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6 November 2023
Federal Jury Convicts Masked Man for Armed Robbery of Multiple PharmaciesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Jesse Rance Moore (46, Bell) guilty of four counts pertaining to Hobbs Act robberies and three counts of brandishing a firearm during the robberies. Moore faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each of the robbery offenses and up to life in federal prison for each of the firearm offenses. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 30, 2024. Moore had been charged in a superseding indictment on January 26, 2023.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, the FBI first learned of a masked man robbing a string of pharmacy stores in the Columbia County area after the North Florida Pharmacy in Fort White was robbed at gun point on January 13, 2022. This masked individual was captured on surveillance exiting a blue/grey sedan, walking into the pharmacy with a black handgun, and demanding controlled substances, specifically, oxycodone, oxycontin, and Percocet.
After holding up multiple store employees and taking the controlled substances, the masked man exited the pharmacy and drove southbound on US Highway 27. Unbeknownst to the robber, a good Samaritan in the pharmacy’s drive-thru followed the getaway vehicle and captured the license plate number, which led back to Moore. Further, the FBI later discovered that the vehicles used in the previous three robberies: the North Florida Pharmacy (Fort White) on August 2, 2021; North Florida Pharmacy (Chiefland) on November 20, 2021; and the Baya West Pharmacy (Lake City) on December 29, 2021 either matched the description of a pickup truck registered to Moore or matched the vehicles Moore’s wife had rented just days prior to the robberies.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, law enforcement seized articles of clothing, multiple masks, the firearm, handwritten notes, and brown boots associated with the robberies. In addition, and despite Moore’s many disguises, witnesses testified to the robber’s physical appearance, clothing, interactions, and demeanor during the robberies.
During trial, evidence seized from Moore’s cellphone was presented to demonstrate that he had googled medications stolen from the pharmacies, the store hours of pharmacies, and a variety of keyword searches, including the question “do drug stores get robbed in florida,” which he had Googled just a couple weeks prior to the first robbery.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the Lake City Police Department, the Chiefland Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kirwinn Mike.
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Two Men in Connection with Robberies of Suburban Chicago Financial InstitutionsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal grand jury has returned a superseding indictment against two men for allegedly robbing several banks and a credit union in the Chicago suburbs.
CHARLES LAWLER and TARANDLE LEE committed the robberies in 2021 and 2022, according to a superseding indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The charges allege that the pair together robbed four financial institutions and that Lawler robbed another bank by himself. The indictment seeks forfeiture of $29,944 from the defendants.
The indictment identifies the robberies as follows:
- Sept. 22, 2021: Lawler robbed BMO Harris Bank in Naperville, Ill.
- Sept. 28, 2021: Lawler and Lee robbed Old Second Bank in Lisle, Ill.
- Oct. 6, 2021: Lawler and Lee robbed Bank Financial in Westmont, Ill.
- Jan. 3, 2022: Lawler and Lee robbed BMO Harris Bank in Woodridge, Ill.
- April 14, 2022: Lawler and Lee robbed DuPage Credit Union in Downers Grove, Ill.
Lawler, 53, of Villa Park, Ill., and Lee, 44, of Bolingbrook, Ill., are currently detained in law enforcement custody. Arraignments are set for Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Robert W. Gettleman.
The superseding indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Substantial assistance was provided by the Naperville, Ill. Police Department, Lisle, Ill. Police Department, Westmont, Ill. Police Department, Woodridge, Ill. Police Department, Downers Grove, Ill. Police Department, Skokie, Ill. Police Department, and Evanston, Ill. Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alejandro G. Ortega.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Lawler and Lee superseding indictmentFederal Court Orders Puerto Rico Pharmaceutical Distributor to Pay $12 Million in Connection with Alleged Failure to Report Suspicious Orders of Pharmaceutical Drugs and Other Controlled Substance ViolationsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A federal court in Puerto Rico entered a consent decree requiring Droguería Betances, LLC (Betances), one of Puerto Rico’s largest distributors of pharmaceutical drugs, to pay $12 million and make extensive improvements to its compliance program, the Justice Department announced today.
The consent decree resolves a complaint filed by the United States on Nov. 3, alleging that from 2016 through at least June 2019, Betances failed to report to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) hundreds of “suspicious orders” for opioids and other controlled substances distributed to Betances’ pharmacy customers — i.e., orders that were unusual in their frequency, size or other patterns. According to the complaint, this included at least 655 suspicious orders for fentanyl and at least 113 suspicious orders for oxycodone, both of which are frequently misused products that have been contributing to the current opioid abuse epidemic.
In addition, the complaint alleged that from May 2017 to July 2018, Betances failed to make required reports of its distribution transactions to DEA via an automated reporting system, including all of Betances’ distributions of Schedule II opioids during that period — more than 7.8 million dosage units. According to the complaint, Betances also committed hundreds of recordkeeping violations, such as filling orders for controlled substances with defective order forms and submitting inaccurate shipping or delivery information to DEA.
According to the consent decree, the Justice Department conducted an analysis of Betances’ financial condition in relation to its potential exposure to civil fines and forfeiture. Based in part on ability to pay, the consent decree requires Betances to pay $12 million over five years in annual payments, with $10.2 million in the form of civil penalties and $1.8 million in civil forfeiture.
The consent decree also requires Betances to make extensive improvements in its compliance program. Betances must implement improved controlled substance monitoring program procedures and systems to review all orders of controlled substances and to detect and report suspicious orders to DEA. Betances must also improve its procedures and systems for conducting due diligence reviews of its pharmacy customers. The consent decree further requires Betances to submit annual reports about its compliance program and customers to DEA and other Justice Department components. Betances must also improve its ARCOS reporting system to ensure proper and accurate reporting of all acquisitions and distributions of Schedule II controlled substances.
“Companies that distribute controlled substances to pharmacies and other points of sale have an important responsibility to help stop the illegal distribution of controlled substances by reporting suspicious orders to DEA,” said Principal Deputy Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who fail to fulfill their reporting obligations.”
“The duty to report suspicious orders and other reporting requirements imposed on wholesale pharmaceutical distributors by the Controlled Substance Act is critical to ensuring the safety of our citizens from potential harm, including those associated with drug diversion, drug tampering and drug overdoses resulting from illegal drug sales and consumption,” said U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to do everything in our power to ensure compliance and will use all legal remedies available to hold corporate entities and individuals accountable.”
“As we continue to face unprecedented loss of American lives during the ongoing opioid epidemic, DEA believes that everyone within the pharmaceutical supply chain is responsible for doing their due diligence to prevent the diversion of controlled substances,” said Assistant Administrator Thomas W. Prevoznik of the DEA’s Diversion Control Division. “Compliance with the law is one of the best acts of prevention our registrants can do to ensure that these drugs are distributed for legitimate medical use. Reporting suspicious orders is required under the law and a key part in keeping our communities safe.”
The DEA’s Diversion Control Division, Caribbean Division, San Juan Division Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys David O. Martorani-Dale and Gabriella S. Paglieri for the District of Puerto Rico and Trial Attorney Tom Rosso of the Civil Divison’s Consumer Protection Branch represented the United States.
The claims resolved by the consent decree announced today are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
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betances_consent_decree.pdfFederal Court Orders Puerto Rico Pharmaceutical Distributor to Pay $12 Million in Connection with Alleged Failure to Report Suspicious Orders of Pharmaceutical Drugs and Other Controlled Substance ViolationsRead the Press Release
A federal court in Puerto Rico entered a consent decree requiring Droguería Betances LLC (Betances), one of Puerto Rico’s largest distributors of pharmaceutical drugs, to pay $12 million and make extensive improvements to its compliance program, the Justice Department announced today.
The consent decree resolves a complaint filed by the United States on Nov. 3, alleging that from 2016 through at least June 2019, Betances failed to report to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) hundreds of “suspicious orders” for opioids and other controlled substances distributed to Betances’ pharmacy customers — i.e., orders that were unusual in their frequency, size or other patterns. According to the complaint, this included at least 655 suspicious orders for fentanyl and at least 113 suspicious orders for oxycodone, both of which are frequently misused products that have been contributing to the current opioid abuse epidemic.
In addition, the complaint alleged that from May 2017 to July 2018, Betances failed to make required reports of its distribution transactions to DEA via an automated reporting system, including all of Betances’ distributions of Schedule II opioids during that period — more than 7.8 million dosage units. According to the complaint, Betances also committed hundreds of recordkeeping violations, such as filling orders for controlled substances with defective order forms and submitting inaccurate shipping or delivery information to DEA.
According to the consent decree, the Justice Department conducted an analysis of Betances’ financial condition in relation to its potential exposure to civil fines and forfeiture. Based in part on ability to pay, the consent decree requires Betances to pay $12 million over five years in annual payments, with $10.2 million in the form of civil penalties and $1.8 million in civil forfeiture.
The consent decree also requires Betances to make extensive improvements in its compliance program. Betances must implement improved controlled substance monitoring program procedures and systems to review all orders of controlled substances and to detect and report suspicious orders to DEA. Betances must also improve its procedures and systems for conducting due diligence reviews of its pharmacy customers. The consent decree further requires Betances to submit annual reports about its compliance program and customers to DEA and other Justice Department components. Betances must also improve its ARCOS reporting system to ensure proper and accurate reporting of all acquisitions and distributions of Schedule II controlled substances.
“Companies that distribute controlled substances to pharmacies and other points of sale have an important responsibility to help stop the illegal distribution of controlled substances by reporting suspicious orders to DEA,” said Principal Deputy Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who fail to fulfill their reporting obligations.”
“The duty to report suspicious orders and other reporting requirements imposed on wholesale pharmaceutical distributors by the Controlled Substance Act is critical to ensuring the safety of our citizens from potential harm, including those associated with drug diversion, drug tampering and drug overdoses resulting from illegal drug sales and consumption,” said U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to do everything in our power to ensure compliance and will use all legal remedies available to hold corporate entities and individuals accountable.”
“As we continue to face unprecedented loss of American lives during the ongoing opioid epidemic, DEA believes that everyone within the pharmaceutical supply chain is responsible for doing their due diligence to prevent the diversion of controlled substances,” said Assistant Administrator Thomas W. Prevoznik of the DEA's Diversion Control Division. “Compliance with the law is one of the best acts of prevention our registrants can do to ensure that these drugs are distributed for legitimate medical use. Reporting suspicious orders is required under the law and a key part in keeping our communities safe.”
The DEA’s Diversion Control Division, Caribbean Division, San Juan Division Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys David O. Martorani-Dale and Gabriella S. Paglieri for the District of Puerto Rico and Trial Attorney Tom Rosso of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch represented the United States.
The claims resolved by the consent decree announced today are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Consent DecreeFatal crash on Blackfeet Indian Reservation sends Great Falls man to prison for more than three yearsRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Great Falls man who admitted to driving while under the influence of alcohol when he crashed his vehicle near Browning, on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, and killed his passenger, was sentenced today to three years and two months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Emil Saunders Day Chief, 42, pleaded guilty in May to involuntary manslaughter.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that on July 19, 2022, Day Chief was driving and picked up a passenger, identified as Jane Doe, in Heart Butte. Soon thereafter, a witness saw Day Chief drive by at approximately 90 mph. Day Chief’s car then veered off the road, overcorrected and rolled two times before coming to a stop on the driver’s side. Jane Doe went through the windshield and the vehicle rolled over her. Witnesses got Day Chief out of the vehicle, and an ambulance took him to the hospital in Browning. Law enforcement found Jane Doe deceased in the road. Officers saw beer cans in the car and scattered around the scene and an empty jar from a marijuana dispensary. An investigation determined that Day Chief had a blood alcohol content of .335 percent and that his blood was positive for THC. Jane Doe died of blunt force injuries.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica A. Betley prosecuted the case. The FBI, Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services, Montana Highway Patrol and Glacier County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.
