcement.
- Columbus received $119,951 to purchase items in support of its law enforcement, including four ballistic vests, 64 protective stab vests for jail personnel, two K-9 units and a community-wide early warning smart phone app for emergency notification.
- Macon-Bibb received $385,000 to expand its domestic violence unit with an additional investigator and prosecutor.
- The Taylor County School District in Butler received $999,952 to improve school safety and increase access to mental health care for students.
- Thomasville received $437,185 to launch a law enforcement and mental health co-responder program to assist with real-time responses to community crises.
Georgia received 89 awards totaling $148 million dollars. More information about the awards announced today can be found by visiting www.ojp.gov/funding/fy23awards.
“Everyone in this country deserves to be safe in their communities,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “That is why, in addition to continuing our efforts to identify and prosecute the most violent criminals, the Justice Department is putting every available resource to work to support the efforts of our law enforcement and community partners nationwide. This significant investment will go directly to state and local programs that support the victims of crime, support officer safety and wellness, build the public trust in law enforcement essential to public safety and help make all of our communities safer.”
The more than 3,700 OJP grants being awarded this fiscal year will support state, local and community-based efforts and evidence-based interventions that reduce violence, crime and recidivism while delivering treatment and services to those at-risk of justice system involvement. Funding will expand partnerships between criminal justice professionals and behavioral health experts, help people safely and successfully transition from confinement back to their communities, reach crime victims in underserved areas, steer young people away from justice system contact, improve the management of sex offenders and support a wide range of research and statistical activities that will help justice system professionals meet community safety challenges.
“Across the country, the Justice Department is working side-by-side with our partners in state and local law enforcement to combat violent crime by using our federal resources to amplify their work on the front lines,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “The billions of dollars in grants announced today will augment those efforts and the tools law enforcement is using to curb violence, counter deadly drug abuse and promote safety and public trust. Together with our state and local partners, the Department will continue to do everything we can to protect the communities we all serve.”
“The Department of Justice is investing in community-based approaches to violence prevention, law enforcement health and wellness, Tribal courts, improved services for victims, research and data collection efforts, reentry programs and much more,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “The grants announced today further our commitment to working with our state, Tribal and local partners to increase public safety, build police-community trust, and ensure safe, healthy and just communities for all.”
“Every sector of our society — not only the justice system, but nonprofit and faith-based groups, local leaders, and advocates, and people with lived experience who serve as credible messengers — plays a critical role in ensuring public safety and public health,” said OJP Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon. “The Office of Justice Programs is proud to make these substantial investments in building community infrastructure and supporting communities as co-producers of safety and justice.”
Grants will support five major community safety and justice priorities:
- Awards totaling more than $1 billion will promote safety and strengthen trust, helping communities tackle the proliferation of gun violence in America and restore bonds of trust between community residents and the justice system. Grants will support innovative and evidence-based strategies designed to prevent and reduce violent crime, support the health and safety of law enforcement and public safety professionals, promote rehabilitation and reentry success, and address the rise in hate crimes across the country.
- More than $437 million in grant awards will accelerate justice system reforms designed to achieve equal justice and fair treatment for all. Grants will expand access to services among historically underserved and marginalized communities, reduce counterproductive involvement in the justice system, increase opportunities for diversion and build pathways to treatment for people with substance use and mental health disorders.
- Over $192 million will improve the fairness and effectiveness of the juvenile justice system by supporting developmentally appropriate and culturally responsive interventions for youth. Funding will ensure that young people are served at home in their communities whenever possible, are equipped to transition to a healthy adulthood free of crime and are protected from violence and abuse.
- More than $1.7 billion will expand access to victim services by investing in programs that provide trauma-informed and culturally responsive services to victims. Funding will support thousands of local victim assistance programs across the country and victim compensation programs in every state and U.S. territory, while helping these programs build their capacity to reach those disproportionately affected by crime and victimization.
- Over $418 million in awards will advance science and innovation to strengthen the base of knowledge that policymakers and practitioners can use to design and deploy effective community safety strategies. Awards will support research and data collection on a wide range of public safety issues, help maintain timely and accurate criminal history records, and improve the capacity of crime labs and forensic analysts to solve crimes, absolve the innocent and deliver justice to victims.
In addition, OJP will award more than $611 million to continue its support of other previously funded programs and congressionally directed spending.
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ANA GABRIELA FLORES-GONZALEZ (“FLORES”), age 32, a Mexican National, pleaded guilty on September 28, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), 841(b)(1)(B), and 846, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, on March 10, 2022, officers conducted an interdiction traffic stop and seized approximately 4,889 grams of methamphetamine and approximately 1,978 grams of suspected cocaine from FLORES, that she was transporting from Houston, Texas to Sumter, South Carolina.
FLORES faces a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of ten years, up to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000,000, at least five years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. Her sentencing is scheduled for January 18, 2024.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with the assistance of the Biloxi Police Department in Biloxi, Mississippi. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers of the Narcotics Unit.
Mexican Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Roberto Balbuena-Ignacio, 36, of Mexico, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for his involvement in a methamphetamine conspiracy. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Balbuena-Ignacio to 235 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Balbuena-Ignacio will begin a 10-year term of supervised release.
Beginning in May 2021, an informant working for the DEA contacted Balbuena-Ignacio to purchase methamphetamine. Arrangements were made by Balbuena-Ignacio and on May 20, 2021, the informant met with an individual later identified as co-defendant Cash C. Cosgriff, and successfully purchased one pound of methamphetamine.
Two additional drug deals, on June 23, 2021, and July 14, 2021, were also arranged with the informant meeting Balbuena-Ignacio and purchasing one pound of methamphetamine on each occasion.
As part of the investigation, it was determined that a residence located in the area of 10th and Center in Omaha was being utilized by members of the conspiracy. A search warrant was executed on this residence on August 2, 2021, after Teodoro Alejandro Castillo-Rincon and Francisco Martinez-Mungia were observed carrying bags in. During the search almost 57 pounds of methamphetamine and 2 kilograms of cocaine were found.
Cosgriff was sentenced on August 17, 2023, to 120 months’ imprisonment. Castillo-Rincon was sentenced on June 26, 2023, to 135 months’ imprisonment. Martinez-Mungia was sentenced on October 19, 2022, to 135 months’ imprisonment. Balbuena-Ignacio had a greater criminal history than his co-conspirators which resulted in him receiving a higher sentence.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Omaha Police Department.
Massachusetts Owner of a Garbage Collection Business Pleads Guilty to Filing a False Tax Return and Cash StructuringRead the Press Release
A Massachusetts woman pleaded guilty today to filing a false tax return and engaging in a pattern of financial transactions designed to avoid bank currency transaction reporting requirements.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Michele L. Letourneau of Charlton was the President, Treasurer and majority owner of a commercial trash collection and removal business. Between January 2016 and December 2020, Letourneau skimmed business income by directing her office staff to separate checks written to her company that contained “Inc.” in the payee description from those that did not. Those checks that included “Inc.” were logged into the company’s customer tracking system and accounting ledgers and deposited into the business bank account.
The separated checks were given to Letourneau after being logged into the company’s customer tracking system, but not into the accounting ledgers. Instead, Letourneau regularly batch deposited a vast majority of the checks missing the “Inc.” into a personal bank account she jointly held with another, purposely keeping each deposit under $10,000 to illegally avoid bank reporting requirements for currency transactions in excess of $10,000, commonly referred to as structuring. Once available, Letourneau would then withdraw the exact amount as was deposited. In all, Letourneau admitted to structuring 196 deposits and withdrawals knowing that banks were required to issue a report for a currency transaction in excess of $10,000.
In total, Letourneau structured approximately $1,261,724 worth of transactions from 2016 to 2020 and did not disclose this income or the bank account to the preparers of her corporate and personal tax returns. Letourneau admitted to filing a false 2018 personal return that substantially underreported her income for that year and, in total, her conduct during this period caused a tax loss to the IRS in the amount $472,167.
Letourneau is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 4, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for filing a false return and five years for cash structuring. She also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy for the District of Massachusetts made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Assistant Chief Jorge Almonte and Trial Attorney George Meggali of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
Man who arranged cross-country drug shipment sent to prisonRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 49-year-old Alamo resident has been sentenced to prison for selling eight kilograms of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Daniel Zintura Sr. pleaded guilty May 25 to possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has how ordered Zintura to serve 151 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence regarding Zintura’s criminal history which included a prior federal drug trafficking conviction for which he was on supervised release at the time he committed this offense. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Zintura’s repeated criminal conduct, the large amount of narcotics involved in his case and his prior conviction for the same offense. Judge Ramos also noted how drugs can destroy communities.
In March 2022, Zintura arranged for the transportation of eight kilograms of cocaine across the United States to Maryland for him. On March 17, 2022, he met another individual at a local home improvement store to hand off the cocaine to be transported to Houston. Law enforcement immediately arrested him and took him into custody.
Zintura will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara J. De Peña prosecuted the case.
Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Cocaine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Mexican man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in a Mexican-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) that sought to establish a cocaine distribution network in the Boston area.
Joel Enrique Armenta Castro, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to four years in prison and two years of supervised release. On June 29, 2023, Castro pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
In August 2022, an investigation began into a DTO based in Mexico that was seeking to set up a cocaine distribution network in the Boston area. The investigation subsequently identified Castro a member of the DTO who came to Boston to facilitate the distribution of multiple kilograms of cocaine. On Aug. 29, 2022, Castro drove from Boston to a service plaza on the Massachusetts Turnpike in Ludlow where he obtained 15 kilograms of cocaine intended for distribution by the DTO from the back of a tractor trailer.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea E. Porter of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
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 https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Man Sentenced for Drug Trafficking CrimeRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Cameron Woods, 44, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Woods to 180 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
On April 16, 2022, Lincoln Police Department officers noticed a vehicle sitting at an intersection with a green light in Lincoln. Officers got out to check on the vehicle and saw Woods asleep at the wheel. Officers also saw a partially empty bottle of liquor on the passenger seat.
When officers attempted to put the vehicle in park, Woods woke up and grabbed a purple Crown Royal bag from the center console area that contained a clear self-seal baggie with 110 grams of 100% pure methamphetamine verified through forensic lab testing. Woods was arrested and subsequently indicted on the drug trafficking crime. A criminal history check revealed that Woods had previously been convicted of trafficking methamphetamine in 2011 and was sentenced to a 6-year prison term.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln Police Department.
Madison Man Sentenced to 26 Months for Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Shawndale James, 26, Madison, Wisconsin was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 26 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. James pleaded guilty to this charge on June 12, 2023.
On December 21, 2021, Madison police officers stopped a vehicle in which James was a passenger. Officers observed a loaded .40 caliber handgun sticking out from under the seat where James was sitting. James denied that he knew about or touched the gun. The Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory later examined swabs taken from the gun and concluded that James’ DNA matched the DNA found on the gun.
