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Thursday 6 July 2023
Mexican Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United States After Being DeportedRead the Press Release
A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced today to two years in federal prison.
Francisco Buenrostro-Ruiz, age 49, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 9, 2023, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported.
At the guilty plea, Buenrostro-Ruiz admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Buenrostro-Ruiz was previously deported to Mexico in January 2012. On July 20, 2022, immigration officials learned Buenrostro-Ruiz had illegally returned to the United States and found Buenrostro-Ruiz at the Black Hawk County Jail following his arrest on state charges. Buenrostro-Ruiz was previously convicted on October 31, 2005, in State of Iowa v. Fransisco Buenrostro, in the Iowa District Court for Black Hawk County, No. FECR128735, for Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Deliver, an aggravated felony.
Buenrostro-Ruiz was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Buenrostro-Ruiz was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Buenrostro-Ruiz is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-2010.
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Maitland Man Indicted for Distributing, Receiving, and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Images and Videos over the InternetRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Tremaine Lincoln Farara (37, Maitland) with two counts of distributing child sexual abuse images and videos over the internet, two counts of receiving child sexual abuse images and videos over the internet, and one count of possessing child sexual abuse images and videos that involved a young child and a child who had not attained 12 years of age. If convicted, Farara faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years, and up to 20 years, in federal prison for each count of distributing and receiving of child sexual abuse images and videos, and up to 20 years’ imprisonment for the possession count.
According to court documents, Farara, used a chat application to download images and videos depicting children being sexually abused and distributed them over the internet. Farara also distributed some of these materials to an undercover FBI agent.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Terry B. Livanos.
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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Los Lunas Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison for Firearms and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Russell Wheeler was sentenced to 110 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release. Wheeler, 51, of Los Lunas, New Mexico, pled guilty to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and one count of attempt to manufacture methamphetamine on May 26, 2022.
According to court records, on May 22, 2021, following an argument, Wheeler shot a man in the head, at close range, with a revolver before fleeing the scene on foot. The victim was taken to an urgent care clinic and later to the University of New Mexico Hospital for treatment. He survived his injuries and Wheeler was identified as the shooter by a witness. Wheeler was convicted of possession of a controlled substance in 2005 and aggravated fleeing from law enforcement in 2007, both felonies. As a previously convicted felon, Wheeler cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.
Following the incident, the FBI sought and executed a search warrant on Wheeler’s home. Inside, the FBI recovered two firearms - a 12-gauge shotgun and a black semi-automatic pistol -and ammunition and discovered an active methamphetamine lab in the bathroom of the residence. Wheeler admitted that he was in the process of cooking methamphetamine when agents knocked on his door and he had flushed much of what he was making down the toilet.
The FBI Violent Crime Task Force investigated this case with assistance from the Valencia County Sheriff’s Office and New Mexico State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Jaymie L. Roybal is prosecuting the case.
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Justice Department Finds State of South Carolina Unnecessarily Segregates Adults with Mental Illness in Adult Care HomesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has concluded an investigation into whether the State of South Carolina subjects adults with mental illness to unnecessary institutionalization and serious risk of institutionalization in adult care homes, in violation of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The Justice Department determined that there is reasonable cause to believe South Carolina violates the ADA by failing to provide sufficient community-based services to prevent unnecessary institutionalization of adults with mental illness. Instead, the state subsidizes their stay in adult care homes where people have little contact with people without disabilities, often leaving the homes only for medical appointments and group visits to grocery and convenience stores. Critical services that would allow adults with mental illness to live instead in their own homes and communities are not sufficiently available across the state.
“People with disabilities should not be isolated in institutions for years on end when they can and want to live in their own homes,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division will safeguard the rights of people with disabilities to ensure that they are able to participate fully in community life.”
“A sacred promise of the ADA includes giving people a meaningful choice for where they wish to live, including in their own private home,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs for the District of South Carolina. “I hope that the violations identified by the Justice Department can be remedied so that these South Carolinians will be able to leave the shadow of institutional living and instead live in and contribute to their communities.”
The Department’s investigation found South Carolina lacks needed community-based mental health services such as assertive community treatment, supported employment, permanent supportive housing, intensive case management, and peer support. These services are provided in certain parts of the state but are not sufficiently available to afford opportunities to avoid or move out of adult care homes and live in the community. As a result, thousands of adults with mental illness are segregated in adult care homes for years.
The Department’s investigation involved extensive review and analysis of documents; interviews of staff and people living in adult care homes, South Carolina state employees, and stakeholders; and visits to adult care homes statewide. Individuals with information relevant to this matter can contact the Department by emailing [email protected].
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department is available on its website at Civil Rights Division | Rights Of Persons With Disabilities (justice.gov) and www.ada.gov.
South Carolina ADA Findings Report Letter to SC Regarding FindingsHuntington Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Kenneth Dale Walker, 34, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 22, 2020, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Walker in Guyandotte. Walker was wearing an empty holster on his hip. Walker told the officer there was a firearm under his seat. The officer recovered a Taurus, G2cm 9mm pistol under the seat. Walker admitted to possessing the firearm.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Walker knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for unlawful wounding in Cabell County Circuit Court on September 3, 2010.
Walker is scheduled to be sentenced on October 10, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-113.
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Grovespring Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Grovespring, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for receiving and distributing child pornography.
James Michael Justice, 55, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Justice to 15 years of supervised release following incarceration.
On Nov. 21, 2022, Justice pleaded guilty to one count of receiving and distributing child pornography.
Justice was arrested on Feb. 15, 2022, when troopers with the Missouri State Highway Patrol executed a search warrant at his residence. Troopers seized three cell phones and two laptop computers. Investigators conducted a forensic examination and found images and videos of child pornography on Justice’s cell phone.
Justice also faces felony state charges for child molestation and sexual conduct involving a child under 15.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Wright County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Former St. Charles County Youth Hockey Coach Arrested on Federal Child Sex ChargesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A former youth hockey coach was arrested Thursday on federal charges that include accusations that he produced child pornography involving two juveniles and possessed child pornography of multiple other currently unidentified juveniles.
James R. Lambert , 41, of Lake St. Louis, was indicted June 28 on two counts of production of child pornography, one count of receiving child pornography and one count of transporting minors across state lines to engage in criminal sexual activity.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges Thursday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis.
The indictment accuses Lambert of inducing two minors into engaging in sexually explicit conduct and then filming it. It also says Lambert took a minor across state lines with the intent to engage in sexual activity and that he received child pornography online.
Lambert is also facing charges in St. Charles County Circuit Court of statutory sodomy and child molestation and charges of statutory sodomy and sexual exploitation of a child in St. Louis County Circuit Court. He was in jail on those charges at the time of his arrest on the federal case.
Anyone with information regarding possible additional victims is asked to contact the Lake St. Louis Police Department by calling 636-625-8018 or emailing [email protected].
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Lake St. Louis Police Department, the St. Charles County Cybercrime Task Force and the Maryland Heights Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former Portland Area Non-Profit Director Sentenced to Federal Prison for Stealing Covid Relief FundsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A former Portland area non-profit director was sentenced to federal prison today for stealing more than $321,000 in federal funds intended to help small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Theodore Johnson, 62, a Portland resident, was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. He was also ordered to pay approximately $321,000 in restitution to two banks, the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Oregon Department of Administrative Services.
According to court documents, in February 2017, Johnson incorporated and began serving as the director of operations for Ten Penny International Housing Foundation, an Oregon-based non-profit organization. After Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in March 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance to American employers, Johnson saw an opportunity to fraudulently obtain government funds on Ten Penny’s behalf.
In early March 2021, Johnson submitted his first of three Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) applications, falsely claiming Ten Penny employed 16 people and had an average monthly payroll of more than $57,000. To support his application, Johnson submitted fraudulent tax documents and created an electronic counterfeit IRS stamp to make it appear as though his forms had been received by the IRS. Based on these false claims, Northeast Bank issued a PPP loan worth more than $143,000 to Ten Penny.
Two months later, in May 2021, Johnson submitted two more fraudulent PPP loan applications. In these applications, he again falsely claimed Ten Penny employed 16 people and had an average monthly payroll of at least $50,000. Johnson further falsely claimed to have used the entirety of his first PPP loan for eligible expenses. As a result, Central Willamette Credit Union issued Johnson a second PPP loan worth more than $130,000.
In addition to his three fraudulent PPP loan applications, Johnson submitted a fraudulent Oregon Cares Fund application on behalf of Ten Penny and received an additional $34,975.
On October 31, 2022, Johnson was charged by criminal information with one count of bank fraud and two months later, on December 29, 2022, pleaded guilty to the single charge.
This case was investigated by the SBA Office of Inspector General and U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). It was prosecuted by Meredith D.M. Bateman, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Former Partner of Investment Management Firm Arrested for $1.6 Million Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York and Christie M. Curtis, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) announced the unsealing of a two-count Indictment charging JOSHUA HENNER with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. As alleged in the Indictment, HENNER, through false statements and representations, convinced victims to loan him at least $1.6 million for the purpose of investing in a start-up, while, in reality, misappropriating those funds for his own purposes. HENNER was arrested this morning and will be presented in Manhattan federal court later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jennifer E. Willis.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Joshua Henner defrauded his victims of over $1.6 million and used those funds to line his own pockets. Investment fraud schemes are all too common. Thanks to our partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Henner will now be held accountable for his conduct.”
FBI Acting Assistant Director in Charge Christie M. Curtis said: “The defendant is alleged to have to conducted an investment fraud scheme, based on misrepresentations and falsehoods, in order to misappropriate more than $1.6 million in investor funds. Investment fraud schemes cause harm to victims directly involved, but also weaken the public's faith in the financial marketplace. Investigating and holding the individuals responsible for complex financial schemes accountable remains a top focus for the FBI.”
