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10 August 2023
Asylee sentenced for third smuggling convictionRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 41-year-old Honduran asylee residing in Houston has been sentenced for smuggling aliens for the third time, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Marlon Enrique Gallegos-Rapalo pleaded guilty May 23. Gallegos was previously convicted of smuggling aliens in 2015 and 2017. Gallegos had been granted withholding of removal under U.S. asylum laws, preventing immigration authorities from removing him.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now sentenced him to 78 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court heard how Gallegos had committed these offenses while under the protection of immigration laws. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that Gallegos had “committed a serious abuse of the system.” He is expected to face removal proceedings following his sentence.
On July 19, 2022, law enforcement discovered a stash house in McAllen being used to hide 35 migrants illegally present in the United States. Further investigation revealed Gallegos was the lease holder on the house and that he was directing the co-defendant Jose Ever Hernandez-Escobar to provide food and clothes to the migrants. Authorities also found that Gallegos and Hernandez harbored over 200 migrants at this residence during the conspiracy.
“Gallegos was given an incredible opportunity that some don’t have to make a new life in the United States,” said Hamdani. “Instead, he wasted that chance and continued to smuggle migrants, resulting in his third conviction and a lengthy prison term. We will not stop our fight against migrant smuggling, especially those who engage in such a large scale operation.”
Gallegos-Rapalo has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Hernandez-Escobar, 22, Honduras, also pleaded guilty and is set for sentencing Sept. 19.
Border Patrol conducted the investigation with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service, Texas Department of Public Safety, Precinct 3 Hidalgo County Constables’ Office and the McAllen Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jongwoo Chung and Theodore Parran III prosecuted the case as part of the Human Smuggling Prevention Program (HSPP). The primary goal of HSPP is to disrupt and dismantle human smuggling organizations on our Southwest Border through close cooperation with Homeland Security Investigations, Border Patrol, Customs and Border Protection-Office of Field Operations and local law enforcement partners.
9 August 2023
Woman Indicted on Trafficking Meth & FentanylRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging a Kansas woman for drug trafficking offenses between April 2023 and May 2023.
According to court documents, Mana E. Reyes, 48, of Wichita is charged with two counts of distribution of methamphetamine, one count of distribution of fentanyl, and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ola Odeyemi and Katie Andrusak are prosecuting the case.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Oleg Popov, 29, was indicted on one count of failure to register as a sex offender. The U.S. Marshal Service is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting the case.
Regan Riner, 30, of Wichita was indicted on two counts of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, two counts of possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lanny Welch and Katie Andrusak are prosecuting the case.
Abram Velo, 40, of Wichita was indicted on one count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, one count of possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lanny Welch and Katie Andrusak are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Winchester Man Sentenced to 84 Months for Selling Fatal Dose of FentanylRead the Press Release
HARRISONBURG, Va. – A Winchester, Virginia man, who facilitated the sale of a fatal dose of fentanyl in October 2020, was sentenced yesterday to 84 months in federal prison.
Kenneth James Hughes, Jr., 27, pled guilty in April to two counts of distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents, following a fentanyl overdose resulting in the death of a user on October 23 2020, an investigation by law enforcement revealed Hughes to be the deceased user’s source of supply.
In October 2020, one of Hughes’ drug customers contacted him in regard to buying fentanyl in the form of “pressed pills,” namely, fentanyl pills made to appear like Oxycodone 30mg pills. Hughes sold two pressed pills to the customer who subsequently consumed the drugs and was found unresponsive the following morning at his home in Winchester. It was determined his death was the result of acute fentanyl intoxication.
The following month in Berryville, Virginia, Hughes sold twenty-two capsules containing fentanyl for $300 to a confidential informant working on behalf of law enforcement.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Jared Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Washington Division, announced the sentence today.
The Virginia State Police, the Northwest Virginia Regional Drug and Gang Task Force (composed of the Virginia State Police, the Winchester Police Department, the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, and the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office) and the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division, investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Lee prosecuted the case.
West Virginia man sentenced for federal gun chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jason Lee Gordon, age 36, of Rio, West Virginia, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by prohibited person.
According to court documents and statements made in court, officers were called to Gordon’s home for a welfare check and destruction of property complaint reported by his girlfriend. Gordon left the home shortly after officers were dispatched. When officers arrived on scene, they found Gordon in his car in a ditch. Deputies recovered three rifles, two shotguns, and four pistols in Gordon’s vehicle. Gordon was convicted of domestic violence in Mineral County in 2009, and thus is prohibited from possessing firearms.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Kane prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Hampshire County Sheriff’s Office; and the Hardy County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Waterloo Man Pleads Guilty to Being a Prohibited Person in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
A prohibited person who possessed a firearm pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Ezekiel Menteer, age 23, of Waterloo, was convicted of one count of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. At the plea hearing, Menteer admitted that, in January 2022, he possessed a Kimber pistol after having been convicted of a felony and while being an unlawful drug user.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Menteer remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Menteer faces a possible maximum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Waterloo Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 23-2009.
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Waterbury Man Sentenced 57 Months in Federal Prison for Drug Distribution OffenseRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JULIAN GOODMAN, 25, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 57 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl and heroin.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an ongoing investigation into gangs, drug trafficking and the illegal possession of firearms in Waterbury. The investigation revealed that Goodman and his associate, Alex Reyes, were distributing fentanyl and heroin. On August 26, 2021, Waterbury Police attempted to execute search warrants for Reyes’s residence and person. Reyes, who was sitting in his car as officers approached, fled the scene, and struck two police vehicles. He was located later that day using Goodman’s vehicle. After Reyes was apprehended, a search of his person revealed a 9mm handgun and $1,433 in cash, and a search of Goodman’s vehicle revealed more than 80 grams of fentanyl, drug packaging materials, multiple cell phones, and $3,492 in cash. Goodman was apprehended a short distance away.
Goodman has been detained since his arrest. On November 28, 2022, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, heroin and fentanyl.
On December 13, 2022, Reyes pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possession of a firearm by a felon. On June 2, 2023, he was sentenced to an effective term of imprisonment of 60 months.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Connecticut State Police; the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Police; the Waterbury Police Department; the Wolcott Police Department; and the Connecticut Department of Correction. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Pierpont, Jr., and Natasha M. Freismuth.
U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the State’s Attorney’s Office for the Judicial District of Waterbury for its close cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter.
The prosecution 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. In May 2021, the Justice 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.
Vermont Man Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Prison for Unlawful Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Vermont man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.
Dominick Bailey, 57, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 87 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Bailey pleaded guilty in December 2021.
“This office is committed to doing whatever we can to crack down on illegal gun possession,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “When someone repeatedly breaks gun laws, as this defendant clearly did, they will be held accountable.”
“The Postal Service is part of the communities we serve,” said Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division. “The combined efforts of the Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Boston Police Department has resulted in a significant sentence for a true threat to the safety of our community. While we are proud of the work in this case, we will not rest in our efforts to identity and bring to justice those who would misuse the U.S. Mail and threaten the safety of our communities.”
“This sentence should serve as notice to repeat offenders, determined to continue to illegally possess firearms. ATF and our law enforcement partners will not falter in our resolve to investigate and incarcerate offenders who illegally possess and traffic firearms,” said James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division.
“This previously convicted felon attempted to obtain methamphetamine in exchange for illegal firearms,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle. “As we all know, narcotics and unlawfully possessed firearms are serious threats to our communities in Massachusetts. This is unacceptable and will not be allowed to happen. These enforcement actions with our federal, state and local partners show what happens when law enforcement works together.”
In November 2019, Bailey was arrested in Boston in possession of four firearms, including an AR-15 style rifle capable of accepting a large capacity magazine. Bailey and his co-defendant had arranged to transport the firearms from Vermont to Boston in exchange for a quantity of methamphetamine. Bailey assumed he was negotiating with a Boston-area drug dealer, when in fact, he was communicating with an undercover federal agent.
This was Bailey’s third federal conviction for being a felon in possession of firearms, having been twice convicted of the same charge in U.S. District Courts in Vermont and New Hampshire.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy, USPIS INC Larco-Ward, ATF SAC Ferguson, DEA SAC Boyle and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Vermont State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip C. Cheng and James E. Arnold of Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Urbana Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
A man who sexually exploited a child pled guilty on August 4, 2023, in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Michael Heinitz, age 20, of Urbana, was convicted of one count of sexual exploitation of a child. At the plea hearing, Heinitz admitted that, between August and September 2022, he recorded sexually explicit videos of a four-year-old girl.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Heinitz remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Heinitz faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, $55,100 in special assessments, and supervised release for 5 years to life following any imprisonment.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 23-33.
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Unforgiven Gang Member Sentenced to More Than 21 Years in Federal Prison for Violent AttackRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL –United States District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Joshua Hall (44, North Carolina) to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison for kidnapping in aid of racketeering activity and assault in aid of racketeering. Hall had pleaded guilty on October 21, 2022.
According to court documents, Hall was a member of the Unforgiven, a violent white supremacy organization that operates as an enterprise engaging in racketeering activity, and whose members and associates have committed acts and threats involving murder, kidnapping, robbery, distribution of controlled substances, and tampering with witnesses. Members often carry out acts of extreme violence to gain entry into the gang and are required to get tattoos, such as swastikas, iron crosses, and lightning bolts. The Unforgiven commit violence against perceived racial enemies as well as members of its own group who fail to abide by their constitution and bylaws. The gang often revokes membership of those who violate their code by using extreme violence to remove membership tattoos, or “patches,” which are usually in “kill zones” on members’ bodies.
