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Thursday 17 August 2023
Foreign National Sentenced to Nearly 22 Years in Prison for Mailing Ricin to President of the United States in 2020Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Pascale Cecile Veronique Ferrier, 56, a dual citizen of Canada and France, was sentenced today to 262 months in prison for sending threatening letters containing homemade ricin (a toxin), in September 2020, to the White House and then-President Donald J. Trump, as well as to eight Texas State law enforcement officials.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Assistant Attorney General of the National Security Division Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office David Sundberg, U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas, and Special Agent in Charge Oliver E. Rich, Jr., of the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office.
Ferrier pleaded guilty on January 25, 2023, to prohibitions with respect to biological weapons in two separate criminal cases before the Honorable Dabney L. Friedrich of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. One case was brought in the District of Columbia, and the other was brought in the Southern District of Texas and transferred to the District of Columbia for purposes of plea and sentencing.
According to court documents, Ferrier admitted that she made ricin at her residence in Quebec, Canada, in September 2020. Ricin toxin is a deadly poison made from the waste material left over from processing castor beans. Ferrier placed the ricin in envelopes containing letters she wrote to then-President Trump at the White House. She also added it to envelopes she sent to eight Texas State law enforcement officials.
Ferrier had been detained in the State of Texas for around ten weeks in the spring of 2019, and she believed that the law enforcement officials were connected to her period of detention. In early September 2020, Ferrier used the Twitter social media service to propose that someone should “please shoot [T]rump in the face.” The letters in the envelopes contained threatening language, and the letter addressed to then-President Trump instructed him to “[g]ive up and remove [his] application for this election.” Ferrier mailed each of the threatening ricin letters from Canada to the United States. Ferrier then drove a car from Canada to the Peace Bridge Border Crossing in Buffalo, New York, on Sept. 20, 2020, where border patrol officials found her in possession of a loaded firearm, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and other weapons, and arrested her. Ferrier has remained in custody.
In addition to the nearly 22-year term of imprisonment, Ferrier was sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release. The Court will also issue an order of judicial removal requiring that Ferrier be removed from the United States at the end of her term of imprisonment.
The investigation was handled by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and San Antonio Field Office. Assistance was provided by the United States Secret Service and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Friedman, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, Assistant United States Attorneys Rob Jones, David Coronado, and David Lindenmuth, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, and Trial Attorneys David Smith and Joseph Kaster, of the DOJ’s National Security Division Counterterrorism Section.
Florida Man Under Indictment for Timeshare Fraud Ordered to Shutter All Telemarketing BusinessesRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Florida man who was out on bail on wire fraud and other charges stemming from his operation of a telemarketing business was ordered to shut down his new telemarketing businesses for allegedly committing new fraud through them, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
William O’Hanlon, aka “Patrick Burns,” aka “William Burns,” 59, of Loxahatchee, Florida, was arrested on April 4, 2023, pursuant to an indictment charging wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy arising out of his operation of Williams Andrews Burns LLC (WAB). WAB was a telemarketing business which offered services to timeshare owners in return for upfront fees.
O’Hanlon was released on bail subject to the following conditions, among others: (1) that he not have access to the personal identifying information (PII) of others; and (2) that he not commit another federal, state or local crime. At the time of his release, O’Hanlon operated Ryan James & Daniels Corp. (RJD) and related entities, which were also telemarketing businesses which offered services to timeshare owners in return for upfront fees.
While on bail, O’Hanlon allegedly continued to defraud timeshare owners through his operation of RJD. O’Hanlon allegedly caused the mass mailing of letters to timeshare owners telling them that they had been identified as potential victims of timeshare fraud and offering to collect restitution monies for them. The letters cited to a lawsuit filed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and allegedly claimed that the FTC had collected $500 million to be refunded to victims of timeshare fraud. In actuality, however, the lawsuit referenced in the letters was more than 20 years old, and the FTC had not collected any funds for timeshare victims.as a result of that suit.
At the conclusion of a bail review hearing on Aug. 7, 2023, U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth A. Pascal found probable cause to believe that O’Hanlon had committed mail and wire fraud through RJD while he was on pretrial release on the previously filed indictment. Judge Pascal stated that based upon the allegedly false claims in the letters, “[t]here can be no other inference drawn, at this point, than [that] the letter[s were] intended to defraud people of money.” Judge Pascal ordered O’Hanlon to cause the following entities to cease operations as of Aug. 7, 2023: Ryan James & Daniels Corp.; RJD Collect Inc.; RJD Investments Inc.; RJD Recovery Group Inc.; RJD Corp. Fraud Collectors Timeshare Exit; Williams & Burns Inc.; Harold O’Hanlon Inc.; Resort BNB Inc.; and Next Step Sober House Inc. (collectively RJD). Judge Pascal also found that O’Hanlon had access to the personal identifying information (PII) of others, in violation of his bail conditions.
If you believe you or a family member may be a victim of the alleged fraud by RJD, or have additional information about this matter, please contact your local FBI Office or 1-800-Call-FBI (1-800-225-5324).
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited agents of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division, South Jersey Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jacqueline Maguire, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Diana Vondra Carrig and Elisa T. Wiygul of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment and stated during the bail proceedings are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
ohanlon.order_.pdfFinal Defendant Sentenced in South Carolina’s Largest RICO ConspiracyRead the Press Release
The 40th and final defendant prosecuted as part of the District of South Carolina’s case against the Insane Gangster Disciples (IGD), a branch of the nationwide Folk Nation gang, was sentenced today.
“The incarcerated leadership of the IGD maintained the gang’s lucrative drug enterprise by ordering murders and terrorizing neighborhoods throughout South Carolina,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This vertical prosecution of 40 gang leaders, members, and associates has disrupted the criminal enterprise both inside and outside of prison. The case demonstrates the Department’s resolve to pursue and dismantle these organizations wherever they operate.”
According to court documents, the IGD was a sprawling criminal enterprise that included inmates within the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) who were gang leaders and used contraband cell phones to orchestrate murders, kidnappings, gun trafficking, and an international drug operation. James Robert Peterson, 35, of Gaffney; Edward Gary Akridge, 31, of Greenville; Matthew J. Ward, 39, of Lexington; and Juan Rodriguez, 43, of Woodruff, orchestrated the crimes from inside SCDC where they were inmates. IGD also included non-incarcerated members who committed crimes outside the prison system. In South Carolina, IGD was divided into three primary “sets,” each with its own leader.
“Contraband cellphones allowed gang leaders to perpetuate violence, traffic guns, and run an international drug operation from behind bars,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs for the District of South Carolina. “Through a years-long, multi-agency partnership with state, local, and federal law enforcement, we have dismantled this criminal enterprise and held accountable both the incarcerated defendants and those who enabled them. We will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute inmates who use contraband phones to continue their criminal conduct from prison.”
Since the initial indictment in this case, all charged defendants have pleaded guilty to conspiracy under the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, the Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering (VICAR) statute, or to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute narcotics (including methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl). Ten defendants were charged with either VICAR murder or kidnapping resulting in death – all of whom pleaded guilty as charged.
Nineteen of the 40 defendants in the case were sentenced on racketeering charges to the following prison terms:
- Peterson, the leader of a gang set within IGD, was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy and kidnapping resulting in death.
- Ward, the leader of a gang set within IGD, was sentenced to 23 years in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy.
- Akridge, the leader of a gang set within IGD, was sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading to RICO conspiracy and VICAR murder.
- Aaron Michael Carrion, 31, of Lexington, a member of and enforcer for IGD, was sentenced to 35 years in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy and VICAR murder.
- Aaron Corey Sprouse, 31, of Gaffney, a member of IGD, was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy and VICAR kidnapping.
- Arian Grace Jeane, 29, of Greenville, a member of IGD, was sentenced to over 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy and aiding and abetting VICAR murder.
- Cynthia Rooks, 55, of Lexington, an associate of IGD, was sentenced to over 11 years in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy.
- Lisa Marie Bolton, 35, of Dallas, North Carolina, an associate of IGD, was sentenced to over 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy.
- Jonathan Eugene Merchant, 30 of Laurens, a member of IGD, was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting VICAR murder.
- Joshua Lee Scott Brown, 25, of Greenville, a member of IGD, was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting VICAR murder.
- Alex Blake Payne, 31, of Greenville, a member of IGD, was sentenced to over nine years in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy.
- Virginia Ruth Ryall, 46, of Gastonia, North Carolina, an associate of IGD, was sentenced to 17 years in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy.
- Sally Williams Burgess, 40, of Greenville, an associate of IGD, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy.
- Jennifer Sorgee, 39, of Easley, an associate of IGD, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy.
- Heather Henderson Orrick, 36, of Greenville, an associate of IGD, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy.
- Crystal Nicole Bright, 43, of Lexington, a member of IGD, was sentenced to over five years in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy.
- Lisa Marie Costello, 46, of Gaffney, an associate of IGD, was sentenced to over four years in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy.
- Amber Hoffman, 39, of Lexington, an associate of IGD, was sentenced to over five years in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy.
- Clifford Kyzer, 38, of Lexington, an associate of IGD, was sentenced to over 11 years in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy.
Twenty-one other defendants in this case have also been sentenced to charges stemming from the IGD’s far-reaching narcotics organization after pleading guilty to narcotics distribution conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute narcotics, and/or firearms offenses and related charges. The following are those defendants and their prison terms:
- Rodriguez was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
- Samuel Dexter Judy, 31, of Lexington, was sentenced to 13 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
- Kelly Jordan, 37, of Williamston, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
- Richard Ford, 65, of Lexington, was sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and related charges.
- Brian Bruce, 51, of West Columbia, was sentenced to four years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
- Montana Barefoot, 28, of Lexington, was sentenced to five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
- John Johnson, 39, of Gaston, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
- Kelly Still, 46, of Windsor, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
- Benjamin Singleton, 49, of Lexington, was sentenced to over nine years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
- Kyla Mattoni, 41, of Lexington, was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, felon in possession of a firearm, and related charges.
