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Monday 17 July 2023
Farmington Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Selling Oxycodone PillsRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ANTHONY HARRIS, 53, of Farmington, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally distributing oxycodone.
According to court documents and the evidence disclosed during a trial in this matter, Harris, who was prescribed oxycodone for a medical condition, unlawfully sold hundreds of oxycodone pills to another individual approximately every three weeks over the course of more than three years. The individual who purchased the pills sold them to customers in the Bristol area.
The investigation revealed that Harris sold a total of approximately 9,000 oxycodone pills prescribed to him in exchange for approximately $200,000.
Harris was arrested on June 3, 2021. On November 9, 2022, a jury found him guilty of four counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, oxycodone, and not guilty of one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, oxycodone.
Harris has been detained since November 17, 2022.
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad and the Bristol Police Department. The Tactical Diversion Squad included officers from the Bristol, East Windsor, Hamden, New Britain, West Haven, Newington, Manchester, Glastonbury, and Watertown Police Departments. Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Conor M. Reardon and Nathaniel J. Gentile.
Detroit Man Sentenced to More than 11 Years in Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Sylvester Roosevelt McNeil, also known as “Juan,” 50, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to 11 years and eight months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 27, 2022, McNeil sold approximately 1.3 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant at a location on Nickel Plate Road in Huntington.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams prosecuted the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-165.
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Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing Heroin, Fentanyl, Firearms, and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Lebanon man pleaded guilty in federal court to possessing with intent to distribute controlled substances, and firearms crimes, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Marshall Dimick, 32, pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, as well as being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. U.S. District Court Judge Landya McCafferty scheduled sentencing for October 30, 2023. The defendant was previously charged on March 9, 2021.
On July 9, 2020, an officer of the Lebanon Police Department conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle being driven by the defendant. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed a handgun in the center console with a loaded magazine, 540 small bags containing approximately 10g of a mixture containing heroin and fentanyl, over $2,000 in cash, and a cell phone. The phone contained texts of drug activity between the defendant and others, as well as a conversation between the defendant and his mother referencing the gun in the car. The defendant is a convicted felon and cannot legally possess a gun.
The charging statute for the drug offense provides a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a term of supervised release of at least three years, and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. The charging statute for the felon in possession offense provides a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a term of supervised release of not more than three years, and a maximum fine of $250,000. The charging statute for offense of carrying a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking provides a sentence of up to life in prison, and a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, a term of supervised release of not more than five years, and a maximum fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms and the Lebanon Police Department led the investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Gingrande.
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Convicted Felon Indicted and Behind Bars for Possession of a Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Salt Lake City, Utah – A federal grand jury in Southern Utah returned an indictment charging a Washington County man, and convicted felon, with possession of a firearm and ammunition.
According to court documents, Daniel Demetrio Vigil, 62, of Hurricane, Utah, was taken into custody on June 27, 2023, after Hurricane Police Officers responded to a 911 call at the defendant’s residence. Upon officers’ arrival, Vigil, a convicted felon, was allegedly found in possession of a fully loaded firearm, intoxicated, and was noncompliant with officers. Additionally, as Vigil was being handcuffed, an officer retrieved a fully loaded and cocked Smith & Wesson revolver, which could have been easily discharged from Vigil’s back pocket.
Hurricane City Police Department (Hurricane, Utah)On Monday July 17, 2023, Vigil was ordered detained by a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the District of Utah in St. George. He was arraigned on the indictment on July 13, 2023.
U.S. Attorney, Trina A. Higgins, of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by the Washington County Drug Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brady Wilson for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Connecticut Dentist Admits Evading TaxesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, announced that BOULOS HANNA, also known as “Paul Hanna,” 66, of East Lyme, waved his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to tax evasion.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Hanna is the sole owner of Paul Hanna DMD PC, a dental practice in New London. Hanna takes fees from dental patients in the form personal checks, cash, and credit card payments. Hanna owns the building where his dental practice is located and the practice pays rent to Hanna individually.
For each of the 2000 through 2009 tax years, Hanna filed a Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return for himself and his wife, and paid the tax due and owing for those years, typically by having withholdings during the year sufficient to cover his tax liability. For the 2010 through 2012 tax years, Hanna filed a Form 1040 for himself and his wife, but did not pay the tax due and owing. As a result, from approximately April 2012 through 2017, Hanna was subject to IRS collections enforcement for the 2010 through 2012 tax years, including forced collection activity, such as liens placed on property and seized payments taken by way of levy.
From 2013 through 2020, Hanna earned approximately $1.6 million in taxable income from his work as a dentist and from rental income. However, he failed to file tax returns for any of those years, resulting in a loss to the IRS of $244,541. In addition to failing to file personal federal income tax returns, Hanna attempted to evade the assessment of tax by paying himself “management fees” instead of a reasonable wage, operating in cash by self-endorsing business checks to himself and cashing these checks to keep money out of his personal bank accounts, and paying personal expenses directly from his business accounts without reflecting those payments as income.
Judge Williams scheduled sentencing for October 18, at which time Hanna faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. Hanna is released pending sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Wines.
Colorado Man Arrested for Attempting to Provide Material Support to a Foreign Terrorist OrganizationRead the Press Release
Davin Daniel Meyer, 18, of Castle Rock is charged with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and made his initial appearance in federal court today.
According to court documents, Meyer was arrested on Friday, July 14, as he attempted to board an international flight at the Denver International Airport. According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, Meyer pledged an oath of allegiance to the leader of ISIS, and intended to travel to serve as a fighter for ISIS in Iraq.
The FBI Denver Field Office is investigating the case, with assistance provided by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Hindman for the District of Colorado is prosecuting the case, with the assistance of Jennifer Levy of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Canadian National Sentenced to 22 Years in Federal Prison for His Role in ‘Operation Denial’Read the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota, along with United States Attorney Natalie K. Wight, District of Oregon, and Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, announced that Xuan Cahn Nguyen, age 43, Point-Au-Tremble, Quebec, was sentenced by Chief District Court Judge Peter Welte, to 22 years imprisonment for his role in ‘Operation Denial’ and 3 years of supervised release.
Nguyen was extradited from Canada to the United States on January 6, 2021, with significant assistance from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
On May 31, 2022, Nguyen pled guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute and Import Controlled Substances and Controlled Substance Analogues Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and Death and Money Laundering Conspiracy. As part of that plea, Nguyen acknowledged assisting Daniel Vivas Ceron and Jason Berry with their international fentanyl and fentanyl analogue distribution operation that they were running from inside Drummond Correctional Institution in Drummondville, Quebec.
Jason Berry is scheduled for sentencing on July 24, 2023, in Fargo. Daniel Vivas Ceron is scheduled for sentencing on July 25, 2023, in Fargo.
This case is part of “Operation Denial,” an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation into the international trafficking of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues and was significantly aided by the national and international coordination led by the multi-agency Special Operations Division (S.O.D.) near Washington, DC, as part of “Operation Deadly Merchant.” The investigation started in North Dakota on January 3, 2015, with the overdose death in Grand Forks, ND, of Bailey Henke.
Operation Denial has led to thirty-one (31) defendants charged in North Dakota and three (3) defendants charged in Oregon. The investigation has resulted in nearly one million in cash and property forfeited from members of the organization.
On August 31, 2021, the U.S. Department of State offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of People’s Republic of China (PRC) national Jian Zhang, a fugitive in this transnational investigation.
This case is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation; U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; IRS Criminal Investigation – Fargo Field Office; Grand Forks Narcotics Task Force; Royal Canadian Mounted Police; Portland Oregon Police Bureau – Drugs and Vice Division, Portland HIDTA Interdiction Task Force; Oregon State Police; and the Grand Forks Police Department.
The prosecutors for this case are Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher C. Myers, District of North Dakota; Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin, District of Oregon and as a Special Assistant U.S Attorney in North Dakota; and Kaitlin Sahni, Assistant Deputy Chief, and Imani Hutty, Trial Attorney, Criminal Division Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section of the Justice Department.
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Buffalo Man Charged with Assaulting A Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Jenay Cepeda-Nieves, 22, of Buffalo, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with assaulting a federal officer, which carries a maximum penalty of eight years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Louis A. Testani, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on July 6, 2023, United States Customs and Border Protection intercepted a parcel containing approximately 463 grams of cocaine mailed from the U.S. Virgin Islands to a residence on Koons Avenue in Buffalo, bearing both a fictious sender and receiver. On July 11, 2023, investigators conducted a controlled delivery of the parcel, replacing the cocaine with “sham” cocaine. After the parcel was accepted and taken inside the residence, a federal search warrant was executed, during which Cepeda-Nieves refused to follow commands and attempted to fight with investigators and abscond. When he was taken into custody, Cepeda-Nieves bit a Customs and Border Protection Taskforce Officer, on the leg, causing pain and bruising.
The complaint plea is the result of an investigation by United States Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Rose Brophy, Director of Field Operations, Homeland Security Investigations Buffalo Border Enforcement Security Taskforce, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Boston Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Brandon Man Sentenced to over 16 Years in Prison on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Brandon man was sentenced to 195 months in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for attempted production of child pornography and possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Michael E. Patton, 36, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Jackson. In addition to his term of imprisonment, Patton was ordered to pay $30,000 in court assessments. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
According to court records, on June 29, 2021, agents with the Jackson FBI received information that Michael E. Patton was producing images of child pornography in Brandon, Mississippi. On March 4, 2022, FBI agents arrested Patton and found several images of child pornography on his cellular telephone. Patton had actively been uploading and sharing images of child pornography via the internet to receive more images. Patton was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 22, 2022. He pled guilty on March 13, 2023, to attempted production of child pornography and possession of child pornography.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Glenda R. Haynes prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Beaumont Man Sentenced for Federal Violations in Animal Cruelty CaseRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas - A Beaumont man has been sentenced to federal prison for animal cruelty violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today.
Decorius Mire, 24, pleaded guilty to animal crushing and aiding and abetting and was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone.
Animal crushing is defined under federal criminal law as, “actual conduct in which one or more living non-human mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians, is purposely crushed, burned, drowned, suffocated, impaled, or otherwise subjected to serious bodily injury.”
According to information presented in court, on October 15, 2021, Mire and a co-defendant encountered a live domestic cat in the parking lot of a Beaumont apartment complex. The co-defendant, encouraged by Mire, kicked the cat as if kicking a football field goal, propelling the cat approximately 15 to 20 feet through the air. Mire filmed the event with his cellular telephone and posted the video on his social media accounts where it was commented on and shared with others.
Mire was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 28, 2022, and prosecuted under the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act. Signed into law in November 2019, the PACT Act bans the intentional crushing, burning, drowning, suffocating, impalement or other serious harm to “living non-human mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians.” The law also bans “animal crush videos,” meaning any photograph, motion picture film, video or digital recording or electronic image that depicts animal cruelty.
This case was investigated by the Beaumont Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph R. Batte.
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18-Year-Old Castle Rock Man Arrested for Attempting to Provide Material Support to a Foreign Terrorist OrganizationRead the Press Release
DENVER – A Castle Rock man was charged with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 2339B, and made his initial appearance in federal court today.
