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Thursday 20 July 2023
Justice Department Secures Agreement with Staffing Services Company to Resolve Immigration-Related Employment Discrimination ClaimRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has secured a settlement agreement with FM Talent Source LLC, a Maryland-based staffing services company. The settlement resolves the department’s determination that FM Talent violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) when the company rescinded a job offer from a non-U.S. citizen and delayed his eventual hiring due to unfounded suspicions based on his citizenship status.
“Employers cannot make hiring decisions based solely on assumptions or stereotypes about an applicant’s citizenship status,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division will vigorously enforce the Immigration and Nationality Act’s nondiscrimination mandate to ensure that all job applicants are treated fairly.”
The department’s investigation began when a lawful permanent resident complained that FM Talent rescinded his job offer for a contract position with the federal government because of his citizenship status. The department found that, although the federal contract did not prohibit FM Talent from hiring a lawful permanent resident for the position, FM Talent rescinded the applicant’s offer due to unfounded suspicions that his status as a non-U.S. citizen, he would delay the hiring process. FM Talent renewed the worker’s job offer after the department opened its investigation, but the company’s discriminatory actions delayed the worker’s start date. Under the INA, employers cannot unlawfully discriminate based on citizenship, immigration status or national origin at any stage of the hiring process.
Under the terms of the settlement, FM Talent will pay a civil penalty to the United States and back pay to the affected worker. FM Talent will also train its staff on the INA’s anti-discrimination provision, revise its policies and procedures and be subject to departmental monitoring for a three-year period.
The Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. The statute prohibits discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; and retaliation and intimidation.
Find more information on how employers can avoid discrimination when hiring and recruiting on IER’s website. Learn more about how IER protects workers’ rights in this video. For more information about protections against employment discrimination under immigration laws, call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); sign up for a live webinar or watch an on-demand presentation; email [email protected]; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Sign up for email updates from IER.
Settlement AgreementJustice Department Secures Agreement with Wyoming School District to Address Discrimination Based on Sex and DisabilityRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced a settlement agreement with Teton County School District #1 in Wyoming to resolve the department’s investigation into alleged peer harassment based on sex and disability and retaliation. The department conducted its investigation under Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The department’s investigation focused on the school district’s response to students’ complaints of sexual harassment and to reports of a broader school climate in which female students were subjected to sexualized insults and derogatory comments in the hallways, in classes and on social media. The agreement will address the district’s ineffective responses to such complaints, which left female students vulnerable to continued harassment by their peers, including retaliatory harassment for reporting discrimination. The agreement also will address the district’s response to peer harassment based on disability and improve the district’s policies and training on how to identify and support students who exhibit signs of depression, anxiety, self-harm or suicidality resulting from harassment.
“Young women and girls should feel safe to learn in schools and not forced to endure a sexually hostile environment,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division. “It is vital that schools respond swiftly and effectively to reports of harassment and that they recognize and support students who show signs of trauma or have trauma-related disabilities. The reforms required by our settlement agreement will help to create meaningful change and a safer learning environment for all students across the district. The Justice Department is committed to holding all schools accountable to their obligation to provide every student an educational environment free from discrimination.”
The district cooperated fully with the department’s investigation and took proactive steps to begin revising and strengthening its anti-harassment policies and its multi-tiered support systems to help ensure that students who experience discrimination receive the proper services. Under the agreement, the district will build on these efforts by working with a consultant to review and revise its policies and practices, respond appropriately to every discrimination complaint and adopt appropriate supportive and remedial measures. The district also will, among other things:
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Make reasonable modifications to relevant policies, practices and procedures to support students who exhibit signs of trauma;
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Prohibit and take reasonable steps to prevent retaliation;
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Implement school climate assessments and an engagement plan;
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Train its civil rights coordinator and other staff on their obligations under the district’s antidiscrimination policies and complaint resolution procedures; and
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Institute internal monitoring and auditing procedures to ensure compliance and regularly evaluate the overall success of the district’s antidiscrimination program.
Protecting students from harassment and other discrimination is a top priority of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt, and additional information about the work of the Educational Opportunities Section is available at www.justice.gov/crt/educational-opportunities-section.
Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at www.civilrights.justice.gov/report.
Resolution Agreement-
Jury Convicts California Man of Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Huntington Park, California, man was found guilty at trial today of possessing approximately 2.6 pounds of cocaine, which he carried hidden in a suitcase while traveling by bus through Kansas City, Mo.
Alan E. Sanchez, 29, was found guilty of one count of possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute.
A detective with the Missouri Western Interdiction and Narcotics (MOWIN) Task Force approached Sanchez at a Kansas City, Mo., bus station as he got off the bus, which originated in Denver, Co., on Nov. 15, 2021. Sanchez was carrying a soft-sided suitcase. When the detective searched the suitcase, he found a bundle that contained approximately 2.6 pounds of cocaine. Sanchez also had $2,626 in cash.
Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for 90 minutes before returning a guilty verdict to U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark, ending a trial that began Tuesday, July 18.
Under federal statutes, Sanchez is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 40 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trey Alford and John C. Constance. It was investigated by the Kansas City Interdiction Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Jamestown Felon Going to Prison for Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Angelo Pollino, 35, of Jamestown, NY, who was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm, was sentenced to serve 78 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that in January 2012, Pollino was convicted in Chautauqua County Court of Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Fourth Degree and Burglary in the Third Degree, and was sentenced to serve one to three years in prison. As a result, Pollino is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm. On January 24, 2019, Pollino and two other men broke into and burglarized a home in the Town of Ellicott, NY. Pollino and the others took a .380 caliber pistol, a .38 caliber revolver, a Glock pistol, and various bank and credit cards of the victim. The following day, the three men utilized the victim’s bank and credit cards at various locations in New York and Pennsylvania. Pollino then traded the pistol and revolver for heroin.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. DeVito, New York Field Division, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division, the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson, and the Ellicott Police Department, under the direction of Chief William Ohnmeiss.
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Grand Jury-July 2023Read the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced the federal Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska has returned 14 unsealed Indictments charging 14 defendants. Indictments are charging documents that contain one or more individual counts that are merely accusations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
* Jorge Diaz Sanchez a/k/a Gilberto Vasquez-Parra, age 35, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation on or about October 13, 2018. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a one-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Maleeka D. Gilbert, age 21, is charged in a three-count Indictment. Count I charges Gilbert with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl from on or about an unknown date and continuing to on or about March 31, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Gilbert with possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl on or about March 31, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count III charges Gilbert with possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes on or about March 31, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 5 years’ and up to life imprisonment consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine, not less than five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Luis Fernando Hernandez Reyes, age 29, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation on or about June 22, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a one-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Madison S. Hill, age 29, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges Hill with bank robbery on or about May 20, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Hill with brandishing a weapon to commit a federal crime of violence on or about May 20, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 7 years’ and up to life imprisonment consecutive to the robbery, a $250,000 fine, a five-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment
* Nathan Scott Jandreau, age 38, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) on or about February 10, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 15 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $20,000,000 fine, not less than ten years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* John E. Kohler, age 52, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges Kohler with possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) on or about March 6, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 5 years’ and up to 40 years’ imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, not less than four years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Kohler with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) beginning on or about February 13, 2023 and continuing to on or about March 6, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Adan Morales Garcia, age 42, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation on or about June 2, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a one-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Nicolas Nicolas Antonio, age 39, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation on or about March 30, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a one-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Carolynne R. Parker a/k/a Carolynne R. Noffsinger, age 50, of Maineville, Ohio, is charged with theft concerning programs receiving federal funds beginning on or about July 25, 2018 and continuing through on or about August 22, 2019. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. There is also an allegation to forfeit United States currency and property seized.
* Juan Rafael Ramirez, age 27, is charged with illegal reentry of a removed alien after a felony conviction on or about June14, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Hugo Ruiz Rios, age 33, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine on or about April 16, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Miguel Fabian Ruvalcaba Munoz, age 36, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges Ruvalcaba Munoz with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) from on or about March 15, 2023 and continuing to on or about April 4, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Ruvalcaba Munoz with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) on or about March 15, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than five years and up to life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Bernabe Tercero-Reynoso, age 33, is charged with illegal reentry of a removed alien after an aggravated felony conviction on or about March 30, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Jacob Wilkins, age 42, of Mitchell, Nebraska, is charged in a three-count Indictment. Count I charges Wilkins with embezzlement and theft of labor union assets on or about July 25, 2016 and continuing to on or about August 12, 2021. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Wilkins with falsification, concealment, or destruction of financial records required to be kept by labor union on or about January 1, 2018 and continuing to on or about September 10, 2019. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 1 year imprisonment, a $10,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $25 special assessment. Count III charges Wilkins with falsification, concealment, or destruction of financial records required to be kept by labor union on or about January 1, 2019 and continuing to on or about March 31, 2020. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 1 year imprisonment, a $10,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $25 special assessment.
Contact Information:
Criminal Chief Donald J. Kleine, 402-661-3700
Drug Enforcement Unit Chief Matt Lierman, 402-661-3700
Grand Island Man Sentenced to Nine Years for Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan T. Lehr announced that Mohamed Gamar Ahmed, 20, of Grand Island, Nebraska, was sentenced on July 18, 2023, to 48 months’ imprisonment for possession of cocaine and fentanyl with the intent to distribute, and to a consecutive 60-month term of imprisonment for possession of firearms in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime. After his release from prison, he will begin a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Ahmed pleaded guilty to the offenses on April 18, 2023.
On March 28, 2022, officers with the Grand Island Police Department were called to a residence in Grand Island. When officers arrived, they found a juvenile female unconscious and not breathing. Officers began administering CPR and paramedics with the Grand Island Fire Department arrived a short time later. The female was revived with the use of Narcan and transported to the hospital.
A juvenile male, who was present when police arrived at the residence, reported previously purchasing a blue pill from Ahmed, which the juveniles believed was Percocet. Within minutes of ingesting the drug, the female began showing signs of an overdose and became unconscious.
Officers obtained a search warrant for Ahmed’s apartment. Inside the apartment, officers located loaded handguns, digital scales, plastic bags used for packaging drugs, ammunition, about 1.2 pounds of marijuana, THC vape pens, 31 grams of cocaine, and around 30 suspected Percocet pills. Testing completed by the Nebraska State Patrol Crime Laboratory showed the suspected Percocet pills contained fentanyl.
This case was investigated by the Grand Island Police Department and the Trident Drug Task Force, which is made up of officers from the Grand Island Police Department, Hall County Sheriff, Hastings Police Department, Adams County Sheriff, Kearney Police Department, Buffalo County Sheriff, Nebraska State Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Four Capital Region Men Charged with Pandemic Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Todd Ward a/k/a “Fats,” age 44, of Troy, New York; Christopher Ward a/k/a “Reek,” age 45, of Troy; Rocco Resciniti a/k/a “Rock,” age 49, of Albany; and a fourth defendant have been indicted for conspiring with a former New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) employee to fraudulently obtain unemployment insurance benefits in the names of other people.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge, Northeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG).
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman stated: “As alleged, the defendants teamed up with a corrupt state employee to arrange for the submission of fraudulent unemployment benefits applications. The COVID-19 national emergency is over, but with our federal and state law enforcement partners, we continue to investigate and prosecute those who viewed the pandemic as an opportunity to steal from government.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Janeen DiGuiseppi stated: “The scheme alleged in this case took crucial funding designed to assist hardworking Americans away from those struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic. Today’s arrests should serve as a warning to all that the FBI, along with our law enforcement partners, will not allow critical benefits program funding to be exploited by criminals looking to line their own pockets.”