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El Departamento de Justicia monitoreará los lugares de votación en varias jurisdicciones para asegurar el cumplimiento de las leyes federales de derechos electoralesRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que monitoreará las elecciones generales el 7 de noviembre de 2023 en varias jurisdicciones para asegurar el cumplimiento de las leyes federales de derechos electorales.
El Departamento asignará observadores federales para monitorear las elecciones en Union County, New Jersey, para asegurar el cumplimiento con la Ley de Derechos Electorales. El 12 de junio de 2023 una corte federal aprobó un decreto por consentimiento para resolver las alegaciones del Departamento bajo las secciones 203 y 208 de la Ley de Derechos Electorales sobre la disponibilidad de asistencia electoral y materiales en español para votantes hispanos con conocimientos limitados del idioma inglés en Union County. El decreto por consentimiento también dispone que observadores federales pueden monitorear las actividades el Día de Elecciones en los lugares de votación en el condado.
Además, la División de Derechos Civiles monitoreará las actividades en los lugares de votación en Madison County y Panola County, Mississippi; las ciudades de Pawtucket y Woonsocket, Rhode Island; y Prince William County, Virginia, para asegurar el cumplimiento de las leyes federales de derechos electorales.
La División de Derechos Civiles hace cumplir las leyes federales de derechos electorales que protegen el derecho de acceso a las urnas de todos los ciudadanos. La División envía personal del departamento periódicamente a monitorear elecciones en comunidades a través de todo el país. Además, la División envía observadores federales de la Oficina de Administración de Personal de EE.UU. según autorizado por una orden judicial federal.
La Sección de Votación de la División de Derechos Civiles vela por el cumplimiento de las leyes federales civiles que protegen el derecho al voto, incluyendo la Ley de Derechos Electorales, la Ley de Votación para los Uniformados y los Ciudadanos en el Extranjero, la Ley Nacional de Inscripción de Votantes, la Ley Ayudemos a Estados Unidos a Votar, y las leyes de derechos civiles.
Personal de la División de Derechos Civiles estará disponible para recibir denuncias relacionadas a posibles vulneraciones de las leyes federales de derechos electorales mediante el formulario en línea en https://civilrights.justice.gov/ o por teléfono al (800) 253-3931.
Para obtener más información sobre la Ley de Derechos Electorales y otras leyes federales electorales, visite el portal del Departamento de Justicia en www.justice.gov/crt/voting/.
Información adicional sobre las leyes federales de derechos civiles está disponible en el sitio web de la División de Derechos Civiles en https://justice.gov/crt.
El Departamento de Justicia Halla que los Sitios Web Electorales de Cuatro Condados en Texas Son Inaccesibles para las Personas con DiscapacidadesRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy sus hallazgos que cuatro condados en Texas, violaban el Título II de la Ley para Estadounidenses con Discapacidades de 1990 (ADA por sus siglas en inglés), manteniendo sitios web electorales que discriminan contra individuos con discapacidades manuales o visuales.
En cartas públicas dirigidas a los Condados de Colorado, Runnels, Smith, y Upton, el departamento detalló los resultados de su investigación y les solicitó trabajar junto a la División de Derechos Civiles y las Fiscalías Federales para las regiones del Este, Norte, Sur y Oeste de Texas con el objetivo de resolver las violaciones de derechos civiles identificadas.
“El derecho al voto es fundamental para la democracia estadounidense” dijo Fiscal General Auxiliar Kristen Clarke de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. “Es imperativo que todas las personas con discapacidades elegibles para votar en todo el país, tengan la información que necesitan para acceder a la papeleta y ejercer su derecho en elecciones estatales y federales.”
Los sitios web electorales de estos cuatro condados tejanos brindan información importante sobre cómo votar. Por ejemplo, cuáles son los requisitos para el registro y la identificación del volante, así como, cuál es la información que necesitan las personas con discapacidades para votar. Los sitios web también contienen enlaces a información crítica, incluidos detalles sobre votación temprana y la votación el día de las elecciones.
El departamento determinó que los sitios web no son accesibles para individuos ciegos o que tienen visión reducida, o para los que no pueden agarrar un ratón de computadora y usan lectores de pantalla, teclados, u otra tecnología de apoyo. Por ejemplo, en todos los cuatro sitios web electorales, los menús y enlaces no funcionan correctamente para las personas que usan un teclado para navegar, y los documentos publicados son inaccesibles para aquellos que usan dichas tecnologías de apoyo. Debido a la inaccesibilidad de los sitios web electorales, los condados están negando a las personas con discapacidades visuales y manuales igual acceso a los programas electorales y a los servicios en línea proveídos a través de estos sitios. De ese modo, no logran los sitios web electorales asegurar una comunicación efectiva con las personas con discapacidades.
Estas cuatro investigaciones son parte de la Iniciativa de Votación ADA, la cual se enfoca en proteger los derechos de voto de los individuos con discapacidades. Se recomienda a las personas que tengan información sobre estos hallazgos que se comuniquen con el departamento por el correo electrónico [email protected], a través del Portal de la División de Derechos Civiles disponible en: www.civilrights.justice.gov/, o por teléfono al 888-473-2780. Para conocer más sobre el ADA y cómo esta se aplica a la votación usted puede visitar el sitio web a www.ada.gov/topics/voting/.
Doctor Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Drug Distribution, False Statement to Medicare, and Paycheck Protection Program FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Tommy Louisville (71, Pembroke Pines) has pleaded guilty to unlawful drug distribution, making a false statement related to health care matters, and wire fraud. Louisville faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for the drug distribution offense, up to 5 years’ imprisonment for the false statement offense, and up to 20 years in federal prison for the wire fraud offense. A sentencing date has not been scheduled.
According to the plea agreement, Louisville was a Florida-licensed physician and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registrant. On May 30, 2019, the Florida Board of Medicine suspended Louisville from the practice of medicine for two years, thereby making him ineligible to lawfully prescribe controlled substances. Louisville continued to issue controlled-substance prescriptions after his medical license was suspended. Furthermore, he concealed from Medicare the fact that he was not authorized to issue prescriptions in connection with the submission to Medicare of the prescriptions for payment. Louisville eventually shuttered his medical business in approximately November 2019.
Between April and May 2020, Louisville used his closed business to fraudulently obtain a federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan in the amount of $33,034. Louisville submitted an application that contained multiple fraudulent representations, including stating average monthly payroll suggesting he actively operated a medical business; that he employed six employees; and certifying that loan proceeds would be used for business-related purposes. Louisville agreed to forfeit $33,034, the proceeds of his criminal conduct.
In May 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General, the Drug Enforcement Administration -Tampa District Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Greg Pizzo.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Doc Antle, Owner of Myrtle Beach Safari, Pleads Guilty to Federal Wildlife Trafficking and Money Laundering ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Bhagavan “Doc” Antle, 63, of Myrtle Beach, S.C., pleaded guilty today to a conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act and a conspiracy to launder money.
Antle is the owner and operator of The Institute for Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (T.I.G.E.R.S.), also known as the Myrtle Beach Safari. The Myrtle Beach Safari is a 50-acre wildlife tropical preserve that offers tours and private encounters with exotic wildlife. Antle is also the Director of the Rare Species Fund, a nonprofit organization registered in South Carolina.
The Lacey Act prohibits trafficking of illegally taken wildlife, fish or plants, including animals protected under the Endangered Species Act. Antle conspired to violate the Lacey Act between Sept. 2018 and May 2020 by directing the sale or purchase of two cheetah cubs, two lion cubs, two tigers and one juvenile chimpanzee – all of which are protected under the Endangered Species Act. Antle used bulk cash payments to hide the transactions and falsified paperwork to show non-commercial transfers entirely within one state. Antle also requested that payments for endangered species be made to his nonprofit so they could appear as “donations.”
The investigation also uncovered evidence of money laundering between Feb. and April 2022, when Antle and a coconspirator conducted financial transactions with cash they believed was obtained from transporting and harboring illegal aliens. To conceal and disguise the nature of the illegal cash, Antle and his coconspirator would take the cash they received and deposit it into bank accounts they controlled. They would then write a check to the individual that had provided the cash after taking a 15% fee per transaction.
“The defendant held himself out as a conservationist, yet repeatedly violated laws protecting endangered animals and then tried to cover up those violations,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “This prosecution demonstrates our commitment to combatting illegal trafficking, which threatens the survival of endangered animals.”
“The defendant’s guilty plea is a testament to the dedication and perseverance of the FBI and our law enforcement partners in combating illegal financial activities,” said Special Agent in Charge Steve Jensen of the FBI Columbia Field Office. “The FBI remains committed to upholding the integrity of our financial systems and ensuring justice is served.”
“Wildlife crime is often connected with other criminal activity, including money-laundering," said Assistant Director Edward Grace of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement. “This investigation revealed a pattern of illicit wildlife transactions orchestrated by the defendant under the guise of donations and false paperwork. The Service and our partners will continue to hold accountable those involved in wildlife trafficking and other related crimes to ensure the future of all federally protected species. The Service will continue to bring to justice individuals who profit from the illegal trafficking of big cats and endangered species.”
“This plea is the product of exemplary collaboration between our law enforcement partners,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs for the District of South Carolina. “I commend our team for their work on this case who worked countless hours to unravel Antle’s sophisticated web of financial crimes and interstate wildlife trafficking. Our office remains committed to protecting endangered animals from those who would exploit them for profit.”
For each count, Antle faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and three years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Joseph Dawson III for the District of South Carolina accepted Antle’s guilty plea. He will sentence Antle after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
The FBI and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are investigating the case. Senior Trial Attorney Patrick M. Duggan of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Bower for the District of South Carolina are prosecuting the case.
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Doc Antle, Owner of Myrtle Beach Safari, Pleads Guilty to Federal Wildlife Trafficking and Money Laundering ChargesRead the Press Release
Bhagavan “Doc” Antle, 63, of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, pleaded guilty today to a conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act and a conspiracy to launder money.
Antle is the owner and operator of The Institute for Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (T.I.G.E.R.S.), also known as the Myrtle Beach Safari. The Myrtle Beach Safari is a 50-acre wildlife tropical preserve that offers tours and private encounters with exotic wildlife. Antle is also the Director of the Rare Species Fund, a nonprofit organization registered in South Carolina.
The Lacey Act prohibits trafficking of illegally taken wildlife, fish or plants, including animals protected under the Endangered Species Act. Antle conspired to violate the Lacey Act between September 2018 and May 2020 by directing the sale or purchase of two cheetah cubs, two lion cubs, two tigers and one juvenile chimpanzee – all of which are protected under the Endangered Species Act. Antle used bulk cash payments to hide the transactions and falsified paperwork to show non-commercial transfers entirely within one state. Antle also requested that payments for endangered species be made to his nonprofit so they could appear as “donations.”
The investigation also uncovered evidence of money laundering between February and April 2022, when Antle and a coconspirator conducted financial transactions with cash they believed was obtained from transporting and harboring illegal aliens. To conceal and disguise the nature of the illegal cash, Antle and his coconspirator would take the cash they received and deposit it into bank accounts they controlled. They would then write a check to the individual that had provided the cash after taking a 15% fee per transaction.
“The defendant held himself out as a conservationist, yet repeatedly violated laws protecting endangered animals and then tried to cover up those violations,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “This prosecution demonstrates our commitment to combatting illegal trafficking, which threatens the survival of endangered animals.”
“The defendant’s guilty plea is a testament to the dedication and perseverance of the FBI and our law enforcement partners in combating illegal financial activities,” said Special Agent in Charge Steve Jensen of the FBI Columbia Field Office. “The FBI remains committed to upholding the integrity of our financial systems and ensuring justice is served.”
“Wildlife crime is often connected with other criminal activity, including money-laundering," said Assistant Director Edward Grace of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement. “This investigation revealed a pattern of illicit wildlife transactions orchestrated by the defendant under the guise of donations and false paperwork. The Service and our partners will continue to hold accountable those involved in wildlife trafficking and other related crimes to ensure the future of all federally protected species. The Service will continue to bring to justice individuals who profit from the illegal trafficking of big cats and endangered species.”
