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10 August 2023
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine and Cocaine and Unlawfully Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A former resident of Philadelphia, PA, has been sentenced in federal court to a total of 420 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release on his convictions of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on John T. Terry, age 48, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
On August 25, 2022, a jury found John Terry guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and cocaine, between March 30, 2018, and April 4, 2018.
Further, on August 26, 2022, District Judge Kim R. Gibson found Terry guilty of unlawfully possessing a loaded, stolen Smith & Wesson M&P Shield .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. On June 2, 1998, Terry was convicted in United States District Court for the Eastern District of PA, of interference with interstate commerce by robber for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, both of which are crimes punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. Federal law prohibits persons who have been convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year from possessing firearms.
Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard, Jr. prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Mr. Olshan commended the Laurel Highlands Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police SHIELD Unit, and the Somerset Turnpike Barracks, for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Terry.
Pharmacy Owner and Technician Both Sentenced to Prison for Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – James Craig Bell, 63, was sentenced today to 24 months for conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with a scheme through his pharmacy in Robeson County that had operated under the name Townsend’s Pharmacy. Mr. Bell previously pled guilty to the charge in October 2022. Mr. Bell’s codefendant and former employee, Melisha Oxendine West, 51, was sentenced last month following her guilty plea to 24 months imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release in connection with the same scheme.
“People who steal taxpayer-funded programs intended to provide healthcare to the needy will be investigated and prosecuted,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “For over a decade, Bell and his pharmacy fraudulently billed Medicare and Medicaid over $4 million for medicine he never actually gave to patients. That money should have gone to getting vital medications to those in need.”
Beginning as early as 2006 through July 2017, Bell, acting through Townsend’s Pharmacy, billed Medicare, Medicaid, and various private health plans for prescription drugs that were never actually dispensed by the pharmacy. Bell had trained West and other employees on how to bill health care benefit plans for drugs that were not authorized or dispensed. Bell also trained employees to falsely reauthorize a previously existing prescription from a licensed medical professional, and, how to falsely bill health care benefit programs as though a drug had been dispensed. West began independently running the pharmacy’s operations while Bell continued to knowingly profit from the fraudulent billing practices. This fraud scheme in total cost Medicare and North Carolina Medicaid over $4M in fraudulent billings by conservative estimates.
"When providers submit false claims to Medicare and Medicaid, they take valuable, taxpayer-funded resources away from patients," said Tamala E. Miles, Special Agent in Charge at the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). "HHS-OIG is proud to work with our partners to hold accountable those who attempt to illegitimately profit off of federal health care programs."
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan announced the sentence. The United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General is investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Beraka is prosecuting the cases.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Cases No. 7:22-cr-00107-FL and 7:21-cr-00129-FL.
Putnam County Man Charged with Possession of Destructive Devices and a Firearm with an Obliterated Serial NumberRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – August 10, 2023 – Levi Austin Flatt, 31, of Baxter, Tennessee, was charged yesterday by federal criminal complaint with three counts related to possession of a destructive device and one count related to possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number announced United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis.
The criminal complaint alleges that on August 7, 2023, officers with the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office (“PCSO”) observed a video on the Flatt’s Facebook account that depicted him holding a plastic bottle, a wine bottle, and a galvanized pipe with an endcap affixed to the end. The three items were taped together with what appears to be yellow tape. Black and white braided electrical wires hung from the device. In the video, Flatt stated: “Hey ATF, let me know if this is legal, a pound of Tannerite, a pipe bomb, and a wine bottle full of diesel…oh is that legal ATF… just let me know about this…somebody let me know.”
Later that same day, PCSO officers pulled over Flatt while he was driving less than a mile from the Putnam County Fair. Flatt exited his van with an empty holster on his right side and a fixed blade knife on his lower back. Officers searched the van and found, among other things, a fully loaded 9 mm pistol with an obliterated serial number; seven extended magazines containing 145 rounds of 9 mm ammunition; three additional suspected bombs, one of which contained metal shrapnel inside; several additional metal pipes with one end of each pipe welded closed; two Molotov cocktails; and, a receipt for a propane tank.
This case is being investigated by the ATF, FBI, Tennessee Highway Patrol – Special Operations Unit, and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Risinger is prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Owner of Maryland Construction Company Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
A Maryland man pleaded guilty today to evading his federal income taxes.
According to court documents, Jerry Lee Redman of Severn, Maryland, owned Redman Services Inc. (RSI), a paving and construction company. For at least 2015 through 2018, Redman filed corporate income tax returns for RSI that underreported the business’s gross receipts. Redman caused customers to write checks to him personally, instead of to RSI, and then deposited those checks into his personal bank account. Those payments were not reported as gross receipts on RSI’s corporate returns. During the same years, Redman also did not report other income that he received from RSI. Redman withdrew and caused others to withdraw funds from RSI’s business bank account to pay for his personal expenses, but Redman did not report those funds as income on his own tax returns. Some of the withdrawals for personal expenses were also falsely deducted as business expenses on RSI’s corporate returns. Redman’s conduct caused a loss to the IRS of approximately $666,113.
If convicted, Redman faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Melissa S. Siskind and Christina M. Grimes of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
Otay Mesa Detention Facility Case Manager Accused of Having Sex with DetaineeRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – August 10, 2023
SAN DIEGO – Shantal Hernandez is charged in a complaint unsealed today with having sexual relations with a detainee at the Otay Mesa Detention Facility while she was a case manager at the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman (OIDO), which provides oversight of immigration detention facilities.
OIDO is an independent office within the Department of Homeland Security. OIDO was established by Congress to assist individuals with complaints about the potential violation of immigration detention standards or other misconduct by Department of Homeland Security or contract personnel and provides oversight of immigration detention facilities. It is not a part of Immigration and Customs Enforcement or U.S. Customs and Border Protection. As part of her duties, Hernandez managed the complaints of ICE detainees in various detention facilities in the San Diego area.
According to the complaint, agents with the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of Professional Responsibility (ICE OPR), received information that Hernandez had been spending an unusual amount of time with a detainee - identified in court documents by the initials I.K.N. - at the Otay Mesa facility.
The complaint alleges that agents from ICE OPR obtained phone records from OMDC and determined that I.K.N. and Hernandez engaged in a significant number of sexually explicit phone calls and electronic communications. These calls discussed an ongoing relationship and sex acts between Hernandez and I.K.N. For example, in one call, Hernandez told I.K.N. that she had a video of one of their sex acts. Agents executed a search warrant that yielded a copy of one such video.
“The alleged conduct cannot and will not be tolerated,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden. “Those in a position of authority over immigration detainees must be held to the highest standard.”
“Hernandez’ main purpose as a DHS OIDO case manager was to promote safe and humane conditions within immigration detention,” said Jeffrey Gilgallon, special agent in charge for the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR). “However, she allegedly abandoned that oversight role, instead using her position to engage in prohibited sexual activity with an ICE detainee in one of our detention facilities. OPR is fully committed to enforcing ICE’s zero tolerance policy against sexual abuse in our detention facilities and aggressively pursuing those DHS employees who violate the law, no matter their role or title.”
Hernandez made her initial appearance in federal court this afternoon. She is scheduled to appear in court on August 15, 2023, at 10 a.m. for a detention hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jill L. Burkhardt.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 23mj2882
Shantal Hernandez Age: 36 San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Sexual Abuse of a Ward – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 2243(b)
Maximum penalty: Fifteen years in prison and $250,000 fine
AGENCY
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of Professional Responsibility
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Ontario County Man Pleads Guilty to Bilking Investors Out of Hundreds of Thousands of DollarsRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Thomas Corsaro, 59, of Bloomfield, NY, pleaded guilty to wire fraud before Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard A. Resnick, who is handling the case, stated that between November 2020, and November 2022, Corsaro, acting as an investment adviser, executed a scheme to defraud eight individual investors who invested funds with him. Rather than invest the funds, as he represented he would do, Corsaro used the funds for his own personal use, depositing the funds into personal and business bank accounts. In total, Corsaro received $1,712,469.32 from the eight investors. He repaid $265,642.83 prior to the criminal investigation.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 6, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. before Judge Wolford.
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Ohkay Owingeh Man Charged with Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today that Dwayne Calvert made an initial appearance in federal court on an indictment charging him with sexual abuse. Calvert, 34, of Ohkay Owingeh, and an enrolled member of Pueblo of Ohkay Owingeh, will remain in custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for Friday, August 11, 2023.
According to the indictment, on July 2, 2022, Calvert attempted to engage in sexual intercourse with the victim, Jane Doe, while Doe was incapable of consenting to the sexual act.
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Calvert faces up to life in prison and a term of supervised release between five years and the remainder of his life.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services. Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Jones is prosecuting the case.
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23-175
Odessa Man Indicted in Pecos for Allegedly Attempting to Smuggle Methamphetamine from Mexico to DallasRead the Press Release
PECOS, Texas – A federal grand jury in Pecos returned an indictment today charging an Odessa man with importation and possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine.
According to the affidavit attached to a complaint, Angel Vargas-Valdivia, 23, attempted to enter the United States from Mexico through the Presidio Port of Entry on Aug. 8. During a Customs and Border Protection inspection, officers noticed evidence of tampering on the rear quarter panels of Vargas’s vehicle, as well as abnormally heavy vehicle doors. X-ray imaging revealed anomalies within the vehicle’s quarter panels, side doors, rear cargo door, trunk and roof. Further inspection revealed 154 bundles weighing approximately 72.2 kilograms. A crystal-like substance extracted from the bundles tested positive for properties of methamphetamine.
Vargas-Valdivia made his initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge David Fannin of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. If convicted, he faces a penalty of 10 years to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas and Special Agent in Charge Francisco B. Burrola for the Homeland Security Investigations El Paso Division made the announcement.
HSI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Greenbaum is prosecuting the case.
An indictment/complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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New Yorker Guilty of Possessing Automatic Rifle in Basilica School ZoneRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Brooklyn, NY man has pleaded guilty to a federal firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today.
Ahmed Abdalla Allam, 26, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in a school zone before U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone today.
According to information presented in court, on Jan. 29, 2023, Allam was found in possession of a multi-caliber rifle within 1,000 feet of St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica School in Beaumont. Allam also possessed a 30-round magazine and 150 rounds of ammunition. It is a federal violation to possess firearms within 1,000 feet of a school zone.
“We are grateful to our Beaumont citizens who were vigilant and looked out for their community by reporting this defendant’s suspicious activity,” said U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. “We are also grateful to the Beaumont Police Department and its officers who ensured that this defendant was unable to act on whatever it was he had planned.”