USDOL-OIG Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone stated: “An important part of the mission of the Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations relating to unemployment insurance fraud, particularly when they involve insider threats. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and state workforce agencies to aggressively investigate these types of allegations.”
The indictment alleges that from about November 2020 to September 2021, Todd Ward, Christopher Ward, Resciniti and a fourth defendant conspired to submit fraudulent unemployment insurance applications in the names of other people by passing along personally identifiable information of at least 13 individuals to NYSDOL employee Carl J. DiVeglia III. DiVeglia then abused his NYSDOL computer systems access to submit and approve fraudulent unemployment benefits applications and to release benefits payments on those false claims. According to the indictment, the defendants each received a share of the benefits paid out by NYSDOL. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Todd Ward, Christopher Ward, and Resciniti appeared today before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart and were released with conditions. A fourth defendant has yet to be arrested.
The defendants are charged with mail fraud and conspiracy to commit mail fraud. These charges carry a maximum term of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
DiVeglia pled guilty to mail fraud and aggravated identity theft charges before Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby on April 13, 2022. DiVeglia admitted responsibility for over $1.6 million in losses to NYSDOL and to personally receiving approximately $225,000 in fraud proceeds.
The FBI and USDOL-OIG are investigating this case, with assistance from the NYSDOL Office of Special Investigations, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph S. Hartunian and Joshua R. Rosenthal are prosecuting this 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.
Former Union Officer Sentenced to 140 Months in Prison for Conspiracy, Wire Fraud, and EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – Brian Ahakuelo (age 61) was sentenced today in federal court by Senior United States District Judge Helen Gillmor to 140 months imprisonment and three years of supervised release for conspiracy, wire fraud, and embezzlement for crimes committed while he was employed by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (“IBEW”) Local 1260 and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $209,391.72. A federal trial jury found Ahakuelo and his wife, Marilyn Ahakuelo (age 59), guilty of those crimes after a four-week trial on November 21, 2022. Brian Ahakuelo has been detained in custody since the jury verdict.
Brian Ahakuelo and Marilyn Ahakuelo were both convicted of one count of conspiracy and 42 counts of wire fraud, and also convicted of embezzlement of a labor union asset (six counts and three counts, respectively). Brian Ahakuelo alone was convicted of 19 counts of money laundering. Judge Gillmor previously sentenced Marilyn Ahakuelo to 70 months in prison for her convictions.
At trial, the evidence showed that Brian Ahakuelo, who served as IBEW’s Business Manager and Financial Secretary, hired family members at high salaries and authorized the use of union funds for personal purposes, including extravagant travel for himself and those loyal to him. In the case of one family member hired by Brian Ahakuelo, little legitimate work was performed. The evidence at trial also showed that Brian and Marilyn Ahakuelo used union funds to purchase personal trips to the mainland, and that Brian Ahakuelo engaged in self-dealing by using union funds to purchase a truck already owned by Marilyn Ahakuelo while allowing her to continue to use it. When his activities largely depleted the union’s coffers, Brian Ahakuelo, with the help of Marilyn Ahakuelo and other union employees, rigged a vote on a resolution to increase membership dues. The voter fraud caused members to pay an additional $3.7 million in dues over approximately eighteen months.
“Labor leaders have a fiduciary duty to their members, and in this case, the jury returned its verdict after hearing extensive testimony and reviewing voluminous documentary evidence of Brian and Marilyn Ahakuelo’s criminal violation of that duty,” said United States Attorney Clare E. Connors. “Our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure criminal consequences in a court of law when this type of misconduct occurs.”
“Former Vice President Hubert Humphrey once said, ‘America is a living testimonial to what free men and women, organized in free democratic trade unions, can do to make a better life.’ Unfortunately, Brian and Marilyn Ahakuelo used their union to better their own lives, causing immense harm to all their fellow union members,” said Special Agent in Charge Adam Jobes, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Seattle Field Office. “Let today’s sentence be a cautionary tale to other would-be fraudsters that IRS-CI is committed to bringing criminals like the Ahakuelos to justice.”
“Brian Ahakuelo betrayed the trust of the union membership to protect and safeguard their union’s funds for the benefit of its members. The Office of Labor-Management Standards will continue to protect unions by bringing to justice, and seeking restitution from, any official who chooses to use union funds for their own benefit,” said Ed Oquendo, District Director, Los Angeles District Office, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards.
“Brian Ahakuelo betrayed the hardworking union members of the IBEW Local 1260,” said Hawai`i Attorney General Anne Lopez. “This case demonstrates the commitment of the Hawai`i Department of the Attorney General to collaborate with our federal partners in investigating and prosecuting those who abuse their positions of trust in this state. I extend profound gratitude to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Internal Revenue Service, and the U.S. Department of Labor for their outstanding work on this case.”
This conviction is the result of an investigation conducted by the Internal Revenue Service-CI, Department of Labor – Office of Labor Management Standards, and State of Hawaii Attorney General’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael F. Albanese and W. KeAupuni Akina prosecuted the case.
Former Newark Restaurant Owner Admits Failing to Collect and Pay Payroll TaxesRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – An Essex County man admitted failing to withhold and pay over payroll taxes stemming from his ownership of two formerly prominent Newark restaurants, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Jorge Fernandes, 76, of West Orange, New Jersey pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn to an information charging him with two counts of failing to collect payroll taxes for the tax period of 2016 through 2017.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Fernandes was the 50-percent owner of two restaurants in the Ironbound section of Newark, Iberia Tavern and Iberia Peninsula. Fernandes was fully aware of his legal obligation to collect payroll taxes from the restaurants’ employees, but instead paid a number of the employees “off the books,” or “under the table,” failing to collect any payroll taxes from them. Fernandes’ conduct caused the government a total tax loss of $715,780 for tax years 2016 through 2017.
The failing to collect payroll taxes charges to which Fernandes pleaded guilty each carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 20, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the IRS - Criminal Investigation under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins, and special agents with the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General, Northeast Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn Barnes, Chief of the OCDETF/Narcotics Unit in Newark.
fernandes.information.pdfFormer LASD Deputy Agrees to Plead Guilty to Conspiring to Violate the Civil Rights of Skateboarder Who Was Falsely ImprisonedRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputy has agreed to plead guilty to a felony charge of conspiring to violate the civil rights of a 23-year-old man at a Compton skatepark by falsely imprisoning him and to then obstruct justice to cover up the illegal detention, the Justice Department announced today.
Christopher Blair Hernandez, 37, who was a sheriff’s deputy formerly assigned to LASD’s Compton Station, agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy, according to a plea agreement filed today in United States District Court.
Hernandez is expected to formally plead guilty to the felony charge in the coming weeks.
According to his plea agreement, on the afternoon of April 13, 2020, Hernandez and this then-partner, former LASD deputy Miguel Angel Vega, were in uniform and on patrol in an LASD sports utility vehicle in the area near Wilson Park in Compton as part of their official duties at LASD. While on patrol, Hernandez and Vega saw two young Black males, one of whom Hernandez believed was on probation, outside a skateboard park enclosed by a tall fence within Wilson Park. Vega parked the SUV on the grass near the skatepark, after which Hernandez and Vega got out of the SUV and approached the individuals, whom they ordered to lift their shirts.
At this point, the victim – who is identified in court documents as “J.A.” – from inside the enclosed skatepark, began yelling at Hernandez and Vega to leave the Black males alone. J.A. did not threaten Vega or Hernandez or any of the other approximately 10 to 15 people inside the skatepark, who likewise did not pose any danger to Vega or Hernandez. Vega and J.A. then got into an argument during which Vega challenged J.A. to a fight, according to the plea agreement.
Vega then grabbed and pulled J.A. through an opening in the skatepark fence and confined J.A. in the back of the SUV as Hernandez looked on, the plea agreement states. During this incident, although Hernandez and Vega had ample time to do so, J.A. was not handcuffed, his seatbelt was not secured, he never was told he was under arrest, nor was he informed of his rights at any time. According to the plea agreement, Hernandez knew that Hernandez and Vega did not have any lawful basis to detain J.A., particularly after Vega had challenged J.A. to a fight.
After leaving the park, Vega, who was still driving the SUV with Hernandez in the front passenger seat and J.A. confined in the backseat, again challenged J.A. to a fight and taunted J.A. that the deputies were going to “set up” J.A., or words to that effect, and drop J.A. in gang territory, the plea agreement states. Hernandez added that Hernandez would beat up J.A. if they fought, according to the plea agreement. In addition, Vega made statements to J.A. suggesting to Hernandez that the two deputies were going to fabricate and falsely allege that J.A. exhibited symptoms of being under the influence of a stimulant as a pretext to justify their false imprisonment of J.A. Even though he did not believe that J.A. was under the influence of a stimulant, Hernandez did not take any steps to release J.A., challenge Vega’s actions, or alert a supervisor about what had occurred and was occurring.
While Vega and Hernandez continued driving with J.A. still confined in the back of the SUV, Vega began pursuing a group of young males on bicycles, one of whom appeared to grab his waistband and began riding away down an alley. Hernandez got out of the SUV to attempt to capture the bicyclist on foot, and Vega drove the SUV down the alley, where Vega crashed into a wall and another vehicle, causing J.A. to hit his face and head and sustain a cut above his right eye that later required stiches, court documents state. Following the collision, Vega removed J.A. from the patrol vehicle and told him to leave, informing Hernandez, who responded on foot to the alley shortly thereafter, that he had done so. After J.A. was released by Vega following the collision, J.A. walked out of the alley and tried to get help from strangers at a nearby house.
After the traffic collision, Vega reported over LASD radio that a person purportedly with a gun, whom Vega described as wearing clothes similar to J.A.’s clothing that day, had fled through an alley, which prompted numerous LASD personnel to respond to the scene to set up a containment zone. Even though Vega also reported the traffic collision over LASD radio, neither Vega during the radio calls, nor Vega or Hernandez during a subsequent conversation with their supervising sergeant at the scene, initially disclosed that they had detained J.A. at the skatepark or that J.A. had been in the SUV during the collision in the alley, Hernandez admitted in the plea agreement.
It was only after Vega learned that J.A. had been independently detained on a neighboring street by another LASD deputy as the purported gun suspect that Vega informed other deputies and his supervising sergeant that J.A. had been in the SUV during the crash. While J.A. was at a hospital later in the day to receive treatment for the injuries he sustained from the collision, Hernandez spoke with another deputy who had escorted J.A. to the hospital. Consistent with the plan suggested and articulated by Vega earlier in the day, Hernandez directed the deputy at the hospital to issue J.A. a citation for being under the influence of methamphetamine, even though Hernandez knew this to be false, according to the plea agreement. The deputy followed Hernandez’s direction and issued the citation.
Hernandez and Vega authored two incident reports regarding the day’s events. Hernandez and Vega intentionally included false, misleading, and ambiguous information in the reports to justify and legitimize, and ultimately cover up, their unlawful conduct, Hernandez admitted in the plea agreement. The first report falsely stated that J.A. appeared to be under the influence of a stimulant; that J.A. had threatened to harm people in the skatepark, as well as Vega and Hernandez; that a crowd of people were moving toward the LASD patrol vehicle as the defendants drove away after unlawfully detaining J.A; and that, following the crash in the alley, Vega checked J.A. for injuries and J.A. was placed in another patrol vehicle of an assisting LASD unit until paramedics arrived. The second report likewise falsely stated that Vega transferred J.A. to another patrol vehicle after the collision, which both Hernandez and Vega knew to be false, according to the plea agreement.
