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Wednesday 21 June 2023
Worcester Man Sentenced to over Eight Years in Prison for Role in Rockland Robbery ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Worcester man was sentenced today for his role in an attempted robbery of a Rockland-based glassware dealer.
Keith Johnson, a/k/a “Eike,” 41, of Worcester, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 98 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. In November 2022, Johnson pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery, commonly referred to as Hobbs Act robbery. Johnson was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2019 along with co-defendants Shaun Walker, Junior Melendez and Grace Katana.
In March 2019, Johnson, Walker, Katana and Melendez conspired to rob the home of a high-end glassware dealer in Rockland. Between March 18, 2019 through March 25, 2019, court authorized intercepted communications over a cellphone used by Melendez revealed that Johnson and his co-conspirators were planning an armed home invasion and robbery of the Rockland residence.
During the afternoon of March 25, 2019, the four men traveled over 60 miles from Worcester to Rockland in two vehicles. Katana and Melendez first scoped out the robbery target location, a residence which at that time was occupied by a female resident. Katana and Melendez then proceeded to a nearby hardware store and purchased a two-foot iron crowbar, a screwdriver and razor blades. Law enforcement arrested the four men in the parking lot of the hardware store – disrupting the attempted robbery. In addition to the items just purchased at the hardware store, a loaded .380 firearm was seized from the glove compartment of the vehicle occupied by Johnson.
In June 2022, Katana was convicted by a federal jury of Hobbs Act robbery and was sentenced in October 2022 to 64 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In May 2022, Walker pleaded guilty to one count of Hobbs Act robbery and, in November 2022, was sentenced to 36 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On March 13, 2023, Melendez was sentenced to 156 months in prison and three years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to his role in the conspiracy.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; John E. Mawn, Jr. Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent; and Rockland Police Chief John R. Llewellyn made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Greg A. Friedholm and Kristen M. Noto of Levy’s Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Wilmington Man Receives 70 Month Sentence for Possessing “Ghost Gun” and Other Firearms with High-Capacity MagazinesRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Wilmington man was sentenced today to 70 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On March 21, 2023, Shyheim Zyaan Waters-Davis, age 20, pled guilty to the charge.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, beginning in October of 2022, members of the Wilmington Police Department received information from multiple sources that Waters-Davis was selling crack cocaine in the Wilmington area and was known to carry a firearm. Thereafter, law enforcement conducted several controlled purchases of crack cocaine from Waters-Davis and, on November, 17, 2022, members of the Wilmington Police Department and members of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force executed a search warrant at the home of Waters-Davis. The search revealed approximately 123 grams of marijuana, drug paraphernalia, a privately manufactured firearm (aka “ghost gun”) with a 24-round extended magazine, a stolen 9mm firearm with a 50 round drum magazine, and cash. At the time of this offense, Mr. Waters-Davis was on state probation for felony breaking or entering a motor vehicle.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Wilmington Police Department Vice and Narcotics Unit, the FBI’s Coastal Carolina Safe Street’s Gang Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation investigated the case and Special Assistant United States Attorney William Van Trigt prosecuted the case. Mr. Van Trigt is a prosecutor with the New Hanover County District Attorney’s Office assigned to the United States Attorney’s Office to prosecute federal violent crimes and other criminal matters. This has been made possible by a grant funded by New Hanover County.
The conviction is a result of the ongoing Violent Crime Action Plan (VCAP) initiative which is collaborative effort with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, working with the community, to identify and address the most significant drivers of violent crime. VCAP involves focused and strategic enforcement, and interagency coordination and intelligence-led policing.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:23-cr-00008M-001.
Washington state woman sentenced for threats to kill Texas judgeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 34-year-old Cheney, Washington, resident has admitted she threatened to kill a federal judge, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Elena Rose Markham pleaded guilty to threatening to assault and murder a federal judge.
Immediately thereafter, visiting U.S. District Judge David Alan Ezra imposed a 19-month-term of imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence regarding Ezra’s competency restoration and current mental health treatment. In handing down the sentence, Judge Ezra noted her circumstances influenced her conduct.
“Unlawful threats against our judiciary are an assault against our democracy,” said Hamdani. “Our system of justice relies on the ability of personnel to do their jobs without fear of retribution. We will not stand for anyone making any kind of threat – but especially when those statements use language about bullets to the head and murder.”
On Nov. 3, 2021, a woman calling herself “Elena” left two voicemail messages on the business line for a U.S. district judge. The messages were approximately three minutes, 46 seconds and four minutes, 20 seconds in length.
As part of her plea, Markham admitted to being “Elena” and making the threats.
In the voice messages, Markham indicated she was upset her federal lawsuit was dismissed and made several, irrational claims regarding judges who were afraid to deal with certain cases.
“What about a bullet in your head, maybe that’ll work,” she said. She further indicated she was not afraid and threatened to put liens on all federal judges. Markham claimed the judge was in her “war book” and if she ever saw him in a tunnel, her “team” would shoot him.
Markham has been and will remain in custody pending further criminal proceedings.
The FBI - Corpus Christi Division conducted the investigation with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Ferko prosecuted the case.
University City Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Missouri Medicaid, Pandemic Loan FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah. E. Pitlyk on Tuesday sentenced a University City, Missouri man to five years in prison for fraudulently obtaining a $135,000 pandemic loan and defrauding the Missouri Medicaid program out of $1.2 million.
Judge Pitlyk also ordered Deandre D. Horne to repay $1,474,338, representing the Medicaid losses as well as repayment to the Small Business Administration for multiple Paycheck Protection Program loans.
In July of 2020, Horne falsely claimed to be the sole owner of Budget Towing & Recovery LLC to apply for a PPP loan, which was intended to help small businesses struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic. Horne also inflated the number of employees and falsely claimed a monthly payroll of $40,000. He received a $135,707 loan.
Horne did own Serenity Home Health Care CDS, and between July 6, 2017 and March 18, 2021, he fraudulently billed Missouri Medicaid for services that were not supported by valid timesheets or electronic visit verification (EVV) documents. Horne created false EVV documentation to support the bills. Horne also admitted falsely claiming to be the personal care attendant for multiple Missouri Medicaid beneficiaries, billing for times when he was traveling elsewhere in the country or to foreign locations.
“DeAndre Horne was actually vacationing in Paris, Chile, Japan, Brussels, Punta Cana, Portugal and Jamaica on the days he claimed to be physically providing home health services in St. Louis,” said Special Agent in Charge Jay Greenberg of the FBI’s St. Louis Division. “Medicaid, which is funded by taxpayers, paid him $1.2 million for services his company claimed, but never rendered.”
"By falsely claiming funds from federal health care programs and pandemic relief measures, this individual took valuable resources away from their intended recipients during a time when many Americans were hurting and needed that support," said Curt L. Muller, Special Agent in Charge at the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). "As this case demonstrates, HHS-OIG will not hesitate to hold accountable those who attempt to illicitly profit off of public health programs."
Horne pleaded guilty in February to one count of health care fraud and one count of wire fraud.
The case was investigated by the Missouri Attorney General’s office, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Reiter is prosecuting the case.
United States Attorney's Office Will Continue Federal Prosecution of Jimcy McGirtRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – Yesterday the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals issued an opinion reversing the November 2020 federal jury conviction of Jimcy McGirt on two counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse in Indian Country and one count of Abusive Sexual Contact in Indian Country. The appellate court determined an improper instruction of law was given to the jury which could have impacted the verdicts and remanded the case to the district court.
“The role of the prosecution is to seek justice under the law,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “We are disappointed by the ruling, but we respect the opinion of the court. If a critical error occurred during the trial, then our goal was not achieved. The United States Attorney’s Office will, however, continue pursuing justice for the victim.”
U.S. Attorney Discusses Anti-Gun Violence Efforts, Announces Indictment of Defendant Allegedly Involved in Murder of Rochester Police OfficerRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross joined with law enforcement partners at the federal, state, and local levels today to announce the return of an indictment of the leader and members of a violent drug trafficking organization and to discuss ongoing efforts aimed at reducing violence, in particular gun violence, in the City of Rochester.
“My message to those who think that they can terrorize our community with senseless acts of violence is ‘don’t do it’.” “Our office, together with our law enforcement partners, is vigilant, working day and night to hold those committing crimes accountable. We will continue these efforts to ensure that the community can feel safe and community members can enjoy the summer.”
Over the last year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has worked closely with the RPD, ATF, FBI, USMS, NYSP, MCSO, DEA, and the Monroe County District Attorney's Office to target, investigate, and bring federal charges against violent offenders and those who possess and illegally use guns in Rochester. To that end, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has adjusted its charging practices to communicate with RPD and ATF, quickly and effectively, to screen gun arrests and determine whether they are appropriate for federal prosecution. Once federal charges are brought, in appropriate cases, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will make a motion to the court to detain defendants who pose a danger to the community or who are likely to flee pending trial. This has helped reduce the number of violent offenders and illegal gun possessors who are returned to the community after arrest, which has helped to reduce violence in the city.
As part of its gun violence initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has pursued larger, more organized violent groups. Working closely with RPD, ATF and other law enforcement partners, the Office has targeted two violent groups who were engaged in a feud with each other. As a result of this investigation, 23 defendants have been charged in criminal complaints. In addition to these complaints, last week the federal grand jury in Rochester returned a 10-count indictment against Brandon Washington, Deadrick Fulwiley, Derrick Steele and Jermell Washington, charging them with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana from various drug houses they operated in the City of Rochester. The four defendants are also charged with possessing, using, and carrying firearms in furtherance of their drug trafficking crimes. In addition, Brandon Washington and Deadrick Fulwiley are charged with possessing, using, and carrying a machine gun in furtherance of their drug trafficking crimes. Brandon Washington is alleged to be the leader of an armed drug trafficking organization in Rochester that became involved in a violent dispute with a rival gang headed by Rasheem Sullivan during the summer of 2022. Sullivan, along with eight additional Bloods gang members, were charged in December 2022 with narcotics conspiracy and weapons offenses. The conflict between Washington and Sullivan resulted in multiple instances of violence, including drive-by shootings, arsons, assaults, and murders. These included the ambush shooting of Rochester Police Officers Anthony Mazurkiewicz and Sino Seng on July 21, 2023, which resulted in the death of Officer Mazurkiewicz.
As a result of the hard work of our law enforcement partners and our collaboration with the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, since July of 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has charged approximately 100 defendants with federal gun crimes. These arrests and the underlying investigations have resulted in more than 100 illegal firearms being removed from the community. Most importantly, these efforts have resulted in a reduction in the volume of gun violence in Rochester in the first half of 2023.
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Two Men Convicted of Multiple Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Two men were convicted by a federal jury in Nashville on Friday of multiple crimes for their role in armed robberies committed throughout middle Tennessee, announced United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis.
After a week-long trial, Fredrick Eugene Carney, 32, of Murfreesboro, Tenn., was convicted of robbery, bank robbery, illegally possessing ammunition, and brandishing or discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. William John Ewing, III, 26, of Nashville, was found guilty of bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
The charges in this case relate to the 2022-armed robberies of two Cash Express businesses in Ardmore, Tenn., and Greenbrier, Tenn., as well as armed robberies of the Regions Bank in Smyrna, Tenn., and the First Horizon Bank on Whites Creek Pike in Nashville. This crime spree occurred between February 18, and May 2, 2022. The jury acquitted both men of the robbery of a Cash Express in Murfreesboro.
“This is yet another example of our commitment to holding violent criminals accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Leventis. “These individuals will now be removed from our communities for a long period of time and will no longer have the opportunity to inflict fear and violence upon others. I commend our law enforcement partners and our trial team for their work in securing these convictions.”