As alleged in the Indictment[1]:
From at least in or about May 2022 through at least in or about December 2022, HENNER ran a scheme that defrauded victims out of at least $1.6 million. HENNER solicited and obtained funds from victims based on representations that he had been an angel investor in a start-up (the “Company”) and that he needed funds to purchase additional shares in the Company to maintain his investment position.
To induce victims to give him funds, HENNER routinely made materially false oral and written statements, including lies about his previous investment in the Company and his ownership interest in the Company. Without their knowledge or authorization, HENNER misappropriated his victims’ funds by, among other things, transferring the funds to himself and other individuals.
During and in relation to the scheme, HENNER used, without authorization, the name and email address of a lawyer purportedly involved in the investments to communicate via email with his victims and foster the illusion that he was using the funds that his victims lent him for their intended purposes.
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HENNER, 35, of New York, New York, is charged with one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence. The minimum and maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Brandon C. Thompson is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. v. Henner Indictment
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation.
Former Ohkay Owingeh Police Department Officer Charged with Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Justin Aquino made an initial appearance in federal court on an indictment charging him with obstruction of justice and making false statements. Aquino, 28, of Ohkay Owingeh, will remain on conditions of release pending trial.
According to the indictment, on Feb. 26, 2020, Aquino allegedly used his position as an officer with the Ohkay Owingeh Police Department to impede a federal grand jury investigation by disclosing information about an ongoing investigation being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration to an individual outside of the investigation. Then, on May 24, 2022, while working for the Pojoaque Police Department, Aquino was confronted by special agents from the FBI and Aquino falsely stated that he had not disclosed information to anyone outside of the investigation
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Aquino faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.
This case was investigated by the Santa Fe office of the Federal Bureau Investigation with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Region III Drug Enforcement Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Peter J. Eicker is prosecuting the case.
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Former Nurse Sentenced to Federal Prison for Tampering with a Consumer ProductRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Catherine Shannon Dunton, 55, has been sentenced to 48 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for stealing fentanyl from sterile vials intended for patients for personal use and then replacing the fentanyl with saline solution to avoid detection.
From February 28 to April 18, 2022, Dunton, a Florida licensed Registered Nurse (RN), worked at an outpatient surgical center in Jensen Beach, Martin County, Fla. as a circulating nurse. While working at the center, Dunton took vials of fentanyl, a narcotic painkiller in liquid form, and self-administered it by injection. To avoid detection, she replaced the fentanyl from nearly 450 vials with saline solution, and then returned the adulterated vials to the center for use during outpatient surgical procedures.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Justin C. Fielder of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
FDA-OCI Miami investigated the case, with assistance from U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Diana M. Acosta prosecuted it.
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-14073.
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Former Bank VP Pleads Guilty to Embezzling $550,000Read the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A former bank vice president pleaded guilty in federal court today to embezzling at least $550,000 from the People’s Bank of Moniteau County.
Angela Flippin, 51, of Jamestown, Mo., waived her right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr. to a federal information that charges her with one count of embezzlement by a bank employee and one count of filing a false federal tax return.
Flippin was the vice president and chief operating officer at the People’s Bank of Moniteau County, which has locations in Jamestown and California, Mo. She was also the board secretary for many years and held that position when she was terminated.
By pleading guilty today, Flippin admitted that she embezzled at least $550,000 from 2010 to Jan. 30, 2017. The government believes she embezzled $645,638 and will present evidence for that amount at the sentencing hearing.
In January 2017, the Missouri Division of Finance discovered improper transactions involving Flippin. From 2010 through 2017, three areas of improper activity were identified; improper disbursements; improper expense reimbursements; and improper insurance premiums. Through their analysis, auditors determined Flippin received more than $550,000 in improper comp time disbursements and more than $8,000 in improper expense reimbursements.
Flippin personally held three separate bank accounts. Analysis of these bank accounts by federal investigators found Flippin made payroll deposits in the amount of $105,750. In addition to Flippin’s payroll deposits there were other deposits which totaled $892,782. Analysis of expenditures from Flippin’s bank accounts found $338,569 in PayPal online shopping transactions and other general debit card transactions.
Flippin also admitted that she failed to report the amounts that she embezzled from People’s Bank of Moniteau County on her 2014, 2015, and 2016 federal income tax returns. During those three years, she embezzled a total of $372,745, resulting in a total tax loss to the federal government of $96,434.
Under federal statutes, Flippin is subject to a sentence of up to 33 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by the FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigation, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
Foreign National Sentenced to Almost Four Years in Federal Prison for $1.5 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher sentenced Nigerian citizen, Akolade Ojo, age 31, of Owings Mills, Maryland, yesterday to 46 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Judge Gallagher also ordered Ojo to pay $1,320,186.19 in restitution. The charges stemmed from fraud schemes in which Ojo communicated with his co-conspirators about the receipt of money from victims into bank accounts controlled by the conspirators and instructed conspirators about withdrawals, transfers, and purchases of cashier’s checks using the fraudulently obtained funds.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) Baltimore; Special Agent in Charge Karen L. Brown Cleveland of the U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service (“DSS”), Washington Field Office; Acting Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer, of the National Capital Region of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General (“DOL-OIG”); and Postal Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Washington Division.
According to Ojo’s plea agreement and other court documents, from August 2018 to November 2020, Ojo and his co-conspirators, some of whom were located outside the United States, defrauded multiple businesses, individuals, and financial institutions. As part of the fraud schemes, Ojo’s co-conspirators obtained fake passports and other identification documents, in multiple aliases, created and used limited liability companies to further hide their identities, and opened bank accounts in the names on the identification documents or the limited liability companies. Other conspirators made false representations to companies and individuals to induce them to fraudulently send money to the bank accounts controlled by the conspirators. These false representations included hacking into email accounts to impersonate individuals and redirect legitimate payments for services and products; deceiving victims about how to pay a vendor’s legitimate invoice through look-alike email addresses; and romance frauds.
Ojo and other co-conspirators used an encrypted messaging app to communicate the timing of financial transactions, including directing members of the conspiracy regarding the deposit, withdrawal, transfer, and conversion of fraudulently obtained funds. Ojo admitted that he was involved in numerous financial transactions in which money was directed to aliases that were being used by his co-conspirators and that he personally benefitted from the money obtained by the fraud. Ojo knew that the fraud schemes involved more than 15 business and individual victims with losses of at least $1.5 million.
Ojo is the final defendant charged in the conspiracy to be sentenced. In May 2022, co-defendant Idowu Raji, age 40, of Baltimore County, Maryland, was sentenced to 94 months in federal prison for this and a related case. Hameed Adesokan, age 35, of New Jersey, and Damilola Lawal, a/k/a DML, D Baba, and Dami, age 32, of Windsor Mill, Maryland, were each sentenced to 46 months in federal prison, for their roles in the fraud scheme. Adewumi Abioye, age 35, of Randallstown, Maryland; and Lukman Salam, age 37, of Bear, Delaware were sentenced to 27 months and 30 months in federal prison, respectively. Olatunde Vincent, age 35, of Pikesville, Maryland was sentenced to 50 months in prison for a related case.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended HSI, the DSS, the DOL-OIG, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Harry M. Gruber, who prosecuted the case and Paralegal Joanna B.N. Huber, who assisted on 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/report-fraud.
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Fentanyl Distributer Tied to 13-Year-Old’s Overdose Death Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
A drug distributor who was selling fentanyl-laced counterfeit M30 pills to a Carrollton middle schooler shortly before her fatal overdose pleaded guilty today to a federal drug crime, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Rafael Soliz, Jr., 23, was indicted in March. He pleaded guilty Thursday to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl before U.S. Magistrate Judge Renee Harris Toliver.
“My heart aches for the victim in this case – a promising young girl who’d barely entered her teens. The defendant not only sold her fentanyl but also taught her how to ingest it. In essence, he encouraged a mere child to snort a terrifyingly potent, highly addictive drug – and then urged her to cover for him with law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “The Northern District of Texas is pulling out all the stops to rid the streets of dealers and keep fentanyl out of the hands of our kids. Our community cannot endure much more of this.”
“Anyone selling fentanyl to children will find themselves becoming a top priority for the Drug Enforcement Administration,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Eduardo A. Chávez. “The DEA will continue to focus our resources on stopping this deadly threat from reaching and causing more harm to our next generation.”
“We will never stop fighting to protect our community from this dangerous drug. I’m proud of the men and women of the Carrollton Police Department, who are working tirelessly to rid the community of this poison. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family,” said Carrollton Police Chief Roberto Arredondo.
According to plea papers, Mr. Soliz admitted he sold fentanyl to both street-level dealers and directly to users, including children.
Mr. Soliz used an Instagram account to communicate with both adult and minor customers interested in purchasing counterfeit M30 pills containing fentanyl. On Nov. 30, Mr. Soliz responded via Instagram messenger to a 13-year-old girl who asked him if she could buy “percs.” Soliz agreed and delivered the pills to her residence. He then advised her how to snort them.
A few days later, upon discovering that the child, a student at Dewitt Perry Middle School, was just 13, he expressed dismay at her age but agreed to continue selling to her if she would “keep it on the down low” and deny he was her dealer if she ever got caught. On December 9, 2022, he advised her to “delete our chat” and instead use Instagram Vanish Mode.
Two days later, the child was found dead in her Carrollton bedroom. An autopsy revealed she’d died from a toxic combination of fentanyl and cough medicine.
In his plea papers, Mr. Soliz stipulated that he personally distributed approximately 1,500 fentanyl pills to adults and juveniles, including the 13 year-old victim. He stated he dealt hundreds of pills directly to Luis Eduardo Navarrete, one of the first traffickers charged in the wake of the Carrollton juvenile fentanyl overdoses.