Vega has pleaded not guilty to a five-count indictment charging him with conspiracy, deprivation of rights under color of law, witness tampering, and two counts of falsification of records. His trial is scheduled for October 24.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
The FBI is conducting the investigation into this matter. The LASD’s Internal Criminal Investigations Bureau and Internal Affairs Bureau provided substantial assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys J. Jamari Buxton and Brian R. Faerstein of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section are prosecuting this case.
Former Homeless Center Employee Admits Stealing More Than $70,000 in Government Checks Intended for UnhousedRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – July 20, 2023
SAN DIEGO – Charisse Elaine Alexander pleaded guilty in federal court today to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, admitting that she stole 66 government-issued checks intended for unhoused individuals while working at the San Diego (Neil Good) Day Center for Homeless Adults.
According to her plea agreement, Alexander was employed at the San Diego (Neil Good) Day Center in April 2021 when she and her then-boyfriend devised a scheme to steal government checks sent to unhoused individuals receiving their mail at the Center. Alexander exploited her access to the mailroom to steal mail containing checks sent by the Social Security Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, Internal Revenue Service, and State of California. At least 56 individuals, most unhoused and of extremely limited financial means, had checks stolen by Alexander between April 2021 and January 2023.
Alexander, 55, admitted that she would steal the checks from the Center’s mailroom, divide them with her then-boyfriend, and that they would forge the signature of the intended recipient and deposit the check into their respective bank accounts. The money was eventually withdrawn at ATM locations in California and Nevada, many inside or near casinos. In total, Alexander agreed that she and her co-conspirator received at least $73,466.43 in stolen government money as a result of their fraud conspiracy.
Under the terms of her plea agreement, Alexander has agreed to make full restitution for the money stolen by both her and her co-conspirator.
“This crime victimized dozens of individuals, many of whom may not know that they had their checks stolen,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “This defendant exploited a position of trust and caused financial hardship to those least able to go without their retirement benefits, veteran’s pensions, tax returns, and public aid.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team and the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General for discovering and investigating this crime.
“Ms. Alexander preyed upon a vulnerable community and her criminal actions deprived them of their vital Social Security benefits,” said Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General for the Social Security Administration. “My office will continue to investigate those who conspire to steal the Social Security benefits of others for their own gain. I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey D. Hill for their work in prosecuting this case.”
Alexander was released on bail pending her sentencing hearing, which is scheduled before U.S. District Judge Barry Ted Moskowitz on October 12, 2023, at 1 p.m.
If you or someone you know were receiving mail at the San Diego (Neil Good) Day Center for Homeless Adults between 2020 and 2023, and believe that mail may have been stolen, please contact the United States Attorney’s Office at the number listed above, or the Social Security Fraud Hotline at (800) 269-0271.
DEFENDANT Case Number 23cr1460-BTM
Charisse Elaine Alexander Age: 55 San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1349
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine
AGENCIES
Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General
Former High School Dean Convicted of 2010 MurderRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ISRAEL GARCIA, a/k/a “Shorty Rock,” the former leader of the Get Money Gunnaz set of the Young Gunnaz street gang (the “GMG YGz”), was found guilty at trial of the October 11, 2010, murder of Alfonso “Joey” McClinton in aid of racketeering. GARCIA shot and killed McClinton on a residential street in the Bronx, New York, as part of a dispute over narcotics trafficking territory. GARCIA was also convicted of engaging in a conspiracy to distribute narcotics, murder while engaged in a narcotics conspiracy, murder through the use of a firearm, possessing firearms in connection with narcotics trafficking, and attempted witness tampering. The verdict followed a seven-day trial before U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “On October 11, 2010, Israel Garcia shot and killed 21-year-old Alfonso ‘Joey’ McClinton on a residential street in the Bronx. Garcia was the leader of the violent street gang known as the GMG YGz, which had been warring with Joey McClinton’s family over drug territory in the Bronx. Garcia used this horrific murder to maintain his leadership role in the GMG YGz and solidify his hold over the GMG YGz drug-selling territory. For the next decade, Garcia led the GMG YGz’s reign of terror over the neighborhood, recruiting children and others into a drug trafficking enterprise that poisoned the community with crack cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl, and protecting his drug turf with firearms and violence. Over time, Garcia attempted to create the façade of a law-abiding citizen, becoming the dean of a local high school in order to mask that he was still running the GMG YGz’s violence and drug trafficking. Yesterday, a unanimous jury held Garcia accountable for his brutal killing of Joey McClinton and for ruining countless other lives.”
According to court filings and the evidence presented in court during trial:
For more than a decade, the defendant controlled the sale of narcotics in the vicinity of East 184th Street and Morris Avenue in the Bronx as the leader of the GMG YGz. As part of their narcotics operation, GMG YGz members carried firearms and engaged in back-and-forth shootings with neighboring, rival crews. This violence resulted in, among other acts, the 2010 murder of Alfonso “Joey” McClinton. The State of New York arrested and prosecuted GMG YGz member Joseph (“Juice”) Johnson for the killing.[1] Ballistics, video evidence, and eyewitness testimony, however, revealed that there was a second shooter involved in McClinton’s murder. GARCIA was that second shooter. When GARCIA became concerned that Johnson might cooperate with law enforcement, GARCIA took steps to prevent Johnson from identifying GARCIA as the person with whom he committed the murder.
* * *
GARCIA, 32, of the Bronx, New York, was convicted of (i) murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison and a maximum sentence of death or life in prison; (ii) narcotics conspiracy, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; (iii) murder while engaged in a narcotics conspiracy, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum sentence of death or life in prison; (iv) murder through the use of a firearm, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of death or life in prison; (v) firearms use, carrying, and possession in connection with a drug trafficking crime, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, which must be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed, and a maximum sentence of life in prison; and (vi) attempted witness tampering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The minimum and maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration; the New York City Police Department; the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations; and the U.S. Marshals Service. This prosecution 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.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob Gutwillig, Maggie Lynaugh, and Jonathan Bodansky, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Owen Foley, are in charge of the prosecution.
[1] Johnson was convicted at trial of second-degree murder in The People of the State of New York v. Joseph Johnson, Index Number 4311/2010. On February 3, 2022, the verdict against Johnson was vacated. Johnson subsequently pled guilty to manslaughter and is serving a 17-year sentence.
Former Employee of Medical Device Manufacturer Pleads Guilty to Forging Two FDA Clearance Letters for Medical DevicesRead the Press Release
A Philadelphia-area man pleaded guilty today for his role in distributing medical devices without U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance, the Department of Justice announced.
Peter Stoll III, 34, pleaded guilty to one felony count of violating the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) by causing the introduction of misbranded and adulterated medical devices into interstate commerce, in violation of 21 United States Code, Section 331(a) and 331(a)(2).
According to court documents, Stoll was a regulatory affairs specialist at a medical device manufacturer located in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and was responsible for making submissions to the FDA that were required before the company could sell its medical devices. In pleading guilty, Stoll admitted that in 2017 he created two false letters that purported to show that FDA had granted clearance to sell two different medical devices. As a result, the company illegally sold tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of medical devices throughout the United States.
Stoll was responsible for shepherding two of the company’s devices through the FDA’s 510(k) clearance process: the ELAN-4 Air Drill, a high-speed surgical drill used for bone cutting, sawing, and drilling, and the JS Series SterilContainer S2, a reusable sterilization container for medical instruments. Stoll admitted that he never submitted any 510(k) documents to FDA regarding either device. Instead, Stoll created a fraudulent letter using FDA letterhead and bearing the forged digital signature of an FDA official that falsely stated that FDA had cleared the ELAN-4 Air to be marketed. Stoll later created another, similarly fraudulent letter on FDA letterhead for the SterilContainer JS Series medical device.
“Subverting the FDA clearance process for medical devices can put patients’ lives at risk,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will work with its law enforcement partners to prosecute anyone who ignores their obligations regarding consumer safety.”
“FDA must be notified and given the opportunity to clear certain medical devices before they are distributed into interstate commerce,” said Assistant Commissioner for Criminal Investigations Justin D. Green of the FDA. “Not obtaining this required clearance is bad enough, but impersonating FDA to cover up this failure is truly egregious and puts patients at risk. The FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations (OCI) protects the American public by aggressively investigating allegations involving FDA-regulated products and violations of the FDCA. In this case, OCI worked with the Justice Department to ensure a just resolution, and we applaud the exceptional work done by the team.”
Stoll pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Edward G. Smith. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 7. He faces a maximum penalty of three years’ in prison, a one-year period of supervised release, a $250,000 fine and $100 special assessment.
FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Max J. Goldman and Assistant Director Ross S. Goldstein of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Beth Leahy for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania prosecuted the case.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
Former Correctional Officer Indicted for Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Katrina Denise McCoy (40, Minneola) with fourteen counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each count of wire fraud and a two-year minimum mandatory prison sentence for the aggravated identity theft offense. The indictment also provides for forfeiture of at least $39,570, representing the proceeds of the offenses.
According to evidence presented in court, between March 27, 2019, and February 23, 2021, and while employed as a correctional officer with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, McCoy created a scheme to defraud by making false representations on disability claims and submitting fictitious documentation in support of those claims. She also used a means of identification of two people to effectuate her scheme. As a result, she caused fourteen wire transfers into her bank account totaling $39,570.
An indictment is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a federal criminal offense. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Florida Department of Financial Services Division of Investigative and Forensic Services, Bureau of Insurance Fraud and the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.
Final Defendant Pleads Guilty in Violent Carjacking Conspiracy Targeting Uber and Lyft DriversRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Minneapolis man has pleaded guilty to his role in a violent carjacking ring that targeted Uber and Lyft drivers, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, between September and October 2021, Eric Harrell Knight, 20, along with others, engaged in a series of violent carjackings and armed robberies, targeting Uber and Lyft drivers. As part of the scheme, members of the conspiracy lured victim-drivers to particular locations under the guise of picking up or dropping off passengers. When the victim-drivers arrived, members of the conspiracy brandished firearms and demanded the cell phones and wallets of the victim-drivers. Members of the conspiracy forced the victim-drivers at gunpoint to unlock their cell phones and provide passcodes. The conspiracy members then transferred money, via Cash App or other applications, from the accounts of the victim-drivers to the accounts of members of the conspiracy. Members of the conspiracy then carjacked the victim-drivers at gunpoint. To intimidate and force compliance, members of the conspiracy struck, pistol whipped, and threatened to kill the victim-drivers.
Knight pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court before Judge Katherine M. Menendez to one count of conspiracy to use, carry, and brandish firearms during and in relation to crimes of violence. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Minneapolis Police Department.
U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Calhoun-Lopez are prosecuting the case.
Fentanyl Trafficking Ring Operator Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Firearms Violations and Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to 144 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for fentanyl trafficking and illegal possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
“Fentanyl is a uniquely dangerous drug, making it the leading cause of death for Americans between 18 and 45,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger. “Fentanyl traffickers who carry firearms to protect their deadly trade can expect to face lengthy federal prison sentences.”
According to court documents, in 2021 and 2022, Jimmie Bivins Jr., 22, and his co-conspirators were part of a drug trafficking ring that obtained “M30” or “MBox” fentanyl pills from a source of supply outside of Minnesota and transported and distributed the pills across the Twin Cities region. Bivins regularly distributed the fentanyl pills in quantities ranging from 100 to 1,000 or more at a time. On one occasion, Bivins sold 2,030 pills to an undercover informant during a transaction that occurred in Bivins’ Uptown apartment.
