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3 August 2023
Marion Man Sentenced to Two Life Sentences Plus Ten Years in Federal Prison for 2021 Palm Sunday Kidnapping, Carjacking, and MurderRead the Press Release
FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA — Dominique Devonah Brand, 30, of Marion, was sentenced to two concurrent life sentences plus ten years in federal prison after being convicted of Kidnapping Resulting in Death, Carjacking Resulting in Death, and Using or Carrying a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence in a Manner Constituting Murder.
Brand was convicted following a multi-day bench trial in September 2022. Evidence presented by the Government showed that on Sunday, March 28, 2021, Brand entered Mary Ann Elvington’s home in Nichols, South Carolina. While inside the house, he fired a 12-gauge shotgun into the hallway floor at close range. Mr. Brand’s DNA was later found on multiple items inside Ms. Elvington’s home, including the spent, 12-gauge shotgun shell he fired, a pizza slice he apparently ate from while there, a water bottle he drank from, and a jewelry box he touched. Across the street from Ms. Elvington’s home, investigators found Mr. Brand’s blood and touch DNA inside a stolen church van that was stuck in the mud.
At about 6:11 p.m. that Sunday, Brand forced Ms. Elvington to drive him from her house to Lake Waccamaw, North Carolina, and back into South Carolina. During this trip, Mr. Brand sat behind Ms. Elvington with the shotgun. Ms. Elvington’s cell site location information showed her car was initially headed back toward her home in Nichols. But in Lake View, South Carolina, surveillance video from the Lake View Police Department captured Brand directing Ms. Elvington into the back seat of her car, moving a gun to the front seat, getting in the driver’s seat, and making a U-turn, heading away from Ms. Elvington’s home. The surveillance video showed Brand was alone with Ms. Elvington—carrying a gun—shortly before she was murdered. After leaving Lake View, Brand drove Ms. Elvington to a remote crossroads in Marion County and walked her behind the abandoned Zion Grocery store. He held the shotgun to the back of her head and pulled the trigger, executing her.
Brand then drove Ms. Elvington’s car to Marion, where he hid it behind an abandoned club. Investigators found Brand’s blood on a wooden block sitting in the driver’s seat and on a fuse puller on the ground outside the car. Ms. Elvington’s body was located the following evening, March 29, 2021. After learning he was a suspect, Brand turned himself in to authorities on March 31, 2021.
“Dominique Brand’s crimes were senseless, tragic, and irreversible,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs. “His conviction and life sentence reflect the commitment of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to working with our local, state, and federal partners to hold violent offenders accountable. We hope Ms. Elvington’s loved ones can find healing in knowing that justice has been served.”
“This sentence brings a measure of accountability to a violent criminal who showed no regard for the sanctity of life,” said Steve Jensen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Columbia Field Office. “No sentence can fully heal the wounds of the victim’s loved ones, but it is our hope that those affected by this senseless act can begin healing knowing that justice prevailed.”
“The truly horrific nature of this case demonstrates how important developing our solid partnerships with other state and federal agencies is in solving crimes and holding those who commit them responsible to account for their actions,” said 15th Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson.
“Horry County Police Department is grateful for the local, state, and federal partnerships that made this investigation and arrest possible,” said Horry County Police Department Deputy Chief Brandon Strickland. “Through working together on a case that spanned across multiple jurisdictions, we were able to bring Brand to justice, and hopefully provide some small measure of closure for Ms. Elvington’s loved ones.”
Marion County Sheriff Brian Wallace said “[t]he kidnapping and subsequent murder of Mary Ann Elvington rocked not only our community, but my department. When you work where you live it is difficult to avoid cases in which you personally know the families you serve. We pray that today's sentencing will bring much needed closure to the Elvington family and open the door for healing for all of us. "
United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon presided over the trial and imposed two concurrent life sentences on the carjacking and kidnapping convictions, plus ten years consecutive for using a firearm during the commission of these offenses.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) with significant assistance from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), Horry County Police Department, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Marion Police Department, Lake View Police Department, and Nichols Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Everett McMillian and Kathleen Stoughton prosecuted the case along with Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Hixson, who also serves as the Deputy Solicitor for the 15th Judicial Circuit.
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Man Sentenced for String of Crimes Including Child Exploitation, Video Voyeurism, Attempted Sexual Abuse, and BurglaryRead the Press Release
An Oklahoma man was sentenced today to 14 years and eight months in prison for cyberstalking, video voyeurism, burglary, attempted burglary, attempted sexual abuse, and coercing and enticing a minor.