James had prior felony convictions for driving a stolen vehicle and conspiracy to deliver heroin. At the time of his arrest, he was out on bail in a state case charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson said that James had a substantial criminal history and had to make a choice between spending time with his family or peers who are negative influences on the street. Judge Peterson noted that if James does not make a change now, he is facing a lot more time in prison. Judge Peterson also ordered three years of supervised release to follow the prison term.
The charge against James was the result of an investigation conducted by the Madison Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan prosecuted this case.
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.
Lutcher Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Controlled Substances Act ViolationRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – RYAN FREMIN, age 39, a resident of Lutcher, Louisiana, pled guilty to an indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute, five hundred (500) grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(A) and 846, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, on July 2, 2020, a confidential source informed agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration that FREMIN was returning from Houston, Texas to the Eastern District of Louisiana, with a quantity of methamphetamine that he intended to distribute. Agents intercepted FREMIN in Geismar, Louisiana and seized approximately two pounds of methamphetamine from him. FREMIN made four prior trips to Houston. On each of those trips, FREMIN met with Leonel Gonzalez, obtained a kilogram of methamphetamine, and returned to the Eastern District of Louisiana to distribute the methamphetamine.
FREMIN faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of ten years up to a maximum of life imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000,000.00, a term of supervised release of at least five years, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney André Jones of the Narcotics Unit.
Lowell Man Indicted for Armed Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lowell man has been indicted in connection with the April 2023 robberies of three banks in Worcester.
Joselito Santiago-Matias, 33, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Worcester on one count of bank robbery and two counts of armed bank robbery. He will appear in federal court in Worcester at a later date.
According to the indictment, Santiago-Matias robbed a Santander Bank in Worcester on April 3, 2023; a Berkshire Bank in Worcester using a dangerous weapon on April 12, 2023; and a Santander Bank in Worcester using a dangerous weapon on April 19, 2023.
The charge of bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of armed bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to up to 25 years, five years of supervised release and a fine up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Worcester Police Department Interim Chief Paul B. Saucier made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan D. O’Shea of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Local Property Owner to Pay $90,458 to Resolve Alleged False Claims Act Violations Arising from HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher ProgramRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced today that a local property owner will pay $90,458 to settle allegations that he violated the False Claims Act by charging a low-income tenant more than the amount permitted under the property owner’s agreement with the government under the Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8).
The government alleges that under the Housing Choice Voucher Program, David Krmpotich of Montgomery County was permitted to charge rent in an amount agreed upon by Krmpotich, the tenant, and a public housing agency administering the rent subsidy program. Under the program rules and the parties’ lease, the tenant was required to pay Krmpotich rent equal to a portion of the tenant’s income, and the federal government was required to pay the balance of the agreed total rent. Krmpotich was prohibited from charging the tenant more than the tenant’s allocation of the total rent amount. Nevertheless, the government alleges Krmpotich demanded that the tenant pay an additional $125.00 to $185.00 per month in unlawful and undisclosed supplemental rent payments.
United States Attorney Romero stated, “A deal is a deal. Property owners receiving rent subsidies from government’s coffers must live with the deal they agree to and not secretly and illegally demand more from tenants, whether money or anything else of value. The conduct alleged here is an affront to the integrity of the Housing Choice Voucher Program – a program designed to promote safe and affordable housing for low-income tenants – and to the taxpayers who pay for the program. My office is committed to bring accountability to those who break the rules.”
“This settlement represents our commitment to protecting HUD beneficiaries from bad actors seeking to enrich themselves by preying on HUD-housing participants,” said Special Agent in Charge Shawn Rice of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General. “HUD OIG will continue to pursue and bring to justice landlords who fraudulently overcharge HUD-assisted tenants in violation of Federal law.”
The allegations against Krmpotich were brought to the attention of the United States by a whistleblower. The False Claims Act provides for whistleblowers to receive a portion of the amount recovered because of their disclosures. In this case, the whistleblower will receive $16,282 of the settlement proceeds.
The government’s investigation was led by Assistant United States Attorney Joel M. Sweet, Investigator Jeffrey Braun, and investigators from HUD OIG. The whistleblower lawsuit is captioned United States ex rel. Catherine Spearman Jackson v. David Krmpotich, No. 22-cv-1613 (E.D. Pa.).
The claims asserted by the United States are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Las Cruces Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening U.S. CongresswomanRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Michael David Fox pleaded guilty to interstate transmission of threatening communication. Fox, 60, of Las Cruces, will remain on conditions pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
According to court documents, on May 18, 2023, Fox left a voicemail for the office of a congresswoman for the District of Texas, calling her a “tranny and a pedophile” and threatening to “put a bullet” in her face. Law enforcement was able to trace the call to Fox. On May 26, 2023, Special Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation interviewed Fox at his residence in Las Cruces and he admitted to making the threat. Fox claimed to believe that transgender individuals are running governments, kingdoms, and corporations all over the world, causing the world’s misery and that he was part of a movement that was going to engage in “eradicating” those people.
In his plea agreement, Fox acknowledged that he was not intoxicated or under the influence of drugs when he made the call and that he was not merely making a political argument, idle talk, an exaggeration, or a joke.
At sentencing, Fox faces up to 5 years in prison followed by 3 years of supervised probation.
The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Lindy Carpenter is prosecuting the case.
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Kenton County Man Sentenced to 204 Months for Armed Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. — An Erlanger, Ky., man, Johnathan Paul Hornsby, 32, was sentenced to 204 months in federal prison on Thursday, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, for possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to his guilty plea agreement, on September 30, 2022, Hornsby was stopped for a traffic violation and was arrested by law enforcement because of an active warrant. Law enforcement found a loaded handgun, 16.8 grams of methamphetamine, and over $500 in his pocket. Hornsby admitted that he intended to distribute some portion of methamphetamine to others and he possessed the firearm to protect himself, his drugs, and his drug proceeds from robbery.
Hornsby pleaded guilty in May 2023.
Under federal law, Hornsby must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release, he will be under supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; and Chief Tom Grau, Florence Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA and Florence Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Bracke.
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Kennett Woman Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. on Thursday sentenced a woman from Kennett, Missouri to 10 years in prison for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm by a felon.
Paula J. Laboone, 64, Laboone has previous felony convictions for possession of controlled substances in Dunklin County and is therefore prohibited from possessing firearms.
According to court documents, on January 30, 2023, a search warrant was executed at Laboone's residence. Numerous bags and baggies containing over two pounds of methamphetamine packaged for sale were seized from the living room and bedroom of the residence. Additionally, a Taurus semi-automatic pistol was seized from the bedroom. Laboone was later interviewed and admitted to buying and selling methamphetamine for several months. She further admitted that the firearm was hers and she was aware she could not possess it.
This case was investigated by the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter handled the prosecution for the government.
Kanawha County Man Sentenced for COVID-19 Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Tamir Pratt, 21, of Dunbar, was sentenced today to two years of federal probation and ordered to pay $7,833.99 in restitution for receipt of stolen money. Pratt admitted to a scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) of $20,832 in COVID-19 relief loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
According to court documents and statements made in court, Pratt applied for a PPP loan for his purported business, “Tamir Pratt,” in April 2021. Pratt admitted that “Tamir Pratt” was not in operation on February 15, 2020, though that was a requirement to qualify for a PPP loan, and he falsely certified that it was. Businesses applying for PPP loans were also required to provide documentation showing their prior gross income from either 2019 or 2020. Pratt admitted that he submitted a false IRS Form 1040, Schedule C, stating that “Tamir Pratt” had earned approximately $100,000 in gross income in 2020.
Pratt submitted the loan application electronically from West Virginia and it was uploaded to servers in Arizona for processing. Pratt’s loan application was approved and $20,832 was electronically transferred to his personal bank account on April 26, 2021. Pratt admitted that he withdrew $1,700 of the fraudulent loan proceeds in Charleston the same day and spent more than $460 of the proceeds.
The CARES Act, enacted in March 2020, offered emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This assistance included forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP.
Pratt admitted that he did not spend the fraudulent loan proceeds on any permissible business expenses. Pratt further admitted that the SBA forgave his PPP loan on August 9, 2021. Of the $20,832 transferred to Pratt, $15,748.57 was recovered and returned to the SBA. The restitution amount includes $250.56 in loan interest and a $2,500 PPP fee paid by SBA to the lender that processed and underwrote Pratt’s loan application.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Secret Service, the West Virginia State Police – Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), and the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office (WVSAO) Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the 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, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-38.
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Justice Department Sues Agri Stats for Operating Extensive Information Exchanges Among Meat ProcessorsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against Agri Stats Inc. today for organizing and managing anticompetitive information exchanges among broiler chicken, pork and turkey processors. The complaint alleges that Agri Stats violated Section 1 of the Sherman Act by collecting, integrating and distributing competitively sensitive information related to price, cost and output among competing meat processors. This conduct harms customers, including grocery stores and American families.
The complaint, filed in the District of Minnesota, alleges that Agri Stats has for years produced comprehensive weekly and monthly reports for participating meat processors, which use the data to set prices and output levels. Spanning hundreds of pages, the reports contain recent data relating to sales prices, costs such as worker and farmer compensation and output that are often detailed by facility or company. Participating processors accounted for more than 90% of broiler chicken sales, 80% of pork sales and 90% of turkey sales in the United States. The complaint further alleges that Agri Stats understood that meat processors have used these reports for anticompetitive purposes and, in some instances, even encouraged meat processors to raise prices and reduce supply. While distributing troves of competitively sensitive information among participating processors, Agri Stats withholds its reports from meat purchasers, workers and American consumers, resulting in an information asymmetry that further exacerbates the competitive harm of Agri Stats’ information exchanges.
“The Justice Department is committed to addressing anticompetitive information exchanges that result in consumers paying more for chicken, pork and turkey,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “This case is the latest effort by the Justice Department to protect American consumers, farmers and workers from anticompetitive practices in the agriculture industry.”
The complaint alleges that Agri Stats’ scheme continues to this day in the chicken processing industry, among others. While Agri Stats paused its turkey and pork reporting after facing several private antitrust lawsuits, Agri Stats has expressed an intent to resume such reporting after these lawsuits’ resolution.
This lawsuit marks the latest action by the Antitrust Division to combat unlawful information exchanges. It follows a recent enforcement action (here and here) against four poultry processors as well as two facilitators for participating in a long-running conspiracy to suppress workers’ compensation in the poultry industry. In that case, the district court entered consent decrees enjoining the processors from exchanging competitively sensitive information and barring the facilitators from providing surveys or other services that enable direct competitors in any industry to share competitively sensitive information.
