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29 August 2023
Kalispell felon admits illegal possession of gun used in shootingRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Kalispell man with a felony conviction admitted to a firearms crime after he gave a gun to another person who used it in a fatal shooting, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Kyle Kenneth Smith, 33, pleaded guilty to prohibited person in possession of a firearm. Smith faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. A sentencing date was set for Jan. 3, 2024 before U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Smith was detained pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that on Sept. 10, 2020 in Kalispell, a shooting occurred that resulted in the death of an individual. Smith admitted in a later interview that he had personally handed a 9mm pistol used in the shooting to the shooter minutes before the event occurred. Smith had a previous felony conviction for criminal endangerment and was prohibited from possessing firearms.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara J. Elliott is prosecuting the case. The FBI’s Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force, Kalispell Police Department, Flathead County Sheriff’s Office and Great Falls Police Department conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Jury Convicts Federal Agent of Witness Tampering and Obstructing JusticeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Yesterday, a South Florida federal jury convicted a federal agent for his role in an operation that involved illegal Oxycodone distribution, federal witness tampering, and obstruction of justice.
Alberico Ahias Crespo, 48, a Special Agent with the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), was convicted of three substantive counts of witness tampering, conspiracy to commit witness tampering, and conspiracy to obstruct justice. According to evidence introduced at trial, during the time of the criminal activity, Crespo worked as part of the South Florida Health Care Fraud Strike Force, made up of interagency teams of federal investigators and prosecutors focused on combating health care fraud and health care-related narcotics trafficking in Southern Florida. Crespo used his position as an agent to protect and advance a multi-year Oxycodone trafficking scheme and impede related federal health care fraud investigations, including investigations in which Crespo himself was involved.
“The vast majority of law enforcement officers uphold their duties with the highest level of integrity. But, where the toxic mix of ego, arrogance, and corruption taint an agent’s convictions, the criminal justice system will hold the officer accountable,” stated Markenzy Lapointe, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. “The verdict in this matter reminds us that no one is untouchable, no one is above the law, and that there are severe consequences for anyone who engages in witness tampering and the obstruction of justice.”
“We are pleased with the conviction of Alberico Crespo because his actions not only violated the law, they also undermined the public’s trust in law enforcement,” said Jeffrey B. Veltri, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami. “Every day, thousands of dedicated and honorable law enforcement officers take to the streets to protect South Florida communities. It is on their behalf that the FBI and Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General sought to root out this wrongdoing to ensure that the high standards we expect of law enforcement are met and maintained.”
“Alberico Ahias Crespo betrayed the trust of the people he swore to serve, and today, he is seeing the consequences for his reprehensible actions,” said Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “I am proud of our agents and prosecutors who worked tirelessly to hold Crespo accountable. HHS-OIG will not tolerate corruption within our ranks.”
From November 2016 to July 2020, previously convicted patient recruiters Jorge Diaz Gutierrez, Yandre Trujillo Hernandez, and Anais Lorenzo, were part of the illegal Oxycodone trafficking scheme involving patients, pharmacies, and medical clinics. The patient recruiters sent patients to selected medical clinics to obtain Oxycodone prescriptions that the patients did not need. Once the patients obtained the prescriptions, they would give them to the patient recruiters in exchange for money. The patients would fill the prescriptions at pharmacies selected by the recruiters and sell the Oxycodone pills (at a mark-up) to third party street dealers.
Diaz Gutierrez and Crespo were close friends and associates, including while Diaz Gutierrez was a criminal target of the Strike Force. Crespo used his position as an HHS-OIG Special Agent working on health care fraud cases to protect Diaz Gutierrez’s Oxycodone operation. Crespo did this by monitoring Strike Force investigations involving Diaz Gutierrez, accessing information, disclosing sensitive law enforcement information to Diaz Gutierrez, updating Diaz Gutierrez on the progress of health care fraud investigations, and coaching Diaz Gutierrez on how to lie to investigators and tamper with evidence.
Crespo was acquitted on the conspiracy to traffic oxycodone charge. Crespo faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment for each count of conviction.
Crespo is scheduled to be sentenced before U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles on November 28, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, and Christian J. Schrank, Deputy Inspector General for Investigations, HHS-OIG,, made the announcement.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe commended the investigative efforts of FBI and HHS-OIG. Assistant United States Attorneys Sean T. McLaughlin and Christopher Clark prosecuted this case.
You may find related court documents and information on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-20005.
Indictment Charges D.C. Man with Multiple CarjackingsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – An 18-count indictment, filed today in U.S. District Court, charges Cedae Hardy, 18, of Washington, D.C., with involvement in six separate carjackings throughout Washington D.C. and Maryland and an attempted carjacking in which a victim was shot multiple times. The indictment was announced today by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist, of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
According to the indictment, Hardy carjacked victims of their vehicles at gunpoint around the District of Columbia and in Maryland. In four of the carjackings committed in furtherance of a conspiracy with unnamed co-conspirators, Hardy drove the carjacked vehicles to a garage adjoining an apartment complex located at 1326 Florida Avenue, Northeast, Washington, D.C. (the “Florida Avenue Garage”).
A co-conspirator would contact potential buyers, who in these instances were undercover officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The co-conspirator would arrange a time to meet the undercover officers at predetermined location - usually the Florida Avenue Garage – and complete the sale of the carjacked vehicles. The conspirators and Hardy would then split the proceeds.
Hardy would communicate with the conspirators via text message. For example, on April 8, 2023, Hardy sent Co-Conspirator 1 a text message stating, “I’m outside now you can be on your way. Let’s get money my boy” and “[]I’m boutta get sum & bring it straight to you.” A few hours later, just 22 minutes after an armed carjacking of a Mercedes Benz SL550 in Hyattsville, Maryland, Hardy arrived at the Florida Avenue Garage in the victim’s vehicle. Co-Conspirator 1 and Co-Conspirator 2 opened the door to the Florida Avenue Garage for Hardy. The victim’s Mercedes was then sold on April 10, 2023 by Co-Conspirator 1 to MPD undercover officers for $1,200.
On April 18, 2023, a victim was seated inside his Honda Civic when Hardy opened the passenger door and sat in the victim’s vehicle. Hardy pointed a gun at the victim and began to shout. The victim could not understand Hardy and tried to push him out of his vehicle, at which point Hardy fired multiple shots, striking the victim in the forearm and abdomen. Hardy exited the victim’s vehicle and fled back to Washington, D.C.
Carjacking carries a statutory maximum sentenced of 15 years in prison. Transportation of stolen goods and sale or receipt of stolen vehicles each carry a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The gun charges carry no statutory maximum and a mandatory minimum of 7 years. The charges also carry potential financial penalties. The maximum statutory sentence for federal offenses is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. The sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Gold, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Hyannis Man Indicted for Unlawfully Possessing AmmunitionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Hyannis man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for unlawfully possessing ammunition as a convicted felon.
Timothy Lee Galvin, 31, was indicted on one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition.
According to the charging documents, on or about June 2, 2023 in Barnstable, Galvin possessed three rounds of 9mm ammunition; 11 rounds of .45 caliber ammunition; and 47 rounds of 9mm ammunition.
Galvin is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to three prior drug distribution convictions.
The charge of being a felon in possession of ammunition provides to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Cape & Islands District Attorney Robert Galibois made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Tolkoff of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit 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.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
High level drug trafficker sentenced to ten years in prison for leadership role in drug distribution conspiracyRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 38-year-old Kent, Washington resident was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to ten years in prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Omar Vazquez-Limon was arrested in August 2020 in northern California as he transported kilos of heroin and methamphetamine to Western Washington. Vazquez-Limon was indicted as part of a larger drug ring in December 2020. At the sentencing hearing today, U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour imposed five years of supervised release to follow the prison term.
“Mr. Vazquez-Limon’s drug trafficking widened the circles of those touched by the opioid epidemic, spreading meth, heroin and fentanyl in Western Washington,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “He not only trafficked narcotics, he was also a source of firearms for the drug ring. As we struggle with an increase in gun violence, those who arm themselves to protect their drug supply contribute to the problem.”
According to records filed in the case, Vazquez-Limon was a high-level distributor of narcotics who was in direct contact with suppliers in Mexico. Vazquez-Limon made multiple pound drug deals and often directed other drug ring members to make the deliveries or made the deliveries himself. In intercepted phone calls, Vazquez-Limon was heard arranging delivery of thousands of fentanyl pills and multi-pound amounts of methamphetamine. In one call, he said he had as much as 75 pounds of methamphetamine ready for distribution.
Members of the drug conspiracy distributed large amounts of methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine, smuggling the drugs into the U.S. from Mexico and then transporting them up the west coast for distribution in Pierce, King, and Snohomish Counties. In connection with this drug distribution ring, law enforcement seized 143 pounds of methamphetamine, 15 pounds of heroin, 35,000 fentanyl pills, 24 firearms, $778,000, and a bank account valued at $100,000.
Vazquez-Limon’s federal sentence will run concurrently with the Shasta County six-year sentence he received when arrested with a load of drugs in northern California.
This case 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.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Tacoma Residence Office in partnership with Tahoma Narcotics Enforcement Team (TNET), Kent Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, SeaTac Police Department, Tacoma Police Department, Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force (SRDTF), the Skagit County Sheriff's Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The investigation was supported by the Northwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) and the DEA Special Operations Division.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Amy Jaquette and C. Andrew Colasurdo.
Health Care Company and Cheshire Pharmacy Pay $500K to Resolve Controlled Substances Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, today announced that Clarest, LLC, doing business as Clarest Health, ProCare LTC New England LTC, and ProCare LTC Pharmacy of Connecticut LLC (“ProCare”), have entered into a civil settlement agreement with the federal government and have paid $499,525 to resolve allegations that they violated the civil provisions of the Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”).
In passing the CSA, Congress took steps to create “a closed system” of distribution for controlled substances in which every facet of the handling of the substances – from their manufacture to their consumption by the ultimate user – was to be subject to intense governmental regulation. This mission was taken against the backdrop of trying to prevent the diversion and abuse of legitimate controlled substances, while still ensuring that an adequate supply of those substances meet the medical and scientific needs of the United States.
ProCare LTC Pharmacy of Connecticut, LLC, is a pharmacy located in Cheshire, Connecticut, and is owned by ProCare LTC New England, LTC, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Clarest, LLC d/b/a Clarest Health. Clarest Health consists of eight pharmacy locations in the Northeast and Midwest regions of the U.S.