According to court documents, Tyler James Stephens, 25, of Checotah and a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, committed a string of crimes between May 2020 and May 2021. Stephens roamed Checotah, looking through the windows of residences, and sometimes taking photographs or videos of female victims in various states of undress within their homes. He broke into or attempted to break into the homes of some female victims of whom he had taken surreptitious images. Stephens also broke into a residence and attempted to sexually assault the resident while her minor child was in the room. In two instances, Stephens accessed a social media account belonging to someone else and used it to solicit nude or private images of minors, including by sending an obscene picture to one of the minors. Stephens also threatened to publicly post a photo of one of the minors and “ruin her life” if she did not comply with his requests.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Wilson for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, and Special Agent in Charge Lester R. Hayes Jr. of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Dallas made the announcement.
HSI investigated the case, with substantial assistance from the Checotah Police Department and Muscogee Nation Lighthorse Police.
Trial Attorney Gwendelynn Bills of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Maine Woman Faces Prison After Trading Use of Her Avon Residence to Traffickers for DrugsRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Franklin County woman pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to using and maintaining a drug premises, possessing fentanyl and cocaine base with intent to distribute, and aiding and abetting.
According to court records, between March 2020 and July 2020, Brandice Dotolo, 40, allowed her Avon residence to be used for the use and distribution of heroin and cocaine base, commonly known as “crack,” in exchange for drugs. Law enforcement seized approximately 85 grams of a mixture of heroin and fentanyl and 40 grams of crack during the execution of a search warrant at the residence.
Dotolo faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine not to exceed $500,000, and supervised release for at least three years and up to life. She will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and Franklin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
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Leader of Savannah-area drug trafficking conspiracy sentenced to decades in federal prisonRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: The leader of a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed kilos of cocaine and large amounts of other illegal drugs throughout the coastal Georgia area has been sentenced to more than 25 years in federal prison, concluding prosecution of Operation Deadlier Catch.
Joseph Bulloch, a/k/a “Lil Joe,” 34, of Savannah, was sentenced to 310 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute 5 Kilograms or More of Cocaine, 28 Grams or More of Crack Cocaine, and Quantities of Heroin and Marijuana; Possession of a Firearms by a Convicted Felon; and Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker also ordered Bulloch to serve five of supervised release upon completion of his prison term.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Our law enforcement partners in Operation Deadlier Catch did outstanding work in identifying and shutting down this large-scale drug trafficking network, removing a threat of illegal drugs and its attendant violence from our community,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “We will continue to coordinate our efforts to protect our neighborhoods from dangerous drugs.”
Operation Deadlier Catch, as described in court documents and the December 2020 indictment in USA v. Bulloch et al., infiltrated the drug trafficking network to trace the source of supply and points of distribution in the greater Savannah area. The operation, led by investigators from the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team, and the Savannah Police Department, culminated in a series of searches in which agents seized more than 24 kilograms of cocaine, more than 180 pounds of marijuana, 3 kilograms of heroin, and more than a dozen firearms – many of them illegally possessed by previously convicted felons.
The indictment named 29 defendants on 27 felony counts, and with the exception of one defendant who remains a fugitive, all of the defendants pled guilty to felony charges and have been sentenced, most of them to substantial prison terms. In addition to Bulloch, key figures sentenced in the operation include:
- Ildelfonso Sanchez-Inzunza, 32, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States, sentenced to 125 months in prison followed by deportation after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, and Heroin; Possession of a Firearm by an Illegal Alien; and Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises. The investigation identified Sanchez-Inzunza as a representative of the California-based source of supply for the drug traffickers. Agents who searched Sanchez-Inzunza’s Savannah residence found large quantities of drugs including more than 16 kilograms of cocaine and three kilograms of heroin, along with nearly $200,000 in cash.
- Kashif Collins, a/k/a “Fat Boy,” 36, of Savannah, sentenced to 220 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Cocaine; and, two counts of Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises. Collins managed “stash houses” and coordinated deliveries to lower-level drug dealers.
- Jontae Keel, a/k/a “Blyha,” 31, of Savannah, sentenced to 151 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 50 Kilograms of More of Marijuana. Keel’s mother, Joann Keel Robinson, a/k/a “Ma Dukes,” 55, of Savannah, and three brothers, Javontae Parrish, 32, Joseph Parrish III, 31, and Jashavious Keel, 29, all of Savannah, also were sentenced after pleading guilty to charges in the conspiracy.
