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6 September 2023
Three Former Toledo City Council Members Sentenced for Accepting Bribery PaymentsRead the Press Release
TOLEDO – U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko announced that three former Toledo City Council members were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick for their roles in accepting bribery payments during their time in office in return for support and votes on legislative matters.
Tyrone Riley, age 67, of Toledo, was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment yesterday after pleading guilty to one count of Hobbs Act extortion under color of official right.
Yvonne Harper, age 73, of Toledo, was sentenced to 12 months and a day imprisonment yesterday after pleading guilty to one count of Hobbs Act conspiracy under color of official right.
Larry Sykes, age 74, of Toledo, was sentenced to 4 months imprisonment today after pleading guilty to one count of Hobbs Act extortion under color of official right.
“When public officials choose to betray those they were elected to serve by blatantly violating their oaths and the public trust, the entire community suffers immeasurably,” said United States Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko. “These sentencings reflect the commitment of the U.S. Attorney's Office to aggressively prosecute individuals engaged in public corruption.”
“Finding and investigating public corruption is one of the FBIs highest priorities,” said FBI Cleveland Special Agent in Charge Gregory Nelsen. “Elected officials are entrusted to make virtuous decisions to the betterment of all. Sadly, these three individuals chose a path of criminal conduct and greed over the wellbeing of those they serve. We will continue to work on behalf of the American Public to ensure the conduct by elected officials is right and just.”
According to court documents, on multiple occasions from May 2018 through February 2020, Riley, Harper, and Sykes accepted bribery payments in return for their official support and votes on legislative matters as members of the Toledo City Council.
Court documents also state that Riley, Harper, and Sykes each accepted cash payments in return for their support and votes on zoning changes and “special use permits” (SUPs) for local businesses. Riley accepted more than $10,000 in payments and meals in return for his support on five separate city council matters. Harper accepted more than $5,000 in return for her support on two matters, and Sykes accepted $1,500 for his support on three matters.
This case was investigated by the Cleveland Division of the FBI, Toledo Resident Agency. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gene Crawford and Michael J. Freeman.
Tennessee Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Machine Gun While on Bourbon Street During Mardi GrasRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – KEATON MANGHANE, age 24, a resident of Chattanooga, Tennessee, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance to possessing a machinegun in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(o) and 924(a)(2).
According to court documents, MANGHANE was carrying a loaded handgun equipped with a Glock auto-sear in his pocket while walking on Bourbon Street just after 2:00 a.m. on February 21, 2023, Mardi Gras Day. The auto-sear device turned the semi-automatic firearm into a fully-automatic machine gun. After MANGHANE’s arrest, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives function tested the firearm and confirmed that it functioned as a machine gun.
MANGHANE faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crimes Unit.
Straw Purchasers Charged with Buying 100+ Guns Trafficked to MexicoRead the Press Release
A group of straw purchasers who allegedly bought more than 100 firearms later trafficked to Mexico has been federally charged, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Seven individuals were charged via criminal complaint with conspiracy to make false statements to licensed firearm dealers in connection with the acquisition of firearms. Defendants Mario Lara, 28, Oralia Carrizales, 41, Geovanny Garcia, 31, and Darryl Fox, 29, were arrested last week; defendants Gavino Trujillo, 28, and Guadalupe Corona, 29, were arrested Tuesday morning. One defendant remains at large.
“In June, I met with Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco and five border state U.S. Attorneys to discuss Operation Southbound, the Justice Department’s signature initiative to disrupt the flow of guns across the U.S. / Mexico border. This case represents our district’s commitment to hold accountable anyone involved in smuggling guns into Mexico,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “All too often, guns trafficked across our southern border fall into the hands of cartel bosses and other bad actors who threaten law enforcement and the people they serve. We will not rest until we dismantle those trafficking networks.”
“There is no doubt that the arrest of these seven individuals will lead to a safer Mexico. Their behavior was adding to the bloodshed and carnage that have plagued our neighbors for so long. We have all seen the movies and evening newscasts on the violence. This is how it starts.” stated ATF Dallas Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C. Boshek II. “The people involved in the trafficking of weapons live amongst you and me. If you suspect someone of illegally running guns, please contact ATF.”
According to court documents, the defendants allegedly purchased guns from federally licensed firearms dealers on behalf of Jose Carlos Rivas-Chiarez, 29, who disassembled the firearms, concealed them inside plastic and towels, and smuggled them to Mexico, either concealed inside tires or through the mail.
Mr. Rivas and his girlfriend, Ana Francisco-Sotelo, 28, were previously charged and pleaded guilty in October 2022 to making false statements during the purchase of a firearm. Mr. Rivas also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. Mr. Rivas and Ms. Domingo were sentenced this spring to a combined 32 years in federal prison.
According to court documents, a search of Mr. Rivas’ residence turned up more than 150 empty firearm boxes. Records showed that many of the missing firearms – including FN SCAR rifles, AR-15 style rifles, Glock pistols, and a stolen silencer – had been purchased by the defendants.
In an interview following the search of his home, Mr. Rivas admitted to law enforcement that, as a Mexican citizen unlawfully present in the U.S., “I’m not legal, to be honest, to be buying a gun.” He further admitted that he directed multiple people to purchase firearms on his behalf.
Confronted with text messages between him and at least one of the defendants discussing the pricing and delivery of “toys,” Mr. Rivas admitted that “toys” was a code word for firearms.
Surveillance video recovered from one of the stores revealed that on at least one occasion, Mr. Rivas accompanied a straw purchaser to the gun store to inspect the firearm before the purchase.
A complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Mario Lara, Gavino Trujillo, Oralia Carrizales, Geovanny Garcia, Darryl Fox, and Guadalupe Corona are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, they face up to 10 years in federal prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigation’s Dallas Field Office and the Arlington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Levi Thomas is prosecuting the case.
Stoughton Man Sentenced for Bank Fraud Scheme Related to COVID-19 Pandemic AssistanceRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Stoughton man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston in connection with a fraudulent scheme to obtain COVID-19-related small business loans from several financial institutions.
Yves Montima, 55, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to three years of supervised release, with the first 10 months to be served in home confinement. Montima was also ordered to pay $239,595 in restitution. In November 2021, Montima pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
Montima participated in a scheme that obtained over $220,000 in proceeds through fraudulent PPP loan applications submitted between April 2020 and April 2021. Montima and his co-conspirator submitted 12 fraudulent PPP loan applications, both in their own names and in the names of others, at several financial institutions. Montima and his co-conspirator also received kickback payments from individuals on whose behalf they submitted fraudulent PPP loan applications.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) created a temporary loan program directed at small businesses called the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Independent contractors were eligible to apply for PPP loans, which were processed by private financial institutions and fully guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration. If an independent contractor used the loan funds for approved purposes, such as payroll, the loan could be forgiven by the financial institution and paid for by the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Andrew Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Boston Field Office made the announcement. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the U.S. Postal Service, Massachusetts State Police and the Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Markham and Philip C. Cheng of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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.
Shiprock Man Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Involuntary ManslaughterRead 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 Keanu Marcel Upshaw was sentenced to 37 months in prison. Upshaw, 22, of Shiprock, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter on April 6, 2023.
According to court documents, on Sept. 16, 2021, following a night of drinking, Upshaw lost control of the vehicle he was driving as he was attempting to take another drink of alcohol, causing it to crash and ejecting both Upshaw and his passenger from the vehicle. Upshaw’s passenger died from their injuries as a result of the crash. A blood draw taken about two hours after the accident showed that Upshaw’s blood alcohol concentration was .18, which is more than twice the legal limit in New Mexico. Accident reconstruction showed that Upshaw was going somewhere between 69 mph to 80 mph in a 55 mph zone when he lost control of the vehicle.
Upon his release from prison, Upshaw will be subject to 3 years of supervised release.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.
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23-211
Second defendant pleads guilty to conspiracy to attack power substations in Pierce CountyRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A second defendant who joined in the attacks on power substations as part of a burglary scheme, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Jeremy Crahan, 40, admits he joined with 32-year-old Matthew Greenwood in a conspiracy to knock out power so they could rob ATM machines. Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo scheduled sentencing for December 8, 2023.
According to the facts in the plea agreement, Greenwood and Crahan hatched the scheme to disrupt power so they could break into ATMs and businesses and steal money. On December 25, 2022, they damaged four substations:
- Hemlock Substation in Puyallup, Washington, owned by Puget Sound Energy. Here, the two cut through a fence and Greenwood manipulated a switch damaging equipment and cutting power for 8,000 customers.
- Elk Plain substation in Spanaway, Washington, owned by Tacoma Power. The men cut padlocks on the gate and Greenwood manipulated breakers to damage equipment and cause an outage.
- Graham substation in Graham, Washington, operated by Tacoma Power. The men cut through a perimeter fence and Greenwood manipulated a switch to damage equipment. This outage, combined with the Elk Plain substation outage, caused more than 7,500 customers to lose power.
- Kapowsin Substation in Graham, Washington, operated by Puget Sound Energy. The men cut through a fence and Greenwood tampered with a switch causing sparks, flame, and a power outage.
Crahan admits that he shared in the plannings and primarily served as a lookout during the attacks on the substations.
Following the December 25, 2022, substation vandalism, the men spent time looking for additional ways to cause power outages by felling trees. The goal was to cut power so that they could burglarize businesses and steal from ATMs. Law enforcement arrested them before they could put the tree plan into action.
The FBI is investigating the case with assistance from the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), the Tacoma Police Department, the Washington State Department of Corrections, and the Federal Protective Service.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg.
Prolific Human Smuggler Extradited from Mexico to the United StatesRead the Press Release
Extensive coordination and cooperation efforts between U.S. and Mexican law enforcement authorities culminated in the extradition of a human smuggler, who allegedly operated in Mexicali on the U.S.-Mexico border for several years as part of an international human smuggling conspiracy.