Allam was indicted by a federal grand jury on Feb. 1, 2023. He faces up to five years in federal prison. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing 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 U.S. Probation Office.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case is being investigated by the Beaumont Police Department, Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, FBI, Port Arthur Fire Department, and Montgomery County Fire Marshall. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John B. Ross.
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New York Man Charged with Fraudulently Obtaining More Than $1 MillionRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. B A New York man was arrested this morning on charges he fraudulently obtained more than $1 million in a COVID-19 scheme, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Terrell Fuller, 33, of Brooklyn, New York, is charged by complaint with one count of wire fraud. Fuller is scheduled to appear this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Edward S. Kiel in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was a federal law enacted in or around March 2020 that was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act enabled the Small Business Association (SBA) to offer funding through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program to business owners negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In September 2021, a fraudulent EIDL application was made to the SBA on behalf of a business. The SBA provided $1.2 million in response to the application. According to a representative of the business, the business did not make the application. Approximately $400,000 of the funds paid out by the SBA in response to the application were eventually deposited into bank accounts to which Fuller was the sole signatory.
The charge of wire fraud is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of the greater of $250,000, twice the gross profits or twice the gross loss suffered to the victims of his offense, whichever is greatest.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, and special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins, with the investigation leading to today’s arrest. He also thanked the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, the New York Police Department and FBI – New York for their assistance.
The government is represented by Senior Trial Counsel Andrew Kogan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Cybercrime Unit in Newark.
The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
fuller.complaint.pdfNew Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Violations of the Federal Controlled Substances Act and Interstate Travel in Aid of RacketeeringRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – CHARLES WADE, age 42, a resident from New Orleans, pled guilty on August 9, 2023 before United States District Court Judge Jane Triche Milazzo to a two-count superseding bill of information charging him in count one with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine hydrochloride, one kilogram or more of heroin, and 400 grams or more of fentanyl and in count two with interstate travel in aid of racketeering, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
During the investigation, law enforcement, led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, seized over forty (40) kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride, six (6) kilograms of fentanyl, four and a half (4.5) kilograms of heroin, and over four hundred thousand ($400,000.00) in bulk cash.
According to court documents, WADE and other co-conspirators are responsible for the distribution of multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin within the Eastern District of Louisiana.
For count one, WADE faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years up to a maximum term of life, a fine of up to $10,000,000.00, at least five years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. For count two, WADE faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration – New Orleans Field Division Office and assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Border Patrol, Gretna Major Crimes Task Force, Kenner Police Department, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, St. John’s Parish Sheriff’s Office, New Orleans Sheriff’s Office, and New Orleans Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on August 8, 2023, DAVID COULTER, age 34, of New Orleans, pleaded guilty as charged on August 8, 2023 to Count 2 of his indictment for being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2).
According to court documents, COULTER has a prior conviction for possessing cocaine and multiple convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm or weapon in Orleans Parish. Due to this criminal history, he is prohibited from having a firearm. He is now charged with possessing a Glock Model 34, nine-millimeter semi-automatic handgun on January 16 and January 18, 2022.
As it relates to Count 2, the maximum penalty includes a term of imprisonment of up to 10 years, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three years of supervised release, as well as a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. He will be sentenced on November 28, 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. This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Trummel of the Violent Crime Unit.
Mitchell Man Sentenced for Receipt and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Mitchell, South Dakota, man/woman convicted of Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on August 7, 2023.
Justin Douglas Brende, age 43, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, 15 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Brende was indicted by a federal grand jury in June of 2022. He pleaded guilty on May 16, 2023.
The conviction stemmed from incidents between November 1, 2020 and October 3, 2021, when Brende knowingly received and distributed material which contained child pornography. Brende used his cellular phone to access the internet and subsequently searched for, received, and distributed child pornography. On some occasions, he used his PayPal account as a means to pay money to access digital files that contained images and videos of prepubescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Some of the prepubescent minors had not attained the age of 12.
This case was investigated by the DCI, the SD Internet Crimes Against Children, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and the Mitchell Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Brende was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Minneapolis Man Sentenced to 17 Years in Federal Prison for Directing Drug Conspiracy from inside the Grand Forks County JailRead the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota, announced that on August 10, 2023, Timothy Edward Eason, age 57, Minneapolis, MN, was sentenced to 204 months imprisonment, 5 years supervised release and $200 Special Assessment for Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances and Money Laundering Conspiracy.
On October 18, 2021, Eason was arrested on state drug charges and was held in the Grand Forks County Jail. The investigation revealed that from October 2021 to February 2022, Eason used communication facilities in the jail to arrange shipments of methamphetamine and fentanyl from Arizona to distributors in Fargo, North Dakota, Moorhead, Minnesota and elsewhere. Eason and other co-conspirators arranged payment for these controlled substances through cash applications such as Cash App and Chime.
Eason and Tiffany Marie Johnson were indicted by a Grand Jury in North Dakota on February 16, 2022. A Superseding Indictment was returned on March 16, 2022, adding additional defendants, Alfonso Demond Patrick and Ashtyn Lenea Gladue.
The investigation resulted in the identification and prosecution of the source of supply in Arizona. The other sentences handed down in this case include:
Alfonso Demond Patrick, 47, Phoenix, Arizona - 96 months imprisonment and 3 years supervised release.
Tiffany Marie Johnson, age 43, Moorhead, Minnesota - 54 months imprisonment and 3 years supervised release.
Ashtyn Lenea Gladue, age 26, Rolla, North Dakota - 42 months imprisonment and 3 years supervised release.
“Distributing dangerous drugs like fentanyl and meth puts lives at risk in our communities,” Schneider said. “Arranging shipments of these drugs from a county jail, as today’s sentence shows, is a surefire way to land an even longer stay in a federal prison. This result is a real credit to the teamwork of our local, state, and federal partners.”
This case was investigated by the Grand Forks Narcotics Task Force, the Grand Forks Police Department, Grand Forks Sheriff’s Department, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Inspection Service, Cass County Drug Task Force and Moorhead Police Department.
The cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher C. Myers
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Minneapolis Felon Sentenced to 15.5 Years in Prison for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to 186 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegal possession of a firearm after engaging in a shootout in north Minneapolis, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on December 20, 2021, Dominique Marquise McCaskel, 26, was in possession of a loaded Sig Sauer, model P365, 9mm semiautomatic pistol. According to the defendant’s plea agreement and other court documents, surveillance footage from a nearby business showed a vehicle drive slowly past McCaskel, stopping momentarily in an alleyway several feet ahead of McCaskel. Upon seeing the vehicle, McCaskel pulled his Sig Sauer firearm from his pocket, ran towards the vehicle as it was pulling away, and exchanged gunfire with individuals in the vehicle. McCaskel was shot, suffering two non-life-threatening gunshot wounds, and fell to the sidewalk, while the vehicle fled the area. Officers with the Minneapolis Police Department responded to the scene and recovered two 9mm discharged cartridge casings near McCaskel on the ground, and later recovered McCaskel’s firearm. Police also found that McCaskel had several suspected fentanyl pills and cash on his person. The Minneapolis Police Forensics Division determined that the two recovered discharged cartridge casings were shot from McCaskel’s Sig Sauer firearm. The Forensics Division also found McCaskel’s thumbprint on the loaded magazine that was inserted into the firearm.
Because McCaskel has several prior felony convictions, including crimes of violence, he is prohibited from lawfully possessing any firearms or ammunition.
McCaskel pleaded guilty on March 14, 2023, to one count of possession of a firearm as an armed career criminal felon. McCaskel was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court before Senior Judge Ann D. Montgomery.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Minneapolis Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Bejar and Hillary A. Taylor prosecuted the case.
Luzerne County Woman Pleads Guilty to Preparing and Submitting Numerous False Economic Injury Disaster Loan (Eidl) Applications in Covid-19 Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Angela Castillo, age 39, of Freeland, PA, pleaded guilty on August 9, 2023, before United States District Judge Robert D. Mariani, to a wire fraud scheme involving the preparation and submission of numerous false Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the criminal Information to which Castillo pleaded guilty alleges that between June 2020 and September 2020, on behalf of other individuals and in exchange for payment, Castillo prepared and submitted to the United States Small Business Association (SBA) at least 40 false EIDL applications containing material misrepresentations. Castillo’s conduct resulted in the SBA paying out approximately $163,000.00 in COVID-19 relief funds to individuals, none of whom actually owned a qualifying small business, and who therefore were not entitled to receive such funds under the program. Pursuant to the terms of her plea agreement, Castillo acknowledged that the monetary loss attributable to her conduct was between $150,000.00 and $250,000.00, and she agreed to make restitution to the SBA.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffery St John is 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.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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Lowell, Maine Man Sentenced to 3 Years for CyberstalkingRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Lowell, Maine man was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Portland for cyberstalking.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Jonathan Trayes, 34, to 36 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Trayes pleaded guilty on September 26, 2022.
According to court records, Trayes was involved in a brief relationship with the victim which ended when Trayes was arrested for violating conditions of release after the victim accused him of physical assault. Trayes eventually pleaded guilty in state court to domestic assault with priors, violating conditions of release and aggravated assault and was sentenced to five years of incarceration with all but two years suspended followed by four years of probation.
Beginning shortly after his release, Trayes began posting embarrassing, sexually graphic images and videos of the victim online, including identifying information including the victim’s name and what he believed was the victim’s address. The harassment continued for more than a year, leading the victim to reach out to the FBI.
The FBI conducted the investigation.
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Louisville Felon Sentenced to Nearly 4 Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a Machine GunRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A Louisville man was sentenced to nearly 4 years in prison yesterday for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and illegal possession of a machine gun.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
According to court documents, on February 13, 2023, Charles Divine, 27, possessed two Glock 9-millimeter pistols and a Glock switch, which is a device that allows a semi-automatic handgun to function as an automatic. A Glock switch is defined as a machine gun under federal law. Divine was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offense. On June 30, 2020, in Oldham Circuit Court, Divine was convicted of wanton endangerment in the first degree.
Yesterday, Divine was sentenced to 3 years and 10 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the ATF and LMPD.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Dahl prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Local man imprisoned for distributing meth out of car shopRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 42-year old Houston man has been handed a significant sentence for his role in a counterfeit opiate conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Jason Curtis Caldwell pleaded guilty Jan. 6 to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Senior U.S. District Judge David Hittner has now sentenced him to a 210-month-term of imprisonment to be immediately followed by five-years of supervised release. Prior to handing down the sentence, Judge Hittner emphasized several times to Caldwell and his attorney that it only takes one fentanyl pill to kill.