“This plea is the product of exemplary collaboration between our law enforcement partners,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs for the District of South Carolina. “I commend our team for their work on this case who worked countless hours to unravel Antle’s sophisticated web of financial crimes and interstate wildlife trafficking. Our office remains committed to protecting endangered animals from those who would exploit them for profit.”
For each count, Antle faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and three years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Joseph Dawson III for the District of South Carolina accepted Antle’s guilty plea. He will sentence Antle after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
The FBI and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are investigating the case. Senior Trial Attorney Patrick M. Duggan of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Bower for the District of South Carolina are prosecuting the case.
District Man Sentenced to Four-Year Prison Term for a February Knifepoint Robbery on the MetroRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Nwabueze Igwe, 32, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to four years in prison for robbing a man at knifepoint on the Metro, in February of 2023, in Northwest Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Michael Anzallo, of the Metropolitan Transit Police Department (MTPD).
Igwe was found guilty on June 7, 2023, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia of armed robbery, assault with a dangerous weapon, and carrying a dangerous weapon.
In addition to the prison sentence, the Honorable Jason Park ordered Igwe to serve five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on the evening of Feb. 13, 2023, Igwe approached a stranger on the Metro, and yelled at him multiple times as the pair were travelling in the same car on the Green Line. As the train stopped at the Gallery Place-Chinatown Station, Igwe entered the stranger’s personal space and took his North Face backpack. When the victim asked Igwe to return the backpack, Igwe opened a switchblade and warned the victim to back away.
Igwe and the victim both exited at the Gallery Place-Chinatown Metro station. The victim ran for help and found nearby MTPD officers. Igwe looked in both directions before jumping back on the train as the doors were closing. After reboarding the train, Igwe hid the backpack in a translucent trash bag. An hour later, Igwe returned to the Gallery Place-Chinatown Station, still carrying the victim’s pack. Metro surveillance footage captured Igwe in the immediate moments after the robbery and confirmed his flight path. MTPD officers apprehended Igwe at Gallery Place-Chinatown that night and charged him with armed robbery.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Transit Police Department. It was investigated, prosecuted, and tried by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Omeed A. Assefi and Sabena Auyeung, of the Major Crimes Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Nielsen and Kathleen Kern, Paralegal Specialists Debra McPherson and Carolyn Carter-McKinley, and Litigation Technology Specialist Charlie Bruce.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Anzallo commended the work of those who investigated the case from the MTPD.
Denver Man Indicted for Tax Evasion and Failure to File Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
DENVER—The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Solomon Paul Garcia, age 45, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of tax evasion and four counts of failure to file a tax return.
According to the indictment, from approximately 2016-2020, Garcia allegedly inflated the number of exemptions on his Internal Revenue Service Form W-4s with his various employers, causing his employers to withhold very little federal employee income tax from his wages. Garcia then allegedly failed to file federal income tax returns reporting his earned income and federal income taxes due and owing for the years under investigation. Based on information contained in the indictment, Garcia is alleged to have a tax liability to the U.S. government of more than $225,000 over the five-year period.
If convicted, the charge of tax evasion carries a sentence of no more than five years imprisonment and a fine of no more than $250,000. The charge of failure to file a tax return carries a sentence of no more than one year imprisonment and a fine of no more than $100,000 for each count.
This case is being investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley Giles.
The charges contained in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Case Number: 23-cr-00443-NYW
Denver Area Tax Preparer Indicted for Preparing Fraudulent Tax Returns for ClientsRead the Press Release
DENVER—The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces Thuan Bui has been indicted by a federal grand jury on forty-nine counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false and fraudulent tax returns.
According to court documents, from 2018-2022, Bui owned and operated a tax return preparation business and allegedly fabricated business expenses and falsified filing statuses for his clients. Bui allegedly falsified information on his client’s Individual Tax Return, Form 1040, for the purpose of reducing the clients’ tax liability or inflating the clients’ tax refunds.
The charge of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false and fraudulent tax returns carries a sentence of no more than three years imprisonment and no more than a $250,000 fine for each count.
This case is being investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation.
The charges contained in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Case Number: 23-cr-447-RMR
DOJ funds programs for juveniles in six Western Washington tribal communitiesRead the Press Release
Seattle – More than $2 million in grants from the Department of Justice have been awarded to Western Washington tribal communities to enhance services for juveniles, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. The grants fund needs ranging from substance abuse and mental health treatment to academic support and getting students engaged in school.
“Each of these tribes submitted detailed proposals for how they could best use this federal money,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “It is exciting to see how they will impact the lives of the youngest tribal members as they work to build safe and healthy communities into the future.”
The six tribal grants and their purpose are:
Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians - $499,700 to hire an online school support specialist to assist with tribal youth as risk of truancy and to develop programs to engage all youth in leadership and cultural activities.
Quinault Indian Nation - $500,000 to enhance the work of the Tribal Juvenile to Healing Wellness Court to centralize access to assistance for youth facing challenges such as substance addiction, mental health issues, absenteeism, and trauma.
Nooksack Tribe -$99,439 to assess current programming for youth and identify gaps and strategies for improvement.
Lummi Nation - $100,000 to coordinate services to tribal youth.
Nisqually Indian Tribe - $400,000 to develop a Juvenile Tribal Healing to Wellness Court - part of a comprehensive effort on behalf of the Tribe to address the increasingly serious problem of alcohol and opioid/drug use, and related crime, within the reservation population and among Tribal youth and young adults.
Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe - $500,000 for drug and alcohol prevention services through the Empowering Youth through the Ways of Our Ancestors (EYWOA) program. The program is based on evidence- and community-based participatory research that was conducted and implemented in partnership with the University of Washington’s Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute, the Suquamish, and Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribes.
These grants are part of the Consolidated Tribal Assistant Grants for 2023 awarded by the Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance.
Cleveland Resident Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking CrimesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – Albert Cummings pled guilty to trafficking fentanyl and heroin, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Cummings, age 43, of Cleveland, Ohio, pled guilty before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon. Cummings pled guilty to conspiring to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of heroin between June 2020 and June 2021. Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing to occur on March 7, 2024, at 11:00 a.m.
The law provides for a sentence of at least five and up to 40 years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is to be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin C. Dobkin and Craig W. Haller are prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Lawrence County Drug Task Force, the Mercer County Drug Task Force, the New Castle Police Department, the Sharon Police Department, the Hermitage Police Department, and the Farrell Police Department led the investigation resulting in the conviction in this case.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Captain of Santa Barbara-Based Dive Boat that Burned and Sank, Resulting in 34 Deaths, Found Guilty of Felony Federal OffenseRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The captain of the P/V Conception – a Santa Barbara-based dive boat that caught fire and sank near Santa Cruz Island on Labor Day in 2019, resulting in the deaths of 33 passengers and one crew member – was found guilty by a jury late this afternoon of a federal felony offense.
Jerry Nehl Boylan, 69, of Santa Barbara, was found guilty of one count of misconduct or neglect of ship officer – an offense commonly called “seaman’s manslaughter” – a crime punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison.
The Conception was a 75-foot, wood-and-fiberglass passenger vessel that docked in Santa Barbara Harbor. During a Labor Day weekend dive trip in 2019, the boat carried 33 passengers and six crew members, including Boylan.
During the early morning hours of September 2, 2019, a fire broke out while the boat was anchored in Platt’s Harbor near Santa Cruz Island. The fire, which engulfed the boat and led to its sinking, resulted in the deaths of 34 people who had been sleeping below deck. Five crewmembers, including Boylan, were able to escape and survived.
“This ship captain’s unpardonable cowardice led to the deaths of 34 lives on Labor Day 2019,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “As the jury found, this tragedy could have been avoided had Mr. Boylan simply performed the duties he was entrusted to carry out. We hope that today’s verdict brings some solace and closure to the victims’ loved ones.”
“Mr. Boylan’s failure to carry out his duties as Captain of the Conception led to the catastrophic loss of 34 victims who suffered a horrifying death and perished needlessly in the end,” said Donald Alway, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Ultimately, the hard work by the investigators from multiple agencies led to today’s outcome and now the victims’ families can continue their healing process. Let this tragedy be a lesson to anyone who commands a boat with vulnerable passengers that proper training, diligence and life saving measures – when called for – are necessary to safeguard those left in one’s charge.”
According to evidence presented at a 10-day trial, Boylan, as captain of the Conception, committed a series of failures – including abandoning his ship instead of rescuing passengers – that resulted in the disaster. Such conduct constituted misconduct, gross negligence, and inattention to his duties and led to the deaths of 34 victims, the jury found.
As the ship’s captain, Boylan was responsible for the safety and security of the vessel, its passengers, and its crew. The jury found he failed in his responsibilities in several ways, including by:
- failing to have a night watch or roving patrol;
- failing to conduct sufficient fire drills and crew training;
- failing to provide firefighting instructions or directions to crewmembers after the fire started;
- failing to use firefighting equipment, including a fire ax and fire extinguisher that were next to him in the wheelhouse, to fight the fire or attempt to rescue trapped passengers;
- failing to perform any lifesaving or firefighting activities whatsoever at the time of the fire, even though he was uninjured;
- failing to use the boat’s public address system to warn passengers and crewmembers about the fire; and
- becoming the first crewmember to abandon ship even though 33 passengers and one crewmember were still alive and trapped below deck in the vessel’s bunkroom and in need of assistance to escape.
“In the court of justice, a guilty verdict echoes the collective grief and loss of 34 souls that perished in this tragedy. It serves as a solemn reminder of the great duty a master owes his passengers and crew. This verdict stands as a testament to our commitment to seek justice, hold accountable those responsible, and honor the memory of those lost,” said Coast Guard Investigative Service Director, Jeremy Gauthier. “This is also a testament to the hard work and dedication of our Special Agents, working side-by-side with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, to uncover evidence critical to bringing the defendant to justice.”
“No verdict can bring back the lives lost in this tragedy,” said Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Los Angeles Field Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher Bombardiere. “Our condolences go out to all the families still struggling to deal with the catastrophic event that occurred in the early morning hours on the Conception dive boat. Hopefully today’s guilty decision provides some much-needed closure for the families. For more than 50 years, ATF has developed scientifically proven investigative capabilities, expertise, and resources that have positioned ATF as the nation’s primary source for fire investigative knowledge and assistance. ATF’s National Response Team stands ready to provide resources and assist local agencies find answers.”
United States District Judge George H. Wu scheduled a February 8, 2024, sentencing hearing in this case. Boylan is free on a $75,000 bond.
The FBI, Coast Guard Investigative Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Mark A. Williams, Matthew W. O’Brien and Juan M. Rodríguez of the Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section, along with Assistant United States Attorney Brian R. Faerstein of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section, are prosecuting this case.
Campbell Man Sentenced for Firearm and Drug Trafficking CrimesRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan T. Lehr announced that Jeremy A. Kinney, 49, of Campbell was sentenced November 6, 2023, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Kinney to 156 months’ imprisonment on the drug charge and a consecutive 60 months’ imprisonment on the firearm charge, for a total sentence of 216 months. There is no parole in the federal system. Additionally, Kinney was ordered to forfeit $5,000 cash that was seized in the investigation. After Kinney’s release from prison, he will begin a five-year term of supervised release.
Investigators obtained a court-authorized tracking device on Kinney’s 2014 Nissan Maxima. Based on information from the tracker, visual surveillance, and analysis of phone records and jail calls, investigators obtained a search warrant for Kinney’s car. On May 26, Kinney’s Maxima was tracked while traveling from Colorado and heading northeast on Interstate 76. A Nebraska State Patrol trooper noticed the car heading eastbound in Furnas County, Nebraska, and attempted a traffic stop. Kinney, who was driving at the time, sped up which prompted a pursuit by law enforcement.