- Alexia Youngblood, 41, of Lexington, was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
- Rebecca Martinez, 36, of Lexington, was sentenced to five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
- Mark Edward Slusher, 49, of Lexington, was sentenced to over seven years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
- Robert Figueroa, 46, of West Columbia, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
- Britney Shae Stephens, 35, of Anderson, was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
- Matthew Edward Clark, 44, of York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
- Catherine Amanda Ross, 31, of Gaffney, was sentenced to over 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting kidnapping.
- Brandon Lee Phillips, 39, of Gaffney, was sentenced to time served after serving approximately four years in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
- Billy Wayne Ruppe, 58, of Gaffney, was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
- Windy Brooke George, 24, of Gaffney, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
- Tiffanie Brooks, 39, of Columbia, was sentenced to over three years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
In connection with the investigation and prosecution of this case, law enforcement seized approximately 40 kilograms of methamphetamine, more than 130 firearms, and various quantities of heroin and fentanyl.
“ATF joined our local, state, and federal partners in a very dedicated and focused effort to make a long-lasting impact on the level of gun violence and gang activity in South Carolina,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Brian Mein of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “We brought some extremely dangerous individuals to justice and recovered over a hundred firearms from a criminal organization intent on harming our communities. Disrupting these major criminal networks will have a significant impact on public safety across the state.”
“This sentence marks the end of an era for a violent organization responsible for a multitude of criminal activities across South Carolina that negatively impacted the way of life for many communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Steve Jensen of the FBI Columbia Field Office. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners are committed to dismantling complex criminal enterprises and ensuring that our communities are safe and secure.”
The case is the result of a multi-agency effort to dismantle the IGD by the ATF, FBI, Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, Lexington County Multi-Agency Narcotics Enforcement Team SCDC, Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, Laurens County Sheriff’s Office, and Richland County Sheriff’s Department. The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office, Eighth Circuit Solicitor’s Office, Eleventh Circuit Solicitor’s Office, and Thirteenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office provided valuable assistance.
Trial Attorney Rebecca Dunnan and Principal Deputy Kim S. Dammers of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Holloway for the District of South Carolina prosecuted the case. Attorneys Brandon B. Hinton, formerly of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and Lisa K. Man, formerly of the Organized Crime and Gang Section, also assisted with the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Justice Department’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Anchorage Man on Child Pornography, Attempted Enticement ChargesRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment today charging an Anchorage man with allegedly attempting to entice a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity.
According to court documents, Peter Joseph Hickel Jr., 33, was arrested on July 25 near Sunset Park in Anchorage after communicating with and attempting to meet an individual that he believed to be a 12-year-old girl.
Hickel is charged with attempted production of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. §2251(a), attempted coercion and enticement of a minor in violation of 18 U.S.C. §2422(b), and possession of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. §2251A(a)(5). If convicted, Hickel faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska; and Special Agent in Charge Antony Jung of the FBI Anchorage Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI’s Anchorage Field Office is investigating the case. If anyone has any information concerning Hickel’s alleged actions or may have encountered him in person, via text message or on an online messaging app, please contact the FBI Anchorage Field Office at (907) 276-4441 or anonymously online at tips.fbi.gov.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Ivers is prosecuting the case.
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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood combines federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Franklin Man Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Relief Fraud, Bank Fraud, and Money-LaunderingRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – John Paul Dillon, 40, of Franklin, Tennessee pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to fraud in connection with COVID-19 relief programs, mortgage fraud, and money laundering, announced United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Dillon pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud, one count of wire fraud, and one count of money-laundering related to fraudulent loan applications submitted in connection with the Payroll Protection Program (“PPP”) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program. In support of federal loan applications, Dillon falsely claimed he and others earned hundreds of thousands of dollars in income from a “ride-share business” and also falsely claimed Dillon operated a company which paid over $500,000 in wages to employees.
In addition to the pandemic-related charges, Dillon pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud stemming from a fraudulent loan application he submitted to finance a $470,000 mortgage. Among other things, Dillon submitted a falsified bank statement in support of this loan application.
Dillon obtained almost $1,000,000 through his fraud. In addition to agreeing to the entry of money judgments against him, Dillon has agreed to forfeit his residence, two late-model automobiles, and a pontoon boat.
Dillon’s sentencing has been set for March 4, 2024. He faces up to 30 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $1,000,000 on each of the bank fraud counts; up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000 on the wire fraud count; and up to 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000 on the money-laundering count.
This case was investigated by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General; and the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor J. Phillips 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.
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Eastern Oregon Man Caught with Methamphetamine and a Stolen Firearm While on Supervised Release Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
MEDFORD, Ore.—An Eastern Oregon man with a lengthy criminal history was sentenced to federal prison today after he was arrested with more than two pounds of methamphetamine and a stolen firearm while on supervision following his release from state prison.
Tom Raymond Carroll, 39, was sentenced to 151 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, in February 2021, special agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) identified Carroll as a drug dealer operating in Baker and Malheur Counties in Eastern Oregon. Carroll had recently been released from Oregon state prison following convictions for drug trafficking and illegally possessing a firearm. On February 20, 2021, law enforcement conducted a controlled purchase of methamphetamine and heroin from Carroll. During the transaction, Carroll warned the purchasers to be careful because someone had recently died from the drugs he was distributing.
In early May 2021, law enforcement obtained and executed state search warrants for Carroll’s vehicle and person and a hotel room he was renting in Baker City, Oregon. A backpack found in his hotel room contained more than two pounds of methamphetamine, a stolen firearm, drug ledgers and paraphernalia, and more than $20,000 in cash.
On May 20, 2021, a federal grand jury in Medford returned a three-count indictment charging Carroll with possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. On March 20, 2023, Carroll pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by ATF with assistance from the Baker City Police Department, Baker County Sheriff’s Office, Malheur County Sheriff’s Office, Ontario Police Department, and Oregon State Police. It was prosecuted by Marco A. Boccato, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
EDVA Provides Updates on Grant Awards for Project Safe Neighborhood InitiativesRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA), today announced the awarding of over $250,000 in grant funding for Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) initiatives.
“Violence in our community has many causes,” said Aber. “Criminal prosecution of violent offenders is only one solution. As a result, we emphasize violence prevention and intervention programs and support them with federal resources. The grants awarded through our PSN program will go directly to fostering local efforts that tackle those root causes.”
In May, EDVA announced the continued availability of grant funding for PSN initiatives. On June 22 the PSN Grant Committee selected three applicants to receive funds: the RVA League for Safer Streets; Project Safe, Alive, and Free (SAF); and Parents Against Bullying Virginia (PABVA).
RVA League for Safer Streets will receive $54,340 for their Midnight Basketball League program in Richmond where youth will be engaged in workshops on topics such as conflict resolution before playing basketball together.
Project SAF will receive $56,500 to support a Group Violence Intervention effort in Hopewell and the surrounding Tri-Cities area that pairs community violence intervention methods and intense life coaching with a trauma-based violence intervention program. This program also works collaboratively with Assistant United States Attorneys from EDVA’s Richmond Division.
PABVA will receive $160,333 to support anti-bullying programs in the Newport News public school system including “Girl & Gent Talk” group sessions with at-risk youth and the STAR Bright Kidz Puppet program.
PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
In addition to PSN efforts, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is working in support of the Richmond Police Department’s Safe Summer initiative by collaborating on investigations and aggressively pursuing charges against defendants identified as meeting these criteria and pushing for appropriately accountable sentences.
These efforts are in line with the Department of Justice’s summer anti-violent crime strategy, which includes reinforcing the importance of identifying, investigating, and prioritizing the prosecution of those who are responsible for the greatest violence in our communities.
In the fall, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia anticipates that it will announce the availability of approximately $500,000 in PSN grant funding. The PSN Grant Committee is currently prioritizing three regions impacted most by violent crime—Richmond, Newport News, and Norfolk—but will evaluate grant applications from across the Eastern District.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Drywall Contractor Sentenced to 18 Months for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Gustavo Reyes, 52, Verona, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 18 months in prison for tax evasion. Reyes pleaded guilty to this charge on May 24, 2023.
Between 2013 and 2020, Reyes owned and operated a drywall business in Dane County. In 2015, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) commenced a civil audit of Reyes’s income tax returns for 2013 and 2014 and determined that he had significantly underreported his income for those years. Between 2015 and 2019, the IRS sent multiple notices to Reyes regarding tax deficiency assessments for the 2013 and 2014 tax years but he did not respond.
On December 22, 2014, the IRS filed a tax lien for tax year 2013 against Reyes in an attempt to collect tax due and owing. On February 9, 2017, the IRS filed a tax lien for tax year 2014 against Reyes. The IRS continued its collection efforts in 2018 by sending a letter to Reyes and filing levies against several of his business bank accounts. Despite the IRS’s collection efforts, Reyes failed to pay any of his tax debt.
Beginning with tax year 2018 and continuing to 2020, Reyes worked with others to create five nominee entities in Dane County through which he operated his drywall business, including Royal LLC, American Drywall, and Morales Construction. By operating his drywall business through the nominee entities, Reyes attempted to defeat IRS collection efforts for tax years 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2018. In addition, Reyes avoided IRS liens and levies by operating in large amounts of cash that he received from cashing checks at different establishments around the Madison area. In total, Reyes owes $557,907.19 in unpaid taxes.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Conley stated that the IRS had made “remarkable efforts” to handle Reyes’s failure to pay taxes as a civil matter, but Reyes inexplicably chose to ignore the IRS’s communications. Judge Conley also stated that Reyes made a bad situation with the IRS worse when he “doubled down” and used other people to create fictitious companies in an attempt to avoid the IRS’s liens and levies.
The charge against Reyes was a result of an investigation conducted by IRS Criminal Investigation and the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Wegner.
Drunk Driver Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Second Degree MurderRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Derwin Davis Tsosie, Jr., 26, of Tuba City, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Judge Douglas L. Rayes on Monday to 12 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Tsosie pleaded guilty to Second Degree Murder.