Mr. Soliz is the fifth defendant charged in the wake of the Carrollton / Flower Mound juvenile overdose investigation to enter a guilty plea. Jason Xavier Villanueva, Magaly Cano, Donovan Jude Andrews and Stephen Paul Brinson pleaded guilty earlier this year; three other defendants, including Mr. Navarrete, have been charged but not yet convicted. (All are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.)
Mr. Soliz now faces up to 40 years in federal prison. Under the terms of his plea agreement, he may be called upon to testify in court.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division and the Carrollton Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Carrollton - Farmer’s Branch Independent School District. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Calvert and Phelesa Guy are prosecuting the case.
Note: Illicitly produced, fentanyl-laced pills often look similar to legitimate prescription pills like Oxycontin or Percocet, but can pose significantly more danger. On the street, these pills are often referred to as “M30s” (a reference to the markings on some of the pills), “blues,” “perks,” “yerks,” “china girls,” or “TNT.” DEA research shows that six out of ten pills laced with fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose. One pill can kill. For resources, visit https://www.dea.gov/onepill.
Felon admits to possessing loaded firearm and drugsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 28-year old Houston resident has pleaded guilty to illegally possessing two firearms while a felon and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
On Jan. 21, 2022, authorities found Sydney Rachal’s motor vehicle stopped in the middle of the road. They soon took him into custody for driving while intoxicated and for an outstanding felony warrant.
Upon his arrest, a search of his person revealed two plastic bags weighing approximately 68 grams that contained cocaine as well as $22,905 in cash. A subsequent search of his vehicle also resulted in the discovery of magazines and two firearms, one of which - a Glock Model 26 pistol - was loaded.
During the hearing, the court heard that Rachal also possessed several other illegal substances, such as marijuana, alprazolam and other pills along with the material to distribute them.
The investigation revealed Rachal had been previously convicted of aggravated robbery. As such, he is prohibited from possession firearms or ammunition per federal law.
U.S. District Judge Hittner accepted the plea and set sentencing for Oct. 5. At that time, Rachal faces up to 10 years and a possible $250,000 maximum fine for the firearms charge, while the drug trafficking conviction carries a potential 20-year prison term with a potential fine of $1 million.
He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rodolfo Ramirez is prosecuting the case.
Dubuque Brother and Sister Responsible for Selling Hundreds of Pounds of Methamphetamine Plead Guilty to Conspiring to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
A brother and sister who conspired to distribute methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of a protected location pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Jacob Patrick Demaio, age 42, and Codi Lyn Demaio, age 35, both from Dubuque, Iowa, were each convicted of one count of conspiring to distribute at least 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, and at least 50 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine, within 1,000 feet of a protected location.
Evidence at a prior hearing showed that Jacob Demaio sold hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine to multiple people between 2019 and 2022. He arranged for drug transactions to occur at stash houses located in Dubuque within 1,000 feet of schools and playgrounds. Drug customers dropped off hundreds of thousands of dollars at those stash houses; that money was intended for Jacob Demaio.
At a prior hearing, evidence showed that Codi Demaio also sold pounds of methamphetamine to several people in Dubuque between 2019 and 2022. On two occasions when her brother was incarcerated, she took over his drug operation and sold tens of pounds of methamphetamine. She was once instructed to go to California with $25,000 to buy drugs, though she instead traveled to Las Vegas and lost all of the money.
At plea hearings, Jacob and Codi Demaio admitted that they conspired to distribute at least 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, and at least 50 grams or more of actual (pure) methamphetamine, within 1,000 feet of a protected location.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Jacob and Codi Demaio remain in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.
For conspiring to distribute methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of a protected location, both Jacob and Codi Demaio face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and the following maximum penalties: not more than life imprisonment without the possibility of parole; a fine of not more than $20,000,000; a mandatory special assessment of $100; and a term of supervised release of at least 10 years and up to life.
The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Devra Hake. It was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Dubuque Drug Task Force, Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office, Dubuque Police Department, Quad City Metropolitan Enforcement Group, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Criminalistics Laboratory.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-1039.
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Drug Traffickers from Lafayette Area Sentenced for Possession of HeroinRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Lensly Johnnie, 38, of Lafayette, Louisiana, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Robert R. Summerhays on drug charges. Johnnie was sentenced to 88 months (7 years, 4 months) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
On July 31, 2019, officers with the Lafayette Police Department attempted to conduct a traffic stop of a vehicle operated by Johnnie’s co-defendant, Ernest Taylor. Johnnie was a front seat passenger in the vehicle. When officers attempted to stop the vehicle, Johnnie and Taylor fled the scene and their vehicle was later found unoccupied and parked at a nearby residence in Lafayette. An officer saw Johnnie and another male walking down the street near the location of the abandoned vehicle. Johnnie was stopped and found to have over $3,900 on his person and had a strong odor of marijuana.
Meanwhile, law enforcement officers had a K9 officer arrive at the location where the abandoned vehicle was left and conducted an open-air sniff and a probable cause search was conducted. Inside the vehicle officers found what was thought to be approximately 332 grams of cocaine and approximately 16 grams of heroin hidden inside the door panel. The seized narcotics were sent to the crime lab for testing, and it was determined the narcotics seized were not cocaine, but in fact heroin, with a total of 329.3 grams seized. Johnnie pleaded guilty on March 28, 2023, to possession with intent to distribute heroin.
Ernest Taylor, the co-defendant in this case, was sentenced on April 25, 2023, to 60 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for his role in the offense.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Lafayette Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy.
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Dion Oliver Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison Following Convictions for the Shooting of a Wilmington 6-Year-Old Boy and the Death of a Newark WomanRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced that Dion Oliver, age 43, was sentenced today to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole after he was convicted of Stalking, Kidnapping Resulting in Death, and Conspiracy following a 7-day federal trial that concluded on November 16, 2022. U.S. District Judge Joshua D. Wolson pronounced the sentence.
According to evidence and witness testimony, the Defendant worked with at least five coconspirators - Ryan Bacon, Donte Sykes, Teres Tinnin, Maurice Cooper, and Michael Pritchett - to search for a man, listed in the Indictment as M.S., in an attempt to kill him. On June 6, 2017, in furtherance of their continuing pursuit of M.S., Oliver and his confederates kidnapped M.S.’s girlfriend, Keyonna Perkins, and used her to find M.S. Ms. Perkins was held at gunpoint by Oliver. She was then forced into the trunk of a car. After locating M.S., Oliver and his coconspirators fired multiple shots at M.S., but failed to hit him. Following that shooting, Ms. Perkins was forced into the trunk of a second car and driven by co-conspirators to Elkton, Maryland where she was murdered.
Oliver continued his pursuit of M.S. after the first failed shooting. He located M.S. at Probation & Parole Offices in New Castle. Oliver, working with Pritchett, waited for M.S. to leave Probation & Parole. They followed M.S. into Wilmington until M.S. got out of his car. Pritchett then drove alongside M.S., while Oliver reached out the front passenger window of Pritchett’s truck and fired multiple shots at M.S. The gunfire missed M.S., but one of the bullets ripped through a passing SUV and struck a six-year-old boy in the head, causing the child severe and permanent injuries.
“I don’t think I can overstate how horrific this offense is” Judge Wolson commented as he handed down Oliver’s sentence. Oliver’s crime was “selfish, ignorant, and the consequences were devastating,” he continued. “There is no mercy for this type of conduct.”
In discussing Oliver’s mandatory life sentence, U.S. Attorney Weiss stated, “Oliver and his co-defendants’ heinous conduct caused the death of Keyonna Perkins, and severely and permanently injured an innocent then-six-year-old boy. The lives of the victims’ families and their respective communities have been forever changed, and as a result, the Defendant will be spending the rest of his life in federal prison. My office will continue its work with federal, state, and local law enforcement to aggressively investigate and prosecute the violent crime that plagues our communities.”
“The FBI is committed to removing dangerous criminals like Dion Oliver from our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the FBI's Baltimore field office. “Because of Oliver’s callous and despicable actions, an innocent woman was murdered, and a child’s life will never be the same. The FBI, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue working every day to make our neighborhoods safer from those seeking to commit violence and bring harm to our citizens.”
This case was investigated by FBI’s Delaware Violent Crime and Safe Streets Taskforce, with assistance from the Wilmington Police Department, New Castle County Police Department, Delaware State Police, and the Elkton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jesse S. Wenger and Eli H. Klein prosecuted the case along with former Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher L. de Barrena-Sarobe.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:18-cr-75.
Crow Agency woman accused in large-scale, drug trafficking probe admits to distributing methRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Crow Agency woman charged in large-scale, multi-state drug trafficking investigation centered on the Crow Indian Reservation admitted today to distributing methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Keilee Shamrae Diaz, 34, pleaded guilty to distribution of meth. Diaz faces a mandatory minimum of five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Diaz was detained pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that federal law enforcement, in a collaborative effort with local and tribal law enforcement, investigated a large-scale, multi-state narcotics trafficking operation centered on multiple properties on the Crow Indian Reservation. The properties, including one known as Spear Siding, were a source of supply of meth for both the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservations. Law enforcement arrested Diaz and others during a take down in April.
The government further alleged that in September 2022, law enforcement conducted a controlled purchase of meth from Diaz and others. A controlled source communicated with Diaz through Facebook and arranged to buy an ounce of meth. The source met Diaz and co-defendant 1 in Hardin, and the group drove to the Spear Siding property. After a phone conversation at Spear Siding with co-defendant 2, a Spear resident, the group went back to Hardin. In Hardin, the group met up with co-defendant 2. Following this meeting, the source purchased the meth for $710 directly from co-defendant 1, who was with Diaz.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys are prosecuting the case. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results
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Court Orders Maryland Pharmacy to Pay $120,000 Penalty in Case Alleging Unlawful Opioid DistributionRead the Press Release
A federal court enjoined a Cumberland, Maryland, pharmacy and its owner and pharmacist from dispensing controlled substances, including opioids, without taking specific steps to help ensure the drugs will not be abused or diverted, and ordered them to pay a $120,000 civil penalty.