Davin Daniel Meyer, 18, was arrested on Friday, July 14, 2023, as he attempted to board an international flight at the Denver International Airport. According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, Meyer pledged an oath of allegiance to the leader of ISIS and intended to travel to serve as a fighter for ISIS in Iraq.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Hindman of the District of Colorado is prosecuting on behalf of the government with the assistance of Jennifer Levy of the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. The case is being investigated by the FBI Denver Field Office with assistance provided by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
The charge in the complaint is an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Case number: 23-mj-00121
Friday 14 July 2023
Yukon Man Sentenced to Serve Five Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Yesterday, DUSTIN MICHAEL BUTLER, 34, of Yukon, was sentenced to serve 60 months in federal prison yesterday for possessing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On October 5, 2021, a federal grand jury returned a two-count Indictment charging Butler with receipt and possession of child pornography. On February 7, 2022, Butler pleaded guilty to the possession count. At the plea hearing, Butler admitted to downloading and possessing images of child pornography. According to the Indictment, Butler possessed two hard drives containing images of child pornography.
At a sentencing hearing yesterday, U.S. District Court Judge Stephen P. Friot sentenced Butler to serve 60 months in federal prison. In announcing the sentence, Judge Friot noted the nature, circumstances, and seriousness of the offense, including the “horrific” child abuse depicted in the large volume of images and videos that Butler possessed. This term of imprisonment will be followed by five years of supervised release.
In addition to the prison sentence, the Court ordered Butler pay a total of $15,000.00—$ 3,000.00 to each of his five identified victims—in restitution, in addition to a total of $10,100.00 in special assessments.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Homeland Security Investigations – Dallas Field Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Barry.
Reference is made to public filings for more information.
Waterbury Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that AARON THOMPSON, 50, last residing in Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 48 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his federal supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 10, 2010, Thompson was sentenced in New Haven federal court to 168 months of imprisonment for his leadership of a Danbury-area crack cocaine distribution ring. He was released from federal prison in May 2020 and began serving a four-year term of supervised release.
On May 5, 2021, Danbury Police arrested Thompson for risk of injury and sexual assault offenses. On April 28, 2022, while Thompson’s state case and federal supervised release violation matter were pending, Danbury Police arrested Thompson for narcotics distribution offenses. He has been detained since that date.
Thompson subsequently pleaded guilty nolo contendere in state court and, on March 20, 2023, received an effective sentence of approximately five years of imprisonment. Thompson will begin serving his four-year federal sentence when he completes his state sentence, which is currently due to end in April 2027.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Huang.
Washington County Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Conspiring to Distribute CocaineRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA -- A resident of Washington, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty and has been sentenced in federal court to 84 months’ imprisonment followed by 4 years of supervised release on his conviction for conspiring to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan imposed the sentence on Patrick Ellis, 49, of Washington, Pa.
According to the information presented to the court, in November of 2019, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pennsylvania State Police began investigation a drug trafficking organization that operated in Washington County, Pennsylvania, of which Ellis was a member. Beginning in April of 2020 and continuing into November of 2020, the FBI received authorization to conduct a Title III wiretap investigation into the organization. Ellis was intercepted discussing the distribution of cocaine. In addition to the intercepted communications, agents seized cocaine, heroin-fentanyl mixtures, firearms, ammunition, bulletproof vests, and bulk United States Currency from members of the organization. They seized approximately two kilograms of cocaine from Ellis.
Assistant United States Attorneys Mark V. Gurzo and Jerome A. Moschetta prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police Drug Law Enforcement Division for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Ellis. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Summer Anti-Violence InitiativeRead the Press Release
Salt Lake City, Utah – As temperatures continue to rise across the state, violent crime rates tend to also rise. U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah and federal law enforcement partners are aiming to decrease violent crime through a new Summer Anti-Violence Initiative.
Last month, during a meeting with 93 U.S. Attorneys and the heads of the Department of Justice’s law enforcement components, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland discussed ongoing efforts to reduce violent crime and combat that which fuels it. Efforts include, continuing to work alongside state and local partners to implement district-specific violent crime strategies.
“Among other things, we will be reinforcing the importance of identifying, investing, and prioritizing the prosecution of those who are responsible for the greatest violence in our communities,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. See full remarks here: https://www.justice.gov/opa/speech/attorney-general-merrick-b-garland-delivers-remarks-meeting-us-attorneys-violent-crime
In the District of Utah, our federal partners have been working in tandem with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to identify, investigate, and bring charges against the most violent offenders. the Summer Anti-Violence Initiative will focus on investigating and prosecuting individuals who create a danger to our communities through violence, repeated criminal activity, and weapons offenses. Additionally, the USAO is hiring new Assistant U.S. Attorneys, who will provide additional resources to target violent crime in our state, including, robberies, carjackings, illegal use, trafficking, possession of firearms, and drug trafficking.
Just last month, 63,000 fentanyl pills were taken off Utah streets and two alleged drug dealers were indicted and taken into custody. See full release https://www.justice.gov/usao-ut/pr/63000-fentanyl-pills-removed-utah-streets-and-alleged-drug-dealers-indicted-and-custody. In May, multiple men were indicted in Utah for firearm offenses, including allegedly attempting to smuggle 34 guns into Mexico. See full release https://www.justice.gov/usao-ut/pr/multiple-men-indicted-utah-firearm-offenses-including-allegedly-attempting-smuggle-34.
“Our citizens deserve to feel safe,” said U.S. Attorney Higgins. “Through this initiative we will continue working closely with our federal partners to enforce federal law and prosecute those who commit acts of violence in our communities.”
Federal law enforcement agencies partnering to combat violent crime in Utah through this initiative include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS).
U.S. Attorney Randy S. Grossman Announces DepartureRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – July 14, 2023
SAN DIEGO – Randy S. Grossman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of California, today announced his resignation, effective at the end of the day on August 4, 2023. Grossman plans to return to the private sector.
“It has been the honor of my life to serve as U.S. Attorney alongside our office’s talented and selfless public servants and our exceptional agency and community partners,” Grossman said. “I am very proud of what we accomplished together for our nation, and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have served the people of the Southern District of California. I will leave with the utmost confidence in the future success of the office.”
Grossman, who previously served as the First Assistant U.S. Attorney, began serving as Acting U.S. Attorney on February 28, 2021. Attorney General Merrick Garland then appointed Grossman to be the interim U.S. Attorney, effective December 26, 2021. After Grossman served in that role for 120 days, United States District Judges in the Southern District of California voted to appoint him as U.S. Attorney, effective April 25, 2022.
As the chief federal law enforcement official for San Diego and Imperial counties, Grossman prioritized criminal prosecutions that address the most significant public safety challenges to our district and nation. Together with federal, state and local agency partners, the office successfully prosecuted cases involving national security and cybersecurity; violent crime and illegal firearms; human smuggling and human trafficking; crimes against children; and drug trafficking, including an all-in strategy to dismantle every level in the fentanyl supply chain - from the Sinaloa Cartel leaders to the street level dealers.
Grossman also prioritized the prosecution of fraud and corruption during his tenure, including COVID-related fraud, cryptocurrency schemes, securities fraud, and elder fraud. Grossman oversaw significant civil matters, including successful defensive litigation on behalf of the United States, and the recovery of millions of dollars against individuals and companies for fraud and civil rights violations.
During Grossman’s tenure, the United States Attorney’s Office focused on community outreach and grant programs that strengthened relationships between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve. These include education programs on hate crimes and hate incidents, reentry initiatives and other grant-funded programs to reduce violent crime, and programs to prevent fentanyl overdose deaths.
Grossman continued the collaborative work of multiple stakeholders in the Southern District of California through two highly successful criminal diversion programs led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office - the Alternative to Prison Solutions Diversion Program and the Veteran’s Diversion Program.
As the United States Attorney for one of the largest districts in the nation, Grossman led significant regional and nationwide initiatives for the Department of Justice. For example, the office co-led Joint Task Force Alpha, which was established by the Attorney General in June 2021, to combat human international human smuggling and human trafficking. Grossman also served on subcommittees for the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC), which consists of a select number of U.S. Attorneys who advise the Attorney General on policy issues impacting federal prosecutors’ offices across the country. Grossman served as the co-chair of the Border and Immigration Law Enforcement Subcommittee and a member of the White-Collar Fraud and Violent Crime Subcommittees of the AGAC.
Grossman is a graduate of California Western School of Law (J.D.) and the University of Arizona (B.B.A.). For more information on Grossman’s background, please see https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/meet-us-attorney.
Two More Dublin Federal Correctional Officers to Plead Guilty to Sexually Abusing Multiple Female InmatesRead the Press Release
OAKLAND - As part of its ongoing investigation into Bureau of Prisons officials at FCI Dublin, the U.S. Attorney’s Office today announced charges against two more federal prison correctional officers (CO), Nakie Nunley and Andrew Jones, for sexually abusing multiple female inmates. The two officers were each charged by Information with multiple counts of sexually abusing female inmates and then lying about the abuse to federal investigators. Both Nunley and Jones were employed as federal correctional officers at the time of the abuse. Both have agreed to plead guilty in written plea agreements, which were filed concurrently with the charging documents.
“The sexual abuse charges and guilty pleas announced today are the result of the Department of Justice’s sustained commitment to rooting out sexual misconduct at the Bureau of Prisons,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “As these guilty pleas reflect, we will continue to hold accountable correctional officers who abuse their positions of trust and fail to humanely care for those in their custody.”
“This Office’s ongoing investigation into FCI Dublin has revealed significant findings of wrongdoing by multiple correctional officers at that facility,” said U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey of the Northern District of California. “The Department of Justice has repeatedly warned that criminal misconduct in the care and safety of incarcerated persons will not be tolerated. Correctional officers have an obligation to ensure the safety of incarcerated persons and all Bureau of Prisons employees should view these latest two prosecutions as confirmation that the Department of Justice will do its part to ensure that those who stray from these obligations are held accountable.”
“Nunley and Jones are the seventh and eighth individuals charged with sexually abusing inmates at FCI Dublin. Five individuals, including the Warden and Chaplain, have been convicted of sexual abuse of inmates. The Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General is continuing to investigate these heinous allegations at FCI Dublin and is aggressively pursuing justice for victims of sexual abuse at the hands of rogue BOP employees," said Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz.
“Incarcerated individuals should be able to serve their sentences without fear of being sexually assaulted by correctional institution staff,” said FBI San Francisco Special Agent In Charge Robert Tripp. “Nakie Nunley and Andrew Jones abused their positions and will be held accountable. Protecting civil rights stands among the FBI’s highest priorities, and we will continue to investigate such claims as they come to light.”
Nunley, 48, of Fairfield, was charged with engaging in sexual acts and sexual contacts with five women who were serving prison sentences at FCI Dublin at the time of the abuse. He was also charged with lying to federal investigators about the sexual abuse and writing sexually explicit notes with one of his victims. Jones, 35, of Pleasanton, was charged with engaging in sexual acts with three women who were serving prison sentences at FCI Dublin, as well as lying to federal investigators about sexually abusing one of these victims.
Nakie Nunley
Nunley was employed as a correctional officer at FCI Dublin where he supervised prisoners who worked in UNICOR, a trade name for the federal prison industries. All of Nunley’s victims worked at the UNICOR call center at the time of his abuse. According to his plea agreement, Nunley admits that between March 2020 and November 2021, he engaged in sexual acts with two prisoners, including having oral and vaginal sex with one victim and digitally penetrating another victim on multiple occasions. He also admitted that he engaged in illegal sexual contacts with three other prisoners and that he lied to federal investigators about sexually abusing his victims and about sending one of his victims sexually explicit notes.