Caldwell was running a multi-drug distribution operation out of Caldwell’s car shop, North West Customz. He was known to carry a firearm during his operations and distributed kilogram amounts of meth as well as counterfeit opiate pills that contained fentanyl.
“With approximately 500 fatal overdoses each year in Houston alone linked to fentanyl, we cannot overstate the danger it presents to our communities,” said Hamdani. “We will not stop fighting to protect the citizens of the Southern District of Texas. This case was a great example of that effort and demonstration of the collaboration between federal and local agencies in bringing a meth and fentanyl distributor to justice.”
The investigation began after agents discovered Caldwell was supplying meth to another individual who was distributing counterfeit opiate pills. Those pills contained meth.
Further law enforcement efforts revealed Caldwell sold counterfeit opiate pills on two difference occasions to two others. Those individuals have also been convicted.
Previously released on bond, Caldwell was taken into custody following the sentencing where he will remain pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Texas Department of Public Safety and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, Houston Police Department and Harris County Constable’s Office Precinct 4.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jimmy Leo prosecuted the case.
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. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
Lame Deer woman admits trafficking methamphetamineRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Lame Deer woman accused of selling methamphetamine on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation admitted to a trafficking crime today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Adrienne Dawn Laforge, 34, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute meth. Laforge faces a mandatory minimum five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Dec. 8. Laforge was detained pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that in August 2022, law enforcement purchased meth from Laforge at a house in Lame Deer. An indictment accused Laforge with trafficking meth from about January through October 2022 on the Northern Cheyenne and Crow Indian reservations. Laforge and others were charged as a result of an investigation into a large drug trafficking conspiracy.
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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Kalamazoo Man Indicted for Sexual Exploitation of A ChildRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced the indictment of Jordan Isaiah Maurice Watts, 31, for three counts of sexual exploitation of a child. While Watts was charged by criminal complaint on July 25, 2023, to secure his immediate detention, today’s action satisfies the defendant’s constitutional right to federal indictment by a grand jury.
“As part of our mission to protect the public, my office is committed to holding accountable persons who produce child pornography,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “My office is fully prepared to prove these allegations at trial.”
Watts is charged with three counts of sexual exploitation of a child, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a) and (e). If convicted, the statutory mandatory minimum sentence for each count is 15 years in prison with a maximum possible sentence of 30 years in prison.
“The sexual exploitation of children is among the most disturbing crimes the FBI investigates,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “I would like to thank the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office and the Portage Department of Public Safety whose partnership with our office helps ensure anyone who exploits vulnerable children will be brought to justice.”
Arraignment and an initial pretrial conference on these charges is scheduled for August 29, 2023, at 11:30 a.m. before Magistrate Judge Ray Kent.
The charges in an indictment are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.
Jordan Watts Indictment###
Jury Convicts Ex-FBI Agent of Secret Probation SchemeRead the Press Release
A retired FBI agent who convinced a Granbury woman she was on “secret probation” and conned her out of more than $700,000 was convicted at trial of eight federal crimes, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton announced today. His coconspirator who also carried out the “secret probation” scheme was convicted as well.
William Roy Stone, Jr., 64, was indicted in May 2021. After 12 days of trial and just 4 hours of deliberation, a jury convicted him of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, five counts of wire fraud, one count of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from unlawful activity, and one count of false impersonation of a federal officer. Coconspirator Joseph Eventino DeLeon, 64, was indicted in December 2021. The jury convicted him of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
“Mr. Stone used his imposing status as a former FBI special agent to manipulate, intimidate, and steal from his victim,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “Federal agents should be pillars of integrity. When they fail to meet that standard, we will not hesitate to hold them accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
According to evidence presented at trial, Mr. Stone convinced his victim, C.T., that she was under “secret probation” for federal drug crimes in “Judge Anderson’s court in Austin, Texas.”
He and Mr. DeLeon told the victim that the fictious federal judge had appointed the two of them to administer the conditions of her six year “secret probation”. They required her to text them written reports of her daily activities, and to compensate them for their supervisory services, as well as any expenses they incurred. Copies of the multiple six figure checks she wrote them were admitted into evidence at trial. Over the course of eleven months, C.T. gave Mr. Stone more than $700,000 and Mr. DeLeon more than $50,000.
Mr. Stone and Mr. DeLeon insisted that C.T. was prohibited from disclosing her probation status to anyone, and would risk imprisonment and loss of her children if she did not comply with the terms of her probation.
In recorded phone calls introduced into evidence at trial, when C.T. began to question the situation, Mr. Stone assured her everything he’d done was “legit.”
C.T.: What I’m saying is, all of that stuff was to compensate you for all the stuff that you did for me, you know.
STONE: Okay, then. Okay. We don’t need to discuss that anymore. It’s over. It’s done.
C.T.: Well, I’m just trying to let you know that I feel like that’s a huge order. I mean, I feel like I could have got, like, the best attorney in, like, the world for $100,000.
STONE: Well, you know what, we can’t change the past, now can we?
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C.T.: I’m not stupid, Bill. I may have been, you know, blinded because I thought that somebody in your position wouldn’t ever do what you did to me.
STONE: I never did anything.
C.T.: You took advantage of me based upon who you were in society.
C.T.: I even looked up Judge Anderson in Austin and the Anderson that pulls up... There’s not one, Bill. There is not one. There is not a Judge Anderson in Austin.
STONE: Bye.In order to further convince her the probation was real, the defendants monitored her cell phone communications, conducted physical surveillance of her, stated they had discussed C.T.’s probation with a psychiatrist, enlisted another person to impersonate the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration “Intelligence Center” in a message inquiring about C.T., and even placed spoof calls between Mr. Stone, C.T., and the fictitious Judge Anderson.
They urged her to distance herself from her family, claiming her family members wanted to take her inheritance away from her, and persuaded her to transfer her inherited assets out of a trust and into an account under her own name. At one point, they allegedly claimed Judge Anderson would discharge C.T.’s probation if C.T. agreed to marry Mr. Stone. Mr. DeLeon even carried a weapon in C.T.’s home while purportedly providing “protective services” for her.
Mr. Stone now faces up to 158 total years in federal prison. Mr. DeLeon faces up to 20 years in prison.
The Texas Rangers and the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Mr. Stone retired from the Federal Bureau of Investigation in October 2015. The Bureau provided valuable assistance during the trial. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jenna Rudoff, Donna Strittmatter Max, and Marcus Busch are prosecuting the case with the support of Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Miller and Appellate Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Pryor; Assistant U.S. Attorney Dimitri Rocha is handling the forfeiture. U.S. District Judge Ada Brown presided over trial.
Jamestown Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Heroin and Fentanyl Which Resulted in Two DeathsRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Steven Mojica Medina, 35, of Jamestown, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, heroin, fentanyl, and acetyl fentanyl, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 50 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Adler, who is handling the case, stated that on August 30, 2018, an individual identified as J.H., fatally overdosed after ingesting a substance containing fentanyl, and acetyl fentanyl. Medina provided J.H. with the fentanyl and fentanyl analogue mixture shortly before J.H. died. Approximately a week later, on September 9, 2018, an individual identified as J.T. fatally overdosed after ingesting a substance containing heroin, fentanyl, and acetyl fentanyl. Medina provided the substance to a third party who then provided it to J.T.
On December 1 and 2, 2020, the Jamestown Police Department conducted controlled purchases of heroin and fentanyl from Medina. Subsequently, a search warrant was executed at Medina’s Euclid Avenue residence during which investigators recovered two loaded firearms, a drug ledger, 48 bags of fentanyl weighing 1.76 grams, and cocaine. On November 1, 2021, Medina was pulled over in his vehicle by the Jamestown Police Department. Officers recovered a 9mm semi-automatic pistol, six magazines and approximately 167 rounds of 9mm ammunition. Medina also had 24 wrapped baggies of crack cocaine weighing 3.8 grams. In July 2015, Medina was convicted of a felony in Chautauqua County Court and is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 11, 2023, before Judge Arcara.
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Inmate at FCI Schuylkill Pleads Guilty to Possession of Contraband in PrisonRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Daquon Brooks, age 28, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution, Schuylkill, in Minersville, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on August 8, 2023, before U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson, to the charge of possession of contraband in prison.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Brooks was found by staff on April 20, 2023, in possession of a dangerous prison-made weapon, commonly known as a “shank.”
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law is five years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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Huntington Man Sentenced to 230 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE –Stephen Pax, 54 years old, of Huntington, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to distribution of material involving the sexual exploitation of minors, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Pax was sentenced to 212 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release. The Court also revoked Pax’s supervised release on his prior conviction for distribution of child sexual abuse material and sentenced him to an additional 18 months in prison. The Court ordered these sentences to be served consecutively for a total term of 230 months in prison.
According to documents in the case, from about February 2020, through February 2021, Pax knowingly distributed child sexual abuse materials using a means of interstate commerce.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service with the assistance of the Indiana State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Miller Lowery.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Government Contractor Supplying Explosive Detection Canines at U.S. Embassy Settles FCA Allegations Regarding Deficient TrainingRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – SOC LLC, located in Chantilly, has agreed to pay $259,353.60 to settle False Claims Act (FCA) allegations that canine handlers, employed by SOC under a State Department contract, reported time training canines when, in actuality, training had not taken place or the training did not occur for the time reported to the government.
The settlement arises in connection with a lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provision of the FCA by a former SOC canine handler, United States ex rel. Morris v. SOC LLC, et al. Under the Worldwide Protective Service (WPS) II contract awarded to SOC by the U.S. Department of State, SOC supplied explosive sniffing canines and canine handlers at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq. The WPS II contract required the canines to receive four hours of explosive proficiency training weekly with their handlers. The settlement resolves allegations that SOC handlers and trainers violated the FCA by falsely reporting the requisite four hours of weekly proficiency training regardless of whether training happened that week or fell short of the four-hour requirement.
A whistleblower suit, or qui tam action under the False Claims Act, is commenced by an individual, known as a “relator,” filing a complaint under seal in the U.S. District Court, and providing a copy of the complaint and evidence to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The United States then has an opportunity to investigate the claims. The False Claims Act provides whistleblowers with a share of the government’s recovery. The relator here will receive a share of this settlement.
The resolutions obtained in this matter were the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and the U.S. Department of State Office of Inspector General.
The matter was investigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Starr. The civil claims settled by this False Claims Act agreement are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae. Related court documents and information from the civil lawsuit can be accessed on PACER by searching for No. 1:21-cv-327.
Former West Michigan Doctor to Be Sentenced in OctoberRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney’s Office Seeks to Identify Any Additional Victims of Dr. Daniel Castro
GRAND RAPIDS – On April 3, 2023, Daniel J. Castro, M.D., pled guilty to making a false statement related to health care matters in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1035. The sentencing hearing for Dr. Castro is scheduled for October 5, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. at the United States District Court, 315 W. Allegan Street, Lansing, Michigan.