The court’s order, entered pursuant to a consent decree of permanent injunction, resolves a complaint filed by the United States on June 16 alleging that Beckman’s Greene Street Pharmacy and its owner and pharmacist-in-charge, John A. Beckman, filled hundreds of prescriptions in violation of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The complaint alleges that the defendants ignored obvious “red flags” of drug abuse, drug diversion, and drug-seeking behavior. For example, according to the complaint, the defendants repeatedly filled prescriptions for dangerously large doses and high-risk combinations of controlled substances known to be sought by drug abusers and which significantly increase the risk of overdose. The complaint alleges that the defendants frequently filled prescriptions for an opioid known as buprenorphine in a form that did not include the abuse-deterrent component with which it is ordinary prescribed. The complaint further alleges that the defendants often dispensed controlled substances to patients who lived long distances from the pharmacy or who paid in cash despite the availability of insurance. According to the complaint, at least 10 patients died within 10 days of having controlled substance prescriptions filled at Beckman’s Greene Street Pharmacy.
“Pharmacies and pharmacists have an obligation to prevent the illegal dispensing of controlled substances,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will work with its law enforcement partners to hold responsible those who dispense potentially dangerous prescription drugs in violation of the law.”
“Those who fill and dispense controlled substances prescriptions, including for opioids, without fulfilling their responsibilities, fan the flames of the ongoing opioid epidemic,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland will use all tools at its disposal — criminal and civil — to hold responsible those who violate the CSA.”
“The devastating effects of opioid overdoses and poisonings have affected many lives in our local communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the DEA Washington Division. “Health care providers have a great responsibility as it relates to dispensing medications to meet the health needs of our citizens. This includes being vigilant for any signs of controlled substance diversion or misuse. Our team is committed to protecting the safety and health of all Americans, which includes ensuring that all licensed professionals comply with the law and report dangerous behaviors.”
Beckman and Beckman’s Greene Street Pharmacy agreed to be bound by the consent decree. The injunction entered by U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby for the District of Maryland prohibits the defendants from filling certain “red flag” prescriptions and requires the defendants to fill other prescriptions only with documentation justifying those prescriptions.
DEA Special Agent Thomas W. Adams of the Washington Division’s Hagerstown Resident Office investigated the case along with the Washington Division’s Baltimore Diversion Group. Senior Litigation Counsel Donald R. Lorenzen of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan C. Lazerow for the District of Maryland handled the case.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
The claims made in the complaint are merely allegations that the United States would need to prove if the case proceeded to trial.
Consent Decree Approved Among the United States and Cumberland, Maryland Based Pharmacy and Pharmacist Alleged to Have Illegally Dispensed Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Lydia K. Griggsby approved the United States’ consent decree with John A. Beckman, a Cumberland, Maryland based pharmacist, and Beckman’s Greene Street Pharmacy, Inc. (“Beckman’s Pharmacy”), resolving the United States’ civil allegations that Beckman and Beckman’s Pharmacy violated the Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”) in illegally dispensing controlled substances.
The consent decree was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, of the Justice Department’s Civil Division; and Special Agent in Charge Jarod A. Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration – Washington Field Division.
“Irresponsible pharmacies and pharmacists fan the flames of the ongoing opioid epidemic,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron. “Our office intends to use all tools at our disposal—criminal and civil—to hold accountable those at every step in the supply chain who violate the CSA.”
“Pharmacies and pharmacists have an obligation to help stop the illegal distribution of controlled substances,” Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will work with its law enforcement partners to hold responsible those who dispense potentially dangerous prescription drugs in violation of the law.”
“The devastating effects of opioid overdoses and poisonings have affected many lives in our local communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget for the DEA Washington Division. “Healthcare providers have a great responsibility as it relates to dispensing medications to meet the health needs of our citizens. This includes being vigilant for any signs of controlled substance diversion or misuse. Our team is committed to protecting the safety and health of all Americans, which includes ensuring that all licensed professionals comply with the law and report dangerous behaviors.”
The Government alleges that at least since 2017, Beckman and Beckman’s Pharmacy knowingly filled fraudulent prescriptions for controlled substances, ignoring red flags that should have acted as warning signs that the prescriptions were not legitimate. More specifically, the Government alleges that, since at least 2017, Beckman and Beckman’s Pharmacy would often dispense dangerous combinations of controlled substances which are known to be pursued by drug abusers, but which seriously increase the risk of respiratory distress, overdose, and death, and did so without noting any reasonable explanation for these dangerous combinations. These combinations included the extremely dangerous “holy trinity,” which combines an opioid, a benzodiazepine, and carisoprodol. Additionally, Beckman and Beckman’s Pharmacy often dispensed a combination of an opioid and buprenorphine, a drug which is generally used to treat opioid dependence and regularly filled prescriptions for controlled substances that were paid for with cash even though the patient had insurance available to pay for the patient’s prescriptions.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention generally recommends that individuals should avoid daily dosages of opioids over 90 morphine milligram equivalents (MME), but Beckman and Beckman’s Pharmacy routinely dispensed prescriptions to patients causing their MME levels to be many times that amount—and upwards of 1000 daily MME. The Government alleges that Beckman and Beckman’s Pharmacy dispensed opioids to more than ten patients who subsequently died within ten days of the date of the prescription for those opioids.
Under the consent decree, Beckman and Beckman’s Pharmacy agree to pay a $120,000 civil monetary penalty and are required to identify certain red flags—including when a patient has traveled a long distance to the pharmacy, and when a patient is receiving an opioid and a benzodiazepine. Before filling prescriptions bearing those and other red flags, the consent decree requires Beckman and Beckman’s Pharmacy to document in detail any indications of abuse or diversion and the steps they took to ensure that the prescription was valid and was issued for a legitimate medical purpose, and that the prescription would not be abused or diverted for illegitimate purposes. Additionally, under the consent decree, Beckman and Beckman’s Pharmacy are prohibited from filling certain prescriptions, including when a patient presents prescriptions that, if filled, would cause the patient to take more than 90 daily MME; a combination of an opioid, a benzodiazepine, and carisoprodol; most prescriptions for buprenorphine without naloxone; any controlled substance paid for with cash even though the patient has insurance available to pay for the patient’s prescriptions; and any prescription for a controlled substance if the patient is an employee of Beckman’s Pharmacy.
Under the consent decree, if the DEA determines that Beckman or Beckman’s Pharmacy have violated any provision of the consent decree or if Beckman or Beckman’s Pharmacy do not implement the corrective action the DEA orders, the DEA can order Beckman and Beckman’s Pharmacy to cease ordering or dispensing controlled substances immediately.
The consent decree is not an admission of liability by Beckman or Beckman’s Pharmacy, nor a concession by the United States that its claims are not well founded.
The Court’s approval of this consent decree—the fourth such consent decree in the District of Maryland in the past two years—should again remind pharmacists and pharmacies of their corresponding responsibility to confirm the legitimacy of the prescriptions that they fill and that the Department of Justice intends to use all tools at its disposal—both criminal and civil—to combat the controlled substances epidemic which continues to plague our country, including here in Maryland.
U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton commended the DEA Baltimore Division’s Office of Diversion Control and Tactical Diversion Squad for its work in the investigation. Mr. Barron and Mr. Boynton thanked Assistant United States Attorney Alan C. Lazerow and Donald R. Lorenzen, Senior Litigation Counsel with the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch, who handled the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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Colorado Businessman Sentenced to Prison for Employment Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
A Colorado man was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for evading the payment of more than $700,000 in employment taxes he owed to the IRS.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Frank Stevens of Bow Mar, Colorado, co-owned restaurants and an oil production business, which had employees from whose paychecks he withheld income and Social Security and Medicare taxes. Starting in approximately 2002 and continuing for many years, Stevens did not pay over the withheld payroll taxes to the IRS or file the required quarterly employment tax returns for his businesses. After failing to collect from the businesses, the IRS assessed the tax against Stevens personally. To prevent the IRS from collecting through bank levies the taxes he owed, Stevens kept the balances of his personal and business bank accounts low, often leaving them with only $0.01. Stevens transferred, or directed employees to transfer, just enough funds to cover expenses and then moved any remaining money to a bank account not subject to IRS levy. In total, Stevens caused a tax loss of approximately $737,128.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Daniel D. Domenico ordered Stevens to serve three years of supervised release and to pay a $10,000 fine and $1,096,138.14 in restitution to the United States.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Peter Anthony and Julia Rugg of the Tax Division prosecuted the case.
Busby man sentenced to prison for strangling womanRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Busby man who admitted to strangling a woman while in a vehicle on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation was sentenced today to 22 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Tysawn Dantae Pine, 25, pleaded guilty in February to an indictment charging him with strangulation.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Pine and the victim, identified as Jane Doe, had been in a dating relationship. On April 9, 2022, Pine went to Jane Doe’s house at approximately 5:30 a.m. and demanded she open the door. Jane Doe refused and told Pine to leave because he was drunk. Pine then forced his way into the house and demanded she give him a ride to his grandmother’s house. Scared of Pine’s threats, Jane Doe drove him to his grandmother’s house and parked. The two argued inside the vehicle, and Pine began assaulting and strangling Jane Doe. Later that day, Jane Doe was examined for injuries at the hospital.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI and Bureau of Indian Affairs conducted the investigation.
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Browning man admits shooting, wounding man on Blackfeet Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Browning man accused of shooting and wounding a man at a residence on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation admitted to an assault crime today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Lane Dale Spotted Eagle, 27, pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Spotted Eagle 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. Sentencing was set for Nov. 30. Spotted Eagle was ordered to inpatient treatment pending sentencing.