On November 14, 2022, Tsosie was driving at approximately 135 miles per hour when he hit the victims’ car from behind, killing the driver and seriously injuring the passenger. Tsosie’s blood alcohol concentration was .323, more than four times the legal limit. At the time of the crash, Tsosie’s license was suspended for a previous DUI arrest. The crime occurred on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation, where Tsosie is an enrolled member.
The Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety, Arizona Department of Public Safety, and Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR 23-8019-PCT-DLR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-124_Tsosie# # #
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.Destrehan Man Pleads Guilty to $11.4 Million Medicare and Medicaid Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – CRAIG L. LOVELACE, age 53, a resident of Destrehan, pled guilty to defrauding Medicare and Medicaid of approximately $11.4 million in medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (“DME”), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
The government filed a bill of information charging LOVELACE with healthcare fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1347. According to court documents, from approximately January 2016 through June 2022, LOVELACE, through his company Advanced Medical Equipment Inc., billed Medicare and Medicaid for durable medical equipment (“DME”) that was medically unnecessary. That included equipment for respiratory support and nutritional support, including ventilators, tracheostomy supplies, and feeding tubes. In reality, those items were medically unnecessary, not ordered, or not provided as represented. In some instances, the patients had already died. LOVELACE billed Medicare and Medicaid approximately $11.4 million in connection with this scheme, and his company was reimbursed over $7.9 million. To cover up his scheme, LOVELACE directed the falsification of documents, including medical records, order forms, and supporting documentation, in response to Medicare audits and record requests. The falsification of documents included forging provider signatures, medical notes, and dates, as well as using tape, white-out, and scissors, to make it falsely appear that the audited DME was ordered and delivered.
LOVELACE faces up to ten years in prison. LOVELACE also faces up to three years of supervised release after release from prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain to LOVELACE or the gross loss to any victims, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo set the sentencing hearing for November 29, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Louisiana Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. U.S. Department of Justice Trial Attorneys Kelly Walters and Samantha Stagias of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Moses, Health Care Coordinator for the Eastern District of Louisiana, are prosecuting the case.
Darknet Vendor Sentenced for Distribution of Fentanyl-Laced Pills and Crystal MethRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Glendale, Arizona, man was sentenced today to 42 months in prison for distributing fentanyl-laced pills and crystal meth on the darknet.
According to court documents, Justin Udvardi, 30, operated several darknet vendor pages using the moniker “TrapGod.” For a period of at least two years, he used the darknet to make hundreds of narcotics sales to people around the country, including crystal methamphetamine, MDMA, and counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl. He also trafficked in stolen credit card information, and materials that assist fraudsters in creating fraudulent identification documents. Between September 2021 and September 2022, undercover law enforcement agents located in the Eastern District of Virginia conducted several controlled purchases of either crystal meth or fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills from Udvardi. Together, these orders contained more than 120 grams of pure methamphetamine and more than 250 pills containing fentanyl. Udvardi used USPS Priority Mail envelopes to ship the narcotics from Arizona to locations in the Eastern District of Virginia.
The darknet, also called the darkweb, is a portion of the Internet that hosts darknet markets or hidden commercial websites. A darknet market operates as a black market, selling or brokering transactions involving legal products as well as drugs, weapons, counterfeit currency, stolen credit card details, forged documents, unlicensed pharmaceuticals, steroids, and other illicit goods.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division; and Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Harvey prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-225.
Convicted Felon Indicted for Possessing Four FirearmsRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A former Dover man was indicted in connection with illegally possessing four firearms, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Christopher T. Brown, 37, was indicted on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Brown was arrested in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, on Saturday, August 12, 2023, and was ordered detained by a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Alexandria, Virginia. Law enforcement will transport Brown to appear in federal court in Concord at a later date.
According to the charging documents, Brown is a convicted felon and was legally prohibited from possessing firearms. However, on January 9, 2023 in Dover, Brown possessed four firearms, including two 9 mm pistols, a .40 caliber rifle, and a 12-gauge sawed-off shotgun with no serial number.
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Dover Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Columbia Man Sentenced to More Than a Decade in Federal Prison After Pleading Guilty to Drug and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Darrell Akeem Sanders, 32, of Columbia, was sentenced to more than 13 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine, crack cocaine, and fentanyl, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Evidence presented to the court showed that, on September 12, 2019, a Deputy with Richland County Sheriff’s Department made a traffic stop on a car in which Sanders was the front seat passenger. In a search of the car, law enforcement found a loaded Taurus 9mm handgun under the seat where Sanders had been sitting and a pill bottle containing approximately 4 grams of crack cocaine in the center console. Sanders admitted both the crack and the gun were his.
Additional investigation revealed Sanders was a distributor in a drug trafficking conspiracy operating in and around Columbia. Over the course of two years, Sanders helped distribute more than 3 kilograms of crack cocaine as well as quantities of both cocaine and fentanyl.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Sanders to 157 months in prison followed by a 4-year term of court-ordered supervision]. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was investigated by the Richland County Sheriff’s Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Flynn prosecuted the case.
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Columbia Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Federal Prison for Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Jeffrey Wilson Walker, 35, of Columbia was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Evidence presented to the court showed that on July 16, 2021, an officer with the City of Columbia Police Department responded to a call involving Walker. When the initial officer arrived, he found Walker asleep in the driver’s seat of a stationary car that had crashed into a mailbox. The driver’s side window was down, and the officer saw a firearm in Walker’s lap. The officer removed the loaded gun from Walker’s lap, and when other officers arrived, they attempted to wake Walker up.
Once Walker was awake, he appeared to be intoxicated and refused to get out of the car after multiple commands from officers. The officers used OC spray and physically removed Walker from the car. After Walker was removed from the vehicle, the officers called EMS to treat Walker for the OC spray. During an inventory search of Walker’s car, law enforcement found another handgun in a bag.
Federal law prohibits Walker from possessing firearms and ammunition based on a prior conviction for Armed Robbery.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Walker to 37 months in prison, to be followed by a two-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the City of Columbia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lamar J. Fyall is prosecuting the case.
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Columbia Gang Member Sentenced to over 17 Years in Federal Prison for Gun and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA —Erick Stewart, 28, of Columbia, was sentenced to more than 17 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon and possession with the intent to distribute fluorofentanyl, fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, and tramadol.
Evidence presented to the court showed that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) began investigating Stewart for drug- and gun-related activity in the beginning of 2021. During their investigation, they documented social media posts of Stewart posting guns and advertising drugs.
After months of surveillance, on May 5, 2021, RCSD obtained and executed a search warrant at Stewart’s home. They seized counterfeit prescription pills, over 900 grams of marijuana, and a pistol. One group of counterfeit pills contained fluorofentanyl, fentanyl, meth, and tramadol, and another contained methamphetamine and cocaine. The counterfeit pills were similar to the pills posted by Stewart on social media.
On June 20, 2021, a City of Columbia Police Department officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a car driven by Stewart. Stewart ran from the car and fled between nearby houses. While Stewart ran, he was holding his waistband. The officer pursued Stewart, who gave himself up once he ran past the houses. Officers retraced the path that Stewart ran and found that he had discarded a gun between the houses.
Before these incidents, Stewart was a known gang member with convictions for assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, as well as multiple convictions for burglary. All of those convictions prohibited him from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
Senior United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie sentenced Stewart to 212 months in prison, to be followed by a six-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, and the City of Columbia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lamar J. Fyall is prosecuting the case.
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Colombian National Sentenced to Federal Prison for East Texas Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas - A Colombian national has been sentenced to over 21 years in federal prison for trafficking drugs through the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today.
Luis Fernando Toro Londono, also known as Don Alonso, La Vaca, and Don Hector, 56, of Medellin, Colombia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manufacture and distribute cocaine knowing it would be distributed in the United States and was sentenced to 262 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant.
According to information presented in court, in August 2017, federal drug agents were investigating a drug trafficking organization moving drugs from Colombia to Mexico via Costa Rica and Panama for eventual distribution of multi-ton quantities of cocaine in the United States. The organization used Go-Fast vessels and aircraft to transport most of their cocaine shipments to Central America and Mexico.
Londono was identified as a Colombian based cocaine investor, smuggler, and money launderer that coordinated the dispatch of large cocaine shipments and coordinated the movement of drug proceeds throughout multiple countries and several cities in the United States.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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 case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration in Dallas and Colombia and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ernest Gonzalez.
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Collin County Man Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for Crimes Related to Carrollton MurderRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – An Allen man, convicted of multiple federal violations related to a fraud scheme that included the murder of a Carrollton man, has been sentenced to life in federal prison, announced Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs.
Keith Todd Ashley, 51, was found guilty by a jury of wire fraud, mail fraud, carrying a firearm in relation to a crime of violence and bank fraud in October 2022. Ashley was sentenced to life in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant.
According to information presented at trial, beginning in 2016, Ashley, a registered nurse who also began working as a financial advisor and life insurance agent, started stealing money from his clients. Ashley promised his clients he would invest their money in financial products but instead used the funds to pay other clients, to keep his struggling brewery in business, to pay his personal bills and to fund a lavish lifestyle. In May 2016, Ashley began stealing investment funds from a Carrollton man. This scheme included transferring the client’s money into his personal accounts and changing the beneficiary of the man’s life insurance to a trust controlled by Ashley. The scheme eventually resulted in the Feb. 19, 2020, murder of the client, which Ashley attempted to stage as a suicide. Even after the client was killed, Ashley went through elaborate steps to collect on the life insurance policy, transfer funds from the victim’s bank account to himself, and attempt to obtain a copy of the victim’s autopsy report. Ashley was indicted by a federal grand jury on Nov. 12, 2020, and has been charged with various federal violations, including wire fraud, mail fraud and firearms violations.