As a result of these convictions, Fredrick Carney faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 31 years, and up to life in federal prison. William Ewing faces a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years, and up to life in prison. Both men will be sentenced by United States District Court Judge William Campbell later this year.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department; the Murfreesboro Police Department; the Ardmore Police Department; the Greenbrier Police Department; the Smyrna Police Department; and the Moulton, Alabama Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph P. Montminy and Amanda J. Klopf are prosecuting the case.
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Tallahassee Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of A Firearm by A FelonRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Jaquez Quashawn Price, 25, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced to 72 months in federal prison followed by three years’ supervised release for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“The collaborative efforts of our partners in the Tallahassee Gun Violence Initiative continue to produce impactful results, and we will continue working tirelessly to make North Florida safer,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “This sentence ensures that our community will be safer and sends a message that there are real and severe consequences for federal firearm offenses.”
On the morning of March 8, 2022, officer of the Quincy Police Department responded to a concerned citizen’s call regarding possible prowlers walking through neighborhood backyards. Officers responded and contacted Price and another male, who claimed to be in the neighborhood visiting friends and looking for property they had lost in the area. Officers were aware that several days earlier, a vehicle had been abandoned nearby while fleeing from police, after which a backpack containing several firearms and a laptop computer were recovered. Officers believed that Price and the other male were likely searching for the backpack and weapons that had been discarded in that incident. Investigators checked Price’s identification and discovered he had a pending felony warrant, and that he was a convicted felon. Price was detained and during an officer pat-down, a .40 caliber handgun was found on his person. He was placed under arrest, for the warrant as well as for the firearm in his possession. Officers also identified a vehicle parked nearby occupied by a female who informed officers that she had driven Price and the other male to the neighborhood. Inside the vehicle, a 9mm handgun was found on the backseat floorboard behind the driver, where Price and the male had been sitting.
“This is a true testament to the partnership we share with all law enforcement authorities, which transcends across all levels, said Chief T. Ashley, Quincy Police Department. “We are committed to detouring criminal activity by proactively patrolling our communities and promptly responding to our citizens safety needs. Our citizens deserve to live free of the constant fear of gun violence in our neighborhoods. I appreciate the work of the United States Attorney Office, Northern District of Florida for prosecuting this case.”
Following his arrest, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms adopted the case for federal prosecution and conducted a follow-up investigation. It was determined that Price had prior felony convictions including Burglary of a Dwelling and multiple counts of Grand Theft.
Price was also documented as a member of a criminal street gang and on release and awaiting trial on multiple unrelated violent state criminal charges when the instant arrest occurred.
The case resulted from a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and the Quincy Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric K. Mountin.
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.
As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Spartanburg Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal Prison for Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
SPARTANBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA — Lonnie Roosevelt Chamblee, III, of Spartanburg, was sentenced to eight years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Evidence presented to the Court showed that on May 13, 2021, a trooper with the South Carolina Highway Patrol discovered a distribution quantity of marijuana and two semi-automatic pistols in Chamblee’s vehicle after stopping him for running a redlight. One of the firearms was equipped with a large capacity magazine. Chamblee has at least 12 prior criminal convictions dating back to 2011, including convictions for Distribution of Cocaine Base and Discharging a Firearm into a Vehicle While Occupied.
United States District Judge Donald C. Coggins sentenced Chamblee to 96 months imprisonment, to be followed by a five-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, 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 was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the South Carolina Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Schoen is prosecuting the case.
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Pueblo Residents Charged in Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that three defendants from Pueblo have been charged by federal complaint in connection with a series of bank robberies in the Denver-Boulder area. Leo Elias Benavidez, age 34, Ashley Raeanne Cooper, age 33, and Britne Bree Schneider, age 25, have been charged for their alleged roles in the robberies. Benavidez is charged with four counts of bank robbery and aiding and abetting the same; Cooper is charged with four counts of bank robbery and aiding and abetting the same. Schneider is charged with a single count of accessory after the fact.
According to allegations in the criminal complaints, during the months of May and June, 2023, Benavidez and Cooper robbed four banks in the Denver-Boulder metro area, and attempted to rob a fifth. Schneider allegedly drove the getaway car following three of the robberies.
The Defendants had their initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Crews on June 21, 2023.
This case is being investigated by the FBI Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force, the Brighton Police Department, the Denver Police Department, the Arvada Police Department, the Westminster Police Department, the Boulder Police Department, and the Lafayette Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Brian Dunn is handling the prosecution.
The charges in the complaints are allegations and the Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
CASE NUMBERS: 23-mj-00108-NRN (Schneider)
23-mj-00109-NRN (Cooper)
23-mj-00110-NRN (Benavidez)
Prolific Mail Thief indicted for nine federal feloniesRead the Press Release
Seattle – The suspect in a series of mail vehicle and mail key thefts was indicted today by a federal grand jury for nine federal felonies, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Johny Mixayboua, 27, was arrested on a criminal complaint last month and is now charged with three counts of theft of government property, unlawful possession of a postal key, mail theft, possession of stolen mail, illegal transactions with a credit or debit card, unlawful possession of a firearm, and unlawful possession of ammunition.
According to records in the case, on December 28, 2022, a U.S. Postal Service vehicle was stolen from the 6300 block of South Bangor Street in Seattle. In the vehicle was a postal key that is used to access the cluster mailbox units in the 98178 zip code. The key allows the postal worker to open the back of the cluster box to deliver mail to multiple households. Since the theft of the vehicle and postal key, there have been numerous reports of cluster boxes in zip code 98178 being opened and mail stolen.
Working with neighbors, the Postal Inspection Service was able to get door camera footage showing the person accessing the postal boxes. Neighbors reported credit cards being stolen and attempts being made to use them. Inspectors were able to review images from when the credit card attempts occurred and ultimately identified Mixayboua as the person stealing the mail and attempting to use the stolen credit cards.
Additionally, local law enforcement determined that vehicles used in a number of the mail theft incidents were reported stolen.
On January 17, 2023, two more Postal Service vehicles were stolen. One in the 3000 block of Beach Drive SW and a second one in the 3600 block of 57th SW. Both are in zip code 98116. Using doorbell camera footage from the block where one of the vehicles was recovered, investigators allegedly saw Mixayboua removing mail and parcels from the stolen postal vehicle and putting them in another vehicle. Again, law enforcement traced credit cards stolen from the mail and obtained surveillance footage that appears to show Mixayboua attempting to make purchases with the credit cards.
On January 30, 2023, a fourth postal vehicle was stolen – this time from the 2000 block of S. Columbian Way in Seattle. On March 28, 2023, a fifth postal vehicle was stolen from the 5700 block of S. 129th Ave. One of the people associated with the theft matches a description of Mixayboua. In late January and February, the mail theft incidents continued -- this time in the Snoqualmie, Washington area. The cluster boxes were opened with either a counterfeit or authentic postal key. Again, credit cards were stolen, and one was linked to images of Mixayboua making purchases at Target.
Throughout April, mail thefts continued from as far north as Lake Forest Park and as far south as southeast Seattle.
The postal service halted deliveries in zip code 98118 for about a week while investigators worked to track down and arrest Mixayboua.
Mixaboua apparently was living in a vehicle near a relative’s home. When he was arrested, law enforcement found a firearm that he threw into the bushes while attempting to run away and ammunition in the vehicle, resulting in the last two counts in the indictment. Mixayboua is prohibited from possessing firearms due to multiple felony convictions in King County for auto theft, possession of stolen property, and bail jumping.
Mail theft and possession of stolen mail are punishable by up to five years in prison. Theft of government property and unlawful possession of postal keys are punishable by up to ten years in prison. Illegal transactions on an access device, possession of ammunition, and being a felon in possession of a firearm are punishable by up to 15 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 U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) worked diligently to get Mixayboua into custody.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elyne Vaught.
mixayboua_indictment.pdfPalmdale Man Found Guilty of Illegally Importing an Ancient Roman Mosaic from Syria Depicting HerculesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – An Antelope Valley man was found guilty by a jury today of illegally importing an ancient floor mosaic depicting the Roman demigod Hercules that is believed to have been made nearly two millennia ago.
Mohamad Yassin Alcharihi, 56, of Palmdale, was found guilty of one count of entry of falsely classified goods.
According to evidence presented at a 4½-day trial, Alcharihi in August 2015 illegally imported the mosaic – which dates from the era of the Roman Empire – by means of a false classification as to its value and quality. The mosaic arrived at Alcharihi’s direction at the Port of Long Beach as part of a shipment from Turkey.
The mosaic depicts a story from ancient Greek and Roman mythology depicting Hercules rescuing Prometheus, who had been chained to a rock by his fellow gods for stealing fire for humanity.
Alcharihi purchased the mosaic in 2015. Instead of disclosing to United States customs officials that he was importing a Syrian antiquity for which he had paid approximately $12,000 and that he knew was worth much more, Alcharihi lied to his customs broker and caused it to falsely declare that he was importing ceramic tiles from Turkey valued at less than $600. Alcharihi paid $40,000 to restore the mosaic and the government’s appraisal expert valued the mosaic at $450,000.
The false classifications occurred months after the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution condemning the destruction of cultural heritage in Syria, particularly by the terrorist organizations Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and Al-Nusrah Front.
The mosaic was placed inside a large metal shipping container holding many vases and two other mosaics. An x-ray image of the container taken by CBP showed that the mosaic was hidden in the front of the container – away from the rear access doors – behind a pile of vases. After passing through customs, the mosaic was shipped via truck to Alcharihi’s home.
The mosaic is 15 feet long, 8 feet tall, and weighs approximately 2,000 pounds. It has been stored at a secure facility in Los Angeles since federal agents seized it from Alcharihi’s garage in March 2016.
United States District Judge George H. Wu scheduled an August 31 sentencing hearing, at which time Alcharihi will face a statutory maximum sentence of two years in federal prison.
The FBI’s Art Crime Team and Homeland Security Investigations – Los Angeles, Ventura Division investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Mark A. Williams, Chief of the Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section; Assistant United States Attorney Matthew W. O’Brien, also of the Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section; Assistant United States Attorney Maxwell Coll of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section; and Justice Department Trial Attorney Christian A. Levesque of the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section are prosecuting this case.
Omaha Man Sentenced to 72 Months for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Gary Payton, 40, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on June 20, 2023, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska, for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Payton to imprisonment for 72 months. Upon release from prison, Payton will be required to complete a 5-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
On June 29, 2022, Lancaster County Sherriff’s deputies observed a red Camaro with an inoperable driver’s side taillight. They initiated a traffic stop. While approaching the vehicle, officers saw the driver attempting to give something to the passenger. The driver, identified as Gary Payton, told the deputy that his license was suspended. Another deputy spoke with the passenger. The passenger produced a Nebraska identification card and deputies determined that her driver’s license was also suspended. One of the deputies observed an open alcoholic beverage container behind the passenger seat and within reaching distance of both Payton and the passenger.
Deputies searched the Camaro and its contents. A deputy opened the passenger’s bag found on the front passenger side where she had been sitting and observed a large gallon-sized bag containing suspected methamphetamine. Within the gallon-sized bag were four bags containing suspected methamphetamine. Deputies performed a field test on the substance in one of the bags and confirmed that the substance was methamphetamine. Payton and the passenger were both arrested.
Deputies seized Payton’s phone and obtained a warrant to search it. The search of the phone yielded evidence of communications between the passenger and Payton. In one communication, Payton sent the passenger a photo of two bags of suspected methamphetamine. They also found evidence of communications with others relating to drug trafficking. The suspected methamphetamine from the vehicle was sent to the lab for testing. The lab determined there were 193.7 grams of methamphetamine, a distribution quantity.