The government alleged in court documents that in the afternoon of July 12, 2022, Spotted Eagle, armed with a 9mm pistol, entered a bedroom in a Browning house and shot the victim, identified as John Doe. Spotted Eagle is a schizophrenic and was experiencing paranoia at the time of the assault. Law enforcement detained Spotted Eagle shortly after the assault in a vehicle in the driveway. Spotted Eagle was covered in blood and armed with an AR-15 rifle.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah A. Paisley is prosecuting the case. The FBI and Blackfeet Law Enforcement conducted the investigation.
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Brooklyn Man Convicted of Strongarm Extortion SchemeRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Brooklyn man was convicted of conspiring with others in a week-long strongarm extortion scheme in 2019, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Endrit Kllogjeri, 29, was convicted on June 27, 2023, of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act extortion and attempt to commit Hobbs Act extortion following a one-week trial before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi in Trenton federal court. On June 13, 2023, co-defendant Francis Garzon pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court to his role in the scheme.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial:
From Dec. 1, 2019, through Dec. 9, 2019, Kllogjeri and Garzon conspired and attempted to extort a resident of Monmouth County, New Jersey, and the resident’s son, who lived in Brooklyn, New York. The victim was threatened with physical harm if the victim did not recover a bag containing property allegedly valued at $100,000 from the victim’s son. Kllogjeri and Garzon further demanded an additional payment of $100,000 as “interest” for the son’s possession of the bag. In connection with issuing threats against the victim, including threats to the victim’s family members, Garzon additionally brandished a revolver, pointing the weapon at the victim and cocking the revolver’s hammer. Over the ensuing week, Kllogjeri and Garzon communicated regularly with the victim telephone, continuing to threaten victim. Kllogjeri and Garzon were arrested together in a vehicle on Dec. 9, 2019 in Brooklyn. Moments before the arrest, Garzon had attempted to send the victim a text message confirming the victim’s plan to pay the demand.
Kllogjeri faces a maximum potential penalty of 20 years on each count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act extortion and attempted Hobbs Act extortion. Each count also carries a potential $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents with the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the conviction. He also thanked the Marlboro Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief Peter Pezzullo; and the New York City Police Department for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric A. Boden, Attorney-in-Charge of the Trenton Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ian D. Brater of the Trenton Office.
Angelina County Man Sentenced for Trafficking Methamphetamine in East TexasRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas – The final defendant has been sentenced in an East Texas drug trafficking operation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today.
Darrell Lynell Horace, Jr., 29, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle.
According to information presented in Court, Horace and four others admitted to selling methamphetamine in Cherokee County, Texas. Horace also admitted to possessing a firearm as well as methamphetamine. One of Horace's co-defendants, Pablo Antonio Sandoval, 24, of Bakersfield, California, admitted to transporting large quantities of methamphetamine from California-based suppliers to Jacksonville. Upon delivery, the methamphetamine was repackaged and sold by Hunter Chase Davlin, 27, of Jacksonville, Sissy Gail Parks, 39, of Bullard, and Joshua Ryan Starkey, 30, of Jacksonville.
Davlin was sentenced to 108 months in prison on February 22, 2023; Parks was sentenced to 70 months in prison on December 14, 2022; Starkey was sentenced to 130 months in prison on November 4, 2022; and Sandoval was sentenced to 170 months in prison on April 18, 2023.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Cherokee County Sheriff's Department, and the Jacksonville Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lucas Machicek.
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American headed back to prison after trying to export 5,680 rounds of ammunitionRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 32-year-old U.S. citizen has been ordered to federal prison for attempting to smuggle thousands of rounds of ammunition to Mexico, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Jesus Alberto Olivares pleaded guilty May 2 to attempting to export 5,680 rounds of pistol ammunition.
U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo has now ordered Olivares to serve 75 months in federal prison less than one year after he served a sentence for a drug distribution conspiracy.
While imposing the sentence, Judge Garcia Marmolejo noted there was likely only one purpose for this ammunition: to be delivered into the hands of cartel members in Mexico for their use, including killing people.
“This sentence sends a clear message: the Justice Department will be relentless in bringing to justice those responsible for smuggling illegal firearms and ammunition across our southern border,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “We will continue to take aggressive action to combat the gun violence that endangers law enforcement and devastates communities in both Mexico and the United States.”
“The Mexican drug cartels are a threat to the residents and communities of the Southern District of Texas, in part because of their access to illicit firearms and ammunition,” said Hamdani. “Olivares’ decision to hide almost 6,000 rounds of ammunition in the panels of a truck as he attempted to cross a bridge into Mexico will send him to a federal prison for over six years and is a cautionary tale for anyone else who feels compelled to follow in his footsteps.”
On Feb. 27, Olivares drove his black PT Cruiser to the Lincoln Juarez International Bridge on his way home to Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Authorities noted one of the vehicle’s doors seemed unusually heavy and rattled slightly as if something was hidden in them.
A subsequent search of all four of the Cruiser’s door panels yielded a total of 5,680 live rounds of pistol ammunition in assorted calibers - 3,600 rounds of .40 caliber S&W, 900 rounds of .380 caliber, 900 rounds of .45 caliber, 100 rounds of 9-millimeter and 180 rounds of .38 SPL +P ammunition.
Olivares admitted he had agreed to smuggle the ammunition into Mexico and had just received the ammunition a few hours prior. He personally hid the ammunition throughout the vehicle’s door and rear panels.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) assigned to the HSI-Laredo Border Enforcement Task Force, working in coordination with the Laredo Police Department’s Texas Anti-Gang Task Force (TAG) conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Homero Ramirez prosecuted this case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program. In May 2021, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced a new effort to reduce violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core. Integral to that effort was the reinvigoration of PSN, a two-decade old, evidence-based and community-oriented program focused on reducing violent crime. The updated PSN approach, outlined in the department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime is guided by four key principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.
Wednesday 5 July 2023
Young man sent to prison for over 30 years for crime spreeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 22-year-old Houston man has been ordered to federal prison for robbery and brandishing a firearm during a one-man crime spree that lasted approximately 12 hours, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Jose Luis Perez Jr. pleaded guilty Jan. 19 to four counts each of interference with commerce by robbery and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
Today, Judge Alfred H. Bennett sentenced Perez to 36 months in prison for the robberies. He also received an additional 336 months for the firearms charges which must be served consecutively. The total 372-month prison term will be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard Perez is also alleged to have committed several robberies of individuals during the crime spree.
“This young man has thrown his most of his life away,” said Hamdani. “At 22 now, he will likely be an old man before his release from federal prison. Crime does not pay. Jose Luis Perez terrorized the Houston area for 12 long hours, robbing convenient stores and a gas station at gun point. Thanks to brave victims who relayed concise and expeditious information, law enforcement was able to stop his reign of terror before it became even worse.”
The charges stem from numerous commercial aggravated robberies that began on March 2, 2021, at approximately 11:15 p.m. and ended the following day before 1 p.m. During that 12-hour spree, Perez robbed at gunpoint a Circle K in Friendswood, a Cindie’s Number One in Fantasy and Fun adult novelty shop in Webster, the same Circle K in Friendswood for a second time and a Chevron gas station in Friendswood.
During the robberies, Perez would enter the commercial businesses armed with a rifle, point it at the store clerks and demand money from the registers. He would then leave in his vehicle which was a dark color Chevrolet. The clerks were able to give authorities a description of the vehicle along with a license plate number.
Law enforcement was on alert located him driving the described vehicle after he committed the Chevron robbery. A pursuit ensued. It eventually ended, at which time Perez exited the vehicle with the assault rifle. Authorities took him into custody without incident.
At the time of his plea, Perez admitted he robbed the commercial businesses with the assault rifle.
Perez has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Friendswood Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Houston Police Department and Task Force officers with the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill Stotts prosecuted the case.
Young adult guilty of producing child pornographyRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 21-year-old Laredo resident has admitted he recorded sexual material and posted it on social media, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
On June 5, 2022, Victor Antonio Puente rented a motel room in Laredo. There, he engaged in sexual activity with a 15-year-old female victim. He used his personal cell phone to record and photograph sexually explicit conduct between him and the minor and then uploaded the content via social media.
A forensic analysis of Puente’s cell phone revealed videos of him engaging in intercourse with the victim. Other videos showed him fondling her while both are naked or were of her naked body while she slept.
The minor victim’s family was able to discover Puente’s location from a third-party and contacted law enforcement.
Puente denied that the minor victim was in the room. However, they located her and took her to a local hospital for observation and treatment.
U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo will impose sentencing Sept. 28. At that time, Puente faces a minimum of 15 and up to 30 years in federal prison.
He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Laredo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSAs) Homero Ramirez and Michael P. Makens and former AUSA April Ayers-Perez prosecuted the case.
It was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.
U.S. Attorney Elected to Serve as Co-Chair of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council for D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves was elected to serve a two-year term as Co-Chair of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council for the District of Columbia, beginning in July 2023. The CJCC, chaired by the District’s Mayor, is an independent District agency focused on enhancing public safety and the fair administration of justice in the District of Columbia. Mr. Graves was elected to this position by fellow members of the CJCC, which include the Mayor, members of the D.C. Council, the Chief Judge of D.C. Superior Court, the Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department, the Attorney General of the District of Columbia, and other federal and District justice system agency leaders.
“I am deeply humbled and honored that a council of the stakeholders responsible for keeping our community safe—our elected officials, the Metropolitan Police Department, and other federal and local justice leaders—has elected me to help steer the important work of the CJCC,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “The safety of our community is our highest priority, and successful coordination among the officials and agencies responsible for protecting our community is critical to our mission.”