Hall and co-defendants were directed by members of the Unforgiven council to violently assault a particular victim. Hall violently assaulted the victim in a vehicle, then took the victim’s jewelry, cellphone, and tattoo equipment. The victim tried to leave the vehicle, but the doors were locked. Hall and others then drove to a home in Pasco County where they ordered the victim into a back bedroom and beat the victim and forcibly tattooed over the victim’s neck, face, and chest, including the victim’s “patch” located on the back of his neck. The victim was bloodied and dazed from the assault.
“This is a huge win for public safety,” said ATF Tampa Field Division’s Special Agent in Charge Kirk Howard. “Today’s decision underscores our commitment to work with partners – in this case the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office – and combat violent crime wherever it exists.” ATF has been investigating the Unforgiven’s criminal acts since October 2015.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Samantha Beckman and David Sullivan.
Two Nigerian Nationals Plead Guilty, and One Sentenced to Prison for International Inheritance Fraud Scheme That Defrauded Elderly U.S. VictimsRead the Press Release
Two Nigerian nationals who were previously extradited to the United States from Spain pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit fraud, and one Nigerian national who was extradited to the United States from the United Kingdom was sentenced to 87 months in prison, all for their respective roles in an international inheritance fraud scheme.
According to court documents, Ezennia Peter Neboh, 48, Kennedy Ikponmwosa, 52, and Jerry Chucks Ozor, 43, were part of a group of fraudsters that sent personalized letters to elderly victims in the United States, falsely claiming that the sender was a representative of a bank in Spain and that the recipient was entitled to receive a multimillion-dollar inheritance left for the recipient by a family member who had died years before in Portugal. Victims were told that before they could receive their purported inheritance, they were required to send money for delivery fees and taxes, and also were instructed to make other payments. Victims sent money to the defendants through a complex web of U.S.-based former victims. The defendants convinced these former victims to receive money from new victims and then forward the fraud proceeds to others. On July 25, U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams sentenced Ozor to 87 months in prison for his role in the scheme. Ikponmwosa pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit mail fraud and wire fraud on the same date. Earlier today, Neboh pleaded guilty to committing the same offense.
“The Justice Department's Consumer Protection Branch will continue to bring to justice international criminals responsible for defrauding U.S. consumers,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Working together, U.S. and foreign law enforcement can and will thwart schemes such as the one charged in this case and prevent further losses to American victims.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) has a long tradition of protecting American citizens from these types of schemes and bringing those responsible to justice,” said Inspector in Charge Juan A. Vargas of the USPIS Miami Division. “This result is a testament to the dedicated partnership between the Justice Department's Consumer Protection Branch, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the USPIS, to protect our citizens from these scams.”
“International criminal organizations using schemes that target and steal from the elderly will be held responsible for their despicable actions,” said Special Agent in Charge Scott Brown of HSI Arizona. “This case demonstrates HSI’s commitment, with our partner law enforcement agencies domestically and abroad, to prove wrong those who believe they are beyond the reach of the law. I thank all the law enforcement agencies that dedicated countless hours to ensure that this investigation was successful.”
In June, Judge Williams sentenced Emmanuel Samuel, 39, of London, to 82 months in prison for his role in the scheme. During sentencing, Judge Williams said that it was important to send a message to international criminals who believe that “they would never have been caught” that they cannot prey on people in the United States “with impunity.” Sentencing is scheduled for Neboh and Ikponmwosa on Nov. 2 and Oct. 20, respectively.
The Consumer Protection Branch, USPIS, and HSI are investigating the case.
Senior Trial Attorney Phil Toomajian and Trial Attorneys Josh Rothman and Brianna Gardner of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, Europol and authorities from the United Kingdom, Spain and Portugal all provided critical assistance.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available.
More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.
Two New York Men Admit Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
NEWARK, NJ. – Two New York men today admitted their roles in a fentanyl distribution conspiracy, and one of the men also admitted conspiring with seven separately charged individuals to defraud multiple states to obtain COVID-19 unemployment benefits, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Billy Castro, 33, of Queens, New York, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court to a three-count information charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Juan De La Cruz Infante Torres, 52, of Brooklyn, New York, pleaded guilty before Judge Shipp on June 14, 2023, to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl.
According to documents filed in this and other cases and statements made in court:
In May and June 2021, Castro and Infante conspired with others to distribute fentanyl. On June 15, 2021, Castro and Infante took approximately two kilograms of fentanyl from Castro’s apartment to Clifton, New Jersey, where they were arrested trying to sell it. Law enforcement agents then searched Castro’s apartment and found approximately two additional kilograms of fentanyl. The agents also found driver’s licenses, Social Security cards, debit cards, tax forms, bills, and other documents – including COVID-19 unemployment benefits applications and debit cards – in the names of approximately 100 individual victims.
On April 24, 2023, the following individuals were separately charged by complaint with conspiracy to commit wire fraud:
Rafael Josmin Nunez Duarte, 33; Natanael Valdez Brito, aka “El Pocho,” 34; Josmin Rafael Nunez Duarte, aka “Mello,” 33; and Alexander Arismendy Alix Hernandez, 22, all of Bronx, New York; Leonel Frias Espaillat, 32, of Allentown, Pennsylvania; and Abrahan Rivas Rojas, aka “Milandro,” 36, and Yarisa Espaillat, aka“Yari,” 34, both of the Dominican Republic.
A subsequent investigation revealed that Castro conspired with Nunez, Valdez, Duarte, Alix, Frias, Rivas, Espaillat, and others to use the personal identifying information of thousands of individual victims to create fictitious online profiles claiming to be real people seeking unemployment benefits as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using these fake profiles, the conspirators submitted fraudulent applications to the departments of labor of Puerto Rico and numerous states, including Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey. Once the fraudulent unemployment benefit applications were approved, the conspirators received unemployment benefit funds through debit cards, which they either cashed out at ATMs or used to make purchases. To date, law enforcement has identified that the victims’ information was used to fraudulently obtain approximately $25 million in unemployment benefits from 29 different states.
The charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl each carry a statutory maximum prison sentence of 20 years and a statutory maximum fine of $1 million. The charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud carries a statutory maximum prison sentence of 20 years and a fine of the greatest of $250,000, twice the gross amount of any pecuniary gain or loss, whichever is greatest.
Sentencing for Castro is scheduled for Dec. 14, 2023. Sentencing for Infante is scheduled for Oct. 25, 2023.
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 in Newark with the investigation leading to the guilty pleas and charges. He also thanked the U.S. Department of Labor, Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, and New York Department of Labor for their assistance in the investigation.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Pesce of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations against Nunez, Valdez, Duarte, Alix, Frias, Rivas, and Espaillat are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
castro.information.pdf
infante.information.pdfTwo Charged in Drug-Related Shooting on Bronx Street That Hit an 11-Month-Old Baby in the FaceRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Christie M. Curtis, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Edward A. Caban, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced the unsealing today of an Indictment charging AHMED ALTOREI, a/k/a “AK,” and SAMUEL BAUTISTA, a/k/a “Sammy,” with distributing narcotics and carrying firearms in connection with a drug trafficking operation based on the Grand Concourse and East 198th Street in the Bronx, New York. In connection with those crimes, ALTOREI and BAUTISTA were involved in a street shooting on January 19, 2022, that targeted a rival drug dealer but resulted in an 11-month-old baby being shot in the face.
ALTOREI was arrested yesterday evening and BAUTISTA was arrested earlier today in an operation conducted by the FBI and NYPD, and both are expected to be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel W. Gorenstein later this afternoon. The case is assigned to Chief U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “On January 19, 2022, on a day like any other, gunshots rang out in the Bronx. It was a targeted shooting. But one of the bullets hit an innocent victim – a baby girl, who was just 11 months old – who was shot in the face as she sat in a car with her mother. The baby survived, and that’s a miracle. But the emotional and physical trauma will never go away. Safety is a civil right. And like all rights, in order to keep it, we have to enforce it. That is why I am proud to announce that we have arrested and indicted the two men who we allege shot that baby girl. As United States Attorney, I promise you this: we will never abandon our communities. Not a single inch. And our commitment to public safety will never waver. Not for a single second. The people of this great city deserve nothing less.”
FBI Acting Assistant Director in Charge Christie M. Curtis said: “As alleged, the defendants possessed firearms as part of a narcotics trafficking operation that directly led to the shooting of an 11-month-old infant. This is yet another unfortunate example of an innocent bystander being harmed as a result of drugs and guns. The FBI is committed to making our communities safer by removing violent drug traffickers from the streets.”
NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban said: “Today’s indictment again proves that violence on our streets will not stand. The men and women of the NYPD will remain relentless in holding accountable anyone who allegedly dares to carry and indiscriminately shoot an illegal gun in New York City. I thank and commend all of our investigators and everyone at the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District whose dedication to justice and public safety is reflected in these charges.”
As alleged in the Indictment:[1]
ALTOREI and BAUTISTA are charged for their involvement in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute both cocaine and crack cocaine from at least in or about May 2018 through at least in or about August 2023 and for carrying firearms in connection with the same, some of which were brandished and discharged, including the firearm that shot the infant on January 19, 2022.
* * *
ALTOREI, 36, and BAUTISTA, 30, both of the Bronx, New York, are each charged with one count of narcotics conspiracy, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; one count of using or carrying firearms during and in relation to, or possessing firearms in furtherance of, a drug trafficking crime, some of which were brandished and discharged, which carries a mandatory minimum consecutive sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; and possessing ammunition after a felony conviction, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and NYPD and thanked the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office for its assistance in this case.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael R. Herman and Thomas John Wright are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
U.S. v. Altorei and Bautista IndictmentTwenty-One-Year-Old Memphis Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Federal Prison for String of Robberies Against Postal EmployeesRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A federal judge has sentenced Jonathan D. Holmes, 21, of Memphis, to 11 years in federal prison for a string of assaults and robberies of United States postal employees. U.S. District Court Judge John T. Fowlkes, Jr. also ordered Holmes to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the sentence today.
