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4 October 2023
Trinidad National Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for Stealing Identity and Applying for Passport in Name of Disabled VeteranRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Lorenzo Antoni Alfred (64, New York) to seven years in federal prison for passport fraud and aggravated identity theft. Alfred had pleaded guilty on May 19, 2023.
According to court documents and testimony, in 1988, Alfred, a native of Trinidad and Tobago, stole the identity of a disabled United States veteran to illegally come into the United States. Alfred obtained the victim-veteran’s birth certificate and Social Security card and used those documents to claim he was the victim for the next three decades. In 1989, Alfred was convicted in New York of second degree murder under the veteran’s identity. After his release from prison in 2014, Alfred obtained identity documents, credit cards, and government benefits in the victim’s name in New York and Florida. In June 2019, while he was residing in Tampa, Alfred attempted to apply for a passport in the victim’s name. The victim was harmed psychologically and financially by the offenses, including temporarily losing his government benefits and being unable to obtain credit in his name.
“We are pleased at the outcome of this case,” said Philippe Furstenberg, Special Agent in Charge of the DSS Miami Field Office . “The Diplomatic Security Service values our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other law enforcement agencies around the world to prevent and jointly combat U.S. passport and visa fraud. Deterring, detecting, and investigating U.S. passport and visa fraud is essential to safeguarding our national security.”
“Today’s sentence rightfully holds the defendant accountable for stealing the identity of a U.S. Army veteran and receiving benefits to which he was not entitled,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Algieri, VA-OIG, Northeast Field Office. “The VA OIG appreciates the hard work of the United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners in securing justice in this matter.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), the Social Security Administration - Office of the Inspector General, the Department of Veterans Affairs - Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Peresie.
Third Defendant Pleads Guilty to Second Degree Murder While Armed in 2020 Shooting on Martin Luther King Jr. Ave.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Niko Hall, 31, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty yesterday, in Superior Court, to second degree murder while armed in the September 2020 shooting death of Anthony Lee, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Hall is the third and final defendant in the case. Co-defendant Kyrie Wells, 21, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty to the same charge on January 3, 2023, and was sentenced, on April 13, 2023, to 14 years in prison. On July 6, 2023, a second co-defendant, Darquise Montgomery, 20, of Washington, D.C., also pleaded guilty to second degree murder while armed. Montgomery and Hall will be sentenced on November 27, 2023.
According to the government’s evidence, just before 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020, Anthony Lee, 25, of Washington, D.C., was walking south on Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. with a companion. The three defendants lined up across the sidewalk behind him. As Mr. Lee crossed Malcolm X Avenue, Hall, Wells, and Montgomery drew their handguns and opened fire, hitting Mr. Lee once in the back, and killing him.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter V. Roman and Jessica Keefer and Deputy Chief Laura Bach, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Taylorville Man Sentenced to 92 Months in Prison for Distribution of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Taylorville, Illinois, man, Jamal Shehadeh, 40, was sentenced today to 92 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by a six-year term of supervised release, for distribution of methamphetamine.
Shehadeh was previously found guilty by a federal jury following a two-day trial in October 2022. At the trial, the government presented evidence that on March 3, 2021, Shehadeh arranged to sell a confidential source methamphetamine. Shehadeh accepted payment for the methamphetamine electronically and later called 911 to report an emergency in attempt to distract law enforcement. Shehadeh then went to a residence, met with the source, and sold the source methamphetamine.
At the sentencing hearing, Chief U.S. District Judge Sara Darrow found that a sentencing guideline enhancement for obstruction of justice applied due to Shehadeh’s fanciful testimony at trial, which was rejected by the jury. In imposing the 92-month sentence, Judge Darrow also noted Shehadeh’s high risk of recidivism and pattern of repeated criminal conduct, explaining in part that the instant case represented his third federal criminal conviction. At the time Shehadeh sold methamphetamine in this case, he was already serving a term of supervised release for a previous federal drug trafficking charge. Judge Darrow revoked that term of supervision and sentenced Shehadeh to a consecutive 30-month term of imprisonment for his supervised release violations.
The statutory penalties for the offense of distribution of methamphetamine are up to 30 years’ imprisonment, at least six years of supervised release, and up to a $2,000,000 fine.
The Taylorville Police Department investigated the case. AUSA Sarah E. Seberger represented the government in the prosecution.
Tallahassee Felon Sentenced to 120 Months in Federal Prison for Manufacturing MachinegunsRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Garret D. Hodnett, 34, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon, manufacturing unregistered National Firearms Act (NFA) Weapons, and possessing an illegal machinegun. The sentence was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“Removing manufactured machineguns from the hands of felons and those who supply them directly addresses violent crime and makes our communities safer,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “With the assistance of our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners were are committed to identifying and aggressively prosecuting those who illegally manufacture and distribute firearms to prohibited persons. This sentencing represents both the severe consequences of illegal firearms trafficking and our resolve to remove these weapons from our streets.”
After recovering two illegal short-barreled rifles which had been modified to function as fully automatic machineguns, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) began investigating the origin of the firearms. ATF learned that those two firearms and others had been manufactured by Garrett Hodnett. ATF learned that Hodnett was a suspect in a July 27, 2022, shooting of a dog in Gadsden County, as well as an incident on July 31, 2022, in Tallahassee, in which someone was threatened with a firearm.
On August 10, 2022, ATF and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office executed a federal search warrant at a residence where Hodnett was living. Various firearms, firearm parts, and ammunition were found, including an AK-47-style rifle which had been modified to fire as a machinegun, and an AK-47 drum-magazine. A handgun found during the search of the residence matched a shell casing recovered from the scene in Gadsden County on July 27, 2022, at which the dog had been shot.
“North Florida is much safer with this violent criminal behind bars,” said ATF Tampa Field Division Special Agent in Charge Kirk Howard. “This complex, year-long investigation ended in a success only because of a hardworking and talented team of agents, local partners and federal prosecutors.”
Hodnett was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he was a convicted felon. Hodnett had six prior felony convictions, including prior convictions involving the illegal possession of firearms, but his longest prior prison sentence had been 15 months’ incarceration.
Following his 120-month prison sentence, Hodnett will be on federal supervised release for three years.
This conviction was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Tallahassee Police Department, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, and the Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Supplier for local meth dealers lands in federal prisonRead the Press Release
GALVESTON, Texas - A 28-year-old resident of Webster has been sentenced in a meth conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Omar Lopez III pleaded guilty Feb. 15 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five or more grams of meth or 50 or more grams of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of meth.
U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown has now ordered him to serve a total of 174 months in federal prison.
The investigation focused upon a group of meth distributors and their source of drugs who operated in Galveston County.
Lopez worked within the drug trafficking organization by supplying meth others had distributed.
He will report to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office and Galveston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Cusick is prosecuting the case.
South Thomaston Man Sentenced to 1.5 Years for Fraudulently Obtaining More than $1 Million in PPP LoansRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A South Thomaston man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for a bank fraud scheme in which he filed fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications and received over $1 million in fraud proceeds.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Mark X. Haley II, 43, to 18 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $1,010,581 in restitution. Haley pleaded guilty on February 8, 2023.
According to court records, Haley filed fraudulent PPP loan applications in an attempt to obtain PPP loans. He listed false employee and payroll information on each application and submitted fraudulent documents to support the false information to the banks. These documents included false federal employment tax returns, fake timesheets and falsified bank records. Haley used some of the funds he obtained to make a down payment on a sailboat, which he then claimed was itself a functioning business with multiple employees in an attempt to steal additional PPP funds. Over an 11-month span, Haley submitted 12 fraudulent applications to three lenders, each with phony supporting documentation. In total, he attempted to steal nearly $1.5 million and succeeded in obtaining $1,010,581.
The Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
“Mark Haley exploited a worldwide epidemic to enrich himself through fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee. “This was a prolonged and opportunistic scheme motivated by sheer greed that only ended when the program meant to help businesses survive the pandemic itself ended. The Department of Justice and my office will continue to pursue those, like Mr. Haley, who attempted to capitalize on an unprecedented crisis.”
Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP): The PPP was a COVID-19 pandemic relief program administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA) that provided forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses. The PPP permitted participating third-party lenders to approve and disburse SBA-backed PPP loans to cover payroll, fixed debts, utilities, rent/mortgage, accounts payable and other bills incurred by qualifying businesses during, and resulting from, the COVID-19 pandemic. PPP loans were fully guaranteed by the SBA.
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Serial Robber Sentenced to 17 Years for Conspiracy to Commit Robbery and Armed Robberies of Auto Parts Stores in South Tampa and Ybor CityRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle has sentenced Antonio Brown (45, Tampa) to 17 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. His codefendant, Steven Jackson, was previously sentenced to 13 years and 6 months in prison. Brown had pleaded guilty on June 23, 2023.
According to court documents, Brown and Jackson robbed two auto parts stores in the Tampa area on August 29, 2021. They first drove from Jackson’s home in the Palm River-Clair Mel neighborhood of Tampa to an auto parts store on South Dale Mabry Highway, where Brown and Jackson carried firearms and wore surgical masks when they entered the store. They brandished their firearms, demanded money from store employees, and stole approximately $300 from cash registers.