In March, Ofelia Hernandez-Salas, 61, was arrested in Mexico pursuant to a U.S. request for her extradition and surrendered by Mexico to U.S. authorities on Sept. 5 to face charges previously filed in the District of Arizona and unsealed in March. She is scheduled to make her initial appearance in federal court later today in Phoenix, Arizona.
“This extradition is the result of continued coordination between the Justice Department and our Mexican law enforcement partners to bring to justice human smugglers who exploit migrants’ desperation and undermine the rule of law,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “It is another example of the impactful work Joint Task Force Alpha is doing to disrupt dangerous criminal operations and dismantle transnational criminal organizations by pursuing their leadership — wherever they operate.”
According to court documents, Hernandez-Salas allegedly conspired with other smugglers to facilitate the travel of large numbers of migrants into the United States from and through Bangladesh, Yemen, Pakistan, Eritrea, India, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Russia, Egypt, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico. Hernandez-Salas and co-conspirator Raul Saucedo-Huipio, 48, allegedly charged the migrants as much as tens of thousands of dollars to make the journey and directed the migrants where to unlawfully cross the border into the United States, including by providing them with a ladder to climb over the border fence. Hernandez-Salas and co-conspirators also allegedly robbed the migrants of money and personal belongings while armed with guns and knives.
In June, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed corresponding sanctions on the Hernandez Salas transnational criminal organization.
Saucedo-Huipio remains in custody in Mexico.
The indictments against Hernandez-Salas and Raul Saucedo-Huipio, and their subsequent arrests, were coordinated through Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA was created in June 2021 by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, in partnership with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas, to strengthen the Justice Department’s efforts to combat the rise in prolific and dangerous smuggling emanating from Central America and impacting our border communities. JTFA’s goal is to disrupt and dismantle human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico, with a focus on networks that endanger, abuse, or exploit migrants, present national security risks, or engage in other types of transnational organized crime.
“When international criminal organizations endanger economic migrants seeking a better life in America, an international response is required,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona. “JTFA’s partnership with Mexico holds managers and organizers accountable for the criminal activities of cross-border smugglers.”
“This extradition is another testament to our global commitment to investigating, combating and dismantling human smuggling networks,” said Executive Associate Director Katrina W. Berger of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “HSI is dedicated to its law enforcement partnerships and mission, notably those accomplished through JTFA efforts, that seek to eradicate these crimes and bring those who propagate them to justice.”
HSI Yuma is investigating the case with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, FBI, and U.S. Marshals Service, working in concert with HSI Tijuana, INTERPOL, and the HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. HSI also received substantial assistance from CBP’s National Targeting Center/Counter Network Division and OFAC.
JTFA Co-Director James Hepburn and Trial Attorney Patrick Jasperse of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Jennis for the District of Arizona are prosecuting the case.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s arrest and extradition from Mexico. The Justice Department thanks its Mexican law enforcement partners, who were instrumental in arresting Hernandez-Salas, and the Mexican Attorney General’s Office and the Mexican Foreign Ministry for making the extradition possible.
Since its creation, JTFA has successfully increased coordination and collaboration between the Justice Department, DHS, and other U.S. law enforcement agencies, and with foreign law enforcement partners, including in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico; targeted those organizations who have the most impact on the United States; and coordinated significant human smuggling indictments and extradition efforts in U.S. Attorneys’ offices across the country. JTFA is comprised of detailees from southwest border U.S. Attorneys’ offices, including the Southern District of Texas, the Western District of Texas, the District of New Mexico, the District of Arizona, and the Southern District of California. Dedicated support for the program is also provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division that are part of JTFA, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training; the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section; the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; the Office of Enforcement Operations; the Office of International Affairs; and the Organized Crime and Gang Section. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, DEA, and other partners.
This investigation is also supported by the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program, a partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI. The ECT program focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks or raise grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence, and prosecutorial resources. ECT also coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities.
The charges contained in an indictment are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Previously Convicted Charles County Felon Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Federal Prison on Firearms and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Sean Donnelle Hawkins, age 48, of Marbury, Maryland, yesterday to 138 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, on charges related to his distribution of cocaine, crack cocaine, and firearms in Charles County, Maryland. During the investigation, Hawkins sold eight firearms to a law enforcement source, including four privately made semi-automatic firearms, known as “ghost guns.” Hawkins must also forfeit and abandon the firearms, ammunition and magazines seized during the investigation.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) Baltimore Field Division; and Charles County Sheriff Troy Berry.
As detailed in his guilty plea, Hawkins admitted that on 10 separate occasions from October 2021 to May 2022, he sold cocaine, crack cocaine and/or firearms to law enforcement sources. Between February 18, 2022 and May 24, 2022, Hawkins sold a law enforcement source a total of eight firearms, including four privately made firearms, often referred to as “ghost guns,” and 468 rounds of ammunition. One of the privately made firearms was a semi-automatic pistol and came with a high-capacity magazine capable of receiving 33 rounds of 9mm ammunition and was loaded with 31 rounds of ammunition.
Hawkins knew that he had a previous felony conviction and was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. Hawkins also had reason to believe that the law enforcement source to whom he sold the guns could not lawfully possess firearms and intended to use or dispose of the firearms unlawfully.
A search warrant was executed at Hawkins’ residence on August 3, 2022, and law enforcement recovered a loaded .38 special caliber revolver; a 9mm semi-automatic pistol; two empty firearm magazines; marijuana; a mixture of powder and crack cocaine; 20 green tablets of a mixture of cocaine and oxycodone; white tablets that were found to be of a mixture of cocaine and oxycodone; and one green tablet of oxycodone from a cooler in the house and two shotguns and more than 1,000 rounds of assorted caliber ammunition, as well as $1,264 in cash from other areas in the residence, which Hawkins intended to use to commit or facilitate the distribution of controlled substances. Hawkins possessed the firearms, ammunition, and magazines recovered in the cooler in furtherance of his drug trafficking.
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 ATF and the Charles County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bijon A. Mostoufi and Timothy F. Hagan, 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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Picayune Man Sentenced to over 18 Years in Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – A Picayune man was sentenced to 222 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Joshua Smith, 39, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.
According to court records, in 2015, an investigation began into a large-scale drug trafficking organization located largely in Picayune, MS (Pearl River County). In 2018, Joshua Smith and another co-defendant were identified as being part of the conspiracy. Federal agents used a confidential source to begin making purchases of methamphetamine. On November 2, 2018, a DEA confidential source purchased 27.4g of actual methamphetamine at 99% purity from Joshua Smith in Picayune, Mississippi.
Smith was indicted on September 7, 2022, and pled guilty on April 5, 2023, to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor- led, intelligence driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Operation Smoke and Mirrors Update: Virginia Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Todd Tyler Snead, 57, of Waynesboro, Virginia, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, admitting to a role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area.
According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in October 2022, Snead transported 1 pound per month from West Virginia to Virginia as part of the conspiracy. On March 14, 2023, Snead traveled from Virginia to St. Albans to obtain 4 pounds of methamphetamine from a co-defendant. Law enforcement officers followed Snead back to a hotel in Cross Lanes, where they searched the trunk of his vehicle, found the methamphetamine and arrested him.
Snead has a criminal history that includes a prior felony conviction for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia on December 13, 2006.
Snead is among 30 individuals indicted as a result of Operation Smoke and Mirrors, a major drug trafficking investigation that has yielded the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history. Law enforcement seized well over 200 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 28 pounds of cocaine, 20 pounds of fentanyl, 18 firearms and $747,000 in cash.
Nineteen of the defendants have pleaded guilty. Indictments against the other defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard Counter Drug program, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department..
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-31.
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Omaha Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Michael Blaine Lee, 38, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for his involvement in a methamphetamine conspiracy. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Lee to 121 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Lee will begin a five-year term of supervised release.
In February 2022, the Omaha Police Department’s Narcotics Unit began investigating Lee and Jose Rumualdo-Gallardo for distributing methamphetamine. Rumualdo-Gallardo was Lee’s source of supply for methamphetamine, and it was determined that Lee was getting at least one to two ounces of methamphetamine every other day over a four-month period that he was then redistributing. A search warrant on Lee’s residence was executed on February 22, 2022, resulting in 44 grams of pure methamphetamine being recovered. Rumualdo-Gallardo was arrested on March 8, 2022, and was in possession of 242 grams of methamphetamine and a firearm.
Rumualdo-Gallardo was sentenced on June 29, 2023, to 180 months’ imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Bank Robbery ConvictionsRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Traynell Toney, 30, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha after having previously pled guilty to two bank robberies. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Toney to 7 ½ years’ imprisonment on each bank robbery, to run at the same time, and ordered him to pay $13,485 in restitution. Toney will be on supervised release for three years after he is released from prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
On December 20, 2021, Toney went into the First National Bank located in the Hy-Vee supermarket at 5150 Center Street in Omaha. He slid a note to the teller demanding he get all the money and that the teller should not use a dye pack or tracking device. The note also indicated that if the teller did not comply, Toney would kill the teller. He was given $3,312.00 and left the bank.
On December 31, 2021, Toney went into the U.S. Bank located in the Baker’s grocery store at 17370 Lakeside Hills Plaza, in Omaha. He handed a similar note to the U.S. Bank teller demanding money or the teller would die. The teller handed Toney $10,173.00 after which he left the bank.
Law enforcement was called to both scenes after the robberies occurred. Toney’s fingerprints were on the demand note he passed and left at the First National Bank. A check of his cell phone data showed he was in the area of the two banks at the time the robberies were committed.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations Violent Crime Task Force.