According to United States Attorney Ritz and the information presented in court, on October 4, 2021, a carrier for the U.S. Postal Service was delivering mail near Kings Grant Cove in South Memphis when Jonathan Holmes parked his car in front of the postal vehicle and pointed a gun at the postal worker. The mail carrier fled in his postal vehicle. Approximately 15 minutes later, Holmes approached a second letter carrier near Silver Chalice Drive and again pointed a handgun at the worker. Holmes demanded packages off the truck and fled the scene after stealing multiple packages. About 15 minutes after that robbery, Holmes robbed a third letter carrier near Hallshire Cove and again fled the scene with several packages.
On April 6, 2023, Holmes pled guilty to one count of aggravated assault of a federal employee, two counts of robbery of a postal employee, and one count of brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence. On August 8, 2023, U.S. District Judge Fowlkes sentenced Holmes to 132 months in federal prison to be followed by three years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
"This office takes very seriously its duty to protect the safety of United States Postal Service employees and the security of the U.S. Mail,” said U.S. Attorney Ritz. “This sentence should stand as a message to anyone who would threaten or attempt to threaten government institutions, innocent citizens, and community safety. We will do all we can to see that acts of violence and greed are met with the full measure of consequences."
“The sentence imposed today exemplifies the unending dedication of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to protect the employees of the United States Postal Service. When our employees are victims of robberies and assaults, we do not stop until we identify those responsible,” said Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service. “We are proud of the work done by the Postal Inspectors, and we are very pleased with the sentence, which we feel speaks to the gravity of the offense. We appreciate the work of the United States Attorney’s Office to bring Mr. Holmes to justice.”
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Wagner prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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Three Sioux Falls Men and Two Sioux Falls Women Sentenced for ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced three Sioux Falls, South Dakota, men and one Sioux Falls, South Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, and one Sioux Falls, South Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments.
Salvador Magana Madrigal, age 41, was sentenced on August 7, 2023, to 33 years and four months in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200.
Oscar Madrigal, age 30, was sentenced on July 27, 2022, to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Rosa Elena Magana Madrigal, age 65, was sentenced on August 15, 2022, to five years in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
William Burt Hartwick, age 54, was sentenced on November 21, 2022, to five years and 10 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Maria D. Magana-Zavala, age 53, was sentenced on December 27, 2022, to five years and 10 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
A sixth co-conspirator, Anahi Plascencia Cardona, will be sentenced on October 30, 2023.
All six defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in the summer of 2021. Oscar Madrigal pleaded guilty on April 4, 2022; Rosa Madrigal pleaded guilty on May 25, 2022; William Hartwick pleaded guilty on August 30, 2022; Maria Magana-Zavala pleaded guilty on October 4, 2022; and Salvador Magana Madrigal and Anahi Plascencia Cardona were found guilty of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and conspiracy to commit money laundering following a four-day federal jury trial in Sioux Falls on May 2, 2023.
The conviction stemmed from activities that started when Salvador Madrigal and Anahi Cardona, who are husband and wife, recruited other members of Madrigal’s family to assist them in obtaining large amounts of methamphetamine from California and distributing it in Sioux Falls. Salvador Madrigal and Cardona recruited Madrigal’s aunt and uncle, Maria Magana Zavala and William Hartwick, to transport methamphetamine by vehicle from California. Eventually Salvador’s brother, Oscar, became involved in the conspiracy by assisting his brother in transporting and counting shipments of methamphetamine.
Salvador Madrigal, Jr. and Cardona, along with Salvador’s mother, Rosa Madrigal, also intentionally conspired to knowingly conduct wire/money transfers which involved the proceeds of unlawful activities. The group conducted numerous financial transactions intended to transfer the proceeds from methamphetamine sales, while concealing the nature and ownership of the money.
This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the IRS-Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.
All five defendants were immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following their respective sentencing.
Texas Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that ELIAS SALAS, age 19, from Edinburgh, Texas, pleaded guilty on as charged on August 8, 2023 to Count 1 of the indictment, charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), and 846.
SALAS faces a minimum of ten years and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, up to a $10,000,000.00 fine, at least five years supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Kenner Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit.
Texas Man Sentenced to over 8 Years in Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Eufracio Rodriguez, Jr., 52, of Lamesa, Texas, was sentenced to over 8 years in federal prison after earlier pleading guilty to possession with the intent to distribute over 40 grams of fentanyl.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that, on September 17, 2022, officers and investigators with the Columbia Police Department (CPD) worked in conjunction with federal agents and officers assigned to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Atlanta-Carolinas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program (ACHIDTA) Task Force in Columbia to conduct an investigation into Rodriguez’ possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl.
CPD conducted a traffic stop on a car in which Rodriguez was a passenger. During the stop, the driver gave permission to search the car, and Rodriguez admitted to possessing drugs inside the car. Law enforcement located 20 bags of pills which tested positive for fentanyl. The total weight of the fentanyl pills was 2,188 grams. Rodriguez admitted to purchasing the fentanyl pills in Atlanta, Georgia, for between $13,000 and $16,000 and transporting them to South Carolina for distribution.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Rodriguez to 97 months in prison, to be followed by a 4-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This prosecution is part of a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program (HIDTA) investigation. HIDTA is a grant program purposed with improving public safety and well-being by disrupting and dismantling drug trafficking and money laundering organizations through intelligence-driven multi-jurisdictional operations; enhancing the safety and effectiveness of law enforcement operations through training; and improving communication and information sharing among criminal justice, drug prevention, and drug treatment professionals in support of the objectives as administered by the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Additional information can be found at https://www.achidta.org/, https://www.dea.gov/operations/hidta, and https://www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/.
The DEA ACHIDTA Task Force in Columbia is comprised of agents and officers from the DEA, United States Postal Inspection Service, Richland County Sheriff’s Department, Kershaw County Sheriff’s Department, Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, Department of Public Safety for the City of Orangeburg, and South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Bales is prosecuting the case.
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Texas Man Sentenced for Stealing Checks and Identity Theft in Troy, AlabamaRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – On August 8, 2023, a federal judge sentenced John Eugene Dibello, 41, from Pasadena, Texas, to 43 months in prison for conspiracy to commit mail and bank fraud and the separate offense of aggravated identity theft, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Stewart. In addition, the judge also ordered that Dibello serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.
According to his plea agreement and other court records, in late 2021, Dibello and a companion – 30-year-old Taelor Amie Owens from Houston, Texas – traveled to Alabama so that Owens could visit family. While in Troy, Dibello and Owens broke into several mailboxes and stole mail that included checks and identity information. Dibello and Owens then used the identity information they acquired to cash the stolen checks and pocket the proceeds. Investigators discovered that Dibello and Owens were staying in a hotel in Pike County and found more stolen mail from Texas inside their room. Among their belongings were also a post office arrow key (a universal key used by postal workers to access collection boxes, outdoor parcel lockers, cluster box units, and apartment panels) and at least two fake identities, one for each of them.
On May 25, 2023, Owens pleaded guilty to the same conspiracy and aggravated identity theft offenses as those to which DiBello pleaded guilty. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Owens on September 28, 2023. At that proceeding, she will face a term of imprisonment of not less than two years and a maximum of 30 years.
The United States Postal Inspection Service and the Troy Police Department investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Megan A. Kirkpatrick is prosecuting the case.
Taunton Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Taunton man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston for his involvement in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed fentanyl throughout Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Michael Pacheco, 45, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for Nov. 1, 2023. Pacheco was indicted along with nine other co-defendants in August 2022.
In March 2021, law enforcement began investigating a DTO allegedly led by Estarlin Ortiz-Alcantara operating in Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Intercepted communications on numerous cellphones allegedly identified members of the DTO who regularly distributed multiple kilograms of fentanyl from a base of operations at a stash house in Fall River.
The investigation identified Pacheco as a regular DTO customer who re-distributed fentanyl to his own customer base in Southeastern Massachusetts. Intercepted communications showed Pacheco ordering fentanyl from the DTO and was soon after observed meeting with the DTO’s couriers. A search of Pacheco’s residence in July 2022 resulted in the seizure of approximately 41 grams of fentanyl.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charge of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira; and Fairhaven Police Chief Michael J. Myers made the announcement today. Special assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; Homeland Security Investigations; Bristol County Sherriff’s Office; and Fall River, Taunton, Attleboro, Scituate, Yarmouth, Providence (R.I.) and West Warwick (R.I.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Syracuse Man Sentenced to 40 Months for Violating His Sex Offender Registration Obligations and the Conditions of His Federal Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Justin Donohue, age 38, of Syracuse, was sentenced today for violating the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act by failing to notify the New York State Sex Offender Registry of a social media and email account he created and used, and for violating the conditions of his supervised release for a prior federal child pornography conviction. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, United States Marshal David McNulty, and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
United States District Judge Hon. Glenn T. Suddaby sentenced Donohue to serve 16 months imprisonment for failing to report Snapchat and Gmail accounts to the Sex Offender Registry, as required by law. In his earlier guilty plea, Donohue admitted that he created the email account using a false name and accessed it 67 times on an unreported cellular telephone that he possessed in violation of his conditions of supervised release. Investigators found that the email address was used to join at least twelve child pornography trading groups online, but that Donohue regularly factory reset his phone, thereby deleting all data.