The passenger was indicted by the Grand Jury in a separate case, which is pending before the Court.
This case was investigated by the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office.
Omaha Man Sentenced for the Unlawful Storage of Explosive MaterialsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Kalem L. Barber, 24, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for the unlawful storage of explosive materials. United States Magistrate Judge Michael D. Nelson sentenced Barber to two years’ probation and 50 hours of community service. There is no parole in the federal system. Magistrate Judge Nelson also ordered Barber to pay a $500 fine.
On November 26, 2021, Douglas County Sherriff’s Deputies responded to an explosion of a porta potty located at a construction site in Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska. Deputies reported that multiple juveniles were present and immediately fled the area after the explosion. Information obtained during the course of the investigation resulted in a December 2, 2021, FBI search warrant of an Omaha residence where Barber had been living. Within the residence the FBI found explosive materials to include approximately 20lbs of flash powder located in an unsecured box-styled container. Barber was using the explosive materials to make homemade fireworks.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
Norwalk Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Fentanyl Distribution and Firearm Possession OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that GREGORY T. WILLS, also known as “G Money,” “G” and “Greg Jamison,” 41, of Norwalk, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 120 months, followed by five years of supervised release, for fentanyl distribution and firearm possession offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the summer of 2020, members of the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and Norwalk Police Department made multiple controlled purchases of fentanyl from Wills. On September 23, 2020, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of a Norwalk residence that Wills used as a “stash” location and seized approximately 60 grams of fentanyl, items used to process and package narcotics for street sale, four handguns, and numerous rounds of ammunition. Investigators located Wills later that day at another location in Norwalk. He discarded a loaded handgun as he attempted to flee but was quickly apprehended.
The investigation also revealed that in May 2018, one of Wills’ drug customers died of an overdose of fentanyl and heroin.
Wills has been detained since his arrest. On January 23, 2023, Wills pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
Wills’ criminal history includes a 2003 federal conviction, under the name Greg Jamison, for distributing crack cocaine, which resulted in a 108-month prison term.
This matter was investigated by the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the Norwalk Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah P. Karwan and Karen L. Peck through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
National MS-13 Gang Leader Along with 22 MS-13 Members and Associates Indicted for Murders and Other Acts of ViolenceRead the Press Release
A 48-count, superseding indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging 23 alleged members and associates of the violent transnational criminal organization La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the “MS-13,” with racketeering conspiracy and related offenses, including multiple murders and other acts of violence, drug distribution conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy. The superseding indictment adds charges against defendant Edenilson Velasquez Larin, also known as “Agresor,” “Saturno,” and “Paco,” who is allegedly a national leader of the MS-13 and the Fulton Locos Salvatruchas (Fulton) clique, for his leadership role in allegedly ordering murders, drug distribution, and money laundering for the MS-13.
The superseding indictment also adds charges against defendants Christian Alas Leon, Carlos Alvarado, Jose Arevalo Iraheta, Jose Espinoza Sanchez, Erick Galdamez Leon, Blanca Garcia, Jose Guevara Aguilar, Oscar Hernandez Baires, Keila Hernandez May, Jose Mejia Hernandez, and Erick Zavala Hernandez—all of whom are alleged members or associates of the Fulton clique. Finally, the superseding indictment adds charges against Leyla Carranza for her alleged participation in the murder of Andy Peralta on April 23, 2018. The superseding indictment also includes charges against defendants Oscar Flores-Mejia, Ramiro Gutierrez, Yonathan Hernandez, Victor Lopez, Tito Martinez-Alvarenga, Emerson Martinez-Lara, Tylor Salmeron and Ismael Santos-Novoa, all of whom were previously indicted and arrested.
Alas Leon, Carlos Alvarado, Arevalo Iraheta, Galdamez Leon, Guevara Aguilar, Mejia Hernandez, and Zavala Hernandez were arrested earlier this morning in New York, and are scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Cheryl L. Pollak at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn. Hernandez Baires was arrested in New Jersey and will have his initial appearance in Brooklyn. Carranza was arrested in Virginia and will have her initial appearance in the Eastern District of Virginia. Garcia was arrested in Colorado and will have her initial appearance in the District of Colorado. Espinoza Sanchez and Hernandez May were arrested in North Carolina and will have their initial appearances in the Middle District of North Carolina. Velasquez Larin is in immigration custody in Ohio and will have his initial appearance in the Northern District of Ohio at a later date. The remaining defendants are already in federal custody and will be arraigned on the superseding indictment at a later date.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), Ivan J. Arvelo, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New York, and Keechant L. Sewell, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the arrests and charges.
“The murders and other crimes of violence allegedly committed by these defendants were brutal, cold-blooded, and utterly senseless,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “This Office and our law enforcement partners are working tirelessly to dismantle the MS-13 at all of its levels, and we will not relent until this transnational criminal organization, its leaders, members, and associates are held accountable for the extreme violence and other criminal activity that they have perpetrated in our communities.”
Mr. Peace also thanked the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, Queens County District Attorney’s Office, Nassau County Police Department, and the United States Attorney Offices for the Northern District of Ohio, District of New Jersey, District of Colorado, and Middle District of North Carolina for their valuable coordination with the investigation.
“The defendants charged are alleged to have participated in heinous gang violence and criminal behavior that brought fear and terror to our communities. The indictments today mark another success in our fight against the continued threat posed by MS-13. The FBI Long Island Gang Task Force and our law enforcement partners are determined to eliminate the scourge of violence and criminal behavior brought by MS-13,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll.
“Transnational gangs, like MS-13, threaten our national security and the safety of our neighborhoods by ravaging our communities with violent crime and narcotics,” stated HSI New York Special Agent-in-Charge Arvelo. “The individuals charged today are alleged to have committed numerous acts of senseless violence in the name of loyalty to their gang and now, thanks to the diligent investigative work of HSI New York and our partners at the FBI and NYPD, they will face federal prosecution for their crimes. This coordinated multi-agency law enforcement effort is the best means of disrupting MS-13’s illicit gang activity and undermining its ability to reign terror and violence in New York communities and elsewhere.”
“Today’s charges again show that NYPD investigators, in close collaboration with our law enforcement partners, are relentless in seeking justice against gangs – no matter when or where their brutal violence is carried out,” stated NYPD Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell. “I thank and commend Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI’s New York Field Office, and the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York for their vital work on this important case.”
Murder of Andy Peralta
Alleged MS-13 associates Juan Amaya-Ramirez and Oscar Flores-Mejia were previously charged with the murder of 17-year-old Andy Peralta in Kissena Park in Flushing, Queens on April 23, 2018. The superseding indictment adds murder charges against Leyla Carranza, who allegedly lured Peralta to the park so that he could be murdered. As detailed in court filings, the assailants fatally beat, stabbed and strangled Peralta. Peralta’s killers photographed themselves posing over Peralta’s corpse while they displayed MS-13 gang signs with their hands. The photo was found in Amaya-Ramirez’s iCloud account during a court-authorized search of the account.
Murder of Victor Alvarenga
In the early morning hours of November 4, 2018, MS-13 members shot and killed Victor Alvarenga near his home in Flushing, Queens. Alleged MS-13 member Ramiro Gutierrez and others were previously charged for their roles in the murder. The superseding indictment adds charges against alleged MS-13 members Edenilson Velasquez Larin, Jose Espinoza Sanchez, and Tito Martinez-Alvarenga. As alleged, as a national leader for the MS-13 and a leader of the Fulton clique, Edenilson Velasquez Larin gave the order to kill Alvarenga, and the murder was overseen by Espinoza Sanchez.
Murder of Abel Mosso
Alleged MS-13 members Ramiro Gutierrez, Tito Martinez-Alvarenga and Victor Lopez were previously charged with the murder of Abel Mosso on a subway platform in Queens. The superseding indictment charges Emerson Martinez-Lara and Ismael Santos-Novoa for their alleged roles as lookouts during the murder. As alleged, in the early afternoon of February 3, 2019, Lopez and Martinez-Alvarenga followed Mosso, who they believed to be a member of the rival 18th Street gang, onto the No. 7-train at the Main Street station in Flushing, trailed by Gutierrez. Lopez and Martinez-Alvarenga assaulted Mosso inside the subway car and then dragged him out onto the platform at the 90th Street station in Jackson Heights. The defendants pulled out a gun, but Mosso wrestled it away. Gutierrez shouted in Spanish, “Nobody get involved, we’re MS-13, we’re going to kill him.” Gutierrez then grabbed the gun from Mosso and allegedly shot him multiple times, killing him.
Murder of Eric Monge
The superseding indictment adds charges for the murder of Eric Monge on September 6, 2020. Alleged MS-13 member Oscar Hernandez Baires is charged with murdering Eric Monge, a fellow member of MS-13 who had previously assaulted Hernandez Baires. As alleged, in the early morning hours of September 6, 2020, Hernandez Baires and another individual shot and killed Monge while he was seated in a parked car near his home in Queens. Monge’s wife had just taken their young children into their residence and returned to the car to find parking when Hernandez Baires and the other individual opened fire.
Conspiracy to Murder Rival Gang Members
Beginning in late 2019, alleged MS-13 member Jose Espinoza Sanchez, who was a leader of the gang’s Fulton clique, learned that members of the rival 18th Street gang were increasing their presence in Elmont, New York, which is part of Fulton’s territory. As leaders of the Fulton clique, Edenilson Velasquez Larin and Espinoza Sanchez allegedly ordered other MS-13 members, including alleged MS-13 members Jose Arevalo Iraheta, Oscar Hernandez Baires, and Erick Zavala Hernandez, to scour the Elmont neighborhood in search of 18th Street members to kill. In the spring of 2020, Velasquez Larin allegedly arranged for Fulton members from Maryland to travel to New York to help Fulton members from New York find rival gang members in Elmont. Alleged MS-13 member Jose Arevalo Iraheta and a Fulton member from Maryland ultimately found an individual they believed to be an 18th Street member and shot at him.
Attempted Murders in Summer 2021
On the evening of July 29, 2021, in Westbury, alleged MS-13 member Christian Alas Leon and others chased a member of the rival Latin Kings gang with machetes. Alas Leon and another individual slashed the individual multiple times in his back and head with machetes before the victim managed to escape.
As retaliation for the machete attack, a different Latin Kings member stabbed an MS-13 member in the chest. In response to that stabbing, members of the Fulton clique met at a public park in Hicksville and agreed to exact revenge by killing a Latin Kings member. Velasquez Larin, the leader of the clique, participated in the meeting by telephone and allegedly gave the order to kill. Shortly after the meeting in the park, on the evening of August 2, 2021, in Westbury, New York, alleged MS-13 member Galdamez Leon shot at a suspected Latin Kings member multiple times, and the victim sustained a gunshot wound to the ankle.
Approximately one month later, on September 15, 2021, alleged MS-13 members Carlos Alvarado, Tylor Salmeron, and other individuals participated in the attempted murder of a different Latin Kings member who had provoked the MS-13 by posting on social media a mocking video of himself walking in Fulton territory in Westbury. Alvarado and another individual shot the victim in the face.
Drug Distribution and Money Laundering
Edenilson Velasquez Larin, Christian Alas Leon, Carlos Alvarado, Jose Arevalo Iraheta, Jose Espinoza Sanchez, Erick Galdamez Leon, Jose Guevara Aguilar, Oscar Hernandez Baires, Jose Mejia Hernandez, Tylor Salmeron and Erick Zavala Hernandez are also charged with selling cocaine and marijuana to earn money for MS-13. In addition, Velasquez Larin, Alas Leon, Alvarado, Espinoza Sanchez, Galdamez Leon, Blanca Garcia, Hernandez Baires, Keila Hernandez May, Mejia Hernandez and Zavala Hernandez are charged with money laundering in connection with the flow of tens of thousands of dollars from alleged MS-13 members to MS-13 leader Velasquez Larin.