Shortly after completing the first robbery, Brown and Jackson drove to an auto parts store on 50th Street North in Tampa, where they again entered wearing masks and carrying firearms. They pointed their firearms at store clerks and demanded money from the cash registers. Brown and Jackson stole approximately $1,140 from the store during this robbery.
Later that night, officers from the Tampa Police Department conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle that Brown was driving. During a search of the car, they found a distinctive hat that one of the robbers had worn during the armed robberies, approximately $900 in cash, and Jackson’s wallet containing his identification. Further investigation provided evidence showing Jackson in the vicinity of the auto parts stores at the times of the robberies. Officers also found the clothes Jackson had worn during the robberies in his garbage outside his residence.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee, Michael Sinacore, and Charlie Connally.
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.
Rochester man sentenced for falsifying documents submitted to the ArmyRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Reginald Cannon, 55, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of wire fraud, was sentenced to two years’ probation, fined $200,000, and ordered to pay restitution totaling $315,944.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard A. Resnick and Kyle P. Rossi, who handled the case, stated that Cannon is president of Burnett Process, Inc., a Rochester based company, which, in May 2015, received a five-year contract from the United States Army to produce M98 Gas Particulate Filters. These filters are used by the Department of Defense in a wide range of military systems, such as shelters, mobile hospitals, and US Navy ships, to protect military personnel from chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosives threats. As fresh air is coming into a system, the filters push out potentially toxic substances. If the filters are not functioning properly, contaminants can get in, putting military personnel at risk. The contract, which was signed by Cannon, required that Burnett Process submit a report certifying that the supplier of the filter paper used to manufacture the M98 Filters complied with the material specifications listed in the contract. The contract also required that Burnett Process use one of two companies located in the United States whose filter paper met strict military specifications for such filter paper, or another company if such filter paper was properly tested, passed all the military specifications included in the contract, and was approved by the Army.
In September and October 2019, the Army ordered 3,650 M98 Filters at a cost of $315,944. When manufacturing these filters, Burnett Process used much cheaper filter paper from a company located in China that had not been properly tested, had not met the material specifications set forth in the contract, and had not been approved by the Army. By using the untested and unapproved cheaper filter paper, Burnett Process’ total cost to manufacture the filters was less than it should have been, which resulted in more profits for Burnett Process. Despite knowing that the proper filter paper was not used, Gannon still certified to the Army that the filter paper used was from one of the two approved filter paper suppliers in the United States.
“This defendant attempted to cut costs and increase his profits by using products that were not in compliance with the contract entered into by Burnett Process Inc. with the United States Military,” stated U.S. Attorney Ross. “Working with our investigative partners, this deception was uncovered before it caused harm to members of our military and this defendant, along with Burnett Process, have been held accountable for their actions.”
“There must be consequences for companies and individuals who not only defraud the U.S. government and taxpayers, but potentially put our warfighters at risk,” said Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of Homeland Security Investigations Buffalo. “HSI will continue to leverage its unique investigative authorities to further these investigations along with our partners within the Department of Defense and Department of Justice.”
“Protecting the integrity of the Department of Defense procurement process and supply chain is a priority for the DoD Office of Inspector General's Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS),” stated Special Agent-in-Charge Patrick J. Hegarty, DCIS Northeast Field Office. “We will continue to protect our nation's military members from unnecessary harm and work with our law enforcement partners to hold individuals and companies accountable for providing substandard, substituted products to the U.S. military.”
“Fraudulent activities by employees or contractors who work with the U.S. Army will not be tolerated,” said Supervisory Special Agent Michael Conner of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Major Procurement Fraud Field Office, Northeast Fraud Resident Agency. “Resolutions such as this one shows our resolve in bringing to justice those who would seek to defraud the U.S. Government and put the safety of our Soldiers at risk.”
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino, the Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General’s, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, under the direction Special Agent-in-Charge Patrick J. Hegarty, Northeast Field Office, and the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, Major Procurement Fraud Field Office, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Michael Curran.
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Rochester man going to prison for possession of child pornographyRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Joseph Perez, 23, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor, was sentenced to serve 15 years in prison and 10 years supervised release by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who handled the case, stated that in November 2020, Twitter reported that one of its users uploaded four images of child pornography to the Twitter site. Subsequent investigation traced the images to a Twitter account belonging to Perez. On November 5, 2021, investigators seized Perez’s electronic devices, including a cellular phone, which contained approximately 125 videos of child pornography. Some of the videos included children under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct. At the time of his federal arrest, there was an active arrest warrant for Perez out of Potter County, Texas. As a part of his federal plea, Perez admits that he sexually abused a minor victim in the State of Texas on more than two occasions.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Eugene Staniszewski. Additional assistance was provided by the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office.
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Plymouth Man Arrested for Theft of Government Benefits Related to the COVID-19 PandemicRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Plymouth man was arrested today in connection with his alleged involvement in a scheme to fraudulently obtain and misuse COVID-19 relief funds from multiple assistance programs.
Ferris Brooks, 41, was charged with theft of government property. Brooks was released on conditions following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston this afternoon before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Judith G. Dein.
According to the charging documents, from April to December 2020, Brooks submitted dozens of applications for government benefits, both in his own name and in the names of others, that contained false information. Specifically, Brooks allegedly submitted an application in the name of a fake business for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan with the U.S. Small Business Administration. Brooks also allegedly submitted more than 15 applications for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance in the names of others that contained false information, as well as filed approximately 10 tax returns for Economic Impact Payments in the names of others. Brooks allegedly directed payments on these fraudulent claims to bank accounts he had opened in his own name.
The charge of theft of government property provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Markham of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Pittsburgh Resident Sentenced to Prison for Narcotics TraffickingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 24 months’ imprisonment and 2 years’ supervised release on her conviction of narcotics trafficking, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Monique Robinson, age 39, of Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania.
Information presented to the court at the time of Robinson’s guilty plea revealed that on September 11, 2016, her co-defendant and sister, Marleka Robinson, obtained a large quantity of fentanyl and heroin from a distributor in the Knoxville section of Pittsburgh at their brother, Jerry Coker’s request. Marleka Robinson delivered the drugs to the residence they all shared. Monique Robinson was the legal tenant of the residence and allowed Coker to store, package, and distribute fentanyl, heroin, and other drugs in that location. A search warrant executed at the residence the following day resulted in the seizure of more than 285 grams of fentanyl and small quantities of heroin, cocaine, and marijuana. Drug packaging, weighing, and distributing materials were found strewn throughout the house, along with two Smith & Wesson pistols and $8,900 in cash, all of which were seized by law enforcement.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Bissoon stated that a sentence of 24 months’ imprisonment reflected the serious nature of Robinson’s conduct and her prior criminal history, as well as considered her limited role in the larger drug trafficking activity.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan commended the Drug Enforcement Agency for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Robinson.
Pharmacy Agrees to $60,000 Settlement Relating to Controlled Substances Act ClaimsRead the Press Release
PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – Rx Express of Panama City, Florida, a locally owned and operated retail pharmacy, agreed to pay $60,000 to resolve allegations that it unlawfully filled controlled substances. Laura Ann Gould, owner of Rx Express of Pharmacy of Panama City, Inc., entered into the civil settlement agreement with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida. The settlement was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“Pharmacies play a vital role in ensuring controlled substances are properly handled, accounted for, and dispensed. They are a critical component in guarding against the diversion of controlled substances,” said Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. “This settlement demonstrates our commitment to holding every level of the distribution chain, including pharmacies, accountable for Controlled Substance Act violations. Our office will continue to work to actively combat the opioid crisis in our local communities.”
Rx Express settled potential violations of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) by agreeing to pay a civil fine of $60,000 and entering into a compliance monitoring agreement with Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for a period of two (2) years. Under the CSA, entities registered with the DEA who purchase, distribute, dispense, transfer, or sell controlled substances must comply with strict inventory, dispensing, and documentation requirements. Regulations promulgated under the CSA require that each DEA registrant, including pharmacies, must maintain detailed and accurate records of each substance manufactured, received, sold, delivered, dispensed, or otherwise disposed of by the registrant. These requirements play a vital role in ensuring the appropriate handling, accounting, and distribution of controlled substances for those with legitimate medical needs, while simultaneously preventing the diversion and abuse of controlled substances. During its investigation of Rx Express, DEA identified at least 58 prescriptions that were filled outside the course of normal practice, including high dosage, high quantity, and combination therapeutic controlled substances issued by practitioners and providers located over 300 miles away from RX Express’s registered address, without corresponding documentation.
“One of DEA’s top priorities is to ensure all DEA registrants, including pharmacies, follow the mandates of the Controlled Substances Act, including the accurate inventorying, tracking, and recordkeeping of controlled substances. Failure to comply with these regulations can lead to the diversion of controlled substances, which jeopardizes the safety and health of our communities” said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “This settlement underscores our commitment to combat the opioid crisis by working with our regulatory partners to ensure these rules and regulations are followed.”
This civil settlement agreement is not an admission of any liability by Rx Express of Panama City, nor a concession by the United States that its potential claims were not well-founded.
Assistant United States Attorneys Marie Moyle and Mary Ann Couch represented the United States in this matter, which was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Diversion Control Program.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Parsons man indicted on meth & firearms chargesRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned a superseding indictment charging a man with drug trafficking crimes.