Donohue was further sentenced to serve a consecutive term of 24 months in prison for violating the conditions of his supervised release by having contact with a known felon, possessing the unreported cellular telephone, failing to register his internet accounts, and falsifying monthly probation reports.
Following his terms of incarceration, Donohue will be returned to supervised release for another 20 years and will continue to be required to register as a sex offender.
Donohue’s case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)-Mid-state Child Exploitation Task Force in cooperation with the New York State Police, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa M. Fletcher as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Stratford Man Charged with Robbery, Kidnapping, and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that a federal grand jury in Bridgeport has returned an indictment charging GUY EUGENE, also known as “Fresh,” 41, of Stratford with robbery, kidnapping, and firearm offenses.
The indictment was returned on July 19, 2023. Eugene appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport and pleaded not guilty to the charges. He has been detained since his arrest on July 12, 2023.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on September 26, 2022, Eugene and others kidnapped a victim at gunpoint from the area of the Island Vybez Restaurant located at 690 Beechmont Avenue in Bridgeport. Shortly before the kidnapping, the victim withdrew $3,000 from an ATM and intended to use the money for a monthly rent payment for the restaurant. During the kidnapping, a masked assailant hit the victim on the head with a gun, and the victim was dragged into a rear of a vehicle. In the car, Eugene and others threatened to kill the victim and demanded that he call someone to bring them more money. Eugene and others took from the victim a bank deposit bag with $3,000, and his gold earrings, iPhone, car keys, house keys, and keys to the restaurant. The victim was released on Maplewood Avenue in Bridgeport.
The indictment charges Eugene with interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery), an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; kidnapping, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of life; and carrying, using, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of seven years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendants who are awaiting trial are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This ongoing investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force, which includes personnel from the Connecticut State Police and the Bridgeport, Norwalk, and Trumbull Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Gresham and Rahul Kale.
St. Louis County Man Sentenced for Fentanyl, Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Tuesday sentenced a man involved in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine to five years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release.
Nicholas L. Nixon, 23, pleaded guilty in April to one felony count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. He admitted distributing drugs and accompanying a co-defendant, Marvell Sherrell, who twice sold fentanyl and methamphetamine to a confidential source working with the Drug Enforcement Administration. He also admitted throwing a Micro Draco AK-47-style pistol and 1,181 pills containing fentanyl out of a vehicle that was being pursued by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department on May 5, 2022.
Sherrell, 23, pleaded guilty July 10 to three felony counts: conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, possessing one or more firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession of a machine gun.
Sherrell admitted entering into an agreement to sell drugs with Nixon, Jacquez T. Love, 25, Turhan Robinson Jr., 23, Arion D. Strickland, 29, and others. He admitted selling methamphetamine or both methamphetamine and fentanyl to the DEA source three times and sending that source to another person for the drug.
Sherrell also admitted driving during the May 5, 2022 police chase, during which he drove at a high speed, violated traffic lights and crashed into another vehicle. Strickland discarded a Kel Tec rifle during the chase and a fully automatic AR-15-style weapon was found where Robinson had been sitting after the Chevrolet Impala became disabled and the chase finally ended.
Sherrell admitted that when deputy U.S. Marshals arrested Love at the apartment Sherrell, Nixon and Love shared in unincorporated St. Louis County between Maryland Heights and Creve Coeur on May 12, 2022, they found drugs and guns. They found methamphetamine and a fully automatic .40-caliber Glock handgun in Sherrell’s bedroom, along with two “switches” that convert a Glock into a machine gun.
Sherrell is scheduled to be sentenced October 10 and faces at least 10 years in prison. The three other defendants in the case also pleaded guilty and have been sentenced.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the St. Louis County Police Department and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
St. Louis County Man Caught with Checks Stolen from the Mail Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Wednesday sentenced a St. Louis County, Missouri man who bought and re-sold checks stolen from the mail to 10 months in prison.
Dennis Cooperwood Jr., 19, of Country Club Hills, admitted being caught by St. Louis County Police in possession of about 179 business and personal checks on April 12, 2022 that had been taken from U.S. Postal Service collection boxes.
Officers on patrol in the Spanish Lake area spotted a vehicle stopped in the middle of the road with multiple people standing at the windows. After the crowd dispersed and the vehicle drove away, officers stopped the vehicle and found Cooperwood in the back seat wearing a shoulder bag containing a gun and the checks. Cooperwood told officers that he bought stolen checks for $5 to $10 each and would remove the writing on the checks before re-selling them for $20 to $25.
In a sentencing memo, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow said the checks belonged to about 100 individuals and businesses, and the case comes at a time of an increase in both mail theft and associated fraud which was undermining “the public’s sense of security and confidence in a vital government service.”
In court, Clow said the impact of Cooperwood’s actions “goes beyond any sort of financial harm.” In letters to Judge Ross, five victims said the theft of their mail snarled their finances, made them fear for the security of their personal information and cost them hours of work closing checking accounts and dealing with creditors. One wedding officiant said lost wedding license documentation delayed medical treatment for a woman for nearly four months over insurance issues.
“The successful investigation of the defendant’s operation resulted in the recovery of 179 checks stolen from the U.S. mail, and the prevention of potential long-term financial harm to numerous account holders,” said Inspector in Charge Ruth Mendonça who leads the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Chicago Division, which includes the St. Louis Field Office. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and its law enforcement partners will continue to work together to hold mail thieves accountable.”
Cooperwood pleaded guilty in April to one felony count of possession of stolen mail matter.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis County Police Department and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.
Spencerport Teacher Arrested, Charged with Production, Receipt, and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Ian Milam, 37, of Pittsford, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with production, receipt, and possession of child pornography, and transfer of obscene material to a minor. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who is handling the case, stated that on May 3, 2023, the Greece, NY, Police Department received a report that a sexually explicit video was discovered on a 12-year-old girl’s phone. The girl allegedly received the video from her friend, an 11-year-old girl (Minor Victim 1). Subsequent investigation determined that Snapchat accounts with usernames “matteckler” and “mikeywikey37” had been contacting the two minor girls.
Search warrants executed on the Snapchat accounts with the usernames “matteckler” and “mikeywikey37” were traced to defendant Milam, who allegedly posed as a high school student in the Spencerport School District and sent sexually explicit photos and videos to Minor Victim 1. Milam is also accused of manipulating Minor Victim 1 into sending a photo via Snapchat of herself in a tank top. Investigators also uncovered numerous sexually explicit conversations between “matteckler” or “mikeywikey37”and other Snapchat users who appeared to be minors, including Minor Visit 2, a 12-year-old girl. Milam is also accused of coercing Minor Victim 2 to send sexually explicit photos to him.
Milam is sixth grade math teacher at Cosgrove Middle School, within the Spencerport School District.
If any members of the public have information regarding this defendant or the Snapchat accounts “matteckler” or “mikeywikey37,” please contact the FBI at (585) 279-0085.
Milam made an initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark W. Pedersen and is being held pending a detention hearing on August 14, 2023, at 10:00 a.m.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Greece Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Wood, the FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Southbridge Man Sentenced for Attempting to Distribute Cocaine Sent Through the Mail from Puerto RicoRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Southbridge man was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for attempting to distribute a kilogram of cocaine.
Revel Pedro Rivera, 43, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to six months in prison and two years of supervised release, with the first six months to be served in home confinement. On Feb. 15, 2022, Rivera pleaded guilty to one count of attempted possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
In early July 2020, a package containing a kilogram of cocaine that was shipped to Rivera’s residence from Puerto Rico was intercepted by law enforcement, who replaced the cocaine with a counterfeit substance. On July 6, 2020, Rivera accepted delivery of the package and was arrested as he left the property with the package that he believed contained cocaine.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Ketty Larco-Ward, Postal Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and Southbridge Police Chief Shane Woodson made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danial Bennett of the Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Southall Organization Conspirator SentencedRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Mobile woman was sentenced on August 4, 2023, to 3 years in prison for her participation in the drug distribution organization operated by Darrin J. Southall. Christian Leontine Glover, 34, was a money courier for Southall and served as one of his “accountants,” to help him keep up with his drug debts. On August 23, 2021, Glover pled guilty to conspiracy possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
Court documents reflect that Glover used her cell phone to keep up with Southall’s drug debts, and she picked up and delivered drug money to locations necessary for Southall to continue to buy and sell hundreds of kilograms of cocaine. Glover was implicated by some of Southall’s distributors as one of the conspirators who picked up and handled Southall’s drug money. She was also intercepted in numerous discussions with Southall in a court-authorized wiretap on some of Southall’s phones. The recorded calls showed the depth of Glover’s involvement in the scheme. For example, in one phone call between Southall and Glover on January 3, 2021, Southall’s distributors (who were identified in the call by their street names) owed a total of $931,500 for cocaine Southall had distributed to them. In a call later that day, Southall and Coleman discussed additional information on three of the distributors for a total of $147,500. On January 5, 2021, in a similar call, Southall and Glover reviewed the drug debts which totaled $653,000. Debts discussed with Glover in a call on January 8, 2021, totaled $421,000. In a call on January 14, 2021, Southall’s drug debts amounted to $1,209,000. On January 18, 2021, Glover’s total for Southall’s drug list was $843,500. On January 21, 2021, Southall and Glover reviewed a short list of only two distributors for a total of $336,000. Southall was arrested on February 26, 2021. Glover was arrested on March 3, 2021. Because the collection and movement of drug money was an integral part of the cocaine distribution conspiracy, Glover’s participation was important to the success of Southall’s organization.