During the pursuit, Kinney drove eastbound in westbound traffic lanes, at times passing westbound traffic on the shoulder. Investigators used spike strips to stop Kinney’s car. Kinney continued to pass vehicles while driving on the shoulder of oncoming traffic lanes. A tactical vehicle intervention team was able to direct the Maxima into a ditch. During the pursuit, Kinney threw objects from the Maxima. Investigators returned to the areas where Kinney was seen tossing items and located a baggie containing approximately 0.6 pounds of suspected meth. Investigators found $5,000 cash bundled on the front passenger seat and a 9 mm handgun on the ground near where the Maxima had stopped.
Investigators returned to the roadway where the first bag of drugs was found and located an additional bag containing 1.2 pounds and third bag containing 1.3 pounds of meth. The drugs were sent to the Nebraska State Patrol Crim Laboratory where a forensic scientist confirmed the presence of meth.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol, and the Trident Drug Task Force, which is made up of officers from the Grand Island Police Department, Hall County Sheriff, Hastings Police Department, Adams County Sheriff, Kearney Police Department, Buffalo County Sheriff, Nebraska State Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
California Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Stalking Multiple Black VictimsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene Honeywell has sentenced Christopher Au-Young (36, California) to five years in federal prison for interstate stalking and cyberstalking. Au-Young pleaded guilty to six counts of stalking five different victims on July 28, 2023.
According to court documents, since August 2022, Au-Young engaged in a campaign of online and telephonic harassment and threats against multiple victims living in the Middle District of Florida and elsewhere. Au-Young engaged in a course of conduct with the intent to harass or intimidate the victims, all of whom were black. Specifically, Au-Young cyberstalked, harassed, and threatened the victims by posting threatening and harassing videos on Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo, and Reddit, and often used racial slurs or other racially offensive language in doing so.
Between October 2022 and his arrest in January 2023, Au-Young stalked Victim 1. Victim 1 met Au-Young on his podcast dedicated to interracial dating. After Victim 1 expressed disinterest in seeing Au-Young, he began a campaign of terrorizing her through racist threats. Au-Young made his intent clear, telling her, “I hope I ruin your life.” Au-Young posted multiple videos on YouTube in which he published Victim 1’s personal information, to include her home address and real name, which Victim 1 had never provided to Au-Young. He also drove three hours to her residence, in the middle of the night, and parked outside of her home. Victim 1 felt so unsafe because of Au-Young’s conduct that she had to move. Victim 1 also correctly believed that Au-Young nefariously targeted black women through his actions, podcast, and racist statements made online regarding Dylan Roof and mass shootings.
Victim 2 met Au-Young online in a Facebook group about veterans. They began a consensual dating relationship. Victim 2 subsequently decided to end the relationship. In response, Au-Young began stalking, threatening, and harassing Victim 2 and her family members: her daughter (Victim 3), her son (Victim 4), and her brother (Victim 5). Au-Young published several videos on the internet that contained racist and defamatory remarks warning the community to stay away from Victim 2 and several of Victim 2’s family members. According to Victim 2, Au-Young warned her that he would never stop coming for her and told Victim 2 to lock her doors at night and sleep with one-eye open. Au-Young posted a bounty video offering a $4,000 reward for information on Victim 2’s whereabouts.
Victim 3 is the adult daughter of Victim 2. Au-Young posted dozens of videos online threatening to come after Victim 3. One video Au-Young posted online is entitled, “[VICTIM 3]” with a photo of Victim 3 and a text layover that reads: “[Victim 3] PED-O-FILE”. In a second video, Au-Young accused Victim 3 of being homophobic and calling for her place of employment to fire her. On December 11, 2022, Au-Young drove from California to Illinois to stalk Victim 3, in person. He posted videos online during his cross-country trip announcing that he was going to vandalize Victim 3’s vehicle in retaliation for Victim 2’s decision to break up with him. Au-Young arrived in Illinois on December 12, 2022, and stalked Victim 3 for three days at Victim 3’s place of employment. A concerned YouTube watcher alerted law enforcement officers who located Au-Young in the backseat of his vehicle parked near the entrance of Victim 3’s place of employment.
Victim 4 is the son of Victim 2. Like Victims 2 and 3, Au-Young posted racist, threatening, and defaming videos to the internet threatening to come after Victim 4. In addition to the videos, Au-Young mailed approximately four letters to Victim 4. Au-Young’s typed letters called Victim 4 and his family racial epithets [n-word] and contained threats to come after them.
Victim 5 is the brother of Victim 2. Au-Young published videos on the internet making false allegations that Victim 5 was a pedophile. The videos show photos of Victim 5 and make specific allegations against Victim 5, claiming he is a dangerous person who has molested several children. The videos also implicated Victim 5’s wife. Au-Young also sent letters to Victim 5’s residence and the church where Victim 5 worked as a minister. Although all of the allegations were false, Au-Young told the community that Victim 5 was a pedophile who was aided by his wife.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Tampa Police Department, the Anaheim Police Department (California), and the Carbondale Police Department (Illinois). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel and former Assistant United States Attorney Lisa Thelwell.
California Man Sentenced to 102 Months in Prison for Multimillion-Dollar Stolen Identity SchemeRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced earlier today that RUSSELL DWAYNE LEWIS, a/k/a “Clifford Ari Getz,” a/k/a “Clifford Ari Getz Cohen,” a/k/a “Ari Getz,” a/k/a “Aryeh Getz,” was sentenced by U.S. District Chief Judge Laura Taylor Swain to 102 months in prison for defrauding multiple individuals out of millions of dollars over a period of years, using several aliases and stolen identities. LEWIS previously pled guilty to two counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identify theft.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Russell Dwayne Lewis orchestrated a sophisticated fraud and stolen identity scheme to engage in a pattern of serial fraud, seeking to defraud friends, associates, and a major corporation by lying about his identity, wealth, and business activities. As today’s sentence demonstrates, serial fraudsters like Lewis will be caught and brought to justice for their crimes.”
According to the charging documents and other filings and statements made in court:
Between 2016 and 2020, RUSSELL DWAYNE LEWIS, a/k/a “Clifford Ari Getz,” a/k/a “Clifford Ari Getz Cohen,” a/k/a “Ari Getz,” a/k/a “Aryeh Getz,” engaged in a series of brazen schemes to misrepresent his identity, his wealth, and his professional and personal background in order to defraud multiple individuals and at least one corporate entity. LEWIS used aliases for years, utilizing the name, birth date, and social security number of real individuals to perpetrate his schemes. LEWIS told increasingly outrageous lies to individuals around him, including a close friend of many years, an individual who turned to him for his claimed expertise in astrology, and representatives of a major company he falsely purported to intend to purchase.
LEWIS repeatedly and falsely claimed that he was a billionaire businessman in order to commit several different frauds, including by soliciting “investments” from his victims totaling millions of dollars over the course of years. As part of his fraudulent investment schemes, he defrauded and attempted to defraud friends, associates, and representatives of a major corporation. In particular, LEWIS stole more than $3 million from one victim, more than half a million dollars from another, and fraudulently attempted to acquire a corporate entity in bankruptcy proceedings for $290 million.
This case resulted in LEWIS’s third felony conviction for fraud and theft offenses.
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In addition to the prison term, LEWIS, 53, of Los Angeles, California, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $3,788,143.58 and to forfeit the same amount of ill-gotten gains.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and thanked the Beverly Hills Police Department for its exceptional investigative assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Rossmiller is in charge of the prosecution.
Appellate Division notches court wins for Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s OfficeRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: This year, the Appellate Division of the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office continued to successfully defend the United States’ efforts to curb violent crime, to prosecute those who exploit children, and to protect American taxpayers, U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg announced.
“The Southern District’s attorneys and staff consistently demonstrate exceptional skill and preparation in the cases they handle in court,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Prevailing on appeal is a resounding affirmation of the hard work of our Appellate Division in shepherding these cases through the complex appeals process.”
The Southern District of Georgia represents the interests of the United States in criminal cases in 43 Georgia counties and litigates civil cases in federal court. Highlights of those cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit include:
- United States v. Graham: Traditionally, grand juries indict defendants by meeting in one location, where they hear witnesses in person and review other evidence. During COVID-19, social-distancing requirements made that practice nearly impossible. The Southern District of Georgia adopted a unique, temporary approach: 10 or fewer grand jurors convened in each of three federal courthouses, with the three groups linked to each other remotely by secure video-teleconference. The district kept the wheels of justice rolling, continuing to fully investigate and indict cases during that time.
James L. Graham was one of them. Graham was indicted and later convicted for participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. On appeal, Graham argued that his conviction was invalid because his indictment under the remote procedure violated several laws, including his constitutional right to an indictment by a grand jury. The 11th Circuit affirmed Graham’s conviction, holding that the Southern District of Georgia’s innovative remote process did not change the grand jury’s basic nature, infect the jurors’ decision to indict Graham, result in any security breach, or cause any flaw in the presentation of evidence.
During COVID-19, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act authorized the U.S. Small Business Administration to issue billions of dollars in Economic Injury Disaster Loans to eligible small businesses. Two of the Southern District’s prevailing decisions involved those cases:
- United States v. Oudomsine: The defendant lied about owning a small business to fraudulently obtain an $85,000 loan. This case received national attention because the defendant used some of that money to purchase a $57,000 Pokemon trading card. On appeal, the 11th Circuit ruled that the defendant’s 36-month prison sentence was reasonable.
- United States v. Mack: The defendant lied about owning businesses to fraudulently obtain a $150,000 loan. She used some of the funds to vacation in Miami and gave some to her boyfriend. On appeal, the 11th Circuit ruled that her 48-month prison sentence was reasonable.
The Southern District of Georgia also continues to aggressively pursue cases that involve the exploitation of children by sexual predators and abusers.
- United States v. Gunn: Michael Peyton Gunn took pornographic pictures of a child in his custody and distributed those images on the internet. He also repeatedly sexually abused and prostituted the child. At trial, he was convicted of conspiring to sex traffic a child, coercing and enticing a child to engage in sexual activity, producing child pornography, possessing child pornography, and obstructing a child sex-trafficking investigation. On appeal, Gunn alleged that the government had withheld exculpatory evidence, but the 11th Circuit confirmed that the government committed no discovery violation. The Court affirmed Gunn’s conviction and sentence.
The Appellate Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia is led by Division Chief Justin Davids, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Stuchell and Channell Singh, and assisted by Paralegals Taylor Workman and Leiandra Moran.
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Wyandotte Man Sentenced after a Federal Jury Conviction for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Yesterday, U.S. District Judge John F. Heil sentenced Adam Douglas Sherwood, 43, to 100 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
In November of 2021, a federal jury found Sherwood guilty for drug conspiracy, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and three counts of unlawful use of a communication facility.
“Distributors like Sherwood have little regard for the lives lost to addiction and violence resulting from their criminal operations,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our federal partners to investigate, disrupt, and prosecute criminal networks who pose a threat to communities in the Northern District of Oklahoma.”
Sherwood’s coconspirator, Kenneth Rosenberg, was sentenced on Oct. 25, 2021, to 60 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The Tulsa Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Miami Police Department, and Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin G. Bish and Thomas E. Duncombe are prosecuting the case.
Westwood Man Sentenced to More Than 9 Years in Prison for Long-Running Surety Bond Scam that Caused More Than $5 Million in LossesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Westwood man was sentenced today to 110 months in federal prison for defrauding victims out of more than $5 million by purporting to sell bonds for large-scale construction and other projects, and for evading the payment of more than $1.2 million in taxes.
Tommy Lester Watts, 64, a.k.a. “Michael Nesbeth,” “Michael Kent,” and “Alex Mason,” was sentenced by United States District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong, who also ordered him to pay $8,995,879 in restitution.
Watts pleaded guilty on February 16 to one count of transactional money laundering and one count of tax evasion.
From September 2016 to September 2019, Watts falsely claimed to be experienced in and able to provide surety bonds and other financial guarantees for large-scale projects. Watts told victims that he would assist them in obtaining financing for their projects via his various companies, including the Sherman Oaks-based Source One Surety LLC. Watts misrepresented that any such bonds or guarantees were underwritten by well-known companies and banks, and that they were backed by assets in the millions or billions of dollars.