According to court documents, Tremayne M. Darkis, 44, of Parsons is charged with a total of 55 counts including:
• one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, • one count of interstate travel in aid of racketeering, • 49 counts of use of a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking crime, • one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, • one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, • one count possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and
• one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in or near a school.The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ola Odeyemi is prosecuting the case.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Cletis Ringwald, 68, of Lyons was indicted on one count of aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Kansas Highway Patrol are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kari Burks is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###Palm Beach Gardens attorney convicted of possessing child pornographyRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Palm Beach Gardens attorney pleaded guilty in federal district court to possessing child pornography.
As part of his guilty plea, Michael Thomas Dolce, 54, admitted to downloading child pornography to his personal laptop at his West Palm Beach apartment. According to court records, Dolce used peer-2-peer software to search for and download the illegal material, including prepubescent children. Nearly 2,000 images and videos were recovered from Dolce’s laptop. Forensic evidence confirmed that Dolce was in the process of downloading child pornography files just before law enforcement seized his laptop during the execution of a federal search warrant of his residence.
Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 18 at 10:30 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks. Dolce faces up to 20 years in prison, lifetime supervised release, and payment of restitution to his victims.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, announced the guilty plea.
The West Palm Beach Resident Agency of the FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Schiller is prosecuting it.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov or https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/project-safe-childhood.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-cr-80063.
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Owasso man pleads to killing uncle he thought was an intruderRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. - An Owasso man who shot his uncle, after mistaking him for an intruder, pleaded guilty in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Bailey Warren Sparkman, 23, a Cherokee citizen of Owasso pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in Indian Country.
Bailey admitted that although the uncle had recently been kicked out of the house, he had a room and belongings there. Bailey was unaware that his uncle had returned to the home when he went downstairs and saw someone standing inside looking out the back door. Bailey further admitted that he retrieved a gun and without trying to ascertain the identity of the person fired a single shot striking the victim in the back of the head.
Bailey faces a maximum sentence of 8 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. A date for sentencing has not been set.
The Owasso Police Department and FBI conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon Cozzoni and Valeria Luster are prosecuting the case.
Orlando Man Who Attempted to Destroy Evidence Sentenced to 14 Years for Distributing and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Christian Tristan McKie (39, Orlando) to 14 years in federal prison for distribution and possession of child sexual abuse materials. The court also ordered McKie to forfeit an external hard drive, a laptop, and a thumb drive, which were used to commit the offenses McKie had pleaded guilty on June 29, 2023.
According to court documents, law enforcement received a CyberTip regarding a user distributing child sexual abuse materials on a social media platform. Through investigative means, they learned that McKie was the user who had uploaded the child sexual abuse materials. While executing a search warrant at McKie’s residence, law enforcement seized multiple electronic devices belonging to McKie, including a damaged laptop located under McKie’s bed and an external hard drive broken into pieces behind a freezer. Law enforcement also found a folder that belonged to McKie containing handwritten stories portraying sexual abuse of children between the ages of five and sixteen. A forensic examination was conducted on McKie’s devices revealing several videos and images of child sexual abuse. During an interview with law enforcement, McKie admitted to viewing and trading child sexual abuse images.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the Orlando Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney D. Richardson-Jones.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Oldsmar Man Charged with Producing and Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest and filing of a criminal complaint charging Justin Ryan Culmo (39, Oldsmar) with production and distribution of child sexual abuse materials. Culmo was arrested on September 26, 2023, and has been ordered detained.
According to the complaint, Culmo has been linked to an online community of individuals who regularly produce, distribute, and receive child sexual abuse material via hidden service websites also known as dark web sites, that operate on an anonymity network. The websites Culmo accessed are exclusively dedicated to the sexual abuse of children. There is probable cause to believe that Culmo produced and distributed child sexual abuse material on these sites.
A complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacie B. Harris.
Any person who was, or knows of someone who may have been, a possible victim of Culmo is urged to contact HSI at 1-866-347-2423 or http://www.ice.gov/webform/hsi-tip-form.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the 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.
HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-347-2423 or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. From outside the U.S. and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199. Hearing impaired users can call TTY 802-872-6196.
Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may also be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST (800-843-5678).
Oklahoma Woman Pleads Guilty to Murder Committed in the Talladega National ForestRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – An Oklahoma woman pleaded guilty to crimes committed in the Talladega National Forest, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples.
Yasmine Marie Hider, 21 of Edmond, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court R. David Proctor to murder, kidnapping, and robbery. Hider is scheduled to be sentenced on January 4, 2024, at 9:00 a.m.
According to the plea agreement, on August 14, 2022, college students from Florida, were driving to Cheaha State Park, in Clay County, Alabama, to hike to see the waterfalls. The couple was flagged down by Hider to help “jump start” Pinkins’ car which was broken down. Hider robbed the male and female and shot the male as he attempted to defend himself and his girlfriend. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers found Hider seated several feet away with four gunshot wounds.
The maximum penalty for murder and kidnapping is life in prison. The maximum penalty for robbery is 15 years in prison.
Krystal Diane Pinkins was convicted last week in federal court. Pinkins is scheduled to be sentenced on January 4, 2024, at 9:30 a.m.
The FBI and the Forest Service Law Enforcement Investigations - U.S. Department of Agriculture investigated the cases, along with assistance from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Alabama State Park Rangers, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, St. Clair Correctional Facility K9 Tracking Team, District Attorney of the 40th Judicial Circuit of the State of Alabama- Joseph “Joe” D. Ficquette (which includes Clay County), Clay County Sheriff’s Office, Cleburne County Sheriff’s Office, Lineville Police Department, Ashland Police Department, Clay County Rescue Squad, Shinbone Valley Volunteer Fire Department, Tri-County Children’s Advocacy Center, and Jacksonville State University Center for Applied Forensics. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Cross and John B. Felton are prosecuting the case.
Ohio Man Charged with Operating Illegal Gambling Businesses and Tax FraudRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Cleveland returned a superseding indictment today charging Steven Saris of Canton, Ohio, with operating illegal gambling businesses (IGBs), tax evasion, conspiracy to defraud the United States, willful failure to collect and pay over employment taxes, money laundering and an obstruction-related offense. Saris was previously indicted and charged with one count of owning and operating an IGB.
According to the superseding indictment, from 2012 through 2022, Saris owned and operated multiple IGBs in Ohio, including Café 62, Lucky’s, Winner’s World, Spin City and an IGB located in Springfield, Ohio. He allegedly concealed his involvement in these IGBs by having others serve as the nominee owners of the businesses. Saris allegedly did not file personal income tax returns with the IRS for 2016 through 2021 even though he allegedly received more than $4 million in income from the IGBs. To further conceal his involvement in and income from the IGBs, Saris allegedly destroyed and directed others to destroy business records associated with each IGB. The indictment further alleges that Saris paid IGB employees in cash and did not account for or pay over employment taxes.
The indictment alleges that Saris lied to investigators about his ownership and involvement in Winner’s World and attempted to prevent investigators from finding and taking his cell phone during the execution of a search warrant at his home by allegedly concealing it inside the water tank of a toilet.
If convicted, Saris faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each count of tax evasion, illegal gambling business, conspiracy, employment tax and destruction and removal of property to prevent seizure; he faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison for each money laundering count. 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 Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation; the Stark County, Ohio, Prosecutor’s Office; the U.S. Department of Treasury Office of Inspector General; Homeland Security Investigations; the Ohio Casino Control Commission and the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission, Major Crimes Task Force are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Sam Bean of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Howell for the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Office Manager of Senior Assisted Living Facility Charged for $1.5 Million Embezzlement SchemeRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Amy Elizabeth Curry, 46, of Waynesville, N.C., has been charged with wire fraud and money laundering, for allegedly embezzling at least $1.5 million from a senior assisted living facility, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in North Carolina, joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to allegations in the indictment, from December 7, 2022, to April 4, 2023, Curry executed a scheme to defraud and embezzle at least $1.5 million from Silver Bluff, LLC (Silver Bluff), a senior living and care facility in Canton, N.C. As alleged in the indictment, Curry worked at Silver Bluff from July 2022 through April 2023, as the facility’s office manager and bookkeeper. As part of her duties, Curry had access to and control over Silver Bluff’s bank accounts and accounting records. The indictment alleges that, during a five-month period, Curry made at least 154 unauthorized bank transfers, and defrauded Silver Bluff by transferring at least $1.5 million from the facility’s bank accounts to bank accounts controlled by Curry and her then-boyfriend J.C. The indictment also alleges that in March 2023, Curry purchased a 2020 Ford F-150 pick-up truck, using funds derived from the embezzlement of Silver Bluff.
In addition to the charges, the indictment also contains a notice of forfeiture, which gives notice that the defendant must forfeit to the United States all of the property, currency and monetary instruments involved in the offenses charged in the indictment. The government will pursue a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of at least $1,518,771, which the government contends constitutes the proceeds of the violations alleged in the charging document. Also subject to forfeiture proceedings are items seized during the investigation, including four vehicles (a 2023 Polaris, a 2023 Nissan Maxima, a 2020 Ford F-150, and a 2020 Kia Optima), and $117,867.49 seized from four bank accounts.
The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The money laundering offense carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI and the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville is in charge of Curry’s prosecution.