As part of the plea agreement, Dr. Castro agreed that conduct related to certain health care fraud schemes set forth in the Indictment against him would constitute relevant conduct for purposes of his sentencing. As alleged in the Indictment, Dr. Castro engaged in a scheme to defraud health care benefit programs by performing medically unnecessary sinus surgeries. Additionally, he engaged in a scheme to defraud by billing excisions of single lymph nodes, submandibular glands, and other glands of the neck as if he performed modified radical or selective neck dissections, which are complex and higher-paying procedures for cancer of the head and neck. These schemes to defraud are alleged to have occurred from February 2015 until May 2017 at Bronson Battle Creek Hospital.
Patients who underwent sinus or neck surgery between February 2015 and May 2017 performed by Dr. Castro may qualify as victims of his offense under federal law and may be entitled to certain rights and, potentially, to restitution. To receive victim services and be considered for restitution, those patients must identify themselves to the U.S. Attorney’s office in Grand Rapids, Michigan prior to the sentencing hearing on October 5.
Patients seeking more information or who believe they are victims of the conduct described above may access additional case information at https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmi/victim-and-witness-assistance-program/vw-large-cases/Castro. Alternatively, potential victims may call Kathy Schuette, Victim Witness Coordinator, at (616) 808-2034 or Breane Warner, Victim Assistance Specialist, at (616) 808-2064.
Any patient that already is receiving victim services from the U.S. Attorney’s Office need not contact the office unless they have questions or concerns that have not already been addressed.
Daniel Castro Indictment###
Former U.S. Postal Service Employee Convicted of Mail Theft & Sentenced to Four Years of ProbationRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Joshua P. Copas, 38, Cumberland, Wisconsin, pleaded guilty today to one count of theft of mail while a U.S. Postal Service employee and was sentenced to four years of probation by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson on that count.
In early June 2022, a woman living in Cumberland contacted her local police department to report a stolen Menards rebate check. When she did not receive the check in the mail as expected, she called Menards and learned that the check had been spent without her knowledge. Footage of the transaction showed the check was used by Copas, who was working as a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier at the time. Further investigation linked Copas to thefts of 30 other Menards rebate checks, all but two of which were to be delivered on his mail route from late March to late May 2022. The collective dollar amount associated with the 31 stolen rebate checks was $4,547.84.
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Peterson noted that the harm caused by Copas’ crime is two-fold. He first acknowledged the financial harm caused to the victims in this case, particularly those who lost hundreds of dollars in rebates. He then emphasized the general harm caused to the Postal Service itself. Copas was given a position of trust with the Postal Service and violated that trust. His theft degraded the confidence that the public places in the Postal Service to steadfastly deliver the mail. Given the severity of the crime, Judge Peterson imposed four years of probation and ordered Copas to pay the full $4,547.84 in restitution to the victims.
The charge against Copas was the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Cumberland Police Department, and Rice Lake Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anita Marie Boor prosecuted this case.
Former South Carolina Priest Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to Child Sexual Exploitation OffenseRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Jamie Adolfo Gonzalez-Farias, a/k/a “Father Gonzalez,” 68, of Laurens, a former Catholic priest, has pleaded guilty in federal court to Transportation of a Minor with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity. Specifically, Gonzalez-Farias admitted that he transported a minor victim from South Carolina to Florida with the intent to commit lewd and lascivious exhibition and lewd and lascivious molestation in violation of Florida state law.
According to evidence presented in court:
Gonzalez-Farias served as a Catholic priest in Newberry and Laurens Counties. In May 2020, Gonzalez-Farias met the minor victim and his family by virtue of his service as a priest. He began giving gifts and increasing amounts of attention towards the minor victim. In November 2020, the minor victim’s family reported to Catholic authorities their concern that the priest’s relationship with the minor victim was inappropriate. Church authorities suspended Gonzalez-Farias and made a report to the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office, and an investigation ensued.
The FBI conducted a forensic interview in which the minor victim disclosed that in November 2020, when the minor victim was 11 years-old, the priest took him to Florida under the pretense of a beach vacation. During that trip, Gonzales-Farias masturbated in front of the minor victim, attempted to sexually assault the minor victim, and showed the minor victim pornography. The FBI corroborated the victim’s disclosures by recovering text messages and WhatsApp messages sent by the priest to the minor, which were consistent with the victim’s disclosures.
When the FBI and the United States Marshals Service arrested Gonzales-Farias at the Miami International Airport, he admitted that he showered with the victim, that he touched the minor victim’s genitals, and that he showed the minor victim pornography.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Gonzalez-Farias after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. Transportation of a Minor with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison, plus fines and restitution. The statute also requires the defendant to register as a sex offender.
The FBI is seeking the public’s help in identifying potential victims. If you believe you or your minor dependent(s) were victimized by Gonzalez-Farias, or if you have relevant information about Gonzalez-Farias the FBI should know, you are encouraged to contact the FBI at 803-551-4200.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliott B. Daniels and E. Elizabeth Major are prosecuting the case.
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Former Miami-Dade Corrections Sergeant Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Relief FraudRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Arashio Harris, 48, who was a Corrections Sergeant with the Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department (“MDCRD”), has pleaded guilty to wire fraud in connection with his fraudulent applications for two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, two Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDL”), and an EIDL advance. Harris entered his guilty plea in Miami, Florida, yesterday before Chief U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga.
According to the facts admitted at the change of plea, Harris, along with being a MDCRD Sergeant, also was the owner and President of The Good Family Property Solutions Inc. (“Good Family”) and Flying Lions LLC (“Flying Lions”). Working with an associate, on April 3, 2020, Harris submitted and caused to be submitted to the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”) a false and fraudulent EIDL application in the name of Good Family, seeking both an EIDL and an EIDL advance. In this fraudulent application, Harris falsely claimed that for the 12-month period prior to January 31, 2020, Good Family had gross revenues of approximately $130,000 and nine employees. As a result of this fraudulent application, Good Family obtained from the SBA a $9,000 EIDL advance that did not need to be repaid and $14,500 in EIDL loan proceeds. Harris also admitted that on June 30, 2020, he submitted and caused to be submitted a false and fraudulent EIDL application to the SBA for Flying Lions, claiming that Flying Lions had gross revenues of over $480,000 and 10 employees during that same period of time. As a result of this fraudulent application, Flying Lions obtained approximately $150,000 in EIDL proceeds from the SBA.
Harris additionally admitted at the change of plea that with the assistance of the same individual, he fraudulently obtained two PPP loans in the name of Good Family. First, on July 9, 2020, Harris submitted and caused to be submitted a false and fraudulent PPP loan application falsely claiming that Good Family had 10 employees and a payroll of approximately $51,710 per month. In support of this application, Harris submitted a fraudulent 2019 IRS Form 1120 falsely claiming that Good Family had a total income of over $1,050,000 and had paid wages and salaries that year of over $768,000 and a fraudulent IRS Form 944 for 2019 showing over $620,500 in wage and salary payments. The application also included false IRS Form W-2’s and Good Family payroll records for these supposed employees, and as a result of this false and fraudulent application, Harris obtained a $129,275 PPP loan from an SBA-approved PPP lender.
On February 26, 2021, Harris began the process of seeking a second-draw PPP loan for Good Family to fraudulently take advantage of the additional PPP relief being offered to businesses that suffered revenue losses in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The second-draw application once again relied on the false income and payroll numbers used to obtain the first PPP loan, and the application package included the same fraudulent 2019 IRS Form 1120, as well as a fraudulent 2019 IRS Form 940 claiming that Good Family paid its employees over $620,000 in 2019 and fabricated Good Family payroll records for those supposed employees. As a result of this second-draw application, Good Family obtained a second-draw PPP loan of $129,276 from a different SBA-approved PPP lender.
Harris is scheduled for sentencing on October 27, at 12:30 p.m. before Chief U.S. District Judge Altonaga in Miami, Fla., where he faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. Line of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office, Inspector General Felix Jimenez of the Miami-Dade County Office of Inspector General (MDC-OIG), and SBA OIG’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG), Investigations Division’s Eastern Region, announced the guilty plea.
The FBI’s Miami Area Corruption Task Force, which includes task force officers from the MDC-OIG, working in conjunction with IRS-CI Miami and SBA-OIG Investigations Division’s Eastern Region, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward N. Stamm is prosecuting the case.
In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act authorized and provided funding to the SBA to provide Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDLs”) to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred. EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website, and the applications were processed and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA.
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.
On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please click here.
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.
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 23-cr-20295.
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Former Islamic center director sentenced to prison for embezzling funds, committing fraudRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The former director of a local Islamic center was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to four months in prison then four months in a halfway house followed by 12 months of home confinement for embezzling funds from the mosque, defrauding public housing, and filing for fraudulent COVID assistance funds.
Ahmed A. Sh. Ahmed, 44, of Gahanna, pleaded guilty in October 2022 to committing wire fraud, submitting a false statement and making a false statement as part of his three separate schemes to defraud. As part of his sentence, Ahmed will pay more than $82,000 in total restitution.
According to court documents, from at least 2009 until March 2019, Ahmed was employed as the Director of the Ibn Taymiyah Masjid and Islamic Center (ITMIC) on Mock Road in Columbus.
During his tenure as director, Ahmed used his position of trust to embezzle funds from the religious organization. Specifically, Ahmed wrote unauthorized checks from ITMIC’s accounts to himself. Each year from 2015 through 2018, Ahmed increased the amount he embezzled, writing himself $4,500 in checks in 2015; approximately $11,000 in checks in 2016; $12,900 in checks in 2017; and approximately $21,000 in checks in 2018.
Ahmed spent thousands of dollars of ITMIC funds to pay his own personal credit card bill and towards the purchase of his own personal vehicle.
Ahmed also defrauded the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority’s housing choice voucher program. From 2014 until at least 2020, Ahmed submitted false claims to obtain housing subsidies he would not otherwise qualify for given his true income and assets.
“Safeguarding taxpayer-funded programs and resources that are intended to benefit vulnerable families in our communities is vital to HUD’s success,” said HUD OIG Special Agent in Charge, Shawn Rice. “HUD OIG remains steadfast in its commitment to work closely with Federal prosecutors and law enforcement partners to aggressively investigate those who like Mr. Ahmed defraud HUD programs.”
The defendant falsely claimed his personal income was $18,000 annually and did not report any household assets. In reality, Ahmed and his wife deposited more than $235,000 into their bank accounts from 2014 through 2018.