But Watts and his companies were not licensed to sell such bonds in California. And his claims about his experience, his clients – which purportedly included governments – his underwriting, and his supporting assets were not true. To make his scheme appear legitimate, Watts hijacked the corporate filings of other companies and created fake employees and accounts for underwriters and banks.
Watts caused victims to send his companies approximately $5,238,344, the majority of which he spent on personal items such as classic and luxury cars, rent for high-end apartments, and the purchase of luxury retail goods.
He also laundered victim payments through accounts held in the names of corporations that were not registered and used fake taxpayer identification numbers – and then used those accounts to spend victim funds as his own. He hid this income from the IRS in tax years 2017 through 2019, in which he failed to file any tax returns. Watts received a total of $4,683,430 in income that he failed to report to the IRS for those three tax years.
Watts has agreed to forfeit to the United States nearly $60,000 seized from two bank accounts he controlled, a Mercedes-Benz car and a Subaru SUV. He also has agreed to pay to the IRS a total amount of $4,226,535 in restitution, which includes at least $1,863,035 for his tax liabilities.
“It is hard to overstate how devastating this conduct was to [Watts’] victims,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “Some lost businesses, some their life savings, others a property that had been in their family for over 200 years. They describe divorce, eviction, and physical and mental health ramifications…an inability to trust; lost reputations and dreams.”
The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the California Department of Insurance investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Kristen A. Williams of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.
Utah Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Pedro Lee Benally pled guilty to two counts of abusive sexual contact. Benally, 22, of Montezuma Creek, Utah, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
According to court documents, between April 1, 2022 and November 29, 2022, Benally engaged in sexual contact with Jane Doe, a child who had not attained the age of 12 years, on multiple occasions. The incidents occurred at Jane Doe’s grandmother’s house in Shiprock and afterward Benally told Jane Doe not to tell anyone about his conduct.
At sentencing, Benally may face up to 23 years in prison and must register as a sex offender upon his release.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Department of Investigation and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin L. Dillon is prosecuting the case.
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United States Attorney’s Office Honors Native American Heritage Month and Participates in Second Annual Washington State Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People SummitRead the Press Release
Spokane and Yakima, Washington – Each year in November, communities across the United States celebrate National Native American Heritage Month. During this time, the Department of Justice also acknowledges the tremendous contributions of Native American communities to the United States, including those who work hard each day to support DOJ’s mission. In honoring our Tribal nations and heritage, we also remember the federal government’s trust and treaty responsibilities and obligations to strengthening Tribal sovereignty.
Earlier this week, U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref and her First Assistant, Richard Barker, joined Federal, State, and Tribal law enforcement, community leaders, other stakeholders, and victims at the Washington State Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People Task Force’s Second Annual Summit. During the Summit, U.S. Attorney Waldref addressed the group and provided an update on federal efforts to address the MMIWP crisis. “I want to thank the incredible leaders and community stakeholders who support the victims and families of this ongoing crisis,” U.S. Attorney Waldref stated. “As a result of your collective voices, federal, state, and Tribal governments are devoting significant resources to addressing the root causes that have led to increased numbers of missing and murdered indigenous women and people. We can honor Native American Heritage Month by recommitting to address the root causes underlying this crisis: fentanyl, domestic violence, child abuse, illegal possession and use of firearms, illegal narcotics, and human trafficking. Our communities are safer and stronger as we join together to seek justice on behalf of those affected by this tragic crisis.”
First Assistant United States Attorney Barker, participated on a panel with representatives from the Washington State Patrol, FBI, Tribal law enforcement, and the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs. Following the conference, First Assistant Barker reiterated the need for prosecutors and law enforcement to build trust with marginalized communities: “Federal, State, and Tribal law enforcement must not only work together to improve public safety in Tribal Nations, we must work together to earn the community’s trust. Although it will take time, we can earn community members’ trust by actively participating in community events, attending listening sessions, engaging with victims, supporting law enforcement, and honoring Tribal culture and tradition.”
More information on Native American Heritage Month is available at https://www.nativeamericanheritagemonth.gov/. Additional information regarding the Washington State Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People Task Force is available at https://www.atg.wa.gov/washington-state-missing-and-murdered-indigenous-women-and-people-task-force.
U.S. Attorneys Thompson and Ihlenfeld to Join with FBI and American Jewish Committee Leaders for Antisemitism TrainingRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorneys Will Thompson and William Ihlenfeld will join with leaders from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Pittsburgh Division and the American Jewish Committee (AJC) on Monday, November 6, 2023, for training in response to rising antisemitism.
The training will by presented by AJC officials and include a message from Rabbi Jeffrey Myers of Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Congregation about perseverance and strength following the 2018 antisemitic terrorist attack at the Pittsburgh synagogue.
U.S. Attorneys Thompson and Ihlenfeld will participate at synagogues in their respective districts that are jointly hosting this training, which is also being offered virtually.
The culture and rich diversity of the Jewish community will be discussed along with examples of antisemitism that stem from ancient and medieval antisemitic falsehoods. The training aims to enhance the understanding of the problem, identify effective responses to hate incidents, and empower people to speak out.
The joint sessions are part of the United Against Hate (UAH) Community Outreach Program, a nationwide initiative to combat unlawful acts of hate and improve hate crime reporting.
*** While media is invited to cover this joint event, participation is limited to law enforcement partners and other pre-registered stakeholders. ***
WHO: United States Attorney Will Thompson, Southern District of West Virginia
United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld, Northern District of West Virginia
Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge Tim Swanson, FBI Pittsburgh Division
Senior Director of Policy and Political Affairs Julie Rayman, AJC
Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, Tree of Life Congregation, Pittsburgh, Pa.
WHAT: United Against Hate: Addressing Rising Antisemitism
WHEN: Monday, November 6, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
WHERE: Congregation B'nai Jacob, 1599 Virginia Street East, Charleston, W.Va.
Temple Shalom, 23 Bethany Pike Highway, Wheeling, W.Va.
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.
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U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten Announces Funding for Law Enforcement Agencies, Investments in Public SafetyRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that The Justice Department has awarded several grants as part of its Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime. Instituted by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in May 2021, the strategy focuses on harnessing federal resources, intelligence, and expertise as a force-multiplier with state, local, and Tribal law enforcement.
“Fighting violent crime is one of our top priorities, especially at this moment when gunfire has become the #1 killer of our young people,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “We’re thrilled to see these grants given to multiple agencies across Michigan to help prevent and prosecute violent crime.”
Through this funding, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan is pleased to announce that the Department’s COPS Office awarded funding to the below agencies to address violent crime and maintain public safety.
2023 COPS Office Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS) Awards
Officers Funded
Amount for Hiring
Amount for Equipment & Training
Total Amount of Awards
Bay Mills Indian Community
-
-
$558,895
$558,895
Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians
1
$545,529
$117,375
$662,904
Keweenaw Bay Indian Community
1
$395,978
$140,902
$536,880
Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi
1
$521,675
$166,836
$688,511
2023 COPS Hiring Program (CHP) Awards
Officers Funded
Award Amount
Portage, City of
8
$1,000,000
White Cloud, City of
1
$125,000
2023 COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP) Awards
Recipient
Award Amount
Godfrey Lee Public Schools
$500,000
2023 Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act Implementation Projects
Agency
Estimated Award Amount
Michigan Department of State Police
$200,000
Complete lists of all program award recipients, including funding amounts, can be found here.
“Law enforcement officers across the country are showing up every day to protect their communities in the face of unprecedented challenges,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “These grants, which support the hiring of more than 1,700 new officers and make critical investments in school safety and crisis intervention efforts, will help provide local law enforcement agencies with the resources they need to keep their communities safe, support officers, and build public trust.”
Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco and Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta highlighted the more than $334 million in critical grant funding to law enforcement agencies and stakeholders awarded yesterday by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office).The COPS grants announced include funding to help law enforcement agencies hire over 1,730 new law enforcement officers across the country while also providing critical funding to support school safety and continue to advance community policing nationwide.
Lastly, the Deputy Attorney General and Associate Attorney General announced that this December 11-13, in Indianapolis, the Justice Department’s will bring together 1,500 local and federal partners from across the country, including representatives from the more than 50 PSP jurisdictions and from Project Safe Neighborhoods for a Violent Crime Reduction Summit, to be hosted by OJP BJA.
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Two federal inmates who coordinated Washington drug trafficking from Oklahoma prison sentenced to additional long prison termsRead the Press Release
Seattle – Two men who were federal inmates at the Federal Correctional Institute Great Plains in Hinton, Oklahoma, while organizing large methamphetamine shipments and sales, were sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to long prison terms, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Alfredo Valdovinos-Diaz, 45, previously of Vancouver, Washington, and Cosme Sanchez-Espino, 41, also previously of Vancouver, were both sentenced to 11 years in prison. Both men were indicted in 2020 and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances in July 2023.
In sentencing Valdovinos-Diaz, Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo said, drug dealing “affects families…. affects communities because of the crime associated with controlled substances, but also the effect on public services such as health care….(Drugs) take a toll on individuals who ingest a bad mixture, and maybe get a dose of fentanyl that is mixed into the methamphetamine, and they just die.”
According to records filed in the case, both men were serving lengthy prison terms for drug trafficking in the Pacific Northwest. Valdovinos-Diaz was serving an eight-year sentence for a 2015 drug trafficking conviction. In that case, Valdovinos-Diaz was responsible for directing a methamphetamine distribution network, with ties to a Mexican drug cartel, that operated out of Vancouver, Olympia, and Tacoma, and was responsible for distributing multi-kilogram quantities of heroin and methamphetamine in western Washington. Valdovinos-Diaz’ drug trafficking activity did not end with his prison term. Using a contraband cell phone, he sent and received various messages in 2019 and 2020 instructing couriers and drug suppliers about packaging large shipments of methamphetamine and how to hide it in secret compartments under the floor of a vehicle or in the vehicle bumper.
Cosme Sanchez-Espino was serving a 15-year prison sentence for a 2008 drug distribution conviction in Montana. In that case, Sanchez-Espino distributed methamphetamine from his supplier in Washington to drug distributors in Montana. Like Valdovinos-Diaz, Sanchez-Espino used contraband cell phones to direct drug trafficking to Southwest Washington. Law enforcement seized loads of 57 pounds and 25 pounds of methamphetamine connected to the men.
In asking for a sentence of eleven years for lead defendant Valdovinos-Diaz, Assistant United States Attorney Max Shiner wrote to the court, Valdovinos-Diaz’ conduct “demonstrates that he is committed to criminal activity and that his “blatant disrespect” requires additional deterrence…. (His) communications demonstrate he knew how the drugs would be packaged, transported, and stored in hidden compartments. This strongly suggests his full knowledge of the weights and quantities of the drugs involved. Second, he was an experienced leader of a drug trafficking ring in the Vancouver area who continued his drug distribution activities in that area after his conviction…”
Both defendants are citizens of Mexico who likely will be deported following their prison terms.
The case was investigated by the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Max Shiner.
Two Juveniles Charged as Adults for Murdering High School Student During Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Marlan Smith, Jr., 16, and Anthony Monroe, 17, of Washington, D.C., were presented in Superior Court and charged as adults today on the charge of first degree felony murder while armed, stemming from the homicide of 17-year-old A.C., on September 11, 2023, in front of Jersey Mike’s, in the 2300 Block of Washington Place, N.E. The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Monroe and Smith were arraigned before Magistrate Judge Eric Glover, today, where they entered pleas of not guilty. The defendants are accused of committing five separate armed robberies beginning at approximately 5:49 a.m., prior to the sixth armed robbery that resulted in A.C.’s death by shooting him in the head. The court heard arguments and found probable cause to believe that the defendants committed first degree felony murder while armed. The court held the defendants without bond pending a preliminary hearing scheduled for December 4, 2023, before Judge Robert Okun.
An arrest on a complaint is merely a formally charged allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin DeRiso.