New York City Correction Officer Charged with Salary and Overtime FraudRead the Press Release
A criminal complaint was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging New York City Department of Correction (DOC) officer James Internicola with federal program fraud. Internicola was arrested this morning and his initial appearance is scheduled for this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Marcia M. Henry.
Internicola has been a correction officer with the DOC since January 1996. In 2019, he began working at a warehouse at Rikers Island which manages supplies for the jail facility, as well as facility garbage and recycling. Currently, Internicola is primarily responsible for all recycling operations at Rikers Island.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James Smith, Assistant Director-in-Charge, New York Field Office (FBI), and Jocelyn E. Strauber, Commissioner, New York City Department of Investigation (DOI), announced the charges.
“As alleged, the defendant defrauded the people of New York City and the New York City Department of Correction by claiming to work significant amounts of hours, including overtime, that he did not actually work,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Instead of being at work, the defendant was often at home or even on vacation. Correction officers who steal tax dollars by fraudulently obtaining compensation should take note of today’s arrest and know that this Office is working with our law enforcement partners to root out corruption at Rikers Island.”
“Internicola’s alleged crime taints every law enforcement officer who takes an oath to uphold the law," stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Smith. “The FBI maintains a zero-tolerance policy for individuals who commit fraud and steal from law abiding taxpayers.”
“This Correction Officer, as charged, stole over $171,000 from the City by falsely claiming he was at work on Rikers Island, including for overtime hours, when in fact he was vacationing in Aruba and the Jersey Shore, or at home on Staten Island. His false timesheets allegedly included 2,250 hours of time he did not work, a staggering figure. I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York for its commitment to protect City resources – including salaries paid to City workers – from theft and abuse,” stated DOI Commissioner Strauber.
According to the complaint, Internicola fraudulently obtained more than $171,000 in salary and overtime pay by lying about the hours he worked from at least July 2021 to January 2023. During this time period, Internicola claimed to work large amounts of overtime nearly every week. In fact, based on license plate reader data, E-Z pass toll records and cell site location information, Internicola frequently showed up to work more than two hours late and left work several hours early. In many instances, Internicola claimed to be at work when he actually never showed up to Rikers Island at all, including when he was at his home on Staten Island, visiting the Jersey Shore or vacationing in Aruba. In total, Internicola claimed to have worked more than 2,250 hours in a period of approximately 18 months and he fraudulently received the equivalent of more than a year of his base salary.
The charges in the complaint are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, the defendant faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Philip Pilmar and Andrew D. Grubin are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
JAMES INTERNICOLA
Age: 56
Staten Island, NYE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-MJ-867
Navajo Woman Pleads Guilty to Involuntary ManslaughterRead 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 that Leticia Ashley pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter. Ashley, 38, of Navajo, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, will remain under supervision pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
According to court documents, on July 29, 2022, Ashley was driving with four of her minor children in the vehicle. Ashley was intoxicated and speeding when she lost control of the vehicle, causing it to leave the roadway and roll over several times. Ashley’s five-year-old daughter died as a result of the vehicle crash and her other children were injured.
At sentencing, Ashley faces up to 8 years in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Crownpoint Police. Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly Bell is prosecuting the case.
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Mexican National Sentenced to Prison for Meth Distribution in NE GeorgiaRead the Press Release
ATHENS, Ga. – A Mexican national who was residing in Atlanta was sentenced to ten years in federal prison for methamphetamine distribution in the Athens-Clarke County region.
Esteban Palacios Chamu, 30, of Atlanta and Mexico, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Tilman E. Self, III on Oct. 3 after he previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The defendant is not eligible for parole.
“The distribution of large quantities of the most addictive illegal drugs contributes to criminal activity that is undermining the safety of our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Local law enforcement is collaborating with our office and our partners at every level to identify and hold accountable those individuals and criminal groups participating in the distribution of this poison.”
“Those who distribute methamphetamine create a serious risk to the community,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “This trafficker can no longer deliver dangerous drugs on the streets and must now face the consequences of his actions.”
According to court documents, a Madison County Sheriff’s deputy pulled Chamu’s vehicle over for failing to maintain its lane on Dec. 10, 2021, in Colbert, Madison County, Georgia. The defendant, who was driving, did not have a driver’s license or identification card. Chamu gave his name and date of birth; the officers discovered Chamu had arrest warrants out of Doraville, Georgia. An officer smelled marijuana coming from Chamu’s car. Chamu was placed under arrest. Inside Chamu’s car, officers found a drug ledger, a plastic bag with a large chunk of methamphetamine, a large gallon-size bag with methamphetamine, a baggie with methamphetamine, a black bag with digital scales and several cell phones, plus more digital scales, a box of Ziplock bags and other drug distribution items in the glove box. Officers discovered additional methamphetamine wrapped in duct tape hidden inside one of the seats. In all, Chamu was in possession of 1,190.21 grams of methamphetamine.
The case was investigated by the DEA, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, the Georgia State Patrol, the Athens-Clarke County Police Department and the Greene County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Jarrett prosecuted the case for the Government.
Meth Smuggler Sentenced to Nearly Six YearsRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – David Lee McCracken, II, 45, of Tucson, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Scott H. Rash to 70 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. McCracken pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
On August 22, 2022, United States Border Patrol agents encountered McCracken at the SR-286 checkpoint driving a sedan. McCracken consented to a search of his vehicle’s trunk, during which an agent observed a large spare tire and rim for an off-road vehicle inside the trunk. When the agent directed McCracken to secondary inspection, McCracken abruptly fled at a high rate of speed. After an extensive search, agents located McCracken, the vehicle, and tire. The tire contained 55 packages of methamphetamine, totaling approximately 25 kilograms.
Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stefani Hepford, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR 22-02028-TUC-SHR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-146_McCracken# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Member of counterfeit savings bonds ring convictedRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas - A 45-year-old California woman has pleaded guilty to conspiring to make, pass and transfer counterfeit U.S. savings bonds and passing counterfeit savings bonds.
Summer Marie Creech and others conspired to create counterfeit Department of the Treasury Series I savings bonds. They then passed the counterfeit bonds at financial institutions using other people’s identities and split the proceeds.
As part of her plea, Creech admitted that beginning in or around 2019 she learned how to acquire genuine Series I savings bonds numbers. She then used computer software and printers to forge counterfeit bonds. She then sent the bonds to co-conspirators who would pass them at financial institutions and share the proceeds with her.
During the course of the conspiracy, Creech admitted she and others passed over $1.6 million in counterfeit Series I savings bonds.
U.S. District Judge Roland Olvera accepted the plea and set sentencing for Dec. 20. At that time, Creech faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Creech was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing.
One of Creech’s co-conspirators, Daniel Alan Lewis, 58, California, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to make, pass and transfer counterfeit U.S. securities and passing counterfeit U.S. securities. He is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 12.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Secret Service, Department of the Treasury - Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edgardo J. Rodriguez is prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorney David D. Hamstra of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
Montgomery County Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine Trafficking in Susquehanna CountyRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Tylee Brown, age 38, of Norristown, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on October 3, 2023, before US. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, to the charge of possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Brown admitted to possessing between 1.5 kilograms and 5 kilograms of high-quality crystal methamphetamine for further distribution in the Susquehanna County area in April 2020.
The charges against the defendant resulted from an investigation conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). 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, up to a maximum sentence of 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.
Leader of Chicago Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 12 and a Half Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A leader of a drug trafficking organization that sold heroin, fentanyl-laced heroin, and fentanyl-analogue laced heroin on the Northwest Side of Chicago has been sentenced to twelve and a half years in federal prison.
KELVIN FRANKLIN conspired with more than 15 others to traffic narcotics in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood in 2019. A lengthy investigation, led by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Chicago Police Department, shut down an open-air drug market utilized by the conspirators in the 1000 block of North Monticello Avenue in Chicago. During the probe, agents and officers made approximately eighty undercover purchases of heroin, fentanyl-laced heroin, and fentanyl-analogue laced heroin from various members of the crew. The dealers occasionally held “pass outs” of free drugs to entice customers to buy additional drugs from them.
Franklin supervised other traffickers and also personally sold some of the drugs. He and other managers coordinated with street-level dealers to ensure that they had sufficient quantities of narcotics to distribute to customers. In addition to the drug sales, Franklin also attempted to procure a loaded handgun for a member of the crew at the open-air market. Law enforcement intervened and the gun was seized.
Franklin, 32, of Chicago, pleaded guilty earlier this year to a federal drug conspiracy charge. U.S. District Judge John J. Tharp, Jr. imposed the sentence Monday after a hearing in federal court in Chicago.
Franklin’s sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Sheila G. Lyons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the DEA, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of CPD. Substantial assistance was provided by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office and the IRS Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard M. Rothblatt and Jason A. Julien represented the government.
The investigation was conducted with the support of the Chicago High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force (HIDTA). The task force is comprised of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies who work together to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations.
Franklin was one of 18 individuals charged in federal court in 2020 as part of the investigation. To date, 16 federal defendants have pleaded guilty.