Oldsmar Felon Pleads Guilty to Firearms and Narcotics OffensesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Sean Peter Brewer (32, Oldsmar) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Brewer faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and up to 20 years’ imprisonment for the drug offense. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, up to life, in federal prison for possessing the firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which must be imposed consecutive to any other sentence. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, on November 11, 2022, officers from the Clearwater Police Department (CPD) responded to a gas station after receiving a report that a man was unresponsive in the driver’s seat of a vehicle parked at a gas pump. CPD and the Clearwater Fire Department personnel discovered Brewer unconscious behind the wheel of his vehicle. After Brewer was assessed by the emergency services responders, CPD officers administered a field sobriety test, which Brewer failed. Officers arrested Brewer for driving under the influence and conducted a search incident to the arrest. That search revealed a backpack containing a scale with clear plastic baggies that are consistent with narcotics distribution, marijuana, multiple types of pills, 61 grams of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, a loaded Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm Shield pistol (SN RJX7660), and a “Cash App” debit card.
Brewer possessed the methamphetamine found in the backpack with the intent to distribute it. At the time, Brewer had a prior felony conviction and therefore he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Clearwater Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee and David P. Sullivan.
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.
Ohio Resident Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Distribute Fentanyl and Heroin, and to Possessing Fentanyl and Heroin with the Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – Jackie Bell pled guilty to conspiring to distribute fentanyl and heroin, and to possessing fentanyl and heroin with intent to distribute, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Bell, age 31, of Columbus, Ohio, pled guilty before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon. Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing to occur on January 30, 2024, at 10:00 a.m.
The law provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $2,000,000 for each count of conviction. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is to be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin C. Dobkin and Craig W. Haller are prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Lawrence County Drug Task Force, the Mercer County Drug Task Force, the New Castle Police Department, the Sharon Police Department, the Hermitage Police Department, and the Farrell Police Department led the investigation resulting in the conviction in this case.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Oakhurst Man Sentenced for Excavating Native American Cultural PropertyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Vance Franklin Myers, 35, of Oakhurst, was sentenced Tuesday by United States District Judge Ana de Alba to 3 years probation and a $10,000 fine for unauthorized excavation and removal of archeological resources from public lands, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. Additionally, Myers was ordered to pay $10,023.48 in restitution, perform 100 hours of community service, make a public statement concerning his offense, and he is banned from entering public lands for recreational purposes during the period of his probation.
According to court documents, Myers entered upon public lands in Madera County that were administered by the United States Forest Service and unlawfully excavated Native American cultural artifacts and Native American human remains. Artifacts removed from the site included beads, manos, rosegates, and desert side notched points. This occurred between June 1, 2015 and September 3, 2015. Excavating, damaging, and removing archaeological resources from federal and Native American lands without proper authorization is a violation of Federal law.
This case was the product of an investigation by the United States Forest Service. Assistant United States Attorney Laurel J. Montoya prosecuted the case.
New Assistant United States Attorney Appointed to Address Violent Crime, Complex White Collar Enforcement, and Other Critical CasesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha today announced the appointment and swearing-in of Julie M. White as Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island. Ms. White will serve in the Office’s Criminal Division, focusing on violent crime as well as white collar matters.
Prior to joining the District of Rhode Island, Ms. White served for three years as a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of West Virginia, where she handled a broad array of criminal matters, frequently involving vulnerable victims, as well as taking a leading role in developing and conducting training for prosecutors and law enforcement on various aspects of federal criminal practice. Before joining the Justice Department, Ms. White had a distinguished career as a state prosecutor in Maryland, with responsibility for a docket of complex violent crime and other cases. She is a graduate of Hood College and the University of Maryland School of Law, and served as a law clerk to the Honorable C. Clarke Raley of the Circuit Court for Saint Mary’s County, Maryland, before beginning her career as a prosecutor.
“Julie White is an exceptionally skilled attorney, and I am delighted that she has joined our team here in the District of Rhode Island,” said U.S. Attorney Cunha. “Hiring talented, thoughtful, and principled prosecutors is at the heart of our efforts to uphold public safety and pursue justice for every Rhode Islander, and I have no doubt that Ms. White will serve in the best traditions of this Office.”
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More Than $319,000 Recovered in Disability Fraud CaseRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – The U.S. Attorney’s Office has successfully recovered more than $319,000 in disability payments that a Columbia, Illinois man illegally obtained via disability fraud, U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming announced Wednesday.
Gregory Vieth pleaded guilty in 2019 to one felony count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. He admitted paying a chiropractor to help him fraudulently qualify for monthly Social Security disability payments and a $100,000 long-term disability payment. At the direction of the chiropractor, Vieth underwent medically unnecessary tests to bolster his application for disability benefits. Vieth also falsely claimed on the application that he was unable to complete yardwork, lift, walk, reach, sit, bend and bathe without assistance, his plea agreement says.
On February 21, 2023, U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White sentenced the 67-year-old to three years of probation and ordered him to pay $319,687 in restitution with required monthly installment payments of at least $500. By mid-April, Vieth had only made the minimum restitution payments to his victims, so the Financial Litigation Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office began enforcing the judgment by garnishing Vieth’s retirement account held at Fidelity Investments, which contained approximately $450,000. Vieth then attempted to block the collection action by arguing the minimum monthly payments precluded the government’s garnishment. Vieth also argued the garnishment should be limited to only 25% of the funds in his retirement account, and the garnishment would cause him to incur a large income tax liability, thereby essentially wiping out his life savings.
Judge White disagreed with all of Vieth’s arguments, saying the court-ordered obligation to make minimum monthly installment payments did not bar the U.S. Attorney’s Office from initiating the garnishment, as the restitution was ordered due in full immediately at the time of sentencing. Judge White also ruled the garnishment was not capped at 25% and potential tax liability was not a valid defense. Judge White said Vieth had the assets to pay restitution, and “the public and private victims have a right to receive those funds now.” The U.S. Attorney’s office recently collected the full amount of the outstanding restitution owed to the victims in this case.
“This case demonstrates that our Financial Litigation Unit will aggressively pursue and seize the assets of criminals to make their victims whole,” U.S. Attorney Fleming said. “In this case, Gregory Vieth falsely claimed he was unable to perform the basic functions of life in order to obtain disability payments that eventually totaled $319,687. In reality, he was able to do all of those things, including travel internationally. After pleading guilty, he fought to hold on to hundreds of thousands of dollars in a retirement account instead of immediately paying the restitution he owed to his victims.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Debre prosecuted the financial recovery and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tracy Berry and Dorothy McMurtry prosecuted the criminal charges against Vieth, as well as the chiropractor and others linked to him. The Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General and the FBI investigated the criminal case.
Money Launderer Sentenced to Prison for Role in Online ScamsRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Edward Kwaku Boakye, 27, of White Plains, New York, was sentenced by United States District Judge John C. Hinderaker on August 22, 2023, to 14 months in prison and ordered to pay $532,738 in restitution to 11 victims. Boakye pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.
Between February 10, 2017, and October 28, 2020, Boakye laundered money for other scammers who lured victims into various online frauds. Some victims believed they were sending money to support an online romantic partner who falsely stated they needed to pay taxes and fees to release an inheritance. Other victims believed they were sending money to ship gold bars in which they had an interest to the United States. The scammers directed the victims’ monies into accounts controlled by Boakye and his co-conspirator. The FBI traced $710,068.91 sent by 40 victims through Boakye’s and his co-conspirator’s accounts. One Arizona victim lost nearly $5 million to the scams, sending Boakye and his co-conspirator almost $500,000 and the remaining money to multiple other individuals.
When Boakye and his co-conspirator received the fraudulently-obtained monies, they kept a fee for themselves, and then transferred the funds via trade-based money laundering or other means to Ghana. Trade-based money laundering occurs when criminally-derived funds are used to purchase a commodity (in this case, motor vehicles) in the profit center for the criminal activity (here, in the United States) for shipment to the headquarters of the criminal organization (as to Mr. Boakye, in Ghana).
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim, and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday-Friday. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Sierra Vista Resident Agency, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Sue Feldmeier, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-23-00031-001-TUC-JCH
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-132_Boakye# # #
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.Missouri Man Found Guilty of Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Tuesday found a man from Audrain County, Missouri guilty of one count of producing child pornography and two counts of receiving child pornography.
William Dahl, 39, faces at least 15 years in prison when he is sentenced in December.
Judge Ross’ findings of fact and conclusions of law says evidence and testimony at a bench trial in May showed that Dahl photographed himself having sex with a 14-year-old girl and then emailing images to others. Dahl also received a video of a 16-year-old and a pornographic image of a 7-year-old.
Dahl met the first victim when she was 13 and he was nearly 23. Dahl took pictures of the girl in a Moberly cemetery in 2007 and sent images of his genitals to her, Judge Ross’ order says. He also sent images of her to others.
A second victim met Dahl when he was 36 and she was 16. He bought her a cell phone, alcohol and vaping pods and they exchanged nude pictures, the order says.
The third victim is a 7-year-old girl. Dahl’s co-defendant, Jennifer Huddleston, now 35, pleaded guilty in May to one count of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. She admitted taking photographs of herself sexually abusing the sleeping girl and sending them to Dahl. She also admitted possessing child sexual abuse material downloaded from the internet. Huddleston and Dahl were in an on-and-off relationship since 2008.
The investigation began in January of 2021, when the 16-year-old victim and her family reported the inappropriate relationship between the teen and Dahl. The girl said she met Dahl through the local Civil Air Patrol. A subsequent investigation by the Missouri State Technical Assistance Team uncovered more victims.
Dahl also has pending charges in Audrain County Circuit Court.
Huddleston is scheduled to be sentenced October 3.