United States District Court Judge Kristi K. Dubose imposed a sentence of 36 months to be followed by 5 years of supervised release after her release from imprisonment. Glover’s supervision includes a set of standard conditions as well as a special condition that the probation office may search her person or property upon a showing of reasonable suspicion that she is in violation of any of the other conditions of her supervision. No fine was imposed but the judge ordered the forfeiture of numerous items of property seized during the investigation. Glover was ordered to pay $100 in special mandatory assessments.
The Mobile Police Department, the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Mobile and Pensacola, the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the Saraland Police Department, the St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, Sheriff’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.The investigation was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organization 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.
South Carolina Woman and Florida Woman Sentenced in COVID-19 Unemployment Insurance Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA — Nariman Mahmoud Masoud, 35, of Florence, South Carolina, and Susan Masoud, 34, of Tampa, Florida, were sentenced after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud related to unemployment insurance benefits.
Nariman Masoud was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day in the Bureau of Prisons, to be followed by a two-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. Nariman Masoud was ordered to pay $604,074.00 in restitution. Susan Masoud was sentenced to 24 months of probation and ordered to pay $454,074.00 in restitution. United States District Judge Joseph Dawson, III imposed the sentences.
Evidence presented to the court showed that both defendants engaged in a scheme with others to fraudulently obtain unemployment insurance benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the scheme, members of the conspiracy submitted applications in four states – Arizona, New York, Florida, and South Carolina – using the personal identifying information of other individuals, sometimes without the person’s permission. In some instances, members of the conspiracy would apply for benefits in multiple states using the same individual’s information. Members of the conspiracy then received the funds associated with the fraudulent claims, primarily through either direct deposit or debit cards. The investigation revealed a total of 69 fraudulent claims associated with the scheme, resulting in a total loss of $454,074.00 in unemployment insurance funds.
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.
This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Labor, the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, the New York State Department of Labor, the Arizona Department of Economic Security, and the Small Business Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Hummel is prosecuting the case.
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Polson meth, fentanyl trafficker sentenced to more than five years in prisonRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Polson man who admitted to trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl was sentenced today to five years and six months years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Thomas Joseph Duran, 42, pleaded guilty in April to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that in June 2022 in Lake County, Montana Highway Patrol troopers made a traffic stop and later searched a vehicle in which Duran was a passenger. Law enforcement recovered meth, fentanyl, $8,135 in U.S. currency and firearms. Duran admitted that he distributed the drugs in exchange for money. Co-defendant Andrew Joseph Shields, of Kalispell, who was the driver of the vehicle, was sentenced recently to 11 years and three months in prison for his conviction in the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara J. Elliott prosecuted the case. The Northwest Drug Task Force and Montana Highway Patrol 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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Owner of Area Restaurant Sentenced to the Bureau of Prisons and Ordered to Pay Restitution for Crimes Related to COVID-Relief FundsRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A Saint Augustine, Illinois man, Michael Lewis Patch, 66, of the 100 block of West Third Street, has been sentenced to 90 days in the Bureau of Prisons, five years of Supervised Release, and to pay more than $64,000 in restitution. The sentence follows Patch pleading guilty to one count of bank fraud and two counts of wire fraud in relation to COVID-Relief funds that he fraudulently obtained.
At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid, the government presented evidence of the multiple efforts the Illinois Department of Revenue took to assist Patch in bringing his business, the Vernon Street Grill (“VSG”), into compliance with the taxes owed and the VSG’s expired license. These efforts included offering to help Patch with the required paperwork and to enter a modest payment plan of $20 per month. After those efforts were repeatedly ignored by Patch, a criminal investigation was opened. During that investigation, it was determined that Patch had fabricated records and data to apply for and receive two loans that were made available through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). Specifically, Patch admitted that he used false data to steal money through the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. Congress established PPP funds to provide small businesses with funds to pay up to eight weeks of payroll costs and related expenses. Patch obtained $11,462.00 in PPP funds. The EIDL program was established to allow the Small Business Administration to provide a line of credit to small businesses that had suffered substantial economic injury as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Patch received $53,000 in EIDL loans. Patch applied for a third loan in the amount of $53,000 through EIDL, but that loan was not approved.
The investigation showed that Patch did not use COVID-relief funds for their intended purpose. Instead, Patch attempted to purchase property and over-paid his employees, requiring them to cash their checks and return the excess wages they received to him in the form of cash. In total, Patch fraudulently requested $117,462, and received $64,462 from the United States and its agency, the Small Business Administration.
Patch was indicted in September 2021 and pleaded guilty to all three counts of the indictment in September 2022. He was free on an existing bond, pending sentencing. Patch will voluntarily surrender to begin his sentence in October.
The statutory penalties for bank fraud are up to 30 years imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release. The penalties for each count of wire fraud are up to 20 years imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
The Illinois Department of Revenue, Criminal Investigative Division, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas F. McMeyer represented the government in the prosecution.
COVID-19 disaster relief and enhanced unemployment benefits are intended to help people and businesses suffering as a result of the pandemic. If members of the public suspect anyone fraudulently obtained or misused benefits, they should contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NDCF) Hotline at 1-866-720-5721 or submit the NCDF Web Complaint Form. The NCDF is a national coordinating agency within the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division dedicated to improving the detection, prevention, investigation, and prosecution of criminal conduct related to natural and man-made disasters and other emergencies, such as the coronavirus (COVID-19). Hotline staff will obtain information regarding complaints, which will then be reviewed by law enforcement officials. More information is available at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud.
Orlando Man Sentenced to More Than 10 Years for Armored Truck Robbery at Seminole County BankRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Michael Jerome Virgil, Jr. (23, Orlando) to 10 years and 10 months in federal prison for armed bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The court also ordered Virgil to forfeit the firearm and ammunition possessed during the offenses. In addition to his prison term, Virgil was ordered to pay $686 in restitution to the armored truck employee who had to replace his firearm after authorities seized it as evidence in the pending investigation. Virgil had pleaded guilty on May 18, 2023.
According to court documents, on September 1, 2022, Virgil robbed an armored truck employee who was collecting money at a Bank of America branch in Seminole County. While one of the guards was loading the money into the back of the armored truck, Virgil brandished a loaded firearm and entered the truck. Virgil then stole two bags of currency totaling $312,167 and ran back to his vehicle. When the second guard attempted to stop Virgil at gunpoint, Virgil drove towards him causing the guard to discharge his weapon, which struck Virgil’s vehicle.
Multiple law enforcement agencies joined a high-speed pursuit of Virgil, including the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO), the Lake Mary Police Department, the Winter Park Police Department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Orlando Police Department, and the Florida Highway Patrol. A SCSO helicopter was also deployed to track Virgil’s car. The chase ended in a parking garage in Orlando when officers cornered Virgil’s vehicle. Virgil was taken into custody and officers recovered the firearm and the stolen currency from the bank.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman.
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.
Ohio Man Convicted by Jury of Crimes Against Children OffenseRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE –Gregory Johnson, 47 years old, of Trenton, Ohio, was found guilty after a two-day jury trial presided over by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
The jury returned a verdict of guilty against Johnson on the single count of the Superseding Indictment charging him with Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a Minor.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lesley J. Miller Lowery and Justin Sheridan.
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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Ocean County Businessman Admits Failing to Pay over $10 Million in Payroll TaxesRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – An Ocean County man today admitted failing to pay over $10 million in payroll taxes stemming from his ownership of several businesses, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Josef Neuman, 37, of Lakewood, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp to an information charging him with willful failure to pay over payroll taxes for one of his businesses in 2018.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Neuman was chief executive officer of a business in Lakewood. The company provided administrative services to operators of nursing homes and other health care facilities, including at least approximately 20 entities co-owned and operated by Neuman. As a person who controlled the companies’ financial affairs, Neuman had the responsibility to collect, truthfully account for, and pay over to the IRS the companies’ payroll taxes. During tax years 2017 and 2018, Neuman failed to pay over to the IRS over $10 million in payroll taxes owed by the companies. Neuman knew that payroll taxes were due and owing to the IRS at this time, but continued to pay other business expenses and employee salaries, instead of the unpaid taxes, while tax liabilities continued to accrue.
The charge to which Neuman pleaded guilty carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 13, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Romano of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.
neuman.information.pdfNew Orleans Man Sentenced After Pleading Guilty to Violating the Federal Controlled Substances Act and the Federal Gun Control ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – KENDALE ADAMS, age 42, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced on August 8, 2023 by United States Judge Wendy B. Vitter to 151 months’ imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release and $200.00 in special assessment fees after pleading guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of heroin and methamphetamine in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C), and one count of felon in possession of a firearm in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, On Saturday July 17, 2021, a Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) Task Force Officer conducting surveillance at a convenience store in New Orleans, Louisiana observed ADAMS loitering outside the convenience store. The officer also observed a large bulge in ADAMS’s front right waistband consistent with a firearm being concealed.
The officers alerted nearby New Orleans Police Department (“NOPD”) uniformed units. Several units arrived and approached ADAMS who removed a firearm from his waistband and ran behind a vehicle. The officers apprehended ADAMS, seized the firearm and placed him under arrest.
While searching ADAMS, officers seized a clear bag containing multiple drugs from ADAMS’s front right pocket along with $366 in cash. The seized drugs consisted of approximately 6 grams of marijuana, .58 grams of methamphetamine, 4.49 grams of heroin, and approximately 5 grams of a heroin and fentanyl mixture. The recovered firearm, a Glock Model 19, nine-millimeter semi-automatic pistol, was stolen as confirmed by law enforcement.
ADAMS acknowledged that he possessed the heroin and fentanyl with the intent to distribute the substances and that he had previously distributed heroin and fentanyl on many occasions.