One defendant, Jarnard Williams, 32, of Savannah, remains a fugitive. He is charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 5 Kilograms or More of Cocaine, 28 Grams or More of Crack Cocaine, and an Amount of Marijuana. He is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
“Thanks to the hard work and collaboration of our law enforcement partners, one of the leaders of this extensive drug distribution network will spend significant time behind bars,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Bulloch and his co-defendants were a plague in the community with their drugs, guns, and violence and the FBI is committed to removing every single one of these predators from our streets.”
Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division, said “This career criminal can no longer distribute dangerous drugs as he now faces serious time for both his drug crimes and violent criminal conduct.”
“This investigation is a prime example of what happens when law enforcement agencies pool their resources together to achieve a common goal of protecting communities from the many perils of illegal and dangerous drugs,” said Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “Protecting the nation’s mail system from criminal misuse is core to the mission of the Postal Inspection Service, and I commend the hard work by all of our partners to bring these individuals to justice.”
“Combating narcotics in our community continues to be our core mission. The sentencing of Mr. Bulloch and his co-defendants, along with the dismantlement of his distribution network, signifies our relentless pursuit to eradicate the presence of this poison and violent crime throughout our community,” said Michael G. Sarhatt, Director of the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team. “Today is the result of a strong working relationship between Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics, the FBI, DEA, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Savannah Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s office. It is our promise to continue our commitment to keeping our streets safe and clean.”
“Thanks to extensive and trusting partnerships, a dangerous criminal will now be behind bars for decades,” said Savannah Police Chief Lenny Gunther. “Our department is committed to continued focus on partnerships and relationships to help yield similar outcomes into the future.”
Operation Deadlier Catch was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
Agencies investigating the case included the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team, and the Savannah Police Department. The case was prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank M. Pennington II.
Lake Placid, Florida Man Sentenced for Participating in Business Email Compromise Scheme Spanning Four StatesRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – Today, United States Attorney Sandra J. Stewart announced the sentencing of Timothy Scott Marable for wire fraud. On August 1, 2023, a judge sentenced Marable, a 51-year-old from Lake Placid, Florida, to 12 months in prison.
According to his plea agreement and other court records, from November 2019 through August 2020, Marable served as a money mule in a business email compromise scheme that preyed on at least four businesses in four different states, including Alabama, Idaho, Ohio, and Texas. Participants in a business email compromise scheme gain unauthorized access to a business email account through various means, such as hacking the account or obtaining login information through social engineering. Participants then use the compromised email account to send emails to other businesses posing as legitimate account holders. Oftentimes, the scheme participants attempt to steal money from email recipients by fraudulently representing that the legitimate account holder has changed banking information and instructing the recipient to make future payments to a new bank account. The new bank account frequently belongs to a scheme participant who receives payment obtained by fraud and then transfers the proceeds to others involved in the scheme.
Marable admitted in his plea agreement that he communicated with an individual through an online instant messaging platform. That person directed Marable to receive substantial deposits into his bank accounts through wire transfers, open new bank accounts, and distribute the deposited funds by writing checks and wiring the funds to offshore bank accounts. At least two fraudulent wire transfers received by Marable were sent by a company based in Montgomery, Alabama. Marable continued with this fraud despite multiple warnings that he was participating in a scheme and the closure of bank accounts due to fraudulent activity. During the sentencing hearing, the judge also ordered Marable to pay restitution in the amount of $2,701,746.50, representing the loss amount attributable to Marable.
FBI offices in Alabama and Idaho investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen K. Moulton and Michelle R. Turner from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama prosecuted the case, with assistance from the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho.
Kansas Man Convicted for Sex Trafficking in OklahomaRead the Press Release
TULSA Okla. – A Wichita, Kansas, man was convicted on nine criminal charges for conducting a sex trafficking operation that spanned four states.
A federal jury deliberated approximately 2 hours before convicting Byron Cordell Thomas, 36, for sex trafficking; transporting an individual for prostitution; witness tampering by corrupt persuasion; and felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
“The victims in this case were beaten, isolated, and trafficked across state lines for prostitution. They suffered threats and intimidation from Thomas, even throughout the investigation, said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “I want to thank our law enforcement partners for their lengthy and solid investigation of this case, and the victims for their brave testimony that made this conviction possible.”
“Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and our law enforcement partners work tirelessly to ensure human traffickers face justice for their heinous crimes,” said Robert Melton, Assistant Special Agent in Charge HSI Dallas’ Oklahoma and Texas Panhandle Division. “This verdict is proof of our commitment to protect victims from further harm.”