According to court documents, during the course of the investigation, law enforcement conducted a seizure operation in March 2022 and obtained approximately 57,000 M30 fentanyl pills, more than $83,000 in U.S. currency, and multiple firearms from Bivins, including a Seekings Precision Model SP223 semi-automatic rifle from Bivins’s vehicle. He was arrested, charged in Hennepin County Court, and obtained release on bail.
Afterward, in July 2022, law enforcement encountered Bivins during a traffic stop and ultimately recovered a Glock model 45 9mm semiautomatic pistol from under Bivins’ driver’s seat. The firearm was loaded with an extended magazine which contained 28 rounds of ammunition. The Grand Jury indicted Bivins in July 2022.
Because Bivins has prior felony convictions, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
On December 19, 2022, Bivins pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm as a felon. He was sentenced on July 18, 2023, before Senior Judge Michael J. Davis.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, the Southwest Hennepin Drug Task Force, the Dakota County Drug Task Force, the Fridley Police Department, and the St. Paul Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen A. Slaughter Jr. prosecuted the case.
Federal Search Warrants ExecutedRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa -- On Thursday, July 20, 2023, federal search warrants were executed at the following locations in the Des Moines metropolitan area:
• 900 block of Creston Avenue, Des Moines,
• 1200 block of 23rd Street, Des Moines,
• 200 block of East Caulder Circle, Des Moines,
• 400 block of East Thornton Avenue, Des Moines,
• 2500 block of East Sheridan Avenue, Des Moines,
• 1500 block of South 50th Street, West Des Moines,
• 9000 block of Burkwood Drive, West Des Moines, and
• 15000 block of Boston Parkway, Clive.
The searches at these locations were an official law enforcement action involving officers, agents, and investigators from Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Des Moines Police Department, United States Postal Inspection Service, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement (DNE), Iowa State Patrol, Iowa Division of Intelligence and Fusion Center, Iowa State Patrol SWAT, United States Marshals Service, Clive Police Department, West Des Moines Police Department, Ames Police Department, Altoona Police Department, Mid-Iowa Narcotics Task Force, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Suburban Emergency Response Team (SERT), and Metro Special Tactics and Response (STAR).Federal Jury Convicts Pensacola Armed Fentanyl TraffickerRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Marcus D. Flintroy, 32, of Pensacola, Florida, was found guilty by a federal jury Wednesday afternoon on two counts of distribution of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The guilty verdict was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Between December 8, 2022, and January 5, 2023, Flintroy distributed and possessed with intent to distribute approximately 200 grams of fentanyl in Pensacola. As revealed at trial, this was an extremely large amount of a lethal controlled substance. The evidence against Flintroy culminated with a traffic stop conducted by law enforcement, which Flintroy tried to evade by ramming his vehicle into multiple undercover law enforcement vehicles. Flintroy then ran on foot when his vehicle became disabled, but he was caught by law enforcement officers. In his vehicle, law enforcement located approximately 100 grams of fentanyl, numerous items of drug paraphernalia, a loaded assault rifle, a loaded pistol, and over 180 rounds of ammunition.
Flintroy has prior state felony convictions for offenses ranging from fleeing and eluding law enforcement, aggravated assault with a firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, grand theft auto, and sell, manufacture, deliver, or possess with intent to sell, manufacture, or deliver a controlled substance. Flintroy had just been released from state prison in late 2021 before engaging in the new federal offenses.
Sentencing in the case is set for October 19, 2023, at 9:00 a.m., at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers. Based on his prior criminal history, Flintroy faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years in federal prison with a maximum of up to life imprisonment.
This case resulted from a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Highway Patrol, the Pensacola Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Jessica S. Etherton prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Federal Grand Jury Indicts 27 Individuals for Roles in a Fraudulent Scheme to Obtain COVID-19 Relief FundsRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – W. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, announced the indictment of 27 individuals for their participation in a scheme to illegally obtain federal recovery funds under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The Grand Jury charged the defendants with multiple counts of wire fraud and money laundering. The charging documents allege that from April 2020 through July 2023, the defendants and their co-conspirators caused the submission of at least 23 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications seeking the illegal disbursement of at least $458,923 in federal recovery funds from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and Bank 1.
“This is the third round of defendants charged since April 2023 relating to this fraud scheme, and the investigation remains ongoing,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “The EIDL and PPP loans were supposed to benefit those whose legitimate businesses were suffering from losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Prosecution of those who illegally obtain government benefits will continue to be a priority for our office.”
The United States Secret Service, the Small Business Administration Office of the Inspector General, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Treasury Department, the Puerto Rico Bureau of Special Investigations, the Puerto Rico Police Bureau, and the Guaynabo Municipal Police.
According to court documents, defendant Brian Oniel Blassini, together with Manfred A. Pentzke Lemus, a.k.a. “Man/Contable/El Gestor”, Rodolpho R. Pagesy Roussel, a.k.a. “El Banquero”, Augusto A. Lemus Berrios, a.k.a. “Primo”, Jonatan Ben David Prieto Ruiz De Val, a.k.a. “Johnny Millones”, Ligia María Lemus De Pentzke, and others knowingly devised a scheme to defraud the SBA and Bank 1 to obtain federal money and property by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises submitted through applications for EIDL and PPP loans made available to help small businesses recover from the impact of the pandemic through the CARES Act. Pentzke Lemus, Pagesy Roussel, Lemus Berrios, Prieto Ruiz De Val, and Lemus De Pentzke were previously charged in April in a separate indictment.
The defendants are:
[1] Brian Oniel Blassini
[2] Denise Marie Torres Polonio
[3] Rosario Polonio Báez
[4] Isaac Adorno Polonio
[5] Luis Manuel González Blassini
[6] Carlos J. Negrón Flores
[7] Christopher Molina Chévere
[8] Edgar R. Rodríguez Torres
[9] Giovanni Hernández Collazo
[10] Ismael Ramírez Zayas
[11] Jancarlo Morales
[12] Julio Vera De Jesús
[13] Kiara Lee Sierra Bermúdez
[14] Luis Miguel Burgos Dávila
[15] Maximino Vera Rivera
[16] Michael Jovany Pagán Ruiz
[17] Nelson Yadiel Rodríguez Vega
[18] Roberto Argenis Fragoso Negrón
[19] Saúl L. Maldonado Acosta
[20] Homar Javier Horta Torres
[21] Carlos E. Nevárez Correa
[22] Elías Díaz Delgado
[23] Michelle Crespo Blanco
[24] Norberto Torres Colón
[25] Stephanie D. Ruiz Martínez
[26] Victor L. González Barbosa
[27] Yanhzee Puig Maisonet
The CARES Act authorized federal assistance through the issuance of SBA loans to small businesses and non-profit entities that experienced revenue loss due to the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic. The EIDL program was one such loan assistance program for small businesses. To procure the loan, applicants had to fill out an online application detailing operational information for the 12‑month period prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the number of employees in the business, the gross business revenues realized, and the cost of goods sold. Another form of assistance provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of United States taxpayer funds in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, such as interest on mortgages, rent and utilities, through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
The indictment alleges that the defendants and their co-conspirators submitted at least 23 fraudulent EIDL and PPP loan applications containing materially false and fraudulent information and false documents, including false and fictitious tax documents, payroll records, bank records, and identification documents, to procure the disbursement of EIDL and PPP assistance loans by Bank 1. The indictment further alleges that the defendants and their co-conspirators directed the recipients of the fraudulently obtained PPP and EIDL loans to remit a portion of the proceeds of the loans to the defendants and their co-conspirators and used the loan proceeds to benefit themselves and others, and to pay for expenses prohibited under the requirements of the EIDL and PPP programs.
The court documents claim that defendant Manfred A. Pentzke Lemus was the principal organizer of the fraudulent scheme and the efforts to launder the proceeds; defendant Rodolpho R. Pagesy Roussel worked at Bank 1 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and used his position to obtain the approval of fraudulent PPP applications; defendant Augusto A. Lemus Berríos assisted in the preparation of fraudulent PPP applications; defendant Jonatan Ben David Prieto Ruiz De Val acted as a money courier and coordinated the delivery of “kickback” payments to further the fraudulent scheme; defendant Ligia María Lemus De Pentzke received “kickback” payments from proceeds of the fraudulent scheme and forwarded them to her co‑conspirators; and defendant Carlos Manfredo Pentzke Chamorro received fraudulent PPP and EIDL loans in furtherance of the conspiracy.
Defendants Brian Oniel Blassini and Homar Javier Horta Torres are facing one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, for knowingly conducting financial transactions involving the proceeds of wire fraud, together with other individuals previously indicted. The defendants, including Brian Oniel Blassini, are also alleged to have recruited other unindicted co-conspirators to not only obtain additional EIDL and PPP loans under false pretenses, but recruit others to submit fraudulent applications.
If convicted, the defendants are facing up to 30 years in prison for the wire fraud counts. Brian Oniel Blassini and Homar Javier Horta Torres are also facing up to 20 years of imprisonment for the money laundering count.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy R. Henwood and Daniel J. Olinghouse.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Federal Charges Brought Against Man Accused of Shooting at Hertford County Sheriff’s DeputyRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – The United States Attorney’s Office filed a Criminal Complaint against Talametrius Kenyon Spruill, 41, of Ahoskie. Spruill is alleged to be a felon in possession of ammunition after he allegedly fired four shots at a Hertford County Sheriff’s Deputy who responded to a suspicious person call at 3 a.m. on July 16, 2023, in Ahoskie. Spruill is alleged to have fired four rounds at the deputy who was not struck and returned fire. Spruill managed to escape on foot and was arrested on the night of July 17, 2023, on state charges and remains in custody. If convicted, Spruill faces up to 180 months in prison for the federal charges.
This complaint is part of a sustained effort by local, state, and federal law enforcement to make Eastern North Carolina safer by using inter-agency coordination and federal cooperation to address violent crime and local gun violence.
“We stand by and support the law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line to keep our communities safe,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Brazen attacks on those who protect and serve will not be tolerated. We will continue to use every tool available to keep our communities safe by addressing gun violence.”
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The Hertford County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Phil Aubart is prosecuting the case.
A Criminal Complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Essex County Man Charged with Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man was arrested and charged with bank robbery, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Sufyan A. Abdullah, 54, of Newark, is charged by complaint with two counts of bank robbery. He appeared on July 20, 2023, before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark III in Newark federal court and was detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On July 8, 2023, Abdullah entered a bank in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and handed a note to a teller claiming to have multiple firearms and threatening a “mass shooting.” Abdullah fled the bank without obtaining any money. On July 15, 2023, Abdullah entered a bank in Springfield, New Jersey, and placed an object – which he claimed to be an explosive device – on the counter in front of a teller, demanding money and threatening to blow up the bank. The teller gave Abdullah cash, and Abdullah said he would blow up the bank if anyone followed him or he heard sirens. Law enforcement subsequently determined that the purported explosive device was an imitation explosive device.
The counts of bank robbery each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the Springfield Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police John Cook, and the Elizabeth Police Department, under the direction of Police Chief Giacommo Sacca, for their assistance in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Fell of the Narcotics/OCDETF Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
abdullah.complaint.pdfEl Prado Man Pleads Guilty to Charges in Wire Fraud and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, the Department of the Interior (DOI) Office of Inspector General, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Inspector General announced today that Jeffrey Ham pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Ham, 46, of El Prado, NM, will remain on conditions of release pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
According to the plea agreement and court documents, Ham owned Timberline Environmental, LLC, an environmental restoration company. . Ham’s co-defendant James Matison, 57, of Boulder, CO, worked as a Program Director at WildEarth Guardians, a not-for-profit organization whose goal is to protect and restore wildlife, natural resources, and ecosystems of the American west. WildEarth Guardians relies on funding primarily through grants that it receives either directly from federal agencies, such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI), or indirectly via the State of New Mexico or other not-for-profit organizations. Between February 2015 and April 2019, Ham conspired with Matison to inflate hours billed to WildEarth Guardians by Timberline Environmental, LLC and to pass the excess funds to Matison. All told, Matison and Ham diverted more than $240,000 from WildEarth Guardians.