ADAMS also acknowledged that he knew he had been convicted of felony offenses, making it illegal for him to be in possession of a firearm. Between 2004 and 2009, in Orleans and Jefferson Parish, ADAMS was convicted possession of crack cocaine, attempted armed robbery, possession of ecstasy, possession of heroin, theft of goods, and possession of stolen firearms.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney André Jones of the Narcotics Unit.
New Jersey Man Pleads Guilty to Passing over $2,600 in Counterfeit Currency at Stores in Lackawanna, Lycoming and Columbia CountiesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Brandon Williams, age 35, of Mercer County, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on August 8, 2023, before U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson to the charge of passing counterfeit federal reserve notes.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Williams admitted to passing $1,400 in counterfeit bills at the Michaels store in Dickson City, on April 20, 2022, and to passing $750 in counterfeit bills later that same day at the CVS Pharmacy located on Green Ridge Street in Scranton. On April 23, 2022, Williams passed $280 in counterfeit bills at the Walmart in Montoursville, $160 in counterfeit bills at the Weis Market in Montoursville and attempted to pass additional counterfeit bills at the Dollar Tree in Bloomsburg but was unsuccessful.
The charges resulted from an investigation conducted by the United States Secret Service, the Dickson City Police Department, the Scranton Police Department, the Montoursville Police Department, and the Hemlock Township Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for each charge 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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Mission Woman Sentenced for Conspiracy 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 Mission, South Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on August 8, 2023.
Anne Cordier, age 41, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, a $1,000 fine, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Cordier was indicted by a federal grand jury in July of 2022. She pleaded guilty on April 13, 2023.
Beginning in January of 2022, Cordier conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine in South Dakota. Cordier received pound quantities of methamphetamine from a source in California and re-distributed it on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. Methamphetamine is a Schedule II controlled substance.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, FBI, Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Task Force, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.
Cordier was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Middleboro Financial Adviser Sentenced to over Four Years in Prison for Investment Adviser Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Middleboro financial adviser was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for defrauding his elderly and otherwise vulnerable clients and stealing the victims’ retirement assets.
Paul R. McGonigle, 67, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 54 months in prison and two months of supervised release. McGonigle was also ordered to pay restitution of $652,987. In February 2023, McGonigle pleaded guilty to one count of investment adviser fraud, two counts of money laundering, three counts of wire fraud, one count of mail fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
“Among the highest priorities of this office is protecting vulnerable victims from pernicious fraudulent schemes. This defendant took advantage of the elderly, including individuals living with dementia and other cognitive impairments, to line his own pockets. The conduct is despicable. The judicial system has now held him accountable and anyone embarking on such conduct is forewarned that you will be investigated and prosecuted,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy.
“What Paul McGonigle did is despicable. He preyed on his elderly and vulnerable clients, betrayed their trust, and stole over $1.2 million from their retirement accounts,” said Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Last year, investment scams cost consumers nationwide $3.31 billion, and here in Massachusetts, victims reported losing almost $76 million. This case demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to holding fraudsters accountable.”
McGonigle served as a financial adviser for the victims, many of whom were elderly, one of whom had dementia, and another who suffered a traumatic brain injury. Beginning no later than February 2015, McGonigle caused unauthorized withdrawals from victims’ annuities and induced victims to give him money to invest on their behalf, which he then used for personal and business expenses. To carry out his scheme, McGonigle posed as clients on calls with their annuity companies and signed their names on forms requesting withdrawals from their annuities. When some of his clients began to ask questions, McGonigle concealed his scheme by falsely assuring clients that their investments were growing.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and FBI Acting SAC DiMenna made the announcement today. The Massachusetts Insurance Fraud Bureau provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen A. Kearney of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Meth supplier sent to prisonRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 30-year-old Houston resident has been handed a significant sentence for his role in a meth distribution conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Aslay Jordan Salas pleaded guilty June 28, 2022.
U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal has now sentenced Salas to 293 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court found Salas was a large-scale meth distribution supplier and was “pumping poison into the community for years.”
At the time of his plea, Salas admitted to supplying meth in a drug transaction that occurred Nov. 20, 2017, at a location on Little York Drive in Houston. He specifically transported the meth to the location and departed shortly after the deal took place.
Officers stopped Salas after the drug transaction and subsequently located a Beretta 9mm pistol in his vehicle.
Salas will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI led the investigation in conjunction with the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Office of Inspector General, Harris County Sheriff’s Office and Houston Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Day is prosecuting the case.
Member of Tulalip Tribes charged with assault for stabbing incident at “Boom City” fireworks areaRead the Press Release
Seattle – An 18-year-old member of the Tulalip Tribes was indicted this week in U.S. District Court in Seattle for assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily harm, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Logan Winegar will be summoned for arraignment on the indictment next week.
According to police reports, on July 2, 2023, Winegar was asked to leave an area of “Boom City,” an area where stands sell fireworks, food, and other items. Winegar was near one of the food stands and was asked to leave. Witnesses say Winegar pushed a woman to the ground and stabbed her in the hip, thigh and stomach. The woman was a stranger to Winegar. He was pulled off the victim and both received medical treatment.
Assault with a dangerous weapon, and assault resulting in serious bodily harm are each punishable by up to ten years in prison.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the Tulalip Tribes Police Department and the FBI.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jocelyn Cooney. Ms. Cooney serves as a Tribal Liaison for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Washington.
winegar_indictment.pdfMcLaughlin Man Convicted by Federal Jury for Simple AssaultRead the Press Release
ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that Martin Black Cloud, age 19, of McLaughlin, South Dakota, was found guilty of Simple Assault as a result of a two-day federal jury trial in Aberdeen, South Dakota.
The charge carries a maximum penalty of six months in federal prison and/or a $5,000 fine, one year of supervised release, and a $25 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
Black Cloud was indicted by a federal grand jury in September of 2022.
The evidence at trial showed that on June 22, 2022, in McIntosh, South Dakota, Black Cloud was drinking alcohol with his stepfather. Black Cloud quarreled with his stepfather and assaulted him, resulting in his stepfather’s hospitalization. Black Cloud then apologized to his stepfather, injured himself with a knife and fled.
This matter is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services, Standing Rock Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carl Thunem and Cameron Cook prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation report was ordered and a sentencing date has not been set. Black Cloud remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Coercing and Enticing a MinorRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jonathan Willis, 37, of North Bethesda, Maryland, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for coercion and enticement of a minor. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Special Agent in Charge Emily Odom, of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division.
Willis pleaded guilty on March 15, 2023, in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. According to the government’s evidence, on March 31, 2022, the defendant began communicating with a 14-year-old minor victim who resided in Washington, D.C. using Snapchat. The defendant offered to pay the victim money in exchange for sexually explicit photographs. Over a two-week period, the defendant sent the fourteen-year-old girl multiple photos of his penis and of himself masturbating, and repeatedly asked her to come to his residence in Maryland to “make love.” The victim refused and reported the defendant’s communications to law enforcement. On May 12, 2022 and May 24, 2022, an undercover officer assumed the victim’s identity on Snapchat. On both occasions, the defendant requested sexually explicit photographs of the 14-year-old girl, sent her photos and videos of his penis, and attempted to persuade her to travel to Maryland for sexual activity.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Randolph D. Moss ordered 10 years of supervised release and ordered Willis to register as a sex offender for 25 years.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Prince George’s County, Maryland Police Department.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Special Agent in Charge Odom commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which includes members of the FBI's Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department’s (MPD) Youth Investigations Division. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Burrell, who prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. 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 about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Laundering Drug MoneyRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal judge in Chicago has sentenced a man to eight years in prison for laundering illegal drug proceeds in the United States on behalf of traffickers in Mexico.
MIGUEL SALINAS SALCEDO served as a Mexico-based “peso broker” who arranged with drug traffickers to trade pesos that he controlled in Mexico for the cash proceeds in the U.S. Salinas Salcedo and others worked to pick up the cash in the U.S., deposit it into various bank accounts, and make corresponding quantities of pesos available to the traffickers in Mexico. Some of the cash pickups occurred in Chicago, Lansing, Ill., and Countryside, Ill.
Unbeknownst to Salinas Salcedo, two individuals to whom he subcontracted the work of picking up the cash were actually undercover law enforcement officers. From 2019 to 2021, the undercover officers accepted approximately 24 cash-pickup assignments set up by Salinas Salcedo for a total of approximately $2.9 million. Beyond the assignments the officers accepted, Salinas Salcedo offered them 103 other assignments that would have totaled approximately $17.9 million. Evidence in the case showed that Salinas Salcedo worked with other partners and did not rely exclusively on the undercover officers to pick up the cash.
Salinas Salcedo, 42, of Sinaloa, Mexico, pleaded guilty earlier this year to a money laundering conspiracy charge. U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman imposed the sentence Monday after a hearing in federal court in Chicago.
The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Sean Fitzgerald, Special Agent-in-Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago, and Justin Campbell, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago.
The case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug trafficking organizations and other criminal networks that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local enforcement agencies.
“These weren’t just one-off transactions that defendant conducted; he was in the business of laundering funds,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew C. Erskine argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “The drugs that were sold to generate the funds at issue undoubtedly caused harm to individuals within the United States both directly and indirectly.”
Man Admits Transporting Child Pornography, Fleeing St. LouisRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis on Wednesday admitted possessing and sharing child pornography and fleeing from St. Louis while on house arrest.