In addition to the five victims he is charged with abusing in the Information, Nunley also admitted in his plea agreement that he sexually abused two other prisoners who worked at UNICOR. Nunley admitted that he digitally penetrated one victim’s vagina and caused her to touch his penis under his pants, resulting in him ejaculating in her hand. Nunley admitted that he caused another victim to perform oral sex on him.
Nunley also admitted that he engaged in other inappropriate behavior. For example, Nunley agreed that he wrote sexual notes to one of his victims and made sexual comments to multiple victims. Moreover, when one of his victims approached him about his conduct towards another victim, Nunley threatened her by raising with her the potential that she could be transferred to another facility and that she could lose her job. Similarly, Nunley admitted that he told another victim that if she wanted to keep her job at UNICOR, she needed to pull down her underwear and bend over. When she complied, Nunley slapped her buttocks several times.
Andrew Jones
Jones was employed as a correctional officer at FCI Dublin where he supervised prisoners who worked in the Food Services Department. According to his plea agreement, between July 2020 and June 2021, Jones admitted that he received oral sex from, or had sexual intercourse with, three female prisoners who worked for him in the FCI Dublin kitchen. Jones admitted that he sexually abused these prisoners in multiple places near the FCI Dublin kitchen, including a staff bathroom, a warehouse, and a room where kitchen utensils were kept. In addition, like Nunley, Jones admitted in his plea agreement that he engaged in improper conduct in addition to the conduct for which he was charged in the Information. Specifically, Jones admitted that he also had sexual intercourse and received oral sex from an additional victim on multiple other occasions between July and December 2020, and that he had sexual intercourse with yet another victim multiple times between March and June 2021.
FCI Dublin Investigation
As part of the Department of Justice’s ongoing investigation into FCI Dublin, eight FCI Dublin correctional officers, including the former Warden, have been charged with crimes related to the sexual abuse of the female prisoners at the facility. In December of 2022, former Warden Ray J. Garcia was convicted by a jury of sexually abusive conduct against three female victims and was sentenced to 70 months in prison for his crimes. To date, the tally of correctional officers (“COs”) charged with misconduct as part of the Department of Justice’s investigation are as follows:
NAME
CASE NUMBER
STATUS
Warden Ray J. Garcia
4:21-cr-00429-YGR
Convicted on all counts by jury on December 8, 2022; sentenced to 70 months in prison
CO John Bellhouse
4:22-cr-00066-YGR
Convicted on all counts by jury on June 5, 2023; sentencing scheduled for October 27, 2023
Chaplain James Highhouse
4:22-cr-00016-HSG
Pleaded guilty on February 24, 2022; sentenced to 84 months in prison
CO Enrique Chavez
4:22-cr-00104-YGR
Pleaded guilty on October 27, 2022; sentenced to 20 months in prison
CO Ross Klinger
4:22-cr-00031-YGR
Pleaded guilty on February 10, 2022; sentencing scheduled for December 13, 2023
CO Darrel Smith (a/k/a “Dirty Dick Smith”)
4:22-cr-00110-YGR
Indicted on April 13, 2023; status conference scheduled for August 3, 2023
CO Nakie Nunley
4:23-cr-00213-HSG
Information and Plea Agreement filed on July 13, 2023
CO Andrew Jones
4:23-cr-00212-HSG
Information and Plea Agreement filed on July 13, 2023
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Molly K. Priedeman and Andrew Paulson, with the assistance of Madeline Wachs, Sara Slattery, Christine Tian, Claudia Hyslop, Leeya Kekona, and Kay Konopaske. The prosecutions are the result of an investigation by the DOJ-OIG and the FBI.
4-23-cr-00212-hsg_information_2023_07_13.pdf 4-23-cr-00213-hsg_information_2023_07_13.pdfTwo Mexican Nationals Sentenced for Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens into the United StatesRead the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota, announced that on July 13, 2023, Armando De Dios-Carrillo, age 38 and Victor Manuel Perez-Aguilera, age 35, Mexican Nationals, were sentenced to federal prison for Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens into the United States. De Dios-Carrillo was sentenced to 24 months in prison and a $100 special assessment and Perez-Aguilera was sentenced to 18 months in prison and a $100 special assessment. The third co-defendant, Jose Ramon Gonzalez-Resendiz, is set for a change-of-plea and sentence hearing on July 24, 2023.
According to court documents, Armando De Dios-Carrillo and Victor Manuel Perez-Aguilera and others partially carried out the smuggling of a group of nationals of Mexico across the United States-Canada border into North Dakota in late March 2023, planning to move them further into the United States in exchange for payment of thousands of dollars per person. The plan fell apart when a pickup truck they were using got stuck in the snow. The pickup had to be towed from the drifted snow and was discovered by Border Patrol agents later at a Langdon, North Dakota, hotel where the smugglers and some of the people they smuggled were staying.
“These strong sentences are another reminder to smugglers: If you think the northern border is a soft target, think again,” Schneider said. “Smugglers who put human lives at risk at the northern border will be caught by our partners in law enforcement, prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office, and face jail time.”
This case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol, with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection -- Office of Field Operations and Pembina County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob T. Rodenbiker.
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Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Possessing with Intent to Distribute More than 332 Kilograms of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Hector Francisco Ramirez-Roman, 39, of San Luis, Rio Colorado, Mexico, was sentenced on Tuesday by United States District Judge John C. Hinderaker to 108 months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release. Ramirez-Roman also was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment. Ramirez-Roman pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of a Mixture or Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine.
Ramirez-Roman was stopped by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers on May 21, 2021, while crossing from Mexico into the United States driving his tractor-trailer loaded with cucumbers. Upon inspection, agents discovered that the passenger-side gas tank was filled with a combination of gasoline and liquified methamphetamine. More than 332 kilograms of methamphetamine -approximately 1.3 million individual doses - was removed from the gas tank.
United States Customs and Border Protection, assisted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David P. Petermann, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-21-01384-JCH-EJM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-107_Ramirez-Roman# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Three Gang Members Plead Guilty to RICO Charge and Admit Roles in the Robbery and Fatal Shooting of LAPD OfficerRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Three members of a Los Angeles street gang have pleaded guilty to violating the federal racketeering statute for their roles in the robbery and fatal shooting last year of Los Angeles Police Officer Fernando Arroyos, the Justice Department announced today.
The following defendants – all members of the South Los Angeles-based Florencia 13 (F13) street gang – each pleaded guilty late Thursday to one count of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act:
- Luis Alfredo de la Rosa Rios, 29, a.k.a. “Lil J” and “Lil Malo”;
- Ernesto Cisneros, 24, a.k.a. “Gonzo” and “Spooky”; and
- Jesse Contreras, 35, a.k.a. “Skinny Jack” and “Flaco.”
According to three plea agreements filed Thursday afternoon, on the night of January 10, 2022, the defendants were driving in Rios’ truck around F13’s “territory” in the Florence-Firestone area of South Los Angeles, looking for people to rob. The three defendants decided to rob Officer Arroyos because he was wearing gold chains around his neck. Arroyos was accompanied by his girlfriend, another victim who is identified in court documents as “A.M.” Contreras handed Rios a loaded gun. Cisneros already possessed a loaded gun. Rios and Cisneros, both armed, then exited Rios’ truck.
Cisneros approached the off-duty officer, patted him down, and then took his chains and wallet, which contained Arroyos’ LAPD identification card. Rios approached A.M., patted her down and stole her property.
After robbing Arroyos, Rios and Cisneros opened fire. Arroyos was struck by a single bullet, which killed him.
Rios and Contreras further admitted in their plea agreements to committing armed robberies against two victims outside a bar in the Florence-Firestone area earlier the same day.
“This case starkly illustrates the devastating impact of gangs on our community,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “A young man who had achieved great success and returned to serve his community as a Los Angeles Police officer was murdered while shopping for a home in the city he took an oath to protect. These senseless tragedies are repeated too often. Our work in this case sends a message that we will aggressively prosecute violence against our community.”
“The defendants admitted to their role in the callous and cowardly murder of an off-duty police officer,” said Donald Alway, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “These defendants now face spending the better part of their lives in prison and will no longer be in a position to prey on innocent victims.”
“The murder of LAPD Officer Fernando Arroyos was a senseless murder,” said Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert G. Luna. “The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is thankful for the interagency collaboration with the LAPD, and other local and federal agencies. LASD’s Homicide Bureau is appreciative of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Department of Justice for their efforts in bringing some semblance of justice to Officer Arroyos’ loved ones.”
The three gang members pleaded guilty Thursday before United States District Judge Percy Anderson, who scheduled sentencing hearings on September 25 for Rios and Contreras, and an October 16 sentencing hearing for Cisneros. As a result of their guilty pleas, each defendant faces a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison. Prosecutors have agreed to seek terms of between 35 and 50 years in prison for Rios and Cisneros, and a prison term of 35 years for Contreras.
Haylee Marie Grisham, 20, an F13 associate who was Rios’ girlfriend, pleaded guilty on April 5 to one count of violent crime in aid of racketeering for participating in the fatal robbery of Arroyos. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 11, at which time she will face a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Joanna M. Curtis, Chief of the General Crimes Section; Christopher C. Kendall of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section; and Kathy Yu of the Violent and Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case.
Three Darknet Fentanyl Vendors Sentenced to over 20 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Tempe, Arizona, woman was sentenced today to 5 years in prison for her role in operating multiple darknet pages selling illicit drugs alongside two previously sentenced co-conspirators.
According to court documents, from at least in and around January of 2022 through August 2022, Veronica Dittman, 28, along with co-conspirators Rick Schiffner, 31, and Devin Langer, 30, both based in Phoenix, Arizona, ran the darknet monikers “TrustedTraphouse,” “GoldenTrails,” “PopcornPlug,” and others across at least dozen different darknet markets. On these markets, the co-conspirators advertised various controlled substances, including crystal methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills that the conspirators advertised as oxycodone. During the course of the conspiracy, the conspirators made over 1,300 sales of controlled substances over the darknet using these accounts, distributing at least 800 grams of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, 500 grams of methamphetamine, 16 grams of heroin, and 7 grams of cocaine. The conspirators described the pressed pills containing fentanyl on one marketplace as “Not normal OxyCodone”, informing potential customers “These are MUCH stronger than pharmaceutical OxyCodone… These were NOT made by a pharmacy,” and warning customers to “BE CAREFUL.” Dittman worked primarily with Schiffner to process orders over the darknet and then package and ship them. Dittman also operated her own vendor accounts on the darknet using the monikers “VirtualPeddler” and “Darkette”. By the time of her arrest, she had made at least 74 sales of controlled substances through those accounts, the majority of which were fentanyl.
The darknet, also called the darkweb, is a portion of the Internet that hosts darknet markets, or hidden commercial websites. A darknet market operates as a black market, selling or brokering transactions involving legal products, as well as drugs, weapons, counterfeit currency, stolen credit card details, forged documents, unlicensed pharmaceuticals, steroids, and other illicit goods.