The charges in the superseding indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case was investigated as part of the ongoing efforts by the OCDETF, a partnership that brings together the combined expertise of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
Today’s charges are 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. 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 2009, this Office has obtained indictments charging MS-13 members with carrying out more than 65 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.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan Siegel, Michael W. Gibaldi, and Anna Karamigios are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Emily Moosher.
New Defendants:
Edenilson Velasquez Larin (also known as “Agresor,” “Saturno,” and “Paco”)
Age: 33
Thornton, ColoradoChristian Alas Leon (also known as “Pata de Chucho”)
Age: 24
Westbury, New YorkCarlos Alvarado (also known as “Brayle” and “Danny”)
Age: 19
Westbury, New YorkJose Arevalo Iraheta (also known as “Splinter” and “Daniel”)
Age: 26
Queens, New YorkErick Galdamez Leon (also known as “Truco,” “Burro,” and “Chicle”)
Age: 23
Westbury, New YorkBlanca Garcia (also known as “Lisbeth”)
Age: 31
Thornton, ColoradoJose Guevara Aguilar (also known as “Tranquilo,” “Malhechor,” and “Angel”)
Age: 24
Queens, New YorkOscar Hernandez Baires (also known as “Pinky,” “Duende,” “Roco,” and “Renuente”)
Age: 23
Trenton, New JerseyKeila Hernandez May
Age: 35
Carrboro, North CarolinaYonathan Hernandez
Age: 24
Hempstead, New YorkLeyla Carranza
Age: 22
Richmond, VirginiaJose Mejia Hernandez (also known as “Mismo” and “Timbre”)
Age: 21
Westbury, New YorkJose Espinoza Sanchez (also known as “Cable,” “Bleca,” “Clave,” and “Victor”)
Age: 24
Carrboro, North CarolinaTylor Salmeron (also known as “El Duende”)
Age: 20
Westbury, New YorkErick Zavala Hernandez (also known as “Berry,” “Berro,” and “Alex”)
Age: 26
Queens, New YorkDefendants Previously Indicted:
Juan Amaya-Ramirez (also known as “Cadaver”)
Age: 25
Fresh Meadows, New YorkOscar Flores-Mejia (also known as “Chamuco”)
Age: 23
Elmhurst, New YorkRamiro Gutierrez (also known as “Cara de Malo”)
Age: 30
Flushing, New YorkVictor Lopez (also known as “Curioso”)
Age: 24
Flushing, New YorkTito Martinez-Alvarenga (also known as “Imprudente”)
Age: 23
Flushing, New YorkEmerson Martinez-Lara (also known as “Fugitivo” and “Adonay”)
Age: 24
College Point, New YorkIsmael Santos-Novoa (also known as “Profe” and “Travieso”)
Age: 35
Flushing, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-228 (S-2) (LDH)
larin_et_al._superseder.pdfMingo County Woman Pleads Guilty to Theft of Military Death BenefitsRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jessica Horton, 53, of Matewan, pleaded guilty today to theft of government money. Horton admitted to stealing approximately $181,713.58 in United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) survivor’s benefits.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Horton’s great aunt was awarded VA Survivor’s Dependency and Indemnity Compensation benefits after the death of her husband in World War II. The great aunt began receiving the monthly benefits on May 1, 1945.
Beginning in or around 1964, the benefits were mailed to the great aunt’s post office box in Matewan. On February 21, 1999, Horton’s great aunt died, and the entitlement to benefits was therefore extinguished. Horton’s mother had access to the post office box. Horton admitted that her great aunt’s name was fraudulently signed on the benefits after the death to allow Horton’s mother to receive the benefits and convert them to her own use.
Horton’s mother fraudulently received the monthly benefits until her death on February 14, 2011. Following her mother’s death, Horton took over the post office box and began signing her great-aunt’s name in order to receive the monthly benefits. Horton admitted that she knew she was not entitled or authorized to sign her great aunt’s name on the benefits.
Horton deposited the benefits in various bank accounts at a Williamson bank where she was an account owner and signatory, and converted the money to her own use. Horton admitted that from around March 2011 until on or around December 31, 2022, she knowingly and willfully took approximately $181,713,58 in VA survivor’s benefits that she was not entitled or authorized to receive. The monthly benefits were terminated by the VA on or around January 12, 2023.
Horton is scheduled to be sentenced on September 21, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,00 fine. Horton also owes $181,713.58 in restitution.
“My grandfather fought in World War II. The theft committed in this case is a slap in the face to those who earn these hard-fought-for benefits,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “That this fraud went on for as long as it did makes it all the more deplorable.”
Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs-Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-49.
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Mexican National Sentenced to Life in Prison for KidnappingRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Mexican national has been sentenced in federal court for kidnapping, which led to the death of the victim.
Juan D. Osorio (also known as “Spexx”), 30, a citizen of Mexico residing in Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark on Tuesday, June 20, to life in federal prison without parole.
On Dec. 16, 2022, Osorio and co-defendant Jonathan M. Bravo-Lopez (also known as “Jonathan Vravo,” and “Shadow”), 28, were found guilty at trial of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and kidnapping resulting in death. Osorio was also found guilty of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. Bravo-Lopez was also found guilty of illegally reentering the United States after having been deported in 2016.
The sentencing hearing for Bravo-Lopez is scheduled on July 26, 2023.
Evidence introduced during the trial indicated that Osorio and Bravo-Lopez conspired to kidnap Cristian Escutia in an attempt to rob him of money. They transported Escutia across state lines from Missouri to Kansas before fatally shooting him on April 3, 2017.
Osorio and Bravo-Lopez arranged to purchase $300 of marijuana from Escutia as a ruse to lure him into their kidnapping plan. On April 3, 2017, they met Escutia outside his residence and forced him into their vehicle, a Chrysler Pacifica, at gunpoint. The kidnapping was captured by the video surveillance system outside a nearby residence. When they drove to the 200 block of Donovan Road in Kansas City, Kan., they forced Escutia out of the vehicle. Escutia was shot three times and left to die on the side of the road.
Osorio, who is in the United States unlawfully, was in possession of an Action Arms Uzi .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol when he was arrested on April 7, 2017.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick C. Edwards and Matthew A. Moeder. It was investigated by the FBI, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department.
Memphis Man Sentenced to Serve 100 Months in Prison for Unlawfully Possessing Gun in Cape GirardeauRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – The United States Attorney's Office announced Wednesday that Deon R. Crittenden, 32, of Memphis, Tennessee, has been sentenced to serve 100 months in federal prison following his guilty plea to unlawfully possessing a firearm.
Crittenden appeared for his sentencing hearing Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig at the federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau.
The charges arose after an officer with the Cape Girardeau Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle near a Cape Girardeau hospital in April 2022. Crittenden, who was a passenger in the vehicle, jumped out and ran inside the hospital with a red backpack, according to court documents. Officers found him hiding in a restroom a short time later. The red backpack was in a trashcan in that same restroom, and contained a loaded .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol and marijuana, court documents say. Crittenden had previously been convicted of several felony offenses in the State of Tennessee, including aggravated assault and robbery.
After serving his 100-month sentence, Crittenden will be placed on supervised release for a period of four years. This case was investigated by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Koester handled the prosecution for the government.
Man Convicted for Illegally Importing Ancient MosaicRead the Press Release
A federal jury in Los Angeles convicted a California man today for illegally importing from Syria an ancient mosaic depicting the Roman demigod Hercules that is believed to be 2,000 years old.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in August 2015, Mohammed Yassin Alcharihi, 56, of Palmdale, illegally imported the mosaic – which dates from the era of the Roman Empire and is of Syrian origin – by claiming that he was importing various items worth $2,199. However, the mosaic was worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The false classifications occurred months after the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution condemning the destruction of cultural heritage in Syria, particularly by the terrorist organizations Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and Al-Nusrah Front.
Alcharihi was convicted of one count of entry of falsely classified goods. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 31 and faces a maximum penalty of two years in prison. The government is also seeking forfeiture of the mosaic. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney E. Martin Estrada for the Central District of California, Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Los Angeles, and Special Agent in Charge Don Alway of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office’s Criminal Division made the announcement.
The FBI’s Art Crime Team and HSI Los Angeles’ Ventura Division investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Christian A. Levesque of the Justice Department’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark A. Williams, Matthew W. O’Brien, and Maxwell Coll for the Central District of California are prosecuting the case.
MEDIA ADVISORY - Two Andrews Men to be Sentenced in Federal Court for Murder and Robbery of Postal CarrierRead the Press Release
FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA — Trevor Seward and Jerome Davis are scheduled to be sentenced in federal court on Thursday, June 22, 2023. Seward is being sentenced after being convicted at trial for the murder and robbery of mail carrier Irene Pressley, which occurred after Pressley refused to deliver two pounds of marijuana to Seward. Davis is being sentenced after pleading guilty to his role in the robbery of Pressley. A press conference will be held at 4:00pm following Davis’ sentencing.
United States District Judge Donald C. Coggins, Jr. presided over the trial and will impose the sentences.
WHEN: Thursday, June 22, 2023, Seward at 9:30am and Davis at 2:00pm
WHERE: McMillan Federal Building
Courtroom 1
401 West Evans Street
Florence, South Carolina
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Lubbock Man Sentenced in the Eastern District of Texas to over 26 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking CocaineRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas– A Lubbock, Texas man has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking violations, announced Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today.
Michael Calzadias, 42, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and money laundering and was sentenced to 320 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant on June 20, 2023.
According to information presented in court, between 2017 and 2018, Calzadias, along with Mark Anthony and Thomas Calzadias, were the main sources of supply for over 450 kilograms of cocaine, which was imported from Mexico, and transported from the Rio Grande Valley, Texas, to St. Louis, Missouri; Danville, Virginia; Greenville, South Carolina; Atlanta, Georgia; Fort Meyers, Florida; and other areas. Mark Anthony Calzadias, Michael Calzadias, and Thomas Calzadias were also responsible for bulk currency smuggling throughout the United States.
Mark Calzadias and Thomas Calzadias were previously sentenced to 420 and 235 months in federal prison respectively.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. This is part of the Tres Toros OCDETF investigation. A joint investigation by DEA Dallas and DEA Lubbock. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
These cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ernest Gonzalez.
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Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Isaiah Harley Daniels, 23, of Sissonville, pleaded guilty today to attempted enticement of a minor.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in June 2021 Daniels began communicating online with a 13-year-old girl using the Kik instant messaging app. Daniels admitted to sending the minor female pornographic images while explaining sexual intercourse to her and asking her to “get naked.” Daniels further admitted to initiating several video calls with the minor female in an attempt to watch her masturbate. He also admitted to taking screenshots of some of his conversations with the minor female that he saved on his cell phone.
Daniels admitted to engaging in online conversation that were sexual in nature with other individuals he believed to be children. Daniels pretended to be 17 years old at times so he would appear younger. Several of the individuals that Daniels believed were children sent him images of themselves naked and masturbating.
Daniels admitted that he knowingly possessed 22 images and 297 videos on his cell phone and in his Kik account depicting known minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Daniels is scheduled to be sentenced on September 20, 2023, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Daniels must also register as a sex offender
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the West Virginia State Police.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Julie M. White is prosecuting the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s 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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-23.
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KC Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Trafficking, Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man who illegally possessed 13 firearms, including machine guns, pleaded guilty in federal court today to fentanyl trafficking, carrying a firearm during and in relation to fentanyl trafficking, and illegally possessing a machine gun.