Leader of Drug Delivery Service Responsible for Three Fentanyl Poisoning Deaths Sentenced to 30 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that BILLY ORTEGA, a/k/a “Jason,” was sentenced to 30 years in prison today for running a drug delivery service that distributed dangerous drugs for over seven years, including the fentanyl that killed three New Yorkers on a single day: Julia Ghahramani, Amanda Scher, and Ross Mtangi. ORTEGA was convicted following a two-week trial in January 2023 before U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams, who imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Billy Ortega ran a drug delivery service that delivered fentanyl, killing three victims on a single day. Worse yet, Ortega was fully aware that a customer had previously overdosed from the deadly fentanyl Ortega laced into his product yet continued sending the drugs to his victims. Even after Ortega learned that his drugs killed three people, he told another drug dealer that they were too strong and to give them to other unsuspecting victims. Ortega’s callous and remarkably evil conduct rightly deserved a significant sentence. This sentence sends a message to the fentanyl traffickers causing the fentanyl epidemic in our communities that they will bear the most serious consequences.”
According to court documents and the evidence presented at the trial of ORTEGA:
BILLY ORTEGA was the leader of a major drug trafficking conspiracy, distributing dangerous drugs in New York City via a crew of workers from at least in or about 2015 to in or about February 2022. ORTEGA used his mother’s apartment in Manhattan as his stash house, employing family members and close friends to manage his drugs and cash and to deliver his drugs to customers. ORTEGA carried guns, supplied guns to his workers, and stored guns in the stash house to protect his drugs and drug money. For years, ORTEGA ran his drug delivery service by text message, acting like a dispatcher, coordinating drug deliveries by messaging his couriers and his customers.
In March 2021, ORTEGA mixed fentanyl into a weak batch of cocaine and sold it to at least five customers, who had no idea that they were receiving cocaine mixed with that deadly opioid. In the course of a single day – March 17, 2021 – ORTEGA delivered, through one of his couriers, fentanyl-laced cocaine to Ghahramani, Mtangi, and Scher at three separate locations in Manhattan. All three victims died after consuming the drugs distributed by ORTEGA.
On the day of the three poisonings – and prior to the fentanyl being delivered to any of the three victims – ORTEGA received a text message from a different customer warning ORTEGA that his drugs had almost killed someone else. Specifically, that other customer sent ORTEGA the following text message: “Hey man. Just on a follow up from yesterday - I gave most of my last bag to my buddy and he just called me this second to say he ended up in hospital last night. [. . .] He had to get a Narcan shot and was released in the early hours.”[1] ORTEGA read this text message prior to coordinating the three deliveries of the drugs, from the same fentanyl-tainted batch of cocaine, that killed the three victims in this case.
Later that night on March 17, 2021, after the victims had stopped responding to ORTEGA’s text messages, ORTEGA offered the fentanyl-tainted batch of cocaine to another drug dealer, so he could test it out on “some girls” and see what happens. Specifically, ORTEGA texted the drug dealer: “If you[’re] going to be around [the] way let me know have some every one is saying it’s to[o] Strong . . . Give it to some girls and you let me know lol bro.” And when it became clear that ORTEGA had killed his customers, ORTEGA did not change course and stop selling dangerous drugs. ORTEGA changed his cellphone number and continued selling drugs every day until he was arrested nearly a year later.
* * *
BILLY ORTEGA, 37, of West Milford, New Jersey, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, acetylfentanyl, and cocaine, the use of which caused the deaths of Julia Ghahramani, Amanda Scher, and Ross Mtangi; distribution of fentanyl, acetylfentanyl, and cocaine to Ghahramani, the use of which caused her death; distribution of fentanyl and cocaine to Scher, the use of which caused her death; distribution of fentanyl and cocaine to Mtangi, the use of which caused his death; and carrying, use, and possession of a firearm in connection with, and in furtherance of, the narcotics conspiracy. In addition to his prison sentence, ORTEGA was sentenced to five years of supervised release.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) New York Strike Force, the SDNY Digital Forensic Unit, and the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Intelligence Analysts for their support and assistance in this matter.
The OCDETF New York Strike Force provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the New York Strike Force is to target, disrupt, and dismantle drug trafficking and money laundering organizations, reduce the illegal drug supply in the United States, and bring criminals to justice. The Strike Force is affiliated with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (“DEA”) New York Division and includes agents and officers of the DEA; NYPD; New York State Police; Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; New York National Guard; U.S. Coast Guard; New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision; Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office; Fort Lee Police Department; Palisades Interstate Parkway Police; Teaneck Police Department; Hillsdale Police Department; Closter Police Department; Northvale Police Department; River Vale Police Department; Englewood Police Department; Saddle River Police Department; Bergen County Sheriff’s Department; Hawthorne Police Department; and Hackensack Police Department.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Micah F. Fergenson, Michael R. Herman, and Robert B. Sobelman, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialists Alex Frenchman and Christine Woods, are in charge of the prosecution.
[1] “Narcan” is an opioid antagonist used to counteract the deadly effects of drugs like fentanyl.
Kansas Man Indicted on Interstate Stalking and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Yesterday, a federal grand jury returned a five-count Indictment against RIGOBERTO ALEXANDER MURILLO, 44, of Wichita, Kansas, charging him with interstate stalking, interstate violation of protection order, felon in possession of firearms, possession of unregistered firearms, and unlawful possession of a machinegun, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
According to the Indictment, on or about August 7, 2023, Murillo traveled from Sedgwick County, Kansas to McClain County, Oklahoma with the intent to harass another person. The Indictment further alleges Murillo traveled from Kansas to Oklahoma with the intent to violate a Kansas protective order that prohibited him from contacting the victim. According to the Indictment, Murillo removed a victim’s license plate and battery from their vehicle. Murillo is also charged with (1) possession of firearms after a prior felony conviction, (2) possession of unregistered firearms, and (3) unlawful possession of two machinegun conversion kits, which modify firearms to automatically shoot more than one shot by a single pull of the trigger.
Murillo will be arraigned in federal court on the charges. If found guilty of interstate stalking, interstate violation of protection order, possession of an unregistered firearm, or unlawful possession of a machinegun, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison on each charge. If found guilty of being a felon in possession of firearms, he faces up to 15 years in federal prison.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the McClain County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan J. West is prosecuting the case.
This case is also part of “Operation 922.” Operation 922 is the Western District of Oklahoma’s implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. “Operation 922” prioritizes prosecution of federal crimes connected to domestic violence. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://justice.gov/psn and https://justice.gov/usao-wdok.
The public is reminded that these charges are merely allegations, and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Reference is made to public records for more information.
Jury Finds District Man Guilty of Second-Degree Murder in 2020 Shooting in Southeast D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ravel Mills, 29, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury yesterday of second-degree murder while armed and other charges in the April 2020 fatal shooting of 28-year-old Toussaunt Tarquann Strong in Southeast D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Mills was also found guilty of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and carrying a pistol without a license. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Michael K. O’Keefe will sentence Mills on January 12, 2024. Mills faces a statutory maximum penalty of up to 55 years in prison for both crimes. Under the Voluntary Sentencing Guidelines, however, his sentencing range for the second-degree murder while armed is 12 to 24 years in prison.
According to the evidence presented at trial, shortly before 7:00 pm on April 18, 2020, Toussaunt Strong was outside his father’s home in the Shipley Terrace neighborhood. Mills encountered Mr. Strong after Mills exited a nearby home and then pointed a weapon at Mr. Strong. In response, Mr. Strong fled. Mills then chased Mr. Strong up the 3400 block of 24th Street SE. As Mills got closer to Mr. Strong, Mills pulled his jacket hood over his head, pointed his gun, and shot Mr. Strong multiple times. Video cameras captured the chase, however, the shooting itself was not captured on camera nor were there any eyewitnesses to the murder. The Government presented video surveillance, circumstantial, and motive evidence in securing the conviction.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including: Assistant U.S. Attorney Sharon Donovan; Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Korba who investigated and indicted the case; and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Miles Janssen and Andrea Antonelli who prosecuted the case.
Jury Convicts Long Island Fishing Captain of Conspiracy, Mail Fraud and Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
A federal jury in Central Islip, New York, convicted a Long Island fisherman today for crimes associated with his captainship of the trawler New Age from 2014 to 2017. The jury unanimously convicted Christopher Winkler of Montauk, New York, of one count of federal criminal conspiracy, two counts of mail fraud and two counts of obstruction of justice.
On at least 200 fishing trips, Winkler targeted summer flounder (fluke) and black sea bass and harvested those fish in excess of quotas and state trip limits. He also falsified Fishing Vessel Trip Reports (FVTRs) for those trips. His co-conspirators falsified corresponding dealer reports. Both sets of false documents were used to cover up fish that Winkler took in excess of quotas.
Photo of a man and the fishing vessel New Age, taken from surveillance footage. Image was presented as exhibit 9209 during trial in U.S. v. Christopher Winkler, case no. 2:21-cr-00217 in the Eastern District of New York.“Fluke and black sea bass play a vital part in our marine ecosystem and quotas are designed to prevent overfishing and stabilize populations for the public good,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “We will continue to seek justice against those who flout laws that protect fisheries and the fishing industry.”
“While most U.S. fishermen follow the law, some still feel that they are above it,” said Michael Henry, Acting Assistant Director of NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement, Northeast Division. “It is our job to protect honest fishermen and good actors and this verdict should serve as a reminder that those who break the rules will be held accountable.”