Finally, Ahmed fraudulently applied for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance nine times from August until October 2020. During that same time frame, Ahmed generated at least $4,000 in revenue by producing and posting approximately 126 YouTube videos to his YouTube channel.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati division; and Shawn Rice, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, Mid-Atlantic Region; announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorney Jessica W. Knight is representing the United States in this case.
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Former Greenfield Township Supervisor and Sewer Authority Manager Sentenced to Prison for Clean Water Act Violations and Fraud Related CrimesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Bruce Evans, Sr., age 70, of Greenfield Township, Pennsylvania was sentenced on August 8, 2023, to two years in prison by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion for violating the Clean Water Act, wire fraud, and obstructing the delivery of correspondence. Evans, Sr. was convicted after trial in December of 2021.
Evans, Sr. knowingly failed to operate and maintain the municipality’s wastewater treatment plant in accordance with regulations and limitations specified in a permit issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) and the United States Environmental Protections Agency (EPA). The permit requires that the permittee at all times maintain in good working order, and properly operate and maintain all facilities and systems, which were installed and used by the permittee to achieve compliance with the terms and conditions of the permits. As a result of the defendant’s failures, pollutants were discharged in violation of the permit on multiple occasions.
Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the EPA presented testimony from 34 witnesses over the course of a trial that began on November 15, 2021 and ended on December 17, 2021. Evans, Sr. and co-defendant Bruce Evans, Jr. were tried together. Witnesses included Greenfield Township Sewer Authority (GTSA) board members, Greenfield Township Supervisors, FBI and EPA Special Agents, and multiple PADEP inspectors and supervisors.
Throughout the time covered by the charges, Bruce Evans, Sr. was a Greenfield Township Supervisor, a Greenfield Township employee, a GTSA Board Member, and Manager of the GTSA. Evans, Jr. was an employee of Greenfield Township and the GTSA. Evans, Sr. was convicted of twenty (20) counts of Clean Water Act violations; four (4) counts of wire fraud involving the misappropriation of GTSA funds for his personal benefit and the benefit of his family; and four (4) counts of obstruction of PADEP certified mail addressed to his fellow GTSA board members but intercepted by Evans, Sr. Evans, Jr. was convicted of four (4) counts of Clean Water Act violations, and one (1) count of submitting a false statement to the PADEP related to representations and certifications made by Evans, Jr. regarding his professional work experience.
Evans, Jr. was previously sentenced to serve 12 months plus one day in prison, a one-year term of supervised release upon release from federal custody, and restitution in the amount of $678.
In addition to the sentence of imprisonment, Evans, Sr. was ordered to serve a three-year term of supervised release upon release from federal custody. Judge Mannion reserved ruling on a restitution amount involving Evans, Sr.
“The defendant demonstrated disregard for the environment and continuously falsified data required under the Clean Water Act, said Acting Special Agent in Charge Lisa Matovic of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This sentencing demonstrates that deliberate violations of the Clean Water Act will be held accountable.”
The investigation was jointly conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Criminal Investigations Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Scranton Field Office, and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection - Northeast Region. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Olshefski and EPA Attorneys W. Martin Harrell and Patricia C. Miller prosecuted the case.
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Former Contract Employee Pleads Guilty in Amtrak Timecard, Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Edel Perez Acanda, 40, of Miami, Florida, has pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government funds for his role in a kickback scheme involving contractor employees providing services for Amtrak.
Earlier this year, two other defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for their roles in the kickback scheme in case no. 22-cr-20559: Bryan De Castro Palomino, 34, of Plantation, Florida, and Jean Barbier, 35, of Hialeah, Florida.
De Castro Palomino, Barbier, and Perez Acanda were employees at a company that had a federal government contract with Amtrak. From 2018 to 2020, De Castro Palomino, who was the warehouse manager, inflated Perez Acanda and Barbier’s timecards to falsely reflect that Perez Acanda and Barbier worked hours that they did not work. In exchange, Perez Acanda and Barbier sent De Castro Palomino part of their paychecks. De Castro Palomino received $77,966 in exchange for his services to fraudulently edit Perez Acanda and Barbier’s timecards. De Castro Palomino admitted that he is responsible for $155,929 in restitution to Amtrak. Perez Acanda admitted that he is responsible for $81,114 in restitution to Amtrak. Barbier admitted that he is responsible for $74,414 in restitution to Amtrak.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Basil Demczak of the Amtrak Office of Inspector General Central Field Office made the announcement.
Amtrak OIG’s Miami Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Thompson prosecuted it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx Calderon is handling forfeiture.
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 23-cr-20073.
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Five Defendants Sentenced to Federal Prison for Their Involvement in Drug Trafficking and Firearms CasesRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced the sentencing of five men yesterday in the Western District of Louisiana for drug trafficking and illegal possession of firearms. United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty sentenced the following defendants:
Monta L. Allen, 37, of Monroe, was sentenced to 216 months (18 years) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. On January 23, 2021, officers with the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office attempted to stop the vehicle Allen was driving for a traffic violation. Allen fled from deputies and led them on a high-speed chase and was ultimately stopped. Deputies arrested Allen and seized a white plastic bag from the vehicle which contained more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. A search warrant was obtained for Allen’s residence in Monroe and law enforcement agents found a firearm, ammunition, more narcotics, drug paraphernalia, and cash. Allen later admitted to agents that he used methamphetamine and that the package found in his vehicle was his and he intended to sell it.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew C. Weber.
John S. Lee, 41, of Tallulah, was sentenced to 120 months (10 years), followed by 3 years of supervised release. Lee pleaded guilty April 26, 2023, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. These charges stem from an investigation into the drug trafficking activities of Lee. During the investigation by law enforcement agents, they were able to obtain a state search warrant for Lee’s residence and on March 17, 2022, executed that warrant. Prior to execution of the warrant, agents conducted surveillance of Lee’s residence and observed him and a female leave in separate vehicles. Both vehicles were stopped by law enforcement agents and a search of the female’s vehicle revealed a backpack containing over $10,000 in cash, two firearms, and approximately four kilograms of powder cocaine. A search of the residence resulted in the discovery of approximately 38 grams of cocaine. Lee admitted to agents that the backpack in the female’s trunk belonged to him and that he had asked her to put the items in her car. He also admitted to knowing that as a convicted felon, he was prohibited from possessing any firearms.
The case was investigated by the DEA, ATF, Louisiana State Police and Madison Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Alexander C. Van Hook, Special Counsel to the U.S. Attorney, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Shannon.
Rawtavious Demon Moore, 36, of Monroe, was sentenced to 132 months (11 years) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. On September 4, 2022, an officer with the Monroe Police Department approached Moore while he was sitting in his vehicle. The officer asked Moore to step out of the vehicle and the officer found a loaded Smith and Wesson Model 637 .38 caliber firearm inside. Agents with the ATF examined the firearm and found it be a functioning firearm and determined it had traveled in interstate commerce. Moore was a convicted felon, having previously been convicted of possession with intent to distribute MDMA in 2021, and knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
The case was investigated by the ATF and Monroe Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Cassidy.
Darrick Laron Hamilton, 33, of Monroe, was sentenced to 96 months (8 years) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl. In April of 2022, law enforcement agents with the Metro Narcotics Unit in Monroe began an investigation into the drug trafficking activities of Hamilton. Agents obtained evidence that Hamilton met an individual and sold and distributed approximately 5.5 grams of a substance that contained fentanyl to that party. The substance was sent to the North Louisiana Crime Lab for testing and confirmed the seized substance to contain fentanyl.
The case was investigated by the DEA, ATF, Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office and Monroe Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Leon H. Whitten.
Derrick Logwood, 23, of Monroe, was sentenced to 62 months (5 years, 2 months) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Logwood pleaded guilty on April 26, 2023, to possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. On December 21, 2022, an officer with the West Monroe Police Department conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle which was being driven without working brake lights and other violations. The driver and sole occupant was identified as Logwood. The officer observed the grip of a pistol sticking out of Logwood’s pants pocket and he was ordered out of the vehicle. Officers seized a loaded Glock 23Gen5 .40 caliber pistol from Logwood’s pocket. In addition, officers detected the smell of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle and Logwood admitted to having marijuana in a backpack on the back seat. Inside the backpack officers found three large plastic bags of suspected marijuana and a digital scale. The substance was sent to the crime lab for testing and confirmed to be marijuana with an aggregate weight of 2.00 pounds. Logwood had a previous felony conviction of unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling in 2019 and knew that he was prohibited from having any firearm or ammunition.
The case was investigated by the ATF and West Monroe Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian C. Flanagan.
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FFL Owner Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Providing a Firearm to Essa Williams, Alleged Shooter of Phoenix Police Department Officer Tyler MoldovanRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Dwayne Keith Anderson, 51, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Judge Steven P. Logan on Monday to six months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Anderson pleaded guilty on May 24, 2023, to False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm, Aid and Abet.
Anderson was a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL), doing business as 602 Firearms Instruction L.L.C. in Phoenix, Arizona. Anderson met Essa Williams at a gun show, where he told Williams he could assist him with firearm sales by helping him avoid a background check. Williams had several felony convictions, had previously been sentenced to the Arizona Department of Corrections, and therefore could not legally possess a firearm.
On December 13, 2021, Williams texted Anderson about purchasing a firearm and sent false information for a female, including a photo of her driver’s license. Anderson filled out the Firearms Transaction Record with the false information and signature of the female. Although Anderson knew that the purchaser of the firearm must fill out the Firearms Transaction Record, Anderson completed the form with the false information. Anderson sold Williams a Masterpiece Arms Defender 9mm pistol, using the false information provided by Williams. Anderson had never met the female, and only saw Williams again when he arrived at Anderson’s house that night to pick up the firearm.
Williams is pending trial in Maricopa County Superior Court for allegedly shooting Phoenix Police Department (PPD) Officer Tyler Moldovan on December 14, 2021. The Masterpiece Arms Defender 9mm pistol was not the firearm that was used to shoot Officer Moldovan. Pursuant to a search warrant, PPD detectives searched Williams’ black Dodge Charger after the shooting of Officer Moldovan, locating the Masterpiece Arms Defender 9mm pistol on the back seat floorboard.
“Federal firearms laws and regulations make America safer,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “These laws are designed to make it harder for the drivers of violence in our communities to obtain guns. An FFL like Mr. Anderson who sells a firearm to a felon betrays the public trust and places his fellow citizens at risk.”
“Federal Firearms Licensees are held to a high standard and when they do not abide by these laws, it does a disservice to the community and to other law-abiding Federal Firearms Licensees,” said Brendan Iber, ATF Special Agent in Charge. “ATF will aggressively pursue anyone that thwarts these federal firearms laws and regulations. It is unacceptable for FFLs, or anyone, to provide firearms to felons.”