Daniel Bert, 38, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of transportation of child pornography. He admitted that after receiving two tips about Bert, the FBI discovered he was discussing his sexual interest in young children on Kik Messenger. An undercover FBI special agent began communicating with Bert on another app, Wickr, and Bert sent a picture of his genitals to the agent. He also expressed his sexual interest in young children, his plea agreement says. In text messages, Bert told the agent that he had a hard drive full of child pornography. On the same day that agents obtained a search warrant for Bert’s home, Bert asked the undercover agent to join him in an online video chat during which Bert played videos containing child pornography.
The search discovered child sexual abuse material on multiple electronic devices, including laptops, phones and hard drives, Bert’s plea says.
At his sentencing, Bert faces at least five years in prison for the charge. He faces the potential for additional prison time under the recommended sentencing guidelines because he removed his GPS monitoring device while on house arrest and fled St. Louis. He was arrested in Florida on May 11.
The case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Malden Man Sentenced for Cocaine and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Malden man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for operating a drug trafficking enterprise in which he sold fentanyl, cocaine and cocaine base to an undercover officer on multiple occasions.
Dhamari Jordan, a/k/a/ “DMO,” a/k/a “DMO Crashout,” 22, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to time served (approximately three years in prison) and five years of supervised release. In August 2021, Jordan pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and one count of conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.Jordan and other members of his conspiracy were captured on recording selling fentanyl, cocaine and cocaine base to an undercover officer on three occasions in January 2021. During these sales, Jordan was on pretrial release for a pending firearms case in Cambridge District Court from June 2019.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and John E. Mawn, Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, Suffolk District Attorney’s Office, Boston Police Department and Malden Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip A. Mallard and Sarah Hoefle of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
MS-13 Gang Leader Convicted of Racketeering Charges Including the Murder of 16-Year-Victim in Alley Pond Park in QueensRead the Press Release
A federal jury in Brooklyn today returned a guilty verdict against Melvi Amador-Rios, a leader of the Centrales Locos Salvatruchas (“CLS”) clique of La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, a transnational criminal organization, on 17 of the 18 counts of a third superseding indictment. Amador-Rios was convicted of racketeering, murder in-aid-of racketeering in connection with the May 16, 2017 fatal stabbing of 16-year-old Julio Vasquez in Queens, attempted murder in-aid-of racketeering, conspiracy to commit murder in-aid-of racketeering, assault-in aid-of racketeering, firearms offenses and four counts of Hobbs Act robbery. The verdict followed a three-week trial before United States District Judge Rachel P. Kovner. When sentenced, Amador-Rios faces a mandatory term of life in prison.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Christie M. Curtis, Acting Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Edward A. Caban, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the verdict.
“With today’s verdict, an extremely dangerous MS-13 gang leader aptly nicknamed “Letal,” or “Lethal,” has been brought to justice for his murderous racketeering crimes and now faces a mandatory life sentence,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “The outstanding work of our prosecutors, along with members of the FBI and the NYPD, underscores this Office’s continuing efforts to make our communities safer by dismantling violent gangs.”
“With the guilty verdict today, Amador-Rios has rightly been found responsible for these senseless and heinous violent crimes carried out by MS-13 in Queens. MS-13 relies on violence and fear for control, but the verdict serves as reminder that their actions will not be tolerated. The FBI New York Safe Streets Task Force remains steadfast in our efforts to remove the threat of this violent and dangerous gang from our communities,” stated FBI Acting Assistant Director-in-Charge Curtis.
“Today’s guilty verdict is the next step toward delivering justice for the victims of this violent criminal,” stated NYPD Commissioner Caban. “The NYPD, in close collaboration with our law enforcement partners at the FBI and the Eastern District of New York, will continue to conduct aggressive, precisely-directed investigations like this that stanch the violence – an essential step toward healing gang-plagued communities and fulfilling our duty to protect all New Yorkers in every neighborhood.”
Murder of Julio Vasquez
Beginning in fall 2016, the CLS clique, led by Amador-Rios decided to kill a CLS chequeo, or low-level MS-13 members, (referred to in the superseding indictment John Doe 3) who had been violating the clique’s rules, including by associating with members of the rival 18th Street gang. Amador-Rios ordered Julio Vasquez, also an MS-13 chequeo, to carry out the killing of John Doe 3. Vasquez was tasked with killing John Doe 3 because he too had been violating the clique’s rules and was suspected of cooperating with law enforcement. After Vasquez failed to kill John Doe 3, Amador-Rios ordered Vasquez be killed. On May 16, 2017, Vasquez was lured to a wooded area of Alley Pond Park where co-conspirators Josue Leiva and Luis Rivas stabbed him more than 30 times, killing him. Vasquez’s body was discovered by a bird watcher in the park on May 21, 2017. Leiva and Rivas pleaded guilty on July 14, 2023 to racketeering charges, including Vasquez’s murder. They are awaiting sentencing.
2016 Attempted Murder
In October 2016, Amador-Rios ordered a CLS chequeo to kill a member of the rival 18th Street gang. The chequeo targeted a boy that he believed to be a member of the rival 18th Street gang (referred to in the superseding indictment as John Doe 1). In the early morning hours of October 23, 2016, in the vicinity of 179th Street and 90th Avenue in Jamaica, Queens, the CLS chequeo, accompanied by two others, confronted John Doe 1, who was 16 years old at the time. At Amador-Rios’s direction, the chequeos beat John Doe 1, shot him in the head, and attempted to shoot him a second time as he lay on the ground. The gun malfunctioned, but, as a result of the gunshot wound, John Doe 1 was permanently paralyzed. Following the arrests of the chequeos for the shooting, Amador-Rios informed them in a prison call that “you guys already have the pass, you know, to be homeboys, you know,” indicating that they would be promoted in the gang for committing the attempted murder. The three chequeos have each pleaded guilty to their participation in the assault and attempted murder of John Doe 1, including variously assault in-aid-of racketeering, attempted murder in-aid-of racketeering and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Amador-Rios participated in the armed robbery of a money transfer business in which an employee was pistol whipped, three armed robberies of convenience stores all in Jamaica, Queens, as well as related firearms offenses.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF
Today’s conviction is the latest in a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York targeting members of the MS-13. The MS-13’s leadership was based in El Salvador and Honduras, but the gang has thousands of members across the United States. Since 2003, hundreds of MS-13 members, including dozens of clique leaders, have been convicted on federal felony charges in the Eastern District of New York. A majority of those MS-13 members have been convicted on federal racketeering charges for participating in murders, attempted murders, and assaults. Since 2010, this Office has obtained indictments charging MS-13 members with carrying out more than 45 murders in the district and has convicted dozens of MS-13 leaders and members in connection with those murders. These prosecutions are the product of investigations led by our law enforcement partners including the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, comprising agents and officers of the FBI and NYPD.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Nadia E. Moore, Anna L. Karamigios, and Raffaela S. Belizaire are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Emily Moosher.
The Defendant:
MELVI AMADOR-RIOS (also known as “Letal” and “Pinky”)
Age: 32
Briarwood, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-398 (S-3) (RPK)
Louisiana Men Plead Guilty to Violating the Federal Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JUAN CAZES, age 48, of Lutcher and CRANDALL WASHINGTON, age 44, of Paulina, pleaded guilty on August 7, 2023 before United States District Judge Carl Barbier to a two-count indictment, announced United States Attorney Duane A. Evans. Count 1 charges each with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five hundred (500) grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), and 846. Count 2 charges each with possession with intent to distribute five hundred (500) grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A), and Title 18, United States Code, Section 2.
According to filed court documents, in October of 2021, during the course of an investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents arranged for a controlled purchase of two (2) pounds of methamphetamine from CAZES. The purchase was scheduled to take place on October 28, 2021, in St. James Parish. Law enforcement had information that WASHINGTON supplied CAZES’s methamphetamine. On October 28, 2021, CAZES and WASHINGTON were stopped in a vehicle with approximately two (2) pounds or 909 grams of methamphetamine.
At sentencing, CAZES and WASHINGTON face a mandatory minimum of 10 years imprisonment, up to life imprisonment, up to a $10,000,000 fine, at least 5 years supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee as to each count. Sentencing before Judge Barbier has been scheduled for November 9, 2023.
The case was investigated by agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration and the St. James Parish Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rachal Cassagne and J. Benjamin Myers of the Narcotics Unit.
Lame Deer man admits robbing bank in BillingsRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Lame Deer man accused of holding up a bank in downtown Billings and attempting to flee in a city bus admitted to a bank robbery charge today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Elmer Brady, 68, pleaded guilty to bank robbery as charged in an indictment. Brady faces a maximum of 25 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and five 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. Brady was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged that on March 23, Brady entered Stockman Bank, located in downtown Billings, approached an employee, identified as Jane Doe 1, and told her, “I already took care of your security guard.” Brady then wrote on a deposit slip, “This is a …” with the last word being scribbled and unreadable. Brady slid the note to Jane Doe 1 and made several threatening statements demanding $9,000 or else he would kill her. Jane Doe 1 told law enforcement that Brady made statements that he was armed with a weapon and would use it if she didn’t give him the money. Fearing that Brady was going to kill her and others in the bank, Jane Doe 1 gave Brady all of the money in her cash drawer, and he left the bank. Brady attempted to leave the area on a City of Billings bus, but a bank guard alerted the bus driver, who ordered Brady to get off the bus. Brady complied and police officers arrested him a short time later as he was walking toward the Billings Public Library. In a search of Brady, officers found a large metal knife in his jacket pocket and determined Brady was on state probation. Law enforcement searched Brady’s bag and recovered $6,361 in U.S. currency, a pair of binoculars, rubber gloves and a metal pipe.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin M. Rubich is prosecuting the case. The FBI and Billings Police Department conducted the investigation.