ProCare LTC Pharmacy of Connecticut services 65 long-term care (“LTC”) facilities, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living locations, and rehab and nursing practices in Connecticut and Rhode Island. In addition to filling prescriptions, it also fulfills orders for controlled substances for LTC facilities’ emergency stock needs. This emergency stock is commonly referred to as a facility’s “emergency box.”
The settlement resolves allegations that between September 2020 and September 2022, ProCare violated the CSA and its implementing regulations when supplying controlled substances for LTC facilities’ emergency box stock. The government contends that ProCare distributed controlled substances to practitioners that were not registered to dispense those controlled substances on 96 occasions. The government also alleges that ProCare failed to record certain required information on DEA Form 222s (order forms) on numerous occasions, such as dates, numbers of containers furnished, and DEA registration numbers, and that ProCare failed to reject order forms that were not properly prepared, were incomplete, or had been altered.
“Strict compliance with the recordkeeping requirements of the Controlled Substances Act is a key part of preventing diversion and ensuring the safety of our community,” said U.S. Attorney Avery. “Pharmacies play a vital role in ensuring controlled substances are properly handled, accounted for, and dispensed. This settlement demonstrates our office’s continued commitment to hold pharmacies accountable for their responsibilities under federal law.”
“The DEA is committed to ensuring that all registrants, including ProCare, are in compliance with the required regulations, which are enforceable through the Controlled Substances Act,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Boyle. “Failure to do so increases the potential for diversion and jeopardizes public health and public safety. DEA pledges to work with our law enforcement and regulatory partners to ensure these rules and regulations are followed.”
As part of the settlement, ProCare has agreed to enter into a three-year Corrective Action Plan with the DEA that is designed to ensure future compliance with the requirements of the CSA and its implementing regulations.
This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Office of Diversion Control, with the assistance of the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, Drug Control Division. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Kaczmarek.
Hawksbill Sea Turtle Successfully Rescued in Juana DíazRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On August 25, 2023 federal and local authorities worked in conjunction with a local conservation group to rescue an adult hawksbill sea turtle in Juana Díaz, Puerto Rico and return it safely to its habitat, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, and Stephen Clark, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Agents of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) were alerted that an individual had taken a hawksbill sea turtle away from the Singapur Community beach in Juana Díaz during the evening of August 24, 2023. The turtle was allegedly transported utilizing a wheelbarrow. After responding to the scene, FWS agents successfully identified the individual involved, the location of the individual’s home, and confirmed that the turtle was still alive. (See photograph below)
In conjunction with the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER) and personnel from Tortugueros del Sur, the FWS agents successfully returned the hawksbill sea turtle to its nearby habitat. (See photographs below)
The primary responsibility of the FWS is to manage fish and wildlife resources in the public trust for the people today and future generations. With that goal, the FWS works to protect species from extinction, restore habitats, foster biological diversity, and enforce United States conversation laws, such as the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Fish and Wildlife Service is an active member of the Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands Environmental Crimes Task Force and routinely works in conjunction with local authorities, including the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, and local conservation groups to respond when protected species are reported as being taken, harmed, possessed, or sold.
The hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) is a critically endangered sea turtle that inhabits tropical and sub-tropical waters, including those surrounding Puerto Rico. The name comes from their beak-like mouth, which resembles a hawk and is used to find food in hard-to-reach cracks and crevices. Adult hawksbill sea turtles can be 2-3.5 feet long and can weigh 100-150 pounds. Their lifespan is estimated to be 50 years or more. Every 1 to 5 years, the female hawksbill will lay three to five nests containing 130 to 160 eggs. They typically nest at night on small or isolated beaches. Hatchlings orient seaward by moving away from dark landward dunes toward the brighter ocean horizon. Hawksbill sea turtles face threats from fishing gear, direct harvest of turtles and eggs, loss and degradation of nesting habitats, predation of eggs and hatchlings, vessel strikes, ocean pollution, and climate change.
The hawksbill sea turtle is recognized as an endangered species by the United States government, meaning that it is illegal to take, possess, sell, deliver, carry, or transport pursuant to the ESA, specifically Title 16, United States Code, Section 1538. The Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) also forbids the trade of any turtle products on the international market, including sea tortoise shells (which are sometimes sold as “tortoiseshell”).
You can help hawksbill sea turtles and other endangered species by reducing ocean trash, keeping your distance, protecting sea turtle habitats and nesting sites, and reporting marine life in distress. To report marine life in danger or distress, please contact the Puerto Rico office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at (787) 749-4338 or the national tip line by telephone at 1-844-FWS-TIPS, by email at [email protected] , or via www.fws.gov/wildlife-crime-tips .
Special thanks are provided to Tortugueros del Sur, a non-profit Puerto Rico entity whose mission is to help sick or injured sea turtles, to aid in conservation programs in the south of Puerto Rico, and to educate the public about sea turtles.
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Fort Pierce Judge Sentences Two Men to Federal Prison for Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material out of Tattoo Shop and Other CrimesRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Today, Dustin Singleton, 42, of Hobe Sound, Florida was sentenced to a total of 480 months’ imprisonment, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, by U.S. District Court Judge Aileen M. Cannon, sitting in Fort Pierce, Florida, after pleading guilty to three counts of producing child sexual abuse material, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon.
In a separate sentencing hearing, Elijah Daniel Shaw, 22, of Port St Lucie, was sentenced to a total of 259 months’ imprisonment, followed by 15 years of supervised release, by U.S. District Court Judge Aileen M. Cannon, after pleading guilty to producing and possessing child sexual abuse material.
According to court records, on April 29, 2022, following a traffic stop in Stuart, Florida, Martin County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) detectives found 32.86 grams of methamphetamine with a purity level of 98%, approximately 5 grams of cocaine, less than a gram of fentanyl, approximately 195 grams of marijuana, several glass pipes, hypodermic needles, a loaded Smith & Wesson, Bodyguard .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol, a loaded Glock type 9mm pistol built from a Polymer80 PF940C kit (“Glock clone”), several unused baggies, several pill bottles with various controlled substances, $1,104.00 in U.S. currency, 10 cellphones, and three tablets in Singleton’s vehicle. Singleton is a convicted felon and prohibited by law from possessing firearms.
Court records further indicated that, in July 2022, a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agent and two MCSO detectives received information that tattoo artist Singleton aka “Greenhouse” exchanged narcotics and tattoos for sexual activity with minor females at his Port St. Lucie tattoo shop. Two rounds of search warrants were obtained – the first one for narcotics and the second one for child sexual abuse material, which targeted Singleton’s electronic devices. Forensic examinations of the devices revealed numerous images of Singleton and Shaw, both engaging in sexually explicit activity with a freshly tattooed 13-year-old minor female victim—recorded inside the tattoo shop.
On August 2, 2022, law enforcement arrested Shaw who identified images/videos of himself, Singleton, and the 13-year-old minor female victim and confirmed that the video was recorded inside Singleton’s tattoo parlor. An HSI special agent applied for additional search warrants for Singleton’s and Shaw’s social media and iCloud accounts, which revealed additional videos of the child sexual abuse material, spanning in excess of six hours. The videos began with Singleton tattooing the 13-year-old, but later progressing to Singleton administering a smoking glass pipe to the victim, while he and Shaw both recorded themselves engaging in sexually explicit activity with the victim. In Singleton’s iCloud, investigators located additional videos revealing Singleton recorded additional tattoo shop sexual activity with two additional minor victims, each 17 years of age. Singleton recorded himself having sex with the minors, both with his iPhone and secretly, using his tattoo shop’s video surveillance system.
United States Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and acting Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Buckley, HSI, Miami, announced the sentence imposed.
HSI Fort Pierce Office investigated the case, with assistance from Martin County Sheriff’s Office, St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, and Port St. Lucie Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carmen Lineberger and Michael Porter prosecuted it.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about the PSC initiative and for information regarding Internet safety, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-14048 and
Fort Myers Felon Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Possessing A Firearm and CocaineRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Keith Dewayne Drayton, Jr. (27, Fort Myers) today pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon and possessing with the intent to distribute cocaine. Drayton faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison for the firearm offense, and up to 20 years’ imprisonment for the drug offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court records, on the night of June 17, 2023, officers from the Fort Myers Police Department attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle in which Drayton was the front-seat passenger. The vehicle did not stop, and by the time the officers caught up to the vehicle, both the driver and Drayton had fled from the vehicle on foot. On the ground near the front passenger door of the vehicle, officers found a loaded Glock handgun. Inside the vehicle, officers found a satchel which contained a prescription pill bottle bearing Drayton’s full name, as well as a baggie containing almost a half-ounce of crack cocaine. Drayton was later located by officers hiding in a nearby dumpster.
As a convicted felon who previously served time in federal prison for a firearms offense, Drayton is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fort Myers Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Former Stockbroker Pleads Guilty to Penny-Stock Securities Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A California man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to his involvement as the principal stock trader in a sophisticated securities fraud scheme that generated tens of millions of dollars in illicit profits.
Joseph A. Padilla, 54, of Carlsbad, Calif. and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, pleaded guilty on Aug. 17, 2023 to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, two counts of securities fraud and one count of attempting to cause the production of an identification document without lawful authority. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for Nov. 15, 2023. Padilla was charged in March 2023 along with an alleged co-conspirator.
Padilla is a former stockbroker who was barred from the securities industry in 2012 by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Between 2020 and 2022, Padilla allegedly conspired with others to commit securities fraud by facilitating and participating in market manipulation schemes involving the concealed-control of the shares of penny-stock companies.
Specifically, between October 2020 and July 2022, Padilla participated in a market manipulation scheme involving the shares of Oncology Pharma, Inc., a thinly traded company that traded on the over-the-counter securities market under the ticker symbol ONPH. As part of the scheme, a co-conspirator allegedly caused nearly all of ONPH’s free-trading shares to be transferred to multiple brokerage accounts for the benefit of Padilla’s clients at the Cayman Islands broker Valor Capital, with which Padilla had a close, unofficial association. Padilla then engaged in manipulative trading in ONPH designed, at least in part, to artificially drive up the company’s stock price, after which Padilla began dumping the ONPH shares—which were under common control—to unsuspecting investors in Massachusetts and throughout the United States during a promotional campaign, generating illicit proceeds alleged to be in the tens of millions of dollars.
Additionally, between January 2020 and April 2021, Padilla participated in a similar scheme involving the shares of Charlestowne Premium Beverages Inc., a thinly traded company that traded on the over-the-counter market under the ticker symbol FPWM. As part of the scheme, Padilla orchestrated an effort designed, at least in part, to artificially increase Charlestowne’s stock price. He then facilitated the sale of millions of Charlestowne’s shares during a promotional campaign to unsuspecting investors in Massachusetts and throughout the United States, generating illicit proceeds alleged to be in the millions of dollars.