The cases were investigated by the Missouri State Technical Assistance Team and Donya Jackson, an investigator with the U.S. Attorney’s office at the time. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colleen Lang and Amy Sestric are prosecuting 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.
Mexican National Sentenced to Federal Prison for East Texas Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas - A Mexican national has been sentenced to federal prison for trafficking drugs through the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today.
Leobardo Hernandez-Hernandez, 34, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 160 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle.
According to information presented in court, in March 2022, Hernandez supplied more than 150 grams of methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana to drug dealers at a stash house located in Gregg County, Texas. Hernandez sourced the illegal drugs from wholesalers in California. Additionally, Hernandez possessed a shotgun in connection with his drug trafficking activities. Hernandez's co-conspirator, Joshua Lynn Craver, 35, of Longview, Texas was sentenced to 180 months in prison on November 3, 2022.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Gregg County Sheriff's Office, and Longview Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lucas Machicek.
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Man in Walker County sentenced for cyberstalking via social mediaRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 25-year-old Huntsville resident has been ordered to federal prison for receiving child pornography as well as multiple counts of cyberstalking, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Kody Nicholas Bohac pleaded guilty Dec. 12, 2022.
Today, U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen sentenced Bohac to a total 121-month term of imprisonment. Bohac was further ordered to pay $5,170 in restitution to a known victim and will serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Bohac will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
At the hearing, the court also considered additional information including multiple victim impact statements detailing how Bohac’s conduct affected them. Portions of the statements included how Bohac even went so far as to threaten to rape and murder them if they didn’t comply with his demands. As a result of Bohac’s conduct, many victims suffer from anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, humiliation, ruined relationships, fear and have sought counseling.
The court also heard how sextortion cases are an increasingly deadly type of crime that target young people. The perpetrators use several online mediums of communication, including social networking apps, messaging apps, video voice calls, email, dating and gaming apps. Victims often feel helpless, ashamed, guilty and embarrassed and are reluctant to report such conduct to law enforcement.
“Bohac used social media accounts, smart phones and laptops as weapons to terrorize and humiliate young women, all for his sick amusement. Sextortion is ruining young people’s lives at an alarming rate, pushing some to suicide; deaths that are wholly preventable and completely tragic,” said Hamdani. “As the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas, I, and the prosecutors in this office, are committed to bringing people like Bohac out of the shadows of internet platforms into justice’s bright light. And as a father, I’m thankful one more monster is off our streets.”
“This is your typical sextortion case,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge David Martinez of the FBI Houston field office. “The individual behind this cyberstalking case took advantage of his young victims by tricking them into sending him compromising content of themselves. He then took pleasure in terrorizing them and shaming them personally. Unfortunately, we’re seeing more and more of these types of cases and too many victims of sextortion who succumb to the shame and take their own lives.”
Bohac stalked an out-of-state woman over social media and threatened to post nude photographs of her on the internet if she did not contact him. She did not respond. Subsequently, Bohac posted the images on the internet.
At the plea hearing, Bohac admitted to the stalking through social media and sending her nude images of herself and threatening to make them public if she did not contact him. He also said he offered to pay multiple females online for nude photos. When they complied, he refused to pay, demanded additional nude photos and threatened to post them online if they did not contact him.
He ultimately admitted to stalking approximately 20 females on social media, demanding they send additional nude photos, wanting to meet them in person and to call him “daddy.” When they refused, he posted the already obtained nude photos online, threatened to ruin their lives, sent photos to their school, families and friends and created fake online accounts using their names with sexually explicit references.
The investigation revealed multiple social media messages on his phone in which Bohac stalked numerous victims. They also found images and videos of child pornography on his cell phone which depicted minor females engaged in sexual acts on adult males.
Bohac will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI-Bryan Resident Agency and the FBI-Philadelphia Field Office conducted the investigation with assistance from the Sam Houston State University Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard W. Bennett prosecuted this case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Man Charged with March 2023 Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A local man has been charged in federal court in Boston in connection with the March 20, 2023 armed robbery of the JP Wireless store in Jamaica Plain, Mass.
Royal Benjamin, 63, was charged with one count of Hobbs Act robbery. Benjamin currently is in state custody on related charges and will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to charging documents, on the evening of March 20, 2023, a Black male approximately six feet in height, wearing a black ski mask, grey hooded sweatshirt, light blue jeans and black-and-white sneakers entered the JP Wireless Store in Jamaica Plain brandishing a black revolver. The suspect allegedly removed the cash register drawer with his bare hands, but dropped the drawer on the floor before fleeing the scene. It is alleged that Benjamin was identified as a positive match for fingerprints retrieved from the cash register drawer.
The charge of Hobbs Act robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority Police Department; the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office; and the Boston and Cambridge Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan C. Cleary of the Major Crimes Unit 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.
Man Charged with Downtown St. Louis CarjackingRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man has been indicted for a downtown St. Louis carjacking in July.
Bradley C. McKinney, 34, appeared in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Wednesday and pleaded not guilty to four felonies: carjacking, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, being a felon in possession of a firearm as an armed career criminal and possession of a machine gun.
The indictment alleges that McKinney carjacked a 2015 Chevrolet Cruze on July 29 while armed and possessed a machine gun the next day.
A motion seeking to have McKinney held in jail until trial says he and another man brandished handguns with large-capacity magazines and stole the Cruze, two wallets from the driver and passenger and a cell phone. A white GMC Terrain then drove up and both it and the Cruze drove into Illinois. St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers stopped the GMC the next day. McKinney was driving and officers found a Glock handgun with a large-capacity magazine, the motion says. The Glock had been illegally modified to become fully automatic with a “switch,” or auto sear, the motion says.
The carjacking charge carries a potential penalty of up to 15 years in prison. Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence carries a penalty of seven years in prison, consecutive to any other charge. The felon in possession as an armed career criminal charge carries a potential prison sentence of at least 15 years, and the machine gun charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Bluestone is prosecuting the case.
Man Caught with Stolen IDs in Missouri Sentenced to 4 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Wednesday sentenced an Indiana man caught with dozens of fake and stolen IDs in Warren County, Missouri to four years in prison and ordered him to pay $9,825 in restitution to victims.
The prison sentence will run consecutive to any sentence Kevin Sparks, 41, of Indiana, receives for pending state charges in Texas and Indiana.
Sparks was in a 2012 GMC Acadia on Nov. 25, 2021 when the driver, Debra Blake, was pulled over by sheriff’s deputies in Warren County, Missouri. Sparks gave deputies a counterfeit driver’s license and a stolen Social Security card. Deputies then found 11 other counterfeit driver’s license with Sparks’ picture and other people’s names. They also found more than 43 genuine driver’s licenses, passports, Social Security cards and credit or debit cards that had been stolen from fitness centers and other locations in Colorado and Arizona, as well as notebooks listing personal identifying information belonging to other people.
Sparks and Blake used the stolen IDs and personal information to open new credit and debit accounts or take over existing accounts to get cash or buy merchandise.
Sparks used one of the stolen IDs to buy the GMC in Arizona. Police also found surveying equipment that had been stolen from a storage unit in Arizona and electronic equipment that had been used to produce the counterfeit driver’s licenses.
In a letter to Judge Autrey, one victim said his life was upended when Sparks took over his cell phone, bank accounts, email, and investment accounts and tried to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars. Another, a disabled U.S. Army veteran, someone spent years opening credit accounts after a home burglary.
“This sentence is a great example of what can be accomplished when federal and local law enforcement agencies collaborate,” said acting Special Agent in Charge Taekuk Cho for HSI Kansas City. “Coming together in these types of joint operations to arrest and disrupt illegal activities are for the betterment and safety of us all. I couldn’t be prouder of the strong relationships we have built with our law enforcement partners and applaud all of those involved for their efforts.”
Sparks pleaded guilty on May 31 to three felonies: interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle, interstate transportation of stolen property and possession of five or more identification documents.
Blake, 36, pleaded guilty July 19 to possession of five or more identification documents and interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle. She is scheduled to be sentenced October 18.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Warren County Sheriff’s Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry prosecuted the case.
Lynn Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lynn man pleaded guilty today to submitting false federal loan applications and using a stolen identity to rent an apartment, for which he made no rent payments.
Steeve Jean, 36, pleaded guilty to wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and unauthorized use of a Social Security number. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Nov. 29, 2023. Jean was arrested and charged in April 2023.
From September 2021 through June 2022, Jean rented an apartment in Lynn under an assumed name. Jean paid no rent for the apartment and left when the apartment complex began steps to evict him. In April 2021, Jean submitted two fraudulent federal Paycheck Protection Program loan applications claiming business losses for a business that did not exist. Jean was serving a state prison sentence during the period he claimed to be running a business.
The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of unauthorized use of a Social Security number provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Tolkoff of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
Louisiana Man Pleads Guilty to Dogfighting ConspiracyRead the Press Release
David Guidry III, of Independence, Louisiana, was sentenced today to 12 months and one day in prison followed by three years supervised release, with the special condition that Guidry complete 30 hours of community service, for possession of animals in an animal fighting venture. U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo for the Eastern District of Louisiana imposed the sentence.
According to court documents, federal law enforcement – through an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation – initially discovered Guidry’s involvement in the dogfighting ring through court-authorized wiretaps investigating narcotics trafficking in the Eastern and Middle Districts of Louisiana by other individuals. In the summer of 2017, law enforcement discovered Guidry hosted at least two dogfights at his residence in Independence, at which narcotics traffickers and fellow dogfighters fought dogs and gambled on the fights.
In October 2017, federal law enforcement executed a search warrant on Guidry’s residence and found a dogfighting pit surrounded by discarded beverage containers, seven pitbulls restrained using heave chains, a device to pry open the jaws of a dog involved in a dogfight and veterinary equipment. Federal law enforcement seized the dogs and transported them to a facility in North Carolina for medical care and rehabilitation.