Two Former San Francisco Department of Building Inspection Engineers Charged with Honest Services Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO - Two former San Francisco Department of Building Inspection (DBI) construction plan engineers have been charged in federal court with participating in an honest services wire fraud conspiracy for accepting bribes in return for expediting and approving building and construction plan permits, announced Attorney for the United States Thomas A. Colthurst and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp.
According to a criminal Information filed on November 2, 2023, Rodolfo “Rudy” Pada, 68, of Millbrae, California, began accepting bribes in 2003 and continued to do so until he retired in September 2017. The Information alleges the bribes consisted of cash, free meals, drinks, and other benefits bestowed upon Pada by executives at a construction planning and design firm in return for Pada expediting and approving permits for building and construction plans. In addition, Pada is alleged to have solicited, accepted, and concealed an interest-free $85,000 loan facilitated by a construction planning and design firm executive.
According to a separate Information filed on November 2, 2023, Cyril Yu, 41, of San Francisco, began accepting bribes in January 2018 and continued to do so until February 2021. The Information alleges the bribes consisted of cash, free meals, drinks, and other benefits bestowed upon Yu by executives at a construction planning and design firm in return for Yu expediting and approving permits for building and construction plans.
The Informations allege that DBI is a regulatory agency in the City and County of San Francisco responsible for overseeing enforcement of building, electrical, plumbing, and housing codes for San Francisco’s more than 200,000 commercial and residential buildings. According to the Informations, contractors and builders submit construction plans to DBI for approval and permitting; the plans must be reviewed and approved by DBI to ensure that proposed construction plans meet City codes and regulations.
An information merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Pada and Yu were each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, and a fine of up to $250,000. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
The case is being prosecuted by the Corporate and Securities Fraud Section of the United States Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Ward and Ilham Hosseini are prosecuting the case, which is the result of an investigation by the FBI
Two Former Corrections Officers Plead Guilty to Federal Civil Rights Charges in Connection with Death of Inmate at West Virginia JailRead the Press Release
Two former corrections officers from the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, pleaded guilty yesterday for their respective roles in an assault that resulted in the death of an inmate, identified by the initials Q.B., on March 1, 2022. Steven Nicholas Wimmer and Andrew Fleshman each pleaded guilty to conspiring with other officers to use unreasonable force against Q.B.
According to their plea agreements, Wimmer and Fleshman each acknowledged that they separately responded to a call for officer assistance after Q.B. tried to push past another correctional officer and leave his assigned pod and that, when each arrived at the pod, Q.B. was on the floor as force was being used against him. The officers restrained and handcuffed Q.B. Wimmer, Fleshman and other members of the conspiracy then escorted Q.B. to an interview room where members of the conspiracy, aided and abetted by each other, struck and injured Q.B. while he was restrained, handcuffed and posed no threat to anyone. Wimmer and Fleshman each admitted that the members of the conspiracy struck and injured Q.B. in the interview room in order to punish him for attempting to leave his assigned pod.
In his plea agreement, Fleshman further admits that he was one of the members of the conspiracy who injured Q.B. inside the interview room while Q.B. was restrained, handcuffed and posed no threat. Fleshman acknowledged that he and others then removed Q.B. from the interview room to a cell, where members of the conspiracy struck and injured Q.B. to punish him while he was restrained, handcuffed and while he posed no threat to anyone.
In his plea agreement, Wimmer further admitted that he struck and injured Q.B. after he was brought to the cell to punish Q.B. while he was restrained, handcuffed and while he posed no threat to anyone.
Wimmer and Fleshman each pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Court Judge Frank W. Volk. Sentencing hearings are scheduled for Feb. 22, 2024. According to their respective plea agreements, Wimmer and Fleshman each face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney William S. Thompson for the Southern District of West Virginia and Special Agent in Charge Michael D. Nordwall of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office is investigating the case.
Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and Trial Attorney Matthew Tannenbaum of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Deputy Criminal Chief Monica Coleman for the Southern District of West Virginia are prosecuting the case.
Truth or Consequences Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Francisco B. Burrola, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso, announced that James Dooly Pollock was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Pollock, 39, of Truth or Consequences, pled guilty in federal court on July 13, 2022, to production of a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
On Dec 30, 2021, the father of a 14-year-old victim submitted his daughter’s cell phone to the Truth or Consequences Police Department (TCPD) and reported that the cell phone contained video of an adult male having sex with the victim. After obtaining the father’s permission and a search warrant, TCPD transferred the cell phone to New Mexico State Police (NMSP) for extraction of the phone’s contents. Approximately eight videos of Pollock and the victim were found within "WhatsApp" chats. Within the chats, there was also a message where Pollock told the victim, “You need to get an appslock app to hide things on your phone.”
Upon his release from prison, Pollock will be subject to 10 years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
Homeland Security Investigations, the NMSP and TCPD investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Clara Cobos and Marisa Ong are prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
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Three Louisville Men Sentenced in Federal Court for Fentanyl and Heroin Trafficking Related OffensesRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – This week, the third and final local man was sentenced to federal prison for fentanyl and heroin trafficking related offenses. One man was also sentenced for illegally possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
On July 27, 2023, Ramontez Bell, 23, was sentenced to 5 years in prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release, for conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a fentanyl mixture and a mixture of heroin, possessing with the intent to distribute a fentanyl mixture, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Bell was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offense. On August 22, 2019, Bell was convicted in Jefferson Circuit Court of complicity to tampering with physical evidence.
Also on July 27, 2023, Duane Johnson, 33, was sentenced to 5 years in prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release, for conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a fentanyl mixture and a mixture of heroin.
On November 2, 2023, Keidrick Grinstead, 33, was sentenced to 7 years in prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release, for conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a fentanyl mixture and a mixture of heroin.
There is no parole in the federal system.
The FBI Louisville Field Office Safe Streets Task Force and LMPD investigated the case.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Dahl.
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Three Individuals Sentenced for Bribery Scheme at Ft. Gregg-AdamsRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Hopewell couple and Missouri man were sentenced yesterday for conspiring to bribe a public official.
Susan May Keim, 54, was sentenced to 30 months in prison; Russell John Keim Sr., 60, was sentenced to 18 months in prison; and Rodney Gale Wilson, 67, of Imperial, Missouri, was sentenced to 45 months in prison. All three defendants previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to offer bribes to a public official and to accept bribes as a public official.
According to court documents, from approximately June 2013 through October 2018, Susan Keim and her husband Russell Keim accepted bribes from Wilson in return for Susan Keim’s award of purchase orders to Wilson’s company to sell parts and materials to U.S. Army Garrison Fort Gregg-Adams, formerly known as Fort Lee. Susan Keim worked for Skookum Educational Services, a company that contracted with the federal government to provide maintenance and supply services at Fort Gregg-Adams. Under the contract, the federal government reimbursed Skookum for the cost of the supplies it purchased for Fort Gregg-Adams. Wilson was the owner of C&L Supply, a company formed for the sole purpose of selling supplies to Skookum for use at Fort Gregg-Adams. C&L Supply sometimes sold the supplies to Skookum at a substantial markup, a cost which was passed on to the federal government. From 2013 to 2018, in return for the award of purchase orders worth over $900,000, Wilson provided checks and cash payments to Susan and Russell Keim disguised as compensation to Russell Keim for work he purportedly performed for C&L Supply and payments for work done on a property owned by the Keims.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Nicole M. Argentieri, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Richmond Field Office; Michael C. Curran, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division’s (CID) Major Procurement Fraud Field Office (MPFFO); and Christopher Dillard, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s (DCIS) Mid-Atlantic Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Senior U.S District Judge John A. Gibney, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael C. Moore and Trial Attorney Lauren Britsch Slater of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section prosecuted 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. 3:21-cr-083.
Three Individuals Sentenced for Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
A Virginia couple and Missouri man were sentenced yesterday for conspiring to bribe a public official.
Susan May Keim, 54, of Hopewell, Virginia, was sentenced to 30 months in prison; Russell John Keim Sr., 60, also of Hopewell, was sentenced to 18 months in prison; and Rodney Gale Wilson, 67, of Imperial, Missouri, was sentenced to 45 months in prison. All three defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to offer bribes to a public official and to accept bribes as a public official.
According to court documents, Susan Keim and her husband Russell Keim accepted bribes from Wilson in return for Susan Keim’s award of purchase orders to Wilson’s company to sell parts and materials to U.S. Army Garrison Fort Lee (redesignated as Fort Gregg-Adams). Susan Keim worked for Skookum Educational Services, a company that contracted with the federal government to provide maintenance and supply services at Fort Lee. Under the contract, the federal government reimbursed Skookum for the cost of the supplies it purchased for Fort Lee. Wilson was the owner of C&L Supply, a company formed for the sole purpose of selling supplies to Skookum for use at Fort Lee. C&L Supply sometimes sold the supplies to Skookum at a substantial markup, a cost which was passed on to the federal government. From 2013 to 2018, in return for the award of purchase orders worth over $900,000, Wilson provided checks and cash payments to Susan and Russell Keim disguised as compensation to Russell Keim for work he purportedly performed for C&L Supply and payments for work done on a property owned by the Keims.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia, Special Agent in Charge Stanley M. Meador of the FBI Richmond Field Office, Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael C. Curran of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID)'s Major Procurement Fraud Field Office (MPFFO), and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS)'s Mid-Atlantic Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Richmond Field Office, Army CID’s MPFFO, and DCIS investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Lauren Britsch Slater of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael C. Moore for the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case.
Texas Resident Sentenced for Federal Firearms CrimeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Shawn Lee Karr, age 37, of Howe, Texas, was sentenced for possession of stolen firearms. Karr was sentenced to twelve months and one day in prison for one count of Possession of Stolen Firearms, in violation of 18 U.S.C.§ 922(j).
The charges arose from investigations by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the General Services Administration – Office of Inspector General, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On August 17, 2022, Karr pleaded guilty to Possession of Stolen Firearms. According to investigators, between 2018 and 2019, Karr pawned his department-issued firearms while employed as a police officer for Oklahoma police departments in Bennington, Bokchito, and Boswell. The firearms were federally issued weapons on loan from the Department of Defense’s Defense Logistics Agency’s Law Enforcement Support Office and from the General Services Administration’s Federal Surplus Personal Property Donation Program. Karr pawned the federally owned firearms at a Calera, Oklahoma, pawn shop.
“The DoD Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and our partners are committed to safeguarding sensitive property from the Defense Logistics Agency’s Law Enforcement Support Office (LESO), which works with qualifying law enforcement agencies to facilitate the transfer of excess DoD property under strict program guidelines,” said Gregory P. Shilling, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DCIS’ Southwest Field Office. “Today’s sentencing highlights the very real consequences for those holding a position of trust and choose to compromise the LESO program for personal gain.”
“GSA’s Federal Surplus Personal Property Donation Program provides local government, non-profit, and educational organizations access to property the federal government no longer needs,” said GSA OIG Special Agent in Charge Jamie Willemin of the Southwest and Rocky Mountain Investigations Division. “GSA OIG and our investigative partners will continue to investigate and hold accountable those who exploit such programs for personal financial gain.”
“Protecting federal property from waste, fraud, and abuse is a priority of the Department of Justice,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “The defendant had no right to pawn the firearms he was issued as part of his employment as a law enforcement officer, and he is now facing the consequences for his actions.”
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearings in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Karr will self-report on November 30, 2023, to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney Kara Traster represented the United States.
Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Cocaine Trafficking in Lackawanna CountyRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Luis Gonzalez, age 27, of El Paso, Texas, pleaded guilty on November 2, 2023, before U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, to the charge of possession with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Gonzalez admitted to possessing between 15 kilograms and 50 kilograms of cocaine for further distribution in the Lackawanna County area in September 2022. The charges stem from an incident on September 29, 2022, in which members of the Pennsylvania State Police made a traffic stop of a vehicle in Lackawanna County. Gonzalez and codefendant, Jose Torres, age 27, of El Paso, Texas were the occupants of the vehicle. A subsequent search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of sixteen individually wrapped kilograms of cocaine, having a street-value of approximately $500,000.