Padilla was arrested on a criminal complaint in August 2022 and released on pre-trial conditions, which included surrendering his passport and not obtaining another passport. While on pre-trial release, Padilla attempted to acquire a fraudulent Ukrainian passport so that he could flee prosecution. Padilla was arrested in January 2023 for violating his terms of release and his pre-trial release was revoked.The charge of securities fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $5 million. The charge of conspiracy to commit securities fraud provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. The charge of attempt to cause the production of an identification document without lawful authority provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant United States Attorneys James R. Drabick and Ian J. Stearns of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Monaca, PA Resident Indicted on a Charge of Violating a Federal Narcotics LawRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A former resident of Monaca, PA, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating a federal narcotics law, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Martinis Ramon Lee, 36, formerly of Monaca, PA, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment presented to the court, on or about July 19, 2022, Lee possessed with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing heroin, a Schedule I controlled substance; fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance; and fluorofentanyl, a fentanyl analogue and a Schedule I controlled substance. The Indictment also alleges that Lee possessed with intent to distribute a quantity of crack cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 10 years in prison, a fine not to exceed $10,000,000, a term of supervised release of at least 5 years or a combination thereof. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin C. Dobkin is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Former Correctional Officer Indicted on Federal Charges of Conspiracy, Bribery, and Bringing Contraband into Montgomery County JailRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office and the United States Marshals Service for the Middle District of Alabama announced that a federal grand jury in Montgomery, Alabama, returned a three-count indictment charging former Montgomery County Detention Facility (MCDF) Correctional Officer Mario Avery, 43, with conspiracy to provide contraband to an inmate in prison, bribery, and providing contraband to a federal inmate.
The indictment alleges that Avery conspired with others to provide a federal inmate at MCDF with prohibited items. The indictment further alleges that Avery accepted cash in return for smuggling contraband into the detention facility and in fact provided the contraband to the inmate in November of 2022.
The United States Marshals Service arrested Avery on Monday, August 28, 2023. Avery is scheduled to make his initial appearance in federal court later this afternoon. If convicted on all three counts of the indictment, Avery faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The United States Marshals Service investigated this case, with assistance from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Counts is prosecuting the case.
Former Arizona Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing Mainers’ Identities as Part of Unemployment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A former Arizona man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Portland today to six counts of wire fraud and six counts of aggravated identity theft.
According to court records, from January to November 2020, James McAuliffe, 55, filed false claims for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits. McAuliffe filed fraudulent applications for UI payments with the Maine Department of Labor, Bureau of Unemployment Compensation using others’ personal identifying information without their knowledge and consent. As a part of the scheme, he caused fraudulent applications for replacement drivers licenses to be filed with the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles and changed the drivers’ mailing addresses, using the falsified licenses as proof of identification in support of the fraudulent UI claims. McAuliffe had the UI benefits loaded onto debit cards and wired into an account he opened in another person’s name and withdrew the funds at ATMs in Arizona. At the time of his arrest, McAuliffe was living in Kansas.
McAuliffe faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to a $250,000, followed by up to three of supervised release on each count of wire fraud. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison on the aggravated identity theft counts, which must be served consecutively to the sentence imposed on the wire fraud counts. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
“The prosecution of Mr. McAuliffe is one of numerous cases brought by the Department of Justice nationwide to bring to justice those who sought to exploit COVID-19 relief fund programs,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee. “The important work of identifying and prosecuting anyone who stole taxpayer funds set aside for pandemic aid remains a priority for my office and Maine’s federal law enforcement agencies.”
“James McAuliffe engaged in a scheme to fraudulently obtain unemployment insurance funds by using the stolen identities of Maine residents and others. McAuliffe stole benefits set aside by the federal government to assist American workers struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to safeguard Department of Labor programs from those who seek to exploit them,” said Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent-in-Charge, Northeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
Coordinated, nationwide enforcement action to combat COVID-19 fraud: On August 23, 2023 the Justice Department announced the results of a coordinated, nationwide enforcement action to combat COVID-19 fraud, which included 718 enforcement actions – including federal criminal charges against 371 defendants – for offenses related to over $836 million in alleged COVID-19 fraud. The Justice Department has now seized over $1.4 billion in COVID-19 relief funds that criminals had stolen and charged over 3,000 defendants with crimes in federal districts across the country. Many of the cases in the enforcement action involve charges related to pandemic unemployment insurance benefit fraud and fraud against the two largest pandemic Small Business Administration programs: the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loans. Additional matters involved pandemic healthcare billing fraud, fraud against the Emergency Rental Assistance program, and fraud committed against the IRS Employee Retention Credit program (ERC), a refundable tax credit for businesses and tax-exempt organizations that had employees and were affected during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Former Accounting Manager at Everett manufacturing company sentenced to three years in prison for $2.5 million embezzlementRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 40–year-old Kent, Washington, woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to three years in prison for wire fraud and tax fraud related to a 10-year embezzlement scheme, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Christin Guillory, an Accounting Manager at an Everett-based manufacturing company, stole more than $2.5 million from her employer by transferring funds to accounts Guillory set up in the names of fake companies, and then routing the funds to her own bank accounts. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez noted that Guillory’s theft was driven by drug addiction but added, “you’ve known your entire life that you had an addiction issue, but you never took any steps on your own to deal with it.”
“Ms. Guillory betrayed colleagues who were also her friends,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “For nine years she engaged in a meticulous scheme to hide her theft. Over those nine years, she deliberately chose to steal from the company 867 times. And she did it while working side-by-side with colleagues who trusted her.”
According to records in the case, in April 2013, Guillory set up an account with payment processor Square that used a display name that made it appear it was an account of a commercial shipping company. Between 2014 and 2019, Guillory secretly paid $1,695,591 to that account and then transferred the money to her own bank accounts. She made false entries in the company books to conceal the theft.
In 2019, Guillory stopped using Square for her fraud and instead used two PayPal accounts. She gave one of the PayPal accounts a display name similar to that of her employer. For the second account, she used the name of a shipping company with which she had no affiliation. In 2020 and 2021, she orchestrated the transfer of $604,000 to the PayPal accounts and made false accounting entries to cover her tracks. She then transferred the bulk of the money for her own use. Becoming more brazen, between August and November 2021, Guillory transferred $247,000 directly from company accounts to her own bank accounts. Again, she made fraudulent accounting entries and reused legitimate invoices to make it appear the payments were for appropriate business purposes. In all, Guillory made at least 867 secret transactions using interstate wires that totaled $2,536,086.
The scheme was detected when a financial institution reported irregularities.
Guillory used the stolen money to support her prescription drug addiction.
Writing to the court, Assistant United States Attorney Seth Wilkinson noted that the theft betrayed the trust of those Guillory worked with. “The Victim company and its management and employees entrusted Guillory with access to its corporate funds..... Guillory worked closely with (company leaders) and other colleagues each day for years. The whole time Guillory knew she was secretly stealing, placing the company’s financial security – and her colleagues’ jobs - at risk.”
Guillory also filed false tax returns, failing to report the more than $2.5 million in income she embezzled. For example, for the tax year 2019, Guillory represented that her income was $38,022, but failed to report the $615,392 in income she received that year from her embezzlement. In all, Guillory failed to pay $590,850 that she owed in taxes.
Judge Martinez ordered restitution of $2,536,086 to the company, and $590,850 to the U.S. Treasury. He directed that she be on three years of supervised release to follow prison.
“Though sometimes undetected for years, fraud and embezzlement schemes have real consequences for all involved,” said Special Agent in Charge Adam Jobes, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS:CI), Seattle Field Office. “Ms. Guillory’s sentencing today is continued proof that IRS:CI is committed to investigating unjust fraud wherever it may occur.”
“Ms. Guillory carried out her embezzlement for years, ultimately stealing more than $2.5 million from her employer” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “She endeavored to cover up her actions and violated the trust, not only of her employer, but also of people who considered her a friend. I appreciate the work of our investigators and those of our partners who finally brought an end to her scheme.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service: Criminal Investigation (IRS:CI).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Seth Wilkinson.
Five Defendants Convicted of Federal Civil Rights Conspiracy and Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act Offenses for Obstructing Access to a Reproductive Health Services FacilityRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted five defendants today of federal civil rights offenses in connection with a reproductive health care clinic invasion in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 22, 2020. The defendants were each convicted of a felony conspiracy against rights and a Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act offense.
According to evidence presented at trial, Lauren Handy, 28, of Alexandria, Virginia; John Hinshaw, 67, of Levittown, New York; Heather Idoni, 61, of Linden, Michigan; William Goodman, 52, of Bronx, New York; and Herb Geraghty, 25, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and others, engaged in a conspiracy to blockade the reproductive health care clinic to prevent it from providing and patients from receiving, reproductive health services.
The evidence at trial showed that Smith, Hinshaw, Idoni, Goodman, Geraghty and Handy traveled to Washington, D.C., from various states to participate in a clinic blockade that was directed by Handy and was broadcast on Facebook. The defendants conspired to and did forcefully enter the clinic and block access to the clinic using their bodies, furniture, chains and ropes. Once the blockade was established, footage of the activities was live-streamed. Evidence also showed that the defendants violated the FACE Act by using force and physical obstruction to injure, intimidate and interfere with the clinic’s employees and patients, because they were providing or obtaining reproductive health services.
The defendants each face up to a maximum penalty of 11 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $350,000.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia made the announcement.
The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case. The FBI Field Offices in Newark, New York City, Boston and Detroit provided valuable assistance.
The Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia’s Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section are prosecuting the case. The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of New Jersey, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Eastern District of New York and Southern District of New York provided valuable assistance.
Five Defendants Convicted of Federal Civil Rights Conspiracy and Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act Offenses for Obstructing Access to a Reproductive Health Services FacilityRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today, a federal jury convicted five defendants – Lauren Handy, 28, of Alexandria, Virginia; John Hinshaw, 67, of Levittown, New York; Heather Idoni, 61, of Linden, Michigan; William Goodman, 52, of Bronx, New York; and Herb Geraghty, 25, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – of both offenses in a two-count indictment charging them with federal civil rights offenses in connection with an alleged reproductive health care clinic invasion in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 22, 2020. The defendants were each convicted of a felony conspiracy against rights and a FACE Act offense.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist, of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division.