At sentencing, Ham faces up to 20 years in prison.
The Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General and the Department of the Interior Office of Inspector General investigated this case which is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy Peña.
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El Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo con una compañía de contratación para resolver una acusación de discriminación en el empleo relacionada con la inmigraciónRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha llegado a un acuerdo conciliatorio con FM Talent Source LLC, una compañía de servicios de contratación radicada en Maryland. El acuerdo resuelve la determinación del Departamento que FM Talent vulneró la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad (INA, por sus siglas en inglés) cuando la compañía rescindió una oferta de trabajo a un no ciudadano de los EE. UU. y aplazó su eventual contratación debido a sospechas infundadas con base en su estatus de ciudadanía.
«Los empleadores no pueden basar sus decisiones en lo que se refiere a la contratación únicamente en presunciones o estereotipos sobre el estatus de ciudadanía de un postulante», declaró Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «La División de Derechos Civiles hará cumplir con firmeza el mandato no discriminatorio de la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad con el fin de garantizar que se trate de manera justa a todo postulante de trabajo».
La investigación del Departamento comenzó cuando un residente permanente legal se quejó que FM Talent rescindió su oferta de trabajo para un puesto como contratista con el gobierno federal por motivos de su estatus de ciudadanía. El Departamento halló que FM Talent rescindió la oferta del postulante debido a sospechas infundadas de la compañía que el estatus del postulante como no ciudadano de los EE. UU. retrasaría el proceso de contratación. FM Talent renovó la oferta de trabajo del postulante después de que el Departamento inició su investigación, pero las acciones discriminatorias aplazaron la fecha de comienzo del trabajador. Conforme a la INA, los empleadores no pueden, en ningún punto durante el proceso de contratación, discriminar de manera ilícita, con base en el estatus migratorio o de ciudadanía o bien por la nacionalidad de origen.
Según los términos del acuerdo, FM Talent pagará una sanción civil a los Estados Unidos y pagos retroactivos al trabajador afectado. Por otra parte, FM Talent capacitará a su personal en cuanto a la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA, revisará sus políticas y procedimientos y se someterá a la supervisión del Departamento durante un período de tres años.
La Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados («IER», por sus siglas en inglés) de la División de Derechos Civiles es responsable de hacer cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. La ley prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía y nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión, prácticas documentales injustas y represalias e intimidación.
Hay más información disponible en el sitio web de la IER sobre cómo los empleadores pueden evitar la discriminación en los procesos de contratación y reclutamiento. Aprenda más sobre cómo la IER protege los derechos de los trabajadores en este video. Para más información sobre protecciones en virtud de las leyes migratorias contra la discriminación por parte de empleadores, llame a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); llame a la línea directa de la IER para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); inscríbase a un seminario en línea en vivo o vea una presentación a la carta; envíe un correo electrónico a [email protected]; o visite los sitios web de la IER en inglés y español. Inscríbase para recibir actualizaciones por correo electrónico de la IER.
Settlement AgreementEast Bay Resident Charged with Fraud in Alleged Quarter-Million Dollar Embezzlement SchemeRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – A federal grand jury has indicted Athena Harven, charging her with four counts of wire fraud in connection with an alleged scheme to embezzle more than a quarter of a million dollars from the now-defunct San Francisco non-profit organization where she formerly worked, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) Office of the Inspector General (“OIG”) Special Agent in Charge Mark Kaminsky. Harven made her initial appearance in federal court this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Alex Tse to face the charges.
According to the indictment, Harven, 53, of Vallejo, Calif., was Director of Operations at a San Francisco-based non-profit organization that provided academic support and employment assistance to students in the Sunnydale and Visitacion Valley neighborhoods of San Francisco. The non-profit received funding from, among other sources, the City and County of San Francisco and HUD. As Director of Operations, Harven had access to, and control over, the non-profit’s finances. According to the indictment, for almost four years between April 2015 and December 2018, Harven engaged in a scheme to defraud the organization. Specifically, Harven allegedly wrote herself 119 checks on the non-profit’s bank account and prepared paperwork to suggest that the funds from many of those checks would be used to pay the non-profit’s payroll taxes; in fact, Harven allegedly deposited the checks into bank accounts she controlled and spent the funds to enrich herself, including to withdraw cash from ATMs; to pay for travel expenses, rent, utilities, and groceries; to shop online; to make purchases at various retail stores, restaurants, hotels, casinos, and gas stations; and to shore up the finances of—and to pay expenses associated with—a bakery that she owned and operated.
The indictment alleges that Harven took money earmarked to pay the non-profit’s payroll taxes and spent it instead at merchants including Victoria’s Secret, Forever 21, VIP Luggage & Leather, H&M, and Hollister. She also allegedly withdrew thousands of dollars in cash and allegedly used the funds to pay business rent for her bakery.
The indictment further alleges that Harven took several steps to conceal her fraud from the non-profit allowing the fraud to continue. For example, she allegedly altered the non-profit’s records to show the payee on many of the checks she wrote to herself was ADP, a payroll processing company that formerly worked with the non-profit; in fact, Harven was the payee on the checks. Further, Harven allegedly intercepted dozens of communications over several years from the state tax authorities to the non-profit regarding the organization’s unpaid payroll taxes, allowing her fraud to continue undetected. Additionally, Harven allegedly concocted a fake email, purportedly from an employee of the California Economic Development Department, to conceal her fraudulent scheme.
The indictment alleges that the non-profit and Harven failed to make any payroll tax payments to the federal or state tax authorities between April 2015 and December 2018 and that, as a result, the non-profit owed hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid taxes in December 2018, when the organization laid off its employees (including Harven), ceased its operations, and collapsed. Finally, the indictment alleges that “the amount of payroll taxes [the non-profit] failed to pay from 2015 through 2018 closely approximated the $256,771.84 Harven embezzled during that same time period.”
The indictment charges Harven with four counts of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343.
Magistrate Judge Tse released Harven on a personal recognizance bond after this morning’s initial appearance. Harven’s next appearance in this case is scheduled for August 30, 2023, for a status hearing before the Honorable Charles R. Breyer, Senior United States District Judge.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Harven faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of twice the gross loss resulting from her criminal conduct. As part of any sentence, the court also may order Harven to serve up to three years of supervised release to begin after any term of imprisonment, and may impose additional assessments and restitution, if appropriate. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Parker is prosecuting the case with assistance from Lance Libatique and Andy Ding. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development - Office of Inspector General.
Dubuque Heroin and Cocaine Dealer SentencedRead the Press Release
A man who sold cocaine and heroin near Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, was sentenced on July 19, 2023, to more than four years in federal prison.
Rashaun Carter, age 46, from Lynwood, Illinois, received the prison term after a November 23, 2022 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine within 1000 feet of Loras College.
At the guilty plea, Carter admitted he was involved in the distribution of heroin and cocaine out of a house located near the Loras College campus in Dubuque in 2017 and 2018. In January 2018, Dubuque Drug Task Force Officers stopped Carter and others as they returned from Chicago with over 300 grams of cocaine that was to be sold in Dubuque.
Carter was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Carter was sentenced to 51 months’ imprisonment and must also serve a six-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Carter is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Reinert and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Dubuque Drug Task Force comprised of the Dubuque Police Department and the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-01021.
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Drug Dealers Who Dangerously Fled from Law Enforcement Prosecuted in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
POCATELLO and BOISE – Today, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced the progress in two cases in which two separate Idaho men dangerously fled from law enforcement to avoid investigation into their drug trafficking activities.
In the first case, Theodore Maynard Hamann, 40, of Pocatello, was sentenced to 130 months in federal prison for drug trafficking. On December 21, 2021, Hamman was arrested after hitting an Idaho State Trooper with his vehicle and leading law enforcement officers on a high-speed chase while transporting three pounds of methamphetamine.
According to court records, Hamann was driving a white pickup truck when he was pulled over by an Idaho State Police Trooper. During the traffic stop, the trooper explained that investigators would be searching his vehicle due to information they received from one of the passengers. Before the trooper finished his comment, Hamann put the vehicle in drive and sped away striking the trooper with his vehicle. Assisting officers pursued Hamann and eventually apprehended him. Officers later searched Hamann’s vehicle and found over three pounds of methamphetamine that he intended to distribute to another person. The advisory sentencing guideline applicable to Hamann was increased because he recklessly placed the trooper and the public in danger when he fled from police. United States Chief District Judge David C. Nye, who sentenced Hamann, considered the advisory sentencing guideline when imposing the sentence.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the investigations by the Idaho State Police, Bannock County Sheriff’s Office, Pocatello Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which led to the charges in the Hamann case.
In a separate case, Robert Dean Glenn, 48, of Nampa, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in connection with a January 10, 2023 incident in which he fled from a Nampa Police Officer during a routine traffic stop.
According to court records, Glenn jumped out of a moving vehicle during a traffic stop in an attempt to flee from law enforcement. After a foot pursuit through a grocery store parking lot, a Nampa Police Department patrol officer was able to apprehend Glenn. The officer searched Glenn and found nearly one pound of methamphetamine taped to his ankle. The bag holding the methamphetamine had a hole in it and spilled methamphetamine in a serpentine-like path through the grocery store parking lot when Glenn had run from police. Officers secured the scene and collected the methamphetamine scattered throughout the parking lot.
Glenn is scheduled to be sentenced on October 3, 2023, and faces a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of at least five years and a maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison, a fine of up to five million dollars, and at least four years of supervised release. A federal district court judge will determine Glenn’s sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the work of the Nampa Police Department, which led to the charges in the Glenn case.
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Doctor and Office Manager Charged for $1.3M COVID-19 Loan Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
An indictment was unsealed yesterday charging a Nevada doctor and his wife with fraudulently obtaining approximately $1.3 million in COVID-19 pandemic relief loans through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
According to court documents, Kofi Sarfo, 58, of Las Vegas, is a medical doctor and the owner and president of Vista Medical Associates, a Las Vegas medical practice. His wife, Rose Sarfo, 54, also of Las Vegas, is the office manager and treasurer of Vista Medical Associates. Kofi and Rose Sarfo allegedly conspired to submit false loan applications to obtain EIDL and PPP pandemic relief funds. Rather than spending the money on their business as represented in the loan applications, the Sarfos allegedly used at least some of the funds to purchase stocks and cryptocurrency.
The Sarfos are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud. In addition, Kofi Sarfo is charged with one count of money laundering. If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and for each count of wire fraud. Kofi Sarfo also faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the money laundering charge.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans of the FBI Las Vegas Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Las Vegas Field Office is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Kyle Crawford of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the case.
In May 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit 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 via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
District Man Sentenced to 97 Months in Prison for Distributing Drugs and Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Demarco Boyd, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 97 months in prison for his convictions on drug and gun charges, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Boyd pleaded guilty on March 24, 2023, to unlawful possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and possession of two firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking (one of which was a machinegun). In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth ordered 60 months of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, in June of 2022, the Metropolitan Police Department (“MPD”) was investigating individuals involved in narcotics distribution around the 3600 block of Hayes Street NE, Washington DC, including hand-to-hand transactions and controlled buys in the area of the 3600 block of Hayes Street NE. After making a controlled purchase of cocaine base from Boyd, on June 16, 2022, officers executed a search warrant at an apartment occupied by Boyd, his pregnant girlfriend, and her young child. Boyd was present at the time and dropped a Glock firearm and a black backpack containing a “Draco” style firearm out of one window of the apartment onto the grass below. The Glock 19 pistol had an illegal “giggle” converter switch, which is designed to enable the firearm to expel more than one round of ammunition with a single pull of the trigger, making the firearm a machinegun. The “Draco” style firearm had a large capacity magazine loaded with 28 rounds.