Co-conspirators Schiffner was sentenced on April 14, 2023, to 150 months imprisonment. Co-conspirator Langer was sentenced on April 17, 2023, to 84 months imprisonment.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division; Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); and George A. Scavdis, Special Agent in Charge of the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Metro Washington Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis, III.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia expresses its appreciation to the FBI Phoenix Field Office, USPIS Phoenix Division, Homeland Security Investigations Phoenix, the Pinal County Sheriff's Office, the Arizona Department of Public Safety, FBI Las Vegas Field Office, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department for their significant assistance in this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Call prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-31.
Task Force Agent ArrestedRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment on Thursday, July 13, 2023, charging Antonio Pizarro Adorno, a Puerto Rico Special Investigations Bureau (“NIE” as known in Spanish) officer assigned to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (HSI), for concealing $170 during a law enforcement seizure.
According to court documents, on April 27, 2023, Pizarro Adorno, took $170 in cash seized by the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB), with the intent to impair its integrity and availability for use in an investigation being conducted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives related to drug trafficking in a community in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
“Investigating and prosecuting officials who abuse their positions of trust will continue to be a top priority in the Justice Department and this office,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.
Pizarro Adorno is scheduled for his initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Giselle López-Soler of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI San Juan Field Office, Public Corruption Unit is investigating the case, with the collaboration of the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marie Christine Amy is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Tacoma man charged federally with production of images of child sexual abuseRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A 37-year-old Tacoma man will appear this afternoon in U.S. District Court in Tacoma charged with production of child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Steven Nicholas Corona was arrested yesterday without incident and will make his initial appearance at 2:00 PM.
According to the criminal complaint, in December 2022 Australian law enforcement contacted law enforcement in the U.S. regarding images of sexual abuse of a young child that had been shared on the internet. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) was able to identify Corona as the person who posted the photos and determined that the material had been created between June and September 2019. The investigation determined that Corona had been living with the child’s household and provided childcare at times during this period.
Production of child pornography is punishable by a mandatory minimum 15 years in prison and up to 30 years.
The charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigation by Homeland Security Investigations.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Hampton.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Suspected Russian Intelligence Operative Extradited from Estonia to Face Charges Related to Providing American-Made Electronics and Ammunition to Russian MilitaryRead the Press Release
A Russian citizen with alleged ties to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) will be arraigned today on an indictment charging him with conspiracy and other charges related to a global procurement and money laundering network on behalf of the Russian government.
According to court documents, Vadim Konoshchenok, 48, of Tallinn, Estonia, was arrested in Estonia on a provisional arrest warrant issued from the Eastern District of New York and extradited from Estonia to the United States on July 13.
“This defendant, who is suspected of having ties to the FSB, smuggled hundreds of thousands of illicit munitions in support of Moscow’s war machine, using front companies to conceal his criminal enterprise,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Department of Justice remains steadfast in its mission to counter Russian aggression and we will give no quarter to those who violate U.S. sanctions to further fuel its war effort.”
“In early December, I met with Estonian counterparts in Tallinn regarding the pending U.S. request to arrest Vadim Konoshchenok,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “I would like to pay tribute to Prosecutor General Andres Parmas’s team, and to the Estonian Internal Security Service, for their prioritization of this case, and for their close coordination with the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs on the provisional arrest and extradition of Konoshchenok.”
“As alleged, the defendant was a critical participant in a scheme to provide sensitive, American-made electronics and ammunition in furtherance of Russia’s war efforts and weapons development, violating U.S. export controls, economic sanctions and other criminal statutes,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “Let this case serve as the latest example that no matter where you are in the world, if you violate U.S. export controls or evade U.S. sanctions, we will not rest until you face justice in a U.S. courtroom.”
“The FBI and our partners work diligently to bring to justice those who assist Russia’s military interests and put national security at risk,” said Assistant Director Suzanne Turner of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “According to the allegations in the indictment, Konoshchenok helped the FSB smuggle military grade ammunition and a range of nuclear and computer equipment which could be used as instruments of war. Today’s indictment is a fierce reminder of the lengths Russian intelligences services will go to advance Russia’s military capabilities. The FBI is deeply committed to disrupting and dismantling these actions.”
According to the indictment and court filings, Konoshchenok and his co-defendants were affiliated with Serniya Engineering and Sertal LLC (the Serniya Network), Moscow-based companies that operate under the direction of Russian intelligence services to procure advanced electronics and sophisticated testing equipment for Russia’s military industrial complex and research and development sector, some of which can be used in the development of nuclear and hypersonic weapons, quantum computing and other military applications. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the Department of Commerce (DOC) Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) levied sanctions against Serniya, Sertal and several individuals and companies engaged in the scheme, calling them “instrumental to the Russian Federation’s war machine.”
As alleged in the indictment, the Serniya Network was licensed to conduct highly sensitive and classified procurement activities by Russia’s FSB, Russia’s principal security agency and the main successor agency to the Soviet Union’s KGB. According to court documents, in electronic communications, Konoshchenok explicitly identified himself as an FSB “Colonel” and enclosed a photograph of himself wearing his FSB uniform. Additionally, a review of electronic communications equipment recovered from Konoshchenok revealed saved contacts beginning with the prefix “FSB” and email addresses from “FSB[.]ru” domains. One of Konoshchenok’s calendar entries referenced an “FSB order.”
As described in the indictment, Estonia was a popular transshipment point, where Konoshchenok would smuggle U.S.-origin items across the border into Russia. On Oct. 27, 2022, Konoshchenok was detained by Estonian authorities while attempting to cross into Russia from Estonia with approximately 35 different types of semiconductors and electronic components, including several U.S.-origin and export-controlled items. Konoshchenok has also been repeatedly stopped by Estonian border officials attempting to smuggle hundreds of thousands of American-made and export-controlled rounds into Russia, including 6.5 mm, 7 mm, .338 and .308 magnum rounds, which are commonly used by snipers, as well as military-grade .223 rounds.
Konoshchenok used an Estonian front company called Stonebridge Resources and communicated frequently with other co-conspirators about sourcing, transporting and paying for controlled items. In electronic communications, Konoshchenok is clear that his fee is “10%” because he “can’t do less. Sanctions . . . Sanction item for 10%.”
To date, over half a ton of military-grade ammunition linked to Konoshchenok has been recovered or interdicted before being smuggled into Russia.
If convicted, Konoshchenok faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison.
The FBI is investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Estonian authorities, including Estonian Internal Security Service (KAPO) and the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Estonia, provided significant assistance in securing foreign evidence, the arrest and extradition of Konoshchenok.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Artie McConnell and Matthew Skurnik for the Eastern District of New York and Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
This case has been coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions, and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed, along with its allies and partners, in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2, 2022, and under the leadership of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will leverage all the Department’s tools and authorities against efforts to evade or undermine the economic actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.
Suspected Russian Intelligence Operative Extradited from Estonia to Face Charges Related to Providing American-Made Electronics and Ammunition to Russian MilitaryRead the Press Release
Vadim Konoshchenok will be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Ramon E. Reyes, Jr., at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn on an indictment charging him with conspiracy and other charges related to a global procurement and money laundering network on behalf of the Russian government. Konoshchenok, a Russian citizen with alleged ties to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), was arrested in Estonia on a provisional arrest warrant issued from the Eastern District of New York and extradited from Estonia to the United States on July 13, 2023.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Andrew C. Adams, Director, Task Force KleptoCapture; Christie M. Curtis, Acting Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Jonathan Carson, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Export Enforcement, New York Field Office (DOC), announced the extradition.
“As alleged, the defendant was a critical participant in a scheme to provide sensitive, American-made electronics and ammunition in furtherance of Russia’s war efforts and weapons development, violating U.S. export controls, economic sanctions and other criminal statutes,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Let this case serve as the latest example that no matter where you are in the world, if you violate U.S. export controls or evade U.S. sanctions, we will not rest until you face justice in a U.S. courtroom.”
United States Attorney Peace thanked the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and Estonian authorities, including Estonian Internal Security Service (KAPO) and the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Estonia for their significant assistance in securing foreign evidence, the arrest and extradition of Konoshchenok.
“In early December, I met with Estonian counterparts in Tallinn regarding the pending U.S. request to arrest Vadim Konoshchenok,” stated Assistant Attorney General Polite. “I would like to pay tribute to Prosecutor General Andres Parmas’s team, and to the Estonian Internal Security Service, for their prioritization of this case, and for their close coordination with the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs on the provisional arrest and extradition of Konoshchenok.”
“This defendant, who is suspected of having ties to the FSB, smuggled hundreds of thousands of illicit munitions in support of Moscow’s war machine, using front companies to conceal his criminal enterprise,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Department of Justice remains steadfast in its mission to counter Russian aggression and we will give no quarter to those who violate U.S. sanctions to further fuel its war effort.”
“Vadim Konoshchenok allegedly provided cutting edge, American-developed technologies and ammunition to Russia for use in their illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Far from the battlefield, Konoshchenok will now face justice in an American courthouse, thanks to the staunch commitment of our Estonian partners and the federal prosecutors and agents who have dedicated their time and talents to disrupting the Kremlin’s war machine,” stated KleptoCapture Director Adams.
“Last year, charges were announced against the defendant and others involved in this complex transnational criminal scheme under the direction of Russian intelligence services. Today’s extradition of Vadim Konoshchenok is a testament to the team of law enforcement professionals dedicated to enforcing U.S. export controls,” stated DOC Special Agent-in-Charge Carson. “We will continue to enforce the unprecedented export controls implemented in response to Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine and the Office of Export Enforcement intends to pursue these violators wherever they may be worldwide.”
According to the indictment and court filings, the defendants were affiliated with Serniya Engineering and Sertal LLC (the “Serniya Network”), Moscow-based companies that operate under the direction of Russian intelligence services to procure advanced electronics and sophisticated testing equipment for Russia’s military industrial complex and research and development sector, some of which can be used in the development of nuclear and hypersonic weapons, quantum computing and other military applications. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the Department of Commerce (DOC) Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) levied sanctions against Serniya, Sertal and several individuals and companies engaged in the scheme, calling them “instrumental to the Russian Federation’s war machine.”
As alleged in the indictment, the Serniya Network was licensed to conduct highly sensitive and classified procurement activities by Russia’s FSB, Russia’s principal security agency and the main successor agency to the Soviet Union’s KGB. In electronic communications, Konoshchenok explicitly identified himself as an FSB “Colonel” and enclosed a photograph of himself wearing his FSB uniform. Additionally, a review of electronic communications equipment recovered from Konoshchenok revealed saved contacts beginning with the prefix “FSB” and email addresses from “FSB[.]ru” domains. One of Konoshchenok’s calendar entries referenced an “FSB order.”
As described in the indictment, Estonia was a popular transshipment point, where Konoshchenok would smuggle U.S.-origin items across the border into Russia. On October 27, 2022, Konoshchenok was detained by Estonian authorities attempting to cross into Russia from Estonia with approximately 35 different types of semiconductors and electronic components, including several U.S.-origin and export-controlled items. Konoshchenok has also been repeatedly stopped by Estonian border officials attempting to smuggle hundreds of thousands of American-made and export-controlled rounds into Russia, including 6.5 mm, 7 mm, .338 and .308 magnum rounds, which are commonly used by snipers, as well as military-grade .223 rounds. To date, over half a ton of military-grade ammunition linked to Konoshchenok has been recovered or interdicted before being smuggled into Russia. Konoshchenok used an Estonian front company called “Stonebridge Resources” and communicated frequently with other co-conspirators about sourcing, transporting and paying for controlled items. In electronic communications, Konoshchenok is clear that his fee is “10%” because he “can’t do less. Sanctions . . . Sanction item for 10%.”