The defendants each face up to a maximum of 11 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $350,000. U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, who presided over the trial, ordered the defendants immediately detained as required by statute. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
As the evidence at trial showed, the defendants, engaged in a conspiracy to create a blockade at the reproductive health care clinic to prevent the clinic from providing, and patients from receiving, reproductive health services. As part of the conspiracy, Handy, Hinshaw, Idoni, Goodman, and Geraghty, traveled to Washington, D.C. from various northeast and midwestern states, to meet with Handy and participate in a clinic blockade that was directed by Handy and was broadcast on Facebook.
According to the evidence, Handy, Hinshaw, Idoni, and Goodman forcefully entered the clinic and set about blockading two clinic doors using their bodies, furniture, chains and ropes. Once the blockade was established, their activities were live-streamed. The evidence also showed that the defendants violated the FACE Act by using a physical obstruction to injure, intimidate and interfere with the clinic’s employees and a patient, because they were providing or obtaining reproductive health services.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, with valuable assistance from the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office. The case is being prosecuted by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of New Jersey, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Eastern District of New York, and Southern District of New York; and FBI Field Offices in Newark, New York City, Boston, and Detroit provided valuable assistance.
Federal Jury Finds St. Cloud Man Guilty of Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A federal jury found a St. Cloud man guilty of illegally possessing multiple firearms as a felon, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
Following a six-day trial before Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright in U.S. District Court, Roberto Antwan Williams, 38, was found guilty of two counts of possession of firearms as a felon. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
According to the evidence presented at trial, Williams attempted to rob a man at gunpoint outside an apartment in St. Cloud on July 31, 2020. Williams was apprehended by law enforcement in a vehicle that the victim identified. Law enforcement subsequently discovered a firearm in the glovebox with Williams’ DNA on it.
According to the evidence presented at trial, in a separate incident on November 13, 2020, law enforcement was notified that a five-year-old child had been shot in the head and declared dead at a St. Cloud hospital. Williams and his fiancé, the child’s mother, were at the hospital and stated they were shopping when they got a phone call that the child had been injured. Williams claimed that they immediately returned home and took the child to the hospital together. However, law enforcement obtained surveillance video from a neighboring residence that showed the fiancé taking the child to the hospital alone while Williams placed two backpacks in a garbage bin outside of the house.
According to the evidence presented at trial, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Williams’ residence and garbage bins. Inside the bins, they discovered the two backpacks which contained a Kel-Tec model Sub .40 caliber semiautomatic rifle and a purple Taurus model G2C 9mm semiautomatic pistol with an extended magazine. The Taurus had the deceased child’s blood on it. Law enforcement also searched Williams’ cell phone and found a picture of the purple Taurus 9mm semiautomatic pistol with the text “my new toy.”
Because Williams has multiple prior felony convictions of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and possession of weapon, he is prohibited from lawfully possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, the St. Cloud Police Department, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tom Calhoun-Lopez and Mary S. Riverso tried the case.
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Federal Jury Convicts Zachary Man of Multiple Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr., announced the conviction of Jeremy Dewayne Hawkins, age 43, of Zachary, Louisiana. After a three-day trial before Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick, the jury unanimously convicted Hawkins of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and heroin, possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, and possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon.
As the evidence at trial demonstrated, DEA agents intercepted communications over four of Hawkins’ telephones between June and August 2017 and learned that Hawkins conspired with others to obtain kilogram quantities of cocaine and heroin from Houston, Texas and elsewhere and redistribute those narcotics within the Middle District of Louisiana. Evidence brough to light at trial by federal and state law enforcement officials described a search warrant on Hawkins’ property in Ethel, Louisiana, where agents located more than four kilograms of cocaine, over 100 grams of heroin, six firearms, and over 800 rounds of ammunition. Hawkins was a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
As a result of his convictions, Hawkins now faces a maximum sentence in federal prison of up to 40 years imprisonment, as well as significant fines, forfeiture, and a minimum 4-year term of supervised release.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service, Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office, Baton Rouge Police Department, East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, Louisiana State Police, East Feliciana Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica Jarreau, who also serves as the Deputy Chief of the Organized and Violent Crime Unit, and Jene C. Clayton.
Federal Grand Jury in Louisville Returns Four Indictments Charging 34 DefendantsRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – On August 16, 2023, a federal grand jury in Louisville charged 34 Louisville and Southern Indiana residents in four indictments involving methamphetamine, fentanyl, and firearms offenses.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Acting Special Agent in Charge Brian Jones of the FBI Louisville Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations Nashville, Special Agent in Charge Bryant Jackson of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office, and Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
According to the first indictment, Thomas Gunter, 39, Desmond Allen, 37, Byron Mayes, 49, David Carter, 41, and Lauren Baum, 31, all of Louisville, and Brandon Traughber, 41, of Georgetown, Indiana, and Jason Hill, 40, of Corydon, Indiana, are charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Beginning as early as January 1, 2021, and continuing through August 16, 2023, the defendants conspired to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Gunter is also charged with ten counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Allen, Mayes, Baum, and Hill are also each charged with one count of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Carter is also charged with four counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Traughber is also charged with two counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to the second indictment, Adrian Hamilton, 51, Antonio O’Neal, 47, Randall Dilley, 49, Keith Dewayne Settles, 51, Coy Tucker, 32, Jaiquinton Wordlaw, 40, Heather Boling, 25, Dontray Bard, 38, Todd Allgood, 54, and Imani Tennyson, 21, all of Louisville, are charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Beginning as early as January 1, 2021, and continuing through August 16, 2023, the defendants conspired to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of a fentanyl mixture.
Hamilton and Tennyson are also each charged with two counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. O’Neal is also charged with five counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Dilley is also charged with four counts of distributing a fentanyl mixture and three counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Settles is also charged with three counts of distributing a fentanyl mixture. Tucker is also charged with six counts of distributing a fentanyl mixture and one count of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Wordlaw is also charged with one count of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Boling is also charged with four counts of distributing a fentanyl mixture, two counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Bard is also charged with one count of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Allgood is also charged with six counts of distributing a fentanyl mixture.
According to the third indictment, Dennis Rice, 44, of Jeffersonville, Indiana, and Tomerriel Macklin Jr., 23, Damon Fortney, 44, Dominique Kinnard, 33, Curnesha Smith, 30, Derrik Goodman, 26, Bruce Boerner, 56, and Dawn Burns, 55, all of Louisville, are charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Beginning as early as March 28, 2023, and continuing through August 16, 2023, the defendants conspired to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Rice, Macklin Jr., and Goodman are also each charged with three counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Fortney is also charged with six counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Kinnard is also charged with one count of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Smith is also charged with seven counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Boerner is also charged with four counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Burns is also charged with five counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to the fourth indictment, Kendall Shaw, 41, Jaron Collier, 45, Ryan Mitchem, 41, Saentay Sheard, 46, Stephen Piercy, 46, Sean Underwood, 51, Christopher Shanahan, 33, Jason Cheser, 48, and Lacy Elliot, 35, all of Louisville, are charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Beginning as early as January 1, 2021, and continuing through August 16, 2023, the defendants conspired to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Shaw is also charged with three counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and two counts of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Collier is also charged with two counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Mitchem and Sheard are also each charged with one count of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Piercy is also charged with four counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and three counts of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Underwood and Elliot are also each charged with one count of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Shanahan is also charged with three counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Cheser is also charged with three counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Twenty-six of the 34 defendants have been arrested and will make their initial court appearances today and tomorrow before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. The following eight defendants have not yet been arrested: Bard, Mayes, Shaw, Wordlaw, Kinnard, Boerner, Shanahan, and Hill. If convicted, the defendants each face minimum sentences ranging from 10 to 35 years, and all each face a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system.
The cases are being investigated by the FBI, HSI, the IRS-CI, and the Louisville Metro Police Department, with assistance from the Kentucky State Police, the Shepherdsville Police Department, the Jeffersonville, Indiana Police Department, and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Josh Porter and Frank Dahl are prosecuting the cases.
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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Executive Charged in International Oil and Gas Trading Bribery and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in the District of Connecticut returned a superseding indictment today charging a Connecticut-based oil and gas trader for his role in an alleged scheme to pay bribes to Brazilian officials to win contracts with Brazil’s state-owned and state-controlled energy company, Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. – Petrobras (Petrobras).
According to court documents, Gary Oztemel, 66, of Riverside, was the owner and president of Oil Trade & Transport S.A. (OTT) and the owner of Petro Trade Services Inc. (Petro Trade), both of which operated in Connecticut. From 2010 through 2018, Gary Oztemel, his brother Glenn Oztemel, Brazil-based intermediary Eduardo Innecco, and others allegedly paid bribes to Petrobras officials for their assistance in helping two Connecticut-based trading companies and OTT obtain and retain business with Petrobras. As part of the scheme, a Petrobras official provided Gary Oztemel, Glenn Oztemel, Innecco, and others with confidential information regarding Petrobras’ fuel oil business. Gary Oztemel also used his company Petro Trade to conceal the proceeds of the scheme.
The original charges against Glenn Oztemel and Innecco were unsealed on Feb. 15. In addition to the original charges against Glenn Oztemel and Innecco, the superseding indictment charges Gary Oztemel with conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), conspiracy to commit money laundering, and two counts of money laundering. If convicted, he faces a maximum of five years in prison for the conspiracy to violate the FCPA charge, a maximum of 20 years in prison for money laundering conspiracy and the first money laundering charge, and a maximum of 10 years in prison for the second money laundering charge.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Avery for the District of Connecticut, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Assistant Director in Charge Donald Alway of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Allison L. McGuire and Clayton P. Solomon and Assistant Chiefs Derek J. Ettinger and Jonathan P. Robell of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael McGarry for the District of Connecticut are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Evansville Man Sentenced to 21 Years in Federal Prison After Recording Himself Sexually Abusing a 4-Year-OldRead the Press Release
EVANSVILLE- Michael Hines, 39, of Evansville, Indiana, has been sentenced to 21 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to production and attempted production of child sexual abuse material.
According to court documents, on May 17, 2017, Michael Hines used his smart phone to record videos of himself engaging in sexual acts with Minor Female A. At the time of the offense, the Minor Victim was 4 years old.
“The sexual abuse of a toddler is as heinous a crime as a person can commit,” said United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers. “The public and the victim are safer today because this defendant will spend many years in federal prison. I commend the work of the FBI, the Evansville Police Department, and our federal prosecutor to ensure that this dangerous pedophile is held accountable for his actions.”