To date, six other defendants have been convicted for their participation in the interstate dogfighting ring. Five of the defendants have already been sentenced for their dogfighting convictions:
- Eric “EZ” Williams, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana: 60 months in prison;
- Corey Brown, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana: 50 months in prison;
- Clay Turner, of Loranger, Louisiana: 36 months in prison;
- Dangelo Dontae Cornish, of Greensburg, Louisiana: 16 months in prison; and
- Aquintas Kantrell Singleton, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana: 12 months and one day months in prison.
Antonio Damon Atkins, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pleaded guilty to dogfighting charges in July and is awaiting sentencing.
Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) and U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana made the announcement.
The FBI and U.S. Department of Agriculture investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Matthew D. Evans of ENRD's Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany Reed for the Eastern District of Louisiana are prosecuting the case.
Lisbon, ND, Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting a Minor and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota, announced that Craig Gregor, age 29 of Lisbon, ND, appeared before Chief Judge Peter D. Welte, U.S. District Court, Fargo, ND, and was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release for the charges of Sexual Exploitation of minors, distribution of materials containing child pornography, and possession of materials containing child pornography.
Investigation revealed that Gregor repeatedly filmed himself sexually abusing a 6-year-old child and later shared the videos with others using the internet. During a search of the Gregor’s electronic devices, law enforcement found thousands of images and videos of child pornography.
“Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) St. Paul special agents work tirelessly to combat child predators like Gregor,” said Jamie Holt, HSI St. Paul Special Agent in Charge. “We will continue to fight against the exploitation of children and support victims by providing critical resources and services. Well done to the special agents and law enforcement community partners for bringing Gregor to justice for his reprehensible crimes.”
“This four-decade sentence is more than justified considering the defendant’s breathtakingly abhorrent crimes,” Schneider said. “Keeping children safe is a priority of the highest order for the United Sates Attorney’s Office. I congratulate our federal and state law enforcement partners for their successful efforts to ensure this individual faced justice.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Lee, District of North Dakota.
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Las Vegas Man Sentenced to 27 Months’ Imprisonment for Wire Fraud Related to Telemedicine SchemeRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Sergey Duman, age 46, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Court Judge Sylvia H. Rambo to 27 months’ imprisonment for wire fraud. The Court also ordered a 3-year term of supervised release to follow the term of imprisonment and over $4.8 million in restitution.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Duman previously admitted that he participated in a scheme to defraud private health insurance companies, the United States, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Duman purchased Cedar Care Pharmacy in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in January 2020. For the next six months, the pharmacy effectively acted as a shell pharmacy for a telemedicine-fraud scheme. During that time, an entity purporting to be a telemedicine company regularly submitted prescriptions to the pharmacy that had been written without the knowledge of the listed patient. The pharmacy then fraudulently submitted private insurance and Medicaid claims for the prescriptions even though the pharmacy never provided the prescribed medications to patients.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli prosecuted the case.
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Laguna Man Pleads Guilty to AssaultRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced that Andres Nathaniel Harjo pled guilty to assault. Harjo, 25, of Laguna and an enrolled member of Laguna Pueblo, will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
According to court documents, on February 15, 2020, Harjo assaulted the victim, Jane Doe, at their shared residence and only stopped when his actions were interrupted by a third individual.
At sentencing, Harjo faces up to 10 years in prison.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case with assistance from the Pueblo of Laguna Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander F. Flores is prosecuting the case.
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La Oficina de Envigado Member Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Role in Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Tied to Medellín CartelRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Colombian man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy connected to organized crime in the Republic of Colombia.
Mario Zapata Velez, 41, of Medellín, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to five years in prison and three years of supervised release. In April 2023, Zapata pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy, one count of extortion conspiracy, two counts of interstate and foreign travel or transportation in aid of racketeering, one count of use of extortionate means to collect and attempt to collect an extension of credit and one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. Zapata Velez was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2020 along with co-conspirators Fabio de Jesus Yepes Sanchez, Miguel Colindres and Juan Pablo Ariasgil.
Zapata Velez and Yepes Sanchez were members of La Oficina de Envigado (La Oficina), a criminal organization based in Medellín, Colombia. La Oficina originated in the 1980s when its members provided enforcement and collection services for the Medellín Cartel, including deceased Medellín Cartel leader Pablo Escobar. Today, La Oficina is involved in international narcotics trafficking, drug debt collection, money laundering, extortion and murder for hire.
Zapata Velez and Yepes Sanchez conspired to use threats to extort approximately $750,000 in drug debt from two cocaine traffickers based in Massachusetts. Zapata Velez and Yepes Sanchez also conspired with Colindres and Pablo Ariasgil to obtain five kilograms of cocaine from the Massachusetts traffickers, sell those kilograms, and then repatriate the drug proceeds to Colombia, in partial satisfaction of the outstanding drug debt.
In May 2022, Ariasgil was sentenced to four years in prison and four years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to his role in the cocaine conspiracy. On April 24, 2023, Colindres was sentenced to 51 months in prison and three years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to his role in the cocaine conspiracy. On June 27, 2023, Yepes Sanchez pleaded guilty to his role in the cocaine conspiracy, and is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 5, 2023.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs of the Justice Department; the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and the Government of Colombia. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren A. Graber and Jared C. Dolan of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
L.A. Man Pleads Guilty to Robbery Charge and Admits to Crime Spree in Which He Robbed 8 Businesses and Carjacked One VictimRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Los Angeles man pleaded guilty today to a federal criminal charge and admitted in court to committing a carjacking and eight armed robberies of gas stations and convenience stores in Los Angeles County in April.
Namir Malik Ali Greene, 23, pleaded guilty to one count of Hobbs Act robbery.
According to his plea agreement, on the morning of April 4, Greene robbed a gas station in Marina del Rey. Greene made a purchase and remained inside of the store until all other customers left the business. After all the customers inside of the business left, Greene placed a brown paper bag on the counter and told the clerk, “Put everything in there.”
Greene pointed what appeared to be a black semi-automatic handgun, but what in fact was a BB gun, at the clerk while demanding the money. In fear, the clerk emptied the cash register and placed $700 into the brown paper bag. Greene then fled the store.
In his plea agreement, Greene admitted to committing seven additional armed robberies from April 4 to April 8 of gas stations and convenience stores in Long Beach, Whittier, South Los Angeles, Pomona, and Culver City.
Greene further admitted to the April 15 carjacking the owner of a 2010 Honda Accord while armed with a BB gun. He has been in federal custody since April 18.
United States District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett scheduled a November 29 sentencing hearing, at which time Greene will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Orange County Violent Crime Task Force (OCVCTF) investigated this matter, with assistance from the Los Angeles Police Department’s Robbery Homicide Division and the Ontario Police Department. The OCVCTF is comprised of federal and local law enforcement agencies, including, but not limited to, the ATF, the Brea Police Department, the Santa Ana Police Department, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, and the Fullerton Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jeffrey M. Chemerinsky and Jena A. MacCabe of the Violent and Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case.
Justice Department and Department of the Navy Announce Voluntary Elective Option for More Efficient Resolution of Camp Lejeune Justice Act ClaimsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department and the Department of the Navy (DON) today announced the finalization and publication of a voluntary process, called the “Elective Option,” to help veterans and others more quickly resolve qualifying claims under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act (CLJA) of 2022. This option supplements other processes currently available under the CLJA, which remain in place.
The CLJA is a provision of the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, which was signed into law on Aug. 10, 2022. The CLJA allows those who file claims and lawsuits to potentially recover for injuries caused by exposure to contaminated water at the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune from mid-1953 through 1987.
Established jointly by the Justice Department and DON, the new Elective Option provides a framework for the DON to resolve certain CLJA claims quickly, equitably and transparently. In order to be eligible for the Elective Option, a claimant must first submit an administrative claim to the DON. To date, more than 93,000 CLJA claims have been filed with the DON.
The Elective Option allows the DON to focus its review on a few key aspects of a CLJA claim, such as the type of injury alleged and the amount of time a claimant worked or resided at Camp Lejeune. Narrowing the scope of the review enables faster validation and, ultimately, extension of settlement offers. The Elective Option provides similar settlement offers to claimants with similar exposures and injuries with similar evidence of causation.
“The Elective Option is a critical step in bringing relief to qualifying claimants impacted by the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, who will now have an avenue for receiving quick and early resolution of claims under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “We are grateful for the continued partnership of the Department of the Navy and federal agencies in developing and administering this framework.”
“The Elective Option presented today should be of great interest to eligible Americans who seek a streamlined process to resolve their claims,” said Under Secretary of the Navy Erik Raven. “We recognize this takes a whole-of-government response, and along with DOD and DOJ, we are linked with Veterans Affairs and other federal agencies to support a fair and streamlined process. We are committed to ensuring that every valid Camp Lejeune claim is resolved fairly and as expeditiously as possible.”
Within the framework, the DON can make settlement offers to qualifying claimants with diseases that the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has determined are linked to the chemicals found in the water at Camp Lejeune. Award amounts are tiered, largely based on the ATSDR’s classification of the strength of the evidence linking the contamination with a particular disease and the amount of time the individual spent at Camp Lejeune.
Tier 1 Diagnoses: Claimants with diseases for which the ATSDR has substantiated evidence of causation – kidney cancer, liver cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, leukemia and bladder cancer – would receive settlement offers of $450,000, $300,000 or $150,000, depending on whether the claimant was exposed to Camp Lejeune water for over five years, between one and five years or between 30 and 364 days, respectively.