“Today’s sentence brings a sense of relief and justice to the victim’s family and friends, who have endured pain and grief as a result of the defendant’s horrific actions,” said U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. “Mr. Ashley’s actions of defrauding and ultimately taking the victim’s life is reprehensible and indefensible. I’m grateful to our local and federal law enforcement partners who worked tirelessly on this case. Their dedication was essential in bringing this defendant to justice.”
“Keith Ashley funded his lavish lifestyle and attempted to rescue his failing business by robbing his clients of financial security, and when that wasn’t enough, he robbed one of his life,” said Dallas FBI Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough. “Many local and federal resources came together to seek justice for the victims, and our hope is that today’s sentence can bring continued healing to the families and friends who will be forever impacted by the greed and deceit caused by the defendant.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Frisco Resident Agency, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office, and the Carrollton Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heather Rattan and Jay Combs and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Fine.
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Cincinnati woman charged with crimes related to making false racial discrimination claims against landlordRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Cincinnati tenant is charged with federal crimes related to making false statements accusing her landlord of violating the Fair Housing Act.
Dermisha Pickett, 33, allegedly fabricated messages from her landlord stating the landlord did not want Black tenants. Pickett appeared in federal court in Cincinnati yesterday after self-surrendering. Her case was unsealed today.
“False reports to law enforcement, as alleged in this case, undermine legitimate reports of racial discrimination and could discourage victims from coming forward for fear that they will not be believed,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “This office will continue to do its due diligence when presented with any potential civil rights violations.”
“Making false reports of racial discrimination is unacceptable and can have tangible effects on other tenants who rely on HUD-assisted housing,” said Special Agent in Charge Shawn Rice with the HUD Office of Inspector General. “In this case, if the landlord had violated the Fair Housing Act, his participation in HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher program may have been revoked, causing the displacement of approximately 50 families who rely on the Housing Choice Voucher program. These families would have been forced to uproot their families to find new homes, incurring non-reimbursable expenses.”
According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, on Feb. 27, the U.S. Attorney’s Office was forwarded several text messages purportedly from the Cincinnati-area landlord as part of a civil rights report. The U.S. Attorney’s Office referred the matter to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General (HUD OIG) to investigate the claims.
The investigation revealed that the landlord owns over 100 properties, including 56 properties rented through HUD’s housing choice voucher program. Many of his tenants appear to be African American.
On March 14, Pickett met with HUD agents and provided the agents with numerous discriminatory messages purportedly made by Pickett’s landlord. Pickett allegedly claimed to receive a call from the landlord as she arrived at the meeting with HUD OIG and placed the call on speaker phone.
Pickett allegedly told agents that she had attempted to pay her portion of the rent but that her landlord returned it, stating he did not want to rent to Black individuals.
According to court documents, in a later interview with the landlord, the landlord told agents he did not want to continue to rent to Pickett because she was causing extensive damage to the property.
Phone records and forensic analysis indicate that no text messages were exchanged during the time periods Pickett claimed. It is alleged that Pickett used mobile applications to fabricate text messages and phone numbers.
Making a false statement to federal officers is punishable by up to five years in prison. Destroying, altering, or falsifying records in a federal investigation carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Shawn Rice, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, Mid-Atlantic Region; announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Ebunoluwa A. Taiwo is representing the United States in this case.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Chiropractic Clinic Employees Sentenced for Disability FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Two employees of Jefferson County, Missouri chiropractors involved in a disability fraud conspiracy have been sentenced for their roles in the case.
U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Thursday sentenced Clarissa Pogue, 40, of DeSoto, to five years of probation to include six months of home confinement. She was also ordered to repay $286,000. On August 3, Judge Autrey sentenced Christina Barrera, 64, of St. Louis, to 14 months in prison and ordered her to repay $543,315.
Pogue and Barrera were convicted by a jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in February of one felony count of conspiracy to defraud the Social Security Administration, along with chiropractor Vivian Carbone-Hobbs. Carbone-Hobbs, now 61, of Fenton, was also convicted of 10 counts of health care fraud and two counts of theft of money from the United States. Pogue was also convicted of one count of theft of money from the United States.
The three conspired with Thomas G. Hobbs, Carbone-Hobbs’ husband, and others to fraudulently obtain disability payments for patients who were not disabled or injured.
Carbone-Hobbs and Hobbs own Power-Med Inc., a chiropractic clinic in Arnold. Hobbs, now 66, pleaded guilty in January and admitted conspiring to commit the crimes of health care fraud, making false statements, theft of government funds and Social Security fraud.
Hobbs admitted that beginning in 2011, he fraudulently assisted patients in receiving more than $3.5 million in disability benefit payments through the Social Security Administration’s Disability Trust Fund and through private disability benefit insurance providers. Hobbs charged patients thousands of dollars in exchange for the preparation of disability forms. He also coached patients in how to lie to the Social Security Administration and private insurers about their ability to perform basic activities like lifting things, sitting, standing and walking. Patients also had to pay hundreds of dollars for annual appointments to keep qualifying for disability payments.
Hobbs also used a fictitious medical license number and submitted false and fraudulent medical reports to buttress patients’ disability claims. Hobbs submitted or caused to be submitted false and fraudulent claims for reimbursement to health care benefit programs for services that were not provided, medically unnecessary services or services provided by unqualified persons to make it appear that the disability patients had medical conditions.
The chiropractors, employees and patients all faced charges in the case. Hobbs and Carbone-Hobbs will be sentenced later this year.
The cases were investigated by the Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tracy Berry, Dorothy McMurtry, Diane Klocke and Gwendolyn Carroll are prosecuting the case.
Anyone who suspects fraud involving the Disability Insurance Benefit Program is asked to contact the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General Hotline at: 1-800-269-0271 or https://oig.ssa.gov/report/.
Chinese National Pleads Guilty to Interstate Transportation of Stolen PropertyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Wu Feng Zhang, age 54, a citizen of China residing in the Town of Colonie, New York, pled guilty today to transporting stolen property across state lines. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement.
Zheng admitted that between June and December 2022, he stole merchandise from home improvement stores in states including Pennsylvania, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and New York, and transported those stolen items to his residence in Colonie. On January 11, 2023, HSI searched his residence and found about $100,000 in merchandise stolen from home improvement and other stores.
At sentencing on December 15, 2023, before Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes, Zhang faces a maximum term of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
HSI, with assistance from Colonie Police Department, the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, and the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping is prosecuting the case.
California Man Pleads Guilty to Kidnapping Ex-Girlfriend and Transporting Her to IdahoRead the Press Release
BOISE – Emiliano Jaime Ramos, 41, of Lompoc, California, pleaded guilty to kidnapping his ex-girlfriend and transporting her from California to Idaho where she was eventually rescued by Nampa police, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today.
According to court records, on December 21, 2022, the victim left work at a clinic in California, where she was employed as a medical assistant. Upon walking to her vehicle, she was approached by Ramos who had been waiting for her in the parking lot. The victim and Ramos had previously dated, and following their breakup, the victim refused to meet with Ramos and blocked him from her social media accounts and had blocked his phone number. When the victim entered her vehicle to leave, Ramos opened the back passenger door and jumped into the seat behind her. He then reached around the driver’s seat and pressed a handgun into her right side, leading her to believe she was going to be shot. Ramos then ordered her to drive north, and she complied.
Ramos, who was in possession of a large knife in addition to the firearm, compelled the victim to drive from California to Nevada, Oregon, and eventually to Nampa, Idaho, where Ramos checked them into a hotel. Later, when Ramos was fully asleep, the victim grabbed her cell phone, which had been sitting on a nightstand, and turned it on. She quickly sent a text message to 911, before turning the phone off and placing it back on the nightstand. Once the 911 message was received, Nampa police officers were dispatched to the hotel, where they quickly worked to assemble a team of officers to conduct a rescue. During the morning of December 23, 2022, Ramos was arrested by police as he exited the hotel room. It was later learned that during the kidnapping, Ramos sexually assaulted the victim and told her that he intended to kill her in Idaho.
Ramos is scheduled to be sentenced on November 7, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. Chief U.S. District Court Judge David C. Nye will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
“It is humbling for my office to be able to seek justice in this disturbing kidnapping and sexual assault case,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “The victim in this case showed remarkable bravery, and I am also grateful for the quick response of the Nampa Police Department. The public should rest assured that, along with our law enforcement partners, we will aggressively pursue, and hold accountable, those who use firearms to commit federal offenses in Idaho.”
“This is the result of great teamwork, starting with Nampa’s 911 Dispatchers and ending with the successful prosecution,” said Nampa Police Department Interim Police Chief Curt Shankel. “We commend the bravery of the victim in this case and we’re proud of the investigation completed by all agencies involved. For those who find themselves in an emergency, who aren’t able to speak freely, texting to 911 is an excellent option in our region of Idaho.”
In addition to the Nampa Police Department, U.S. Attorney Hurwit credited the cooperative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Canyon County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Idaho State Police Forensic Services, the Ada County Sheriff’s Office Forensic Lab, Idaho Department of Correction, the Pismo Beach Police Department, and the Santa Maria Police Department, which led to the charges.
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Brooklyn Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing Firearms in Green IslandRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Burlington E. Nieuenkirk, age 46, of Brooklyn, New York, pled guilty today to illegally possessing three loaded firearms as a felon.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and Albany County Sheriff Craig D. Apple Sr. made the announcement.
Nieuenkirk admitted that on April 30, 2020, he knowingly possessed three loaded pistols, one of which had been reported stolen, at a residence in Green Island, New York. A prior felony conviction for robbery prevented Nieuenkirk from legally possessing the firearms in New York.
Nieuenkirk faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 3 years when he is sentenced on December 11, 2023, by Senior United States District Judge Frederick J. Scullin, Jr.