Thomas targeted young females suffering financial difficulties who had little to no support. He advertised himself as a “street advisor” and promised to help women make money as part of his team, or “stable,” but kept the money for himself. Thomas would isolate women, transport them under false pretenses to another state, and refuse to provide return transportation until the women earned a set amount of money through prostitution.
Thomas, who carried a gun, was physically violent with some of the women but primarily achieved control by force, threats of force, fraud, and coercion, including varying degrees of emotional, physiological, and financial control.
Thomas maintained hotel rooms in Tulsa; Oklahoma City; Dallas, Texas; Bossier City, Louisana; and Wichita, Kansas, for harboring the victims and conducting his trafficking and prostitution operation. One victim told officers that Thomas and another victim picked her up in Topeka, Kansas and drove her to Tulsa where she was forced into prostitution and not allowed to leave.
Thomas used and taught the victims to use cell phones and social media to promote themselves, communicate with clients, and conduct business. Investigators located messages and pictures used in various online prostitution ads over several states.
Further, Thomas used deception and took steps to insulate himself in an attempt to conceal the prostitution from law enforcement and avoid prosecution. He would make his main prostitute, referred to as a “bottom,” train new prostitutes on how to act with clients, screen for law enforcement, and make money. He pressured women to get tattoos, referred to as “branding,” with his street name of “B$.” One of his “bottoms had the tattoo on her neck.
He would also instruct the women engaged in prostitution to give false information to law enforcement. Later he intimidated and threatened the victims to influence, delay, and prevent testimony in criminal proceedings. Thomas and others he recruited have harassed victims and pressured them to change their statements.
Homeland Security Investigations, Tulsa Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from Kansas and Texas law enforcement agencies conducted the investigation.
Thomas faces up to 35 years in federal prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth Elmore and Shakema Onias prosecuted the case.
To report suspected human trafficking to Federal law enforcement call 1-866-347-2423.
KC Man Sentenced for Illegally Possessing Machine Gun Used in Fatal Shooting of KC FiremanRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing the firearm used in the fatal shooting of an off-duty Kansas City, Mo., firefighter.
Ja’Von L. Taylor, 24, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to seven years in federal prison without parole.
On March 8, 2023, Taylor pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possessing a machine gun. Taylor has been detained in federal custody without bond since his arrest.
Taylor admitted he was in possession of a Glock .40-caliber handgun, which had been converted to a machine gun. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Taylor has prior felony convictions for robbery and distributing marijuana.
According to court documents, Independence police officers were dispatched to Liquor Land, 11100 E. U.S. 40 Highway in Independence, on a reported shooting of an off-duty Kansas City, Mo., firefighter on Oct. 6, 2022. Officers found Anthony Santi on the floor of the business directly inside the front doors. Santi was transported to CenterPoint Medical Center. Lifesaving measures were unsuccessful, and Santi died as a result of the injuries sustained from the gunshot.
According to court documents, Taylor and Santi were involved in an altercation in the store’s parking lot after Taylor was refused service and refused to leave the store. Santi, who was delivering novelty items for the business to sell, told Taylor to leave and escorted him out of the store. When they reached Taylor’s car, Taylor pulled a Glock .40-caliber handgun with an extended magazine from under the front seat. Taylor and Santi wrestled over the handgun until Santi was able to put Taylor in a headlock. Taylor’s girlfriend retrieved the handgun and fired one shot at Santi, striking him in the back. Santi then let go of Taylor and walked into the business, where he collapsed. Taylor and his girlfriend got into their vehicle and fled from the scene.
While law enforcement officers were on the scene, the girlfriend returned with her mother and was taken into custody. Taylor was located at the Quik Trip across the street and taken into custody. Officers searched Taylor’s vehicle and found the Glock machine gun, a broken extended magazine, and a 15-round magazine. Taylor told investigators that he bought the gun from a guy off the street a few months ago for $500.
At the time of this offense, Taylor was on probation on the suspended execution of an eight-year sentence for robbery in the first degree.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregg R. Coonrod. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Jury Finds District Man Guilty of Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
Defendant Threatened Bank Tellers with Bomb
WASHINGTON - A Superior Court jury, today, found Mark Stubblefield, 65, of Washington, D.C., guilty on all counts for robbing and threatening to blow up a branch of the Truist Bank, located at Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C. The verdicts were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Stubblefield was found guilty of one count of robbery while armed and one count of felony threats. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 17, 2023.