Tier 2 Diagnoses: Claimants with diseases to which the ATSDR has linked possible evidence of causation – multiple myeloma, Parkinson’s disease, kidney disease (end stage renal disease), systemic sclerosis/systemic scleroderma – would receive settlement offers of $400,000, $250,000, or $100,000, depending on whether the claimant was exposed to Camp Lejeune water for over five years, between one and five years or between 30 and 364 days, respectively.
Claims involving death would receive an additional $100,000.
The Elective Option supplements other mechanisms for resolving claims currently available through the normal administrative claims or litigation processes. Claimants not eligible for the Elective Option may await finalization of their administrative claim or pursue litigation and engage in any broader settlement discussions occurring through court proceedings in the Eastern District of North Carolina. The Justice Department will screen already-filed lawsuits and will extend settlement offers in qualifying cases that are similar to awards under the Elective Option.
Those interested in learning more about the Elective Option should visit www.navy.mil/clja.
Individuals who think they qualify for relief under the CLJA can follow the instructions available on that site to submit a claim and provide requisite supporting documentation. There is no requirement to retain a lawyer to file a claim or subsequently pursue an expedited resolution. Claims that have already been filed with DON do not need to be refiled.
Payments under the Elective Option are not offset by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability benefits or VA medical care, and they do not impact ongoing treatment and support provided by the VA.
More information is available at www.navy.mil/clja.
View the Public Elective Option Guidance here.
Justice Department Files Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Ohio LandlordRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against Joseph Pedaline, an owner and manager of residential rental properties, in Youngstown, Ohio, for engaging in sexual harassment in violation of the Fair Housing Act.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, alleges that Joseph Pedaline sexually harassed female tenants at properties that he owned or managed in Youngstown since at least 2009. According to the complaint, Pedaline subjected tenants to repeated and unwelcome sexual comments, touched them without their consent, entered their homes without permission and offered to overlook late rent payments, waive rent or perform repairs in exchange for sexual contact. The lawsuit also alleges that Pedaline initiated evictions or threatened to evict tenants who refused his sexual advances.
“No tenant should have to endure sexual propositions, sexual comments or unwelcome physical contact from their landlord,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Sexual harassment in housing is wrong, immoral and illegal. The Justice Department will continue to hold landlords accountable when they violate federal civil rights laws.”
“Too often tenants with limited housing options are preyed upon by landlords, maintenance staff and others who have control over where they live,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “This lawsuit sends a message that the U.S. Attorney’s Office will not tolerate the exploitation of our vulnerable community members.”
The lawsuit seeks monetary damages to compensate persons harmed by the alleged harassment, a civil penalty to vindicate the public interest and a court order barring future discrimination.
The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of sexual harassment or other types of housing discrimination at rental dwellings owned or managed by Joseph Pedaline or YLP LLC, or who have other information that may be relevant to this case, may contact the Housing Discrimination Hotline at 1-833-591-0291, press 1 for English, press 2 for sexual harassment and then press 01 for United States v. Joseph Pedaline to leave a message. Individuals may also send an email to [email protected] or submit a report online. Reports also may be made by contacting the Department of Housing and Urban Development at 1-800-669-9777 or by filing a complaint online.
The Justice Department launched its Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative in October 2017. The department’s initiative is led by the Civil Rights Division, in coordination with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country. The initiative seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers and other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative, the department has filed 36 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered over $10.8 million for victims of such harassment.
Pedaline ComplaintJustice Department Files Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Ohio LandlordRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against Joseph Pedaline, an owner and manager of residential rental properties, in Youngstown, Ohio, for engaging in sexual harassment in violation of the Fair Housing Act.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, alleges that Joseph Pedaline sexually harassed female tenants at properties that he owned or managed in Youngstown since at least 2009. According to the complaint, Pedaline subjected tenants to repeated and unwelcome sexual comments, touched them without their consent, entered their homes without permission and offered to overlook late rent payments, waive rent or perform repairs in exchange for sexual contact. The lawsuit also alleges that Pedaline initiated evictions or threatened to evict tenants who refused his sexual advances.
“No tenant should have to endure sexual propositions, sexual comments or unwelcome physical contact from their landlord,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Sexual harassment in housing is wrong, immoral and illegal. The Justice Department will continue to hold landlords accountable when they violate federal civil rights laws.”
“Too often tenants with limited housing options are preyed upon by landlords, maintenance staff and others who have control over where they live,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “This lawsuit sends a message that the U.S. Attorney’s Office will not tolerate the exploitation of our vulnerable community members.”
The lawsuit seeks monetary damages to compensate persons harmed by the alleged harassment, a civil penalty to vindicate the public interest and a court order barring future discrimination.
The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of sexual harassment or other types of housing discrimination at rental dwellings owned or managed by Joseph Pedaline or YLP LLC, or who have other information that may be relevant to this case, may contact the Housing Discrimination Hotline at 1-833-591-0291, press 1 for English, press 2 for sexual harassment and then press 01 for United States v. Joseph Pedaline to leave a message. Individuals may also send an email to [email protected] or submit a report online. Reports also may be made by contacting the Department of Housing and Urban Development at 1-800-669-9777 or by filing a complaint online.
The Justice Department launched its Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative in October 2017. The department’s initiative is led by the Civil Rights Division, in coordination with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country. The initiative seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers and other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative, the department has filed 36 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered over $10.8 million for victims of such harassment.
Pedaline Complaint
Jacksonville Sexual Predator Sentenced to 30 Years for Attempting to Entice A 14-Year-Old Child to Produce Sexual Abuse VideosRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Paul Edward Lee, Jr. (44, Jacksonville) to 30 years in federal prison for attempting to entice a 14-year-old child to produce and send him videos and images depicting the victim’s sexual abuse. Lee was also ordered to serve a lifetime term of supervised release. In 2011, Lee was convicted of lascivious molestation and lascivious exhibition involving a 10-year-old child in Jacksonville and was at that time designated as a sexual predator. Lee has been in federal custody since his arrest in this case on May 2, 2018. A federal jury had found Lee guilty in this case on March 23, 2023.
According to evidence and testimony introduced at trial, in April 2018, an FBI agent in Illinois discovered that a 14-year-old child was having online contact with an adult male in Florida through a smart phone gaming application (app) designed for use by children. The messages sent to the child by the adult male were increasingly graphic and sexually explicit. The FBI intervened and identified this individual as Lee, a registered sexual predator living in a Jacksonville residence, along with eight other registered sex offenders. On April 25, 2018, an undercover FBI agent in Jacksonville, posing as the 14-year-old child, began text messaging with Lee. During these communications, Lee told the “child” in graphic terms how he wanted to have sex with the “child,” and sent several images and videos of his own genitalia to the “child.” On April 27, 2018, Lee repeatedly texted and solicited the “child” to produce and send him graphic images and videos of “her” genitalia. When FBI agents executed a federal search warrant at his residence on May 2, 2018, Lee tried to damage his cellphone to destroy evidence of his criminal activity and was arrested.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
International cocaine distribution scheme results in another convictionRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 51-year-old Houston man has admitted his role in an ongoing cocaine distribution scheme that spanned more than nine years, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Leonel Mata Luna admitted he was a member of a drug trafficking organization while residing in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. His role was to oversee the receipt and packaging of cocaine in Mexico and coordinate its transportation to the U.S. border. There, it was smuggled into the United States in vehicles on a monthly basis during the course of the conspiracy.
Luna received cocaine from members of the Gulf Cartel. The drugs eventually ended up in Houston where it was further distributed to others across the United States.
In December 2015, law enforcement agents seized 176 kilograms of cocaine, two kilograms of meth and $3.5 million in drug proceeds after executing search warrants at three stash houses in Houston the organization controlled.
Luna was a fugitive for seven years until his arrest in Monterrey, Mexico, in September 2022 as part of a joint Mexican-American law enforcement operation. He was subsequently removed from Mexico and transported to Houston for prosecution. To date, 15 have been convicted in relation to the conspiracy.
Sentencing has been set for Dec. 11 before U.S. District Andrew S. Hanen. At that time, Luna faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison as well as a $10 million maximum fine.
He will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Houston Police Department conducted the investigation.
This Operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations.
The specific mission of the Houston Strike Force is to disrupt and dismantle the drug trafficking organizations that designated Consolidated Priority Organization or Regional Priority Organization Targets head with their affiliates and that impact Houston and south Texas.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey N. MacDonald and Anibal J. Alaniz are prosecuting the case.
Indiana Woman Admits to Victimizing 96-Year-Old Rhode Island Widower Through an Online Romance ScamRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – An Indiana woman today admitted to a federal Judge in Rhode Island that she perpetrated an online romance scam that defrauded a 96-year-old Coventry widower of nearly $80,000, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Brittany Rakia Shawnai Lasley, 33, of Anderson, IN, admitted that she created a social media account containing fake profile information on the dating site “Plenty of Fish,” and promptly began a campaign to persuade the victim to provide her with money, credit cards, gift cards, and his personal identifying information. Lasley admitted that she led the victim to believe that providing her with these items would facilitate meetings between the two and foster a romantic relationship. During the scheme, Lasley fraudulently obtained access to the victim’s checking account and credit card and made numerous unauthorized purchases.
An investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service determined that Lasley had approximately eighty-nine communications with the victim during which she made fraudulent representations concerning her alleged needs for funds for, among other things, medical expenses, home repairs, and travel to Rhode Island.
Lasley admitted to the court that she defrauded the 96-year-old widower of approximately $80,000.
Lasley pleaded guilty today to a charge of wire fraud. She is scheduled to be sentenced on November 7, 2023. The defendant’s sentence will be determined by a federal judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Paul F. Daly, Jr., and Peter I Roklan.
The matter was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service.
United States Attorney Cunha thanks the Coventry, RI, Police Department; Anderson, IN, Police Department; Indiana State Police; United States Marshals Service; and U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General for their assistance in the investigation of this matter.