From the apartment, officers also seized distributable amounts of phencyclidine (PCP), cocaine base, fentanyl, and marijuana, as well as various drug paraphernalia. DEA lab results indicate that law enforcement seized at least 583 grams of marijuana, 110 grams of cocaine base, 40 grams of PCP, and 2.77 grams of fentanyl. MPD also found and seized $5,129 of U.S. currency. The defendant admitted that he possessed the two firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities, and that he knew he was a convicted felon at the time he possessed them.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Chief Smith commended the work of the detectives and patrol officers of the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Henek and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah J. Rasalam, of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Detroit Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Jeffrey Davis, 50, of Detroit, MI, was sentenced in federal court yesterday on charges of drug trafficking and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced. Davis was sentenced by United States District Judge Bernard Friedman to 25 years in prison. Davis has been in custody since his arrest in July 2019.
Ison was joined in the announcement by James Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Detroit Division.
According to court records, Jeffery Davis was a member of the TuffTeam drug trafficking organization. Davis and three others were responsible for trafficking firearms, fentanyl, heroin, crack cocaine, and marijuana from Detroit, MI to Bridgeport, West Virginia and Morgantown, West Virginia. During the course of the investigation, 23 firearms were seized, including 2 machine guns, along with 69 grams of heroin, 91.99 grams of fentanyl, 215 grams of crack cocaine, and more than $10,000 in cash.
“Removing individuals who inflict significant harm on our community by dealing in deadly drugs and high-powered firearms is a top priority, stated U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison. “This significant sentence should send a clear message to those similarly engaged in such conduct that we will be relentless in our effort to protect our community,” stated US Attorney Ison.
“Jeffrey Davis sold poison in our community while armed with a firearm. This sentence should serve as a clear message to all armed drug dealers in Detroit: If you pack an illegal firearm while peddling your poison, you need to pack your bags for prison,” said James Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Detroit Division.
The case was investigated by ATF Special Agents Sherri Reynolds and Eric Miller. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John O’Brien and Jeanine Brunson.
Danville Man Who Sold Fatal Dose of Fentanyl Sentenced to 12 YearsRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A Danville man, who sold a fatal dose of fentanyl in October 2019, has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison.
Chauncey Lamont Montague, 49, pleaded guilty in March 2023 to distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents, on October 23, 2019, A.R., a regular user of opiates, wanted to purchase $20 of heroin from Montague. After being unable to reach Montague by phone, A.R. began walking towards Montague’s home. During the walk, A.R. met up with a close family member who agreed to take her money the rest of the way to Montague’s home and purchase the drugs for her.
After making the drug transaction with Montague, the family member delivered the heroin to A.R. who then used the drugs and was found dead a short time later. It was determined that she died from a fentanyl overdose.
The following morning, Danville Police executed a search warrant on Montague’s residence and an additional 8.2 grams of fentanyl was discovered in the pocket of a jacket in his bedroom.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh, Special Agent in Charge Craig B. Kailimai of the Washington Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration Jared Forget made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Danville Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Bassford prosecuted the case.
Crow Agency woman accused in large-scale, drug investigation admits to trafficking methRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Crow Agency woman charged in a large-scale, multi-state drug investigation centered on the Crow Indian Reservation admitted today to trafficking methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Carly Joy James, 41, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute meth. James faces a mandatory minimum 10 years to life imprisonment, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Nov. 16. James was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that federal law enforcement, in a collaborative effort with local and tribal law enforcement, investigated a large-scale, multi-state narcotics trafficking operation centered on multiple properties on the Crow Indian Reservation. The properties, including one known as Spear Siding, were a source of supply of meth for both the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservations. James is one of the individuals affiliated with the investigation. The government further alleged that James sold meth to individuals in August 2022 and in October 2022. In January, James was pulled over for a traffic violation, and a search of her vehicle revealed a firearm and approximately eight grams of meth.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys are prosecuting the case. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Dana Michael Russell, also known as “Anthony Roberts,” 37, of Griffithsville, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 12 years in prison, to be followed by 25 years of supervised release, for possession of prepubescent child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 20, 2021, Russell possessed two images of child pornography on his cell phone depicting prepubescent minor females subjected to sexually explicit conduct. Russell admitted that one of the images depicted a known child victim.
Russell further admitted to using his cell phone on June 25, 2020, to distribute and attempt to distribute an image containing child pornography using the Snapchat social media platform. Russell also admitted to distributing images containing child pornography using multiple Snapchat and Facebook accounts in June, August and December 2020. One of the Facebook accounts that Russell used listed “Anthony Roberts” as the account username.
Russell is a registered sex offender as a result of his conviction for distribution and exhibiting of material depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct in Kanawha County Circuit Court on February 19, 2015.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the West Virginia State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Julie M. White prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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. 2:22-cr-25.
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Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Charge Arising Out of a Shooting Incident Outside Detroit Convenience StoreRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Shawn Hickman, 24, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition related to a shooting incident in Detroit’s 8th precinct, a targeted enforcement area, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Devin J. Kowalski, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Detroit.
In his guilty plea, Shawn Hickman, 24, of Detroit, admitted his involvement in a shooting incident outside of a convenience store in the 8th Precinct, one of Detroit’s most violent neighborhoods. According to court records, on August 16, 2022, Detroit Police officers responded to a 911 call that an adult male had been shot. The shooting occurred around Grand River and Lahser in the City of Detroit. Working cooperatively, investigators with Detroit Police Department and the FBI were able to identify Hickman as the shooter. They then located and apprehended Hickman following an intensive search.
Hickman faces a maximum sentence of up to 15 years and will be sentenced on November 20, 2023, by United States District Judge Matthew J. Leitman.
“I appreciate the collaborative work done to focus on violent offenders in our community,” state U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison.” “We will continue to work with all of our law enforcement partners to investigate and aggressively prosecute convicted felons who illegally possess and use firearms and ammunition.”
The investigation and prosecution were the result of a partnership between the United States Attorney’s Office, Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, Detroit Police Department, ATF, FBI, and other partner agencies. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Blake S. Hatlem.
Convicted Felon Indicted for Possessing a Firearm and Conspiring to Make False Statements in the Acquisition of FirearmsRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Woonsocket, Rhode Island man was indicted and arrested in connection with federal firearms charges, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Mario Marques, 25, was indicted on one count of conspiracy to make false statements during the acquisition of firearms, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Marques will appear in federal court in Concord at a later date.
According to the charging documents, Marques was legally prohibited from purchasing firearms but conspired with another person to purchase six firearms for him. The guns were purchased from five separate federally licensed firearms dealers in New Hampshire, between September 30 and November 20, 2021. Marques is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm for possessing a Springfield Armory Model XD, .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol purchased in New Hampshire during the course of the conspiracy.
The charges provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes, which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Gingrande is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Convicted Armed Robber Sentenced to More Than 5 Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Acquiring a Firearm Through a “Straw-Purchase” SchemeRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Randy Coffey, 36, of Indianapolis, Indiana, has been sentenced to 63 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to illegally possessing a firearm.
According to court documents, on March 1, 2022, Coffey sold a pair of tires with rims at Cash America Pawn, a federally licensed firearms dealer. After completing the sale, Coffey attempted to purchase a Ruger 9mm semi-automatic pistol. On the required federal firearm transaction form, Coffey stated under penalty of perjury that he was not a convicted felon. Coffey failed the required background check, and the gun sale was not completed.
Several hours later, Coffey returned to the same Cash America Pawn with another person. Coffey stayed inside his vehicle as the other person looked over the store’s guns and purchased a Taurus 9mm semi-automatic pistol. The person then illegally purchased the gun for Coffey in exchange for $120 from Coffey, a transaction known as a “straw-purchase” of a firearm.
A straw purchase scheme is when a person not prohibited from purchasing or possessing a firearm falsely states to a federally licensed gun dealer that they are purchasing a firearm for themselves, when they know that the gun is actually intended for someone else, frequently someone who is prohibited from purchasing or possessing the firearm themselves.
On March 8, 2022, IMPD detectives stopped Coffey for a traffic violation. Coffey did not have a valid license or a valid registration in his possession and he was placed under arrest. During a search of the vehicle, officers located the same Taurus 9mm handgun straw-purchased for him from Cash America Pawn the week before. The handgun had a loaded magazine with a round in the chamber.
Coffey is prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law due to his two previous felony convictions of armed robbery resulting in bodily injury in 2006 and 2013.
“Illegally armed, violent criminals drive the unacceptable gun violence suffered by Indianapolis and far too many other communities,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “Straw-purchases and other gun trafficking schemes are a major source of the guns obtained and used by these dangerous offenders. Our federal prosecutors will continue to partner with IMPD and the ATF to disarm the most dangerous offenders and hold them accountable in federal court. The federal prison sentence imposed here demonstrates that accountability awaits these armed criminals, because no one should have to live in fear in our neighborhoods.”
“Violent felons possessing firearms poses a severe risk to public safety. Coffey illegally attempted to purchase a firearm and then circumvented the law by enticing someone else to obtain one for him,” said Special Agent in Charge Daryl McCormick “ATF will continue to work diligently with our law enforcement partners to identify and apprehend violent convicted felons who put our communities at risk when they possess firearms.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with valuable assistance provided by IMPD. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge, James R. Sweeney. Judge Sweeney also ordered that Coffey by supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 3 years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy C. Fugate, who prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Conover, N.C. Woman Is Charged with Mail Fraud and Identity Theft for Stealing More Than $300,000 from Elderly CoupleRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Andrea Brawley, 45, of Conover, N.C., is facing federal charges for stealing more than $300,000 from two elderly relatives, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. A federal grand jury in Charlotte returned a criminal indictment this week, charging Brawley with mail fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in North Carolina and Sheriff Donald G. Brown II of the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to allegations in the indictment, from August 2016 to January 2023, Brawley engaged in a scheme to defraud the elderly couple identified in court documents as J.S. and M.S., by exploiting her relationship with the victims to steal their money and property. The indictment alleges that Brawley gained access to the victims’ personal and company bank accounts, which she was expected to use to manage the couple’s personal and business affairs and to pay routine bills. Instead, Brawley allegedly misused her access to transfer funds to herself, causing the victims to sustain significant financial losses. For example, Brawley allegedly failed to make payments due on the victims’ home equity line of credit on their residence. As a result, the victims’ residence went into foreclosure and the couple lost their home. Brawley also allegedly drained the victims’ retirement accounts by forging retirement distribution forms without the victims’ knowledge and consent, causing them further financial hardship. Over the course of the scheme, Brawley allegedly defrauded J.S. and M.S. and M.S.’s company of more than $300,000.
As alleged in the indictment, Brawley concealed the fraudulent scheme from J.S. and M.S. by making false representations about the cause of the foreclosure and about the state of J.S. and M.S.’s finances and personal affairs. The indictment alleges that Brawley also isolated J.S. and M.S. and limited their contact with their friends and family by taking the victims’ cell phones, impersonating them in communications with third parties, transporting them to various locations around the state, and preventing them from returning to their residence. The indictment further alleges that, in furtherance of the scheme, Brawley engaged in identity theft by using and attempting to use one or more means of identification that belonged to J.S. and M.S., including their names, addresses, and unique account numbers.