This case was 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-00277-PHX-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-123_Anderson# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.East St. Louis Brothers Sentenced on Federal Kidnapping ChargesRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A U.S. District judge sentenced two brothers from East St. Louis each to more than 30 years imprisonment after the pair was found guilty of kidnapping a man who has never been found.
Convicted by a jury on Nov. 10, 2022, Kendrick Frazier, 36, received a 396-month sentence and Kenwyn Frazier, 39, received a 365-month sentence for kidnapping Kein Eastman, also of East St. Louis, in August 2020. Since his abduction, Eastman has not been seen or heard from according to law enforcement and his family members.
“The lengthy sentences represent the severity of the defendants’ crimes and their blatant disrespect for human life and the law,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe.
“This sentencing simply does not happen without ISP’s commitment to bringing criminals to justice,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “ISP Public Safety Enforcement Group special agents will continue to work with local law enforcement, the community, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to reduce and prevent violence, while holding those who break the law accountable.”
According to court documents and evidence presented during the trial, Kenwyn forced Eastman out of his grandmother’s house at gunpoint on Aug. 13, 2020, because he believed Eastman had stolen his jeweled mouthpiece, commonly known as a “grillz.” He drove Eastman in a Dodge Durango to an apartment on Kansas Avenue in East St. Louis and made him look for the grillz.
When Eastman couldn’t find it, Kenwyn called his brother, Kendrick, to the apartment. Shortly after Kendrick arrived, the Frazier brothers pulled Eastman out of the apartment at gunpoint threatening to shoot him if he did not take them to the grillz. Recorded by a Ring doorbell camera outside the house, the brothers forced Eastman to the ground, repeatedly threatening and assaulting him.
Eastman insisted he hadn’t taken it and pleaded with them not to shoot. Despite his pleas, Kendrick fired one shot at Eastman while he laid on the ground. After the shooting, witnesses testified they saw Eastman bleeding from his face as he ran from the apartment complex. Kendrick and Kenwyn followed immediately after him in the Dodge Durango.
Hours later, the Dodge Durango was found on fire and burned to the frame by the East St. Louis Fire Department.
Jasmine M. Crawford, 25, of East St. Louis, was also charged in the indictment and pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of justice after she admitted to tampering with a Ring doorbell camera as it recorded portions of the crime. She was sentenced to 4 years of probation on Dec. 7, 2022.
Agents with the Illinois State Police Public Safety Enforcement Group led the investigation with support from the East St. Louis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ali Summers and Zoe Gross prosecuted the case.
Davenport Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Davenport man was sentenced yesterday to 30 years in federal prison for production and possession of child pornography.
According to public court documents, and evidence presented at sentencing, William Richard Trudell, 43, was identified by law enforcement as a person of interest after a cybertip was received by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The cybertip from the MeWe social media platform reported that images of child pornography had been uploaded. Law enforcement traced the email that was used to upload the images back to Trudell. During a search of Trudell’s electronic devices, officers located hundreds of images of child pornography. The investigation also revealed that Trudell had been sexually abusing a minor child over a three-year period and produced child pornography images and videos of the abuse.
After completing his prison term, Trudell will be required to serve eight years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Trudell was also ordered to pay restitution.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Davenport Police Department.
This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa as part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Childhood” initiative, which was started in 2006 as a nationwide effort to combine law enforcement investigations and prosecutions, community action, and public awareness in order to reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation of children. Any persons having knowledge of a child being sexually abused are encouraged to call the Iowa Sexual Abuse Hotline at 1-800-284-7821.
Couple Who Drugged and Raped Young Girl Multiple Times Sentenced to 360 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that U.S. District Judge Jane M. Beckering sentenced Amy Lucille Shanty, of Scottville, Michigan, to 30 years in prison for creating multiple videos of child pornography after drugging and raping a young girl. Co-defendant in this case, Michael James Walworth, of Scottville, was also sentenced to 30 years in June.
“The facts of this case are appalling,” said U.S. Attorney Totten. “My office is fully committed to protecting our most vulnerable citizens. As this case demonstrates, we will hold those who harm our kids accountable.”
For years, the young girl visited Walworth and Shanty, who were supposed to be caring for her. Walworth and Shanty drugged the young girl and gave her gifts to coax her into engaging in sex acts with them. Walworth also set up hidden cameras in his home, which he used to capture the young girl while she was in the bathroom. When police executed a search warrant at the couple’s home, they also uncovered an extensive collection of child pornography on Walworth’s computer that he had downloaded over the Internet.
“This sentencing is a testament to HSI’s commitment along with our partners to identify, investigate and prosecute perpetrators who prey on innocent children in our communities,” said HSI Detroit Special Agent in Charge Angie M. Salazar. “It is my hope that this justice brings some measure of peace to the courageous survivors of Shanty and Walworth’s horrific crimes.”
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, county prosecutor's offices, the Internet Crimes Against Children task force, federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement are working closely together to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children. The partners in Project Safe Childhood work to educate local communities about the dangers of online child exploitation, and to teach children how to protect themselves. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit the following web site: www.projectsafechildhood.gov. Individuals with information or concerns about possible child exploitation should contact local law enforcement officials.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, , the Scottville Police Department, and the Mason County Sheriff’s Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Davin M. Reust.
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Corficolombiana to Pay $80M to Resolve Foreign Bribery InvestigationsRead the Press Release
Corporación Financiera Colombiana S.A. (Corficolombiana), a Colombian financial services institution, has agreed to pay over $80 million to resolve parallel bribery investigations by criminal, civil, and administrative authorities in the United States and Colombia stemming from the company’s involvement in a scheme to pay millions of dollars in bribes to high-ranking government officials in Colombia.
The U.S. Department of Justice’s resolution is coordinated with authorities in Colombia, as well as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
According to court documents, Corficolombiana entered into a three-year deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with the Department in connection with a criminal information filed in the District of Maryland charging the company with conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). Corficolombiana was majority-owned and controlled by Grupo Aval Acciones y Valores S.A., a Colombian holding company and issuer in the United States.
According to court documents, between 2012 and 2015, Corficolombiana conspired to offer and pay more than $23 million in bribes to high-ranking Colombian government officials in order to win a contract to construct and operate a highway toll road known as the Ocaña-Gamarra Extension. Corficolombiana conspired with Odebrecht S.A. (Odebrecht), a global construction conglomerate based in Brazil, to pay bribes to Colombian government officials in the executive and legislative branches and to an executive at Colombia’s state-owned infrastructure agency, in order to win the rights to construct and operate the Ocaña-Gamarra Extension. To carry out the bribery scheme, Corficolombiana caused other entities to enter into fictitious contracts with companies associated with intermediaries that passed along the bribe payments to the Colombian government officials. Ultimately, Corficolombiana earned approximately $28.63 million in profits from the corruptly obtained business.
“Corficolombiana, together with its co-conspirators, agreed to pay more than $20 million in bribes to high-ranking government officials across the Colombian government to win a massive infrastructure project,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s resolution – the first-ever coordinated with Colombian authorities in a foreign bribery case – reflects the Justice Department’s commitment to working shoulder-to-shoulder with our foreign partners to combat transnational corruption and hold accountable companies that brazenly pay bribes for economic gain.”
“Corficolombiana has acknowledged its role in a significant foreign bribery scheme, and for that it is being held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland. “Under the DPA, the company is paying a substantial criminal penalty and will continue to cooperate with the United States in criminal investigations relating to this conduct. My office is pleased to be part of this first-ever joint FCPA bribery prosecution with Colombian authorities.”
Pursuant to the DPA, Corficolombiana will pay a criminal penalty of $40.6 million. The Department has agreed to credit up to half of that criminal penalty against money that the company and its subsidiary, Estudios y Proyectos del Sol S.A.S. (Episol), paid to Colombia’s Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio (SIC), for violations of Colombian laws related to the same conduct, so long as the company and Episol drop their appeals of the SIC resolution. In addition, Corficolombiana will pay over $40 million in disgorgement and prejudgment interest as part of a resolution of the SEC’s parallel investigation.
Corficolombiana also agreed to continue cooperating with the Department in any ongoing or future criminal investigations relating to this conduct. In addition, under the agreement, Corficolombiana agreed to continue enhancing its compliance program and providing reports to the Department regarding remediation and the implementation of compliance measures for the term of the DPA.
“Today’s resolution shows that justice has a steep price for those who attempt to bribe foreign government officials,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Schemes like these violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and are an attempt to fundamentally undermine the spirit of economic competition. The FBI is dedicated to protecting the integrity of the global marketplace, which means investigating bribes of any amount, and preventing the corruption of officials at all levels.”
The Department reached this resolution with Corficolombiana based on a number of factors, including, among others, the nature and seriousness of the offense. Corficolombiana received credit for its cooperation with the Department’s investigation, which included (i) timely providing the facts obtained through the company’s internal investigation; (ii) making numerous detailed factual presentations that distilled certain key factual information; (iii) producing documents that the government may not otherwise have had access to in ways that did not implicate foreign data privacy laws; (iv) providing sworn testimony from Colombian criminal and administrative proceedings of relevant witnesses whom the government could not independently interview; (v) proactively identifying information previously unknown to the government; and (vi) collecting and producing voluminous relevant documents and translations, including documents located outside of the United States.
The company promptly engaged in extensive remedial measures including, among other things (i) conducting a root cause analysis of the conduct identified during internal investigations and promptly taking actions to enhance its corporate governance and controls at joint venture entities, as well as improving its oversight of non-controlled joint ventures and investments; (ii) overhauling its compliance program; (iii) enhancing its third-party intermediary risk management process; (iv) implementing a robust process for reporting and investigating allegations of misconduct; (v) establishing a disciplinary process overseen by a cross-functional ethics committee; (vi) conducting testing of its anticorruption compliance program; and (vii) engaging in a periodic review of and updating of its anticorruption compliance program. In light of these considerations, the criminal penalty calculated under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines reflects a 30% reduction off the bottom of the applicable guidelines fine range.
The FBI’s International Corruption Squad in Miami is investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, Colombia’s Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio, and the Fiscalía General de la Nación provided substantial assistance in the matter.
Trial Attorney Michael Culhane Harper of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney David I. Salem for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case.