For more on the history of the CJCC, visit: https://cjcc.dc.gov/page/history-cjcc
Two New Orleans Men Sentenced in Connection with Jung Hotel ShootingRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DARIUS DANNEL, age 28, and TERRELL MOORE, age 25, both of New Orleans, were sentenced on June 28, 2023 by United States District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. DANNEL received a total sentence of 360 months imprisonment, while MOORE received a total sentence of 330 months imprisonment. In addition, both defendants received five years of supervised release following their term of imprisonment, along with a $400 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, DANNEL and MOORE previously pled guilty to attempted Hobbs Act Robbery, conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute quantities of marijuana, using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
This prosecution stems from a December 28, 2020 shootout that occurred at the Jung Hotel in New Orleans. DANNEL and MOORE, along with four other co-defendants, entered the Jung Hotel in an attempt to rob drug dealers (hotel occupants) of significant amounts of marijuana. During the attempted robbery, a shootout ensued with over 80 shots fired and three people wounded. These events were documented by video footage from Jung Hotel security cameras. Three of the marijuana distributors involved in the shootout, Clarence Santiago, Brian Jacob, and Malik Fernandez, pled guilty to similar crimes before United States District Court Judge Greg G. Guidry. On March 7, 2023, Judge Guidry sentenced Santiago to a 30-year term of imprisonment. Defendants Everson, Batiste, Ross, Howard, and Fernandez are scheduled to be sentenced on July 12, 2023 and Brian Jacob will be sentenced on October 31, 2023.
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 case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Maurice Landrieu of the Narcotics Unit and Elizabeth Privitera, Chief of the Violent Crimes Unit.
Theft of Social Security Funds Result in Federal Prison Sentence for Eunice ManRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – A Eunice, Louisiana man has been sentenced in the Western District of Louisiana for theft of funds from the Social Security Administration, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown.
Scotty Paul Fournerat, 50, was sentenced by United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. to two 37-month terms of imprisonment to run concurrently, followed by two 3-year terms of supervised release which will also run concurrently. In addition, Fournerat was ordered to pay restitution to the SSA in the amount of $49,792.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) reported that M.V., a Title XVI Supplemental Security Income Disability (SSID) program participant and the aunt of Fournerat, failed to appear for a redetermination hearing in October 2017. The SSA subsequently suspended payments to M.V. due to her failure to cooperate with the redetermination. Through their investigation, the SSA learned that M.V. had died on January 2, 2012, some five years earlier, but they were not made aware of her death. SSA determined that two days following M.V.’s death an unidentified individual changed the bank account associated with her account so that the payments would route to Comerica Bank and the payments could be accessible by debit card.
Fournerat admitted to using the debit cards to access the SSID funds for his own personal use by making purchases and ATM withdrawals at various locations in St. Landry and Evangeline Parishes. He admitted that he had not applied for the program funds and that he knew the funds were for the sole use of M.V. while she was alive, but yet he willingly and knowingly used the funds for his own personal benefit. Fournerat pleaded guilty to two counts of theft of government money on March 22, 2023.
This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danny Siefker.
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Statement from United States Attorney Jane E. Young on the Rainbow Family GatheringRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Special sessions of the U.S. District Court’s Central Violations Bureau were convened by U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrea K. Johnston at the Littleton District Courthouse in Littleton on Friday, June 30, 2023, and the Warren B. Rudman United States Courthouse in Concord on Wednesday, July 5, 2023.
The purpose of these special sessions was to process violation notices that were issued by the U.S. Forest Service at the Rainbow Family Gathering, being held in the White Mountain National Forest. There were 121 violations issued by the U.S Forest Service, of which 37 were resolved by the defendants agreeing to pay a fine, ranging between $25-$200 per violation. Circumstances, or the evidence, warranted a dismissal of 58 violations. 24 were unresolved and will be rescheduled for the next hearing date, as the individuals failed to appear. Bench trials have been scheduled for two defendants on September 23, 2023, and November 13, 2023.
“The orderly resolution of these violations was a testament to the coordination of this office, the U.S. Forest Service, and the U.S. District Court, who agreed to host these two special sessions,” U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young said.
Any additional violations issued during the Rainbow Family Gathering will be processed during the U.S. District Court’s normal business.
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Springfield Man Pleads Guilty to Heroin ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man who pleaded guilty in federal court today is the final defendant convicted for his role in a conspiracy to distribute heroin in Greene County, Mo.
James D. Elbert, 41, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin.
By pleading guilty today, Elbert admitted that he participated in a conspiracy to distribute at least 100 grams of heroin in Greene County from Oct. 2, 2015, to Nov. 13, 2017. Elbert admitted that, on three separate occasions, he sold a total of 6.86 grams of heroin to a law enforcement undercover informant in Springfield.
Elbert is the final defendant to be convicted in this case. Five additional defendants have been sentenced and three additional defendants have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
Dangelo P. Moore, 35, of Willard, Mo., was sentenced to 12 years and seven months in federal prison without parole. Jerry R. Blue, 34, of Springfield, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison without parole. Kevin D. Paine, 33, of Cahokia, Ill., was sentenced to five years in federal prison without parole. Keilan A. Murray, 30, of Springfield, was sentenced to four years in federal prison without parole. Presley A. Pike, 31, of Springfield, was sentenced to time served.
Michael K. Johnson, Jr., 36, of Ozark, Mo., Rodriguez R. Bradley, 40, of Fordland, Mo., and Kewan J. Rogers, 39, of St. Louis, Mo., also have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
Under federal statutes, Elbert is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Randall D. Eggert and Cameron A. Beaver. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Ozark, Mo., Police Department.
Serial Robbers Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Robbery and Pair of Commercial Armed Robberies in South Tampa and Ybor CityRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Antonio Brown (55, Tampa) and Steve Jackson (41, Tampa) have each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit robbery, two counts of robbery, and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Each faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 7 years for the firearm offense, and up to 20 years in federal prison on the conspiracy count and each count of robbery. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreements, Brown and Jackson conspired to commit armed robberies of two auto parts stores in the Tampa area. On August 29, 2021, at around 7:00 p.m., Brown and Jackson drove from Jackson’s residence to an auto parts store on South Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa. Surveillance video captured the pair leaving Jackson’s residence in a white pickup truck with distinctive damage to the rear passenger portion of the vehicle. Brown wore dark clothing, a tan face mask, a distinctive straw hat, and brandished a revolver. Jackson wore a surgical mask, a black baseball cap, and brandished a semi-automatic pistol.
At the auto parts store, Brown and Jackson brandished their firearms and demanded money from the store employees. Brown instructed one employee to empty the cash registers in the front of the store and ordered the other employees to go to back of the store and open a safe. Brown and Jackson obtained approximately $300 from the cash registers. Jackson and Brown then returned to the pickup truck and drove to another auto parts store located near 50th Street North in Ybor City, via the Selmon Expressway, wearing the same clothing and carrying the same firearms.
At around 7:50 p.m., Jackson and Brown entered the Ybor City auto parts store, brandished their firearms, and demanded the store employees retrieve cash from the registers. The pair stole approximately $1,140. Nearby surveillance footage captured Brown and Jackson leaving the store, entering the white pickup truck, and driving away.
At around 10:00 p.m., officers from the Tampa Police Department (“TPD”) conducted a traffic stop of the pickup truck which Brown was driving. Inside the vehicle, officers located the straw hat that Brown had worn during the armed robberies, approximately $900 in cash, and Jackson’s wallet containing his identification.
Further investigation corroborated Brown and Jackson’s proximity to the Tampa and Ybor City auto parts stores at the times of the robberies. TPD officers also collected disposed items from Jackson’s garbage outside his residence and recovered the clothes he had worn during the armed robberies.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee and Charlie D. Connally.
Portland Man Charged with Assaulting a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A local man is facing federal charges today after he assaulted and injured a court security officer at Pioneer Federal Courthouse in downtown Portland.
Jett Avery Thomas, 39, a Portland resident, has been charged by criminal complaint with assaulting an employee of the United States with a dangerous weapon and causing bodily injury.
According to court documents, on the morning of July 3, 2023, Thomas threw an object at the Pioneer Federal Courthouse in downtown Portland. After a court security officer attempted to address him, Thomas charged up the front steps of the courthouse. The officer retreated into the courthouse and attempted to secure the door behind him. Before he could do so, Thomas grabbed the door, forced it open, and assaulted the officer. The struggle continued outside the door, where Thomas continued assaulting the officer, striking him with a hard object and placing him in a chokehold. The officer accessed his service weapon and fired two shots into Thomas’ torso.
Thomas was apprehended, provided first aid, and transported to a local hospital where he underwent surgery for his injuries. The officer was also transported to a local hospital where he was treated for his injuries and later released.
Thomas will make his first appearance in federal court at a later date. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI and U.S. Marshals Service with assistance from the Federal Protective Service and Portland Police Bureau. It is being prosecuted by Scott M. Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty to Unemployment Insurance FraudRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK –Thomas Brace, a/k/a “Justice,” age 62, of Altoona, Pennsylvania, pled guilty today to conspiring to defraud the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) by obtaining unemployment insurance benefits under the names of seven other people, including benefits funded by the federal government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang; Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge, Northeast Region, United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG).
Brace admitted that he provided Jamie Johnson with the personal identifying information of seven other people, which Johnson used to file false claims via the NYSDOL website. Brace further admitted that as a result of the seven fraudulent applications submitted by Johnson, the NYSDOL paid $299,553 in unemployment insurance benefits. As part of his plea agreement, Brace agreed to pay $299,553 in restitution to the State of New York. Johnson previously pled guilty to fraudulently obtaining $701,441 in unemployment insurance benefits as part of the scheme. Brace’s two co-defendants, Taliek Lanier and Errol Murray, previously pled guilty to conspiring with Johnson to defraud the NYSDOL of $113,936 and $69,954 in unemployment insurance benefits, respectively.