According to evidence presented at trial, shortly after 2:35 p.m., on October 20, 2022, the defendant disguised himself and walked into the Truist Bank, located at 1369 Connecticut Avenue, NW. He threatened to blow up the bank tellers, putting them in fear for their lives, and demanded a large amount of cash. Around two minutes later, he left the bank with $10,000 in cash. He walked south on Connecticut Avenue, before getting on a Metrobus and donning a D.C. Department of Transportation uniform. The defendant evaded police and escaped that day.
The government presented surveillance footage from nearby business and the Metrobus. The Metrobus surveillance clearly captured the defendant’s face, which the FBI and Metropolitan Police Department used to find witnesses who identified the bank robber. The government also presented DNA evidence linking the defendant to the crime.
In announcing the verdicts, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of the officers and detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department who investigated the case, as well as members of the prosecution team. They thanked the FBI’s Washington Field Office and Laboratory for providing valuable assistance. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including: Special Agent Sean Ricardi, Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, Litigation Technology Specialist Charlie Bruce, and Paralegal Specialists Debra McPherson and Antoinette Sakamsa, with valuable assistance from AUSAs Paul Courtney and Jessica Ans.
Finally, they recognized Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carlos A. Valdivia and Alec Levy who prosecuted the case.
Johnstown Couple Pleads Guilty to Tax Violations, Fraud and Money Laundering ChargesRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, PA – Two residents of Northern Cambria, PA, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal tax, anti-fraud, and money laundering laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
On August 2, 2023, Sarah Stiles, age 38, and David Bachik, age 52, both of Northern Cambria, PA pleaded guilty to two counts each before Senior United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson.
According to the criminal Information, Stiles served as Vice President of Life Changing Support Services (LCSS), a business located in Northern Cambria that provides housing to individuals with intellectual disabilities. As Vice President, Stiles was personally responsible for the withholding and payment of employment taxes related to LCSS employees. In connection with the guilty plea, in the quarter ending in December of calendar year 2019, Stiles, did willfully fail to truthfully account for and pay over to the Internal Revenue Service payroll taxes due and owing to the Internal Revenue Service on behalf of LCSS employees in the amount of $21,284.89. Additionally, according to information presented to the Court, Stiles admitted to willfully failing to account for and pay over a total of $2,063,544 in employment taxes between March 2013 and December 2019.
Further, on or about August 2, 2019, and continuing until February 26, 2020, Stiles and Bachik, knowingly and willfully did conspire, combine, confederate, and agree with one another to commit wire fraud. According to the criminal Information, in and around 2019, Stiles was removed as a signature authority from LCSS bank accounts, but remained in her role as Vice President of LCSS. Stiles and Bachik believed that Stiles was being unfairly compensated as compared to other LCSS officers/employees. Thus, it was the object of the conspiracy for Stiles and Bachik to embezzle and steal LCSS monies for themselves. Accordingly, Stiles and Bachik devised a scheme by which Stiles would direct payments from LCSS to a fake company controlled by Bachik, and Bachik would disburse the stolen money to Stiles and himself. To that end, in 2019, Stiles and Bachik agreed to form “Stonewall Business Management” a fictitious company to be used to receive payments from LCSS. Stiles deceived LCSS into believing that LCSS was a legitimate business that offered worker’s compensation and general liability insurance. From on or about July 3, 2019 to on or about February 28, 2020, Stiles deceived LCSS into issuing twelve cashier’s checks totaling $56,308.10 to Stonewall Business Management, which Bachik deposited into bank accounts held in the name of Stonewall Business Management.
Additionally, on or about August 14, 2019, Bachik, did knowingly conduct and attempt to conduct a financial transaction affecting interstate commerce which involved the proceeds of specified unlawful activity, knowing that the property involved represented the proceeds of some form of unlawful activity and knowing that said financial transaction was designed in whole or in part to conceal and disguise the location, source, ownership and control of the proceeds of specified unlawful activity. That is, Bachik withdrew from one Stonewall Business Management bank account $9,000 in LCSS funds that had been provided to Stonewall Business Management as a result of the fraud scheme.
Judge Gibson scheduled sentencing for December 6, 2023. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $500,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants.
Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard, Jr. is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Internal Revenue Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania State Police, and Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, conducted the investigation that led to the successful prosecutions of Stiles and Bachik.
Jamaica Plain Man Pleads Guilty to Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Jamaica Plain man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with a May 2022 robbery of a TD Bank in Cambridge.