Anyone with information about collusion in agriculture industries, competitors sharing non-public price or compensation information or any other violations of the antitrust laws is encouraged to contact the Antitrust Division’s Citizen Complaint Center at 1-888-647-3258 or [email protected]. Information about anticompetitive practices in livestock and poultry markets can also be submitted to the USDA and Justice Department’s Agricultural Markets Enforcement Partnership at www.farmerfairness.gov.
agri_stats_complaint.pdfJustice Department Secures Agreement with Janitorial Services Company to Resolve Immigration-Related Discrimination ClaimsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has secured a settlement agreement with Greene Kleen of South Florida Inc. (Greene Kleen), a janitorial services company based in Miami. The settlement agreement resolves the department’s determination that Greene Kleen violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by discriminating against non-U.S. citizens when checking their permission to work in the United States.
“Employers cannot impose specific document requirements on workers to prove their permission to work that differ based on citizenship or immigration status,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The department will not tolerate unlawful and discriminatory practices, which create unnecessary barriers to jobs for people who are just trying to make a living.”
The department’s investigation determined that, from at least Jan. 1, 2019, to Feb. 28, 2022, Greene Kleen routinely allowed U.S. citizens to choose which acceptable documentation to present to prove their permission to work but routinely required lawful permanent residents and other non-U.S. citizens to present only one kind of documentation.
Under the terms of the settlement, Greene Kleen will pay $140,000 in civil penalties to the United States, train its employees on the INA’s anti-discrimination requirements, revise its employment policies and be subject to monitoring by the department.
Federal law allows all workers to choose which valid, legally acceptable documentation to present to prove their identity and permission to work in the United States, regardless of citizenship status, immigration status or national origin. The INA’s anti-discrimination provision prohibits employers from asking for specific or unnecessary documents because of a worker’s citizenship status, immigration status or national origin. Indeed, many non-U.S. citizens, including lawful permanent residents, are eligible for several of the same types of documents to prove their permission to work as U.S. citizens are (for example, a state ID or driver’s license and an unrestricted Social Security card). Employers must allow workers to present whatever acceptable documentation the workers choose and cannot reject valid documentation that reasonably appears to be genuine and to relate to the worker.
The Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. The statute prohibits discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee, unfair documentary practices and retaliation and intimidation.
Find more information on how employers can avoid discriminating when verifying someone’s permission to work on IER’s website. Learn more about IER’s work and how to get assistance through this brief video. Applicants or employees who believe they were discriminated against based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin in hiring, firing, recruitment or during the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify); or subjected to retaliation, may file a charge. The public can also call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); email [email protected]; sign up for a live webinar on watch an on-demand presentation; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Subscribe for email updates from IER.
greene_kleen-signed-settlement.pdfJustice Department Secures Agreement with California-Based Manufacturer to Resolve Immigration-Related Discrimination ClaimsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has secured a settlement agreement with Home and Body Company (Home and Body), a soap and lotions manufacturer based in Huntington Beach, California. The settlement resolves the department’s determination that Home and Body violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by discriminating against non-U.S. citizens when checking their permission to work in the United States.
“Employers cannot limit the type of documents workers can use to prove their permission to work,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The department is committed to knocking down unlawful discriminatory barriers that make it harder for people to work in the United States.”
The department’s investigation determined that from at least Sept. 23, 2019, to Oct. 1, 2020, Home and Body routinely required lawful permanent residents to present a specific immigration document when checking their permission to work, based on their citizenship or immigration status.
Under the terms of the settlement, Home and Body will pay $130,000 in civil penalties to the United States, train its personnel on the INA’s requirements, review its employment policies and be subject to monitoring by the department.
Federal law allows all workers to choose which valid, legally acceptable documentation to present to prove their identity and permission to work, regardless of citizenship status, immigration status or national origin. The INA’s anti-discrimination provision prohibits employers from asking for specific or unnecessary documents because of a worker’s citizenship status, immigration status or national origin. Indeed, many non-U.S. citizens, including lawful permanent residents, are eligible for several of the same types of documents to prove their permission to work as U.S. citizens are (for example, a state ID or driver’s license and an unrestricted Social Security card). Employers must allow workers to present whatever acceptable documentation the workers choose and cannot reject valid documentation that reasonably appears to be genuine.
The Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. The statute prohibits discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee, unfair documentary practices and retaliation and intimidation.
Find more information on how employers can avoid discrimination when verifying someone’s permission to work on IER’s website. Learn more about IER’s work and how to get assistance through this brief video. Applicants or employees who believe they were discriminated against based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin in hiring, firing, recruitment or during the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify); or subjected to retaliation, may file a charge. The public can also call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); email [email protected]; sign up for a live webinar or watch an on-demand presentation or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Subscribe for email updates from IER.
home_and_body_settlement.pdfJustice Department Awards over $4.4 Billion to Support Community SafetyRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it is awarding more than $4.4 billion to support state, local, and Tribal public safety and community justice activities. The grants, from the Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), will help build community capacity to curb violence, serve victims and youth, and achieve fair outcomes through evidence-based criminal and juvenile justice strategies.
“Everyone in this country deserves to be safe in their communities,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “That is why, in addition to continuing our efforts to identify and prosecute the most violent criminals, the Justice Department is putting every available resource to work to support the efforts of our law enforcement and community partners nationwide. This significant investment will go directly to state and local programs that support the victims of crime, support officer safety and wellness, build the public trust in law enforcement essential to public safety, and help make all of our communities safer.”
The more than 3,700 OJP grants being awarded this fiscal year will support state, local, and community-based efforts and evidence-based interventions that reduce violence, crime, and recidivism while delivering treatment and services to those at-risk of justice system involvement. Funding will expand partnerships between criminal justice professionals and behavioral health experts, help people safely and successfully transition from confinement back to their communities, reach crime victims in underserved areas, steer young people away from justice system contact, improve the management of sex offenders, and support a wide range of research and statistical activities that will help justice system professionals meet community safety challenges.
“Across the country, the Justice Department is working side-by-side with our partners in state and local law enforcement to combat violent crime by using our federal resources to amplify their work on the front lines,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “The billions of dollars in grants announced today will augment those efforts and the tools law enforcement is using to curb violence, counter deadly drug abuse, and promote safety and public trust. Together with our state and local partners, the Department will continue to do everything we can to protect the communities we all serve.”
“The Department of Justice is investing in community-based approaches to violence prevention, law enforcement health and wellness, Tribal courts, improved services for victims, research and data collection efforts, reentry programs, and much more,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “The grants announced today further our commitment to working with our state, Tribal, and local partners to increase public safety, build police-community trust, and ensure safe, healthy, and just communities for all.”
“Every sector of our society — not only the justice system, but nonprofit and faith-based groups, local leaders, and advocates, and people with lived experience who serve as credible messengers — plays a critical role in ensuring public safety and public health,” said OJP Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon. “The Office of Justice Programs is proud to make these substantial investments in building community infrastructure and supporting communities as co-producers of safety and justice.”
Grants will support five major community safety and justice priorities:
- Awards totaling more than $1 billion will promote safety and strengthen trust, helping communities tackle the proliferation of gun violence in America and restore bonds of trust between community residents and the justice system. Grants will support innovative and evidence-based strategies designed to prevent and reduce violent crime, support the health and safety of law enforcement and public safety professionals, promote rehabilitation and reentry success, and address the rise in hate crimes across the country.
- More than $437 million in grant awards will accelerate justice system reforms designed to achieve equal justice and fair treatment for all. Grants will expand access to services among historically underserved and marginalized communities, reduce counterproductive involvement in the justice system, increase opportunities for diversion, and build pathways to treatment for people with substance use and mental health disorders.
- Over $192 million will improve the fairness and effectiveness of the juvenile justice system by supporting developmentally appropriate and culturally responsive interventions for youth. Funding will ensure that young people are served at home in their communities whenever possible, are equipped to transition to a healthy adulthood free of crime, and are protected from violence and abuse.
- More than $1.7 billion will expand access to victim services by investing in programs that provide trauma-informed and culturally responsive services to victims. Funding will support thousands of local victim assistance programs across the country and victim compensation programs in every state and U.S. territory, while helping these programs build their capacity to reach those disproportionately affected by crime and victimization.
- Over $418 million in awards will advance science and innovation to strengthen the base of knowledge that policymakers and practitioners can use to design and deploy effective community safety strategies. Awards will support research and data collection on a wide range of public safety issues, help maintain timely and accurate criminal history records, and improve the capacity of crime labs and forensic analysts to solve crimes, absolve the innocent, and deliver justice to victims.
In addition, OJP will award more than $611 million to continue its support of other previously funded programs and congressionally directed spending. More information about the awards announced today can be found by visiting www.ojp.gov/funding/fy23awards.
Ithaca-Area Man Sentenced on Child Pornography ConvictionsRead the Press Release
BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK – Randolph Bullock, age 67, of Dryden, New York, was sentenced yesterday to serve 97 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Acting Special Agent in Charge Alfred Watson of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
As a part of his prior guilty plea, Bullock admitted that in January of 2018 and April of 2021, he possessed images of child pornography on three separate devices, including images of prepubescent minors.
In reaching its sentence, the Court found that the defendant had committed a prior pattern of activity involving the sexual abuse or exploitation of two minor children who were four and six years old at the time of the conduct.
United States District Court Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also sentenced Bullock to 20 years of supervised release following his term of incarceration, and ordered him to pay restitution of $3,000.00 each to two of the children whose images he possessed. Upon release from imprisonment, Bullock must also register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York State Police, Tompkins County Sheriff’s Department, Village of Dryden Police Department and the Tompkins County District Attorney’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Grabowski as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc/.
Insider Trader Who Abused His Position at Capital One Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A foreign national formerly of Henrico pleaded guilty today to conspiracy and insider trading.
According to court documents, Nan Huang, 44, conspired with his then-coworker to commit insider trading. From 2008 to 2015, Huang worked as a senior data analyst for a subsidiary of Capital One Financial Corporation. As a senior data analyst, Huang had access to a Capital One database that collected transaction data from Capital One credit card and debit card customers. In violation of his fiduciary duties to Capital One, Huang searched this database thousands of times and compiled on his work computer material, nonpublic information about publicly traded companies. Because this information was highly correlated with the not-yet-public actual revenue of these companies, Huang was able to predict whether these companies would meet their revenue expectations. Huang then executed hundreds of trades using this non-public information and reaped extraordinary profits. Huang personally made over $1.4 million in profits and the conspiracy made over $3.1 million.
Capital One fired Huang in 2015 after it discovered his activity. Days later, Huang fled the country to China where he remained until his arrest at San Francisco International Airport earlier this year.
Huang is scheduled to be sentenced on February 2, 2024. He faces a maximum penalty of 25 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 taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; and Kareem A. Carter, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge of the Washington D.C. Field Office, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge T. S. Ellis, III accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Hood and Zachary Ray is prosecuting the case.