“This sentence ensures the defendant can no longer prey on innocent children and our community will be a much safer place without him on the streets,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton. “We are committed to working alongside valued partners like the Evansville Police Department to protect our children from predators such as this.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Evansville Police Department investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge, Richard L. Young. Judge Young ordered that Hines be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 10 years following his release from federal prison. Additionally, Hines must register as a sex offender wherever he lives, works, and goes to school.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Lauren M. Wheatley, who prosecuted this case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc
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District of Columbia Man Pleads Guilty to Obstruction of Justice for Illegally Recording and Publishing Grand Jury ProceedingsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Alexander Hamilton, 28, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to contempt and obstruction of justice under federal and District of Columbia law, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves announced.
Hamilton entered his plea this morning in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before the Honorable Judge Amy Berman-Jackson, who scheduled sentencing for November 29, 2023.
According to an affidavit in support of the complaint, officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) observed a public Instagram account with approximately 10,400 followers posting multiple videos, with sound, that recorded the proceedings within the Superior Court of the District of Columbia Grand Jury room, located at the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Personnel from the U.S. Attorney’s office recognized the individual in the video as Hamilton, a grand juror. During a consensual interview with law enforcement, Hamilton admitted to recording grand jury proceedings and posting them to his Instagram Story. Hamilton indicated that he filmed the proceedings using one of two phones that he owns. A forensic extraction of Hamilton’s phone identified videos of live grand jury testimony. Hamilton also sent dozens of messages via text message and Instagram, sharing the videos or discussing his grand jury service. Additionally, Hamilton demonstrated an awareness in numerous messages that he was not permitted to have his cellphone in the room during presentations before the grand jury.
Hamilton had been sworn in as a grand juror on Sept. 9, 2022. During orientation, he took an oath to, among other things, keep secret the information learned during grand jury service. A video, taken on Hamilton’s phone on Sept. 9, 2022, depicts Hamilton recording himself (i.e., a selfie). Specifically, the video shows him standing with his right hand raised as the oath described above was read to him aloud. In the video, Hamilton looks down at the phone and states, “I’m about to lie.” He was arrested on November 17, 2022.
“The secrecy of grand jury proceedings protects the integrity of ongoing investigations, ensuring that grand jurors and witnesses are free from improper influence; safeguarding against the possible destruction of evidence by those investigated; and protecting the privacy of uncharged individuals,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “Before serving, grand jurors take an oath to protect this secrecy. Hamilton’s violation of his oath is a crime. We will vigorously prosecute those, like Hamilton, who compromise the integrity of the criminal justice system.”
All grand jurors are instructed that grand jury proceedings are secret and must remain secret permanently unless and until the Court determines that the proceedings or a portion of them should be revealed in the interest of justice. Grand jurors are admonished to preserve the secrecy of the proceedings by abstaining from communicating with family, friends, representatives of the news media or any other person concerning that which transpires in the grand jury room. Moreover, grand jurors are required to place their phones and any other potential recording devices into lockers located in the lobby of the U.S. Attorney’s Office prior to proceeding to the grand jury rooms. The maximum penalty for conspiracy is five years. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes.
The contempt charge is a federal offense, and the obstruction charge is a District of Columbia offense. The plea agreement calls for an advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines range of 6 to 36 months of incarceration. The defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory range and other statutory factors.
This case was being investigated by the Criminal Investigations Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Assistance was provided by the Metropolitan Police Department.
The case was being prosecuted by the Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Gold of the Federal Major Crimes Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to 33 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge today sentenced a convicted felon for illegal possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples.
U.S. District Court Judge Karon O. Bowdre sentenced David Mitchell, IV, aka “Luh Mexico”, 27, of Birmingham, to 33 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on December 28, 2022, Birmingham Police officers were patrolling the area of Norwood Bottoms. Officers observed a black Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT running, with music playing loudly, and unoccupied. As officers were looking at the Jeep, Mitchell approached yelling at them. Officers recognized Mitchell and knew he had an active felony warrant. Officers took Mitchell into custody for the warrant. Officers conducted a pat down of Mitchell and found a Glock 9mm pistol in his waistband. The pistol had been reported stolen with Alabaster Police Department, and it was loaded with fifteen rounds of 9mm ammunition. Officers found the key to the Jeep in Mitchell’s back pocket and $4,398 cash in his pocket. After running the tag on the Jeep, officers discovered that the tag was not registered to the Jeep. The Jeep had been reported stolen with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia. Officers obtained a search warrant for the Jeep. Upon searching the vehicle, officers found a blue duffle bag containing marijuana, an iPhone, hydrocodone pills and two high-capacity Glock magazines.
FBI investigated the case, along with the Birmingham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristy Peoples prosecuted the case.
Cincinnati man sentenced to 17 years in prison for trafficking fentanyl, cocaineRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Cincinnati man who was convicted at trial in December 2021 of trafficking narcotics was sentenced in federal court here today to 204 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release.
Lelon Campbell, 30, distributed and possessed with the intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine.
According to court documents and trial testimony, from June through October 2018, Campbell possessed more than 130 grams of fentanyl and approximately 27 grams of cocaine.
As a career criminal, Campbell was either on bond or under community control when he committed the offenses in his federal case.
Campbell was charged federally in 2019. At the time of his arrest, he attempted to get to two handguns before being stopped by SWAT officers. Campbell also had a large number of high capacity, high powered weapons in two “go-bags” in his basement.
In video surveillance, Campbell threatened to shoot a witness. The video played at trial shows Campbell directing a drug buyer to pull up his shirt so Campbell could check for a wire. He told the witness that he would shoot him if he was working for the police.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; John Nokes, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Douglas R. Cole. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Oakley and Special Assistant United States Attorney John Zachary Kessler from the Cincinnati City Solicitor’s Office represented the United States in this case.
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Chester Housing Authority Director of Public Housing, His Chief Assistant, and Contractor Charged for Bribery and Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Norman D. Wise, 57, of Mullica Hill, NJ, Douglas E. Daniel, 65, of Philadelphia, PA, and Leonard F. Coleman, 53, of Paulsboro, NJ, were charged by Information with bribery and fraud charges related to two schemes: (1) a bribery scheme in which Coleman paid off Wise and Daniel in exchange for contracting work awarded to Coleman at the Chester Housing Authority (“CHA”); and (2) a fraud scheme in which Wise and Daniel created a contracting company that they used to fraudulently bill the CHA and obtain hundreds of thousands of dollars in proceeds. During the time they engaged in these offenses, Wise was the Director of Public Housing for the Chester Housing Authority and Daniel was the Housing Program Manager and Wise’s chief assistant.
According to the Information, from in or about July 2014 through in or about March 2022, defendant Coleman made bribe payments separately to Wise and Daniel in exchange for CHA contracting work awarded to his company, Coleman’s Contracting. To generate these bribe payments, Wise and Daniel inflated the amount charged on invoices that Coleman submitted to the CHA for work he performed for the CHA. Wise and Daniel then ensured that the CHA paid Coleman on the inflated invoices, and Coleman paid Wise and Daniel bribes in amounts covered by the inflated invoices. Coleman made these payments by depositing funds directly into the personal bank accounts of Wise and Daniel. In total, Coleman made approximately $76,400 in bribe payments to Wise and Daniel around the time that Coleman received approximately $2.5 million in revenue from the CHA.
According to the Information, from in or about January 2019 through in or about January 2023, in a separate scheme, Wise and Daniel together used a company they created, Trinity Management Group (“TMG”), to fraudulently bill the CHA for work TMG allegedly performed for the CHA. Most of the work for which TMG billed the CHA was (1) performed by salaried CHA employees during their regular work hours; (2) performed by other contractors who were paid for that work by the CHA; or (3) not performed at all. In particular, the fraudulent invoices included billing for landscaping, painting, window replacements, and other construction and renovation work at CHA facilities. This fraudulent billing resulted in losses to the CHA of approximately $544,967.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Caribou Man Pleads Guilty for Role in Penobscot and Aroostook County Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Caribou man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for his role in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
According to court records, between January 2018 and December 2021, Jason Cunrod, 41, along with others, trafficked methamphetamine and fentanyl in Penobscot and Aroostook counties and elsewhere. Cunrod knowingly and intentionally joined and participated in the conspiracy.
To date, seven of the 21 defendants in this and related cases have been sentenced and nine of the remaining 14 defendants have pleaded guilty.
Cunrod faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine up to $1 million followed by three years to life of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case. Assistance was provided by the police departments in Orono, Bangor, Brewer, Caribou, Presque Isle and Houlton. U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee also recognized the cooperation and coordination provided by the Maine State Attorney General’s Office and the Aroostook County District Attorney’s Office.
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces: 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.
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Butte County Man Sentenced to over 12 Years in Prison for Fentanyl Pill TraffickingRead the Press Release
Julius Rucks, 42, of Oroville, was sentenced Monday to 12 years and nine months in prison for distribution of fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to public proceedings and court documents, on Dec. 6, 2018, Jan. 10, 2019, and April 3, 2019, Rucks sold over 1,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl to a confidential source and undercover agent. On July 23, 2019, agents executed a search warrant at Rucks’ residence in Oroville and found a large electric motor-driven pill press, the pill dies for stamping the counterfeit pharmaceutical markings onto the fake pills, large amounts of powdered fentanyl, pill binder material, and other pill manufacturing materials, and three handguns with loaded magazines. In November 2022, Rucks pleaded guilty to three counts of distributing fentanyl.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Calaveras Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cameron L. Desmond and David W. Spencer prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Browning man admits assaulting two persons with a knife on Blackfeet Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS —A Browning man accused of holding a knife to a person’s throat and of stabbing another person who attempted to help admitted to assault charges today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Jaylin John Ridesatthedoor, 19, pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and to assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Ridesatthedoor faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The court set sentencing for Jan. 25, 2024 and ordered Ridesatthedoor detained pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that on June 28, 2022 near Browning, on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, Ridesatthedoor pursued a vehicle that was occupied by his ex-girlfriend, identified as Jane Doe, and others. Ridesatthedoor slashed two of the tires, broke out a window and tried to pull Jane Doe out of the vehicle. Once Jane Doe left the vehicle, Ridesatthedoor attempted to persuade Jane Doe to go with him. When she refused, Ridesatthedoor started swinging a knife he was holding at Jane Doe and then held it against her throat. Another occupant of the vehicle, John Doe, tried to pull Ridesatthedoor off Jane Doe, and Ridesatthedoor stabbed him in the chest. John Doe was flown to an area hospital for life-saving surgery.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah A. Paisley is prosecuting the case. The FBI and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation.