Jalonni Shabazz, a/k/a “Jalonni Tucker,” 41, pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery. Shabazz was charged by criminal complaint in July 2022 and was subsequently indicted in October 2022. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Nov. 16, 2023.
On May 2, 2022, at approximately 12:49 p.m., a suspect wearing a royal blue baseball hat, gray short-sleeved T-shirt, a camouflage pattern garment around his neck, and medical mask entered the TD Bank on Massachusetts Ave. in Cambridge. The suspect handed the teller a note that read, “All of the Money - No Dye packs - or alarms,” and then told the teller, “This is a robbery honey.” The teller complied with the suspect’s demands and gave cash to the suspect. The man then fled on foot after taking $2,200 cash from the teller.
During a search of the area surrounding the bank, investigators located a royal blue baseball hat consistent with that worn by the suspect during the robbery. DNA obtained from the hat belonged to Shabazz. In addition, analysis of the bank’s surveillance footage and the defendant’s Facebook account identified Shabazz’s features – including his tattoo, hair and an article of clothing – to be consistent with that of the robbery suspect.
At the time of the robbery, Shabazz was on supervised release following a 2017 federal conviction for two bank robberies for which he was sentenced to 54 months in prison.
The charge of bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentences are imposed by a federal district judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Boston Division; Massachusetts State Police Interim Colonel John E. Mawn, Jr.; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and MBTA Transit Police Chief Kenneth Green made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Husband and Wife Plead Guilty to Money Laundering Conspiracy Involving the Hack and Theft of Billions in CryptocurrencyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A married couple from New York City pleaded guilty today to money laundering conspiracies arising from the hack and theft of approximately 120,000 bitcoin from Bitfinex, a global cryptocurrency exchange.
Ilya Lichtenstein, 35, and Heather Morgan, 33, were arrested in February 2022, after the government seized approximately 95,000 of those stolen Bitcoin from cryptocurrency wallets in the defendants’ control. At the time of the seizure, the recovered funds were valued at approximately $3.6 billion. Since their arrests, the government has seized another approximately $475 million tied to the hack.
The pleas were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter, of the Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington Field Office, Special Agent in Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, of the FBI’s Chicago Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo, of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York Field Office made the announcement.
According to court documents, Lichtenstein used a number of advanced hacking tools and techniques to gain access to Bitfinex’s network. Once inside their systems, Lichtenstein was able to fraudulently authorize more than 2,000 transactions in which 119,754 bitcoin was transferred from Bitfinex to a cryptocurrency wallet in Lichtenstein’s control. Lichtenstein then took steps to cover his tracks by going back into Bitfinex’s network and deleting access credentials and other log files that may have given him away to law enforcement. Following the hack, Lichtenstein enlisted the help of his wife, Heather Morgan, in laundering the stolen funds.
As part of their pleas, Lichtenstein and Morgan admitted that Lichtenstein, at times with Morgan’s assistance, employed numerous sophisticated laundering techniques, including using fictitious identities to set up online accounts; utilizing computer programs to automate transactions; depositing the stolen funds into accounts at a variety of darknet markets and cryptocurrency exchanges and then withdrawing the funds, which obfuscates the trail of the transaction history by breaking up the fund flow; converting bitcoin to other forms of cryptocurrency, including anonymity-enhanced cryptocurrency (AEC), in a practice known as “chain hopping”; depositing a portion of the criminal proceeds into cryptocurrency mixing services, such as Bitcoin Fog, Helix, and ChipMixer; using U.S.-based business accounts to legitimize their banking activity; and exchanging a portion of the stolen funds into gold coins, which Morgan then concealed by burying them.
Lichtenstein pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Morgan pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy and one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, each of which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Consistent with standard practice in criminal forfeiture cases, there will be a formal process at the conclusion of the case, pursuant to Rule 32.2 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, for third-party claimants to submit claims for any seized and forfeited property.
The investigation was led by IRS-CI Washington, D.C. Field Office’s Cyber Crimes Unit, FBI-Chicago, FBI’s Virtual Assets Unit (VAU), and HSI-New York. The Ansbach Police Department in Germany provided assistance during this investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher B. Brown and Jolie Zimmerman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, along with Trial Attorneys Jessica Peck and C. Alden Pelker of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section. Paralegal Specialists Angela De Falco and Brian Rickers and Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick provided valuable assistance. Significant assistance was also provided by Trial Attorney Christen Gallagher, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Southern District of New York, HSI-Philadelphia, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica C. Brooks.