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. 1:18-cr-319.
Houma Man Sentenced for Conspiring to Stage Automobile AccidentsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that JOSEPH BREWTON (“BREWTON”), age 57, of Houma, Louisiana, was sentenced on September 27, 2023 in United States District Court on one count of Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371.
According to court documents, BREWTON was a passenger in a staged automobile collision in August, 2015. Thereafter, he recruited family members and friends to participate as passengers in staged automobile collisions with tractor-trailers on March 27, 2017 and May 11, 2017. The passengers in these collisions filed fraudulent lawsuits falsely claiming that the tractor-trailers were at fault. Through this scheme, BREWTON caused a loss of approximately $392,742.77.
U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo sentenced BREWTON to 18 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. BREWTON was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $554,638.73. Judge Milazzo also imposed a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would like to acknowledge the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Louisiana State Police, and the Metropolitan Crime Commission with this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maria M. Carboni, Edward Rivera and Brandon S. Long of the Financial Crimes Unit as well as Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit.
Hospice Medical Director Sentenced for $150M Hospice Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A hospice medical director was sentenced yesterday to four years and two months in prison for his role in a scheme that involved the submission of over $150 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for hospice and other health care services.
According to court documents, from 2009 to 2018, Jesus Virlar-Cadena, 52, served as the medical director of the Merida Group, a large health care company that operated dozens of locations throughout Texas. Evidence at the trial of co-defendants Rodney Mesquias, Henry McInnis, and Francisco Pena, showed that the Merida Group marketed their hospice programs through a group of companies known as the Merida Group. They enrolled patients with long-term incurable diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and dementia, as well as patients with limited mental capacity who lived at group homes, nursing homes, and in housing projects. In some instances, Merida Group marketers falsely told patients they had less than six months to live. They also sent chaplains to the patients based on the false pretense they were near death.
In order to bill Medicare for these services, the Merida Group hired Virlar and other medical directors, but made payment of their medical director fees contingent upon an agreement to certify unqualified patients for hospice. In addition to regular medical director payments, Virlar received luxury trips, bottle service at exclusive nightclubs, and other perks in exchange for his certification of unnecessary hospice patients. In exchange for these illegal kickbacks, Virlar himself certified over $18 million in unnecessary hospice services as part of the over $150 million conspiracy.
Mesquias was previously sentenced to 20 years in prison and McInnis was previously sentenced to 15 years in prison. Pena passed away before sentencing.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Alamdar Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas, Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.
HHS-OIG, the FBI, and Texas Health and Human Services Commission investigated the case.
Principal Assistant Chief Jacob Foster and former Trial Attorney Kevin Lowell of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Swartz for the Southern District of Texas prosecuted the case.
Harrisburg Man Charged with Attempted Coercion and Enticement of A MinorRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jesse Deitzler, age 44, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was charged yesterday by a federal grand jury with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor.
According to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Deitzler attempted to coerce and entice a minor to engage in sexual activity on February 10, 2022, in Dauphin County.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Lower Paxton Township Police Department, and Dauphin County Human Trafficking Task Force. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Varley is prosecuting the case.
Deitzler faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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Hardin man admits distributing meth as part of large-scale trafficking organization based on Crow Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Hardin man accused of selling methamphetamine as part of an investigation into large-scale drug trafficking based on the Crow Indian Reservation admitted to a distribution crime today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Anthony Springfield, 22, pleaded guilty to distribution of meth. Springfield faces a mandatory minimum of five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Jan. 31, 2024. Springfield was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that federal law enforcement, in a collaborative effort with local and tribal law enforcement, investigated large-scale, multiple-state narcotics trafficking activity centered on multiple properties on the Crow Indian Reservation. The properties, including one referred to as Spear Siding, were a source of supply of meth for both the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservations. Springfield is one of the individuals affiliated with the investigation. The government further alleged that in November 2022, law enforcement purchased meth from Springfield.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Guyanese Citizen Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Scheme to Import Cocaine to United StatesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Guyanese citizen was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to import drugs into the United States, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Dennis Edwards, aka “Death,” 38, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Noel L. Hillman to a superseding information charging him with one count of conspiring to import over 20 kilograms of cocaine into the United States. Judge Hillman imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In 2012, Edwards was part of a criminal conspiracy that arranged to import cocaine into the United States via cruise ship. Edwards was arrested on Nov. 14, 2022, when he arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport after having been deported from the Dominican Republic.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Hillman sentenced Edwards to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Kurtz; deputies of the U.S. Marshals Service, under the direction of U.S. Marshal Juan Mattos, Jr., and officers with Customs and Border Protection, New York Field Office, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Francis J. Russo, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. U.S. Attorney Sellinger thanked the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs for its substantial assistance in the investigation. He also thanked officials in the Dominican Republic for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachelle M. Navarro of the Criminal Division in Newark.
Gurley Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Daniel D. Konruff, 45, of Gurley, Nebraska, was sentenced today in Lincoln, Nebraska, by Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard for possession of child pornography. Konruff was sentenced to 120 months in prison and will also serve 16 years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Additionally, Konruff was ordered to pay $4,000 in restitution to victims of his crimes.
On May 13, 2022, Konruff’s personal cellphone was reviewed by a Cheyenne County Nebraska probation officer pursuant to the conditions of Konruff’s state probation. The probation officer observed child pornography on the device. The device was seized, and a search warrant was obtained to download and further review the phone’s contents. The forensic download revealed multiple child pornography files. Konruff was convicted in 2017, in case #CR17-13 in the District Court for Cheyenne County, Nebraska, with two counts of attempted possession of child pornography.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by 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.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cheyenne County Sheriff’s Office, and Kearney Police Department.
Georgia Man Sentenced for Transport of an AlienRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Eloy Vargas, age 60, a resident of Georgia, was sentenced today to time served (more than 6 months in jail) for the transport of another person illegally present in the United States. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Chief Patrol Agent Robert N. Garcia, United States Border Patrol, Swanton Sector, made the announcement.
As part of his previously entered guilty plea, Vargas admitted that in March 2023, he drove from Georgia to Franklin County, New York, to pick up a person illegally present in the United States and transport that person further south into the country. Specifically, on March 2, 2023, Vargas picked up a Mexican citizen who had illegally crossed into the United States from Canada, and the defendant then stayed at a motel for the night. The following day, the defendant began driving the Mexican citizen south away from the border; they were then encountered by Border Patrol and arrested.
Border Patrol investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Allen J. Vickey prosecuted the case.
Gary Man Sentenced to 60 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Yesterday, Gary Burnett, 62 years old, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Senior Judge Jon E. DeGuilio after pleading guilty to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Burnett was sentenced to 60 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in April 2021, law enforcement purchased cocaine from Burnett. Later, during the execution of a search warrant conducted on his residence, law enforcement recovered 5 grams of heroin, 44.6 grams of cocaine, 22 grams of methamphetamine, a drug ledger as well as a .223 rifle with an extended magazine and multiple handguns.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin M. Padula.
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.
Fulton County jail officer indicted on excessive force chargesRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Former Fulton County Detention Officer Monique Clark has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of using excessive force against a pretrial detainee at the Fulton County Jail.
“We recognize that detention officers have a particularly challenging job as they work to maintain order and protect detainees in our district’s jails and prisons,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “However, this detention officer allegedly abused a handcuffed Fulton County detainee by strangling her and must be held accountable for such outrageous conduct.”
“While those behind bars may have lost their freedom, they retain their humanity — and their civil rights,” said Special Agent in Charge Keri Farley of FBI Atlanta. “This case serves as an example that the FBI is committed to identifying and investigating those law enforcement officers who choose to abandon their oath and violate the public’s civil rights.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges, information presented in court and other public information: At the time of the alleged misconduct, Monique Clark was employed as a detention officer at Fulton County Jail. On June 5, 2023, while Clark was working at the North Jail Annex in Alpharetta, Clark allegedly strangled a pretrial detainee without any legal justification. The detainee lost consciousness and suffered bodily injury as a result of the assault.
Monique Clark, 32, of Stone Mountain, Georgia, has been indicted on charges of using excessive force against a pretrial detainee. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment contains only charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Department of Justice’s Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bret R. Hobson and Brent Alan Gray and DOJ Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Alec C. Ward are 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 Indicted for EscapeRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Doroteo Gonzales, 28, of Fresno, charging him with escape, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, in October 2021 Gonzalez was sentenced to federal prison after a conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. On Jan. 9, 2023, Gonzalez was transferred to the Turning Point Residential Reentry Center (RRC) in Fresno to finish serving his sentence. On Jan. 23, 2023, two weeks after Gonzalez arrived at the RRC, staff discovered that Gonzales was not present while conducting a count of the RRC’s residents. Gonzales was not authorized to leave the RRC and was not scheduled to be released until months later on April 11, 2023. The RRC Staff conducted a search of the facility and contacted local hospitals and jails attempting to locate Gonzales but were unsuccessful in locating him. Gonzalez is currently in federal custody.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Arin C. Heinz is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Gonzales faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Fraudulent Nursing Diploma Scheme Leads to Federal ConvictionsRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Twenty defendants have pled guilty or been convicted at trial in U.S. District Court in South Florida for their participation in a wire fraud scheme, known as Operation Nightingale, that created an illegal licensing and employment shortcut for aspiring nurses.
According to public records, residents of Florida, along with individuals from other states, were charged for their involvement in a scheme to sell fraudulent nursing degree diplomas and transcripts obtained from accredited Florida-based nursing schools to individuals seeking licenses and jobs as registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical/vocational nurses (LPN/VNs).
The bogus diplomas and transcripts qualified purchasers to sit for the national nursing board exam and, after passing it, to obtain licenses and jobs in various states as RNs and LPN/VNs. The overall scheme involved the distribution of more than 7,600 fake nursing diplomas issued by three South Florida-based nursing schools: Siena College in Broward County, Florida (Fla.), Palm Beach School of Nursing in Palm Beach County, Fla., and Sacred Heart International Institute in Broward County. These schools are now closed. Nursing applicants used the fraudulent diplomas to obtain RN or LPN/VN licenses in various states and nursing jobs with unwitting health care providers throughout the country.
The following defendants have pled guilty or were convicted at trial for their involvement in the fraudulent nursing diploma scheme (sentencing information is noted where available):
Defendants Associated with Fraudulent Nursing Diplomas and Transcripts from Siena College –
- Stanton Witherspoon, of Burlington County, New Jersey (N.J.), pled guilty on August 24, 2023, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud (Case No. 23-60005-Cr-Smith). Witherspoon is scheduled to be sentenced on November 2, 2023.
- Alfred Sellu, of Burlington County, N.J., pled guilty on August 18, 2023, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud (Case No. 23-60005-Cr-Smith). Sellu is scheduled to be sentenced on November 2, 2023.