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Boone, N.C. Man Is Sentenced to Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Jason Ian Kendrick, 44, of Boone, N.C., was sentenced today to 70 months in prison for possession of child pornography, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell also ordered Kendrick to serve a lifetime of supervised release and to register as a sex offender after he is released from prison.
Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in North Carolina joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to filed court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, beginning in January 2021, an undercover agent with the FBI observed that Kik Messenger user “jik2cool”,” later identified as Kendrick, was participating in private group chats dedicated to the distribution of child pornography. On multiple occasions, Kendrick also used Kik Messenger to access and view images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. In October 2021, the FBI also received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children concerning the same Kik Messenger username, indicating that the user had shared files through the app that depicted child pornography.
On January 24, 2022, the FBI executed a search warrant at Kendrick’s residence. Over the course of the search, an FBI agent conducted a voluntary interview with Kendrick at his residence, where Kendrick admitted that he used Kik Messenger to access and view child pornography. Kendrick further admitted that he did not store child pornography locally, but instead he would download the app, locate child pornography, and then delete the app after viewing it. According to court records, Kendrick’s offense involved hundreds of images depicting the sexual abuse of children, including toddlers and infants.
On April 20, 2023, Kendrick pleaded guilty to possessing and accessing with intent to view child pornography containing a minor who had not attained the age of 12 years. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
The case was investigated by the FBI.
Assistant United States Attorney Mark T. Odulio of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte 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.
Baltimore Defendant Pleads Guilty to a Conspiracy to Distribute Large Amounts of FentanylRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Dennis Drake, age 26, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to his role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and heroin in Baltimore.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Field Division; Baltimore City Sheriff Sam Cogen; Acting Commissioner Richard Worley of the Baltimore Police Department; and Chief Robert McCullough of the Baltimore County Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, from October 2020 through March 1, 2021, Drake was engaged in a drug trafficking conspiracy involving large amounts of fentanyl and heroin. Drake and his co-conspirators operated a stash house in Pikesville, Maryland, where they processed fentanyl and other drugs, mixed the drugs with cutting agents, and packaged the drugs for re-sale. Drake’s associates drove the packaged drug products to drug shops operated by their drug trafficking organization, including specifically drug shops along Stricker, School and Gilmor Streets in Baltimore.
On March 1, 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the stash house in Pikesville and recovered 6.8 kilograms of fentanyl, along with cutting agents and other drug-related paraphernalia. Drake admitted that more than 400 grams, but less than 1.2 kilograms of fentanyl was reasonably foreseeable to him and handled in furtherance of the conspiracy. Five co-conspirators previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy and were sentenced to between 21 months and 10 years in federal prison.
U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III has scheduled sentencing for Drake on November 27, 2023, at 9:30 a.m.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DEA, the Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason D. Medinger and Ari Evans, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Asphalt Paving Company and President Plead Guilty to Bid RiggingRead the Press Release
A Michigan company and its president pleaded guilty today for their roles in two separate conspiracies to rig bids for asphalt paving services contracts in Michigan.
According to court documents filed in the U.S. District Court in Detroit, Clarkston-based F. Allied Construction Company Inc. (Allied) and its president, Andrew Foster, conspired with two asphalt paving companies and their employees to rig bids in each other’s favor. Allied and Foster participated in the two conspiracies from June 2013 through June 2019, and from July 2017 through May 2021, respectively. The co-conspirators coordinated each other’s bid prices so that the agreed-upon losing company would submit intentionally non-competitive bids. These bids gave customers the false impression of competition when, in fact, the co-conspirators already had decided among themselves who would win the contracts.
“These guilty pleas demonstrate our commitment to protecting Americans from schemes that undermine competition in the transportation infrastructure sector,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Manish Kumar of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Along with our law enforcement partners, the division will continue to seek justice when corporations and their leaders deprive customers of fair and open competition.”
“The additional judicial actions taken to thwart this bid rigging scheme demonstrate our commitment to working with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners to investigate anticompetitive practices in the transportation industry,” said Special Agent in Charge Andrea M. Kropf of the Department of Transportation Office of the Inspector General (DOT-OIG), Midwestern Region. “These plea agreements should send a clear message that dishonest and deceitful behavior will not be allowed.”
“Activities related to bid-rigging and collusion do not promote an environment conducive to open competition which harms the consumer,” said Executive Special Agent in Charge Kenneth Cleevely of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG). “The guilty pleas in this case represent a win for all law enforcement agencies who investigate those who engage in this type of harmful conduct to ensure that justice is served."
Allied and Foster each pleaded guilty to two counts of violating Section One of the Sherman Act. The maximum penalty for individuals is 10 years in prison and a $1 million criminal fine. The maximum penalty for corporations is a $100 million criminal fine. The fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime if either amount is greater than the statutory maximum fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Allied is the first company and Foster the second individual to plead guilty as a result of an ongoing federal antitrust investigation into bid rigging and other anticompetitive conduct in the asphalt paving services industry being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s Chicago Office, DOT-OIG and USPS-OIG.
Anyone with information in connection with this investigation should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.
Amarillo Drug Dealer Charged with Possession of 76 Firearms, 54 Glock SwitchesRead the Press Release
An Amarillo drug dealer with an arsenal of 76 firearms and 54 Glock switches was indicted on federal drug and gun charges, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Gabriel Michael Rendon, 28, was charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of machineguns, possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and felon in possession of a firearm. His wife, 26-year-old Jane Marie Burgess, was charged with false statement during the purchase of a firearm.
“Glock switches – inch-long devices that convert regular firearms into machineguns capable of a terrifyingly swift rate of fire – are proliferating rapidly in North Texas,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “An armed drug trafficker is always bad news; a drug trafficker armed with a switch is exponentially more dangerous. We cannot and will not allow these devices to take over our streets.”
“Citizens of Amarillo can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that Mr. Rendon no longer terrorizes the streets of their city. Illegal firearms and illicit drugs are never a good combination, especially when those guns are possessed by a prohibited person. Together with the United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners, we will continue to pursue the worst of the worst lawbreakers living amongst us in our communities,” stated ATF Dallas Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C. Boshek II.
According to the indictment, Mr. Rendon allegedly possessed 76 firearms, including 43 pistols, 23 rifles, four shotguns, and four revolvers, in furtherance of his drug trafficking business. Due to an Arkansas state court conviction for possession of a controlled substance with purpose to deliver, he was legally barred from handling firearms.
Mr. Rendon also allegedly possessed at least 54 Glock switches, dangerous devices that convert regular semi-automatic pistols into machineguns capable of continuous fire with a single depression of the trigger. (Glock switches are classified as machineguns under federal law. Unlike semiautomatic firearms, machineguns – weapons that can fire more than one round, without manual reloading, by single function of the trigger – are generally unlawful for non-licensed civilians under the National Firearms Act.)
Ms. Burgess allegedly bought guns for her husband, lying on ATF Form 4473 by indicating that she was the actual buyer when she actually intended to hand them over to Mr. Rendon.
According to court documents, during a search of Mr. Rendon’s residence on July 26, 2023, Ms. Burgess allegedly told law enforcement that Mr. Rendon was armed at all times when at the home.
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted on all counts, Mr. Rendon faces up to life in federal prison; Ms. Burgess faces up to 10 years in prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division – Amarillo Resident Agency, the Amarillo Police Department, and the Randall County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Pinkham is prosecuting the case.
19-Year-Old Sioux City Man Sentenced to More Than 3 Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Jordan Hills, age 19, from Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced August 11, 2023, after pleading guilty March 15, 2023, to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
Evidence in the case reveled in the summer of 2021, Hills and two others, harassed a woman in front of a bar, and when the woman’s friend came out of the bar to help her, he was shot to death by one of the three men (not Hills). Hills was convicted for harassment resulting from the incident on December 7, 2021, and sentenced to one day in jail. Despite a significant criminal history, Hills was shown leniency, and sentenced to a deferred judgment, Hills continued to illegally possess firearms. His unlawful possession of a firearm as a felon was discovered on April 15, 2022, when he began drinking heavily while armed with the firearm and passed out with the firearm on his person. When a woman attempted to make the weapon safe, Hills’ twin-brother, Jalond Hills, wrestled with the woman, resulting in the woman being shot with the firearm. When law enforcement responded, Jordan Hills lied to police and said an unknown black man had entered the apartment and shot the woman. On April 26, 2022, Hills still had the weapon, and on another occasion, actually fired the weapon at the woman who was shot in an apparent attempt to scare her into silence.
Despite being just 19 years old Hills has a lengthy criminal history, including failure to obey law-enforcement, interference with official acts, failure to appear, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and the 2021 harassment charge for his role in the July 4, 2021 killing.
Hills was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand to 37 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
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.
Hills is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by Sioux City, Iowa Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-4062.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
28 August 2023
West Virginia man admits to federal drug chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Cedric Pierre Young, age 32, of Fairmont, West Virginia, has pled guilty to distribution of heroin and fentanyl in proximity to a protected location.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Young, also known as “Billy,” sold heroin and fentanyl near Fifth Street Park playground and the Marion County Adult and Community Education Center, both in Marion County. A search of two properties connected to Young yielded hundreds of grams of fentanyl.
Young faces at least one and up to 40 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Flower is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Three Rivers Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Two Men Convicted of Stalking and Almost Killing Miami ResidentRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On August 24, 2023, a jury found Jaime Serrano, 46, of New York, guilty of interstate stalking, conspiracy to use a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Julian Jimenez, 27, also from New York, pled guilty prior to trial to the same charges. The crimes related to their conduct culminating in the near fatal shooting of a Miami resident in August 2019.
The evidence at trial revealed that, on August 21, 2019, Jimenez and Serrano flew together from New York to Miami. Once in South Florida, Serrano rented a sedan, and he and Jimenez surveilled the victim at his Kendall business and at his residence. As a result, they learned the victim’s normal routine. Then, on August 26, 2019, Serrano traded in the sedan and rented a SUV hatchback.
On August 27, 2019, Jimenez and Serrano continued their surveillance of the victim. On that date, the victim drove into his gated development at his normal time, approximately 8:00 p.m. At or about that time, Serrano parked closed by and Jimenez exited the vehicle and entered the gated community on foot. Jimenez reached the victim as he was sitting in his car, waiting to enter his garage. Jimenez, wearing a mask and gloves, pulled out a firearm and shot at the victim multiple times, striking him several times. Jimenez then fled the gated community and entered Serrano’s vehicle, which Serrano then drove away from the scene of the crime.