The charges against Jose Torres remain outstanding.
The investigation was conducted by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Pennsylvania State Police and the Scranton Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Under federal law, the offense carries a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison. The maximum penalty under federal law is up to life in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. 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.
All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Tax Preparer Sentenced to Prison for $1.4M Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Alexandria man was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for defrauding the U.S. government of approximately $1.4 million in tax revenue by preparing false tax returns on behalf of his unsuspecting clients.
According to court documents, between 2016 and 2020, Lawrence Appiah-Osei, 58, ran a tax preparation business called New Look Enterprise out of his home in Alexandria. From at least 2017 through 2020, Appiah-Osei executed a scheme to fraudulently inflate the tax refunds of his clients. To do so, Appiah-Osei falsely claimed that his clients operated businesses that lost thousands of dollars each year. These fraudulent losses drove down the clients’ taxable income and increased the clients’ tax refunds. The Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) estimates the Appiah-Osei’s actions resulted in a tax loss of approximately $1.4 million to the federal government.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Kareem A. Carter, IRS Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Washington D.C. Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis, III.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hood prosecuted 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. 1:23-cr-113.
Stilwell Resident Sentenced for Federal Firearms CrimeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Brandon Lee Workman, age 37, of Stilwell, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 72 months in prison for one count of possessing a firearm after a felony conviction and 72 months in prison for one count of possessing ammunition after a felony conviction. These sentences will run concurrently.
The charges arose from investigations by the Adair County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On August 10, 2022, Workman pleaded guilty to the offenses. According to investigators, law enforcement officers responding to an emergency call on May 9, 2022, discovered Workman in possession of a revolver and .38 Special ammunition despite a prior conviction for a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.
The Honorable Rodney W. Sippel, Senior U.S. District Judge in the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Workman will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorneys Zachary Parsons and Kevin Gross represented the United States.
Stilwell Resident Pleads Guilty to Arson in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Arron Lee Gonzalis, age 27, of Stilwell, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Arson in Indian Country.
The Indictment alleged that Gonzalis willfully and maliciously set fire to and burned a building.
The crime occurred in Adair County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Stilwell Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Gonzalis was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Gross represented the United States.
Sharon Naylor Sentenced for Her Role in Operating Pill MillRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On November 2, 2023, Sharon Naylor, 58, of Junction City, Kentucky, was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 12 months and one day by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Naylor waived an indictment by a Federal Grand Jury and agreed to plead guilty to an information charging her with one count of maintaining a drug premises, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 856; Naylor also pleaded guilty to an indictment charging her with one count of money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1957. Following her incarceration, Naylor will be on supervised release for one year. In addition, Naylor was also ordered to forfeit the proceeds of her crime, including approximately $1.9 million in real property, cash, gold and silver coins and bouillon, all of which were seized by the United States.
According to court documents, Naylor, a nurse practitioner, owned and managed a non-insurance, cash-equivalent pain clinic named Lafollette Wellness Center (LWC), in Campbell County, Tennessee. Naylor continued to own and operate LWC, despite knowing that the medical director, co-defendant Dr. Henry Babenco, and the physician’s assistant, co-defendant Alicia Taylor, were prescribing opioids to patients outside professional practice and for no legitimate medical purpose.
Naylor, Babenco, Taylor, and LWC office manager, Gregory Madron, were charged with drug-related offenses as part of the April 2019 Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid Strike Force Surge; Taylor pleaded guilty to her role in the distribution of controlled substances in May 2021, Madron pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor offense for his role in September 2023. Babenco died in a plane crash in February 2021. Madron and Taylor are scheduled to be sentenced in January and February 2024, respectively.
U.S. Attorney Francis. M. Hamilton III, of the Eastern District of Tennessee; Special Agent in Charge J. Todd Scott, of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); and Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
The charges were the result of an investigation by the DEA, the FBI, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and assisted by the Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne-Marie Svolto of the Eastern District of Tennessee is prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Fraud Section Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid Strike Force (ARPO) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Petro of the Middle District of Tennessee, formerly of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section, provided valuable assistance.
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Seminole Resident Sentenced for Federal Firearm CrimeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Derrick Dewayne Louie-Jackson, age 44, of Seminole, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 51 months in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of Ammunition.
The charge arose from investigations by the Seminole Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On August 3, 2022, a federal jury convicted Louie-Jackson at trial of one count of the offense Felon in Possession of Ammunition. On or about April 28, 2022, upon execution of an arrest warrant, Louie-Jackson was found in possession of ammunition. Louie-Jackson, a felon, was previously convicted of an offense punishable by more than a year of incarceration.
The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing in Muskogee. Louie-Jackson will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
The United States was represented at trial by Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin Cheung and Jarrod Leaman.
St. Croix Man Sentenced to 102 Months Incarceration on Cocaine Possession ConvictionRead the Press Release
St. Croix, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Kareme Holst, 46, a St. Croix native and resident of Colorado, was sentenced by District Court Judge Wilma A. Lewis to 102 months imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release and a fine of $1,000.00, on his conviction of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Holst pleaded guilty on August 25, 2022.
According to court documents, on October 18, 2021, Holst was a ticketed passenger on an American Airlines flight from St. Croix to Miami, FL. During his preboarding inspection at the Henry Rohlsen Airport, Customs and Border Patrol officers discovered approximately three kilograms of cocaine hidden in jars of coconut packed in Holst’s luggage. Officers also found bags of cocaine concealed in the pockets of clothing pack in Holst’s suitcase. When interviewed, Holst admitted that the luggage belonged to him and that he packed each bag.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Patrol and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rhonda Williams-Henry. This investigation 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.
Rashad Trice Trial Date Set for April 16 in Wynter Cole-Smith CaseRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that a trial date for Rashad Maleek Trice, 26, has been set for April 16, 2024. U.S. District Judge Robert J. Jonker scheduled the trial date following today’s status conference.
“My office is ready and fully prepared to make our case against Mr. Trice at a fair trial as we seek a measure of justice for Wynter Cole-Smith and her family,” said U.S. Attorney Totten.
Trice has been indicted and arraigned for kidnapping two-year-old Wynter Cole-Smith, resulting in her death and kidnapping a minor. Trice was charged by criminal complaint on July 7, 2023, to secure his immediate detention, and indicted on July 26 to satisfy his constitutional right to federal indictment by a grand jury. On August 7, 2023, he pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and remains in custody.
Trice is charged with two counts. The first count is kidnapping resulting in death, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1201(a)(1). If convicted, the statutory mandatory minimum sentence is life in prison. The second count is kidnapping of a minor, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1201(a)(1) and (g)(1). If convicted, the statutory mandatory minimum sentence is 20 years in prison with a maximum possible sentence of life in prison.
The charges in an indictment are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Trice Pleads Not Guilty During Arraignment In Wynter Cole-Smith Case
Trice was Previously Indicted for Kidnapping Resulting in Death and Kidnapping a Minor
Monday, August 7, 2023
Trice Indicted For Kidnapping Resulting In Death And Kidnapping A Minor In Wynter Cole-Smith Case
Wednesday, July 26, 2023
U.S. Attorney Totten Announces Federal Charges In The Kidnapping Of 2-Year-Old Wynter Cole-Smith
Friday, July 7, 2023
Queens Man Pleads Guilty to Co-Leading One of the Largest No-Fault Insurance Frauds in New York HistoryRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ALEXANDER GULKAROV pled guilty today to conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, and aggravated identity theft in connection with his orchestration of a $40 million fraud targeting no-fault automobile insurance companies. GULKAROV further admitted to obstructing law enforcement’s investigation by fabricating documents and intimidating witnesses.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Alexander Gulkarov was one of the leaders of a multifaceted scheme to defraud automobile insurance companies; bribe hospital employees, 911 dispatchers, and others; launder hundreds of thousands of dollars; and obstruct law enforcement. This complex scheme resulted in over $40 million in losses, which Gulkarov used to fund his lavish lifestyle, taking luxury vacations and renovating his multimillion-dollar home. This Office has no tolerance for those who cheat the system to wrongfully enrich themselves, and we will continue to dismantle wide-ranging schemes such as this one.”
According to the Information to which GULKAROV pled guilty, the plea agreement, and statements made in court:
The Healthcare Fraud Scheme
New York and New Jersey no-fault insurance laws require a driver’s automobile insurance company to pay automobile insurance claims automatically for certain types of motor vehicle accidents, provided that the claim is legitimate and below a particular monetary threshold. Pursuant to these requirements, insurance companies will often pay medical service providers directly for the treatment they provide to automobile accident victims without the need to bill the victims themselves. This process resolves automobile claims without apportioning blame or fault for the accident, thereby avoiding protracted disputes and the costs associated with an extended investigation of the accident.
From 2014 through 2021, GULKAROV and others (collectively, the “Clinic Controllers”) agreed that they would unlawfully own, run, and profit from medical clinics in the New York area and that GULKAROV would also profit from pharmacies in the New York area that were unlawfully owned and controlled by other Clinic Controllers. GULKAROV knew that clinics and pharmacies are unable to bill insurance companies for No-Fault benefits if the medical facilities are controlled by non-physicians. GULKAROV nonetheless agreed with others to submit bills to insurance companies falsely representing that the clinics were owned and operated by licensed medical practitioners and for medical practitioners to lie under oath during Examinations under Oath about the ownership, control, and finances of the clinics. GULKAROV personally coached medical practitioners to lie under oath. GULKAROV and his fellow Clinic Controllers unlawfully obtained from insurance companies at least $40,000,000 as part of the scheme.
In connection with the scheme described above, GULKAROV personally approached medical practitioners, including physicians, and directed them to prescribe unnecessary medical treatments (including MRIs, EMG/NCV testing, spinal injections, and computerized radiologic mensuration analysis), unnecessary durable medical equipment (including cervical home traction devices and lumbar back support), and medically unnecessary medications (including prescription strength painkillers, topical creams, and topical gels). GULKAROV received kickbacks from MRI facilities, pain management doctors, and other specialized care providers, who performed these unnecessary medical treatments. GULKAROV further personally arranged for the unnecessary medications to be filled at pharmacies under the control of other Clinic Controllers. The medical practitioners provided necessary procedures and treatments to patients as well.
GULKAROV also overbilled insurance companies for treatments provided by medical practitioners. In connection with the scheme, GULKAROV owned and operated a billing company called “Billing for You.” Billing for You submitted bills to insurance companies overstating the amount of time that practitioners spent treating patients. Billing for You also used improper, unlisted billing codes to bill insurance companies in excess of what is permitted under No-Fault regulations.
The Bribery Scheme
GULKAROV and his fellow Clinic Controllers further agreed to pay bribes in connection with the above-described scheme. From at least 2014 through November 2019, GULKAROV agreed with others to pay bribes to hospital employees, 911 dispatchers, and other individuals for the confidential names and numbers of motor vehicle accident victims. As part of the scheme, GULKAROV and others provided approximately $150,000 for the creation of a call center, operated by Anthony Rose, a/k/a “Todd Chambers,” that called victims and lied to them to induce victims to receive medical treatment at, among other places, clinics controlled by GULKAROV and his associates. GULKAROV further personally paid Anthony Rose hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribe payments in cash.
As part of the scheme, GULKAROV arranged for a New York City police officer to provide confidential information from New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) servers. In particular, this officer sent GULKAROV over 400 photos of confidential NYPD motor vehicle accident reports using the encrypted messaging application, WhatsApp. GULKAROV then re-transmitted the reports to Rose and others so that they could call patients, lie to them, and direct them to clinics controlled by GULKAROV and others.
Money Laundering and Obstruction Conduct
GULKAROV laundered the proceeds of the bribery and healthcare fraud from the bank accounts of the medical clinics and pharmacies to personal accounts using a variety of methods. Among other things, GULKAROV personally told medical practitioners to sign blank checks from the clinics’ bank accounts, which GULKAROV used to pay personal expenses such as luxury vacations around the world, expensive meals, jewelry, and parties. GULKAROV also used the blank checks to pay for hundreds of thousands of dollars of construction-related expenses for this three-story, multimillion-dollar home in Queens, New York.