“Elder financial abuse continues to rise at an alarming rate. Unfortunately, when older adults are victims of financial exploitation it is incredibly difficult for them to recover financially and recoup their losses. And when the fraud is perpetrated by a trusted friend or close family member, the added emotional devastation can be overwhelming,” said U.S. Attorney King. “My Office’s elder financial exploitation cases receive the priority they deserve, and we are committed to doing all we can to combat elder financial abuse and ensure that older adults are supported and protected from fraud.”
“When you stop and consider the true impact of elder financial fraud, it is devastating. People should not work 40 years or longer only to have their life savings swindled away,” said Special Agent in Charge DeWitt. “The FBI will work tirelessly to protect the elderly and help educate them and those who love them, how not to fall victim to fraud.”
“My office is striving to combat the victimization of our older adults,” said Sheriff Brown. “Elder financial abuse often has a lasting and debilitating effect, especially when a close trust or confidence is violated. We will continue working with our local, state and federal partners to seek justice for these victims.”
The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The mail fraud offense carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The aggravated identity theft charge carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison, consecutive to any other term of incarceration imposed.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI in Charlotte and the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham Billings with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is in charge of the prosecution.
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 10am-6pm Eastern Time, Monday-Friday. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.
Charleston Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Khalif Marquee Coleman, 35, of Charleston, was sentenced today to three years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiring to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture containing a detectable amount of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Coleman admitted to arranging the sales of mixtures containing fentanyl to confidential informants asking to purchase heroin in Charleston in seven separate transactions between May 2, 2022, and September 23, 2022. Several of these transactions occurred at a Chesterfield Avenue residence in Charleston and the mixtures totaled approximately 92.64 grams.
Coleman also admitted to arranging seven additional sales of mixtures containing fentanyl in August and September, 2022, at or near the Chesterfield Avenue residence.
On September 28, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the Chesterfield Avenue residence and found mixtures containing fentanyl totaling 55.97 grams, scales, drug packaging materials, and $5,926. Some of the cash recovered during the search was prerecorded buy money from the sales to the confidential informants.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), and the assistance provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Mid-Atlantic Laboratory.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Julie M. White prosecuted the case.
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. 2:22-cr-198.
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California Man Sentenced for Mailing Meth to Missouri for DistributionRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Sacramento, California, man was sentenced in federal court today for mailing packages of methamphetamine to southwest Missouri as part of a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Jasper and Newton counties.
John Gabriel Martinez, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 152 months in federal prison without parole.
On April 21, 2022, Martinez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from Aug. 15, 2016, to March 18, 2017, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
On Oct. 4, 2016, Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers executed a search warrant at the residence of co-defendant Daryl B. Weston, 41, of Purcell, Mo. Troopers found approximately 11 grams of pure methamphetamine and $14,822 in cash. Troopers seized a package addressed to Weston from Martinez that contained approximately three pounds of methamphetamine. Weston later told investigators that Martinez had sent him four additional packages that contained a total of nearly six pounds of methamphetamine; co-conspirators then sent drug proceeds back to Martinez.
Co-conspirators admitted they deposited drug proceeds into Martinez’s account at a local branch of Joplin Metro Credit Union. Further investigation revealed that many others in the Joplin area were sending drug proceeds to Martinez in California through local branches of Joplin Metro Credit Union and through the Moneygram system at local Wal-Marts. The total amount of drug proceeds laundered in this case though a credit union and Moneygram was at least $153,014.
Martinez is the final defendant to be sentenced among 19 defendants indicted in this case. Weston was sentenced on Oct. 11, 2022, to eight years in federal prison without parole.
This case was prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall D. Eggert. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Ozarks Drug Enforcement Team, the Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS-Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Brockton Man Sentenced for Pandemic Unemployment FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brockton man has been sentenced in federal court in Boston for using others’ identities to fraudulently obtain over $60,000 in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) Benefits and for using one of those identities to fraudulently obtain a Massachusetts driver’s license.
Francisco Jose Peguero Brea, 48, was sentenced on July 14, 2023 by U.S. District Court Judge Rya Zobel to three months in prison and three years of supervised release. In February 2023, Peguero pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of false representation of a Social Security number.
Peguero used the name and Social Security number of a U.S. citizen to fraudulently apply for and obtain PUA benefits as well as a Massachusetts Driver’s License. Peguero received additional PUA benefits from another claim that directed the funds to be deposited into a bank account controlled by Peguero and another individual.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Massachusetts State Police; and the Brockton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Saltzman of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security’s Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), a specialized field investigative group comprised of personnel from various local, state, and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring, and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity, and benefit fraud schemes.
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.
Branson Man Sentenced to 216 Months in Federal Prison for Distribution of Fentanyl and/or HeroinRead the Press Release
Springfield, Mo. – Brandon Michael Jones, 26, Branson, Missouri, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen Bough to 216 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to a single count of knowingly and intentionally transferring a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl and/or heroin. The charge was based upon the distribution of drugs by Jones on March 27, 2020, in Christian County, Missouri.
In announcing the sentence today, Judge Bough referenced the fact that Jones had provided drugs on two separate occasions which resulted in the death of one individual and the serious physical injury of the second. Both of these instances happened within days of each other in March 2020.
This case is being prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall Eggert. It was investigated by the Springfield Police Department and the Christian County Sherriff’s Department.
Border Crosser Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Assaulting Federal OfficersRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Miguel Angel Acatzihua-Temoxtle, 26, a citizen and national of Mexico, was sentenced last Thursday, by United States District Judge John C. Hinderaker to 30 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Acatzihua-Temoxtle pleaded guilty on March 15, 2023, to Assault on a Federal Officer with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon and Assault on a Federal Officer Resulting in Bodily Injury.
United States Border Patrol agents received information on May 31, 2022, that several groups of non-citizens were passing though the Baboquivari Mountain range near the area of Newfield, Arizona. When agents located the group, Acatzihua-Temoxtle fled up the side of a wash, kicking several large boulders towards one of the agents to slow his pursuit. When agents apprehended Acatzihua-Temoxtle, he physically assaulted one agent by using the agent’s flashlight and attempted to strangle another agent with his lanyard used to hold night vision goggles.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Raquel Arellano, District of Arizona, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-01420-TUC-JCH
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-110_Acatzihua-Temoxtle# # #
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 newsBangor Woman Pleads Guilty to Stealing More than $28,000 from Native American Tribal OrganizationRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Bangor woman pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to stealing from her employer, a tribal organization.
According to court records, between June 2017 and April 2021, Angelia Holt, 54, stole more than $28,000 from her employer by using a credit card issued to another employee for unauthorized personal expenses and then altering the invoices to conceal the theft. Holt was employed as an accounting clerk for the organization.
Holt faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. She will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI investigated the case.
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Baltimore Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Murder of a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Davon Rogers, age 40, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to attempted murder of a federal officer in connection with a shooting that occurred on December 29, 2021. Co-defendant Juan Hester, age 41, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty on July 10, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
The guilty pleas were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division; and Acting Commissioner Richard Worley of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to Rogers’ guilty plea, during the evening of December 29, 2021, members of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) were conducting surveillance in the 2500 block of W. Fayette Street in Baltimore, as part of an ongoing federal drug trafficking investigation. One of the members of the surveillance team was a DEA Special Agent who was in the area in his unmarked vehicle conducting covert surveillance in connection with the narcotics investigation.
Rogers admitted that while the Special Agent was inside of his vehicle, he and another individual approached the vehicle and began looking inside. The Special Agent tried to avoid being seen by laying down in the rear area the vehicle. After they looked inside of the Special Agent’s vehicle, Rogers and the second individual walked away from the vehicle. Several minutes later, the Special Agent got into the driver’s seat of his vehicle to try to drive away from the area. By that time, Rogers and the second individual had returned to the area. At approximately 9:18 p.m., as the Special Agent began driving away, Rogers and the second individual began shooting at the Special Agent. The Special Agent was nearly struck by one or more of the bullets, and his vehicle sustained multiple bullet strikes. Specifically, bullets struck the driver’s side front and rear doors, the rear window, the trunk, and the passenger’s side sun visor and ceiling area.
As detailed in the plea agreement, the Special Agent was able to drive for approximately one block before crashing his vehicle into a nearby parked car and running to safety. After the shooting, Rogers and the second individual fled the scene. Investigators recovered multiple shell casings, of two different calibers, from the area where Rogers and the second individual shot at the Special Agent.
After the shooting, search warrants were executed at co-defendant Juan Hester’s residence and at Rogers’ residence on December 30, 2021 and January 4, 2022. Investigators recovered 113 grams of almost pure methamphetamine hydrochloride, 814 grams of THC, 34 grams of mixtures containing cocaine, three grams of mixtures containing fentanyl, and various cutting agents from Hester’s residence and investigators seized approximately fourteen rounds of .40 caliber ammunition from Rogers’ residence. Based on new information received, two additional search warrants were executed on Hester’s residence on January 1, 2022 and January 6, 2022 and investigators recovered approximately 337 grams of mixtures or substances containing fentanyl, 78 rounds of 7.62 caliber ammunition, 32 rounds of .22 caliber ammunition and one handgun magazine. Hester admitted that he maintained the residence as a premises for manufacturing or distributing controlled substances.
Rogers, Hester, and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreements, Rogers will be sentenced to nine years in federal prison and Hester will be sentenced to 14 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has scheduled sentencing for Rogers on September 11, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. and for Hester on September 12, 2023 at 11:00 a.m.
This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ (“ATF”) National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (“NIBIN”). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.
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 is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DEA and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Anne Arundel County, Howard County, and Baltimore County Police Departments, the Laurel Police Department, the Annapolis Police Department, the Maryland Transportation Authority Police Department, and the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office for their assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anatoly Smolkin and Darryl Tarver, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Automaker Official Agrees to Plead Guilty to Conspiring to Violate the Clean Air ActRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Emanuele Palma, 43, of automaker group FCA US, pleaded guilty today to a felony as a result of conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act (CAA). As alleged in court documents, Palma and others conspired to withhold information from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding the design, calibration and function of the emissions control systems on more than 100,000 Model Year 2014, 2015 and 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ram 1500 diesel vehicles. The co-conspirators also misrepresented the vehicles’ emissions of pollutants, fuel efficiency and compliance with U.S. emissions standards.
According to court documents, Palma pleaded guilty to Count 1 of the Superseding Indictment – originally fined in 2019 – charging him with conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act. Sentencing is set for Oct. 17 in front of U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds, sitting in Detroit, Michigan.
“Senior auto officials at FCA US, including Mr. Palma, conspired to circumvent pollution standards and obtain EPA certifications for hundreds of thousands of SUVs and pickup trucks under false pretenses,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Today’s actions reflect the Justice Department’s continued and steadfast commitment to enforcing the Clean Air Act and holding individuals accountable for attempting to circumvent our Nation’s pollution standards.”
“Today’s guilty plea demonstrates EPA’s commitment to holding accountable those in management positions who intentionally withhold key information from regulators,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Larry Starfield of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Mr. Palma’s guilty plea accompanies the earlier conviction of Fiat Chrysler for defrauding both the EPA and customers, as well as creating an unfair advantage over automakers who complied with the law.”
“Mr. Palma and those he worked with concealed material information from the EPA about how certain of Fiat Chrysler’s diesel engines operated. Our environmental laws depend on companies being honest and transparent with the EPA about the environmental impact of their products,” said U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan. “The conduct in this case falls well short of that standard, and today’s guilty plea provides a measure of accountability for this deceptive conduct.”