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum of 30 years’ imprisonment. The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Artie McConnell, Craig Heeren, and Matthew Skurnik are in charge of the prosecution, along with Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
The Defendant:
VADIM KONOSHCHENOK
Age: 48
Tallin, EstoniaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-409 (HG)
Statement of U.S. Attorney Damian Williams on the Arrest of Sophia MarksRead the Press Release
“Last night, my Office, the Southern District of New York, authorized the arrest of Sophia Marks in connection with her distribution of fake oxycodone pills that contained fentanyl. At least one of Marks’s counterfeit pills was purchased and taken by a teenager who subsequently died of a suspected overdose. The arrest was critical because, as we allege, Marks knew the pills could kill, and she continued selling them anyway. The investigation is ongoing.
Fentanyl is now the number one killer of Americans between the ages of 18 and 49. More than cancer, car accidents, or gun violence. It is a law enforcement crisis and a public health crisis. And we are doing everything we can to stop it.”
* * *
SOPHIA MARKS, 20, of New York, New York, is charged with one count of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and alprazolam, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and two counts of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl, each of which also carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The 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 the judge.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. v. Marks ComplaintSouth Bend Man Sentenced to 138 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Victor Gamez, 43 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to distributing methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Gamez was sentenced to 138 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on four occasions between May 2021 and March 2022, Gamez sold varying amounts of pure methamphetamine to a person in South Bend. The total weight distributed was 264.9 grams.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Indiana State Police, the South Bend Police Department, and the DEA North Central Laboratory. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jerome W. McKeever.
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Soap Lake Man Pleads Guilty to Production and Attempted Production of Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
Spokane – Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Michael Gene Rice, 48, of Soap Lake, Washington, pleaded guilty to Production and Attempted Production of Child Pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2251(a), (e). United States District Judge Thomas. O. Rice accepted Rice’s guilty plea and scheduled a sentencing hearing for October 11, 2023, in Spokane, Washington.
According to court documents and proceedings, Rice caused an 11-year old minor in his care to record the minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct on Rice’s phone. The minor disclosed the conduct to law enforcement, and a search warrant was granted for Rice’s iCloud account data. In Rice’s iCloud account, law enforcement observed child pornography videos consistent with the minor’s statements.
Court documents reveal that Rice was previously convicted in 2002 of Rape of a Child in the First Degree, in Grant County, Washington. The victim in that case was also 11 years old.
Sentencing is also pending in Grant County Case No. No. 22-1-00131-13, where Rice was convicted after a jury trial earlier this year of two counts of Dealing in Depictions of a Minor Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct and two counts of Possession of Depictions of a Minor Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct.
“As a parent, I am chilled by Mr. Rice’s exploitative conduct of a young child,” said United States Attorney Waldref. “My office will continue to take child exploitation seriously, whether online or in-person. Children everywhere deserve to live in a world free from predators.” United States Attorney Waldref continued, “This case, like so many of the cases we prosecute in federal court, involved a joint effort by federal, state and local law enforcement. We are particularly grateful for the Grant County Prosecuting Office’s partnership on this case. When law enforcement is able to partner together – as we did here – we are able to do much to strengthen our communities and keep our citizens, including young children, safe.”
This case was pursued as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the United States 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. The Project Safe Childhood Initiative (“PSC”) has five major components:
- Integrated federal, state, and local efforts to investigate and prosecute child exploitation cases, and to identify and rescue children;
- Participation of PSC partners in coordinated national initiatives;
- Increased federal enforcement in child pornography and enticement cases;
- Training of federal, state, and local law enforcement agents; and
- Community awareness and educational programs.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
In addition, this case was investigated by the Missing and Exploited Children Task Force (MECTF), which is dedicated to protecting the children of Washington State by assisting and investigating missing child and exploitation cases. Washington State Patrol (WSP) MECTF partnered with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Spokane on a Task Force housed at the HSI Spokane office. The Task Force includes Special Agents, Detectives, and Analysts from WSP, HSI, Spokane PD, and representatives from outlying Counties dedicated to serving the children and communities of the region. The MECTF traces its origins to 1999, when the Washington Legislature established a task force on missing and exploited children under the direction of the Chief of the state patrol, RCW 13.60.110.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Grant County Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Ann T. Wick, Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
2:23-CR-23-TOR
Sentencings in Athens-Area Armed Drug Trafficking CasesRead the Press Release
ATHENS, Ga. – Three defendants found guilty in multiple armed drug trafficking investigations in the Athens community were sentenced to federal prison this week for their crimes.
Stacey Collins aka “Sue,” 45, of Alto, Georgia, was sentenced to 240 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. She previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine in Case No. 3:22-cr-00009.
Juan Carlos Pimentel aka “Manuel Romero Gonzalez,” age unknown, of Athens and Mexico, was sentenced to 168 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin in Case No. 3:20-cr-00045. Co-conspirator, Steven Ricole Scott aka “Black” aka “Unc,” 47, of Athens, was sentenced to 120 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine in Case No. 3:20-cr-00008.
U.S. District Judge C. Ashley Royal handed down the sentences on July 10. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Not only are illegal controlled substances themselves growing deadlier due to the intentional or the unintentional mixing in of fentanyl, drug trafficking networks often precipitate violent crime that simply cannot be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “These cases demonstrate our office’s firm commitment to support local, state and federal law enforcement in their efforts to hold armed drug traffickers accountable in the Athens area.”
“The sentencing of these individuals ends an exhaustive investigation and proves that the FBI and our partners will spare no resource when it comes to ending an epidemic in our society that fuels violent crime and kills our citizens,” said Robert Gibbs, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent of FBI Atlanta’s Athens office. “We want to thank our partners who relentlessly work along our side to dismantle these organized, violent criminal enterprises.”
“Drug dealing breeds violence and traffickers who engage in this dangerous lifestyle often protect their drug stash with firearms,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “Consequently, these defendants will spend well-deserved time in prison. DEA and its law enforcement partners are committed to making communities safer by removing such criminals from the streets.”
According to court documents in the Collins case, federal agents learned in 2018 that co-conspirator Malcody Dinges aka “Cody” aka “Yes, Sir Cody,” 44, was conducting drug deals using contraband cell phones while in custody at Wheeler Correctional Facility. During the investigation, agents learned that Dinges was communicating with Collins and other co-defendants located in the Athens region about controlled substances; these individuals would travel to locations in Atlanta as directed by Dinges to receive methamphetamine and return to Athens to distribute the drugs. Dinges received a fee for brokering the deals. Collins kept large amounts of Dinges’s drug proceeds, methamphetamine and other illegal substances at her northeast Georgia home. A subsequent investigation led to her arrest in possession of a five-gallon bag of methamphetamine and approximately $4,300 in cash. A search warrant was executed at her home where agents located several bags of methamphetamine and a firearm. Collins admitted she kept the drugs and up to $50,000 cash at her home because she was a trusted associate of Dinges. Dinges was sentenced to serve 240 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine on Dec. 16, 2021.
According to court documents in the Pimentel and Scott case, agents were investigating the distribution of illegal controlled substances and firearms from the Athens Gardens Apartment Complex by Rickshun Willingham, of Athens, who is deceased. Willingham obtained drugs from Pimentel and Scott, and agents observed Willingham purchasing drugs from Scott’s stash house on Lombardy Circle in Athens. During the investigation, Willingham arranged to buy one kilogram of heroin for $77,000 from Pimentel and another co-conspirator at Pimentel’s home in Athens in Dec. 2019. Willingham told Scott he “robbed the Mexicans” by using $50,000 in fake currency. Scott warned him to be careful because they carry firearms. Under surveillance, Pimentel conducted additional large quantity transactions of heroin. Multiple search warrants were executed in Jan. 2020, including at Pimentel’s residence. Agents seized two firearms and ammunition, $20,000 cash, several cell phones used for drug distribution, receipts for money transfers to Mexico and vacuum sealed bags. Additional narcotics were located at stash houses of co-conspirators named in the indictment. Pimentel is responsible for distributing between three and ten kilograms of heroin. Scott is responsible for distributing 780 grams of crack cocaine.
The Collins case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), the Banks County Sheriff’s Office, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office, the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office, the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, the Georgia State Patrol (GSP), the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) Appalachian RDEO and the Northeast Georgia Regional Drug Task Force.
The Pimentel and Scott case was investigated by the FBI, the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office, the Athens-Clarke County Police Department and Georgia State Patrol (GSP).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Jarrett prosecuted the cases for the Government.
Santa Fe Man Pleads Guilty to Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Gilbert Michael Coriz pled guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Coriz, 37, of Santa Fe, will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
A federal grand jury indicted Coriz on Dec. 8, 2021. According to court records, on Jan. 1, 2021, officers from the Santa Fe Police Department responded to a report of shots fired at a residence on Camino Capitan. After obtaining a search warrant, officers cleared and searched the residence and found Coriz allegedly hiding in a water heater closet in the garage. Officers also found two firearms and various types of ammunition.
Coriz was previously convicted of aggravated battery, felon in possession of a firearm, tampering with evidence, possession of a controlled substance and residential burglary. As a previously convicted felon, Coriz cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.
At sentencing, Coriz faces up to ten years on prison.
The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Santa Fe Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Samuel A. Hurtado is prosecuting the case.
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Sallisaw Resident Sentenced for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Amy Lee Littledeer, a/k/a Amy Hummingbird, age 37, of Sallisaw, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 60 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The charges arose from investigations by the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On May 17, 2022, Littledeer pleaded guilty to one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
On July 7, 2020, Sequoyah County Sheriff deputies executed a search warrant at Littledeer’s residence in Sallisaw, Oklahoma. During the search, they located three baggies containing a total mixture of methamphetamine weighing over 80 grams.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Littledeer will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Jordan Howanitz represented the United States.
Pueblo Man Sentenced to 12.5 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Firearm and Distributing DrugsRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces Leonard Cordova, age 44, of Pueblo, has been sentenced to 151 months in federal prison after earlier pleading guilty to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and two counts of distributing a controlled substance.
According to the plea agreement and criminal complaint, on September 12, 2021, the defendant, from his driveway in a residential neighborhood in Pueblo, fired numerous shots from a handgun at an individual driving down the street. The defendant was arrested on local charges but then released on bond. One week later, on September 19, 2021, the defendant, while driving his vehicle in Pueblo, fired shots at two individuals in another moving vehicle. The defendant’s victims were hit with rounds from the defendant’s gun and sought treatment at a local hospital. The defendant was again arrested on local charges but then released on bond.
The defendant was arrested by the FBI on April 15, 2022, after being charged in the District of Colorado by criminal complaint on April 13, 2022. He was ordered detained pending trial.
The defendant pled guilty in federal court on March 7, 2023. As part of his plea agreement, the defendant, a previously convicted felon, admitted to unlawfully possessing a firearm or ammunition in connection with the two September 2021 shootings. He also admitted that on October 19, 2020, he distributed 221 grams of methamphetamine, and on February 19, 2021, he distributed 98 grams of heroin.
United States District Court Judge Regina M. Rodriguez sentenced the defendant on July 12, 2023.