- Rene Bernadel, of Westchester County, New York (N.Y.), pled guilty on August 24, 2023, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud (Case No. 23-60005-Cr-Smith). Bernadel is scheduled to be sentenced on November 2, 2023.
- Eunide Sanon, of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., pled guilty on March 14, 2023, to an information charging her with conspiracy to commit wire fraud (Case No. 23-60013-Cr-Moreno). Sanon was sentenced on May 23, 2023, to 27 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to forfeit $1,287,633.
Defendants Associated with Fraudulent Nursing Diplomas and Transcripts from Palm Beach School of Nursing –
- Krystal Lopez, of Palm Beach County, Fla., pled guilty on May 10, 2023, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud (Case No. 23-60007-Cr-Singhal). Krystal Lopez is scheduled to be sentenced on December 14, 2023.
- Damian Lopez, of Palm Beach County, Fla., pled guilty on May 10, 2023, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud (Case No. 23-60007-Cr-Singhal). Damian Lopez is scheduled to be sentenced on December 14, 2023.
- Francois Legagneur, of Nassau County, N.Y., pled guilty on May 10, 2023, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud (Case No. 23-60007-Cr-Singhal). Legagneur is scheduled to be sentenced on December 13, 2023.
- Reynoso Seide, of Union County, N.J., pled guilty on May 10, 2023, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud (Case No. 23-60007-Cr-Singhal). On September 19, 2023, Seide was sentenced to 24 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.
- Yelva Saint Preux, of Suffolk County, N.Y., pled guilty on May 10, 2023, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud (Case No. 23-60007-Cr-Singhal). Preux is scheduled to be sentenced on December 14, 2023.
- Palm Beach School of Nursing’s owner Johanah Napoleon pled guilty, on November 21, 2022, to wire fraud (Case No 22-60111-Cr-Smith) and conspiracy to commit wire fraud (Case No. 22-60118-Cr-Smith). Napoleon was sentenced on July 18, 2023, to 21 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to forfeit $3.2 million.
Defendants Associated with Fraudulent Nursing Diplomas and Transcripts from Sacred Heart International Institute –
- Rhomy Louis, of Suffolk County, N.Y., pled guilty on September 15, 2023, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud (Case No. 23-60010-Cr-Smith). Louis is scheduled to be sentenced on November 28, 2023.
- Simon Itaman, of Harris County, Texas (TX), pled guilty on September 15, 2023, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud (Case No. 23-60010-Cr-Smith). Simon Itaman is scheduled to be sentenced on November 28, 2023.
- Anna Itaman, of Harris County, TX, pled guilty on September 15, 2023, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud (Case No. 23-60010-Cr-Smith). Anna Itaman is scheduled to be sentenced on November 28, 2023.
- Serge Jean, of Harris County, TX, pled guilty on September 15, 2023, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud (Case No. 23-60010-Cr-Smith). Serge Jean is scheduled to be sentenced on November 28, 2023.
- Ludnie Jean, of Harris County, TX, pled guilty on September 15, 2023, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud (Case No. 23-60010-Cr-Smith). Ludnie Jean is scheduled to be sentenced on November 28, 2023.
- Cimoyne Alves, of Lincoln, Rhode Island, pled guilty on August 18, 2023, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud (Case No. 23-6006-Cr-Smith). Alves is scheduled to be sentenced on October 30, 2023.
- Charles Etienne, of Lake Worth, Fla., pled guilty on April 11, 2023, to an information charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud (Case No. 23-60012-Cr-Singhal). Etienne is scheduled to be sentenced on November 2, 2023.
- Nadege Auguste, of Coral Springs, Fla., was found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud on September 28, 2023. Auguste is scheduled to be sentenced on January 3, 2024.
Defendants Associated with Fraudulent Nursing Diplomas and Transcripts through PowerfulU Healthcare Services LLC -
- Geralda Adrien, of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud (Case No. 21-60198-Cr-WPD) and was sentenced on August 10, 2022, to 27 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to forfeit $3,309,000.
- Woosevelt Predestin, of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud and was sentenced on August 10, 2022, to 27 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to forfeit $3,309,000 (Case No. 21-60198-Cr-WPD).
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe; Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri, FBI, Miami Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar, HHS-OIG, made the announcement.
FBI Miami and HHS-OIG Miami investigated these cases. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations, Miami Field Office; U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs-Office of Inspector General; and Florida Attorney General-Florida Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Mid-Atlantic Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Clark is prosecuting these cases and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff is handling asset forfeiture.
A complaint, information, or indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
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.
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Fourth Defendant Charged with Federal Narcotics Offenses Resulting in Death in Connection with the Poisoning of Four Children at A Bronx DaycareRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Anne Milgram, the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), and Edward A. Caban, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today the unsealing of a criminal Complaint in Manhattan federal court charging FELIX HERRERA GARCIA with conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death in connection with the poisoning of four children under the age of three, one of whom died, at a daycare facility in the Bronx. HERRERA GARCIA is in custody and will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael S. Berg, in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Last night, Felix Herrera was arrested for his alleged role in running a fentanyl mill hidden inside a Bronx daycare, which caused the tragic death of a one-year-old boy and seriously injured three other children. Herrera’s arrest on the other side of the nation reflects our tireless pursuit of Herrera, who fled the daycare even as the children he abandoned inside were suffering from his poisonous trade. As I vowed in the wake of this horrific crime, Herrera’s arrest demonstrates once again that my Office and our dedicated law enforcement partners will stop at nothing to bring those who contribute to the deadly opioid crisis, which impacts even our most vulnerable community members, to justice.”
DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said: “Let me be clear: when it comes to protecting our communities and seeking justice, there are no boundaries, no safe havens, and no stones left unturned. This case is a stark reminder of the evil we face. The DEA will stop at nothing, and we will relentlessly pursue those responsible, no matter where they hide."
NYPD Police Commissioner Edward A. Caban said: “New York City law enforcement has a very long reach, and anyone who participates in the distribution of fentanyl in our communities will be held fully accountable – no matter where they run and try to hide. Today's charges reflect abhorrent criminality that will always be intolerable here, and the NYPD and our dedicated state and federal partners vow to investigate and arrest all those responsible for this proliferating threat.”
As alleged in the Complaint:[1]
From at least in or about July 2023 through at least in or about September 2023, FELIX HERRERA GARCIA and others, including GREI MENDEZ, CARLISTO ACEVEDO BRITO, and RENNY PARRA PAREDES, a/k/a “El Gallo,”[2] conspired to distribute fentanyl, including at a children’s daycare center in the Bronx, New York (the “Daycare”). There, despite the daily presence of children, including infants, HERRERA GARCIA and his co-conspirators maintained large quantities of narcotics, including a kilogram of fentanyl stored on top of children’s playmats and large quantities of suspected narcotics in hidden compartments known as “traps” located in the floor of the room in which the children played and slept. Also found in the daycare were materials used to package narcotics, including three “kilo presses.” One of the traps found in the floor of the Daycare is pictured below:
As a consequence of the drug conspiracy engaged in by HERRERA GARCIA and his co-conspirators, on or about September 15, 2023, four children at the Daycare, who were all under three years of age, appear to have experienced the effects of poisoning from exposure to fentanyl. Three of the children were hospitalized with serious injuries. The fourth child, a one-year-old boy, died.
Immediately prior to calling 911 to report that the children in her care were unresponsive, MENDEZ – HERRERA GARCIA’s wife – called HERRERA GARCIA twice. The first phone call went unanswered, the second phone call lasted just over 10 seconds. Then, only minutes before emergency personal arrived at the scene, surveillance footage shows HERRERA GARCIA walking swiftly from the building next door to the Daycare, where he and MENDEZ resided, and into the Daycare. When HERRERA GARCIA entered the Daycare, he was empty-handed. Approximately two minutes later, HERRERA GARCIA exited the Daycare again moving swiftly, but carrying what appears to be two shopping bags weighted with contents. Instead of exiting through the front door, HERRERA GARCIA exited out a back alley. And instead of following the paved alleyway behind the Daycare’s building, HERRERA GARCIA hurried through overgrown grass and bushes to exit the area. Photographs of HERRERA GARCIA hurrying out the rear of the Daycare’s building and then moving through the bushes to exit the area are below:
Furthermore, MENDEZ deleted approximately 21,526 messages from an encrypted messaging application on which she had exchanged messages with HERRERA GARCIA between approximately on or about March 30, 2021, and September 15, 2023. However, messages that have been recovered reveal that while MENDEZ was with members of law enforcement later on September 15, 2023, following the incident at the Daycare, MENDEZ informed HERRERA GARCIA that law enforcement was asking questions about him, including questions regarding his whereabouts. HERRERA GARCIA instructed MENDEZ to tell law enforcement, among other things, that he was working.
HERRERA GARCIA had been at large since he fled out the back alley behind the Daycare on September 15, 2023. He was apprehended by Mexican authorities working in coordination with U.S. law enforcement and arrested last night upon entry to the United States.
* * *
HERRERA GARCIA, 34, of the Bronx, New York, is charged in Count One with conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death and in Count Two with possession with intent to distribute narcotics resulting in death. Both Count One and Count Two carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The statutory minimum and maximum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA, the NYPD, the SDNY Digital Forensic Unit, the Complex Analytical and Social Media Enhancement Team at the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) New York Strike Force. Mr. Williams also thanked the NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force of the U.S. Marshals Service (“USMS”); the USMS Office of International Operations; the USMS for the Southern District of New York; the USMS for the Southern District of Texas; the USMS for the Southern District of California; the USMS Mexico Field Office; the USMS Investigative Operations Division; the DEA Resident Office in Allentown, Pennsylvania; the DEA District Office in McAllen, Texas; the DEA Country Office in Mexico City, Mexico; the DEA Resident Office in Hermosillo, Mexico; the DEA Resident Office in Monterrey, Mexico; the DEA Special Operations Division; the NYPD 52nd Precinct Detective Squad; the NYPD Bronx Homicide Squad; the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas; the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; and Mexican authorities.
The OCDETF New York Strike Force provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the New York Strike Force is to target, disrupt, and dismantle drug trafficking and money laundering organizations, reduce the illegal drug supply in the United States, and bring criminals to justice. The Strike Force is affiliated with the DEA’s New York Division and includes agents and officers of the DEA; NYPD; New York State Police; Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; New York National Guard; U.S. Coast Guard; New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision; Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office; Fort Lee Police Department; Palisades Interstate Parkway Police; Teaneck Police Department; Hillsdale Police Department; Closter Police Department; Northvale Police Department; River Vale Police Department; Englewood Police Department; Saddle River Police Department; Bergen County Sheriff’s Department; Hawthorne Police Department; and Hackensack Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon C. Thompson and Maggie Lynaugh are 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 descried therein should be treated as an allegation.