Fishing quotas for fluke and black sea bass were designed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the New York Department of Environmental Conservation to ensure a long-term, sustainable population of the fish. As part of the fisheries management plan, NOAA requires fishing captains like Winkler to accurately complete an FVTR at the end of each fishing trip. Winkler was required to declare his catch – which included fish species and weights – to NOAA and the State of New York. To cover up his illicit harvest and landings, Winkler falsified approximately 200 FVTRs that he then mailed to NOAA.
Similarly, a fish dealer – which is the first company that buys fish directly from a fishing vessel –must specify what it purchases on a federal form known as a dealer report. NOAA uses this information to set policies designed to provide for biologically and economically viable fish stocks. Winkler sold illegal fish to three fish dealers. Because a mismatch between FVTRs and dealer reports would have alerted fisheries statisticians and enforcement personnel, Winkler’s co-conspirators falsified dealer reports to cover up that fish were taken in excess of quotas. The entire scam netted an overharvest of approximately 200,000 pounds of fluke and black sea bass, valued conservatively at least at $750,000 (wholesale).
In a related case, Bryan Gosman and Asa Gosman of Bob Gosman Co. Inc. – a Montauk-based fish dealer – previously pleaded guilty to a charge of criminally conspiring with Christopher Winkler in November 2021. They testified at the trial against Winkler. It was revealed during the trial that Bryan Gosman had served as a lookout for Winkler on at least 16 occasions during the conspiracy, often communicating by text before the defendant arrived at the dock.
Sentencing for all three defendants will be scheduled by the court.
NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement investigated the case as part of Operation One-Way Chandelier.
Christopher L. Hale and Kenneth Nelson of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section prosecuted the case, with logistical support from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.
Jackson Woman Sentenced to Prison for Conspiracy to Commit Bank FraudRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson woman was sentenced to 27 months in prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Acting Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune of Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans.
According to court documents, Latasha Wise, 36, conspired with others to obtain bank loans through fraudulent means. Austin used false names and social security numbers that did not belong to her to obtain bank loans. She pled guilty on June 27, 2023 to conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
The case was investigated by the Madison, Mississippi Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Kirkham prosecuted the case.
Imperial County Dentist and Former Office Manager Plead Guilty in Multi-Million Dollar Medicare FraudRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Dr. Javad Aghaloo, an Imperial County dentist, and Theresa Flores, his office manager, pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday, admitting that they conspired to defraud Medicare and cover it up.
Aghaloo entered a guilty plea to conspiring to commit health care fraud by billing Medicare for procedures that were not covered, not performed, or otherwise not necessary. As part of his plea, Aghaloo agreed to forfeit more than $1 million in property and pay restitution to Medicare in the amount of $8,476,466.23. Flores entered a guilty plea to obstructing a Medicare audit.
According to court records, Aghaloo and others recruited Medicare beneficiaries to get dental work done at one of Aghaloo’s offices. To recruit Medicare patients, Aghaloo and Flores marketed dental services to individuals in Imperial County as being covered by Medicare. Aghaloo and Flores knew this was untrue since Medicare does not cover dental services.
Once a Medicare beneficiary was in one of Aghaloo’s offices, Aghaloo and others performed some type of procedure (usually a tooth extraction) and submitted false claims to Medicare using the person’s Medicare beneficiary number. Since tooth extractions are not covered by Medicare, Aghaloo’s offices instead submitted false claims for procedures like bone grafts that were never performed.
Between March 1, 2016, and October 18, 2018, Aghaloo and Flores caused Aghaloo’s dental offices to submit over 7,000 false claims to Medicare, totaling over $18 million for which Aghaloo’s offices were paid $8,476,466.23 by Medicare.
To conceal the fraud, between April of 2017 and October of 2018, Flores and Rosas caused false documents to be submitted to Noridian Healthcare Solutions, LLC. (“NHS”), a Federal auditor for the Medicare program.
Sentencing is set for January 12, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Jinsook Ohta.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Alexander.
DEFENDANT Case Number 23cr0616-JO
Javad Aghaloo Age: 50 San Diego, CA
Theresa Flores Age: 45 San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Commit Health Care Fraud, a felony, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371.
Maximum Penalty: Five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Obstructing a Federal Audit, a felony, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1516.
Maximum Penalty: Five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General.
Ida Grove Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Scott Allen Tomlinson, 49, from Ida Grove, Iowa, pled guilty in federal court in Sioux City, on October 2, 2023, to Possession of Child Pornography.
At the plea hearing, Tomlinson admitted that he knowingly possessed and attempted to possess child pornography, including depictions involving prepubescent minors or minors who had not attained 12 years of age. Law enforcement recovered dozens of images from Tomlinson’s cloud-based storage systems. Tomlinson admitted he used a cellular phone to access the images on the cloud. He further admitted that some of the images included material that portrayed sadistic and masochistic conduct.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Tomlinson was taken into custody by the United States Marshal after the guilty plea and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Tomlinson faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment without the possibility of parole, a fine of up to $250,000, and 5 years to life of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Ida County Sheriff’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-04094.
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Guilty plea to bank fraud sends Georgia man to federal prisonRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: An Atlanta-area man has been sentenced to federal prison and ordered to pay nearly $300,000 in restitution after pleading guilty to siphoning money from a private individual’s bank account.
Marqualdis Antwon Logan, a/k/a “Alphonso Baugh,” 38, of Stone Mountain, Ga., was sentenced to 51months in prison after pleading guilty to eight counts of Bank Fraud and one count of Aggravated Identity Theft, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Logan to pay restitution of $272,097 and to serve five years of supervised release after completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Hard-working individuals sacrifice to save money for their future needs, including retirement,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Marqualdis Logan’s greed-driven scheme stole hundreds of thousands of dollars and damages the financial security of his innocent victims.”
As described in court documents and testimony, a Columbia County woman and her daughter alerted their bank and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office in September 2020 when they noticed suspicious activity in their money market account. The FBI determined that a fraudulent online profile had gained access to the account and was cashing and depositing online checks into other bank accounts controlled by Logan and others.
The investigation determined Logan wrote checks on the account totaling more than $500,000 and succeeded in depositing or cashing checks totaling $497,136. The restitution in the case represents the outstanding unrecovered funds, which Logan used for purchases and travel. He was arrested in November 2022 while traveling in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
As part of the plea agreement, Logan acknowledged his prior involvement in a scheme in which he withdrew more than $100,000 from another victim’s account by using identifying information stolen from the victim’s deceased husband. Unreimbursed funds from that case, and from Logan’s receipt of $20,832 in funds from a fraudulently obtained COVID-19 small business relief loan, are calculated as part of his restitution.
“These fraud scams, although not violent, are not victimless and can be devastating to individuals and their personal livelihoods,” said Brian Ozden, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This guilty plea shows the FBI’s dedication to working with our partners to hold anyone accountable who would steal from hard working and honest individuals, rather than put in the work themselves.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer A. Stanley.
Gang Member Admits to Racketeering ChargeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A member of the Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips gang admitted to his role in a racketeering conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Tre Byrd, aka “Bands,” aka “G Bandz,” 22, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton on Oct. 3, 2023, to a superseding indictment that charged him with Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From 2015 through Sept. 22, 2022, Byrd was a member of the Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips, a criminal enterprise responsible for acts of violence and the distribution of controlled substances in the District of New Jersey and elsewhere.
In March 2019, Byrd worked with other members and associates of the gang to murder a gang rival, who was fatally shot on March 20, 2019, in Irvington, New Jersey. On June 20, 2020, Byrd and at least one other member and associate of the gang robbed a victim at gunpoint in Newark.
The defendant faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 7, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the DEA, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz; special agents of IRS - Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins; and special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller; investigators of the U.S. Marshals Service, under direction of Marshal Juan Mattos; the Irvington Police Department, under the direction of Police Division Director Tracy Bowers; the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II; the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé; the Bloomfield Police Department, under the direction of Director of Public Safety Samuel A. DeMaio; the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Armando B. Fontoura; the East Orange Police Department, under the direction of Chief Phyllis L. Bindi; the Elizabeth Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Earl J. Graves; the Edison Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Tom Bryan; the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor William A. Daniel; the Spotswood Police Department, under the direction of Chief Philip Corbisiero; and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation Fugitive and Missing Person Task Force, which includes members of the FBI, with the investigations leading to the charges in the Rollin 60’s Neighborhood Crips investigation.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. 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.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francesca Liquori of the Special Prosecutions Division.
byrd.sindictment.pdfFour Indicted for Defrauding Federal Program Intended for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses in Connection with A Construction Contract for Cancer Treatment Center at Bay Pines VA Medical CenterRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Matthew West (52, Lantana, Florida), Kevin Kutina (61, Ramona, California), Roberto Gonzalez (58, Palmetto Bay, Florida), and William Gonzalez (51, Orlando, Florida) with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and substantive counts of wire fraud and major fraud against the United States for the conspirators’ alleged roles in fraudulently obtaining a multi-million dollar construction contract. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each of the conspiracy and wire fraud counts, and a maximum of 10 years’ imprisonment on the major fraud against the United States count. The indictment also puts the defendants on notice of the United States intends to forfeit at least $4,835,035, which represents the proceeds of the criminal conduct.