“Pueblo is a safer place with violent, drug-dealing felons like Leonard Cordova off the streets,” said United States Attorney Cole Finegan. “We are grateful for our partners at the FBI, DEA, and Pueblo Police Department whose hard work and dedication make a real difference for the citizens of Colorado.”
“Cases like this one exemplify what the federal system can bring to our local partners: This repeat offender will no longer threaten the Pueblo community,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “The FBI will continue to work with the Pueblo Police Department to further our shared goals.”
“The DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division is committed to making our communities safer. We know gun violence is often associated with drug-related activity, which is why these cases are a top priority for us,” said DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge David Olesky. “The community of Pueblo should feel safer tonight knowing this defendant will no longer be a menace to his neighbors.”
This case was investigated by the FBI, DEA, and Pueblo Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Andrea Surratt. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also thanks the 10th Judicial District Attorney’s office for their assistance with the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
CASE NUMBER: 22-cr-132
Providence Man Admits to Passport Fraud, Theft of Government Funds and Fraudulent Use of Another Person’s Identity to Obtain Social Security Disability BenefitsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Providence man admitted to a federal judge that he fraudulently collected more than $230,000 in Social Security Administration (SAA) disability benefits in his own name, all the while continuing to work using another person’s identity, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Additionally, Leonardo Durango, 62, admitted that he used the name of that same person, without his knowledge, to fraudulently collect more than $26,000 in federally funded COVID-related unemployment benefits, and that he also made a false statement in a U.S. passport application. Durango admitted that he was not entitled to receive the funds.
Durango pleaded guilty on Thursday to charges of concealment to disclose affecting rights to SSA benefits payments, passport fraud, and theft of government property.
Durango is scheduled to be sentenced on October 12, 2023. The defendants’ sentences will be determined by a federal judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ly T. Chin.
The matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Social Security Administration, and U.S. Department of Labor.
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Portsmouth Man Sentenced for Possessing Firearm used in Murder of Seven-Year-Old GirlRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Portsmouth man was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for possessing a firearm used in the shooting of a child and straw purchasing another firearm used in a second shooting.
According to court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Antonyo Taylor, 27, possessed a tan Smith and Wesson M&P connected to the homicide of a seven-year-old girl in Portsmouth, and separately straw purchased a GIRSAN MC 1911. On December 22, 2020, Taylor told others that he wanted to go shoot at rival gang members. Taylor and others, riding inside a gold Acura TL pulled alongside another vehicle that Taylor incorrectly indicated contained rival gang members. Taylor then fired his tan Smith and Wesson M&P towards the other vehicle. During this shooting, one of the passengers in the second vehicle, a seven-year-old girl, was shot and killed. Separately, on or about September 20, 2020, Taylor straw purchased a GIRSAN MC 1911. A co-conspirator of Taylor purchased the firearm from a legal firearm vendor and, during the purchase, checked the box on the ATF form 4473 indicating that they were the actual buyer of the firearm. The co-conspirator then transferred the firearm to Taylor. According to text messages obtained by law enforcement, Taylor admitted he used this firearm in a separate shooting in October of 2020 in Portsmouth that did not result in injuries.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. Judge John A. Gibney, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Heck prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-127.
One Detroit Violence Reduction Partnership to host Second Annual Peacenic at Heilmann Recreation CenterRead the Press Release
DETROIT - More than thirty community organizations and local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies will gather with residents for a second Peacenic at Heilmann Recreation Center on July 15. This follows a very successful Peacenic that was held on July 8th at O’Hair Park. The events on Saturday at Heilmann will run from 3pm to 7pm.
The Peacenics are part of the One Detroit Violence Reduction Partnership’s – Unified Summer Enforcement Strategy, a targeted strategy aimed at reducing gun violence in Detroit’s neighborhoods with the highest incidence of violent crime – Detroit’s 8th and 9th Precincts. The strategy has three components—enforcement, prevention, and reentry. One Detroit is a coalition of community and law enforcement partners working together to develop and execute the best strategies to reduce violent crime which was announced in May.
As part of the enhanced enforcement this summer, certain crimes committed in the “hot spot areas” are subject to immediate federal enforcement. On the reentry front, the One Detroit Partnership is holding community roundtables pairing individuals living in the hot spot communities who are on state probation with housing, mental health, and employment resources and giving them the opportunity to engage with individuals who have successfully transitioned from prison back into society. Finally, the Peacenics are a collective gathering of the community and law enforcement to share in food, fellowship and fun in the name of peace that signals the start of our One Detroit prevention efforts.
The Peacenics will feature vendors offering a variety of resources including job training, literacy programs, mental health and medical screenings, utility assistance, educational and vocational opportunities, tutorial and career development programs, expungement assistance and more. Several law enforcement agencies will also be present to engage with the community and recruit to fill vacancies in their organizations.
In addition to the resources, there will be bounce houses, face painting, and a 3-on-3 basketball tournament. Tracey Walker, II, from the Detroit Lions will be passing out book bags and doing drills. Adults will be able to join in the fun with Hustle Dance lessons, chess games, and a Spades tournament. New this year is the Thrift Clothing Boutique where residents can shop for gently used clothing. There will also be pizza, sliders, and ice cream available for free for residents at the Peacenics.
“I am so excited to be partnering again with so many organizations and individuals who are dedicated to helping improve the lives of the residents of Detroit, stated U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison. “Our first step is making the city peaceful, and the Peacenics are a celebration of the One Detroit Partnership’s multifaceted approach to reducing violence in the city.”
“The Peacenic and One Detroit Partnership shows what we can do when we all work together to reduce violence and improve the quality of life in our city,” said Chief James E. White. “This is a great time in the city of Detroit as law enforcement, government, community organizations and residents are coming together to stop violent crime and increase access to resources that can help Detroiters.”
Heilmann Recreation Center is located at 19601 Brock Street (9th Precinct). Members of the media are welcome to attend the event and should contact Gina Balaya at the above email address or contact her directly at (313)226-9758.
Participating OrganizationsCity of Detroit •Detroit Police Department •Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office •U.S. Attorney’s Office •8th Precinct Community Relations Council •Black Family Development, Inc. •Brilliant Detroit •Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives •Ceasefire Detroit •Ceasefire Outreach •Delta Dental •Detroit at Work •Detroit Health Department •Detroit Housing and Revitalization Department •Detroit Lions •Detroit Pistons •Detroit Public Library •Detroit Public Schools Community District •Detroit Reconnect •Detroit Training Center •Detroit Wayne Integrated Health •Drug Enforcement Administration •Families Against Narcotics •Federal Bureau of Investigations •Goodwill Industries •I Teach Chess •Matrix Human Services
- Michigan Army National Guard •Michigan Department of
Corrections •Michigan Secretary of State •Project Clean Slate •Salvation Army •Team Wellness Center •U.S. Department of Homeland Security •Wayne County Sheriff’s Department •Wayne Metro Hope Program •Wayne State Health Mobile •Youthbuild Detroit
Ohio Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Kentrell Dupri McKenzie, 22, of Akron, Ohio, was sentenced yesterday to four years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 9, 2022, McKenzie was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over by a law enforcement officer on Interstate 77 in Jackson County. The officer detected the odor of marijuana, prompting a search of the vehicle. Officers found approximately 373 grams of methamphetamine in a sealed bag hidden inside the gear shift area. McKenzie admitted to possessing the methamphetamine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Ripley Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan Blackwell and Ryan A. Keefe 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. 2:23-cr-30.
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Oahu Men Receive Sentences of 130 and 120 Months in Prison Following Federal Carjacking ConvictionsRead the Press Release
HONOLULU –Senior United States District Judge Helen Gillmor imposed prison sentences of 130 months on Treston Cory Kawailani Hardin, 35, of Waiawa, Hawaii, and 120 months on Anthony Kelii Mark, 31, of Wahiawa, Hawaii on July 13 and 14, 2023, respectively, for carjacking.
According to information presented to the court, on March 14, 2020, Hardin and Mark drove a stolen car to the Waipio Soccer Complex and parked alongside the victim, who was seated in the driver’s seat of a Nissan truck. Hardin then exited his car, walked over to the victim’s truck, opened his passenger’s side door, and displayed a bolt-action shotgun. Hardin then loaded a round into the shotgun and pointed the shotgun at the victim. Mark then approached the victim’s truck from the driver’s side and ordered the victim out of the truck. The victim complied and fled, as Hardin and Mark took his truck.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders works together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The Honolulu Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation that resulted in the convictions. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregg Paris Yates and Darren W.K. Ching handled the prosecution.
O.C. Surgeon Sentenced to over 2 Years in Prison for Accepting over $300,000 in Illicit Payments to Perform Surgeries at Corrupt HospitalRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – An Orange County orthopedic surgeon was sentenced today to 33 months in federal prison for accepting more than $315,000 in bribes and kickbacks for performing spinal surgeries at a now-defunct Long Beach hospital whose owner later was imprisoned for committing a massive workers’ compensation insurance fraud.
David Hobart Payne, 66, of Irvine, was sentenced by United States District Judge Josephine L. Staton, who also ordered him to a pay a fine of $20,000, and to forfeit $316,597 in ill-gotten gains.
At the conclusion of a six-day trial, a federal jury on March 3 found Payne guilty of one count of conspiracy, two counts of honest services wire fraud, and one count of use of an interstate facility in aid of bribery.
Michael Drobot – the owner of the Long Beach-based Pacific Hospital – conspired with doctors, chiropractors, and marketers to pay kickbacks and bribes in return for the referral of patients to Pacific Hospital for spinal surgeries and other medical services. These services and surgeries were paid for primarily through the California workers’ compensation system. During its final five years, the scheme resulted in the submission of more than $500 million in medical bills for spinal surgeries involving kickbacks.
Payne received bribes from Drobot of up to $15,000 for each spinal surgery that he performed at Pacific Hospital. The top bribe payment was for lumbar spinal surgeries Payne performed on patients at Pacific Hospital with implants from one of Drobot’s companies. Drobot and Payne covered up the bribes by disguising them as payments for marketing services and fees based on a sham contract.
In total, Payne received more than $315,000 in illegal payments.
In April 2013, law enforcement searched Pacific Hospital, which was sold later that year, bringing the kickback scheme to an end.
To date, 24 defendants, among them multiple physicians, have been convicted for participating in the kickback scheme. In 2018, Drobot was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison.
“Bribe schemes like [Payne’s] cause an insidious harm that lingers for years, leaving victim-patients wondering whether their surgeries were necessary or whether the unethical doctors and hospital executives who treated them as commodities also agreed to implant substandard medical hardware in their bodies,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum.
The FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, and the California Department of Insurance investigated this matter.
First Assistant United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally, Assistant United States Attorneys Billy Joe McLain of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section, and Hava Mirell of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.
Munhall Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition ChargeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA -- A resident of Munhall Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Zai Quan Henderson, age 25, formerly of Munhall, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on January 12, 2022, Allegheny County Police observed Henderson with a suspected firearm. Henderson fled and attempted to conceal the firearm in an abandoned house. The Allegheny County Detectives, however, recovered the firearm, which was loaded and stolen. As a convicted felon, Henderson is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
Judge Conti scheduled sentencing for November 1, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of ten (10) years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court remanded Henderson into the custody of the United States Marshals Service.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Allegheny County Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Henderson.
Multi-Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Antione Oshea Ladson (29, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana and two counts of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. Ladson faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the drug offenses, and up to 15 years for the firearm and ammunition offenses. His sentencing hearing has been scheduled for October 17, 2023.