High-Ranking Honduran Drug Cartel Member Pleads Guilty to Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Honduran national pleaded guilty today to conspiring to import cocaine into the United States.
According to court documents, from approximately 2008 through June 2014, Mario Urbina, 41, conspired to import cocaine into the United States. Urbina was a lieutenant in the Los Valles international drug trafficking organization based in Honduras, which is a major transit country for South American cocaine. Urbina was personally responsible for coordinating the trafficking of ton quantities of cocaine and the collection of millions of dollars in cocaine proceeds. The Los Valles cartel maintained an arsenal of firearms to protect and further their operation and relied on violence, including kidnapping and murder, as a means of intimidation.
Urbina is scheduled to be sentenced on December 1. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division; and David Geist, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Washington Field Office Criminal Division, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis, III accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bibeane Metsch is prosecuting the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia expresses its appreciation to the Virginia State Police, FBI Sacramento Field Office, the Sacramento OCDETF Strike Force, DEA and FBI Tegucigalpa Country Offices, and the Honduran National Police for their significant assistance in this case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided significant assistance.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:14-cr-135.
Guatemalan Man Sentenced for Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Rogelio Lopez-Lopez, a/k/a Hugo Gilardo Sales-Gomez, age 37, a Guatemalan citizen who was living in Chenango County, New York, was sentenced to serve 7-months in prison for unlawfully reentering the United States after previously being deported, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Thomas Brophy, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), Buffalo Field Office.
As part of his guilty plea, the defendant admitted that he returned to the United States after being previously deported in 2006 and without making application to lawfully reenter. He came to the attention of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Enforcement-Removal Operations after being arrested by the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office for an assault charge. Following his conviction in Chenango County for Assault in the Third Degree, Lopez-Lopez was sentenced to serve 179 days in the Chenango County Jail. At the conclusion of that sentence, ICE-ERO arrested the defendant for the instant federal offense.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO) with assistance from the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Southwick prosecuted the case.
Greensburg Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting an 11-Year-Old Girl via Kik and SnapchatRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Matthew Hostetler, 26, of Greensburg, Indiana, has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to sexual exploitation of a minor.
According to court documents, on January 16, 2020, a Winnebago County, Oklahoma Sheriff’s Department investigation uncovered Matthew Hostetler’s involvement in a Kik Messenger group chat created for individuals interested in child sexual abuse material. Hostetler hid behind the username “WARRIORHEART1997” and sent graphic sexual abuse videos and images of a then 11-year-old girl he referred to as “Lola.”
On April 16, 2021, FBI agents and Greensburg Police Department Officers executed a search warrant at Hostetler’s Indiana home and seized his cell phone. Many of the images Hostetler traded over Kik were coerced from the minor via Snapchat. Hostetler bragged to other members of the group chat that “it took two months to get to this point with her (Lola), you gotta be patient and kind and sweet,” and “she’s in love with me. She literally jumps to do what I ask.”
“Lola” told investigators that she met Hostetler on the internet. She told him that she was 13 years old and lived with her grandparents in Oklahoma. Hostetler instructed her not to tell her Grandparents she was talking to him, or she would get in trouble. “Lola” stated that Hostetler routinely threated her if she did not send him sexually explicit images and videos. Further, Hostetler coached the 11-year-old on where to touch herself during the videos.
United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers and Herbert J. Stapleton, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Indianapolis Field Office, and Chief Mike McNealy of the Greensburg Police Department made the announcement.
“It has long been the case that many pedophiles like this defendant use online platforms such as Kik and Snapchat to prey on children, and even preteens,” said United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers. “These criminals use lies, manipulation, and threats to sexually exploit children with utter disregard for the lasting trauma they inflict. I urge parents and guardians to talk to the children in their lives about what they’re doing online and make sure they have trusted adults they can turn to for help. I commend the FBI, the Winnebago County (Oklahoma) Sheriff’s Department, and the Greensburg Police Department for their work to seek justice for this victim and protect other children from this online predator.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department, and Greensburg Police Department investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge, James R. Sweeney. Judge Sweeney also ordered that Hostetler be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 30 years following his release from prison. Hostetler must also register as a sex offender where he lives, works, and goes to school.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Bradley P. Shepard, who prosecuted this case.