The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
Corficolombiana pagará $80 millones de dólares estadounidenses para resolver las investigaciones por soborno en el extranjeroRead the Press Release
La Corporación Financiera Colombiana S.A. (Corficolombiana), una institución colombiana de servicios financieros, ha acordado pagar más de $80 millones de dólares estadounidenses para resolver las investigaciones paralelas sobre sobornos realizadas por autoridades penales, civiles y administrativas de los Estados Unidos y Colombia, derivadas del involucramiento de la empresa en un ardid para pagar millones de dólares en sobornos a altos funcionarios del Gobierno de Colombia.
La resolución del Departamento de Justicia de EE. UU. se coordina con las autoridades de Colombia, así como con la Comisión de Bolsa y Valores (SEC, por su siglas en inglés) de EE. UU.
Según los documentos del tribunal, Corficolombiana firmó un acuerdo de procesamiento diferido (DPA, por sus siglas en inglés) de tres años con el Departamento en relación con una querella penal presentada en el Tribunal de Distrito de Maryland en la que se le imputaba el cargo de asociación delictuosa para violar la disposición contra el soborno de la Ley de Prácticas Corruptas en el Extranjero (FCPA, por sus siglas en inglés). Corficolombiana era propiedad mayoritaria y estaba controlada por el Grupo Aval Acciones y Valores S.A., un holding colombiano y emisor en los Estados Unidos.
Según los documentos del tribunal, entre 2012 y 2015, Corficolombiana se unió en una asociación delictuosa para ofrecer y pagar más de $23 millones de dólares estadounidenses en sobornos a altos funcionarios del gobierno colombiano con el fin de obtener un contrato para construir y operar una autopista de peaje conocida como la Ampliación Ocaña-Gamarra. Corficolombiana se unió en una asociación delictuosa con Odebrecht S.A. (Odebrecht), un conglomerado mundial de la construcción con sede en Brasil, para pagar sobornos a funcionarios del gobierno colombiano de las ramas ejecutiva y legislativa y a un ejecutivo de la entidad de infraestructuras de propiedad estatal de Colombia, con el fin de obtener los derechos para construir y operar la Ampliación Ocaña-Gamarra. Para llevar a cabo el ardid de sobornos, Corficolombiana causó que otras entidades firmaran contratos ficticios con empresas asociadas con intermediarios que pasaban los pagos de sobornos a los funcionarios del gobierno colombiano. En última instancia, Corficolombiana obtuvo aproximadamente $28.63 millones de dólares estadounidenses de ganancias provenientes de los negocios obtenidos de forma corrupta.
“Corficolombiana, junto con sus coconspiradores, acordó pagar más de $20 millones de dólares estadounidenses en sobornos a altos funcionarios del Gobierno colombiano para conseguir un gran proyecto de infraestructuras,” declaró la fiscal general adjunta en funciones Nicole M. Argentieri, de la División Penal del Departamento de Justicia. “La resolución de hoy, la primera coordinada con las autoridades colombianas en un caso de soborno en el extranjero, refleja el compromiso del Departamento de Justicia de trabajar hombro a hombro con nuestros socios extranjeros para combatir la corrupción transnacional y exigir responsabilidades a las empresas que descaradamente pagan sobornos para obtener beneficios económicos”.
“Corficolombiana ha reconocido su papel en un importante ardid de sobornos en el extranjero, y por ello se le exigen responsabilidades,” dijo el fiscal federal del Distrito de Maryland, Erek L. Barron. “En virtud del DPA, la empresa está pagando una importante sanción penal y seguirá cooperando con los Estados Unidos en las investigaciones penales relacionadas con esta conducta. Mi oficina se complace en ser parte de este primer procesamiento conjunto con las autoridades colombianas por sobornos en el marco de la FCPA”.
De conformidad con el DPA, Corficolombiana pagará una sanción penal de $40.6 millones de dólares estadounidenses. El Departamento ha acordado descontar hasta la mitad de esa sanción penal del dinero que la empresa y su filial, Estudios y Proyectos del Sol S.A.S. (Episol), pagaron a la Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio (SIC) de Colombia, por violaciones de las leyes colombianas relacionadas con la misma conducta, siempre que la empresa y Episol desistan de apelar la resolución de la SIC. Además, Corficolombiana pagará más de $40 millones de dólares estadounidenses en concepto de reembolso por daños y perjuicios e intereses como parte de la resolución de la investigación paralela de la SEC.
De conformidad con el DPA, Corficolombiana ha acordado seguir cooperando con el Departamento en cualquier investigación penal en curso o futura relacionada con esta conducta. Además, en virtud del acuerdo, Corficolombiana acordó seguir mejorando su programa de cumplimiento normativo y proporcionar informes al Departamento en relación con la reparación y la aplicación de medidas de cumplimiento normativo durante el término del DPA.
“La resolución de hoy demuestra que la justicia tiene un precio muy alto para quien intenta sobornar a funcionarios de gobiernos extranjeros,” declaró el subdirector Luis Quesada, de la División de Investigaciones Penales del FBI. “Ardides como este violan la Ley de Prácticas Corruptas en el Extranjero y son un intento de socavar fundamentalmente el espíritu de la competencia económica. El FBI se dedica a proteger la integridad del mercado mundial, lo que significa investigar los sobornos de cualquier cuantía y prevenir la corrupción de funcionarios a todos los niveles”.
El Departamento llegó a esta resolución con Corficolombiana basándose en una serie de factores, incluso, entre ellos, la naturaleza y gravedad de la infracción. Corficolombiana recibió crédito por su cooperación con la investigación del Departamento, que incluyó (i) la entrega oportuna de los datos obtenidos a través de la investigación interna de la empresa; (ii) la realización de numerosas presentaciones detalladas de hechos que resumían cierta información clave sobre los hechos; (iii) la presentación de documentos a los que, de otro modo, el gobierno no habría tenido acceso de forma que no implicaran leyes extranjeras de privacidad de datos; (iv) la prestación de testimonio jurado de procedimientos penales y administrativos colombianos de testigos relevantes a los que el gobierno no pudo entrevistar de forma independiente; (v) la identificación proactiva de información previamente desconocida para el gobierno; y (vi) la recolección y producción de voluminosos documentos y traducciones relevantes, incluso documentos ubicados fuera de los Estados Unidos..
La empresa emprendió rápidamente amplias medidas correctoras que incluían, entre ellas (i) la realización de un análisis de las causas profundas de las conductas detectadas durante las investigaciones internas y la pronta adopción de medidas para mejorar su gobierno corporativo y sus controles en las entidades de empresas conjuntas, así como la mejora de su supervisión de las empresas conjuntas e inversiones no controladas; (ii) la revisión de su programa de cumplimiento normativo (iii) la mejora de su proceso de gestión de riesgos de terceros intermediarios; (iv) la aplicación de un proceso sólido para informar e investigar alegatos de mala conducta; (v) el establecimiento de un proceso disciplinario supervisado por un comité de ética interfuncional; (vi) la realización de pruebas de su programa de cumplimiento anticorrupción; y (vii) la realización de una revisión periódica y la actualización de su programa de cumplimiento anticorrupción. A la luz de estas consideraciones, la sanción penal calculada con arreglo a las Directrices sobre sentencias de EE. UU. refleja una reducción del 30% de la parte inferior de la gama de multas establecida.
La Brigada de Corrupción Internacional del FBI en Miami está investigando el caso. La Oficina de Asuntos Internacionales del Departamento de Justicia, la Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio y la Fiscalía General de la Nación de Colombia proporcionaron asistencia sustancial en el asunto.
El fiscal Michael Culhane Harper, de la Sección de Fraude de la División Penal, y el fiscal auxiliar de los EE. UU. David I. Salem para el Distrito de Maryland, están procesando el caso.
La Sección de Fraude de la División Penal se encarga de investigar y procesar los asuntos relacionados con la FCPA. Además, puede obtenerse más información sobre la aplicación de la FCPA por el Departamento de Justicia en www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
Columbia County man charged with scheme to bilk customers for purchase of cryptocurrency computersRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: A Columbia County man has been indicted on federal charges involving a scheme to sell expensive computer equipment to more than 30 customers who never received their orders.
Steven Drawdy, 39, of Grovetown, Ga., was indicted in U.S. District Court on one count of Wire Fraud, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Conviction on the charge carries a maximum statutory penalty of up to 20 years in prison, along with substantial financial penalties and restitution, and up to three years of supervised release upon completion of any prison term.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Even though this alleged scheme involves complicated computer technology, at its core this is still just a case of taking money for goods that weren’t provided,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “With our law enforcement partners, we will work to protect consumers from schemes designed to steal their money.”
The indictment in the case alleges that from about August 2021 through April 2022, Drawdy participated in an online cryptocurrency discussion forum, and received approximately $1 million from at least 30 victims who believed they were paying Drawdy to provide them with cryptocurrency “mining” computers.
The indictment further alleges that after receiving payment in cryptocurrency for the orders, Drawdy would eventually cease communicating with the customers. In some cases, he would offer a partial refund but would require the customer to pay a fee to receive the refund – and then would provide neither the refund nor the computer.
Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The FBI is asking anyone who might have been a victim of the scheme to call 706-722-3702.
The case is being investigated by the FBI, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer A. Stanley.
Colorado Man Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled SubstanceRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Lamar, Colorado, man convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on August 9, 2023.
Jose Dominguez, age 39, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, three years of supervised release, a $1,000 fine, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Dominguez was indicted by a federal grand jury in January of 2023. He pleaded guilty on May 22, 2023.
On October 19, 2022, the Lyman County Sheriff’s Office received a driving complaint from concerned citizens traveling on the interstate. The citizens reported a dark grey Toyota Corolla was driving erratically and in speeds in excess of 100 mph. Law enforcement located the vehicle and initiated a traffic stop. Dominguez was identified as the driver A search of the vehicle produced a Ziplock bag containing 212 grams of pure methamphetamine and several baggies common to distribution. Methamphetamine is a Schedule II controlled substance. Dominguez admitted to officers he was transporting the drugs to an individual in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where it would be distributed.
This case was investigated by the FBI, the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, and the Lyman County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.
Dominguez was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Christian County Man Sentenced to over 7 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
Paducah, KY – A Christian County, Kentucky man was sentenced yesterday for possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine in McCracken County, Kentucky.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Louisville Field Division, and Paducah Police Chief Brian Laird made the announcement.
According to court documents, Michael Crawford, 29, of Oak Grove, Kentucky, possessed with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine in McCracken County, Kentucky.
Yesterday, Crawford was sentenced to 7 years and 3 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Paducah post of duty and the Paducah Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Leigh Ann Dycus, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, prosecuted the case.
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Chelmsford Dentist Sentenced to More Than a Year in Prison for Medicaid Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Chelmsford dentist was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for engaging in a Medicaid Fraud Scheme.