According to Palma’s admissions and court documents, beginning at least as early as 2010, FCA US developed a new 3.0-liter diesel engine for use in FCA US’s Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ram 1500 vehicles (the Subject Vehicles) that would be sold in the United States. As alleged in the Superseding Indictment related to this plea agreement, Palma and others developed and calibrated the 3.0-liter diesel engine. Their responsibilities included calibrating several software features in the vehicles’ emissions control systems to meet emissions standards for nitrogen oxides (NOx), a family of poisonous gases that are formed when diesel fuels are burned at high temperatures, while also achieving best-in-class fuel efficiency targets set by FCA US.
The Superseding Indictment alleges that the emissions control systems on the Subject Vehicles was purposely calibrated to produce less NOx emissions on the federal test procedures, or driving “cycles,” than when the Subject Vehicles were being driven by FCA US’s customers in the real world. One method that was used to effectuate this goal was called “T Eng,” a software function that affects the rate of exhaust gas recirculation.
According to court documents, Palma and his co-conspirators agreed not to disclose the existence of the T Eng function to the EPA. Palma knew that T Eng was properly the subject of regulation by the EPA, and in agreeing to withhold this information, he acknowledged concealing material information from that regulatory body. As a result of this concealment, material information was omitted from FCA’s applications for Certificates of Conformity from the EPA, which authorize the company to sell vehicles pursuant to the Clean Air Act.
This plea is related to the corporate plea and sentencing of FCA US, LLC, in August 2022, where FCA US LLC, was sentenced and ordered to pay a fine of over $96.1 million; to satisfy a forfeiture money judgment of over $203.5 million; and to serve a three-year term of organizational probation.
Assistant Chief Michael T. O’Neill of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, White Collar Unit Chief John K. Neal and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Wyse for the Eastern District of Michigan, and Senior Litigation Counsel Todd W. Gleason of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section are prosecuting the case. The FBI and EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division are investigating this case.
Adair County Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Federal Prison for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
Bowling Green, KY – An Adair County man was sentenced today to 27 years in prison for child pornography offenses.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Louisville Field Office made the announcement.
According to court documents, Matthew Ross Mouser, 41, produced videos of his sexual abuse of a minor victim, traded images of child pornography via the internet, and discussed sexually abusing children with others online.
Mouser was sentenced to 27 years in prison, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release, for producing, distributing, and possessing child pornography. In addition to the 27-year prison sentence, Mouser was ordered to pay restitution to a victim in the amount of $3,000. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the FBI, with the assistance of the Allen County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Spencer McKiness prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by 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.”
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Wednesday 19 July 2023
געוועזענער הויפט פוןיעריגע מיידל כדי זיך צו פארנעמען מיט סעקסועלע מעשים בארא פארק חברה שומרים געבט זיך איין אלס שולדיג פאר׳ן אריבערפירן א 15-Read the Press Release
יעקב דאסקאל האט זיך איינגעגעבן אלס שולדיג אום יולי 14, 2023 פאר׳ן טראנספארטירן א קינד מיט׳ן כוונה צו באגיין סעקסועלע פארברעכנס. די היינטיגע פראצעדור איז פארגעקומען ביים יונייטעד סטעיטס דיסטריקט ריכטער ניקאלאס דזשי. גאראופיס. אלס טייל פון זיין שולד איינגעבונג, האט דער באשולדיגטער מסכים געווען אויף אן אורטייל פון בערך 14 ביז 17 א האלב יאר אין טורמע. אלס טייל פון דעם שולד איינגעבונג, מוז דאסקאל זיך רעגיסטרירן אלס א סעקס פארברעכער.
ברעאן פיעס, יונייטעד סטעיטס אטוירני פאר׳ן איסטערן דיסטריקט פון ניו יארק האט אויסגעמאלדן דעם שולד איינגעבונג.
״דער באשולדיגטער האט מודה געווען אז ער האט אויסגעניצט אויף בייזן זיין מאכט, צוטרוישאפט און פאזיציע אינערערהאלב דער קאמיוניטי דורך באגיין שענדליכע מעשים קעגן א קינד אין זיין אויפפאסונג,״ האט געזאגט יונייטעד סטעיטס אטוירני פיעס. ״מיר ווילן אז געליטענע קרבנות איבעראל זאלן הערן דעם שולד הודאה אלס אונזער אפיס׳ס אנגייענדע דעקלעראציע אז קיינער שטייט נישט העכער פונעם געזעץ און מיר וועלן ברענגען צו יוסטיץ די וועלכע בא׳עוולה׳ן אונזערע קינדער.״
מר. פיעס האט אויסגעדרוקט זיין דאנקבארשאפט פאר׳ן פעדעראלער ביורא פון פארשונג (׳פעדעראל ביורא אוו אינוועסטיגעשען׳), ניו יארק פיעלד אפיס, דעם קינגס קאונטי דיסטריקט אטוירני׳ס אפיס און דעם ניו יארק סיטי פאליציי דעפארטמענט.
ווי פארגעלייגט אין געריכט דאקומענטן, איז דער באשולדיגטער געווען הויפט פון בארא פארק חברה שומרים (די ״שומרים״), א פריוואטע, ארטאדאקסיש-אידישער שמירה גרופע פארבינדן מיט׳ן ניו יארק פאליציי דעפארטמענט. אין פרילינג 2017, האט דער פארדעכטיגטער, אויסניצנדיג זיין פאזיציע אין שומרים, זיך פארבינדן מיט א 15-יעריגע מיידל, וועם ער האט אריינגעברענגט ביי זיך אינדערהיים און איר איבערגערעדט און גרייט געמאכט פאר סעקס. צווישן אוגוסט און נאוועמבער 2017, איז דער באשולדיגטער, וועלכער איז דאן געווען 58 יאר אלט, באגאנגען סעקסועלע מעשים אויף דעם 15-יעריגן קרבן.
דורכאויס דעם זומער 2017, איז פארגעקומען די סעקסועלע געפירעכץ הויפטזעכליך ביי דאסקאל אינדערהיים אין ברוקלין, ניו יארק, און ביי זיין זומער הויז אין סאוט פאלסבורג, ניו יארק. דער באשולדיגטער האט אפט טראנספארטירט דעם קרבן צווישן די צוויי ערטער דורכפארנדיג ניו דזשערזי. אין ענדע אוגוסט, האט זיך דער באשולדיגטער, אינאיינעם מיט זיין פאמיליע, און די געליטענע קרבן, זיך אומגעקערט פול-צייטיג צו זיין הויז אין ברוקלין, וואו דאס בא׳עוולה׳ען איז ווייטער אנגעגאנגען. אזוי ווי דער סקול יאר האט זיך אנגעהויבן, האט דער באשולדיגטער געהאלפן דעם קרבן טרעפן א נייע סקול אין שיקאגא, אילינאי, און אין אקטאבער 2017 האט זי זיך אהינגעצויגן אויף צו גיין אין סקול און צו וואוינען מיט אן אנדערער פאמיליע. בשעת די געליטענע איז געווען אין שיקאגא, האט דער באשולדיגטער קאמוניקירט מיט איר דורך טעקסט מעסעדזשעס און איבער סקייפ ווידעאו טשעט. אום אדער בערך נאוועמבער 5, 2017, איז דער באשולדיגטער געפארן קיין שיקאגא פאר א טאג אויף צו באזוכן די בא׳עוול׳טע. דער באשולדיגטער האט געדינגען א האטעל צימער אין שיקאגא, און געברענגט דעם קרבן צום האטעל פאר סעקסועלע מעשים און אָורעל סעקס. ער איז צוריקגעפלויגן יענעם אוונט קיין ניו יארק.
דורכאויס דאס בא׳עוולה׳ען, האט דער באשולדיגטער אנגעזאגט דעם קרבן אויסצומעקן זייערע קאמוניקאציעס און איר געווארנט קיינעם נישט צו דערציילן איבער זייער סעקסועלע באציאונגען. דער באשולדיגטער האט אויך אויסגעניצט זיין פאזיציע אלס א פירנדער מיטגליד פון זייער קאמיוניטי אויף שטיל צו מאכן דעם קרבן, זיך גרויס געהאלטן איבער זיינע פארבינדונגען מיט געזעץ אינפארסירער און איר געווארנט אז עס וועט איר חרוב מאכן דאס לעבן אויב פארציילט זי עמיצן איבער זייערע באציאונגען.
די רעגירונג׳ס קעיס ווערט געפירט דורך דעם אפיס׳ס ציווילע רעכטן אפטיילונג. אסיסטענט יונייטעד סטעיטס אטוירני
ערין ריעד און דזשעני נגאי זענען באאויפטראגט מיט׳ן פראקורירן, מיט הילף פון ליטיגאציע אנאליסט רייען קאסטלי.
Worcester Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Possessing and Distributing Counterfeit Adderall Pills Containing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Worcester man was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine disguised as counterfeit Adderall pills.
Nestiano Kristo, 22, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to 12 years in prison and five years of supervised release. On March 17, 2023, Kristo pleaded guilty to three counts of distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of cocaine; and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Over the course of two months, Kristo sold significant quantities of counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl to an undercover law enforcement officer. Specifically, on May 10, 2021, Kristo provided approximately 1,000 counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine to the undercover officer, as well as providing cocaine to advertise what else he could supply. On May 18, 2021, Kristo arranged to sell 2,000 pills containing methamphetamine to the undercover. He sent an associate to deliver the pills while he waited in a nearby car. On June 2, he again provided over 1100 pills containing methamphetamine to the undercover officer. A search of Kristo’s home in June 2021 recovered over 50,000 counterfeit Adderall pills, over $140,000 in cash, cocaine, counterfeit Xanax, fentanyl, as well as three firearms – one of which was modified into a fully automatic weapon.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; John E. Mawn, Jr. Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; and Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Noto of the Worcester Branch Unit prosecuted the case.
Woman Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Texas woman pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking.
According to court documents, in or around April 2022, Patricia Hart, 24, and her boyfriend, Gregory Massey, were arrested in New Orleans. While Massey was in custody, Hart conspired with Massey on recorded jail calls to engage in sex trafficking, including by locking one victim outside, hitting her, withholding her identity documents, and scaring her with a firearm.
Hart is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 7 and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. As a result of her plea, Hart must also participate in the sex offender registration and notification program. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and the Louisiana State Police investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Melissa E. Bücher of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria M. Carboni for the Eastern District of Louisiana are prosecuting the case.
Woman Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A Texas woman pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking.
According to court documents, in or around April 2022, Patricia Hart, 24, and her boyfriend, Gregory Massey, were arrested in New Orleans. While Massey was in custody, Hart conspired with Massey on recorded jail calls to engage in sex trafficking, including by locking one victim outside, hitting her, withholding her identity documents, and scaring her with a firearm.
Hart is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 7 and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. As a result of her plea, Hart must also participate in the sex offender registration and notification program. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and the Louisiana State Police investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Melissa E. Bücher of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria M. Carboni for the Eastern District of Louisiana are prosecuting the case.
Waubay Man Charged with Escape from CustodyRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal grand jury has indicted a Waubay, South Dakota, man for Escape from Custody.
Levi Ambrose Locke, age 32, was indicted in May of 2023. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on July 17, 2023, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to five years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on or about April 13, 2023, Locke escaped while in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons at Dismas Charities, Inc. Locke was serving part of a federal sentence when he allegedly left the premises and did not return.
The charge is merely an accusation and Locke is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann M. Hoffman is prosecuting the case.
Locke was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial, which has been set for September 19, 2023.