A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
This case was investigated by ATF and the Albany County Sheriff’s Office with assistance provided by the Albany County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Bronx Man Sentenced to 98 Months in Prison for Committing Multiple ShootingsRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that THOMAS DISLA was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman to 98 months in prison in connection with a shooting spree he committed on June 3 and 4, 2022. Over the course of 12 hours, DISLA shot an acquaintance in the groin, shot at a stranger who was driving a car, and brandished a firearm in the middle of crowded bar before striking a patron and shooting the firearm at the ceiling. DISLA previously pled guilty to one count of possessing ammunition after conviction for a felony.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Last summer, Thomas Disla committed multiple terrifying shootings in the Bronx. He severely injured two people, one of whom he had never even met. And he could have killed a third. As today’s sentence demonstrates, our Office is determined to keeping New York City safe by vigorously prosecuting perpetrators of gun violence.”
According to the Indictment and other filings and statements made in court:
At approximately 3:35 p.m. on June 3, 2022, DISLA approached an acquaintance (“Victim-1”) who was standing in front of a grocery store located on Southern Boulevard in the Bronx. DISLA and Victim-1 exchanged words and DISLA walked away to the street. DISLA then returned, took deliberate aim at Victim-1, and fired, hitting Victim-1 in the groin. Victim-1 was rushed to the hospital and continues to experience discomfort and pain from his injuries.
At approximately 1:00 a.m. on June 4, 2023, DISLA approached a construction worker (“Victim-2”) on Wheeler Avenue in the Bronx. Victim-2 was on his way to a construction site and had briefly exited his vehicle to remove a barricade that was blocking traffic. DISLA told Victim-2 he could not continue driving to the construction site. After Victim-2 returned to his car, he overhead DISLA yell that Victim-2 would “learn [his] lesson.” As can be seen in surveillance footage, DISLA then walked to the sidewalk, turned around, and shot at Victim-2’s car:
At approximately 2:20 a.m. on June 4, 2023, DISLA waived a firearm at patrons of a popular bar located on Manor Avenue in the Bronx. He then approached a stranger who was sitting on a chair, enjoying a drink, and struck him with the firearm in his face, inflicting a wound so deep it went to the bone. As surveillance video shows, DISLA then left the bar:
He returned moments later only to fire one round at the ceiling of the entrance.
DISLA was not permitted to possess ammunition because of his prior New York State conviction for criminal sale of a firearm in the third degree. DISLA has at least 18 prior criminal convictions.
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In addition to his prison term, DISLA, 44, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City Police Department.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Sowlati is in charge of the prosecution.
Bowling Green Felon Sentenced to over 8 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking and Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
Bowling Green, KY – A Bowling Green man was sentenced yesterday to 8 years and 4 months in prison for methamphetamine trafficking and illegally possessing a firearm.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Director Tommy Loving of the Bowling Green/Warren County Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AHIDTA) Drug Task Force made the announcement.
According to court documents, Joshua Moore¸ 39, possessed a Glock 19 nine-millimeter pistol on December 22, 2021. Moore was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses. On September 13, 2017, in the United States District Court, Western District of Kentucky, Moore was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and possession of ammunition by a prohibited person. On August 24, 2009, in Warren Circuit Court, Moore was convicted of first-degree fleeing or evading police and unlawful possession of a methamphetamine precursor. Moore was also sentenced for distributing 21.09 grams of methamphetamine on April 4, 2022, distributing 24.6 grams of methamphetamine on April 13, 2022, and possessing with the intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine on May 31, 2022. All these crimes took place in Warren County, Kentucky.
Moore was on federal supervised release for his previous federal felony conviction at the time he committed the offenses on which he was sentenced yesterday. In addition to his 8-year and 4-month sentence, Moore was also sentenced to 4 years and 3 months in prison for violating the terms of his supervised release. The sentences were ordered to run concurrently with each other, and his total sentence is 8 years and 4 months in prison. Following his release from prison, Moore was ordered to serve 4 years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the ATF and the Bowling Green/Warren County Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AHIDTA) Drug Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Yurchisin II, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Bath Man with Prior Sex Offense Conviction Going to Prison on Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Joshua Wormley, 38, of Bath, NY, who was convicted of possession of child pornography by an individual with a prior sex offense conviction, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who handled the case, stated that in July 2017, Wormley was convicted of attempted possession of a sexual performance of a child. In February 2021, Wormley possessed a cell phone containing approximately 800 images and two videos of child pornography. Some of the images and videos depicted prepubescent minors.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia and the Yates County Sheriff's Office, under the direction of Sheriff Ronald Spike.
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Baltimore Man Sentenced to 26 Years in Federal Prison for Three Robberies Committed at GunpointRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher today sentenced Keith Poynter, Jr., age 29, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 26 years federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for a robbery conspiracy, three counts of commercial robbery, conspiracy to use a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, two counts of using and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and for discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The charges are all related to a series of armed commercial robberies committed in one day, and for discharging his weapon during one of the robberies. A federal jury convicted Poynter of those crimes on April 24, 2023, after a four-day trial.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Acting Commissioner Richard Worley of the Baltimore Police Department; and Chief Robert McCullough of the Baltimore County Police Department.
According to court documents and evidence presented during his trial, Poynter conspired with others, including Benjamin Bunn, Jr. and Tiffany Gardner, to rob businesses in Baltimore City and Baltimore County. Specifically, on December 6, 2019, Poynter and another man robbed a jewelry store in the 200 block of N. Howard Street. The evidence showed that the other robber placed a machete in the door to prevent it from locking. Poynter brandished a weapon and struck a glass countertop, causing the gun to fire. Poynter then fired two more shots into another glass case and removed jewelry and other merchandise, all in the presence of store employees. Poynter and the other man then got into a silver Acura TL, which was occupied and operated by Bunn and Gardner and left the area.
A short time later, Poynter entered a jewelry store in the Security Square Mall in Baltimore County, approached a store employee, brandished a handgun, and demanded jewelry. After taking the jewelry, Poynter left the store and got back into the silver Acura TL, where Bunn and Gardner waited. The group then left the area. Approximately two hours later, Poynter entered a pawn shop in the 6600 block of Reisterstown Road, brandished a firearm, demanded jewelry, and threatened to shoot a customer. Poynter took jewelry and other merchandise and left the store, again entering the silver Acura TL where Bunn and Gardner waited.
Benjamin Bunn, Jr., age 37, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty to his role in the robberies a few days before trial began and is scheduled to be sentenced on September 6, 2023. Tiffany Gardner, age 27, of Baltimore, also pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years in federal prison.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, the Baltimore Police Department and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Sippel, Jr., who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Anderson Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Methamphetamine Imported from MexicoRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Robert Solomon, 38, of Anderson, Indiana, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents, on August 16, 202l, Madison County Drug Task Force served a federal search warrant at Solomon’s home in Anderson, Indiana, following a years’ long investigation into his drug trafficking activities. Investigators located and seized 97 grams of methamphetamine inside a purple Crown Royal bag on the kitchen counter, 85 grams of “crack” cocaine, two digital scales, two vacuum sealers and bags, and two .22 caliber handguns.
Shortly thereafter, Solomon was stopped by an Anderson Police Department officer for a traffic violation. A K-9 was used to sniff the vehicle and alerted to the odor of controlled substances. Officers searched Solomon’s Lexus and seized approximately $41,369 in cash hidden inside a cereal box.
During a recorded interview with investigators, Solomon admitted that he had been trafficking drugs for at least a year, including methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine. Solomon also stated that he worked with a man from Mexico, who supplied the drugs that Solomon then distributed in the Anderson area.
United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Indianapolis Field Office, Michael Gannon, Chief Michael Lee of the Anderson Police Department, and Madison County Sheriff, John Beeman made the announcement.
“We know that a majority of the meth plaguing our streets ultimately comes from international cartels operating across the southern border,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers. “Cutting off suppliers who are responsible for selling and transporting drugs from transnational criminal organizations is a priority of federal law enforcement. We, alongside DEA and state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Anderson Police and Madison County Drug Task Force, are committed to weeding out these offenders and stopping their distribution of these poisons in our communities.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Anderson Police Department, and the Madison County Drug Task Force investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge, Jane Magnus-Stinson. Judge Stinson also ordered that Solomon be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 5 years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Peter A. Blackett, who prosecuted this case.
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Ada Resident Enters Plea to Federal Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Timothy Ray Brown, age 40, of Ada, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Pontotoc County Sheriff’s Department.
The Indictment alleged that on March 10, 2022, Brown knowingly and intentionally possessed a quantity of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it and knowingly possessed a firearm during and in relation to drug trafficking.
The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, United States Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Brown was remanded to custody of the U.S. Marshal pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Howanitz represented the United States.
Acton Man Sentenced to Nearly Three Years in Prison for Using Stolen Identities to Obtain COVID Relief FundsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Acton was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for conspiring to use stolen identities to fraudulently obtain disaster loan funds from the Small Business Administration (SBA) and to launder the funds.
Edwin Acevedo, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 33 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Acevedo was also ordered to pay restitution of $251,684. In January 2023, Acevedo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud. Acevedo was arrested and charged along with co-conspirator Hector Garcia in August 2021.
According to charging documents, Acevedo’s co-conspirators allegedly used stolen identity information of United States citizens to apply for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans. It is alleged that Garcia used stolen identity information of a United States citizen to open a fraudulent bank account, which was then linked to other fraudulent bank accounts set up to receive the SBA funds. Acevedo coordinated co-conspirators’ receiving some of the debit cards associated with fraudulent bank accounts into which SBA funds were deposited. Acevedo and co-conspirators laundered the SBA funds by using the debit cards to purchase iPhones, which Acevedo and others then re-sold for cash. It is also alleged that Garcia and other co-conspirators wired a portion of the funds to co-conspirators in the Dominican Republic.
It is alleged that over $452,000 in SBA funds were fraudulently obtained in connection with the scheme. Approximately $250,000 of this money was used to purchase iPhones in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
On Dec. 8, 2022, Garcia was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud; three counts of wire fraud – aiding and abetting; and two counts of aggravated identity theft. He has since pleaded not guilty is pending trial.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Valuable assistance was also provided by Homeland Security Investigations in Orlando, Fla.; the Small Business Administration, Office of the Inspector General; the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of the Inspector General; the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General; the Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General; the Department of State; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the Massachusetts State Police; the New Hampshire State Police; and the Acton, Nashua (N.H.), Manchester (N.H.) and Ocala (Fla.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elianna Nuzum and Adam Deitch of the Criminal Division are 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 remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Wednesday 16 August 2023
Wood County Man Sentenced to 138 Months for Drug & Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that John W. Andereggen, 56, Vesper, Wisconsin was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 138 months in prison for possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possessing a firearm as a felon. Andereggen pleaded guilty to these charges on May 11, 2023.