According to the plea agreement, on August 27, 2022, Ladson had checked into the Bel Air Hotel in Orlando. While walking through an outdoor breezeway, Ladson encountered another man walking past him. After a brief confrontation with the man, Ladson lifted his modified pistol and shot the man in the neck.
On November 16, 2022, Ladson was apprehended at a convenience store in Orlando. Upon review of surveillance videos, law enforcement noticed that Ladson continuously lifted a bottom-level grocery shelf, retrieved items from under the shelf, and lowered the shelf back down. Underneath the bottom shelf, law enforcement officers found a fanny pack that contained Ladson’s wallet and Social Security card, two digital scales used for weighing narcotics, a pistol magazine, and plastic baggies containing cocaine and marijuana. Under Ladson’s fanny pack was a Glock 23 pistol loaded with 14 rounds of ammunition.
On December 27, 2022, members of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Gang Enforcement Unit noticed Ladson driving on Orange Blossom Trail and subsequently pulled him over. A search of Ladson’s car revealed an XD9 firearm with 19 rounds of ammunition, an additional 12-round magazine fully loaded with 9mm rounds, a drum-style magazine, 4.8 grams of crack cocaine, and 61.4 grams of marijuana. Ladson has multiple prior felony convictions and is therefore prohibited under federal law from possessing both firearms and ammunition.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Gang Enforcement Unit. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Pardo.
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.
Monroe County Man Charged with Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on July 11, 2023, Pernell Riddick, age 34, of Monroe County, Pennsylvania, was charged by a federal grand jury with trafficking methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine. Riddick was also indicted for possessing multiple firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking operation.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges Riddick with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine on September 2, 2022. The indictment also charges Riddick with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
This matter was investigated by the Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department, the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Assistant United States Attorney Brian J. Gallagher is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Riddick faces a maximum penalty of life in prison, a $10 million dollar fine, and a lifetime term of supervised release following imprisonment. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Milledgeville-based Meth Distribution Leader Sentenced to 30 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – The leader of a methamphetamine trafficking organization centered in Milledgeville, Georgia, that was responsible for distributing five kilograms of methamphetamine into the community was sentenced to serve 30 years in prison resulting from an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation.
Jarvis Havior aka “J Bo,” 31, of Milledgeville, was sentenced to serve 360 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by Chief U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell on July 13. Havior pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute on Feb. 16.
“The armed distribution of highly addictive and deadly illegal drugs—and the additional crimes spawned by large-scale trafficking—will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “It’s thanks to the strong collaboration of local, state and federal law enforcement through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force that this criminal network was disbanded, and its players brought to justice.”
“Those who distribute methamphetamine pose a grave danger to the community. These traffickers can no longer deliver dangerous drugs on the streets and must now face the consequences of their actions,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division.
“The dangers associated with meth remain one of the most significant drug threats facing our community,” said Robert Gibbs, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent of FBI Atlanta’s Macon office. “With the help of our federal, state and local partners, this is a significant amount of poison that will not make it into our communities, driving crime and violence.”
“Illegal drugs are dangerous and threaten the safety of Georgia communities. The GBI is committed to getting these drugs off the streets by bringing to justice all those that take part in the illegal drug trade, from the supplier down to the dealer,” said GBI Director Mike Register.
According to court documents, agents with DEA, GBI and the Ocmulgee Drug Task Force (OCDETF) received credible information in June 2020 from multiple confidential sources that Havior was leading a multi-kilogram methamphetamine distribution ring operating in the Milledgeville community. A subsequent investigation determined the location of distribution “trap” and “stash” houses for bulk narcotics and cash that Havior and his criminal associates maintained.
On April 5, 2021, agents determined that Havior was going to replenish his methamphetamine supply at a location in Stone Mountain, Georgia, where he had previously traveled to for suspected drug re-supply runs. Agents observed Havior meet a man at a Publix parking lot in Stone Mountain and receive a fully laden green Publix bag. Havior traveled to a restaurant in Covington, Georgia, and gave the bag to co-defendant Anrico Taylor. Both defendants departed the restaurant in their respective vehicles and traffic stops were conducted on them in Baldwin County, Georgia. Taylor attempted to flee with the Publix bag, ripping apart several smaller bags of methamphetamine as he ran from officers, amounting to approximately one kilogram of methamphetamine spread on the ground. In total, four kilograms of methamphetamine was found inside the green Publix bag. In all, the drug trafficking ring is responsible for distributing at least five kilograms of methamphetamine.
The following co-defendants have been sentenced:
Nicolas Cuevas Flores was sentenced to serve 260 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Flores pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances on Feb. 28;
Anrico Taylor was sentenced to serve 160 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Taylor pleaded guilty to one count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute on Feb. 28;
Dawn Carey was sentenced to serve 121 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Carey pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances Oct. 13, 2022;
Arturo Marshall was sentenced to serve 100 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Marshall pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances on Feb. 28;
Tyrone Hitchcock was sentenced to serve 85 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Hitchcock pleaded guilty to one count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute on Oct. 12, 2022;
Paul Collins was sentenced to serve 78 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Collins pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances on Feb. 28, 2023;
Annie Collins was sentenced to serve 63 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Collins pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances on March 7;
Alicia Nugent was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Nugent pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances on Feb. 28;
Perry Miller was sentenced to serve 48 months in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release. Miller pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances on Feb. 28;
Lamont Jackson was sentenced to serve 48 months in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release. Jackson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances on Feb. 28;
Ryan Rickard was sentenced to serve 48 months in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release. Rickard pleaded guilty to one count of the unlawful use of a communications facility on Feb. 16;
Amber Vanclief was sentenced to serve 15 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Vanclief pleaded guilty to one count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute on Feb. 9; and
Macarthur Reeves was sentenced to serve three years of probation. Reeves pleaded guilty to the unlawful use of a communications facility on Feb. 16.
The following co-defendants entered guilty pleas and will be sentenced later:
- Matthew Cameron, 47, of Milledgeville, pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and faces a maximum of ten years in prison; and
- Paris Binion, 30, of Milledgeville, pleaded guilty to one count of the unlawful use of a communications facility and faces a maximum of four years in prison.
The following co-defendants remain at large and are charged by federal indictment with the following crimes:
- Paul Bentley aka “Old School,” 56, of Milledgeville, is charged with one count conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and faces a maximum of life in prison; and
- Noe Canela, 34, of Lilburn, Georgia, is charged with one count conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and faces a maximum of life in prison.
An indictment is only an allegation of criminal conduct, and all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt.
People with information regarding the whereabouts of Bentley and Canela can contact the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office at (770) 216-3000 or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case was investigated by DEA, FBI, GBI, Ocmulgee Drug Task Force, Baldwin County Sherriff’s Office, Laurens County Sheriff’s Office, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia Department of Corrections, Milledgeville Community Supervision Office, Wilkinson County Sheriff’s Office, Jones County Sheriff’s Office, Atlanta-Carolina’s HIDTA Office and Gwinnett Metro Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Kalim is prosecuting the case.
Massachusetts Man Charged with Drug and Gun Trafficking in Bennington AreaRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Keniel Santiago (a.k.a. “Kas”), 20, of Springfield, Massachusetts, was arraigned yesterday on drug and firearms trafficking charges. A federal grand jury, sitting in Rutland, charged Santiago with five counts: one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine base; one count of possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime; and, three counts of aiding in the unlawful acquisition of firearms from licensed firearms dealers by making false statements. The alleged criminal conduct occurred in the Bennington area from September 2020 through March 2021.
During the hearing, Santiago pleaded not guilty to the charges, and U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Kevin Doyle ordered Santiago remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending further proceedings.
The indictment is an accusation only and Santiago is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. If convicted, Santiago faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a mandatory sentence of five years imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, and three years of supervised release, which would follow any sentence of imprisonment. The actual sentence will be advised by the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bennington Police Department, the Vermont State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The United States is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Perella. Santiago is represented by Ian Carleton, Esq.
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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn .
Maryland Defense Contractor Sentenced to Almost Four Years in Federal Prison for Procurement FraudRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar today sentenced Cory Collin Fitzgerald Sanders, age 39, of Hagerstown, Maryland, to 45 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for wire fraud, false claims, and making and using a false document in connection with his companies’ performance on federal contracts. Chief Judge Bredar also ordered Sanders to forfeit $173,926.99 and to pay restitution of $27,315.10. A federal jury convicted Sanders on March 6, 2023, after a nine-day trial.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer, of the National Capital Region of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General (“DOL-OIG”); and Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Economic Crimes Field Office (ECFO).
According to the evidence presented at the nine-day trial, in June 2014 Sanders formed Sandtech LLC, a Maryland limited liability company whose business was the sale of video teleconference equipment to the Department of Defense and other agencies of the federal government. Sanders was the sole owner, agent, and president of Sandtech. Witnesses testified that Sanders obtained contracts with federal agencies for Sandtech to provide telecommunications equipment and services. Sanders caused Sandtech to fail to perform on contracts with the U.S. Department of Labor and the Department of the Army, which terminated the Sandtech contracts for cause. Sanders then formed Cycorp Technologies in 2016 to provide the same type of telecommunication services as Sandtech.
The trial evidence proved that from February 10, 2015 through June 30, 2020, Sanders engaged in a scheme to defraud the government by entering into contracts with federal agencies that required Sandtech or Cycorp Technologies to provide new telecommunications equipment which was still under manufacturers’ warranty. The evidence showed that in his communications with federal agency contracting officers Sanders provided false information about the delivery, source, warranty, and/or condition of the electronic equipment provided by his companies, including misrepresentations that the equipment was new and protected by the manufacturer’s warranty, when Sanders knew that the equipment was not new, or was new but not under warranty, or was procured through unauthorized channels. The evidence also showed that Sanders was not authorized to provide certain IT services to the federal government, although he represented to government officials that he was.
Further, Sanders provided contracting officials with false information and false documents about the credentials, certifications, and qualifications of Cycorp Technologies. As proven during trial, Sanders provided fabricated and forged documents falsely certifying Cycorp Technologies’ status as an “authorized partner” of two large national telecommunications equipment manufacturers. If true, the certificates would have authorized Cycorp Technologies to buy directly from those companies’ distributors, provide maintenance to their equipment, or re-sell their new and warrantied products. In addition, Sanders submitted invoices on behalf of Sandtech and Cycorp Technologies so that the government agencies he contracted with would pay for deficient or non-existent performance by electronic deposit into business bank accounts.
“Cory Collin Fitzgerald Sanders executed a brazen scheme using a pattern of deception to defraud numerous federal agencies on telecommunication contracts awarded to his companies. Today's sentencing should serve as a strong message to those who choose to defraud the government and harm the American taxpayer,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer of the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), National Capital Region. “DOL-OIG is committed to working closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our investigative partners to combat fraud, deception, and other criminal acts associated with federal government contracting and purchasing.”
“Mr. Sanders deserves to be held fully accountable for his actions to defraud the U.S. Government by routinely providing telecommunications equipment that did not meet contract specifications and submitting false documentation in an attempt to cover up his scheme,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Economic Crimes Field Office (ECFO). “NCIS and our partners are dedicated to rooting out product substitution and other frauds that diminish the Department of the Navy’s (DON) warfighting capabilities and threaten the integrity of the DON acquisition process.”