U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman is scheduled to sentence Jimenez on November 1, 2023, and Serrano on November 14, 2023. Both men face a maximum sentence of up to life in prison.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, announced the convictions.
The Miami-Dade Police Department handled the investigation until the FBI began its investigation in 2021. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abbie Waxman, Michael Gilfarb, and Katherine Guthrie prosecuted this case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-20389.
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Tulare County Man Sentenced to 5.5 Years in Prison for Possessing CocaineRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Jesus Angulo, 34, of Woodlake, was sentenced to five years and six months in prison for possessing with intent to distribute cocaine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, a long-term investigation uncovered a scheme involving the trade of illegal drugs sourced in Mexico and California for firearms sourced in Texas. In 2021, a team of local, state, and federal law enforcement officers partnered in an investigation into the Tulare County Surenos Street Gang. Part of the investigation focused on Angulo and his associates, who were involved in shipping illegal drugs and firearms across state lines.
On Oct. 26, 2021, Angulo and his associate were stopped by law enforcement after picking up narcotics from a source of supply in Los Angeles. Officers located more than 9 kilograms of cocaine and a firearm in Angulo’s car.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, the Tulare County Area Regencies Gun Enforcement Team, the Visalia Police Department, the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Investigation, the California Highway Patrol’s Special Operations Unit, and the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin J. Gilio and Antonio J. Pataca are prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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 U.S. Department of Justice 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.
Troy Man Sentenced for Mail Fraud in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – Today, United States Attorney Sandra J. Stewart announced the sentencing of Jesse Morgan Hinson, 36, formerly of Troy, Alabama, to 51 months in prison for mail fraud. Hinson previously pleaded guilty to the charge in April of this year. The Alabama Securities Commission provided valuable assistance in the investigation and prosecution of the case.
According to court documents, over a six-month period in 2022, Hinson engaged in two episodes of fraud during which he falsely represented himself as being wealthy. He claimed to have access to real estate opportunities and stated that he needed upfront funding to pursue those ventures. In reality, Hinson had no significant assets and ultimately took the victims' money, approximately $190,000, for his own use. During the August 25, 2023, sentencing hearing, a federal judge also ordered that Hinson pay $124,028.80 in restitution to his victims.
The United States Secret Service and the Alabama Securities Commission investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen K. Moulton and J. Patrick Lamb, along with Special Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew O. Schiff and Amanda Senn of the Alabama Securities Commission prosecuted the case.
Springfield Man Sentenced to 36 Months in Prison for Being a Felon in Possession and Sale of a Stolen FirearmRead the Press Release
Springfield, Ill. – A Springfield, Ill., man, Dalton Smith, 29, has been sentenced to the Bureau of Prisons for three years to be followed by three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm and selling a stolen Colt AR-15 style rifle
During the sentencing hearing, Senior U.S. District Court Judge Sue E. Myerscough found that the defendant, a convicted felon, sold a AR-15 he knew to be stolen for $450. The semi-automatic firearm contained a high-capacity magazine, capable of holding 30 rounds of ammunition. The AR-15 was one of a number of firearms and firearm parts stolen from a Springfield residence in January of 2023. Smith was previously convicted in North Carolina of felony breaking and entering.
Smith pleaded guilty on April 25, 2023, and has been detained in the custody of the United States Marshals Service since his arrest on March 16, 2023.
The statutory penalty for possessing a firearm as a felon is up to 15 years imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release and $250,000 fine. The statutory penalty for knowingly possessing and selling a stolen weapon is up to 10 years imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
The Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sierra Senor-Moore represented the government in the prosecution.
Shelby County Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A federal judge recently delivered sentencing in the case of a Shelby County man convicted of drug and firearm charges. Devin Wiseman, 37, was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Court Judge Mark S. Norris also ordered Wiseman to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. United States Attorney Kevin Ritz announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on October 18, 2021, Memphis Police Department officers conducted a traffic stop of a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze bearing fraudulent temporary tags. Officers discovered that Wiseman, who was operating the vehicle, had a revoked driver’s license. Wiseman and a female passenger admitted they were smoking marijuana in the car. In addition, officers discovered a loaded black 9mm pistol tucked underneath the passenger seat and an extended magazine loaded with 20 rounds of ammunition in the driver’s side door pocket. Wiseman admitted ownership of the firearm and was charged with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
In May 2023, a federal jury determined that Wiseman’s three prior violent felony convictions were committed on occasions different from one another. This led to an enhanced sentence for Wiseman under the Armed Career Criminal Act. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Raney Irwin and Naya Bedini, who prosecuted this case, as well as law enforcement partners who investigated the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Repeat Offender Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material after Downloading Hundreds of ImagesRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Lewiston man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to possessing child sexual abuse material.
According to court records, in April 2023, a Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit learned that a computer at an IP address belonging to Mark A. Burns, 60, had shared a sexually explicit image of a child under the age of 6. Homeland Security Investigations agents executed a search warrant at Burns’ residence where Burns admitted that he had downloaded child sexual abuse material. A preliminary search of his tablet revealed that it contained hundreds of videos and images of children with ages ranging from infants to young teens engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Burns was convicted in 2016 in a court of the State of Maine for possessing sexually explicit material involving a child under the age of 12. As a result of that prior conviction, Burns now faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and up to a lifetime of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit investigated the case.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer re-victimization every time the images are viewed. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at https://report.cybertip.org/ or 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to 4 ½ Years for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Portland man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for possessing child sexual abuse material.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Richard T. Rich Jr., 55, to 54 months in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Rich pleaded guilty on October 24, 2022.
According to court records, in May 2022, the Maine State Police (MSP) Computer Crimes Unit relayed to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) that it was investigating Richard T. Rich Jr. for using the website Quora to solicit child sexual abuse material. After learning that Rich was a registered sex offender with prior convictions in New Jersey for aggravated sexual assault, possessing/viewing sexually explicit material and other offenses, an MSP detective and Rich’s Maine State Probation Officer visited the defendant’s Portland home and recovered numerous electronic devices that Rich was not authorized to possess. A subsequent analysis of those devices by HSI revealed child sexual abuse material.
During sentencing, Judge Torresen noted that while the defendant himself had not sexually abused the children depicted in the images, the continuing sexual abuse of the children “is fueled by your desire to see these images.”
The Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer re-victimization every time the images are viewed. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at https://report.cybertip.org/ or 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Unlawfully Possessing Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lawrence man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Stephen Skeirik, 39, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf to seven years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. In May 2023, Skeirik pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
On Feb. 27, 2020, Skeirik and another individual were observed engaging in a suspected drug transaction. When law enforcement approached Skeirik, he ran and threw a loaded Ruger .380 caliber pistol into a neighbor’s yard. During a search of his home, a stolen Ruger 9mm pistol loaded with seven rounds of ammunition was recovered along with tools for drug distribution, cutting agents and drugs.
Due to a previous conviction for felony drug distribution, Skeirik is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts Parole Board, Lawrence Police Department and the Essex County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Cheng of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Posey County Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
EVANSVILLE- Gabrial Isaac Appel, 28, of Cynthiana, Indiana, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Gabrial Appel trafficked methamphetamine in the southwest Indiana area from November 2019 through 2020. On October 20, 2020, Appel orchestrated the shipment of over 1.4 pounds of crystal methamphetamine from California to his parents’ house in Cynthiana, Indiana. Law enforcement officers intercepted the methamphetamine before delivering the package to the home. Appel’s mother received the package and informed officers that she was getting it for her son, who sent him text messages inquiring about the delivery. Appel also tracked the status of the package using his cellular phone.
The investigation revealed that Appel had shipped multiple packages containing methamphetamine to the same residence over the past year.
United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers and Michael Gannon, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Indianapolis Field Office made the announcement.
“Drug traffickers like this defendant seek to make easy money by bringing poisons from across the country to harm all of our communities, including smaller towns right here in southwest Indiana,” said U.S. Attorney, Zachary A. Myers. “Methamphetamine and other deadly drugs have devastating impacts on the lives of families in every community. I am grateful for the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration and our federal prosecutor to disrupt this drug trafficker and hold him accountable.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge, Richard L. Young. Judge Young also ordered that Appel be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 5 years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Lauren M. Wheatley, who prosecuted this case.
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Ocala Convicted Felon Sentenced to More Than 18 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing A Firearm and DrugsRead the Press Release
Ocala, FL – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Raeqwon Munnerlyn (27, Ocala) to 18 years and 4 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Munnerlyn had pleaded guilty on May 5, 2023.
According to documents and information presented in court, on July 12, 2022, Munnerlyn was the passenger in a vehicle that led police on a high-speed chase on U.S. 441 in Marion County. After the vehicle crashed, Munnerlyn fled on foot, and was apprehended after a short pursuit. Inside the vehicle, law enforcement located approximately 400 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded firearm. Munnerlyn also had approximately $12,000 in cash on his person. DNA and fingerprint analysis confirmed Munnerlyn had possessed both the firearm and the drugs. Munnerlyn has multiple prior state felony convictions, including robbery and attempted kidnapping. Therefore, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Florida Highway Patrol, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tyrie K. Boyer.
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.
New Haven Cocaine Trafficker Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that on August 25, 2023, JOSE L. GERENA, 33, of New Haven, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 144 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for trafficking cocaine through the U.S. Mail. Gerena was also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in November 2020, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force executed a federal search warrant on a suspicious package that had been sent through the U.S. Mail from New Haven to an address in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. The package contained $102,450 in cash. The investigation revealed that Gerena led an extensive drug trafficking organization and supervised the receipt of numerous parcels containing kilogram quantities of cocaine that had been shipped from Puerto Rico, the resale of the cocaine to others, and the shipment of narcotics proceeds to Puerto Rico. Gerena was responsible for trafficking more than 100 kilograms of cocaine.
During the investigation, the organization regularly received cocaine shipments at various addresses in New Haven. In August 2021, investigators intercepted two parcels, each containing a kilogram of cocaine, that had been sent through the U.S. Mail from Puerto Rico to addresses on Poplar Street and Exchange Street in New Haven. Gerena was arrested on August 10, 2021, after investigators made a controlled delivery of a parcel containing a kilogram of cocaine to the Poplar Street address.
Gerena has been detained since his arrest. On November 15, 2022, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with the assistance of the New Haven Police Department. The Task Force includes members from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General, the Connecticut Army National Guard, and the Hartford, New Britain, Meriden, and Town of Groton Police Departments.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Konstantin Lantsman through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Michigan Man Sentenced to Prison for Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
TOLEDO – Christopher David Smith, 31, of Detroit, Michigan was sentenced today to 135 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Helmick, after the defendant earlier plead guilty to enticement of a minor. Judge Helmick also ordered Smith to pay a $100 special assessment, an additional $5,000 assessment under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, and be placed on supervised release for 10 years upon release from imprisonment, during which time he will be a registered sex offender.