Ban N. To, 19, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to a federal information that charges him with one count of possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute, one count of carrying a firearm during a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of possessing a machine gun.
According to today’s plea agreement, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department placed a felony vehicle alert on a red Toyota Highlander due to its association with a homicide that occurred on April 15, 2023. The vehicle had been caught on surveillance video pulling into a parking lot near Southwest Trafficway and Mill Street in the Westport area. The vehicle then proceeded east to another parking lot in the same area. The two occupants of the vehicle exited and proceeded north on foot. At some point the suspects began chasing and shooting at another man. The chase ended at West 40th Street and Washington Avenue where surveillance video captured the two suspects exchange gunfire in the street with the other man. The other man suffered several gunshot wounds and was later confirmed deceased. The two suspects ran away but eventually returned to the vehicle and drove away. Multiple spent shell casings were recovered from the scene.
Kansas City police officers stopped the red Toyota Highlander, which was being driven by To, on April 21, 2023. To told investigators that he is the primary driver of the vehicle and had not loaned the vehicle to anyone during the prior week. To also said the vehicle had not been stolen anytime recently and that only he and his father have keys to the vehicle.
Officers searched the Toyota Highlander and found a loaded Taurus .45-caliber handgun, which had been reported stolen, under the driver’s seat. They also found a zip lock bag that contained approximately 75 fentanyl pills near the steering wheel. Officers found three additional firearms inside the locked glove compartment – a Glock 9mm handgun that had been reported stolen, a Polymer80 9mm handgun without a serial number, and a Glock .40-caliber handgun equipped with a Glock switch to make it fully automatic.
Kansas City police detectives also were able to recover nine more firearms associated with To while he was being detained in the Jackson County Detention Center. To, in a monitored telephone call, asked his girlfriend to go to his storage locker and remove some bags. Detectives were able to track down those bags, which contained a Mossberg .22-caliber rifle, a Romarm/Cugir Mini-Draco 7.62x39mm pistol, a Radical Firearms 7.62x39mm rifle, a Sigarms .357-caliber pistol, a Glock 9mm pistol, two Glock .357-caliber pistols, and two Glock .40-caliber pistols equipped with Glock switches to make them fully automatic.
Under federal statutes, To is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Q. McCarther. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
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.
KC Man Indicted in Murder-for-Hire ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for his role in a murder-for-hire conspiracy after being indicted last year for illegally possessing firearms.
Thomas D. Clegg, 40, was charged in a two-count second superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Tuesday, June 20. The second superseding indictment replaces the original Oct. 11, 2022, indictment and a superseding indictment that contained the firearms count, and includes the additional conspiracy charge.
The federal indictment charges Clegg with one count of participating in a conspiracy to commit murder for hire and one count of being a felon in possession of firearms.
The indictment alleges that Clegg and others conspired from Aug. 19, 2021, to June 13, 2022, to murder a victim identified as “J.C.” and his family members for payment in cash and marijuana.
The indictment also alleges that Clegg was in possession of a Glock .40-caliber pistol and a Springfield Armory .45-caliber pistol between May 25 and June 13, 2022. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Clegg has two prior felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance, as well as prior felony convictions for unlawful use of a weapon, trafficking in drugs, voluntary manslaughter, discharging a firearm from a motor vehicle, assault, armed criminal action, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys D. Michael Green and Ashleigh A. Ragner. It was investigated by the FBI, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, and the Independence, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
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.
Justice Department Secures Agreement with New Jersey County to Resolve Voting Rights Act LawsuitRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – The Justice Department announced today that it has secured an agreement that provides for a comprehensive Spanish-language election program for voters in Union County, New Jersey. The consent decree was approved by a three-judge court in the U.S. District Court of New Jersey.
The proposed consent decree was filed in federal court in conjunction with a lawsuit brought by the Justice Department. The department’s lawsuit brings claims under Sections 203 and 208 of the Voting Rights Act regarding the availability of election assistance and materials in Spanish for Spanish-speaking voters with limited English proficiency. Section 203 requires that certain jurisdictions, including Union County, provide election materials and assistance in other languages, in addition to English. Section 208 provides a right for voters who need assistance with voting – due to inability to read or write, blindness or disability – to receive that assistance from the person of their choice, with certain limited exceptions.
Under the consent decree, the Union County Clerk and Board of Elections will provide all election-related information in both English and Spanish, including information displayed in polling places and online. The Union County Board of Elections will also ensure that in-person language assistance is available at all early voting sites and at each election district with at least 100 Spanish-surnamed registered voters. Spanish-language assistance will continue to be available to all voters by telephone during elections. In addition, the consent decree provides that any voter covered by Section 208 who needs assistance to vote may be assisted by the person of that voter’s choice, other than an agent of the voter’s employer or union, during any stage of the voting process. The consent decree also provides that federal observers may monitor election day activities in polling places in Union County.
“The right to vote is the bedrock of our democracy,” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger, District of New Jersey, said. “We remain committed to ensuring that every eligible New Jersey voter can vote without language barriers. Now that a court order is in place, we look forward to working with Union County to accomplish this goal.”
“The Justice Department is committed to protecting the right to vote,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said. “This agreement will ensure that Spanish-speaking residents of Union County can fully access the ballot box. The Civil Rights Division will continue to use every tool available to protect the rights of all voters seeking to participate in our democracy.”
Individuals may file voting rights complaints with the Civil Rights Division either online here, or may call (800) 253-3931. Individuals may also contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey either online here or may call (855) 281-3339.
More information about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting rights laws are available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section.
The government is represented by Michael E. Campion, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Civil Rights Division; Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Millenky of the U.S. Attorney’s Civil Rights Division; Bert Russ, Deputy Chief of the Voting Section in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; Bruce Gear, Trial Attorney, Voting Section; and Michelle Rupp, Trial Attorney, Voting Section.
ucconsent.pdfJustice Department Secures Agreement with New Jersey County to Resolve Voting Rights Act LawsuitRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has secured an agreement that provides for a comprehensive Spanish-language election program for voters in Union County, New Jersey. The consent decree was approved by a three-judge court in the U.S. District Court of New Jersey.
The proposed consent decree was filed in federal court in conjunction with a lawsuit brought by the Justice Department. The department’s lawsuit brings claims under Sections 203 and 208 of the Voting Rights Act regarding the availability of election assistance and materials in Spanish for Spanish-speaking voters with limited English proficiency. Section 203 requires that certain jurisdictions, including Union County, provide election materials and assistance in other languages, in addition to English. Section 208 provides a right for voters who need assistance with voting – due to inability to read or write, blindness or disability – to receive that assistance from the person of their choice, with certain limited exceptions.
Under the consent decree, the Union County Clerk and Board of Elections will provide all election-related information in both English and Spanish, including information displayed in polling places and online. The Union County Board of Elections will also ensure that in-person language assistance is available at all early voting sites and at each election district with at least 100 Spanish-surnamed registered voters. Spanish-language assistance will continue to be available to all voters by telephone during elections. In addition, the consent decree provides that any voter covered by Section 208 who needs assistance to vote may be assisted by the person of that voter’s choice, other than an agent of the voter’s employer or union, during any stage of the voting process. The consent decree also provides that federal observers may monitor election day activities in polling places in Union County.
“The Justice Department is committed to protecting the right to vote,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This agreement will ensure that Spanish-speaking residents of Union County can fully access the ballot box. The Civil Rights Division will continue to use every tool available to protect the rights of all voters seeking to participate in our democracy.”
“The right to vote is the bedrock of our democracy,” said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey. “We remain committed to ensuring that every eligible New Jersey voter can vote without language barriers. Now that a court order is in place, we look forward to working with Union County to accomplish this goal.”
Individuals may file voting rights complaints with the Civil Rights Division either online here, or may call (800) 253-3931. Individuals may also contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey either online here or may call (855) 281-3339.
More information about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting rights laws are available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section.
Jamestown Man Pleads Guilty to Being A Felon in PossessionRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Randall Rolison, 60, of Jamestown, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Louis Testani, who is handling the case, stated that in January 2022, the Jamestown Police Department and FBI began investigating Rolison’s purchase of firearms outside of the State of New York and subsequent sale of the firearms in the Southern Tier of New York. The investigation determined that Rolison, an over-the-road truck driver, purchased firearms and ammunition from a roadside stand in the State of Georgia between the Summer of 2021 and December 2021, and subsequently transported and sold, or attempted to sell, a total of nine firearms and ammunition in New York. Rolison sent pictures of the firearms via text message to various individuals to solicit interest in purchasing them and would subsequently straw purchase the firearms on behalf of the individuals. In June 1997, Rolison was convicted of a felony in Michigan and is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. DeVito.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 19, 2023, before Judge Sinatra.
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Hyde Park Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Armed Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Hyde Park man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for the armed robbery of a Hyde Park bank.
Paul Whooten, 59, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to seven years in prison and five years of supervised release. On January 12, Whooten pleaded guilty to one count of armed bank robbery.
On Dec. 21, 2019, Whooten entered a branch of Rockland Trust Bank in Hyde Park wearing a long, dark coat over a yellow and black reflective jacket with a bright yellow hood, as well as a knit hat, black sunglasses, a mask and gloves. Whooten was also carrying something that looked like an assault rifle but that later turned out to be a BB-gun. Upon entering the bank, Whooten pointed it at the teller and stated, “Give me all of your money.” The teller filled Whooten’s bag with $13,603 in cash, and Whooten fled the bank on foot. Bank surveillance cameras captured images of Whooten throughout the robbery.
Shortly after leaving the bank, Whooten was observed on the street wearing clothes consistent with those observed inside the bank and still holding what appeared to be a rifle in his hand. Law enforcement immediately apprehended Whooten and a black rifle-type BB gun and bag of cash were recovered from him.Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam W. Deitch of Levy’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
High-Ranking Member of Brooklyn-Based "KavKaz Nation" Crime Syndicate Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Extortions and Unlawful Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Roman Nikoghosyan was sentenced by United States District Judge Dora L. Irizarry to 8 years’ imprisonment for the extortion and the extortion conspiracy of two separate individuals and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Nikoghosyan was arrested in Los Angeles, California, in July 2021, and pleaded guilty to the charges in September 2022.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the sentence.
“Nikoghosyan is a prolific extortionist who learned the consequences today of preying on the Eurasian community in Brooklyn,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “His prosecution serves as an example of the priority this Office has placed on protecting vulnerable members of the district from lawless, violent individuals.”
Mr. Peace thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office, and the New York City Police Department for their outstanding investigative work on the case.
As set forth in court filings, Nikoghosyan, is a high-ranking member of a violent, Brooklyn-based Eurasian organized crime syndicate—KavKaz Nation (“KavKaz”)—that operated primarily in the Manhattan Beach and Brighton Beach neighborhoods in Brooklyn, New York. Members of KavKaz, including Nikoghosyan, referred to their membership as the “KWAY” or “K WAY,” and wore jewelry or articles of clothing emblazoned with the word “KavKaz.” Members of KavKaz drew on ties to the Caucus region of Eurasia, namely Armenia, Uzbekistan, parts of Southern Russia, and Azerbaijan, in furtherance of their criminal goals, including extortion.
Relying on his reputation for violence and repeated threats of physical harm, Nikoghosyan extorted two individuals in 2021. In February 2021, Nikoghosyan was operating a narcotics distribution scheme in which he employed the victim of one of his extortionate schemes to transport packages containing marijuana. When the victim discovered the illicit content of the packages and refused to continue distributing the narcotics, Nikoghosyan, with the assistance of co-conspirators, demanded $10,000 in extortionate payments from the victim, threatening to stab him or break his legs if he did not comply. In May 2021, Nikoghosyan extorted $5,000 from a second victim. The defendant advised an associate that he “spoke with that son of a b----,” and that he warned the victim, “Do you not want to walk around Brooklyn anymore?”