According to the indictment, in July 2016, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) issued a request for bid proposals for a contract to construct the Cancer Infusion Therapy Center (CITC) at Bay Pines VA Medical Center in Pinellas County, Florida. The construction contract, valued between $5 million and $10 million, was for the construction of a 14,909 square-foot building to augment the Bay Pines VA Medical Center’s existing radiation oncology clinic and enable VA health care providers to treat more veterans diagnosed with various types of cancer in an environment that was accessible and patient-centered. The CITC contract was set-aside for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSBs), which required only bids from qualified businesses be considered.
The indictment alleges that the conspirators utilized a company owned and operated by service-disabled veteran Roberto Gonzalez and William Gonzalez, Maxon Groupe, LLC (Maxon), to submit a bid containing false statements and omissions to be awarded the contract. The conspirators falsely represented qualified employees from Kevcon, Inc. (Kevcon), owned and operated by Kevin Kutina, would serve in supervisory roles per a teaming agreement between Maxon and Kevcon. Additionally, the conspirators failed to disclose to the VA contracting officials that Maxon was a pass-through for Matthew West’s company, West Construction, Inc., which managed nearly all the work for the CITC contract and received most of the payment for the same. West Construction, Inc. was not a company eligible for the SDVOSB set-aside contract. As a result of the false statements and omissions within the bid proposal, the VA awarded the contract to Maxon.
The indictment further alleges that between March 2017 and January 2019, the conspirators submitted multiple invoices for payment. As a result, the U.S. Treasury paid Maxon approximately $4.8 million. During this same period, the conspirators transferred approximately $4.2 million of those funds to West, and in turn, West transferred approximately $1.1 million to Kevcon.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tiffany E. Fields.
Former Missouri Prison Guard Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Assault on Inmate, Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A former Missouri prison guard who assaulted an inmate and also possessed child pornography was sentenced to seven years in prison Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White.
On Oct. 28, 2021, after a verbal disagreement with an inmate about a poster that was damaged during a search of his cell, Carl Hart ordered the victim out of his office in the Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Bonne Terre. Later, when the victim did not immediately return to his cell during a lockdown, two other corrections officers pepper-sprayed the victim. The victim went to the shower to wash off the spray. Hart followed the victim into the shower, struck the victim there and again after the victim had left the shower and was on the ground, handcuffed and compliant. Hart was a sergeant and had worked for the Department of Corrections for 10 years at the time.
In a victim impact letter, the assault victim wrote that the attack had left him with scars in multiple places on his head, face and hand “that I have to look at everyday for the rest of my life,” as well as “the permanent blurry vision in my eye, for the separated and infected ribs I had for 10 months. For the mental trauma I still suffer from – from being beaten by those who were supposed to protect me.”
In a separate investigation, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a tip about suspected child pornography in Hart’s Dropbox account. The Missouri Highway Patrol Digital Forensics Unit found child pornography in Dropbox and on one of Hart’s phones.
One of the victims depicted in the child sexual abuse material found in Hart’s possession wrote, “Knowing that some sick person is looking at me on a computer everyday in a way that no one should look at a kid makes me feel violated, it gives me the jeebers, and it makes me want to throw up.”
In court Wednesday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Krug said, “The defendant did not protect the children being sexually abused in the photos and videos he collected and viewed, he perpetuated their victimization.” She added that Hart also “did not protect a prisoner he was charged with keeping safe.”
Hart, 37, of Farmington, pleaded guilty in May to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law and two counts of possession of child pornography and admitted the above conduct.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Missouri Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Krug prosecuted the case.
Former Ellwood City Resident Sentenced to 15 Years for Violating Child Sexual Exploitation LawsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A former resident of Ellwood City, Pennsylvania has been sentenced in federal court to a total term of 180 months’ imprisonment followed by 8 years’ supervised release on his conviction of attempted production and production of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
David Bates, age 64, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan.
According to information presented to the court, between July 2020 and October 2020, Bates and another individual attempted to and did use, persuade, induce entice and coerce a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of the minor engaged in such conduct.
Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Castle Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Bates.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Federal Jury Convicts Boswell Resident of Involuntary Manslaughter in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced today that Chase Lane Rocha, age 21, of Boswell, Oklahoma, was found guilty by a federal jury of one count of Involuntary Manslaughter in Indian Country.
The jury trial began with testimony on October 2, 2023, and concluded on October 4, 2023, with the guilty verdict.
During the trial, the United States presented evidence that on January 24, 2023, Rocha caused the death of the victim by shooting her in the chest with a single-action revolver. The crime occurred in Choctaw County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The guilty verdict was the result of investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Choctaw Nation Tribal Police Department.
The Honorable David C. Joseph, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, sitting by appointment, presided over the trial in Muskogee and ordered the completion of a presentence report. The sentencing will be scheduled following completion of the report. The defendant will remain in custody of the United States Marshal until sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Flanigan and Special Assistant United States Attorney Genevieve Ozark represented the United States.
Federal Grand Jury Returns an Indictment Charging Two Anne Arundel County Men for Facilitating a Dog Fighting RingRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury returned a 10-count indictment late yesterday charging Frederick Douglass Moorefield, Jr., age 62, of Arnold, Maryland, and Mario Damon Flythe, age 49, of Glen Burnie, Maryland with conspiracy to engage in an animal fighting venture and other charges related to their alleged establishment and promotion of a dog fighting ring.
Flythe and Moorefield are scheduled to have an initial appearance and arraignment on the indictment on Friday, October 6, 2023, at 11:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., respectively, in U.S. District Court in Baltimore before U.S. Magistrate Judge A. David Copperthite. The defendants are currently released under the supervision of U.S. Pretrial Services on related charges.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington Field Office, Criminal and Cyber Division; Special Agent in Charge Bethanne M. Dinkins of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General; Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service - Mid-Atlantic Field Office; Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal for Maryland Mathew Silverman; and Anne Arundel County Police Chief Amal E. Awad.
“The mistreatment of animals for sport is among the lowest level of human conduct,” said Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland. “Those who engage in this cruelty will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
According to the indictment, Moorefield and Flythe used encrypted messaging applications to communicate with individuals throughout the United States to discuss dogfighting. Moorefield used the name “Geehad Kennels” and Flythe used the name “Razor Sharp Kennels” to identify their respective dogfighting operations.
As alleged in the indictment, Moorefield, Flythe and their associates used the encrypted messaging applications to discuss dogfights, dogfighting, breeding fighting dogs, training techniques to maximize their chances of developing champion fighting dogs, and methods to avoid being caught by law enforcement, as well as to buy and sell veterinary supplies for use on fighting dogs, arrange and coordinate dogfights, and exchange information about wagers on dogfights.
Further, the indictment alleges that between June 2022 and September 2023, the defendants unlawfully possessed, trained, delivered and received dogs to participate in an animal fighting venture and from February 2019 to September 2023 used the internet and text and instant-messaging applications to promote, manage and facilitate gambling related to the dogfights. The indictment also seeks forfeiture of any proceeds derived from, or traceable to, the gambling enterprise.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each of the 10 counts charged in the indictment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, the United States Department of Agriculture – Office of the Inspector General, the DoD Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Anne Arundel County Police Department, Anne Arundel County Animal Control, and thanked the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia for their valuable assistance in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander Levin and Darryl Tarver, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Drug Dealer Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm and Trafficking Meth While on ParoleRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Joseph Lloyd, 37, of Indianapolis, Indiana, has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to illegally possessing a firearm and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents, on Wednesday, December 2, 2020, officers with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) were dispatched to Joseph Lloyd’s Indianapolis residence to assist the Marion County Probation Office with an address verification and compliance check. At the time, Lloyd was on probation for dealing cocaine.
Lloyd was notified of the purpose for the visit and allowed officers into the residence. Once inside the home, officers found a handgun directly underneath Lloyd’s wallet. In the bedroom, officers found another handgun inside a hidden compartment in the closet. In the same compartment, officers found controlled substances, including a total of 53.5 grams of methamphetamine, 2.43 grams of Oxycodone, and 5.81 grams of Alprazolam. Officers also found $1,960 in cash and two digital scales with white drug residue in his closet. Lloyd admitted in court that he possessed the methamphetamine with the intent to sell it.
Lloyd was previously convicted of felony dealing in cocaine and possession of a narcotic drug. These felony convictions prohibit him from ever legally possessing a firearm under federal law.
“Even on parole for drug trafficking, this defendant persisted in dealing in deadly drugs while armed with deadly weapons,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers. “Our neighborhoods deserve to be protected from these crimes and those who commit them must be held accountable. Armed drug dealers are a high priority for federal prosecution. I encourage everyone returning to our communities from prison to engage with available services to turn their lives around, rather than returning to conduct that will land you right back behind bars.”
“Unfortunately, firearms and drugs are often found together,” stated Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Columbus Field Division. “In this case, the defendant clearly did not reform his ways after serving time and returned to the community intent on putting poison on the streets and keeping a firearm to ‘protect’ his business. ATF will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to break this destructive cycle.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and IMPD investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Chief Judge, Tanya Walton Pratt. Judge Pratt also ordered that Lloyd be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 4 years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Gibson, who prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Corpus man gets hefty sentence after selling controlled substances via FacebookRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 38-year-old local man has been ordered to federal prison for drug trafficking and weapons charges, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Raul Cedillo Jr. pleaded guilty Jan. 3, 2022, to possession of meth with intent to distribute and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has now ordered Cedillo to serve 154 months in prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release.