[2] GREI MENDEZ, CARLISTO ACEVEDO BRITO, and RENNY ANTONIO PARRA PAREDES, a/k/a “El Gallo,” have been charged in complaints under docket numbers 23 Mag. 6444 and 23 Mag. 6533.
Four Time Deported Honduran National Sentenced to 24 Months for Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – LUIS ALFREDO LEZAMA-RAMIREZ, age 43, was sentenced for illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), on September 28, 2023 announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, LUIS ALFREDO LEZAMA-RAMIREZ ("LEZAMA-RAMIREZ“), admitted reentering the United States after being previously deported on June 8, 2018. LEZAMA-RAMIREZ had also been deported in 2006, 2009, and 2012. LEZAMA-RAMIREZ was sentenced by Judge Carl J. Barbier, to 24 months in federal prison. He will be deported once again, following completion of his sentence. He was also ordered to pay a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Former Missouri Police Officer Indicted, Accused of Sexually Abusing Handcuffed DetaineesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A former officer with the North County Police Cooperative was accused in an indictment Wednesday of sexually assaulting men that he’d detained or arrested.
Marcellis Blackwell, 34, of St. Louis, was indicted on 21 felony counts: 16 counts of deprivation of rights under color of law, namely the right to bodily integrity, and five counts of altering records in a federal investigation. The indictment says that between Nov. 8, 2022 and June 5, 2023, Blackwell fondled the genitals of eight men who he had detained or handcuffed, committing abusive sexual contact. Blackwell also is accused in the indictment of sodomizing one of the men with his finger, an act of aggravated sexual abuse. The indictment also says Blackwell kidnapped the men and turned off his body camera prior to some of the incidents.
A motion seeking to have Blackwell, formerly known as Willis Green Overstreet III, held in jail until trial said Blackwell “victimized people he thought would be less likely to report his behavior.” Following media coverage of one victim’s report, seven more victims came forward, the motion says. The motion also says Blackwell’s phone contains videos of as-yet unidentified victims.
“The conduct alleged in the indictment is unacceptable for anyone, but infinitely more so for a police officer and when it involves handcuffed, helpless victims,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming. “We still have not identified all of the men who appear in recordings on the defendant’s phone and I’d like to encourage any potential victims to contact the FBI in St. Louis or the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
“We are not investigating the violation Blackwell cited to detain his victims,” said Special Agent in Charge Jay Greenberg of the FBI St Louis Division. “Our focus is on Blackwell’s alleged abuse of power to sexually assault his victims. Our goal is to bring justice to victims and to provide victim services.”
FBI St. Louis has established a hotline for potential victims of Marcellis Blackwell. Please call (314) 589-2682.Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The FBI investigated the case, following an initial investigation conducted by the North County Police Cooperative. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Krug is prosecuting the case.
Former Employee of Two Leading Global Financial Institutions and His Associates Charged with Insider TradingRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging ANTHONY VIGGIANO and his co-conspirator, STEPHEN FORLANO, Jr., with securities fraud and conspiracy. VIGGIANO and FORLANO were arrested this morning and will be presented later today. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni.
Also unsealed is the guilty plea of CHRISTOPHER SALAMONE. SALAMONE pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla on September 21, 2023, to charges arising from his participation in the insider trading scheme, and he is cooperating with the Government.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Anthony Viggiano betrayed the trust of his employers by tipping his friends with material non-public information, undermining the integrity of our financial markets in the process. No matter how evasive insider traders’ conduct, or the lengths gone to hide their offenses, this Office will track down and prosecute those who attempt to cheat the system.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: “This indictment is yet another example of individuals believing they can get away with benefiting from trading on material non-public information. As we have shown before, this type of alleged corporate self-dealing will not be tolerated. The FBI will ensure that those responsible for insider trading face the consequences in the criminal justice system.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment unsealed in Manhattan federal court and court filings:[1]
ANTHONY VIGGIANO was employed at two different, leading global financial institutions located in New York, New York, specifically an investment management firm (“Firm-1”) and an investment bank (“Firm-2,” and together with Firm-1, the “Firms”). VIGGIANO worked as an analyst in Firm-1’s New York, New York, office between in or about April 2021 and in or about October 2021 and then worked at Firm-2 in New York, New York, as an associate in the asset management department. While working at the Firms, VIGGIANO received confidential internal communications that contained detailed information about non-public potential strategic partnerships involving Firm-1 and acquisitions involving Firm-2.
VIGGIANO attended college with FORLANO and was a childhood friend of SALAMONE. In violation of the duties that he owed to each of the Firms, VIGGIANO tipped FORLANO and SALAMONE with material nonpublic information (“MNPI”) relating to the names of potential counterparties for Firm-1’s strategic partnerships and, later, information that VIGGIANO learned during his employment at Firm-2 about companies that were potential acquisition targets. After VIGGIANO started working at Firm-2, he continued tipping FORLANO with MNPI that VIGGIANO obtained through his employer. In total, VIGGIANO tipped FORLANO and/or SALAMONE with inside information in advance of at least seven different transactions involving publicly traded companies.
FORLANO and SALAMONE each used MNPI provided by VIGGIANO to purchase shares in companies and to trade call options, including short-dated, out-of-the-money call options. VIGGIANO and SALAMONE agreed to split the profits from their illegal trading, which yielded total illegal profits of over approximately $300,000. FORLANO further provided this MNPI to friends and family through, among other means, a video game console’s audio chat function in order to evade detection by law enforcement. FORLANO himself illegally profited at least approximately $100,000 from the scheme.
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VIGGIANO, 26, of Baldwin, New York, has been charged with eight counts of securities fraud under Title 15, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
FORLANO, 27, of Tampa, Florida, has been charged with three counts of securities fraud under Title 15, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
SALAMONE, 35, of Long Beach, New York, has been charged with three counts of securities fraud under Title 15, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI. He also expressed appreciation for the work of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which separately initiated parallel civil proceedings against the defendants today.
This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter Davis and Jared Lenow are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Former Chair of Marijuana Board, Rick Johnson, Sentenced to 55 Months in Federal Prison for BriberyRead the Press Release
Johnson Obtained More Than $110,000 In Bribe Payments; U.S. Attorney Mark Totten Affirms Commitment to Fight Public Corruption
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Rick Vernon Johnson, 70, of LeRoy, Michigan, was sentenced to serve 55 months in federal prison and fined $50,000 for soliciting and accepting bribes in his role as the former Chairperson of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Licensing Board (MMLB). Johnson was also ordered to forfeit an additional $110,200. Following his release from prison, Johnson will serve two years on supervised release. U.S. District Court Judge Jane Beckering imposed the sentence.
“Rick Johnson’s brazen corruption tainted an emerging industry, squandered the public’s trust, and scorned a democracy that depends on the rule of law,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “My office stands ready to fight public corruption whenever and wherever we find it, without fear or favor, following the evidence wherever it leads, with independence and impartiality.”
Rick Johnson was a member and the Chairperson of the MMLB between May 2017 and April 2019. Prior to his appointment to that Board, Johnson worked as a lobbyist in Lansing, Michigan, and served as Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives between 2001 and 2004.
Johnson received at least $110,200 in bribes while he was MMLB Chair, including cash payments, flights to Canada on private aircraft, and commercial sex paid for by others. Co-defendant John Dalaly, who was sentenced to 28 months in federal prison by Judge Beckering on September 14, 2023, paid Johnson $68,200 in bribes. Co-defendants Brian Pierce and Vincent Brown, who will be sentenced on October 18, 2023, paid $42,000 to or for the benefit of Johnson.
Johnson took several steps to conceal the bribes, such as using a second “burner” phone and laundering bribes through various limited liability companies he controlled to hide their purpose. In addition, several bribe payers referred to Johnson using the alias “Batman.”
In return for those payments, Johnson provided an unfair advantage to bribe payers in the form of his favorable vote on license applications, his help and support throughout the licensing process, and confidential inside information pertaining to the MMLB’s work and other applicants.
The remaining defendants, Brian Pierce and Vincent Brown, will be sentenced for conspiracy to commit bribery on Wednesday, October 18, 2023, at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., respectively, in Grand Rapids. Judge Beckering will also impose those sentences.
“Public corruption is the top criminal investigative priority for the FBI,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “I am thankful for the outstanding FBI personnel for their daily commitment to following the facts, not politics, wherever they lead, particularly in this case. The FBI continues to urge concerned citizens to report public corruption information they believe they may have by calling FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submitting tips online at tips.fbi.gov.”
Assistant United States Attorneys Chris O’Connor and Clay Stiffler are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
Filed Governments Sentencing Memorandum Johnson###
MEDIA NOTE: U.S. Attorney Totten’s remarks following today’s sentencing can be viewed on the U.S. Attorney’s Facebook Page at streamed live @usao.wdmi on the U.S. Attorney’s Facebook Page.
Previous press releases concerning this case can be viewed by visiting the below links.
- Oakland County Businessman Sentenced to 28 Months in Federal Prison for Paying Bribes to Rick Johnson
- Four Charged in State Bribery Scheme
- Rick Johnson, former Chairperson of the Michigan Medical Licensing Board, and three others have agreed to plead guilty and cooperate in ongoing investigation
Former California Prison Correctional Officer Indicted for Accepting BribesRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — On Sept. 14, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment against Stephen Joseph Crittenden, 43, of Suisun City, charging him with bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. The indictment was unsealed following Crittenden’s arrest.
According to court documents, Crittenden was a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation correctional officer at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville. In 2021 and 2022 he accepted bribes to smuggle cellphones into the California Medical Facility.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas M. Fogg is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Crittenden faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
crittenden_indictment.pdfFormer CEO and Former CFO of Telecommunications Company Charged in Connection with Massive Accounting Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging Victor Bozzo, former Chief Executive Officer and former Chief Commercial Officer of Pareteum Corporation, and EDWARD O’DONNELL, Pareteum’s former Chief Financial Officer, with conspiracy, securities fraud, making false Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) filings, and improperly influencing the conduct of audits for their roles in a scheme to overstate Pareteum’s revenue by tens of millions of dollars. BOZZO and O’DONNELL were arrested earlier today and will be presented this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian.