In September 2022, law enforcement officers conducted a controlled buy of methamphetamine from Andereggen at a camper that Andereggen kept in the rural woods of Wood County. Officers obtained a search warrant for the camper and discovered over 600 grams of methamphetamine and 100 grams of cocaine in and around the camper. They also discovered four firearms and ammunition. At the time of the search, Andereggen was a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing firearms. Andereggen was interviewed and admitted to selling large amounts of methamphetamine and cocaine in the months leading up to the search.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson noted the highly aggravating circumstances of the offenses, including the heavy drug amounts and the presence of dangerous weapons, including a sawed-off shotgun. The large amounts of drugs in this case had a significant negative impact on a small community. He also noted Andereggen’s long criminal history, which spanned 33 criminal offenses from age 21 to age 56. Ultimately, Judge Peterson ruled that a long sentence was needed to address the severe nature of the drug and gun offenses and to protect the public from Andereggen’s criminal nature.
The charges against Andereggen were the result of an investigation conducted by the Wood County Sheriff’s Department; the Marathon County Sheriff’s Department; Marshfield, Wisconsin Rapids, Nekoosa, Stevens Point, and Plover Police Departments; the Central Wisconsin Drug Task Force; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anita Marie Boor prosecuted this case.
This case was prosecuted in part as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.
Wise County Man Sentenced to 60 Months for Trafficking Fentanyl PillsRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – An Exeter, Virginia man, who conspired to sell pressed pills containing fentanyl purchased from various social media platforms, was sentenced this week to 60 months in federal prison.
Aaron Christopher Stidham, 22, pled guilty in August 2022 to one count of conspiring to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to court documents, between February 2021 and February 2022, Stidham ordered 1,000 pills every few weeks from his source in California through the social media platforms Snapchat and Instagram, had them mailed to Big Stone Gap, and then resold them to co-conspirators Paul Mason Perkins of Big Stone Gap, Virginia, Austin Jeremiah Lane, of Norton, Virginia, and Cheyenne Cassie Carico, of Norton, Virginia.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh, Craig B. Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Atlanta Division, made the announcement.
The Wise County Sheriff’s Office, the Norton Police Department, the Southwest Virginia Drug Task Force (consisting of the Wise County Sheriff’s Office, the Scott County Sheriff’s Office, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Norton Police Department, the Big Stone Gap Police Department, and the Virginia State Police), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and the United States Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena L. Busscher prosecuted the case.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez announces $2M Grant to the Albuquerque Community Safety Department and its Violence Intervention ProgramRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez announced today that the Department of Justice has awarded a $2,050,000.00 grant to the Albuquerque Community Safety Department and its Violence Intervention Program as part of the Byrne Discretionary Grant Program, which assists local communities in improving the capacity of local justice systems and provides for national support efforts including training and technical assistance programs strategically targeted to address local needs.
“Everyone deserves to feel safe our community,” said U.S. Attorney Uballez. “With this funding, the Violence Intervention Program will intervene to address root causes of the violence which has plagued our streets. By centering the safety of those who are most at risk of shooting and being shot, we make the community safer for us all. To those young men in our community who are spiraling out of control, trapped in a world of hatred and fear: We want you to be safe, alive, and free, but the shooting must stop. We will help you if you let us and stop you if you make us.”
"We know that by sending our responders out into the community and meeting people where they are, we can interrupt cycles of violence and ultimately change lives for the better," said Mayor Tim Keller. "This investment in ACS's Violence Intervention Program helps address violence at its root and is an important piece of our multifaceted approach to reducing violent crime."
“We thank the Department of Justice for investing in the next phase of Community Safety and Violence Intervention in the City of Albuquerque,” said ACS Director Mariela Ruiz-Angel. “By expanding that work, and exploring how we can grow our Division of Violence Prevention and Intervention, we will build upon our work to break cycles of violence in our community and schools."
Beginning as a community-led initiative, Albuquerque Community Safety (ACS) is a cabinet-level public safety department, meaning they operate independently from and in collaboration with the Albuquerque Police Department and Albuquerque Fire Rescue. The department launched on September 8, 2021, and provides crisis aid, welfare checks, and referrals for people in need. ACS responders also offer transportation to providers of mental health, addiction, shelter, and case management services.
The Violence Intervention Program (VIP) is a gun violence reduction program that focuses on those at the highest risk of becoming part of the gun violence cycles in the City. VIP Program implementation began in late March 2020, in the midst of the pandemic. The first year was a pilot year where multiple components were implemented. Components encompass a public health approach to gun violence reduction and a focused deterrence law enforcement approach to gun violence. VIP currently falls under Albuquerque Community Safety’s Violence Prevention and Intervention Division.
ACS and VIP will use the discretionary earmark funding to expand the scope of these programs. This will enhance service in violence prevention, intervention, and support within Albuquerque. In addition to an expansion of the existing work, this funding can help with exploring the establishment of an Office of Violence Prevention for the City of Albuquerque.
In exploring the establishment of an Office of Violence Prevention, the goal would be to bring together numerous programs in a highly effective way. Included within a possible Office could be the Violence Intervention Program, a School-Based Violence Intervention Program, Trauma Recovery Center, Community Oriented Response Assistance, an Opioid Prevention Program, and a possible Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Program. This would be modeled after successful Offices in other areas, such as Newark and Philadelphia, but made unique to Albuquerque.
The ultimate goal is to combine assertive outreach, advocacy, evidence-based mental health services, and comprehensive case management specific to the person or the community. Through a diverse staff, ACS and VIP will be able to better support individuals who have been victims of violence, physical assault, sexual assault, opioid abuse, domestic violence, and more.
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Two Pinterest Directors Resign from Nextdoor Board of Directors in Response to Justice Department’s Ongoing Enforcement Efforts Against Interlocking DirectoratesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that two directors of Pinterest Inc. (Pinterest) have resigned their positions on the Board of Directors of Nextdoor Holdings Inc. (Nextdoor) in response to the Antitrust Division’s ongoing enforcement efforts around Section 8 of the Clayton Act. The division's enforcement initiative has led to fifteen interlocking director resignations from eleven boards.
“We remain steadfast in our commitment to protect competition by preventing interlocking directorates that we believe violate Section 8 of the Clayton Act,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Andrew Forman of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Enforcement involving interlocking directorates will continue to be one of the top priorities of the Antitrust Division.”
Section 8, which Congress made a per se violation of the antitrust laws, prohibits directors and officers from serving simultaneously on the boards of competitors, subject to limited exceptions. In response to the division’s Section 8 enforcement efforts, two directors who served on the boards of both Nextdoor and Pinterest resigned from the board of Nextdoor effective Aug. 1, without the directors or either company admitting liability.
Nextdoor is a Delaware corporation headquartered in San Francisco. It is a large social network that connects users, businesses and other neighborhood stakeholders.
Pinterest is a Delaware corporation headquartered in San Francisco. It is a leading social network and image sharing service.
Anyone with information about potential interlocking directorates or any other potential violations of the antitrust laws is encouraged to contact the Antitrust Division’s Citizen Complaint Center at 1-888-647-3258 or [email protected].
Thurmont Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Jose Alexander Diaz-Rodriguez, age 23, of Thurmont, pleaded guilty today sexual exploitation of a child, after he broke into his neighbor’s home and took sexually explicit photographs of a child.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief Greg Eyler of the Thurmont Police Department; Chief Jason Landon of the Frederick Police Department; and Frederick County State’s Attorney J. Charles Smith, III.
According to his guilty plea, on July 26, 2021, Diaz-Rodriguez broke into his neighbor’s home and entered the bedroom where Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 were sleeping. Diaz-Rodriguez got into bed with Jane Doe 1, who was eight years old, and produced a series of four images intending to create sexually explicit images of Jane Doe 1. DNA from Diaz-Rodriguez was found on swabs from Jane Doe 1.
Jane Doe 1’s mother heard a noise and went into the room where she found Diaz-Rodriguez on the ground next to the bed. Diaz-Rodriguez fled and was arrested a short time later at his residence. A search warrant executed at his residence and his cell phone was seized. A forensic examination of the phone located over 1,000 files depicting the sexual abuse of children, including the four images of Jane Doe 1, which Diaz-Rodriguez had deleted prior to police arrival.
Diaz-Rodriguez further admitted that he distributed child sex abuse material on his social media account, specifically an image documenting the sexual abuse of a child.
As part of his plea agreement, upon his release from prison, Diaz-Rodriguez will be required to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”).
Diaz-Rodriguez and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Diaz-Rodriguez will be sentenced to 18 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for November 20, 2023 at 2:30 p.m.
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 Attorney’s 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. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, the Thurmont Police Department, the Frederick Police Department and the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Budlow and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joyce King, who prosecuted the federal 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/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Three Shreveport Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of Narcotics and FirearmsRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – Three Shreveport, Louisiana men have been sentenced for illegal possession of narcotics and firearms, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote conducted these sentencing hearings.
Tremaine Zyshun Russell, 28, of Shreveport, was sentenced to 60 months in prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release. According to evidence presented to the court, officers with the Shreveport Police Department observed a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed on February 24, 2022, around 4 a.m. and conducted a traffic stop. The vehicle was being driven by a female and Russell was in the passenger seat. The officer detected the smell of marijuana coming from the vehicle and the driver and passenger were asked to step outside the car. The officer was given consent by the female driver to search the vehicle and inside he found a Glock firearm with an extended magazine and a Glock switch (a conversion device) attached. Behind the driver’s seat was a backpack containing two digital scales, marijuana, methamphetamine, cocaine and two Adderall pills. After being read his Miranda rights, Russell admitted that the backpack, narcotics, and firearm belonged to him.