The investigation began after law enforcement saw several posts on his personal Facebook page appeared to be advertising various controlled substances for sale, complete with photographs of Cedillo’s “inventory.” The posts included prices for meth by quantity, such as “"$55 balls, $80 qrtrs, $ 150 half, $275 ounce."
The Facebook posts led to the September 2021 search of Cedillo’s apartment where law enforcement seized approximately three kilograms of meth, 1.3 kilograms of pills, six firearms and a large amount of U.S. currency.
Cedillo will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Corpus Christi Police Department conducted this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany Jensen prosecuted the case.
Convicted Felon Who Led Officers on Foot Chase Pleads Guilty to Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Hampton man pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on February 7, 2022, individuals called 911 to report a shooting by a male in a silver vehicle in Newport News. Approximately 15 minutes later, Iziaha Tisdale, 25, was observed in a silver vehicle at the scene of the shooting being investigated. Witnesses there identified Tisdale’s vehicle as the shooter’s, but when officers attempted to stop him, he fled on foot. During his flight, he threw a loaded firearm, which officers quickly recovered.
Tisdale was previously convicted in Newport News Circuit Court of attempted unlawful wounding and of maliciously shooting at a car in connection with the February shooting.
Tisdale pleaded guilty to prohibited possession of a firearm and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 1, 2024. He faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert J. Krask accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Podlesni is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:21-cr-85.
Colombian Citizen Admits Conspiring to Transport Hundreds of Kilograms of Cocaine into United StatesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Colombian citizen admitted conspiring to import hundreds of kilograms of cocaine into the United States from other countries including Colombia, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Raul Orlando Torres Cubides, aka “Jose Jota,” 56, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas to count one of an indictment charging him with conspiracy to import five kilograms or more of cocaine.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From 2016 through Jan. 10, 2020, Cubides conspired to import hundreds of kilograms of cocaine. Cubides admitted playing a managerial role in this conspiracy, which involved more than five individuals.
The count to which Cubides pleaded guilty carries a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison, as well as a fine of up to $10 million. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 22, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents and task force officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) operating in New Jersey, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz in Newark, as well as special agents and task force officers with the DEA operating in Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. He also thanked the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs; the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section Judicial Attachés in Bogotá, Colombia; Colombian law enforcement authorities; and the U.S. Marshals Service for their assistance.
This case 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.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Farhana C. Melo of the OCDETF/Narcotics Unit in Newark.
cubides.indictment.pdfChesterfield Woman Sentenced for Defrauding Medicaid of More than $200,000Read the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Chesterfield woman was sentenced today to 84 months in prison for defrauding Virginia Medicaid of $211,176.96 in a home health care fraud scheme that lasted over seven years.
According to court documents, from 2013 to 2021, Virginia Jackson-Wallace, 65, fraudulently billed Medicaid when she claimed two family members were providing home health care to her and two other Medicaid recipients when, in fact, they were not providing home health care. The defendant knowingly submitted over 200 fraudulent timesheets to Medicaid that falsely claimed an aggregate 22,938 hours of home health care that was not provided. To facilitate her scheme, the defendant opened joint bank accounts with the two purported aides but maintained exclusive control over these bank accounts, and thus exclusive control over the funds of her fraudulent scheme. The defendant had over 50 prior felony convictions, most of them related to a variety of fraud schemes.
After Jackson-Wallace pleaded guilty to this scheme and while on pretrial release, she deposited two fraudulent checks and withdrew funds the bank credited to her account as a result. The Court subsequently found the defendant in violation of the terms of her pretrial release, and revoked the defendant’s bond, ordering her held in prison pending sentencing.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); and Jason Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck.
The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit provided significant assistance in this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shea Gibbons 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-73.
Chelsea Man Arrested for Selling Fake Social Security Cards and Green CardsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Chelsea man was arrested yesterday for allegedly selling fraudulent Social Security cards and Legal Permanent Resident cards, often referred to as “Green Cards.”
Wilberto Sandoval Mazariego, 40, was charged with one count of unlawful transfer of a document or authentication feature. Sandoval Mazariego was arrested near his residence yesterday and, following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston, was detained pending a hearing set for Oct. 5, 2023.
According to the charging documents, during an investigation into Tomas Xirum for selling fraudulent Green Cards and fraudulent Social Security cards, law enforcement allegedly identified Sandoval Mazariego as the creator of the fraudulent documents Xirum was selling. Following Xirum’s arrest in August 2022, law enforcement allegedly found a text message string between Xirum and Sandoval Mazariego that contained approximately 568 attachments. It is alleged that in the messages, Xirum would regularly text Sandoval Mazariego pictures of unknown persons along with a name, date of birth and country of birth – to which Sandoval Mazariego would later respond with pictures of Social Security cards and/or Green Cards with the person’s photo and information that Xirum provided.
On Aug. 17, 2023, Sandoval Mazariego allegedly sold a fraudulent Green Card and a fraudulent Social Security card to an undercover agent.
On Aug. 21, 2023, Xirum pleaded guilty to three counts of unlawful transfer of document or authentication feature and three counts of unlawful production of document or authentication feature. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 11, 2024.
The charge of unlawful transfer of document or authentication feature and unlawful production of document or authentication feature provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), a specialized investigative group comprising personnel from various state, local, and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring, and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity, and benefit fraud schemes.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Charleston Woman Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Keara Kilpatrick, 21, of Charleston, was sentenced today to six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for two counts of theft of firearms from a federal firearms licensee and aiding and abetting the thefts.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Kilpatrick drove co-defendant Joshua Azale Mitchell to and from two Kanawha County businesses where Mitchell broke in and stole firearms. On November 9, 2022, Mitchell broke into a Dunbar business and stole a Diamondback Firearms DB15 5.56 caliber rifle and a Smith and Wesson M&P 15-22 .22-caliber rifle. On November 10, 2022, Mitchell broke into a Charleston business and stole a Custom Arms & Accessories LD-15 5.56 caliber rifle and a DPMS Panther Arms A-15 5.56 caliber rifle.
Also on November 9, 2022, Kilpatrick drove Mitchell to and from a third business, where Mitchell tried to break in but was unsuccessful. The store’s security cameras captured video of Kilpatrick driving away in her vehicle with Mitchell. On November 11, 2022, Kilpatrick was driving her vehicle on Washington Street in Charleston when law enforcement officers attempted a traffic stop. Kilpatrick fled before crashing her vehicle in a hotel parking lot. Officers recovered three of the four stolen firearms from Kilpatrick's vehicle.
Mitchell, 21, of Charleston, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft of firearms from a federal firearms licensee and aiding and abetting the thefts on September 13, 2023, and awaits sentencing.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office and the Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan A. Keefe and Brian Parsons prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-28.
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Camden County man sentenced to 100 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to sexual exploitation of childrenRead the Press Release
BRUNSWICK, GA: A Camden County man has been sentenced to 100 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to sexually exploiting multiple children.
Michael Williams Kersey, 45, of St. Marys, Ga., was sentenced to 1,200 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Engage in Sexual Exploitation of Children; three counts of Sexual Exploitation of Children; and Possession of Child Pornography, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Michael Kersey and his co-defendant exploited vulnerable children for their warped gratification without regard for the lifelong trauma they inflicted on their innocent victims,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Their lengthy sentences help protect the community from such predatory behavior and reinforces the seriousness of these offenses.”
As described in court documents and testimony, FBI agents in Milwaukee, Wis., infiltrated a private online messaging group in which members shared images and videos of child sexual abuse. That investigation led FBI agents to Kersey’s Camden County residence, where agents found hundreds of images depicting sexual exploitation of at least four children on Kersey’s cell phone and computers. Agents also identified Lesley Henry, 47, of St. Marys, and determined she produced sexually explicit images and sent them to Kersey.
Henry is serving 420 months in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of Production of Child Pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood has scheduled hearings to determine any restitution Henry and Kersey will be ordered to pay.
“Kersey’s determination to pursue lurid desires shows his lack of fear of the law and a willingness to harm children no matter how young they are,” said FBI Senior Supervisory Special Agent Will Clarke of the FBI's Savannah office. “Although the FBI can never fully repair the damage inflicted by these predators, we can ensure that justice is served on those who commit these terrible crimes.”
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Navy Criminal Investigative Service, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Kingsland Police Department, the St. Marys Police Department, and the Camden County Sheriff's Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tania D. Groover and Jennifer J. Kirkland.
Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678, or https://report.cybertip.org/.
California Man Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Jose Rico, 26, of California, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for Possession with Intent to Distribute 400 grams or more of Fentanyl. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Rico to 70 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
On July 20, 2022, the Commercial Interdiction Unit was working the Trailways bus station at 16th and Jackson Streets in Omaha. Law enforcement observed Rico depart the bus, traveling from Los Angeles, California, to Cincinnati, Ohio. The officer asked Rico about his travel plans, which he had difficulty answering, and Rico began shaking. The officer took Rico to the back room of the bus terminal, where he read Rico his Miranda rights before searching Rico’s bag. Seven kilos of a white powdery substance were located and two packages of approximately 1,000 fentanyl pills. A forensic lab confirmed the pills and powder were both fentanyl. One of the packages contained Xylazine with fentanyl. Xylazine is a tranquilizer used by veterinarians and is not approved for use in humans. When mixed with street drugs, Xylazine can cause serious medical issues and death by overdose.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.