Also unsealed is the guilty plea of STANLEY STEFANSKI, Pareteum’s former Controller. STEFANSKI pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Andrew L. Carter on September 14, 2023, to charges arising from his participation in the scheme to fraudulently inflate Pareteum’s revenue and related crimes, and he is cooperating with the Government.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Victor Bozzo, the former CEO of Pareteum, and Edward O’Donnell, the former CFO, and their co-conspirators allegedly schemed to inflate the company’s revenue, thereby making the company appear more profitable than it was and allowing Bozzo and O’Donnell to obtain performance bonuses they had not earned. To conceal their alleged fraud, Bozzo and O’Donnell then took steps to mislead the independent certified public accountants engaged to audit Pareteum’s financial statements. With today’s Indictment, Bozzo and O’Donnell’s alleged deceit comes to an end.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: “This indictment reflects the serious harm executives caused by deliberately misleading shareholders, auditors, and the general public about the financial strength of a public company. The FBI remains committed to fighting white-collar crime, protecting investors, and holding fraudsters who degrade the integrity of our markets accountable.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:[1]
The defendants, and other senior executives at the company, engaged in a scheme to improperly and misleadingly recognize revenue at Pareteum, which owned and managed a mobile device network platform. The defendants and their co-conspirators made the revenue appear to have been earned in its records based on aspirational, non-binding purchase orders that did not impose any obligation on customers to pay Pareteum. The defendants, and other senior executives at Pareteum, knew that in many cases Pareteum was recognizing revenue before Pareteum had delivered any products or services to its customers. In order to conceal Pareteum’s fraudulent accounting practices, BOZZO, O’DONNELL, and other senior executives at Pareteum took steps to mislead the independent certified public accountants engaged to audit Pareteum’s financial statements.
Pareteum’s inflated revenue gave the appearance that Pareteum was meeting aggressive revenue and growth projections, which served the ultimate goal of increasing Pareteum’s share price. In press releases accompanying Pareteum’s quarterly filings, Pareteum provided guidance on its expected revenue and revenue growth for the year. During each period, Pareteum touted its quarter-over-quarter revenue and revenue growth. Pareteum publicly identified revenue as the principal metric demonstrating its growth and touted its consistent record of quarter-over-quarter revenue growth and meeting or exceeding revenue guidance, which itself typically increased quarter-over-quarter. However, this ostensible pace of revenue growth was only possible because of the fraud orchestrated by the defendants.
In order to carry out the fraud, the defendants and their co-conspirators improperly recognized revenue from customers based on non-binding contracts. Specifically, Pareteum’s customers were cellular providers that paid to use Pareteum’s platform to monitor, meter, and bill their own individual customers, who were individual cellphone or connected device end users. Typically, before a customer could use Pareteum’s platform, the customer and Pareteum would sign a Master Services Agreement, which set forth Pareteum’s obligations to provide the customer with SIM cards that provided cellphone users, who obtained cellphone service through Pareteum’s customer, access to Pareteum’s mobile network. At this stage, the customer did not owe Pareteum any money and no revenue had been earned by Pareteum; instead, Pareteum had first to develop and implement a platform for the customer and ensure that it functioned such that the customer could go “live” on the Pareteum network. Once the Pareteum customer was live on the network and sold a SIM card to an actual cellphone user, that user could put the SIM card into his or her phone and begin making calls or consuming mobile data. It was only at that point that Pareteum’s customer would be required to pay Pareteum for the data usage.
BOZZO and O’DONNELL understood that purchase orders were not sales contracts because, as they and others at Pareteum well knew, and Paretuem’s customers understood, the purchase orders did not reflect binding commitments. Instead, purchase orders typically reflected anticipated future sales. Purchase orders typically set forth the customer’s intention to purchase SIM cards from Pareteum and to generate usage fees if and when the customer was able to sell the SIMs to end users who then activated the SIM cards and used Pareteum’s platform.
However, in violation of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, Pareteum executives, including VICTOR BOZZO and EDWARD O’DONNELL, caused Pareteum at times to recognize revenue at the time a purchase order was signed for the full projected value of the purchase order, even though they were aware that typically the relevant counterparties were obligated to pay that amount only if and when in the future all SIM cards in the purchase order had been shipped, were activated by Pareteum’s customers, and were used for one month on Pareteum’s network. As BOZZO and O’DONNELL were also aware, in many cases, pervasive technical and operational issues meant that Pareteum was actually incapable of satisfying its performance obligations under the terms of its agreements with customers.
As a result of this fraudulent revenue recognition practice, from at least in or about 2018 through the first half of 2019, Pareteum improperly recognized and reported to the investing public more than $40 million of revenue that it should not have.
As to one customer, referred to in the Indictment as Customer-4, Pareteum recognized revenue totaling $4.4 million based on an unsigned, draft purchase order for €6.3 million, which Customer-4 had not accepted. Instead, Customer-4 had signed a purchase order, which itself did not reflect a binding commitment but merely reflected anticipated future sales, for only €630,000 – in other words, one tenth of the draft €6.3 million purchase order and far less than the revenue Pareteum recognized. Pareteum nonetheless recognized $4.4 million in revenue for Customer-4 in three tranches, and at the time it recognized each of those tranches, Customer-4’s platform was not yet live and so it could not yet use Pareteum’s services.
* * *
BOZZO, 54, of Ringoes, New Jersey, and O’DONNELL, 58, of East Atlantic Beach, New York, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, make false SEC filings, and improperly influence the conduct of audits, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison; one count of securities fraud under Title 15, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; one count of false SEC filings, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of improperly influencing the conduct of audits, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
The 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 work of the FBI. Mr. Williams further thanked the SEC, which today filed a parallel civil action against BOZZO and O’DONNELL and also announced settled charges against STEFANSKI.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kiersten A. Fletcher, Margaret Graham, and Allison Nichols are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth in this release constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Former Airline Gate Agent Sentenced for Cheating Airline Ticketing SystemRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Chelsea woman was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for using her position as an airline gate agent to convert low-cost flights to more expensive flights and destinations for friends, family and acquaintances.
Tiffany Jenkins, 35, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf to time served (one day) and 18 months of supervised release with the first three months to be served on curfew. Jenkins pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud in October 2019.
As a gate agent, Jenkins had access to the airline’s computer reservation database and had the ability to use a special code, referred to as an involuntary exchange or “INVOL,” to change flights for customers at no additional cost. This code enables agents to change flights for customers who miss their flights or experience a death in the family.
During a 15-month period, from approximately July 1, 2016, through Sept. 27, 2017, Jenkins executed approximately 505 involuntary ticket exchanges for more than 100 different passengers. Many of those exchanges occurred after the passenger was first booked on domestic flights at one of the airline company’s lowest available fares—often, roundtrip flights between Las Vegas, Nev., and Long Beach, Calif. A short time later, Jenkins exchanged those tickets for a completely different city pair, generally involving much more expensive international locations, for friends, family and acquaintances.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Holcomb of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Five sent to prison in nationwide fraud scheme targeting elderly victimsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – All people charged in a conspiracy to commit mail fraud have been ordered to federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Indian citizens MD Azad, 26, Sumit Kumar Singh, 30, Himanshu Kumar, 26, MD Hasib, 28, and Anirudha Kalkote, 26, admitted they participated in a fraud ring from 2019-2020 which operated out of various cities including Houston. All illegally resided in Houston.
U.S. District Judge Kenneth Hoyt has now ordered Hasib to serve 78 months in federal prison. The court previously sentenced Singh, Kumar and Kalkote each also to 78 months, while Azad, the highest ranking member of the conspiracy in the United States, received 188 months. Not U.S. citizens, all are expected to face removal proceedings following the prison terms.
At the respective hearings, the court heard evidence from victim impact letters that described the suffering that almost 200 victims, many of whom were elderly, had endured because of this fraud. Some victims lost their life savings. Others were threatened when they refused to continue to pay and described continuing fear and ongoing anxiety after being watched through the video cameras on their home computers. In handing down the sentences, the court noted that the victim letters sounded like a “horror show.”
“Anxiety, fear, humiliation and devastating financial loss are what these victims endured,” said Hamdani. “The criminals were relentless, preying on the elderly, often revictimizing their targets. These scammers from India didn’t care what impact their scheme had; all they cared about was money and a lot of it. Thankfully, the court imposed a just sentence for each of these ruthless fraudsters, bringing the victims peace and closure.”
“The sentences imposed for the defendants in this case should serve as a harbinger for anyone attempting to defraud and manipulate our nation’s elderly. Prison awaits you,” said Special Agent in Charge Ramsey E. Covington of IRS Criminal Investigation (CI). “This was an effort that combined the investigative skills of multiple law enforcement agencies that partnered together to uphold our commitment to the Elder Justice Initiative. We will continue to protect our seniors.”
The scheme targeted elderly victims throughout the United States and elsewhere.
The ring tricked and deceived victims using various ruses and instructed them to send money via wire through a money transmitter business such as Western Union or MoneyGram, by buying gift cards and providing to the fraudsters or by mailing cash to alias names via FedEx or UPS.
Part of the scheme involved fraudsters contacting victims by phone or via internet sites for computer technical support and directing victims to a particular phone number. Once victims contacted the fraudsters, they were told various stories such as they were communicating with an expert that needed remote access to their computer in order to provide technical support services. The fraudsters then gained access to victims’ personal data and bank and credit card information.
Victims typically paid a fee to conspirators for the fake technical support but were later told they were due a refund. Through paying for “technical support” or through the “refund” process, the ring gained access to the victim’s bank account(s) and credit cards and manipulated the accounts to make it appear the victim was paid too large a refund due to a typographical error. Victims were then instructed to reimburse the ring by various means.
Victims were sometimes re-victimized multiple times and threatened with bodily harm if they did not pay.
All five individuals will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and IRS CI conducted the investigation with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office and other local law enforcement agencies throughout the United States including the Sheriff’s Office and Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office of Augusta County, Virginia. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Belinda Beek and Quincy Ollison prosecuted the case.
The case is brought as a part of the Elder Justice Initiative. Its goal is to support and coordinate the Department’s enforcement and programmatic efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect and financial fraud and scams that target our nation’s older adults.
In March 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice launched National Elder Fraud Hotline to help combat fraud against older Americans and provide services to victims. If you or someone you know is a victim of elder fraud, we encourage you to call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833–FRAUD–11 (833–372–8311).
The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. eastern time. Services are available for speakers of English, Spanish and other languages.
Felon Sentenced to 30 Months Imprisonment on Federal Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that ORONDE GABRIEL, age 39 of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Eldon E. Fallon to 30 months of imprisonment after pleading guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, in violation of the Federal Gun Control Act, Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2). GABRIEL was also sentenced to three (3) years of supervised release following his release from prison and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
According to court documents, GABRIEL was in an automobile accident on September 27, 2021. A police officer observed the crash and found GABRIEL in possession of a fully loaded Taurus Model G2C, nine-millimeter handgun, with an extended high-capacity magazine. GABRIEL was previously convicted of conspiracy to make false and fictitious statements in connection with the acquisition of a firearm in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
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 case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Orleans Levee District Police. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Rivera of the Financial Crimes Unit.