Murray faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years when he is sentenced on October 26, 2023 by Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn.
This case was investigated by the New York State Inspector General’s Office, HSI, USPIS, and USDOL-OIG, with assistance from the NYSDOL Office of Special Investigations, the Capital Region Crime Analysis Center, and the Albany County Department of Social Services. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua R. Rosenthal and Joseph S. Hartunian are prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Operation Smoke and Mirrors Update: Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Charles Norman Pannell, 43, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Pannell admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from about December 2022 to around March 2023, Pannell conspired with other individuals to distribute quantities of cocaine in the Charleston area. Pannell regularly obtained cocaine from a co-conspirator, sometimes multiple times per day, and would typically obtain one-half to 1 ounce of cocaine at a time. Pannell often had a third-party customer waiting to purchase the cocaine before he obtained it.
On March 20, 2023, law enforcement officers watched Pannell meet with his co-conspirator to obtain cocaine. Shortly after the meeting, officers conducted a traffic stop of Pannell’s vehicle and found approximately 1 ounce of cocaine in his possession.
Pannell is scheduled to be sentenced on October 30, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
Pannell is among 30 individuals indicted as a result of Operation Smoke and Mirrors, a major drug trafficking investigation that has yielded the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history. Law enforcement has seized of well over 200 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 28 pounds of cocaine, 20 pounds of fentanyl, 18 firearms and $747,000 in cash.
A dozen of the defendants have pleaded guilty. Indictments against the other defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard Counter Drug program, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is prosecuting the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-31.
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North Easton Contractor Agrees to Plead Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The owner of a concrete company was charged today and has agreed to plead guilty to a multi-year scheme to underreport income on his tax returns.
Cleber Gomes Pecanha, 48, of North Easton, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of tax evasion. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court.
According to the charging document, Pecanha, the owner of CGP General Construction, Inc., cashed customer checks and did not deposit the receipts in his business bank accounts. Pecanha did not tell his tax preparer that he was cashing large numbers of checks from customers and only gave the tax preparer his bank statements as support for his tax filings. By hiding his income in this manner, Pecanha underreported income from the business on his personal tax returns, resulting in an income tax loss of more than $1,862,033 for the tax years 2017 to 2021. Pecanha used the proceeds of his income tax evasion scheme to fund an off-the-books cash payroll.
The charge of tax evasion provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil of Levy’s Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
New York Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Offenses Related to Robbery and Murder of Stamford JewelerRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that PAUL PROSANO, also known as “Tony Pro,” 63, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 360 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for offenses stemming from the robbery of Marco Jewelers in Stamford in March 2020. During the robbery, the owner of Marco Jewelers was shot and killed.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 28, 2020, at approximately 2:48 p.m., Stamford Police Officers responded to Marco Jewelers, located at 16 Sixth Street in Stamford. When officers arrived, they found evidence of a robbery and encountered the storeowner, Mark Vuono, lying on the ground in front of an open safe. Emergency medical personnel arrived and pronounced Vuono deceased.
Investigators collected and analyzed surveillance video from Marco Jewelers, surrounding businesses and Stamford city cameras. Video obtained from Marco Jewelers revealed that, on March 28, 2020, Prosano drove Robert Rallo and Thomas Liberatore in a black Jaguar to Marco Jewelers. Rallo and Liberatore then entered the store. Rallo, armed with a handgun, engaged in a physical altercation with Vuono, while Liberatore stole items from the display cases. Vuono, who also possessed a firearm, and Rallo struggled next to a large open safe. During the more than three-minute struggle, Rallo reached into the safe and pulled out a third firearm, a .357 Magnum revolver. Rallo subsequently shot and killed Vuono with the .357 revolver.
Between $360,000 and $430,000 worth of jewelry was stolen during the robbery.
Following the robbery, law enforcement located the black Jaguar in Staten Island and maintained surveillance on the vehicle. On March 31, 2020, at approximately 5:30 p.m., a black BMW X3, driven by Prosano, pulled up beside the black Jaguar. Rallo exited the rear door of the BMW and entered the driver’s door of a black Jaguar. The two vehicles then left the area and rapidly accelerated. The Jaguar crashed on Tompkins Street. Rallo attempted to flee on foot, but was quickly apprehended. The BMW crashed into a tree and parked car at the intersection of Daniel Low Terrace and Corson Avenue. Prosano also attempted to flee and was apprehended.
A search of the BMW revealed 63 rings, eight bracelets, two tie pins, an earring and a cufflink, and a search of Prosano’s residence revealed 23 pairs of earrings and three rings. These items were stolen from Marco Jewelers.
Liberatore was arrested on April 1, 2020.
Prosano has been detained since his arrest. On December 19, 2022, a jury found Prosano and Liberatore guilty of interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery) and interstate transportation of stolen property. Liberatore was also found guilty of aiding and abetting the use of a firearm to cause a death during a robbery.
Prosano’s criminal history, which includes multiple robbery convictions, spans more than 40 years. He met Rallo and Liberatore while incarcerated within the New York State Department of Corrections.
On April 5, 2022, Rallo pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery, interstate transportation of stolen property, and using a firearm to cause a death during a robbery. On March 1, 2023, he was sentenced to 40 years of imprisonment.
Liberatore awaits sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Stamford Police Department and Greenwich Police Department, with the assistance of the New York Police Department, Yonkers (N.Y.) Police Department and New Rochelle (N.Y.) Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis, Rahul Kale and Margaret Donovan.
Mastermind of $10 million Amazon fraud scheme sentenced to 16 years in federal prisonRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Kayricka Wortham has been sentenced for stealing more than $9.4 million from Amazon.com while employed as a manager for the company. Seven individuals, including Wortham, have now been charged in connection with the scheme.
“The defendant abused her position of trust at Amazon to steal nearly $10 million from the company based on a brazen fraud scheme involving fake vendors and fictitious invoices,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “She then committed new crimes while on bond, even creating a fake dismissal document purporting to be from the court and that included the forged signature of the Chief U.S. District Judge, all for the purpose of misleading a franchising company about the status of her criminal charges. Her prison sentence recognizes the magnitude of her fraud and serves to protect the integrity of our courts and justice system.”
“The Secret Service takes cases of fraud extremely seriously,” said Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Atlanta Field Office Steven R. Baisel. “This individual stole millions from a business that employed her – exploiting not only their trust, but our nation’s financial systems. Thanks to the hard work of our partners in the U.S. Attorney’s office, her sentence reflects the seriousness of her crimes and sends a message that this kind of fraudulent activity will not be tolerated.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Kayricka Wortham abused her position at Amazon to submit more than $10 million in fictitious invoices for fake vendors, causing Amazon to pay approximately $9.4 million to Wortham and her co-conspirators.
From about August 2020 to March 2022, Wortham worked as an Operations Manager at the Amazon Warehouse in Smyrna, Georgia. In her position, Wortham supervised others and acted with the authority to approve both new vendors and the payment of vendor invoices for Amazon.
Wortham, who was the leader of the scheme, provided fake vendor information to unknowing subordinates and asked them to input the information into Amazon’s vendor system. Once the information was entered, Wortham approved the fake vendors, enabling them to submit invoices. Wortham and co-conspirators then submitted fictitious invoices to Amazon, falsely representing that the vendors had provided goods and services to Amazon. Wortham approved the invoices, causing Amazon to transfer millions in fraudulent proceeds to bank accounts controlled by her and her co-conspirators.
Wortham conspired with others, including Brittany Hudson, in the scheme. Hudson was in a relationship with Wortham and owned a business, Legend Express LLC, that contracted with Amazon to deliver packages to customers. Hudson allegedly worked with Wortham to submit millions in fictitious invoices for fake vendors to Amazon. Wortham and Hudson purchased expensive real estate and luxury cars, including a nearly $1 million home in Smyrna, Georgia, a 2019 Lamborghini Urus, a 2021 Dodge Durango, a 2022 Tesla Model X, a 2018 Porsche Panamera, and a Kawasaki ZX636 motorcycle, all with fraudulent proceeds from the scheme.
Wortham also recruited co-conspirators Demetrius Hines, who was in Loss Prevention at Amazon, and Laquettia Blanchard, who worked as a Senior Human Resources Assistant at the company. Hines and Blanchard provided names and Social Security numbers to Wortham to create additional fake vendor accounts. Blanchard provided names of relatives and associates. Hines provided stolen personal identifying information that he purchased from JaQuan Frazier, who in turn allegedly purchased the information from Darrel J. Burgo, also known as “Fleet.” Hines and Blanchard were paid in fraudulent proceeds. Hines also recruited Jamar L. James, Sr., another Operations Manager at Amazon’s location in Duluth, Georgia, into the scheme. Like Wortham, James allegedly approved fake vendors and fictitious invoices, including after Wortham left Amazon in March 2022.
While on bond, Wortham and Hudson committed new criminal conduct that resulted in the revocation of their bonds. In January 2023, they were working with CRU Franchising Company to open a hookah lounge in Midtown Atlanta. During the due diligence to close the deal, CRU discovered and asked about the Amazon fraud charges against them. In response, Wortham and Hudson allegedly lied to CRU, claiming that their Amazon-related criminal charges were dismissed. The two then emailed fraudulent court documents to CRU that purported to show dismissal of the charges and contained forged signatures of Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy C. Batten, Sr. and forged seals and signatures of the Clerk of the Court. Hudson also allegedly emailed CRU doctored bank statements and personal financial statements that fraudulently inflated the balances in her accounts to support the franchise deal.