According to court documents, on April 1, 2021, Smith left his place of employment in Michigan and traveled to Ohio to engage in sex acts with whom he thought was a 10-year-old child. Smith had conversations online with an undercover agent posing as the father of the fictitious 10-yearold before arranging to meet the child. During those online conversations, Smith sent child pornography to the undercover agent, asked for nude photos of the purported 10-year-old, and made statements related to his sexual intentions toward the child. Smith was arrested after he arrived at the prearranged meeting location, a hotel in Perrysburg, Ohio.
This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division, Toledo Resident Agency, with the assistance of an FBI task force officer from the Defiance County Sheriff’s Office, and assistance with the arrest from the Perrysburg Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tracey Tangeman and Sara Al-Sorghali.
Michigan Animal Dealer Surrenders Exotic Animals Following Alleged Violations of Animal Welfare Act and Endangered Species ActRead the Press Release
The Justice Department entered a consent decree in federal court with Zachery Keeler, dba Even Keel Exotics LLC, to resolve allegations in a complaint that Keeler violated the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Animal Welfare Act (AWA). As part of the agreement, Keeler will surrender close to 150 animals including ring-tailed lemurs, kinkajous, wallabies, porcupines, foxes, prairie dogs and ground squirrels. He has also agreed to never buy, sell or otherwise engage in commerce related to animals regulated under AWA, and to not apply for AWA licensing or registration.
The complaint alleges that Keeler violated the ESA by unlawfully and prematurely separating a baby ring-tailed lemur, an endangered species, from its mother to interact with the public, then tried to sell the baby lemur for $3500. Keeler also allegedly violated the AWA by not providing potable water as needed, safe and sanitary conditions and facilities for his animals, or access to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) inspectors so that they could ensure the health and wellbeing of his animals.
Photo of a baby ring-tailed lemur used to promote Even Keel Exotics. Image is from the complaint in United States v. Keeler, no. 2:23-cv-11748.“The Animal Welfare Act and the Endangered Species Act are important tools in protecting our most vulnerable species,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Even Keel Exotics violated requirements for minimum care of the animals in its possession, failed to provide required access to inspectors and illegally harmed a baby lemur, a protected endangered species.”
“APHIS is committed to achieving the best possible outcomes for animals protected under the Animal Welfare Act,” said Deputy Administrator Dr. Roxanne Mullaney for APHIS’ Animal Care Program. “This includes undertaking aggressive enforcement action against repeat, egregious violators of the law and working closely with APHIS partners to ensure AWA compliance.”
USDA-APHIS investigated the case as well as inspected and removed animals from the Even Keel Exotics facility. The Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Wildlife & Marine Resources Section filed the complaint and lodged the consent decree in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. The case is United States v. Keeler, no. 2:23-cv-11748.
Photo of a baby ring-tailed lemur and its mother used to promote the sale of the baby lemur. Image is from the complaint in United States v. Keeler, no. 2:23-cv-11748.Mexican National Sentenced to Two Years for Illegally Re-Entering the United StatesRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Joel Gamez-Orozco (43, Mexico) to two years in federal prison for illegal reentry after deportation for an aggravated felony. Gamez had been indicted on December 11, 2019. He entered a guilty plea on November 23, 2022.
According to the court records, Gamez is a native and citizen of Mexico. On August 28, 2006, he was convicted of a felony – trafficking in marijuana – and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment. Following his release from state prison, Gamez was deported to Mexico on August 2, 2008. On September 14, 2019, law enforcement officers from Lake County, who were arresting Gamez on new state criminal charges, discovered Gamez had illegally returned to the United States after he was deported.
This case was investigated by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Hannah Nowalk and Michael Felicetta.
Mark Ridley-Thomas Sentenced to 3½ Years in Prison for Corruptly Securing Benefits for Son from School via Bribery and Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Mark Ridley-Thomas was sentenced today to 42 months in federal prison for a bribery and fraud scheme in which the longtime politician demanded benefits for his son from a university dean in exchange for Ridley-Thomas’ political support for lucrative Los Angeles County business.
Ridley-Thomas, 68, of Los Angeles, was sentenced by United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer, who also ordered Ridley-Thomas to pay a $30,000 fine.
At today’s hearing, Judge Fischer said Ridley-Thomas engaged in a “shakedown” and that he used his “[political] support as a bargaining chip to get benefits for his son.” Judge Fischer also noted, “There is simply no justification for monetizing a public office.”
At the conclusion of a 16-day trial, a federal jury on March 30 found Ridley-Thomas guilty of one count of conspiracy, one count of bribery, one count of honest services mail fraud, and four counts of honest services wire fraud.
Ridley-Thomas, whose political career spans more than 30 years, was a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors when he participated in the corrupt scheme. Ridley-Thomas subsequently was elected to the Los Angeles City Council, which suspended him after a federal grand jury in October 2021 indicted him in this case, and he was permanently removed from the City Council following the guilty verdicts.
“This case, together with my office’s many other prosecutions of politicians, law enforcement officers, and public officials, shows our commitment to root out corruption and hold responsible those who flout the law and abuse their positions of trust,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Our community deserves and demands elected leaders who do not place personal benefit over the good of their constituents."
“Mr. Ridley-Thomas was elected to serve the people of Los Angeles but instead, his deliberate actions served his own interests and those of his family member,” said Donald Alway, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.
“The FBI will continue to target the corruption that erodes trust in government so the people of Los Angeles can have faith in their elected officials.”
The jury found that Ridley-Thomas engaged in a criminal conspiracy with Marilyn Louise Flynn, 84, of Los Feliz, formerly the dean of the University of Southern California’s School of Social Work and a tenured professor.
In December 2017, citing health issues, Ridley-Thomas’ son abruptly resigned from the California State Assembly. At the time of his resignation, Ridley-Thomas’ son was the subject of a sexual harassment investigation in the Assembly, a fact not known by USC or the public. Behind the scenes, Ridley-Thomas orchestrated a media and legal campaign, using a public relations team to convince the public his son was ill and a legal team to indefinitely stall the Assembly’s investigation.
Ridley-Thomas sought “landing spots” for his son, prosecutors said, to preserve the Ridley-Thomas family legacy and Ridley-Thomas’ own political brand in advance of a planned run for Los Angeles mayor in 2022. These “spots” included prestigious titles, advanced degrees, and paying jobs to help his son deal with mounting personal debt.
Ridley-Thomas solicited Flynn’s help securing these spots for his son. He knew that Flynn needed his help obtaining county contracts, and he “monetized” his public service by using the power of his elected office as a “bargaining chip” to enrich his family and preserve his political image, prosecutors argued.
During the conspiracy’s course, Flynn ultimately met Ridley-Thomas’ demands by providing his son graduate school admission to pursue a dual master’s degree, a full-tuition scholarship, a paid professorship, and a mechanism for Ridley-Thomas to funnel $100,000 of his campaign funds through the university to a non-profit operated by the son – the Policy, Research & Practice Initiative (PRPI).
By funneling the payment through USC, Ridley-Thomas attempted to disguise the true source of a $100,000 payment to make it appear as though USC, not Ridley-Thomas, was the generous benefactor supporting his son and PRPI.
As part of their scheme, Ridley-Thomas and Flynn defrauded USC and others by concealing their secret arrangement and lying to the university about the purpose of Ridley-Thomas’ $100,000 donation of campaign funds to USC, as well as the reason for Flynn’s request that the university make a $100,000 payment to PRPI. Had USC known about their scheme or the lies both told, USC would not have accepted Ridley-Thomas’ $100,000 donation, nor would it have approved the subsequent $100,000 payment to PRPI.
In exchange for Flynn’s help funneling the $100,000 in campaign funds through USC to PRPI and his son, Ridley-Thomas supported a lucrative amendment to an existing contract between the county and USC through which the USC Telehealth Clinic provided virtual mental health services to patients referred by the county in exchange for taxpayer dollars. On the face of the contract, the amended terms offered USC more than $500,000 in revenue, although according to evidence at trial, Flynn anticipated an even greater return – potentially up to $8 million in new revenue – with Ridley-Thomas’ assistance.
In addition, while soliciting benefits from Flynn, Ridley-Thomas supported other contracts involving the Social Work School, including contracts to provide services to the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and the county’s Probation Department. During the conspiracy, Ridley-Thomas voted on three county proposals, including the amended Telehealth contract, that Flynn had sought to shore up her school’s financial situation as it faced a multimillion-dollar budget deficit. Ridley-Thomas also worked to influence key county decisionmakers associated with these approvals and made sure Flynn knew of his efforts while he sought lucrative benefits for his son from Flynn.
Flynn pleaded guilty in September 2022 to one count of bribery. On July 24, Judge Fischer sentenced Flynn to three years of probation, including 18 months of home confinement, and fined her $150,000.
The FBI investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Lindsey Greer Dotson, Thomas F. Rybarczyk and Michael J. Morse of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section prosecuted this case.
Man Arrested for Cyberstalking and Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
A Colorado man was arrested on Aug. 25 and charged with cyberstalking three individuals and obstructing justice.
According to the indictment filed in the District of Hawaii, around May 2022 to August 2022, John B. Hart, 53, of Louisville, while living in Hawaii, allegedly engaged in a cyberstalking campaign to harass and intimidate his former girlfriend, Jane Doe 1; her former partner, John Doe 1; and her then-partner, John Doe 2. Hart allegedly frequently posed as John Doe 1 while he targeted Jane Doe 1 and John Doe 2. To deflect attention away from himself and further falsely implicate John Doe 1, Hart also allegedly repeatedly targeted himself, typically while posing as John Doe 1. Hart allegedly falsely reported to Jane Doe 1, John Doe 1’s employer, local law enforcement, federal law enforcement, and the family courts that John Doe 1 was responsible for the conduct and posed a genuine and serious threat to Hart and others. Hart then allegedly deleted one of his personal e-mail accounts two days after being interviewed by federal investigators.
Hart was arrested in Colorado and charged with three counts of cyberstalking and obstruction of justice. If convicted, Hart faces five years in prison on each count of cyberstalking and 20 years for obstruction.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Clare E. Connors for the District of Hawaii, and Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Senior Trial Attorney Mona Sedky of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara D. Ayabe and Aislinn Affinito for the District of Hawaii are prosecuting the case.