The seized narcotics were sent to the North Louisiana Criminalistics Laboratory and confirmed to be 125 grams of marijuana, 14.92 grams of methamphetamine, and 6.35 grams of cocaine. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) examined and tested the firearm and found it to be a functioning firearm which had been manufactured in Austria and traveled in interstate commerce. Russell pleaded guilty on May 3, 2023, to possession with intent to distribute over 5 grams of methamphetamine, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and illegal possession of a machine gun. He was previously convicted of illegal possession of stolen things in 2019 and knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
The case was investigated by the ATF and Shreveport Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford.
In a separate case, Christian D. Price, 20, and Devon Charles Price, 23, brothers who lived in Shreveport, were sentenced yesterday. Christian Price was sentenced to 33 months in prison, and Devon Charles Price was sentenced to 18 months in prison. Both will serve 3 years of supervised release following their release from prison. The charges in this case stem from a visit to their residence by Louisiana Probation and Parole agents in June 2021 for a routine residence check. Upon entering the residence, agents found that Christian Price had a Glock Model 19X semiautomatic pistol loaded with 29 rounds in an extended magazine in his bedroom, as well as a 50-round drum magazine underneath his bed. While checking Devon Price’s bedroom, agents found a small bag of suspected marijuana and other small baggies commonly used in the drug trade. In addition, they discovered a Glock Model 27 .40 caliber pistol which was chambered with one round and had 13 rounds loaded in the magazine.
Both brothers had prior felony convictions which prohibited them from having a firearm or ammunition. Christian Price has a felony conviction for attempted aggravated burglary and Devon Price has a felony conviction for theft of motor vehicles and illegal possession of stolen firearms. Both defendants pleaded guilty to one count of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and admitted to knowing they were prohibited from possessing said firearms and ammunition. Agents with the ATF examined and tested the firearms and determined they were functioning firearms which had traveled in interstate commerce.
The case was investigated by the ATF and Louisiana Probation and Parole and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert F. Moody.
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Thibodaux Man Sentenced for Failing to Account for and Pay TaxesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on August 15, 2023, U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan sentenced CORNEL MARTIN, SR. (“MARTIN”), age 63, of Thibodaux, Louisiana, to serve 12 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, for failing to account for and pay over federal income taxes and Federal Insurance Contributions Act (“FICA”) taxes, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7202. Judge Morgan also ordered that MARTIN pay restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) in the amount of $2,681,379.96, and imposed a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
According to court documents, MARTIN operated several businesses in Terrebonne Parish that provided temporary labor to shipyards and offshore oil rigs. MARTIN was the sole owner of each of the companies and controlled the companies’ finances. From 2012 to 2021, MARTIN’s various businesses withheld taxes from its employees’ paychecks, but MARTIN failed to pay over the withheld taxes to the IRS as required. All told, MARTIN’s willful failure to account for and pay trust fund and other taxes associated with his businesses between 2012 and 2021 resulted in a loss amount to the IRS between $1,500,000 and $3,500,000.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would also like to acknowledge the work of the Internal Revenue Service on this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Long of the Financial Crimes Unit.
Tahlequah Resident Pleads Guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter and Federal Firearm CrimeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Kiah John Pritchett, age 38, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Involuntary Manslaughter in Indian Country and one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Pritchett was charged with unlawfully killing the victim without malice on July 4, 2021, and with unlawful possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.
The crimes occurred in Cherokee, County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, took the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Pritchett was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jarrod Leaman and Patrick Flanigan represented the United States.
St. Louis Man Sentenced to 120 Years in Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS –U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Wednesday sentenced a man from St. Louis, Missouri who produced child pornography involving three children to 120 years in prison.
Anthony Lemicy, 44, was found guilty in March by a jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis of four counts of producing child pornography. Witnesses and evidence showed that in 2019, Lemicy sexually abused a 7-year-old that he was babysitting and took pictures and videos of the abuse. He also took videos of two other children in the shower.
“This sentence will ensure that Missouri children will now be safe from Anthony Lemicy’s predatory behavior,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming. “It should also serve as a notice to others that those who prey on children will be punished severely.”
After police were alerted and before Lemicy was arrested, he fled to Tacoma, Washington. He was later found by FBI agents hiding in a clothes dryer and returned to St. Louis.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colleen Lang and Nathan Chapman prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
South Texan gets max for possessing videos showing abuse of childRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 27-year-old Cotulla resident has been ordered to prison for possessing child pornography, including content he created from his abuse of a minor victim, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Jose Luis Lara pleaded guilty Feb 1, 2022.
U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo has now imposed a 20-year-term of imprisonment, the maximum allowed under the statute. In handing down the sentence, the Judge noted the extremely disturbing nature of Lara’s acts toward a minor child, remarking that she would have given him more time if she could.
Authorities identified Lara in 2021 after they learned of an individual sharing child pornography online who may have also abused a child.
On July 21, 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at his home in Cotulla and discovered and seized several electronic devices. They also showed him a photo of a minor child whom Lara then acknowledged he knew.
Lara admitted to filming videos of him abusing that child. He said he filmed them in Big Wells before moving to Cotulla.
Law enforcement ultimately identified a total of 1,151 images and 699 videos containing child pornography, including the videos Lara had filmed himself.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michal Makens prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.
South Florida Resident Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal Prison for Nationwide Interstate Moving Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Yesterday, Arvaham Zano, 36, of Hollywood, Florida, was sentenced to eight years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to forfeit $334,499.73 and pay $2,877,497.35 in restitution, joint and several with co-defendant Sofein Mlayah, 28, of North Miami Beach.
The sentence comes after Zano’s guilty plea to wire fraud, interstate transportation of stolen property, and failure to give up possession of household goods, for his role in operating an interstate moving company scam that included inflating the costs of clients’ interstate moves and thereafter taking possession of client household belongings, failing to deliver the goods as promised, and abandoning them throughout the nation at undisclosed self-storage facilities, often resulting in the total loss of client property.
Zano operated two companies, including Zano Moving and Storage, LLC, and acquired jobs through various moving brokers. These brokers would negotiate a moving service fee with a client, then subcontract the moving job to one of Zano’s companies. With the subcontracts in hand, Zano and his drivers, including Mlayah, traveled to the job locations – often on dates different from the ones originally scheduled and sometimes late at night – and loaded the household items to be moved into a truck. Zano or Mlayah would tell clients that they had more household items than the moving broker had originally estimated. Then, with the items already in the truck, they demanded more money to begin the move – sometimes two to three times more than the original estimate. If the clients refused, they risked losing their deposits and belongings. Zano and Mlayah often argued with the victims and coerced them into paying more for their moves, and on other occasions, Zano and Mlayah would not start loading the trucks until they received the higher fees; loaded the trucks but never delivered the items; or charged the victims bogus storage fees. Most of the victim’s household items have never been recovered.
On June 6, Mlayah was sentenced to 30 months in prison for his role in the scheme.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Todd A. Damiani of the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (“DOT-OIG”), Southern Region, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Raag Singhal.
FBI Miami and DOT-OIG investigated this case with assistance from Sunny Isles Beach Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Anton prosecuted it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Stone is handling asset forfeiture.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-60200.
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South Carolina Man Who Orchestrated Drug Deals by Phone from Prison Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Zachariah Ryan Luke (28, Bennettsville, South Carolina) today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. Luke faces minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, in November 2021, Luke was serving a prison sentence in South Carolina for various offenses, including possession of methamphetamine. Using contraband cellphones, he communicated with an associate who assisted him with acquiring and selling illegal drugs, including methamphetamine. On November 24, 2021, from his South Carolina prison cell, Luke coordinated the delivery of approximately one kilogram of methamphetamine to a Florida-based drug dealer outside of a department store in South Carolina. After receiving the drugs, the dealer returned to Florida. In St. Augustine, Florida, a deputy observed a traffic offense and signaled the dealer to pull over. The dealer initially appeared to be looking for a place to stop, but instead accelerated and raced down the streets of a residential neighborhood. A police helicopter tracked the speeding car, and the pilot observed an object being thrown from the car and directed another deputy to that specific location. Following the directions of the pilot, the deputy found a backpack on the side of the road. Inside, the deputy found approximately 985.6 grams of crystal methamphetamine that laboratory testing would later show was 100% pure.
After attempting to dispose of the drugs, the dealer continued to drive, but eventually reached a dead end. He then abandoned the car to hide in a nearby wooded area but was located and arrested by deputies. After that arrest, corrections officers in South Carolina seized multiple cellphones from Luke, which he was prohibited from possessing in prison. Investigators searched those phones and recovered text communications concerning when, where, and from whom drugs were to be supplied and delivered.
This case was investigated by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the South Carolina Department of Corrections, the Aiken County (South Carolina) Sheriff’s Office, the Aiken Department of Public Safety, the North Augusta (South Carolina) Department of Public Safety, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.
Shiprock Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Abusive Sexual Contact of a Minor and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Allan Wilson was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Wilson, 64, of Shiprock, New Mexico, pled guilty in federal court on March 22, 2023, to abusive sexual contact of a minor in Indian Country and possession of child pornography.
According to court documents, in the fall of 2019, Wilson engaged in abusive sexual contact with a minor while she was spending the night in the home Wilson shared with his sister on the Navajo Nation. The victim, who is a member of the Navajo Nation, was less than twelve years old at the time. During the resulting investigation, the FBI conducted a search of Wilson’s phone. The search revealed pornographic pictures of another minor victim under the age of eighteen years old. Wilson admitted that he knew the images were on his phone.
Upon his release from prison, Wilson must register as a sex offender and he will be on supervised release for ten years.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and the New Mexico Regional Computer Forensics Lab. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
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Second Oklahoma Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in Racially Motivated Hate CrimeRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – A second Oklahoma man, Brandon Wayne Killian, 31, of Midwest City, Oklahoma, was sentenced Monday to serve 72 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $43,007.76 of a total restitution amount of $113,644.40 for his role in a racially-motivated attack in Shawnee, Oklahoma.