Kayricka Wortham, also known as “Kayricka Dupree” and “Kayricka Young,” 32, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy C. Batten, Sr., to 16 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution to Amazon in the amount of $9,469,731.45. More than $2.7 million in fraudulent proceeds seized from multiple bank accounts, the residence in Smyrna, and the vehicles purchased with fraudulent proceeds were forfeited. Wortham was convicted of the Amazon fraud charges on November 30, 2022, after she pleaded guilty. She has been indicted for defrauding CRU and forging the signature of a federal judge and seal of the Court. Those charges remain pending.
On June 20, 2023, a federal grand jury indicted Brittany Hudson, 37, of Atlanta, Georgia, and Jamar L. James, Sr., 47, of Calera, Alabama, for conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering, and Hudson for forging the signature of a federal judge and seal of the Court. Darrel J. Burgo, 32, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, was charged in the same indictment with conspiracy, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft. These charges are pending.
For their roles in the scheme, on November 30, 2022, Demetrius Hines pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy; on June 27, 2023, Laquettia Blanchard pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy; and on June 27, 2023, JaQuan Frazier pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony. Judge Batten will sentence these three defendants at a later date.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen H. McClain and Norman L. Barnett are prosecuting the cases.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Jacksonville Convicted Sex Offender Indicted for Committing Multiple Child Sexual Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Kevin John Merritt (61, Jacksonville) with the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse materials. If convicted, Merritt faces a minimum mandatory 25 years, and up to 110 years, in federal prison. Merritt is a registered sex offender. In 2011, he was convicted in federal court in Jacksonville of possessing child sexual abuse materials. Merritt was arrested on March 16, 2023, and has been in custody since that time.
This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
High-Speed Police Chase Ends with Guilty Plea to Federal Drug Distribution ChargesRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that De’Andre Swain (26, Ocala) today pleaded guilty to possession of controlled substances (fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin) with the intent to distribute them. Swain faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison. Swain had been indicted on May 24, 2022.
According to court documents, on April 22, 2020, Swain and an accomplice led police on a high-speed car chase through the City of Ocala. After crashing their vehicle, Swain and his accomplice fled on foot. Swain was apprehended by police after a brief pursuit. Officers found a discarded leather bag nearby containing more than $36,000 in cash, a cellphone, 197.56 grams of fentanyl powder, and more than 60 grams of a mixture of fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine. All of the drugs were intended for distribution. A forensic analysis of the cellphone revealed that Swain was the owner of both the phone and the leather bag containing the drugs.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Ocala Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton.
Hattiesburg Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – A Hattiesburg man was sentenced to 120 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Christopher Myers, Jr., 21, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Hattiesburg.
According to court records, in February 2022, the FBI Safe Streets Task Force began an investigation into the drug trafficking activities of Christopher Myers, Jr. and others, occurring in Laurel, Mississippi. Agents conducted two controlled buys from Myers. In each instance, 10lbs of methamphetamine were purchased.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor- led, intelligence driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Hattiesburg Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – A Hattiesburg man pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Jamarquis Vasean Tate, 25, pled guilty in U.S. District Court in Hattiesburg.
According to court records, on December 3, 2021, Tate was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped by the Hattiesburg Police Department after a reported disturbance at an area hotel. Tate fled from the vehicle, and an officer chased and caught Tate on foot. During the chase, Tate discarded a firearm, which was observed by the officer and recorded on video. Tate was detained and the firearm recovered. Tate has a previous felony conviction, and it is a violation of federal law for a convicted felon to possess a firearm.
Tate is scheduled to be sentenced on October 4, 2023, and he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The ATF and Hattiesburg Police Department investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Allen is prosecuting.
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.
Dane County Woman Charged with Money Laundering & Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – A Windsor, Wisconsin woman is charged with money laundering and possessing fentanyl for distribution in an indictment returned on June 28, 2023 by a federal grand jury sitting in Madison, Wisconsin. The indictment is announced by Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin.
The indictment charges Alicia M. Allen, 37, with 4 counts of money laundering and 1 count of possessing 40 grams or more of fentanyl with intent to distribute. The indictment alleges that Allen caused proceeds from the distribution of controlled substances to be deposited in her business banking account on four occasions in June 2022, July 2022, and January 2023. The alleged drug proceeds deposited were in the amounts of $5,000, $4,000, $4,000, and $104,332.88. The indictment also alleges that on November 28, 2022, Allen possessed 40 grams or more of fentanyl with the intent to distribute.
Allen made an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Madison on Friday, June 30 and her arraignment is scheduled for tomorrow.
If convicted, Allen faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each money laundering charge. The fentanyl charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years and a maximum of 40 years. The charges against her are the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Dane County Narcotics Task Force, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Anderson is handling the prosecution.
You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
D.C. Man is Fifth Defendant to Admit Role in Conspiracy That Sold Drugs Near a SchoolRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –The fifth of five defendants engaged in a drug trafficking conspiracy entered a guilty plea today in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia.
Kurtis Mathes, 33, of Washington, D.C, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute marijuana, acknowledging that the drug distribution transactions took place within 1,000 feet of a school. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Nov. 3, 2023.
The investigation focused on a drug trafficking organization that operated outside a gas station and within 1,000 feet of a school on South Capitol Street.
The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon, of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget, of the Washington Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Interim Chief Ashan Benedict, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Mathes was charged with Tayion Hamiel-Ward, 25, of Washington, D.C.; Karl Dunn, 45, of Suitland; Brian Williams, 27, of Largo, Maryland; and DeShawn Barnes, 28, also of Washington, D.C., all of whom have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
According to court documents, the defendants were operating an open-air drug market near a gas station and tobacco store in the 4600 block of South Capitol Street S.W. Several shootings in that area, dating back to at least March 2021, sparked an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, in conjunction with the Metropolitan Police Department, focusing on violent crime and drug trafficking activities near the Exxon Gas Station (“Exxon”) and the SC Discount Tobacco and Grocery Store (“Tobacco Store”), located at 4665 South Capitol Street SW and 4675 South Capitol Street SW, Washington D.C., respectively. The Exxon and the Tobacco Store, which are next to each other, are located within 1,000 feet of Ingenuity Prep Public Charter School, a public charter school in the District of Columbia. Law Enforcement observed individuals loitering in front of and inside the Exxon and Tobacco Store and selling controlled substances to gas station customers.
Through the investigation, Law Enforcement identified five defendants, including Mathes, as being involved in this drug trafficking operation. As part of the conspiracy, Mathes and his co-defendants sold narcotics in a coordinated manner at various locations. Such coordination included the co-conspirators’ having common sources of supply, re-supplying or helping each other fill orders for narcotics, and referring customers to each other. Members of the conspiracy also possessed firearms in furtherance of the conspiracy. Law Enforcement executed controlled purchases of marijuana from members of this drug trafficking group. These purchases were recorded and monitored.
On or around July 13, 2022, Law Enforcement executed a search warrant at Mathes’ residence, where they found: 3,056 grams of marijuana, assorted packing materials, and ammunition. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement also recovered firearms, magazines, marijuana, and more than $79,000 in cash.
The case is being investigated by the ATF’s Washington Field Division, the DEA’s Washington Division, and the Metropolitan Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the Prince George’s County, Maryland Police Department, and the U.S. Secret Service.
The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah J. Rasalam of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section (VRTO). Former Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allison McGuire and Brian Lynch previously worked on the case. Assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to Four Years for Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Anthony Quantarius Brooks (21, Winter Park) to four years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Brooks to forfeit a Glock 9-millimeter handgun and ammunition, which were used to commit this offense. Brooks had pleaded guilty on January 24, 2023.
According to court documents, Brooks possessed a loaded black Glock 9-millimeter handgun inside of a black shoulder bag just one day after he was convicted in a local robbery case. Law enforcement learned that the firearm had previously been reported stolen.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Winter Park Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Richardson-Jones.
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.
Chicago Man Convicted of $2.7 Million COVID-Relief FraudRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal jury has convicted a Chicago man of fraudulently obtaining more than $2.7 million in small business loans and grants under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
From April to November of 2020, QUAMDEEN AMUWO, 41, participated in a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. The EIDL program was intended to provide loan assistance and grants to cover working capital and other operating expenses for legitimate businesses suffering the economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. As part of the scheme, Amuwo submitted to the SBA numerous applications for loans on behalf of businesses that he and others purportedly owned. The applications contained false statements and misrepresentations concerning the purported entities’ owners, employees, revenues, costs, and dates of establishment. In an attempt to support his applications, Amuwo provided false business registration forms and bogus personal identifying information of the purported owners.
Amuwo caused the SBA to disburse at least $2.7 million in EIDL loans and grants into bank accounts that he and others controlled. He used the money to make cash withdrawals, transfers, and purchases for his personal benefit.
After a trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago, Amuwo was convicted June 29, 2023, of all twelve wire fraud counts against him. The jury also found that approximately $120,000 seized from accounts held by Amuwo should be forfeited to the government.
Each count of wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Edmond E. Chang set sentencing for Oct. 10, 2023.
The conviction was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Substantial assistance was provided by the SBA’s Office of Inspector General. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heidi Manschreck and Matthew Moyer.
Cairnbrook Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison and 3 Years of Supervised Release for Violating Federal Narcotics and Firearms LawsRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A former resident of Cairnbrook, PA, has been sentenced in federal court to a total of 33 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release on his convictions of possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and unlawfully possessing a firearm, United States Attorney Eric Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge Stephanie Haines imposed the sentence on Travis Emert, age 44, of Cairnbrook, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, on or about November 9, 2021, Emert knowingly, intentionally, and unlawfully, possessed with the intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance. Further, on or about November 9, 2021, Emert knowingly, intentionally, and unlawfully, possessed firearms and ammunition, after having previously been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.
Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard, Jr. prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Mr. Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Laurel Highlands Resident Agency, the Pennsylvanian State Police, and the Somerset County District Attorney’s Office for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Emert.