Dr. Scott Cale, 68, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to 18 months in prison and one year of supervised release. Cale was also ordered to pay restitution of over $1.1 million. In April 2023, Cale pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to commit health care fraud and one count of health care fraud.
Cale was indicted by a grand jury and arrested in January 2020 along with co-conspirators Dr. Anthony DiStefano III, a fellow dentist practicing in Worcester, and Robin Cronin, a Worcester Dental Office Manager. DiStefano was barred from participating in the MassHealth insurance program because of concerns regarding the quality of dental care DiStefano delivered to patients. In order to circumvent his exclusion from the MassHealth provider network, DiStefano recruited Cale to join his practice.
From 2014 to 2018, dental services that DiStefano personally delivered were billed to MassHealth using Cale’s provider identification credentials. Cale then paid DiStefano a share of the money that MassHealth had paid Cale. The purpose of this arrangement was to deceive MassHealth into paying for dental services that were not reimbursable (because MassHealth had terminated DiStefano from the MassHealth program). As a result of this scheme, multiple MassHealth patients were harmed and received dangerously poor care from DiStefano.
Charges against the DiStefano were dismissed. Cronin pleaded guilty to her role in the conspiracy in September 2021. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 15, 2023.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations; and Andrea Joy Campbell, Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evan Panich of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit and Chris Looney of the Health Care Fraud Unit and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Lownds, detailed from Campbell’s office, prosecuted the case. Additional attorneys and investigators in the Office of the Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts played a significant role in conducting the investigation.Cavalier, ND, Man Sentenced to 29 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child Pornography and Failure to Register as a Sexual OffenderRead the Press Release
FARGO - United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that Cody John O’Hara, age 35 of Cavalier, ND, was sentenced by Chief District Court Judge Peter Welte, U.S. District Court, Fargo, ND, to 29 years’ imprisonment for Receipt of Materials Containing Child Pornography and Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. Specifically, O’Hara was sentenced to 27 years on the above-mentioned charges and a consecutive two years for a supervised release violation.
This case came to the attention of law enforcement after a United States Probation Officer discovered child pornography on O’Hara’s cellphone. O’Hara was previously convicted of Possession and Receipt of Materials Involving the Sexual Exploitation of Minors in U.S. District Court, District of North Dakota in 2012. He was sentenced to 78 months incarceration followed by a five-year term of supervised release and was required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act
( SORNA).
Following his period of incarceration, O’Hara began residing Fargo during which time he was subject to the supervision of a U.S. Probation Officer. Beginning in the summer of 2021 and continuing through early 2022, the U.S. Probation Officer made several unannounced visits to O’Hara’s registered address, but she was unable to locate him there. The U.S. Probation Officer eventually discovered that he was living at a girlfriend’s residence in Moorhead, Minnesota. Thereafter, O’Hara was ordered to report to the U.S. Probation Office, after which his probation officer requested to view his cellphone. O’Hara initially lied about having his cellphone with him, but upon further questioning O’Hara eventually admitted that it was in his car hidden under the seat.
The cell phone was later searched by the U.S. Probation Officer pursuant to his conditions of supervised release. During this search, the U.S. Probation Officer located child pornography and O’Hara’s cell phone was later forensically examined by the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigations. This examination revealed nearly 500 images and videos of child pornography. Following an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, it was discovered that one of the children depicted in the child pornography images recovered from O’Hara’s phone was a child located in Minnesota, whom O’Hara was sexually abusing.
“This decades-long sentence protects children in North Dakota and beyond,” Schneider said. “As this case shows, criminals who exploit children will be swiftly dealt with by law enforcement, prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office, and sent to federal prison. Keeping kids safe is a priority of the highest order for our state and federal law enforcement partners.”
“Exploitation of children is a reprehensible crime we at Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) work tirelessly to combat,” said Jamie Holt, HSI St. Paul Special Agent in Charge. “O’Hara’s sentencing highlights the fact that predators will inevitably face significant penalties for their crimes that leave victims and families traumatized. HSI St. Paul will continue to fight against the exploitation of children and support victims by providing critical resources and services.”
This case was investigated by North Dakota BCI, Homeland Security and Investigations and was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s office, with First Assistant United States Jennifer Klemetsrud-Puhl assigned to the case.
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Career Criminal Sentenced to 4+ Years in Prison for Fentanyl, Cocaine Trafficking in Androscoggin CountyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: An Auburn man was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Portland today for trafficking both fentanyl and cocaine base in and around Androscoggin County.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Zachery Paradis (aka “Pee Wee”), 41, to 51 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Paradis pleaded guilty on December 1, 2022.
According to court records, in March 2022, the FBI conducted a controlled buy of narcotics from Paradis, purchasing 10 grams of fentanyl. During the exchange, which was captured on video and audio recording, Paradis bragged of multiple other crimes including being involved in a 2021 shooting in Lewiston. In April 2022, a second controlled buy of approximately 12.8 grams of cocaine base took place. A career criminal, Paradis has at least ten convictions as an adult, including two past federal convictions for firearms offenses.
The FBI’s Southern Maine Gang Task Force, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Lewiston Police Department and Auburn Police Department investigated the case.
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Busby man admits assaulting dating partner on the Northern Cheyenne Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Busby man accused of hitting and injuring his dating partner admitted to an assault crime today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Weston Francis Littlewhiteman, 31, pleaded guilty to assault resulting in substantial bodily injury. Littlewhiteman faces a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three 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. Littlewhiteman was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that on Oct. 30, 2022, Littlewhiteman and the victim, identified as Jane Doe, were drinking at a house in Busby, on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation. They argued, and Littlewhiteman left the home. Later that night. Jane Doe woke up and Littlewhiteman punched the victim in the face. Jane Doe was treated at the Indian Health Service in Lame Deer for injuries. At the time of the assault, Jane Doe and Littlewhiteman were dating partners.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey A. Sabol is prosecuting the case. The Bureau of Indian Affairs and FBI conducted the investigation.
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Bronx Man Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Shooting Outside of Bronx DeliRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that DEMONT CHRISTIAN was sentenced today to 78 months in prison in connection with a shooting at the corner of Westchester Avenue and Faile Street in the Longwood neighborhood of the Bronx, New York, on October 7, 2022. CHRISTIAN previously pled guilty before U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken, who also imposed today’s sentence, to one count of possessing ammunition after conviction for a felony.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “On October 7, 2022, Demont Christian pulled a loaded handgun from his pocket and opened fire on a pedestrian in front of a Bronx deli. Christian perpetrated this senseless act of violence at a busy intersection filled with New Yorkers on nearby sidewalks and in passing vehicles. Today’s sentence sends an important message that we will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute gun violence to the fullest extent of the law.”
As alleged in the Indictment and statements made in open court:
At approximately 10:24 pm on October 7, 2022, in the vicinity of a deli located at 1126 Westchester Avenue in the Bronx, CHRISTIAN, wearing a ski mask, pulled a gun from his pocket and fired four shots at a Victim using a .380 caliber handgun. CHRISTIAN fired at the Victim from approximately two to four car lengths away as the Victim walked away across Westchester Avenue. At the time of the first gunshot, the Victim had not even reached the yellow center line, while CHRISTIAN aimed his gun from the sidewalk. Surveillance footage shows that CHRISTIAN took deliberate aim at the Victim while bystanders stood just feet away:
CHRISTIAN was not permitted to possess ammunition because of his prior New York State conviction for attempted assault in the second degree, for which he was sentenced to two to four years in prison. CHRISTIAN has at least 15 prior criminal convictions.
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In addition to his prison term, CHRISTIAN, 28, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Police Department.
This case is being supervised by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney William C. Kinder is in charge of the prosecution.
Boston Doctor Arrested for Lewd Acts on an AircraftRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man was arrested and charged today for allegedly masturbating and exposing himself within the view of a 14-year-old female seated next to him onboard a flight from Honolulu to Boston in May 2022.
Dr. Sudipta Mohanty, 33, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of lewd, indecent and obscene acts while in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States. Mohanty was arrested today and was released on conditions following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston.
“Everyone, especially children, has the absolute right to not be exposed to lewd conduct when they are traveling,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “If you engage in the type of illicit behavior alleged here, you will be caught and held accountable wherever it happens.”
“What Dr. Mohanty is accused of doing in front of a fourteen-year-old girl is reprehensible,” said Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Today’s arrest should make it crystal clear that the FBI takes crimes aboard aircraft seriously, everything from sexual misconduct as alleged in this case, to assault, interfering with the flight crew, and theft. If you’ve been the victim of a crime aboard an aircraft or have witnessed one take place, we ask you to report it to both your flight crew and the FBI.”
According to the charging documents, Mohanty is an internal medicine and primary care doctor with a practice in Boston. It is alleged that, on May 27, 2022, Mohanty was a passenger aboard a Hawaiian Airlines Flight enroute from Honolulu to Boston with a female companion. Mohanty was allegedly seated next to a 14-year-old minor travelling with her grandparents, who were seated nearby.
About half-way through the flight, the minor allegedly observed that Mohanty had covered himself with a blanket up to his neck and that Mohanty’s leg was bouncing up and down. Shortly thereafter, the minor observed that the blanket was on the floor, no longer covering Mohanty, and that Mohanty was masturbating. The minor moved herself to an empty seat in a different row for the remainder of the flight.
After arriving in Boston, the minor informed members of her family about the incident and law enforcement was notified.The charge of lewd, indecent and obscene acts while in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States provides for a sentence of up to 90 days in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $5,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and FBI Acting SAC DiMenna made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Billings man sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for armed robbery in carjackingRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Billings man convicted of robbery and gun crimes for stealing a car at gunpoint in Billings and leading law enforcement on a chase into Big Horn County was sentenced today to 11 years and nine months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
Joseph Wayne Cantrell, 30, pleaded guilty in April to Hobbs Act Robbery and to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on Jan. 8, 2022, the victim was sitting in his 2017 Subaru Outback in a parking lot in Billings when Cantrell approached his driver’s side door. The victim told Cantrell to go away. Cantrell then pulled out a handgun, and the victim immediately surrendered his car to Cantrell, who drove off in it. Less than an hour later, law enforcement found Cantrell with the car. Cantrell fled and led law enforcement on a chase from Yellowstone County into Big Horn County. Law enforcement deployed spike strips to stop Cantrell and could hear gunshots coming from the car. The car wrecked a short time later and Cantrell fled with the firearm into a field. The car’s passenger side window had been shot out. After a standoff lasting several hours, Cantrell threw the firearm away and was arrested. The firearm was a 9mm semi-automatic pistol.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas K. Godfrey and Lori Harper Suek prosecuted the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Billings Police Department, Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office, Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office and Montana Probation and Parole, 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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