As detailed in court filings, during the course of the investigation, Nikoghosyan discussed assaulting victims with co-conspirators and threatening individuals with physical violence, including the use of weapons. Additionally, in June 2021, Nikoghosyan engaged in multiple conversations related to the escape of a co-conspirator from a New York City Department of Corrections jail barge. Nikoghosyan attempted to provide a vehicle for the co-conspirator to drive to California, along with approximately $2,000 for the co-conspirator to use while on the run.
Nikoghosyan, having been previously convicted of felony attempted robbery, also pleaded guilty to possessing a Hi-Point 995 rifle that was found during the execution of a search warrant at a stash house in Brooklyn that was operated by the defendant.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew R. Galeotti and Dana Rehnquist are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendants:
ROMAN NIKOGHOSYAN (also known as “Roma”)
Age: 34
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-CR-421 (DLI)
Hartford, Connecticut Man Sentenced for Drug Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that on June 20, 2023, Raymond Rivera, 33, of Hartford, Connecticut, was sentenced in United States District Court in Burlington, Vermont, to serve 66 months in prison after his guilty plea to one count of possessing cocaine and fentanyl with intent to distribute. U.S. District Judge William K. Sessions III also ordered Rivera to serve a five-year term of supervised release and to pay a $100 special assessment. At the time of the offense, Rivera was serving a term of supervised release from a 2015 drug conviction in federal court in Connecticut. Rivera’s commission of the Vermont offense provided the basis for a violation of Rivera’s supervised release. On the supervised release violation, Judge Sessions sentenced Rivera to 12 months in jail consecutive to the 66-month sentence on the new criminal case.
According to court records and proceedings, Rivera was found in possession of a large quantity of cocaine and fentanyl on October 20, 2022, during the execution of a Vermont state search warrant at a residence in Northfield, Vermont. Rivera was arrested during the search and has been detained since then.
U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Northfield Police Department in the investigation and prosecution of Rivera.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Van de Graaf handled the prosecution of Rivera. Allan Sullivan, Esq., represented Rivera.
Grand Island Man Convicted for Possession of Fraudulent COVID-19 Vaccination Cards Bearing Official U.S. InsigniaRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Jason C. Olderbak, 35, of Grand Island, Nebraska, was sentenced today in Lincoln, Nebraska, by Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard for unlawful possession of official U.S. insignia. Olderbak was sentenced to two years of probation, a $3,000 fine, and 50 hours of community service. There is no parole in the federal system.
On or about July 30, 2021, Jason Olderbak purchased approximately 21 false COVID-19 vaccination cards online. On August 3, 2021, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) received the package as it was entering the United States from overseas. Recognizing the package as being similar to other fraudulent packages, CBP opened the package and discovered the 21 fraudulent COVID-19 vaccination cards. A search warrant was received to perform a controlled delivery for the package. The search warrant was executed on August 18, 2021. Olderbak’s cellphone and other electronic devices were also seized during the investigation. Later examination of those devices revealed web history consistent with the purchase of the fraudulent vaccination cards.
Legitimate COVID-19 vaccination cards are produced in the United States and are shipped directly to medical professionals alongside the COVID-19 vaccination doses the cards are intended to go with. Each true COVID-19 vaccination card bears the seal of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which is a public health agency of the United States Federal Government under the Department of Health and Human Services. The cards ordered and received by Olderbak were nearly identical to legitimate COVID-19 vaccination cards. The seal/insignia of the CDC was affixed to the false COVID-19 vaccination card documents purchased and received by Olderbak.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.
Gloucester County Man Charged with Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Gloucester County, New Jersey, man was charged today with possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Kyle Daniel Reese, 29, of Williamstown, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of possession of child pornography. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth A. Pascal in Camden federal court and was detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In October and November 2020, while Reese was serving a term of home detention due to a prior federal conviction for receipt of child pornography, Reese accessed child pornography using his iPhone. The child pornography was subsequently uncovered after his iPhone was seized by Reese’s probation officer. A search of the phone revealed 86 files containing child pornography.
The count of possession of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, a maximum of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jacqueline Maguire in Philadelphia, with the investigation leading to today’s charge.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph McFarlane of the Camden office.
The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
reese.complaint.pdfGeorgia bar and restaurant owner sentenced to federal prison, ordered to pay restitution for tax evasionRead the Press Release
STATESBORO, GA: The co-owner of multiple bars and a restaurant in Georgia has been sentenced to federal prison for tax evasion.
Eugene R. Britt III, aka Trey Britt, 53, of Milledgeville, Ga., was sentenced to 24 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to Tax Evasion, as jointly announced by Deputy Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg of the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randall Hall also ordered Britt to pay $362,249.53 in restitution and a fine of $10,000, and to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison sentence.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Trey Britt created a scheme to illegally withhold profits that should have been remitted to the U.S. Treasury,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Avoiding the obligation of paying taxes places a greater burden on all law-abiding taxpayers, and Britt is being held accountable for his actions.”
As described in court documents and testimony, Britt engaged in a scheme to evade taxes owed to the IRS on income from multiple bars and a restaurant he and others owned near college campuses in Georgia. As part of the scheme, Britt and others disguised their ownership in the bars by causing each establishment to be owned on paper by a single person. Britt and the other true owners then shared in the profits by skimming cash and disbursing it amongst themselves.
Britt personally controlled the distribution of cash for three of the establishments. As part of his guilty plea, Britt acknowledged that for approximately two decades he skimmed cash from his bars and restaurants and did not report it on his tax returns.
Additionally, Britt admitted to engaging in a similar cash skimming operation with respect to sales of beer at a music festival in 2015. Britt ensured that his individual tax return was false because he did not inform his accountant of the cash he received from the bars and the music festival during this year.
“Business owners have a responsibility to accurately report their income and not doing so is unlawful,” said Lisa Fontanette, acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation special agents will pursue those who disregard that responsibility in order to steal from taxpayers and the federal government.”
“Hard-working taxpayers should not have to shoulder the burden for people like Trey Britt who fail to pay their taxes because of greed,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI will work with our partners to make sure there are serious consequences for those who intentionally avoid their tax obligations.”
IRS-Criminal Investigation and the FBI investigated the case, which was prosecuted for the United States by Assistant Chief David Zisserson and Trial Attorney Casey Smith of the U.S. Department of Justice Tax Division, and the Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Georgia Bar and Restaurant Owner Sentenced to Prison for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
A Georgia man was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for evading taxes in connection with his ownership of multiple bars and a restaurant in Georgia, as well as beer sales at a music festival.
According to court documents and statements made in court, for the past two decades, Eugene R. Britt III, also known as Trey Britt, of Milledgeville, Georgia, engaged in a scheme to evade taxes owed to the IRS on income from bars and a restaurant he and others co-owned. Britt and others concealed their ownership interest by causing each establishment to be nominally owned by a single person. Britt and the other true owners shared in the profits generated by the establishments by skimming cash and disbursing it amongst themselves without reporting the cash as income to the IRS. Additionally, Britt used a similar organizational structure in the sale of beer at a music festival in 2015 and did not report the cash he received from the businesses or the music festival on his personal income tax returns.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge J. Randal Hall of the Southern District of Georgia ordered Britt to serve three years of supervised release and to pay a $10,000 fine and $362,250 in restitution.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg for the Southern District of Georgia made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation and the FBI investigated the case.
Assistant Chief David Zisserson and Trial Attorney Casey S. Smith of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tania Groover of the Southern District of Georgia prosecuted the case.
Gary Man Sentenced to 292 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Anthony Day, age 55, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Jon E. DeGuilio after a jury found him guilty of armed robbery, brandishing a firearm during that robbery, and being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Day was sentenced to 292 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to the documents in this case, the convictions stemmed from the October 8, 2019, robbery of a bank in Hammond, Indiana where the defendant brandished a gun during the commission of the offense. Wearing a disguise, Day approached a bank teller, displayed a gun and requested cash from the teller’s drawer. Day and his accomplice ordered the bank employees and patrons to lie down on the ground before fleeing the bank. When apprehended, Day’s DNA was on multiple items recovered, including a revolver, a firearm with an extended magazine, and his disguise.
Co-defendant, Omar Williams, pled guilty to armed bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during that robbery, and he was previously sentenced to 235 months in prison.
This investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance of the Hammond Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin M. Padula and Special Assistant United States Attorney Patrick D. Grindlay.
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.
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to Imprisonment of Life Plus 25 YearsRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Steven Hecke, 47 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Holly A. Brady after previously being found guilty following a 5 day trial in June 2022, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
The jury found Hecke guilty on all counts charged in the Indictment, which included distributing methamphetamine, maintaining a drug-involved premises, possessing methamphetamine and fentanyl with intent to distribute, possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possessing firearms as a convicted felon.
Hecke was sentenced to Life plus 25 years in prison. Hecke’s sentence was enhanced because he had previously been convicted of a serious drug felony and armed drug trafficking in a 2007 federal case in the Northern District of Indiana.
United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson said, “As the trial evidence showed, Mr. Hecke was a cartel-connected drug trafficker who sold massive amounts of illegal drugs in the Northern District of Indiana and elsewhere. This prosecution shows that my office will spare no effort to bring drug dealers to justice. Let Mr. Hecke’s life sentence plus 25 years warn those engaged in illegal drug trafficking that when justice is served, the consequences are rightfully harsh.”
“The Drug Enforcement Administration is focused on disrupting and dismantling drug trafficking organizations at all levels, specifically those with connections to Mexican drug cartels, such as the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco Cartel. Mr. Hecke had those criminal connections. Through his violent, drug related crimes, Mr. Hecke caused great harm and damage to northern Indiana, but thanks to a collaborative law enforcement effort, he is no longer a threat to Hoosiers. DEA will continue to strive for a safer and healthier northern Indiana and America,” said Alfred A. Cooke, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration-Merrillville District Office.
According to documents in the case, Hecke was distributing massive quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in both powder and pill form, along with other drugs. Law enforcement conducted several controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Hecke in November and December 2019. Agents and officers arrested Hecke at his Fort Wayne home after he returned with a drug shipment from Chicago in January 2020. In this one shipment, Hecke possessed approximately 19 pounds of crystal methamphetamine. From Hecke’s residence and a separate stash house, law enforcement recovered additional methamphetamine, fentanyl powder and pills, other drugs, ammunition and high-capacity magazines, body armor, and nine firearms, including two AK-47 style rifles and other rifles and pistols. The investigation further revealed that Hecke had obtained multiple prior drug shipments and that he was working closely with the Sinaloa Cartel by supplying them with vehicles, ATVs, generators, firearms, and other merchandise. Hecke demonstrated a significant potential for violence and danger to the community in several ways: by protecting his drug houses with multiple firearms; making threats of violence against others to collect drug debts and to protect his drug operation; and invoking cartel members as intimidation and as a means of enforcing his threats.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Allen County Drug Task Force, the Allen County Sheriff’s Department, the Indiana State Police, the Allen County Special Weapons and Tactics Team, the Fort Wayne Police Department, the Noble County Sheriff’s Department, the Steuben County Sheriff’s Department, the New Haven Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s North Central Laboratory. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony W. Geller and Lesley J. Miller Lowery.