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La Crosse Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Distributing Methamphetamine & FentanylRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Raphiel Kuntu, 31, La Crosse, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 12 years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl. This prison term will be followed by a 5-year term of supervised release. Kuntu pleaded guilty to this charge on April 25, 2023.
The La Crosse Police Department began their investigation of Kuntu and his co-defendant, Paige Roberts, in January 2022. During the course of this investigation, police utilized a confidential informant to purchase methamphetamine and fentanyl from Kuntu on two occasions. In April 2022, officers executed a search warrant at a residence Kuntu shared with Roberts. In their shared bedroom, officers recovered approximately 21 pounds of methamphetamine and 2.5 pounds of fentanyl, along with other controlled substances and a loaded firearm. Kuntu is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm as a result of several prior felony convictions, including Wisconsin convictions for armed robbery and distribution of heroin.
A search of Kuntu’s and Roberts’s cellphones revealed Roberts was aware of and assisted Kuntu with his drug dealing. She pleaded guilty on May 11, 2023 to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. A sentencing hearing is scheduled before Judge Peterson on September 19, 2023.
At sentencing Judge Peterson stated that a significant sentence was warranted due to the quantity of the drugs Kuntu possessed for distribution and noted that Kuntu’s drug distribution was degrading to the community at large.
The charges against Kuntu and Roberts are the result of an investigation conducted by the La Crosse Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor L. Kraus handled the prosecution.
Indictment charges former soldier with stealing vehicle, crashing into Army facilityRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: A retired U.S. Army soldier has been indicted for the July crash into Fort Stewart’s Third Infantry Division Headquarters building.
Treamon Dominic Lacy, 39, of Dublin, Ga., is charged with Damage to Government Property and Theft of Government Money, Property, or Records, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charges subject Lacy to a potential statutory sentence of up to 20 years in prison, along with substantial financial penalties and restitution.
The indictment alleges that on July 10, Lacy stole a Humvee from a motor pool at Fort Stewart and drove into the front doors of the U.S. Army’s Third Infantry Division Headquarters, damaging the building.
Lacy had access to Fort Stewart as a retired U.S. Army staff sergeant.
Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being investigated by the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division and prosecuted for the United States by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Z. Spitulnik.
Head of Fentanyl Trafficking Conspiracy Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced Jayson Omar Perez-Quinones (48, Orlando) to 15 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and money laundering. The court also ordered Perez-Quinones to forfeit currency and real property which were traceable to proceeds of the offense. Perez-Quinones had pleaded guilty on April 20, 2023. Judge Dalton also sentenced Jovan Rivera Rodriguez (36, Kissimmee) today to 5 years’ imprisonment for his role in conspiring to distribute fentanyl with Perez-Quiones.
On June 13, 2023, Judge Dalton sentenced Karen AltaGracia Perez (44, Orlando), Perez-Quinones’s coconspirator in money laundering and drug distribution, to 5 years and 6 months in federal prison. A fourth alleged conspirator, Orlando Rosa-Rodriguez (60, Orlando), is currently in proceedings to determine his competency to stand trial.
According to court documents, in May 2021, Perez-Quinones provided $70,000 in drug proceeds to a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) undercover agent for the purposes of money laundering and, in September 2021, Perez-Quinones provided $130,000 of drug proceeds to launder. From February 2022 through the present, the investigation has resulted in numerous seizures of counterfeit pills made with fentanyl (“fenta-pills”) and powdered fentanyl. Many of these pills were blue and are believed to have been pressed overseas before being shipped to the United States to resemble legitimately manufactured oxycodone (30 mg) pills with markings “M” and “30.” In April 2022, for example, Perez-Quinones and Rivera-Rodriguez arranged to receive a shipment of thousands of such pills. At their home in Orlando, Perez-Quinones and Perez packaged those pills into individual 200-pill bags (pictured below) for street delivery. Perez-Quinones and Perez then distributed those bags to mid-level distributors such as Rosa-Rodriguez for resale.
In April 2022, after the conspirators successfully imported the shipment of thousands of pills, the DEA and other law enforcement partners seized similar packages containing powdered fentanyl and tens of thousands of “fenta-pills.” The package containing those, such as the package addressed to Wellington Woods, where Rivera-Rodriguez resided on September 15, 2022, contained “fenta-pills” similar in color and design as those seized in multiple traffic stops from individuals leaving Perez-Quinones’ and Perez’s shared residence.
On January 20, 2023, law enforcement executed numerous search and arrest warrants in the Orlando area, seizing from Perez-Quinones and Perez an additional estimated 13,000 “M/30” fentanyl pills, approximately $30,000 in currency, and a handgun. Based on a consent search of the home where River-Rodriguez was residing, the DEA recovered blue pills expected to contain fentanyl packaged for distribution, a black SCCY CPX-2 9mm handgun, 24 rounds of 9 mm ammunition, two loaded 9mm magazines, and $2,333 in cash (pictured below).
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the Orlando Police Department and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Haskell County Resident Sentenced for Drug Conspiracy and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that EARLY WILLARD WOODMORE, III age 36, of Haskell County, Oklahoma, was sentenced for his role as the leader of a methamphetamine trafficking organization operating in Haskell and Pittsburg Counties. Early Woodmore, III was sentenced to life imprisonment for Drug Conspiracy and Distribution of Methamphetamine and 240 months in prison for Money Laundering Conspiracy and Laundering Monetary Instruments. The sentences will run concurrently.
The charges arose from investigations by the Drug Enforcement Administration High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Internal Revenue Service, the National Guard Counterdrug Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the District 18 Drug and Violent Crime Taskforce, the Haskell County Sheriff’s Office, the Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office, the McAlester Police Department, the Stigler Police Department, and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics.
On April 7, 2022, Early Woodmore, III and his co-defendant, Calvin Woodmore, were convicted by a federal jury after trial. From early 2018 until his arrest by law enforcement in 2020, Early Woodmore, III led a methamphetamine trafficking organization in which he arranged to have large quantities of methamphetamine shipped to addresses in Haskell County and Pittsburg County. Once these packages of methamphetamine arrived, the Woodmores’ organization would break them down into smaller quantities for distribution into communities in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. In the course of their trafficking, Early Woodmore, III acted as an enforcer, retaliating with acts of violence against individuals suspected of cooperating with law enforcement.
“DEA McAlester is proud to stand with our numerous law enforcement partners in Eastern Oklahoma and champion the work that led to the dismantlement of the Early Woodmore, III drug trafficking organization,” said Eduardo A. Chávez, Special Agent in Charge of DEA Dallas, which oversees operations in Oklahoma. “Mr. Woodmore is being held accountable for the poison that found its way into our neighborhoods by his hand. Whether it is a gram or a kilogram of methamphetamine, the DEA will never cease its efforts to rid these drugs from the streets of Oklahoma.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is proud to have been part of this investigation,” said Claudia Angel, Acting Inspector in Charge of the Fort Worth Division. “Postal Inspectors remain committed to identifying and pursuing those who would misuse the U.S. Mail to distribute dangerous drugs to our communities. We are thankful for the tireless efforts of our many law enforcement partners who assisted in dismantling this criminal enterprise. We are also grateful for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Oklahoma for their commitment in prosecuting these cases.”
“This is an important victory for the American public. Not only is Early Willard Woodmore, III going to jail for his crimes, but this is a decisive blow against a drug trafficking and money laundering network,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus, Jr., IRS Criminal Investigation (CI), Dallas Field Office. “The special agents of CI are committed to taking the profits away from drug traffickers and putting those individuals in jail. The women and men of IRS-CI are proud to provide this financial expertise as we worked alongside our law enforcement partners to bring criminals like Mr. Woodmore to justice.”
“ATF is proud to have worked together with our partners to put Mr. Woodmore in the penitentiary for the rest of his adult life,” stated ATF Dallas Field Division Special in Charge Jeffrey C. Boshek II. “Unfortunately for him, the law caught up with his armed drug trafficking ways. It should be a lesson to others in Oklahoma, crime only pays for so long.”
“The District 18 District Attorney’s Office commends the tireless efforts of the agencies involved, as well as the stellar level of collaboration among those agencies,” said District 18 District Attorney Chuck Sullivan. “The Woodmore crime syndicate has plagued the communities in both Pittsburg and Haskell Counties for far too long, flooding the streets with this poison and brutally terrorizing its citizens. The sentence of life in prison for Early Woodmore, III is the only appropriate and just outcome to bring this investigation and prosecution to a close.”
“The sentencing of the Early Woodmore, III to life imprisonment is a fitting conclusion to a complex, multi-agency investigation,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “Through the exceptional efforts of many federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, Woodmore and his criminal associates were investigated, arrested, and prosecuted. This sentence sends a very clear message that distributing illegal drugs will not be tolerated.”
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the trial and sentencing hearing in Muskogee. Both Calvin Woodmore and Early Willard Woodmore, III will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve non-paroleable sentences of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Conway represented the United States.
Gun crimes send Kalispell felon to prison for five yearsRead the Press Release
MISSOULA— A Kalispell man with a felony conviction was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release for illegally possessing firearms, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Matthew Ryan Cubberly, 36, pleaded guilty in April to prohibited person in possession of a firearm and possession of an unregistered firearm.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that Cubberly was convicted of a felony drug crime in Flathead County and was on state supervision when probation officers suspected a probation violation and conducted a home visit in March 2022. During a search of Cubberly’s residence, the officers found two 12-gauge shotguns next Cubberly’s bed. Both guns had the stocks cut off, and the barrels were less than 18 inches in length. Neither firearm was registered with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Cubberly was prohibited from possessing firearms because of his felony conviction.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian C. Lowney prosecuted the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Kalispell Police Department 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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