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DOL-OIG and the NCIS for their work in the investigation and thanked the Army Criminal Investigation Division, and the Offices of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of State, the U. S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Justice for their assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evelyn Lombardo Cusson and Stephanie Williamson, who prosecuted the case and thanked Paralegal Specialists Juliette Jarman and Jenna Lee for their assistance.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to fight fraud, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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Man Who Sexually Abused 5-Year-Old Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A Snyder, Texas man who recorded himself sexually abusing a 5-year-old child was sentenced yesterday to 20 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Shemar Cameron Green, 20, was indicted in December 2022 and pleaded guilty in March 2023 to transportation of child pornography. He was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix, who also ordered the defendant to register as a sex offender and to pay $17,500 in restitution to identifiable child pornography victims.
According to plea papers, Mr. Green admitted he sent sexually explicit images of himself to multiple minors, received nude photographs from minors, and produced a video of himself molesting a 5-year-old.
He further admitted that he regularly viewed pornographic images of children under age 10, and uploaded several sexually explicit images of prepubescent children from his computer to his social media accounts.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children relayed a cyber tip from a social media company that housed Mr. Green’s account to law enforcement, prompting the investigation.
The Snyder Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office – Lubbock Resident Agency conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam prosecuted the case.
Long Island Man Pleads Guilty to Massive COVID-19 Loan FraudRead the Press Release
Earlier today, Rami Saab, of Glen Cove, New York, pleaded guilty at the federal courthouse in Central Islip to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with his participation in a scheme to defraud banks and the Small Business Association (SBA) of millions of dollars’ worth of small business loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDLP). Today’s proceeding was held before United States District Judge Gary R. Brown. When sentenced, Saab faces up to 20 years in prison, as well as restitution of $9,668,508 and a fine of up to $250,000.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Ivan J. Arvelo, Special Agent-in-Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI), Thomas M. Fattorusso, Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI), and J. Russell George, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) announced the guilty plea.
“Using fraud and deceit, the defendant callously stole millions of dollars during an unprecedented public health crisis at the expense of American small business owners,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Those who engaged in blatant theft of taxpayer dollars intended to assist legitimate businesses and their employees during the COVID-19 pandemic should know they will be aggressively prosecuted by our Office.”
Mr. Peace thanked the Nassau County Police Department for their assistance on this case.
“As alleged, Rami SAAB stole nearly $10 million dollars in relief money intended for small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 global pandemic, for his own enrichment,” stated HSI Special Agent-in-Charge Arvelo. “This is an egregious case of fraud perpetrated by an individual who pilfered a program intended for those who truly needed emergency financial assistance. HSI and our law enforcement partners remain steadfastly committed to rooting out such thievery and ensuring violators are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Saab pocketed nearly $10 million in ill-gotten gains by exploiting benefits meant to help those truly in need. Criminals like Saab continue to seek the quickest way to make a buck, regardless of the rule of law or those who may be victimized in the process. But as a result of strong law enforcement partnerships, today’s guilty plea means Saab now faces a large prison sentence for his criminal acts,” stated IRS-CI Special Agent-in-Charge Fattorusso.
“As alleged, the defendant and his co-conspirators fraudulently obtained more than $9.5 million in Federal funds from the Payroll Protection Program and Emergency Injury Disaster Loans through applications containing fraudulent documents. Fraud schemes like these defraud not only a program intended to help small businesses weather a global pandemic but also the United States' taxpayers. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration is committed to working with our law enforcement partners and the United States Attorney’s Office to prevent these types of fraud and to bring those responsible to justice.”
As set forth in court filings, between May 2020 and May 2021, amid the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Saab, working with others, fraudulently applied for, and received, at least 20 PPP and EIDLP loans totaling in excess of $9,500,000, on behalf of numerous corporate entities under his control. Saab submitted applications on behalf of these entities even though these were not, in fact, real businesses. Instead, these entities were “shell companies” that claimed false numbers of employees, payroll costs, and intended use of the loan proceeds – all of which was specifically designed to mislead the SBA and numerous banks administering the PPP and EIDLP loan programs. Shortly after the loans were funded, Saab engaged in numerous financial transactions designed to conceal the true nature and source of the funds, including electronically transferring portions of the loan proceeds between various bank accounts which Saab controlled. Saab, after transferring the loan proceeds though multiple accounts, utilized the laundered loan proceeds to enrich himself and others, including by personally making cash withdrawals and transferring funds to associates overseas.
Congress created the PPP and EIDLP as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Enacted on March 29, 2020, the CARES Act provided emergency financial assistance in connection with economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the allocation of funds for the issuance of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP. The PPP allowed qualifying small businesses to receive unsecured loans on favorable terms, which they were required to use for specified expenses, including payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. The PPP provided for forgiveness of the loan if recipient businesses spent the proceeds on these specified expenses within a limited time period and used a certain percentage for payroll costs.
Another source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the EIDLP, which provided low-interest financing to small businesses, renters, and homeowners in regions affected by declared disasters. Under the program, EIDLP recipients were eligible to receive advances of up to $10,000 for small businesses within three days of applying for an EIDL. The amount of an EIDL advance –which did not need to be repaid – was determined based on the number of employees working for the applicant.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony Bagnuola and Michael Maffei are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
RAMI SAAB (also known as “Rami Hasan”)
Age: 44
Glen Cove, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-344 (GRB)
Las Vegas Police Officer Convicted of Committing Three Casino RobberiesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A federal jury today convicted a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) officer of robbing three casinos and stealing approximately $164,000 in total.
Caleb Mitchell Rogers (33) was found guilty of three counts of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. United States District Judge Andrew P. Gordon presided over the trial. A sentencing date has been scheduled for October 12, 2023.
According to court documents and evidence presented during the four-day trial, Rogers stole approximately $73,810 from a casino in the western part of Las Vegas on November 12, 2021. A few months later, on January 6, 2022, he robbed a casino in North Las Vegas of approximately $11,500. In both robberies, he walked directly to the casino’s cashier cage and demanded money from the cashiers.
The third robbery occurred on February 27, 2022, in which Rogers ran toward two casino employees in the sportsbook area and yelled: “Get away from the money. I’ve got a gun. I will shoot you!” Rogers climbed over the counter and shoved one of the employees to the floor, before grabbing approximately $78,898 and placing it into a bag. Rogers fled when the employees triggered an alarm. As Rogers ran toward the parking garage, a casino security officer tackled him. Rogers drew a .357 caliber revolver and, with his finger on the trigger, threatened: “I’m going to shoot you!” Security officers were able to disarm Rogers and restrain him until LVMPD officers arrived. The officers arrested Rogers and seized his firearm. Checking the revolver’s serial number, officers learned that it belonged to the LVMPD.
The statutory maximum penalty is 20 years in prison for each count of interference with commerce by robbery, and life imprisonment for brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the LVMPD. Assistant United States Attorneys Dan Cowhig and David Kiebler are prosecuting the case.
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La Crosse Man Charged with Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – In an indictment returned on June 28, 2023 by a federal grand jury sitting in Madison, Wisconsin, a La Crosse, Wisconsin man is charged with possessing methamphetamine for distribution and maintaining a drug house. The indictment is announced by Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin.
The indictment charges Alfredo Almanza, 42, with possessing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The indictment alleges that he possessed the methamphetamine on March 22, 2023. The indictment also charges him with using and maintaining a place in La Crosse from March 15 to March 22, 2023, for the purpose of distributing and using methamphetamine.
Almanza was arrested on Wednesday, July 12 in La Crosse by investigators with the La Crosse and Tomah Police Departments and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. Almanza will make an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Madison today.
If convicted, Almanza faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years and a maximum of life in federal prison on the charge of possessing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine for distribution, and a maximum of 20 years on the charge of maintaining a drug house. The charges against him are the result of an investigation by the La Crosse and Tomah Police Departments and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Ginsberg is handling the prosecution.
You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Knoxville Man Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison and Ordered to Repay $411,963 for Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On July 14, 2023, Ian P. Clarke, 43, currently of Knoxville, was sentenced to 24 months in prison by the Honorable Katherine A. Crytzer, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Clarke agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349. Judge Crytzer ordered Clarke to pay restitution to Medicare in the amount of $411,963, and a fine of $44,258. Following his imprisonment, Clark will be on supervised release for two years.
As set forth in the filed plea agreement, Clarke was responsible for the day-to-day operations of TN Premier Care, a medical clinic in East Tennessee. Clarke paid kickbacks to coconspirators in exchange for signed doctors’ orders for durable medical equipment (“DME”) that was medically unnecessary. TN Premier Care provided the DME to Medicare beneficiaries across the country who did not want or need it. Clarke then caused the DME orders to be submitted to Medicare for reimbursement on behalf of TN Premier Care.
The DME orders were obtained from “leads,” which consisted of a recorded call between a call-center employee or telemarketer and a Medicare beneficiary during which the beneficiary provided their Medicare information. The recordings were provided to doctors who used the information to generate a completed DME order. The doctors who signed the DME orders often did so regardless of medical necessity, in the absence of a preexisting doctor-patient relationship, without a physical examination, and sometimes based solely on a short telephonic conversation. The completed DME orders were uploaded to a shared cloud-based document storage system to which Clarke had access.
To conceal the conspiracy, Clarke and his coconspirators created sham contracts and documentation to disguise the kickbacks as legitimate payments for marketing and consulting services. Clarke also opened a separate bank account in TN Premier Care’s name for the purpose of paying kickbacks and receiving reimbursement checks from Medicare.
Between in or about July 2018 and in or about May 2019, Clarke caused the submission of approximately $778,429 in claims to Medicare for DME orders on behalf of TN Premier Care, for which Medicare paid to TN Premier Care approximately $411,963.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton, III, of the Eastern District of Tennessee; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”) Special Agent in Charge Tamala E. Miles; and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico, made the announcement.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the FBI.
Assistant United States Attorney William A. Roach, Jr., prosecuted the case.
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Kansas City Men Sentenced for Kidnapping and Torturing Victim in Wyandotte CountyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Two Kansas men were sentenced to substantial terms of imprisonment following their convictions on kidnapping, firearm, and drug charges.
In February 2023, a federal jury found David Carr, 36, of Kansas City, and James Michael Poterbin, 47, of Edwardsville, guilty of kidnapping, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, and discharging a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking crime.
On July 6, 2023, a U.S. District Judge sentenced Carr to life in prison and Poterbin to 40 years’ imprisonment.
The convictions and sentences relate to the 2019 kidnapping and torture of a victim in Kansas City, Kansas. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, after Carr and Poterbin mistakenly believed a woman had stolen drug money from them, they kidnapped her boyfriend and demanded payment for his release.
After beating, shooting, and stabbing the victim, Carr and Poterbin believed the victim was dead and left him in the house for days before he was discovered by another individual. After the victim was found alive and rescued, Carr ordered a co-conspirator to burn the house to the ground, endangering neighbors and first responders.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department investigated the case. The Kansas City, Kansas Fire Department investigated the arson.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan J. Huschka and D. Christopher Oakley prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri Catania presented the indictment to a grand jury and prepared the case for trial.
OCDETF Strike Force Cases
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The Kansas City Metro Strike Force’s mission also includes targeting violent street gangs and cartel members operating in and around the metropolitan area that are engaged in violent offenses and firearms offenses.
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