On January 18, 2022, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging Killian, 31, of Midwest City, and co-defendant Devan Nathanial Johnson, with physically assaulting a Black man, as well as the Black man’s white friend, in the parking lot of a Shawnee business on June 22, 2019. According to the indictment, the assault occurred because of the Black man’s race and color. Both Killian and Johnson are white. Killian pleaded guilty to one count of committing a hate crime in September 2022, and was sentenced on August 14, 2023. Co-defendant Johnson was sentenced to 10 years in prison, and ordered to pay $68,186.64 in restitution on July 25, 2023.
“The sentencing of both defendants responsible for this racially-motivated and violent assault secured justice for the victim and the community,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Civil Rights Division. “Preventing, investigating and prosecuting bias-motivated crimes remains a top priority for the Justice Department, and we will continue our enforcement efforts around the country, holding individuals accountable for committing violent hate crimes.”
“The defendants targeted a Black victim for a brutal attack simply because of the color of his skin," said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. "Hate-fueled criminal conduct cannot be tolerated in a civilized society and my office will remain steadfast in our mission to protect those victimized by hate. I commend the work done by our law enforcement partners and prosecutors who continue to seek justice in these cases.”
“The FBI worked in close partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring justice for the victim of this horrific attack,” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Gray. “Defending the civil rights of every American citizen is one of the FBI’s highest priorities, and we simply won’t tolerate acts of violence fueled by hate.”
Assistant General Clarke, U.S. Attorney Troester, and Special Agent in Charge Gray made the announcement.
The FBI Oklahoma City Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia E. Barry for the Western District Oklahoma and former Trial Attorney Avner Shapiro of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
Reference is made to public filings for more information.
Seattle woman with prior murder conviction, sentenced to seven years in prison for armed drug dealingRead the Press Release
Seattle – A Seattle-area woman, whose life has been marked by abuse and addiction, was sentenced August 15, 2023, in U.S. District Court in Seattle to seven years in federal prison, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Raven Marlyne Hudson, 39, pleaded guilty in May 2023, to drug trafficking and using a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. She was arrested in July 2022, in Seattle’s University District, after she rammed a law enforcement vehicle while trying to avoid arrest. In her car, law enforcement found a variety of illegal drugs and two firearms – one of them stolen. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge James L. Robart said of the offense, “It was terrible… after 16 and a half years in jail and less than six months later you are doing serious drug dealing…. And ramming the cars is just not something we can tolerate.”
“Ms. Hudson’s history of childhood abuse and abandonment no doubt played a role in her drug addiction and criminal conduct,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “It is our hope that the drug treatment in federal prison and the close monitoring and supportive services while on federal supervised release will make a difference and lead to a productive future for Ms. Hudson and her family.”
According to records filed in the case, in early 2022, Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) agents and Seattle Police Narcotics Detectives began investigating Hudson as a significant drug dealer in the Seattle area. In June, a person working with law enforcement ordered fentanyl pills from Hudson. Following that drug sale, law enforcement surveilled Hudson’s activities, seeing her move around to high-frequency drug trafficking areas. On July 12, 2022, agents and officers blocked Hudson’s car as she parked in Seattle’s University District. Hudson rammed one of the HSI vehicles before ultimately being removed from her car and arrested.
When investigators executed a court-authorized search warrant on Hudson’s car, they recovered more than 600 grams of methamphetamine, more than 118 grams of fentanyl powder, about 6,700 fentanyl pills, plus heroin and cocaine. Two Glock firearms were in the car. One of the Glocks was reported stolen, the other had a 25-round extended capacity magazine. Both guns were loaded with a round chambered.
Hudson cannot legally possess firearms due to prior convictions. In 2006 she was convicted in Kitsap County of Second-Degree Murder and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm. Hudson was released from state custody on the murder conviction in January 2022.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Seattle Police Department.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg.
Real Estate Investor Pleads Guilty to Wire FraudRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Franklin Olaitan, 50, of Beltsville, Maryland, pleaded guilty in federal court, late yesterday, to one count of wire fraud related to the theft of a residence located in Northwest Washington D.C. As part of the guilty plea, the defendant admitted he caused the filing of a false deed transferring the property, which he immediately resold to a third-party, pocketing the sale proceeds. As a result of the fraudulent scheme, the defendant caused over a half-million dollars in loss to the various victims.
The guilty plea was entered before U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Nichols. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled in early 2024 before U.S. District Court Judge Paul L. Friedman.
According to the Statement of the Offense, the property located on First Street N.W. (the “First Street property”), was purchased by Person 1 in 1996. Between about September 2016 through March 2017, while the First Street property was vacant, the defendant forged the signatures of Person 1 and a notary on several documents - including a false sales contract and a false deed - in order to sell the First Street property to a company owned and controlled by him, without Person 1’s knowledge or consent. The defendant executed his scheme to defraud by preparing and presenting to a lender and Maryland settlement company the false and fraudulent documents. Neither the owner of the First Street property nor the notary signed the documents selling the property to the defendant’s company. The defendant provided the false documents to a Maryland settlement company and caused the settlement company to file the false documents with the D.C. Recorder of Deeds. In addition, the defendant caused the settlement company to give him the purported seller’s proceeds check from the purported sale, which he later deposited into another one of his LLC’s bank accounts. After allegedly purchasing the property, the defendant immediately resold the property to a third-party who intended to renovate it. After the third-party buyer spent at least $600,000 renovating the First Street property, they listed it for sale. The true owner of the property then learned that the property had been stolen out from under them.
In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew M. Graves and Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist, of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They also commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Lisa Abbe and Liliana Villamizar, Victim-Witness Service Coordinator Tonya Jones, Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, Litigation Technology Specialist Jeanie Latimore-Brown, former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Derrick Williams and Veronica Sanchez, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Diane Lucas and Christopher Howland, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Rapid City Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Viken has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Receipt of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on August 14, 2023.
Gary Heckel, 71, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Heckel will also be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
Heckel was indicted for Receipt of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography by a federal grand jury in August of 2022. He pleaded guilty on March 24, 2023.
Heckel was federally indicted following a Cybertip from the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children in relation to suspected child pornography from Dropbox. The Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce executed a search warrant on Heckel’s home and located multiple devices. A forensic examination of those devices found over 84,000 images of child pornography and over 46,000 videos of child pornography.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins prosecuted the case.
Heckel was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Pryor man sentenced to 37 months in prison for domestic assaultRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Pryor man convicted of beating a woman on the Crow Indian Reservation was sentenced today to 37 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Christian Aaron Monroy, 25, pleaded guilty in March to an indictment charging him with domestic assault by a habitual offender.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The court also ordered $1,000 restitution.
In court documents, the government alleged that in June 2021, the victim, identified as Jane Doe, was driving a car with Monroy as a passenger. Monroy began to tease Jane Doe, who accidently hit Monroy in the face with her elbow. Later, with Monroy now driving, Jane Doe threw a bottle of Monroy’s alcohol out of the window. Monroy stopped the car and began assaulting Jane Doe. Monroy continued assaulting the victim after they arrived at his home. Jane Doe received treatment for injuries at a Billings hospital. Monroy and Jane Doe were in a dating relationship at the time. Monroy had been convicted in January 2020 and June 2021 of partner or family member assault for assaulting previous girlfriends.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Harper Suek and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeanne Torske prosecuted the case. The FBI and Bureau of Indian Affairs conducted the investigation.
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Point Marion Man Pleads Guilty to Interstate Domestic ViolenceRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Point Marion, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of interstate domestic violence, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Kristopher Lee Holmes pleaded guilty to one count before Senior United States District Judge David Stewart Cercone.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on August 30, 2020, Holmes restrained his dating partner while he led police on a high-speed chase from West Virginia into Pennsylvania, with speeds exceeding 100 miles an hour. Meanwhile, the victim was trying to escape the car, including by attempting to open the passenger door to exit the vehicle while it was moving. In keeping the victim in the car against her will, Holmes gave the victim a black eye and left long bruises in the shape of fingerprints on the victim’s left arm.
Judge Cercone scheduled sentencing for December 5, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 5 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued Holmes on bond.
The Pennsylvania State Police and Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Holmes.
Pierre Man Sentenced for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Pierre, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on August 14, 2023.
Benjamin Loafer, age 63, was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Loafer was indicted for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender by a federal grand jury in January of 2023. He pleaded guilty on May 18, 2023.
Loafer was convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact in U.S. District Court, District of South Dakota, in 2008. As a result of this conviction, Loafer is required to register biannually and within three business days of a change in residence, employment, or education status. In February of 2022, Loafer completed a registration with the Pierre Police Department. At that time, Loafer advised the registering official that he would be relocating to Kyle, South Dakota. In June of 2022, it was discovered that Loafer did not complete an updated registration. Investigation revealed that Loafer resided in Kyle for approximately two months before returning to Pierre. Loafer failed to complete an updated registration after his changes in residence. Loafer was located in Pierre on August 12, 2022.
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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service, the Pierre Police Department, and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Abby Roesler prosecuted the case.
Peneaux was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Oviedo Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Rafick Gordon Gilpin (32, Oviedo) to 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. The court also ordered Gilpin to forfeit a firearm and multiple rounds of ammunition. Gilpin had pleaded guilty on April 12, 2023.
According to court documents, the FBI used a confidential human source to identify Gilpin, also known as Diesel, and his coconspirators. From November 2021 to July 2022, the FBI obtained information about Gilpin and his coconspirators during multiple meetings and transactions for drugs and guns. As a part of this investigation, authorities seized cocaine, methamphetamine, and multiple handguns. Gilpin was arrested by special agents from the FBI and officers from the Orlando Police Department during a drug deal for one kilogram of cocaine. At the time of the incident, a loaded firearm was found in his vehicle.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Orlando Police Department, and the Apopka Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John M. Gardella.
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.