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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Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 144 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Joseph Golden, 36 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Golden was sentenced to 144 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, Golden engaged in the sale of methamphetamine and heroin to law enforcement on two occasions in August and September 2022. At the time of his arrest, law enforcement located over 800 grams of methamphetamine in Golden’s vehicle, which had a purity level of 99 percent.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with the assistance of the Allen County Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brent Ecenbarger.
Former Mayor of Aguas Buenas Sentenced for Accepting BribesRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – The former mayor of the municipality of Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico, Javier García-Pérez, was sentenced today to 37 months in prison for his involvement in a bribery scheme in which he received cash payments in exchange for the awarding of municipal contracts and the payment of invoices related to those contracts.
García-Pérez, 47, pleaded guilty in February 2023 to one count of conspiracy to engage in a bribery scheme. According to court documents and statements made in connection with his plea and sentencing, García-Pérez was the mayor and highest-ranking government official in the municipality of Aguas Buenas from 2017 until 2022. Starting in 2017, García-Pérez, was involved in a bribery conspiracy in which he received and accepted cash payments from two businessmen in exchange for awarding municipal contracts for waste disposal services, asphalt and paving services, and debris removal and paying outstanding invoices on the contracts. Specifically, García-Pérez received at least $32,000 in cash payments from August 2020 through September 2021 from the two businessmen. In addition to the term of imprisonment, the defendant was sentenced to two years of supervised release.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Special Agent in Charge Joseph González of the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI San Juan Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Nicholas W. Cannon of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Erbe, Chief of the Public Corruption and Financial Fraud Section for the District of Puerto Rico, are prosecuting the case. Trial Attorney Ryan R. Crosswell of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott H. Anderson for the District of Puerto Rico assisted in the investigation.
These cases are part of the Justice Department’s ongoing efforts to combat public corruption by municipal officials in Puerto Rico. In addition to the above matters, the Public Integrity Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico have recently obtained convictions against other former public officials and contractors in the District of Puerto Rico for soliciting and accepting bribes related to municipal contracts. See United States v. Félix Delgado-Montalvo, 21-463 (RAM); United States v. Oscar Santamaria-Torres, 21-464 (RAM); United States v. Raymond Rodríguez, 21-465 (RAM); United States v. Mario Villegas-Vargas, 21-468 (FAB); See United States v. Ángel Pérez-Otero, 21-474 (ADC); United States v. Radamés Benítez-Cardona, 21-475 (PAD); United States v. Luis Arroyo-Chiques, 21-485 (SCC); United States v. Eduardo Cintron-Suarez, 22-151 (SCC); United States v. Reinaldo Vargas-Rodríguez, 22-186 (PAD); United States v. Ramon Conde-Melendez, 22-221 (PAD); United States v. Pedro Miranda-Marrero, 22-251 (RAM); United States v. Jose Cruz-Cruz, 22-276 (SCC); and United States Jose Bou-Santiago, 22-379 (ADC).
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Former Lawson Business Owner Indicted for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Lawson, Mo., man who is a registered sex offender has been indicted by a federal grand jury for possessing and distributing child pornography over the internet.
Lance M. Berry, 36, was charged in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Tuesday, June 20.
Berry, the owner of a flower shop in Lawson at the time of his offense, has a prior Ray County, Mo., conviction for deviate sexual assault, which requires him to register as a sex offender.
The federal indictment charges Berry with one count of distributing child pornography over the internet on June 1, 2022, and with one count of possessing child pornography on June 17, 2022.
Berry was arrested at his former business on June 17, 2022, by Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers. Berry struggled with troopers when they seized his cell phone and troopers were forced to spray him with pepper spray before placing him in handcuffs.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth W. Borgnino. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the FBI.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Former Jersey City Board of Education President and Former Acting Executive Director of Jersey City Employment and Training Program Admits Embezzlement and FraudRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – The former president of the Jersey City Board of Education (JCBOED) and former acting executive director of the Jersey City Employment and Training Program (JCETP) today admitted embezzling JCETP funds and committing wire fraud in connection with his use of funds from his 2016 JCBOED campaign account, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Sudhan M. Thomas, 47, of Jersey City, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini to two counts of an indictment charging him with embezzling funds from JCETP, an organization that received federal funds, and wire fraud for embezzling money from his 2016 JCBOED campaign.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Thomas served as JCETP’s acting executive director from January 2019 until his resignation in July 2019. JCETP was a nonprofit organization that operated to assist Jersey City residents to prepare for and enter the workforce. JCETP received substantial amounts of funding from federal grants from the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Using his access to JCETP funds and control of JCETP’s bank accounts, from March 2019 through July 2019, Thomas embezzled more than $45,000 from JCETP. Thomas caused checks to be drawn from JCETP accounts that were made payable to others, but ultimately received by Thomas or used to pay his debts and expenses. Thomas embezzled JCETP funds by issuing JCETP checks made out to cash that Thomas either cashed himself or used to obtain bank checks that he made payable to Next Glocal, an entity for which Thomas was a director, which were deposited into a bank account for his personal use.
Thomas ran for and was elected to a seat on the JCBOED in 2016, ultimately serving as vice president and then president of the JCBOED. From September 2016 to November 2016, Thomas collected campaign contributions and caused them to be deposited into a bank account opened for the 2016 campaign that he controlled. Under the guise of collecting repayments for loans to the campaign or reimbursement for other purported campaign-related expenses, Thomas embezzled more than $8,000 from his 2016 campaign for his own personal use.
The embezzlement charge is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison. The wire fraud charge is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. Both charges carry a maximum fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 1, 2023.
Thomas originally was charged by indictment in November 2020 with Paul Appel, 81, of Point Pleasant, New Jersey, who is an attorney and who also served as treasurer for Thomas’ 2016 campaign. Appel’s case is pending before Judge Martini, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents with the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, and special agents of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, New York Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elaine K. Lou, Chief of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit of the Criminal Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine J. Calle of the Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.
thomasappel.indictment.pdfFormer Goldman Sachs Investment Banker Convicted at Trial of Insider Trading Scheme and Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that BRIJESH GOEL, a former investment banker at Goldman Sachs, was convicted of insider trading and obstruction of justice. GOEL was convicted after a seven-day trial before U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 19, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Brijesh Goel, a senior banker at a leading investment bank, betrayed the trust of his employer and unlawfully shared inside information with his squash partner in an agreement to trade on that information. A federal jury has now convicted Goel of insider trading, and he faces time in prison for his conduct. Today’s verdict should remind those in the capital markets that if you engage in insider trading, we will catch you and hold you accountable.”
According to the Indictment, statements made in public court proceedings and filings, and the evidence at trial:
BRIJESH GOEL was an investment banker at Goldman Sachs in New York, New York. In that position, GOEL received confidential, internal emails directed to Goldman Sachs’s Firmwide Capital Committee and Credit Markets Capital Committee, which contained detailed information and analysis about potential merger-and-acquisition transactions Goldman Sachs was considering financing. In violation of the duties that he owed to Goldman Sachs, GOEL misappropriated that confidential information and tipped a friend (the “Friend”), who worked at another investment bank in New York, New York, with the names of potential target companies from those internal emails during in-person meetings (such as when the two met at New York Health and Racquet Club). The Friend then used that confidential information to trade call options, including short-dated, out-of-the-money call options, in brokerage accounts that were in the name of the Friend’s brother. GOEL and the Friend agreed to split the profits from their trading. Between approximately 2017 and 2018, GOEL tipped the Friend on at least six deals in which Goldman Sachs was involved, yielding total illegal profits of approximately $280,000.
Between approximately May and June 2022, GOEL also obstructed investigations by a Grand Jury in the Southern District of New York and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Specifically, GOEL deleted and asked the Friend to delete electronic communications regarding the insider trading scheme, including during an in-person meeting that the Friend consensually recorded.
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GOEL, 38, of New York, New York, was convicted of four counts of securities fraud and one count of obstruction of justice, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and tender offer fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Mr. Williams further thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority for their assistance and cooperation in this investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua A. Naftalis, Samuel P. Rothschild, and Andrew Thomas are in charge of the prosecution.
Former Financial Director of Monroe Hospital Sentenced for Committing Wire FraudRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – Edward Calloway, 44, of West Monroe, Louisiana, has been sentenced on federal wire fraud charges, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. At the sentencing hearing, Chief United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty sentenced Calloway to 24 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to evidence presented to the court, Calloway served as the Financial Director for Ouachita Parish Hospital Service District’s G.B. Cooley Hospital (“Cooley Hospital”) from 2016 until October 2019. Prior to serving as their Financial Director, Calloway was the First Staff Accountant from 2010 until 2016.
Beginning in 2012, Calloway began stealing from Cooley Hospital by transferring money from the hospital’s general fund, sinking fund, and payroll accounts to his personal accounts at Richland State Bank and Louisiana Capital Federal Credit Union. Calloway used a computer to initiate the Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) bank transfers. The bill of information filed in this case charged Calloway with causing an ACH transfer of $1,945.34 to be transferred by an interstate wire from a Cooley Hospital account to his personal bank account. Calloway’s theft continued until October 2019 and resulted in a total loss of $892,602.18. Calloway pleaded guilty to the charge of wire fraud on December 12, 2022.
“G.B. Cooley Hospital Service is an iconic medical and counseling services provider to northeast Louisiana residents who need specialized care due to mental and physical issues and is funded by state and federal taxpayer dollars,” said U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “Mr. Calloway had a fiduciary duty as Financial Director to oversee these state and federal funds in a prudent fashion to the benefit of Cooley’s residents and clients, not himself. Instead, he took advantage of these individuals by stealing this money for his personal gain and has now been held accountable. We will be vigilant and unwavering in our duty to protect the interests our most vulnerable citizens in the district and the taxpayer dollar.”
The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, Louisiana Office of State Inspector General and Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Alexander C. Van Hook, Special Counsel to the U.S. Attorney.
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Former Federal Law Enforcement Officer Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Transportation of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—On June 20, 2023, a former Veteran’s Administration police officer and resident of Roseburg, Oregon was sentenced to federal prison for repeatedly placing hidden cameras in sensitive personal locations to capture sexually explicit photos and videos of minors.
Robert Wayne Roady, 50, was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison and 10 years’ supervised release.
In October 2020, Roady’s conduct was reported to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office who opened an investigation. Roady later admitted to hiding the cameras.
On November 5, 2020, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned an indictment charging Roady with attempted sexual exploitation of a child. On March 1, 2023, Roady pleaded guilty to a one-count criminal information charging him with attempted transportation of child pornography.
This case was investigated by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the FBI. It was prosecuted by Adam E. Delph and Jeffrey S. Sweet, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon with assistance from Allison D. Eichmann, Chief Deputy District Attorney for the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office.
If you or someone you know are in immediate danger, please call 9-1-1.
Anyone who has information the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at (503) 224-4181 or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former FBI Analyst Sentenced for Retaining Classified DocumentsRead the Press Release
A former analyst with the Kansas City Division of the FBI was sentenced in federal court today for illegally retaining documents related to the national defense at her residence.
Kendra Kingsbury, 50, of Garden City, Kansas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 46 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. Kingsbury pleaded guilty on Oct. 13, 2022, to two counts of unlawfully retaining documents related to the national defense.
According to court documents, Kingsbury was an intelligence analyst for the FBI for more than 12 years, from 2004 to Dec. 15, 2017. Kingsbury was assigned to a sequence of different FBI squads, each of which had a particular focus, such as illegal drug trafficking, violent crime, violent gangs and counterintelligence. Kingsbury held a TOP SECRET/SCI security clearance and had access to national defense and classified information. Training presentations and materials specifically warned Kingsbury that she was prohibited from retaining classified information at her personal residence. Such information could only be stored in an approved facility and container.