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Indiana Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Interstate Violation of Protection Order and Transportation of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
HOT SPRINGS – An Indiana man was sentenced Friday, September 1, 2023, to 30 years in prison for violating an order of protection issued out of Lake County, Indiana by taking a minor listed in the order of protection across state lines, as well as transporting images of child pornography across state lines. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Hot Springs.
According to court documents, Nathan Martin Curry-Fishtorn, age 26, of Saint John, Indiana was arrested in Arkansas in August 2019. On August 18, 2019, the Little Rock FBI Office was contacted by the FBI Indianapolis Field Office regarding a missing minor last seen two days before in Crown Point, Indiana. Law enforcement’s investigation led them to a residence in Malvern, Arkansas, where Curry-Fishtorn and the minor were located. Court documents show Curry-Fishtorn had previously been served an order of protection out of his home state of Indiana prohibiting him from having any contact with the minor. The minor told police Curry-Fishtorn had a gun during the twelve-hour drive and stated, “I have a gun, don’t try anything.” Also located in the vehicle was a SIM card from Curry-Fishtorn’s cellular phone. Forensic examination of the SIM card revealed images of child pornography.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Hot Springs County Sheriff's Department and the Lake County Sheriff's Department, Crown Point, Indiana investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Marshall prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov
Henderson County Man Sentenced for Child Obscenity ViolationsRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas – The former mayor of Athens, Texas man has been sentenced to federal prison for child obscenity violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today.
James Monte Montgomery, 65, pleaded guilty to sending obscene materials to a minor on August 25, 2022, and was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle.
According to public information, on June 3, 2021, Montgomery was arrested after arriving at an undisclosed location after soliciting sex online with investigators posing as minors. In June of 2020, Montgomery, then the mayor of Athens, Texas, began communicating by text messaging with a person he believed to be a 15-year-old female. Montgomery sent messages to the child describing sexually explicit acts that he wanted to perform on the child and offering to pay the child if she would meet him and have sex with him.
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 and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Tyler Field Office, with assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety, Collin County Sheriff’s Office, and the Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Austin Wells.
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Hearing Aid Dealer Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DENNIS DELLAGHELFA, 54, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 48 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for health care fraud.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Dellaghelfa is a licensed hearing instrument specialist and the owner of General Hearing, a Waterbury-based hearing aid dealer. Since approximately 2013, General Hearing has been a participating provider enrolled in the Connecticut Medical Assistance Program (CTMAP), Connecticut Department of Social Services-administered program that provides medical assistance to low income persons. CTMAP’s benefit packages, referred to as “HUSKY” or “Connecticut Medicaid,” are jointly funded by the State of Connecticut and the federal government.
From approximately June 2016 to April 2022, Dellaghelfa submitted, or caused to be submitted, false and fraudulent claims for payment for services and equipment that were not provided or were medically unnecessary. For example, in November 2018, Dellaghelfa submitted claims to Connecticut Medicaid for services provided to six patients during a period of time that Dellaghelfa was traveling outside the U.S. In 2019 and 2020, some of the fraudulent claims involved services that were purportedly provided by his three employees. However, Dellaghelfa knew that the employees performed hearing tests without having the required professional permit, and submitted paperwork for hearing tests and services that did not occur or were not medically necessary.
In addition, in violation of the CTMAP provider agreement, Dellaghelfa paid third-party “patient recruiters” for each Medicaid patient they brought to General Hearing for a hearing test, and that then failed the hearing test and received hearing aids. He also submitted false claims to Connecticut Medicaid for testing and hearing aids for five of the patient recruiters who did not need hearing aids.
Judge Thompson ordered Dellaghelfa to pay restitution of $6,141,857 to the Connecticut Medicaid program. As part of his restitution obligation, Dellaghelfa agreed to forfeit $332,675 held in personal and business bank accounts.
On February 9, 2023, Dellaghelfa pleaded guilty to health care fraud.
Dellaghelfa, who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on October 10.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), with the assistance of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Connecticut Chief State’s Attorney’s Office and the Waterbury Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heather L. Cherry and Elena L. Coronado.
People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.
Hard Rock Casino Carjacker Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Rodney Devon Jones (28, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to carjacking and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Jones faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison for the carjacking offense, and a minimum mandatory term of 7 years, up to life, imprisonment on the firearm offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, on September 28, 2021, Jones and two others committed a carjacking in the parking garage at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tampa. Jones and the two other men jumped out of a stolen Toyota, pointed guns at the victim, and stole his wallet and jewelry. They demanded that the victim identify his car. The victim pointed out an Alfa Romeo. One of the men then used the victim’s car keys to drive off in the Alfa Romeo and the others followed in the Toyota. Two days later, officers from the Orlando Police Department arrested Jones after they found him in the stolen Toyota. The officers recovered a firearm with Jones’s DNA on it near the Toyota.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Seminole Police Department, with assistance from the Orlando Police Department and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, as part of the Middle District of Florida’s Safe Trails Task Force. The Safe Trails Task Force is a partnership between the United States Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the Seminole Police Department, and other federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement that work to combat the growth of crime in Indian Country. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray.
This case is also 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.
Guilty Pleas in Separate Armed Meth Trafficking, Illegal Firearms CasesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ga. – Two men pleaded guilty to federal charges in separate Project Safe Neighborhoods cases in the Columbus region this week, one involving armed methamphetamine trafficking and the other illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Jason Selph, 42, of Georgetown, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of methamphetamine on Sept. 5. Selph faces a minimum of five years up to a maximum of 40 years in prison to be followed by at least four years of supervised release and a $5,000,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 23, 2024.
Corneilous Hixson, 27, pleaded guilty to illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on Sept. 5. Hixon faces a maximum of 15 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 19.
U.S. District Judge Clay Land is presiding over these cases. The defendants are not eligible for parole.
“These cases exemplify the ongoing collaborative effort in the Columbus region to remove guns from the hands of criminals and convicted felons and hold them accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “I applaud the determined efforts by law enforcement to make our communities safer.”
According to court documents in the Selph case, DEA, FBI and the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office conducted a joint investigation into the armed distribution of methamphetamine in West Georgia. A confidential source made multiple purchases of methamphetamine from Selph beginning in Dec. 2021 until March 2022 at locations in Quitman County, Georgia, including at the defendant’s home in Georgetown, Georgia. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Selph’s home on March 23, 2022, recovering two bags containing approximately 166 grams of methamphetamine, a revolver and a rifle.
According to court documents in the Hixson case, the defendant was pulled over for a traffic violation on Aug. 25, 2022, and officers smelled burnt marijuana, prompting a search of his car. Officers found a firearm under Hixson’s front passenger seat and a straw with cocaine residue. Hixson ran away from the scene but was apprehended after a brief pursuit and arrested. Hixson has separate felony convictions in Muscogee County, Georgia, Superior Court for 1st degree burglary, influencing a witness, 2nd degree criminal damage to property and felon in possession of a firearm. It is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm.
These cases are being 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.
The Selph case was investigated by DEA, FBI and the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office.
The Hixson case was investigated by ATF and Columbus Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Crawford Seals is prosecuting these cases for the Government.
Fruitland Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Sexual AbuseRead 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 Derek Lorin Blackhorse was sentenced to 97 months in prison. Blackhorse, 34, of Fruitland and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, pleaded guilty to attempted sexual abuse on April 27, 2023.
According to court documents, on May 28, 2021, while intoxicated, Blackhorse attempted to engage in sexual intercourse with the victim, Jane Doe, while she was sleeping in her bed at her home.
Upon his release from prison, Blackhorse must register as a sex offender and will be subject to 20 years on supervised release.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case. 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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Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 84 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE –Kevin T. Leshore, 30 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Leshore was sentenced to 84 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, Fort Wayne Police observed Leshore at a gas station with a handgun sticking out of his pocket. Officers were able to determine that Leshore was a convicted felon and had an active arrest warrant. When they attempted to apprehend Leshore, he got into his vehicle and led officers on a high-speed chase through a residential area before stopping and fleeing on foot. When officers apprehended Leshore, they located a handgun near him with a round in the chamber in addition to a loaded firearm magazine that Leshore had discarded as he fled. At the time of his apprehension, Leshore was also in possession of a bag containing a large amount of U.S. Currency and narcotics.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith.
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.
Fort Myers Man Pleads Guilty to Murder-For-HireRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Marvin Harris, Jr. (25, Fort Myers), aka “Mesh,” today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit interstate murder-for-hire resulting in death and interstate murder-for-hire resulting in death. Harris, Jr. faces a minimum mandatory sentence of life in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set.
According to the plea agreement and other court documents, in 2019, Harris, Jr. hired two individuals, co-defendant Latrel Jackson, aka “Kobe,” and unindicted co-conspirator D.S. (deceased), to travel from the Chicago-area to Fort Myers to commit murder in exchange for $10,000. Harris, Jr.’s motive was to retaliate against individuals who he believed had previously robbed a residence in Fort Myers from which he and others associated with him sold drugs. The individuals Harris, Jr. suspected of committing the robbery and shooting belonged to a Fort Myers gang known to law enforcement as “Bucktown.”
With the agreement to retaliate against the Bucktown gang in place, Jackson and D.S. traveled to Fort Myers from Chicago aboard a commercial airline on October 28, 2019. Upon arrival, Harris, Jr. picked Jackson and D.S. up from the Southwest Florida International Airport and provided them with partial payment for the planned murder, as well as firearms to accomplish their task. Initially, Jackson and D.S. stayed at Harris, Jr.’s “trap house” (a residence used primarily to distribute drugs) in Fort Myers, but later moved to a local motel on Palm Beach Boulevard. During that time, Jackson, D.S., and others attempted to find members of Bucktown to murder in the retaliatory scheme.