El Departamento de Justicia Llega a un Acuerdo con una Compañía de Servicios de Consejería que Resuelve Acusaciones de Discriminación Relacionada con la InmigraciónRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha llegado a un acuerdo conciliatorio con Greene Kleen of South Florida, Incorporated (Greene Kleen), una empresa de servicios de conserjería con sede en Miami, Florida. El acuerdo conciliatorio resuelve la determinación del Departamento de que Greene Kleen vulneró la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad (INA) al discriminar a no ciudadanos de los EE. UU. al verificar su permiso para trabajar en los Estados Unidos.
«Los empleadores no pueden imponer requisitos de documentos específicos a los trabajadores para demostrar su permiso para trabajar que difieran en función de la ciudadanía o el estatus migratorio», dijo Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «El Departamento no tolerará estas prácticas ilegales y discriminatorias, que crean barreras innecesarias al empleo para las personas que solo están intentando ganarse la vida».
La investigación del Departamento determinó que, desde al menos el 1 de enero del 2019, hasta el 28 de febrero del 2022, Greene Kleen permitía, de forma rutinaria, a los ciudadanos de los EE. UU. elegir la documentación aceptable que deseaban presentar para demostrar su permiso para trabajar, pero, de forma rutinaria, requería que residentes permanentes legales y otros no ciudadanos de los EE. UU. presentaran solamente un tipo de documentación.
Conforme los términos del acuerdo, Greene Kleen pagará $140,000 en sanciones civiles a los Estados Unidos, capacitará a sus empleados en cuanto a los requisitos antidiscriminatorios de la INA, revisará sus políticas de empleo y se someterá a supervisión por parte del Departamento.
Las leyes federales permiten a todos los trabajadores elegir la documentación válida y legalmente aceptable que desean presentar para demostrar su identidad y permiso para trabajar en los EE. UU., independientemente de su estatus de ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen. La disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA prohíbe a los empleadores solicitar documentos específicos o innecesarios por motivos del estatus de ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen de un trabajador. De hecho, muchos no ciudadanos de los EE. UU., incluidos los residentes permanentes legales, son elegibles para varios de los mismos tipos de documentos para demostrar su permiso para trabajar como lo son los ciudadanos de los EE. UU. (por ejemplo, un carnet de identidad estatal o licencia de conducir y una tarjeta de Seguro Social sin restricciones). Los empleadores deben permitir que los trabajadores presenten cualquier documentación aceptable que los trabajadores mismos elijan y no pueden rechazar documentación válida que parezca razonablemente genuina y relacionada con el trabajador.
La Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados («IER», por sus siglas en inglés) de la División de Derechos Civiles es responsable de hacer cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. La ley prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía y nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión, prácticas documentales injustas y represalias e intimidación
Puede obtener más información sobre cómo los empleadores pueden evitar la discriminar al verificar el permiso para trabajar de alguien en el sitio web de IER. Aprenda más sobre el trabajo de la IER y cómo conseguir ayuda mediante este vídeo corto. Aquellos aspirantes o empleados que creen haber sido discriminados por motivos de su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido, reclutamiento o verificación de la elegibilidad para trabajar (Formulario I-9 e E-Verify) o sujetos a represalias pueden presentar una denuncia. El público también puede llamar a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); llamar a la línea directa de la IER para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); enviar un correo electrónico a [email protected]; inscribirse a un seminario en línea gratuito o visualizar una presentación a la carta; o visitar los sitios web de la IER en inglés y español. Suscribirse a actualizaciones por correo electrónico de la IER.
greene_kleen-signed-settlement.pdfEl Departamento de Justicia Llega a un Acuerdo con un Fabricante con Sede en California que Resuelve Acusaciones de Discriminación Relacionada con la InmigraciónRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha conseguido un acuerdo conciliatorio con Home and Body Company (Home and Body), un fabricante de jabones y cremas con sede en Huntington Beach, California. El acuerdo resuelve la determinación del Departamento que Home and Body vulneró la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad (INA) al discriminar a no ciudadanos de los EE. UU. cuando verificó su permiso para trabajar en los Estados Unidos.
«Los empleadores no pueden limitar el tipo de documentos que los trabajadores pueden usar para demostrar su permiso para trabajar», declaró Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «El Departamento se compromete a eliminar las barreras discriminatorias ilegales que dificultan el trabajo para personas en los EE. UU.».
La investigación del Departamento determinó que, desde al menos el 23 de septiembre del 2019 hasta el 1 de octubre del 2020, Home and Body requerían, de forma rutinaria, que los residentes legales permanentes presentaran un documento de inmigración específico al verificar su permiso para trabajar, en función de su ciudadanía o estatus migratorio.
Conforme los términos del acuerdo, Home and Body pagará $130,000 en sanciones civiles a los Estados Unidos, capacitará a sus empleados en cuanto a los requisitos de la INA, revisará sus políticas de empleo y se someterá a supervisión por parte del Departamento.
Las leyes federales permiten a todos los trabajadores elegir la documentación válida y legalmente aceptable desean presentar para demostrar su identidad y permiso para trabajar en los EE. UU., independientemente de su estatus de ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen. La disposición antidiscriminación de la INA prohíbe a los empleadores solicitar documentos específicos o innecesarios por motivos del estatus de ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen de un trabajador. De hecho, muchos no ciudadanos de los EE. UU., incluidos los residentes permanentes legales, son elegibles para varios de los mismos tipos de documentos para demostrar su permiso para trabajar como lo son ciudadanos de los EE. UU. (por ejemplo, un carnet de identidad estatal o licencia de conducir y una tarjeta de Seguro Social sin restricciones). Los empleadores deben permitir que los trabajadores presenten cualquier documentación aceptable que los trabajadores mismos elijan y no pueden rechazar documentación válida que parece ser genuina.
La Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados (IER, por sus siglas en inglés) de la División de Derechos Civiles es responsable de hacer cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. La ley prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía y nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión, prácticas documentales injustas y represalias e intimidación.
Puede obtener más información sobre cómo los empleadores pueden evitar la discriminar al verificar el permiso para trabajar de alguien en el sitio web de IER. Aprenda más sobre el trabajo de la IER y cómo conseguir ayuda mediante este vídeo corto. Aquellos aspirantes o empleados que creen haber sido discriminados por motivos de su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido, reclutamiento o verificación de la elegibilidad para trabajar (Formulario I-9 e E-Verify) o sujetos a represalias pueden presentar una denuncia. El público también puede llamar a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1‑800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); llamar a la línea directa de la IER para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); enviar un correo electrónico a [email protected]; inscribirse a un seminario en línea gratuito o visualizar una presentación a la carta; o visitar los sitios web de la IER en inglés y español. Suscribirse a actualizaciones por correo electrónico de la IER.
home_and_body_settlement.pdfEDVA Honors Federal, State, and Local Law Enforcement for Exceptional Service to the CommunityRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Today U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber recognized over 300 officers and agents from federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies with Public Service Awards.
The Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA) typically holds annual awards ceremonies to recognize the law enforcement officials for their service and contribution to various criminal and civil cases investigated and prosecuted here in EDVA. Award ceremonies took place September 6 in Newport News, September 7 in Norfolk, September 26 in Richmond, and today in Alexandria.
“Here in EDVA, as part of the Department of Justice, our mission is to uphold the rule of law, keep our country safe, and protect civil rights.” said Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “But we do not – and we cannot – do this work alone. Every day, federal, state, and local law enforcement officers from across the country work to protect their communities. These awardees were critical teammates on federal cases that represent the very best of this noble work.”
The awards highlighted federal cases, operations, and initiatives from 2022. The federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies listed below had officers and/or agents who were recognized for their bravery, outstanding collaboration, investigative achievement, investigative excellence, and victim assistance. Members of the following agencies were recognized at each of the ceremonies:
Alexandria
Newport News
Norfolk
Richmond
Alexandria Police
ATF Washington Field Division
ATF Washington Field Division
ATF Washington Field Division
Arlington County Police
Department of Labor OIG
Chesapeake Police Department
Department of Education – OIG
ATF Washington Division
FBI Cincinnati
Department of Homeland Security – OIG
Department of Homeland Security - OIG
Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section – HTIU
FBI Norfolk Field Office
Department of Labor – OIG
Department of Labor – OIG
Defense Contract Audit Agency
Gloucester County Sheriff’s Office
Drug Enforcement Administration
Drug Enforcement Administration Washington
Defense Criminal Investigative Services
Hampton Police
FBI-Norfolk Field Office
FBI-Richmond Field Office
Defense Intelligence Agency-Office of Inspector General
Homeland Security Investigations
General Services Administration– OIG
FDIC- OIG
Department of Homeland Security
Mathews County Sheriff’s Office
Homeland Security Investigations
Henrico County Police
Drug Enforcement Administration Memphis
Naval Criminal Investigative Service
Naval Criminal Investigative Service
Homeland Security Investigations
Drug Enforcement Administration Washington
Newport News Police
Norfolk Police
IRS-Criminal Investigation
FBI Washington Field Office
U.S. Marshals Service
U.S. Marshals Service
Richmond Police
Homeland Security Investigations
U.S. Postal Inspection Service
U.S. Postal Inspection Service
Small Business Administration – OIG
IRS-Criminal Investigations
Virginia Beach Police
Virginia Attorney General’s Office
Social Security Administration- OIG
Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office
Virginia State Police
Virginia Beach Police
U.S. Postal Inspection Service
Manassas City Police Department
Virginia Dept. of Forensic Science
VCU Police
Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority Police
Virginia Medicaid Fraud Control Unit
Virginia Office of Attorney General
Montgomery County Police Department
Virginia State Corporation Commission
Virginia Office of the State Inspector General
Naval Criminal Investigative Service
Virginia State Police
Virginia State Corporation Commission
Small Business Administration - OIG
TSA Federal Air Marshal Service
U.S. Air Force – Office of Special Investigations
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service
U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service (DSS)
U.S. Marine Corps
U.S. Park Police
U.S. Postal Inspection Service
U.S. Secret Service
Virginia State Police
In addition to awards presented for investigative efforts, the peer recovery specialists of Project Recover and their law enforcement and emergency medical partners were also recognized with an award at the Richmond ceremony. Project Recover funds certified peer recovery specialists (CPRS) assigned to Richmond City PD, Richmond Ambulance Authority, Chesterfield County PD, Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, eleven Bon Secours hospitals, and the Bon Secours’ Partial Hospitalization Program. These CPRSs assist overdose victims in getting into treatment and recovery programs immediately following drug overdose resuscitation and provide follow-up services and support. These individuals and their medical and law enforcement counterparts were awarded for their significant impact on public health and safety through trainings, Naloxone distribution, engagements with individuals suffering from substance use disorder, and increasing public awareness of treatment and recovery services.
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.