GULKAROV arranged for checks from the clinics’ bank accounts to be cashed at over a dozen shell companies under his control or the control of co-conspirators, including, for instance, “Sign N Drive Auto GRP,” “Transport on Wheels,” and “Sancus Consulting & Trading Inc.” Over two dozen of these shell companies were opened by foreign nationals, who entered the country on tourism visas, opened bank accounts for the shell companies, provided the debit cards to GULKAROV’s coconspirators, and then left the country.
GULKAROV additionally agreed to use Wisnicki & Associates and Wisnicki Neuhauser (collectively, the “Wisnicki Firm”) to launder proceeds from the No-Fault scheme. GULKAROV and his fellow Clinic Controllers wrote over $150,000 in checks to the Wisnicki Firm from the No-Fault clinics’ bank accounts. The Wisnicki Firm did not provide any legal services to the No-Fault clinics. Instead, the Wisnicki Firm used this money to purchase real estate for one of GULKAROV’s coconspirators. GULKAROV and his coconspirators deducted the payments to the Wisnicki Firm on the clinics’ tax returns as legal expenses.
Lastly, GULKAROV engaged in a multi-month obstruction scheme beginning in February 2021. In February and March 2021, the Government served grand jury subpoenas on the medical practitioners involved in the No-Fault scheme. GULKAROV immediately contacted at least half-a-dozen of his coconspirators and ordered them not to speak with law enforcement. In return, GULKAROV gave his coconspirators money to pay for attorneys. GULKAROV also obtained the phones of multiple practitioners and deleted his communications with them from their devices.
Thereafter, on or about April 1, 2021, the Government served a grand jury subpoena on the Wisnicki Firm for documentation surrounding the $150,000 in payments made from the clinics to the Wisnicki Firm. GULKAROV agreed with others that the Wisnicki Firm would fabricate retainer agreements for transmission to the grand jury. The fabricated retainer agreements, which were backdated to 2016 and 2017, falsely represented that the No-Fault clinics had retained the Wisnicki Firm for legal services.
During the following months, in or about April and May 2021, GULKAROV approached multiple medical practitioners and ordered them to sign the backdated, fabricated retainer agreements. The medical practitioners complied. GULKAROV also provided these medical practitioners with checks, written from the Wisnicki Firm, returning the purported “retainer fees” paid to the Wisnicki Firm. GULKAROV ordered the medical practitioners to deposit the checks, withdraw the money in small cash increments, and return the cash to GULKAROV. At least one medical practitioner complied.
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ALEXANDER GULKAROV, 37, of Queens, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; and one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to run consecutively to any other prison term imposed. As part of his plea agreement with the Government, GULKAROV agreed to pay forfeiture of $40,000,000 and restitution of $40,000,000.
The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit and the White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mathew Andrews, Timothy Capozzi, and Ryan W. Allison are in charge of the prosecution.
Pittsburgh Resident Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Possessing a Firearm After a Felony ConvictionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – Todd Hill was convicted of fentanyl and heroin trafficking and possessing a firearm after a felony conviction, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Hill, age 38 of Pittsburgh, pled guilty before United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer. He pled guilty to (1) conspiring to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of heroin, (2) possessing with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture containing fentanyl and heroin, and (3) possessing a firearm after a felony conviction. Sentencing will be scheduled on a date to be determined.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison and a fine of up to $16,250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentences imposed are to be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Pennsylvania State Police; the Pittsburgh Police Department; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the United States Marshals Service; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigations leading to the convictions.
Pittsburg County Resident Sentenced for Assault with A Dangerous Weapon in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Christopher Chad Thompson, age 32, of Amber, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 40 months in prison for one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country.
The charges arose from investigations by the Quinton Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On October 17, 2022, Thompson pleaded guilty to assaulting the victim with a dangerous weapon with the intent to cause the victim bodily harm. According to investigators, Thompson assaulted and stabbed the victim during an altercation on January 14, 2019, causing significant bodily injury. The crime occurred in Pittsburg County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearings in Muskogee. Thompson will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Bondura represented the United States.
Pere Marquette Developers Convicted of Mail Fraud, Money Laundering, and Bankruptcy ChargesRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A federal jury today returned guilty verdicts after a day and a half of deliberations in the trial against Pere Marquette Hotel developers Gary E. Matthews, 81, of East Peoria, Illinois, and Monte J. Brannan, 70, of Peoria, Illinois. Matthews and Brannan were jointly charged with five counts of mail fraud and 13 counts of money laundering. Brannan was also charged, individually, with three counts related to bankruptcy fraud committed in his personal bankruptcy case. Matthews was found guilty on all mail fraud charges and 12 of the 13 money laundering counts. Brannan, who earlier in the trial had pleaded guilty to the bankruptcy fraud counts, was convicted on all 18 remaining counts. Sentencing for both Matthews and Brannan is scheduled for March 27, 2024, at the U.S. Courthouse in Peoria, Illinois.
Over 11 days of testimony, the government presented evidence to establish that Matthews and Brannan orchestrated a scheme to defraud their investors, the City of Peoria, Core Construction, Indure, and other lenders and creditors. The pair had conspired to disguise the fact that they were taking money from the hotel complex operations by claiming they were using the funds to pay for the mortgage and real estate taxes for the hotel. In the course of that scheme, the two illegally transferred funds to themselves in an effort to disguise the source and ownership of the money they had taken.
Both Matthews and Brannan were released with their current bonds in full force and effect. At sentencing, the defendants face statutory penalties of up to 20 years’ imprisonment for the mail fraud and money laundering charges, followed by up to five years of supervised release. The bankruptcy charges carry a possibility of up to five years’ imprisonment and up to three years of supervised release. Each of the counts carries the possibility of a $250,000 fine.
The case investigation was conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. The bankruptcy fraud charge was referred for criminal prosecution by the Office of the United States Trustee for Region 10, Nancy J. Gargula. The U.S. Trustee Program is the component of the Justice Department that protects the integrity of the bankruptcy system by overseeing case administration and litigating to enforce the bankruptcy laws. Region 10 is headquartered in Indianapolis, with additional offices in South Bend, Indiana, and Peoria, Illinois. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Douglas F. McMeyer, Ronald L. Hanna, and William J. Lynch represented the government at trial. The case was presented to a federal grand jury for indictment by Criminal Chief Darilynn J. Knauss.
Part-Owner of Internet Provider for U.S. Troops at Kandahar Airfield Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
A U.S. businessman pleaded guilty today to evading his federal income taxes.
According to court documents and statements made in court, since 2007, Robert N. Dooner has lived outside the United States, intermittently in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Ibiza, Spain. Starting in approximately 2007, Dooner worked as a business associate of Individual-1, an American living abroad. Together with others, including Individual-1, Dooner formed a joint venture incorporated in the UAE to provide internet services to U.S. military personnel at Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan. Individual-1 helped fund the joint venture with proceeds from Company-1 – a business providing commodities to the U.S. Department of Defense in Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan and the Middle East.
For 2015 through 2019, Dooner evaded taxes owed to the IRS by underreporting to his tax preparer the profits he earned from his ownership interest in the joint venture, as well as other compensation he received through his work for Individual-1. Dooner diverted his distributions to UAE bank accounts in the name of a Dubai-based shell company and then tried to conceal the foreign bank account records when they were specifically requested by U.S. authorities. In total, Dooner concealed approximately $2 million he earned from 2015 through 2019, causing a tax loss to the IRS of more than $744,977.
Dooner is the fifth defendant associated with the defense contracting company to plead guilty. Charles Squires pleaded guilty to tax evasion in February 2022, James Robar pleaded guilty to tax evasion in March 2022, Ronald “Ron” Thomas pleaded guilty to tax evasion in April 2022 and Zachary “Zack” Friedman pleaded guilty to tax evasion in August 2022.
Dooner faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. He 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 U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction are investigating the case. Assistance was provided by the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement (J5), which brings together the taxing authorities of Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States. The Tax Division and U.S. Attorney’s Office thank His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs of the United Kingdom for their extensive assistance in this matter.
Senior Litigation Counsel Nanette Davis and Trial Attorneys Sarah Ranney and Ezra Spiro of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Leslie Goemaat for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.
Part-Owner of Internet Provider for U.S. Troops at Kandahar Airfield Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A U.S. businessman pleaded guilty today to evading his federal income taxes. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia made the announcement.
According to court documents and statements made in court, since 2007, Robert N. Dooner has lived outside the United States, intermittently in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Ibiza, Spain. Starting in approximately 2007, Dooner worked as a business associate of Individual-1, an American living abroad. Together with others, including Individual-1, Dooner formed a joint venture incorporated in the UAE to provide internet services to U.S. military personnel at Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan. Individual-1 helped fund the joint venture with proceeds from Company-1 – a business providing commodities to the U.S. Department of Defense in Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, and the Middle East.
For 2015 through 2019, Dooner evaded taxes owed to the IRS by underreporting to his tax preparer the profits he earned from his ownership interest in the joint venture, as well as other compensation he received through his work for Individual-1. Dooner diverted his distributions to UAE bank accounts in the name of a Dubai-based shell company and then tried to conceal the foreign bank account records when they were specifically requested by U.S. authorities. In total, Dooner concealed approximately $2 million he earned from 2015 through 2019, causing a tax loss to the IRS of more than $744,977.
Dooner is the fifth defendant associated with the defense contracting company to plead guilty. Charles Squires pleaded guilty to tax evasion in February 2022, James Robar pleaded guilty to tax evasion in March 2022, Ronald “Ron” Thomas pleaded guilty to tax evasion in April 2022, and Zachary “Zack” Friedman pleaded guilty to tax evasion in August 2022.
Dooner faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. He 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.
IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction are investigating the case. Assistance was provided by the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement (J5), which brings together the taxing authorities of Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The Tax Division and U.S. Attorney’s Office thank His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs of the United Kingdom for their extensive assistance in this matter.
Senior Litigation Counsel Nanette Davis and Trial Attorneys Sarah Ranney and Ezra Spiro of the Tax Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Leslie Goemaat of the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.
Panama City Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Passing Counterfeit Federal Reserve NotesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Lyndsey Rhea Markland (41, Panama City) to 12 months in federal prison for passing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. The court also ordered Markland to pay restitution to the victims she defrauded. On June 8, 2023, Markland pleaded guilty to four counts of passing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes.
According to court documents and public records, in 2022, Markland entered various businesses in Brevard, Clay, Duval, and Seminole counties and purchased gift cards, merchandise, and food using counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. Law enforcement subsequently determined that Markland and her co-defendant, Neal Evan Pollman (42, Panama City), were staying at a hotel in Palm Bay. In November 2022, the Palm Bay Police Department (PBPD) executed a search warrant at their hotel room and located Markland inside the room. Also located in the room was approximately $30,000 in counterfeit currency and a printer, along with other tools used by Pollman to manufacture counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. Shortly after the execution of the search warrant, the PBPD located Pollman in the vicinity of the hotel and arrested him. When the officers searched Pollman, they recovered various counterfeit Federal Reserve notes on him which were traced back to his manufacturing activities. During a subsequent forensic examination of Pollman’s cellphone, law enforcement located images of Federal Reserve notes that Pollman used to manufacture the counterfeit currency.
Pollman and Markland appeared in federal court on April 27, 2023, pursuant to a writ bringing them to Jacksonville from the Bay County Jail, where they were serving jail sentences for violating their state probation on multiple charges related to passing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. The court ordered Pollman and Markland detained.
On September 25, 2023, U.S. District Judge Davis sentenced Pollman to 18 months in federal prison for manufacturing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. The court also ordered Pollman to pay restitution to the victims he defrauded.
This case was investigated by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Palm Bay Police Department, the Orange Park Police Department, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Secret Service - Jacksonville Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.