On November 2, 2019, Harris, Jr. obtained a vehicle for Jackson and D.S. to use during the commission of a murder. Jackson and D.S. proceeded to a known Bucktown hangout in Fort Myers and observed the victim, K.U., standing in front of the residence near the curb of the street. Jackson and D.S. quickly circled the block and returned, and at close range opened fire on K.U., killing him in front of the home with a gunshot wound to the head. After the shooting, Harris, Jr. paid Jackson and D.S. the remaining sum of money owed for completing the murder-for-hire scheme. Jackson and D.S. were also left in possession of the firearms used to commit the murder. Jackson and D.S. then returned to the Chicago area on a commercial bus on November 3, 2019.
During a search of Jackson’s Chicago-area home on November 21, 2019, law enforcement recovered two firearms from an attic space in Jackson’s room. Forensic analyses of the firearms by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives confirmed that both matched shell casings recovered from the murder scene and the murder vehicle, and that one of the firearms had fired the bullet which had been recovered from K.U.’s head during his autopsy.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fort Myers Police Department, with assistance from the Joliet (Illinois) Police Department, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael V. Leeman.
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.
Former Massachusetts Resident Sentenced to Federal Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking in Rhode IslandRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A former Pepperell, MA, man arrested during an FBI Safe Streets Task Force investigation that resulted in the seizure of more than 461 grams of pure crystal methamphetamine was sentenced today to four years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Peter Walkovich, 38, was arrested in May 2022, shortly after he drove away from a Cranston, RI, residence that was under surveillance by members of the task force. Law enforcement discovered 461.23 grams of 100% pure methamphetamine and various other packaging materials stashed inside three backpacks located inside the vehicle.
Walkovich, who was indicted by a federal grand jury, pleaded guilty on March 7, 2023, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and to a charge of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy to forty-eight months of incarceration in federal prison to be followed by three years of federal supervised release.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Paul F. Daly, Jr., and Peter I. Roklan.
United States Attorney Cunha thanks the Cranston and Central Falls Police Departments and the DEA for their assistance in the investigation of this matter.
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Former Marblehead Postal Worker Pleads Guilty to Conversion of Government MoneyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employee pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston in connection with two schemes to convert USPS funds.
Zeon Johnson, 28, of Saugus, pleaded guilty to one count of conversion of government money. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for Dec. 1, 2023. In May 2022, Johnson was indicted by a federal grand jury.
Beginning in approximately August 2018, Johnson worked as a Sales and Service Distribution Associate for USPS at the Marblehead Post Office. As part of his job, Johnson sold stamps and processed money order transactions for USPS customers. From approximately July 2019 through June 2020, Johnson converted over $18,000 in USPS funds for personal use by stealing cash funds paid by customers for stamps and issuing USPS money orders payable to himself.
The charge of conversion of government money provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Office, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia M. Carris, Deputy Chief of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elysa Wan of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
Former Head of New Mission School Pleads Guilty to Misusing Nearly $40,000 in School FundsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former Head of School for New Mission School in Hyde Park, an autonomous pilot school within the Boston Public Schools system, pleaded guilty today to engaging in a scheme to defraud Boston Public Schools of approximately $38,806 by misusing school funds for her own personal use.
Naia Wilson, 60, of Mattapan, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for Jan. 9, 2024. Wilson was charged on Aug. 1, 2023.
Wilson was employed as Head of School for New Mission School from 2006 until about June of 2019. Pilot schools like New Mission are granted maximum autonomy over their budget and spending. New Mission School receives a lump sum per pupil budget from Boston Public Schools and school administrators decide how to spend that money based on the needs of the school.
Pilot school budgets are managed by an external fiscal agent that contracts with Boston Public Schools. The school funds managed by the external fiscal agent were held in a bank account. In order to spend school funds managed by the external fiscal agent, Wilson, in her role as Head of School for New Mission School, would be required to make a formal check request to the external fiscal agent for a check to be issued from the bank account holding the school’s funds.
Beginning in or about September of 2016 and continuing until at least May of 2019, Wilson requested checks from the external fiscal agent school account to be issued in the name of other individuals, fraudulently endorsed those checks to herself and then deposited them into her own bank account without the nominee ever knowing or authorizing her to do so.
Additionally, Wilson requested checks from the external fiscal agent that were used to pay for two all-inclusive personal vacations to Barbados for herself and her friends in 2016 and 2018. For both the 2016 and 2018 Barbados trips, Wilson requested that the external fiscal agent issue checks payable to other people who went on the trips and then converted that money to pay for the all-inclusive hotel and airfare. Wilson also fraudulently endorsed the checks used to pay for the 2018 trip.
The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. The Boston Public Schools were cooperative in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eugenia M. Carris and Charles Dell’Anno of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
Former Bank President Ashton Ryan Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Fraud that Ended First NBC BankRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – On September 6, 2023, United States District Judge Eldon E. Fallon sentenced ASHTON J. RYAN, JR., age 75, of Kenner, Louisiana, to a term of imprisonment of 170 months following RYAN’s convictions for bank fraud and making false statements in bank records, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
In February 2023, following a five-week trial, a jury convicted Ryan on all 43 counts against him. The charges related to RYAN’s tenure as President, CEO, and Chairman of the Board at First NBC Bank (“Bank”), a now-defunct federally insured financial institution with its main branch in New Orleans, Louisiana. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, RYAN and others conspired to defraud the Bank through a variety of schemes, including by disguising the true financial status of certain borrowers and their troubled loans, and concealing the true financial condition of the Bank from the Bank’s Board, external auditors, and federal examiners. As RYAN’s fraud grew, it included several other bank employees and businesspeople from around the Gulf South. Several of the borrowers who conspired with RYAN, used First NBC money to pay RYAN individually or fund RYAN’s own businesses. Using Bank money this way helped RYAN conceal his use of such money for his own benefit.
When the Bank’s Board, external auditors, and FDIC examiners asked about loans to these borrowers, RYAN and his fellow fraudsters lied about the borrowers and their loans, hiding the truth about the deadbeat borrowers’ inability to pay their debts without receiving new loans. As a result, the balance on the borrowers’ fraudulent loans continued to grow, resulting, ultimately, in the failure of the Bank in April 2017. This failure caused approximately $1 billion in loss to the FDIC and the loss of approximately 500 jobs.
Judge Fallon sentenced RYAN to a term of imprisonment of 170 months as to each of the 43 counts of conviction to run concurrently, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release. RYAN was ordered to pay restitution totaling over $214 million to the FDIC. Judge Fallon also ordered RYAN to pay a mandatory special assessment fee of $100 per count.
“Ashton Ryan’s years-long deceit caused at the time, one the biggest bank failure in America in over a decade,” said United States Attorney Duane A. Evans, “and with this sentence, he rightfully takes his place as one of the most notorious white-collar criminals in our district’s history. Ryan’s intelligence and charisma were outmatched by his hubris and vanity. Ryan and his accomplices spent years hiding their tracks, by using sophisticated means, all to maintain their house of cards. But this office, along with our federal law enforcement partners, doggedly combed through the wreckage of what was First NBC to uncover the inner - workings of this complex fraud and its prime architect, RYAN. I am proud of this entire team’s work in identifying RYAN as the central figure in this years-long scheme and bringing him to justice.”
“Today’s sentencing sends a clear message that individuals who engage in fraudulent schemes that impact the security of financial institutions will be held accountable. This should be a deterrent to others who would attempt to manipulate the nation's banking system,” said Douglas A. Williams, Jr., FBI New Orleans Special Agent in Charge. “We thank our partners at the United States Attorney’s Office Eastern District, the FDIC Office of Inspector General and the Federal Reserve Board, Office of Inspector General.”
“Today’s sentencing represents the hard work of many prosecutors, agents, analysts, and other staff in investigating and prosecuting those who defraud financial institutions, specifically individuals entrusted to oversee the operations of FNBC. The FDIC-OIG thanks the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System for their dedication and effort in helping to bring Mr. Ryan to justice, ”said Anand Ramlall, Special Agent in Charge, Dallas Region, Office of Inspector General for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
“Today’s sentencing of Ashton Ryan is a warning to bank executives that if you commit fraud and deceive bank regulators you will pay a price for your actions,” said Brian Tucker, Special Agent in Charge, Eastern Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. “We commend the hard work and dedication of all those involved in this case that ultimately led to today’s result. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who undermine the safety and soundness of our banking institutions.”
The Assistant United States Attorneys who handled the trial were Senior Litigation Counsel Matthew R. Payne, Nicholas D. Moses of the Financial Crimes Unit, and J. Ryan McLaren of the Appellate Unit.
Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Orchestrating $1.15 Million Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Florida man pleaded guilty today to conspiring to defraud the United States, filing a false tax return and to aiding and assisting the preparation of a false tax return.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Rafael Ramos, of Orlando, recruited clients and prepared tax returns on their behalf that falsely claimed banks and other financial institutions had withheld large amounts of taxes from the clients’ income, thereby entitling them to refunds from the IRS. To further the scheme, Ramos and his co-conspirators filed false documents with the IRS, purporting to have been issued by the banks, to support the false withholding information reported on the returns.
When the IRS initiated proceedings to collect the fraudulently-issued refunds, Ramos held meetings with his clients and attempted to obstruct the IRS’s efforts by providing them with frivolous correspondence to send to the IRS, instructing clients to falsely inform the IRS that they self-prepared their returns and telling clients to move funds out of their bank accounts to avoid IRS levies. In total, Ramos’s scheme caused a tax loss to the IRS of over $1.15 million.
Ramos is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 30 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for conspiracy and three years in prison for each false return count. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Jeffrey McLellan, Ezra Spiro and Caroline Pearson of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Terry Livanos for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.