Kingsbury admitted that, over the course of her FBI employment, she repeatedly removed from the FBI and retained in her personal residence (at that time in North Kansas City, Missouri) an abundance of sensitive government materials, including classified documents related to the national defense.
In total, Kingsbury improperly removed and unlawfully and willfully retained approximately 386 classified documents in her personal residence. Some of the classified documents she unlawfully removed and kept in her home contained extremely sensitive national defense information. According to court documents, Kingsbury put national security at risk by retaining classified information in her home that would have, if in the wrong hands, revealed some of the government’s most important and secretive methods of collecting essential national security intelligence.
Kingsbury admitted to investigators that she retained and destroyed other documents over the years that could have contained classified and/or national defense information. The documents retained by Kingsbury in her personal residence included documents in electronic format on hard drives, compact discs and other storage media.
The national defense information that Kingsbury unlawfully retained included numerous documents classified at the SECRET level from the FBI that describe intelligence sources and methods related to U.S. government efforts related to counterterrorism, counterintelligence and defending against cyber threats. These documents included details on the FBI’s nationwide objectives and priorities, including specific investigations across multiple field offices that were open at the time Kingsbury unlawfully retained the documents. In addition, Kingsbury retained documents relating to sensitive human-source operations in national security investigations, intelligence gaps regarding hostile foreign intelligence services and terrorist organizations and the technical capabilities of the FBI against counterintelligence and counterterrorism targets.
The national defense information that Kingsbury unlawfully retained also included numerous documents classified at the SECRET level from another government agency. These documents described intelligence sources and methods related to U.S. government efforts to collect intelligence on terrorist groups. The documents included information about al Qaeda members on the African continent, including a suspected associate of Usama bin Laden. In addition, there were documents regarding the activities of emerging terrorists and their efforts to establish themselves in support of al Qaeda in Africa.
The FBI investigated what uses Kingsbury put to the classified documents she illegally removed from the secure workspace, but according to court documents, the investigation revealed more questions and concerns than answers.
Investigators reviewed Kingsbury’s telephone records, which revealed a number of suspicious calls. Kingsbury contacted phone numbers associated with subjects of counterterrorism investigations, and these individuals also made telephone calls to Kingsbury. Investigators have not been able to determine why Kingsbury contacted these individuals, or why these individuals contacted her. Kingsbury declined to provide the government with any further information.
The FBI Omaha Field Office is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Edwards for the Western District of Missouri and Trial Attorney Scott Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
Former FBI Analyst Sentenced for Retaining Classified DocumentsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former analyst with the Kansas City Division of the FBI was sentenced in federal court today for illegally retaining documents related to the national defense at her residence.
Kendra Kingsbury, 50, of Garden City, Kansas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to three years and 10 months in federal prison without parole. Kingsbury pleaded guilty on Oct. 13, 2022, to two counts of unlawfully retaining documents related to the national defense.
Kingsbury was an intelligence analyst for the FBI for more than 12 years, from 2004 to Dec. 15, 2017. Kingsbury was assigned to a sequence of different FBI squads, each of which had a particular focus, such as illegal drug trafficking, violent crime, violent gangs, and counterintelligence. Kingsbury held a TOP SECRET//SCI security clearance and had access to national defense and classified information. Training presentations and materials specifically warned Kingsbury that she was prohibited from retaining classified information at her personal residence. Such information could only be stored in an approved facility and container.
Kingsbury admitted that, over the course of her FBI employment, she repeatedly removed from the FBI and retained in her personal residence (at that time in North Kansas City, Mo.) an abundance of sensitive government materials, including classified documents related to the national defense.
In total, Kingsbury improperly removed and unlawfully and willfully retained approximately 386 classified documents in her personal residence. Some of the classified documents she unlawfully removed and kept in her home contained extremely sensitive national defense information. According to court documents, Kingsbury put national security at risk by retaining classified information in her home that would have, if in the wrong hands, revealed some of the government’s most important and secretive methods of collecting essential national security intelligence.
Kingsbury admitted to investigators that she retained and destroyed other documents over the years that could have contained classified and/or national defense information. The documents retained by Kingsbury in her personal residence included documents in electronic format on hard drives, compact discs, and other storage media.
The national defense information that Kingsbury unlawfully retained included numerous documents classified at the SECRET level from the FBI that describe intelligence sources and methods related to U.S. government efforts related to counterterrorism, counterintelligence, and defending against cyber threats. These documents included details on the FBI’s nationwide objectives and priorities, including specific investigations across multiple field offices that were open at the time Kingsbury unlawfully retained the documents. In addition, Kingsbury retained documents relating to sensitive human-source operations in national security investigations, intelligence gaps regarding hostile foreign intelligence services and terrorist organizations, and the technical capabilities of the FBI against counterintelligence and counterterrorism targets.
The national defense information that Kingsbury unlawfully retained also included numerous documents classified at the SECRET level from another government agency. These documents described intelligence sources and methods related to U.S. government efforts to collect intelligence on terrorist groups. The documents included information about al Qaeda members on the African continent, including a suspected associate of Usama bin Laden. In addition, there were documents regarding the activities of emerging terrorists and their efforts to establish themselves in support of al Qaeda in Africa.
The FBI investigated what uses Kingsbury put to the classified documents she illegally removed from the secure workspace, but according to court documents, the investigation revealed more questions and concerns than answers.
Investigators reviewed Kingsbury’s telephone records, which revealed a number of suspicious calls. Kingsbury contacted phone numbers associated with subjects of counterterrorism investigations, and these individuals also made telephone calls to Kingsbury. Investigators have not been able to determine why Kingsbury contacted these individuals, or why these individuals contacted her. Kingsbury declined to provide the government with any further information.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Edwards for the Western District of Missouri and Trial Attorney Scott Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. It was investigated by the FBI Omaha Field Office.
Former Bangor Resident Sentenced to 7+ Years for Role in Penobscot and Aroostook County Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A former Bangor resident was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Bangor for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl in Penobscot and Aroostook counties.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Wayne Smith, 32, to 85 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
According to court records, between January 2018 and December 2021, Smith conspired with others to traffic methamphetamine and fentanyl in Penobscot and Aroostook counties. Miller knowingly and intentionally joined and participated in the conspiracy. His participation resulted in contacts with local law enforcement that resulted in the seizure of drugs, firearms, drug paraphernalia, and other items.
There are 21 defendants in this and related cases. Ten other defendants have pleaded guilty in this case, and four other participants in the conspiracy were sentenced in prior related cases. Six additional defendants have been charged; a charge in a criminal complaint or an indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case. Assistance was provided by the police departments in Orono, Bangor, Brewer, Caribou, Presque Isle and Houlton. U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee also recognized the cooperation and coordination provided by the Maine State Attorney General’s Office and the Aroostook County District Attorney’s Office.
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces: This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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Former Bangor Resident Sentenced to 7+ Years for Role in Penobscot and Aroostook County Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A former Bangor resident was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Bangor for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl in Penobscot and Aroostook counties.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Wayne Smith, 32, to 85 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
According to court records, between January 2018 and December 2021, Smith conspired with others to traffic methamphetamine and fentanyl in Penobscot and Aroostook counties. Miller knowingly and intentionally joined and participated in the conspiracy. His participation resulted in contacts with local law enforcement that resulted in the seizure of drugs, firearms, drug paraphernalia, and other items.
There are 21 defendants in this and related cases. Ten other defendants have pleaded guilty in this case, and four other participants in the conspiracy were sentenced in prior related cases. Six additional defendants have been charged; a charge in a criminal complaint or an indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case. Assistance was provided by the police departments in Orono, Bangor, Brewer, Caribou, Presque Isle and Houlton. U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee also recognized the cooperation and coordination provided by the Maine State Attorney General’s Office and the Aroostook County District Attorney’s Office.
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces: This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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Flint-Area Medical Practice to Pay $200,000 and Establish a Victim Fund to Resolve Disability Discrimination CaseRead the Press Release
FLINT, MI –Flint Neurological Centre P.C. has agreed to pay up to $200,000 and to establish a victim fund to resolve a disability discrimination case that alleged the medical practice violated Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by failing to provide auxiliary aids and services required to ensure effective communication with patients and their companions who are deaf or hard of hearing.
In the March 2022 complaint which started this litigation, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan alleged the medical practice had a long history of ADA violations, including a prior investigation by the Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR) that resulted in the practice entering into a 2018 settlement agreement with MDCR that included compensation to a patient.
“Effective communication is paramount for the deaf and hard of hearing, especially in the context of providing medical services,” said Dawn N. Ison, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. “The ADA guarantees that patients who are deaf or hard of hearing have the ability to exchange critical information with medical providers,” she added. These guarantees are a longstanding provision of the ADA, and our office will aggressively enforce the ADA to protect individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Under the terms of the three-year Consent Decree, Flint Neurological Centre, P.C. will pay a total of $150,000 in damages to ten patients and companions. It will also establish a $40,000 victim fund for additional individuals who may have been harmed by its past practices, and it will pay a $10,000 civil monetary penalty to the government. The Consent Decree requires Flint Neurological Centre to adopt a policy statement which notifies patients and their companions of their right to obtain sign language interpreters or other auxiliary aids and services free of charge. The medical practice is also required to train its staff on various topics, including how to provide effective communication to members of the deaf community.
Patients and their companions of Flint Neurological Centre, P.C. who believe that the practice failed to provide them with an effective means of communication may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office to determine if they are entitled to compensation. They can contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office by calling (313) 226-9151 or sending an email to [email protected].
The full and fair enforcement of the ADA is a priority of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan and the Disability Rights Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. The Civil Rights Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office was established in 2010 with the mission of prioritizing federal civil rights enforcement. For more information on the Office’s civil rights efforts, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmi/programs/civil-rights.
This case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon Ackenhausen, Acting Chief of the Civil Rights Unit, Assistant U.S. Attorney Nedra Campbell, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael El-Zein, and Executive Assistant United States Attorney Luttrell Levingston.
Final of Fifteen Defendants Sentenced for Lansing-Based Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. District Judge Paul L. Maloney sentenced Defendant Edward Washington to serve 396 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for his role in distributing fentanyl throughout the Lansing, Michigan area. Defendant Washington was the final of fifteen defendants to be sentenced in an investigation and prosecution that focused on two drug trafficking organizations distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine in the greater Lansing area.
“These drugs are taking more lives across Michigan and the United States than ever before and my office is committed to disrupting the pipelines that distribute these poisons across the region,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten.
“Edward Washington oversaw the distribution of bulk quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin throughout the Lansing area,” said Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene. “This successful prosecution and sentencing is a reminder that the DEA will pursue these criminals to not only stop the illegal distribution of poisons in our community, but also to prevent the associated violence.”
The DEA and Lansing Police Department (LPD), including Lansing Police Department Special Operations Section (LPD SOS), led this interagency investigation. The investigation and convictions were the culmination of an interagency investigation conducted through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. Interagency investigations are a crucial part of how the Department of Justice combats illegal drug trafficking. Often, agencies partner through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The following individuals were convicted and sentenced as part of the investigation:
Name
Sentence
Edward Washington
396 months
Davanti Heard-White
324 months
John Humphrey
276 months
Arnon Lake
181 months
Jeffrey Humphrey
180 months
Jordan Suttles
180 months
Maguel Villanueva
151 months
Demetrus Heard
121 months
Demanuel Porter
120 months
Marquise Brooks
96 months
Jamar Street
87 months
Jerome Till
70 months
Angela Dority
60 months
Michael Terry
57 months
Latisha Mack
37 months
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vito S. Solitro, Stephen P. Baker, and Theodore J. Greeley, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney B. René Shekmer prosecuted the case.
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