If you are a victim of child sexual exploitation, please contact your local police department. Resources for victims of child exploitation can be found on our website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdin/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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc
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Gary Man Sentenced to 240 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Lamont Coleman, 41 years old, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Senior Judge Jon E. DeGuilio after a jury found him guilty of conspiring to distribute heroin, possessing a firearm as a felon, and possessing with intent to distribute heroin, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Coleman was sentenced to 240 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, Coleman ran a heroin trafficking operation out of an apartment building that he owned in Gary, Indiana. He also owned the house next door, with both properties sharing a common courtyard. During the execution of a search warrants, law enforcement located three loaded firearms, heroin, cocaine, and approximately $19,000 in cash from his residences. Coleman’s sentence was enhanced for his career offender status based on prior felony convictions for manufacturing/delivery of cocaine and aggravated battery.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Porter County Multi-Enforcement Group. This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Patrick D. Grindlay, and former Northern District of Indiana Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Chang and Molly Kelley.
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 90 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE –Jacqualon M. Royal, 27 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to trafficking in firearms without a license and being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Royal was sentenced to 90 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, between April 30, 2021, and May 22, 2022, Royal, who was a convicted felon, willfully engaged in the unlawful sale of firearms. Records show that Royal possessed and sold at least 40 firearms during this period of time. One of the firearms Royal sold had been used in the attempted murder of two people and another firearm he sold was recovered from a drug trafficker.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith.
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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Former Youth and High School Football Coach Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang today sentenced former youth and high school football coach, Moshe Michael Imel, age 53, of Owings, Maryland, to 40 years in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for two counts of production of child pornography involving two minor victims. Imel also pleaded guilty to charges related to the sexual abuse of minors in three cases in the Circuit Court for Calvert County and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 4, 2023.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Calvert County Sheriff Ricky Cox; and Calvert County State’s Attorney Robert Harvey.
According to his plea agreement, between July 2018 and November 2020, Imel was an assistant football coach at a Calvert County High School. In March 2021, law enforcement interviewed two victims who reported that beginning when Imel coached the individuals in a youth football program and continuing through high school, Imel groomed and then sexually abused the victims. Specifically, Imel admitted that he directed each victim to expose and touch himself in a sexual way and ultimately engaged in sexual contact with the victims on numerous occasions. Imel also created sexually explicit videos of the victims documenting his abuse.
A search warrant was executed at Imel’s home and confirmed that the basement—including the action figures lining the walls, the computer setup, the cameras, sex toys and other paraphernalia—was as the victims had described it to law enforcement. A review of fourteen electronic devices seized at Imel’s residence revealed that they all contained child pornography or evidence of Imel’s sexual contact with minors.
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 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 individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the HSI, the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office, and the Calvert County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy F. Hagan, who prosecuted the federal case and recognized Calvert County Assistant State’s Attorney Rebecca N. Cordero, who is prosecuting Imel’s case in the Circuit Court for Calvert County.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Former NBA Player Terrence Williams Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Defrauding the NBA Players’ Health and Welfare Benefit PlanRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that TERRENCE WILLIAMS was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni to 10 years in prison for leading a sprawling scheme to defraud the National Basketball Association’s (“NBA”) health and welfare benefit plan out of more than $5 million. WILLIAMS previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit health care and wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Williams led a wide-ranging scheme to steal millions of dollars from the NBA Players’ Health and Welfare Benefit Plan. Williams recruited medical professionals and others to expand his criminal conspiracy and maximize his ill-gotten gains. Williams not only lined his pockets through fraud and deceit, but he also stole the identities of others and threatened a witness to further his criminal endeavors. For his brazen criminal acts, Williams now faces years in prison.”
According to the Indictment, public court filings, and statements made in court:
The NBA Players’ Health and Welfare Benefit Plan is a health care plan providing benefits to eligible active and former players of the NBA and their family members. From at least 2017 through at least 2021, TERRENCE WILLIAMS and more than a dozen others engaged in a widespread scheme to defraud the Plan by submitting and causing to be submitted fraudulent claims for reimbursement of medical and dental services that were not actually rendered. Over the course of the scheme, the defendants submitted and caused to be submitted to the Plan false claims totaling at least approximately $5 million.
WILLIAMS orchestrated the scheme to defraud the Plan. WILLIAMS recruited other Plan participants to defraud the Plan by offering to provide them with false invoices to support their fraudulent claims. WILLIAMS’s co-defendants, including a dentist in California and doctors in California and Washington State, provided WILLIAMS with fraudulent invoices that WILLIAMS sent to other co-conspirators. WILLIAMS also recruited non-medical professionals to copy invoices made by medical offices, which WILLIAMS provided to co-conspirators, and which were used to defraud the Plan. WILLIAMS conspired with others to submit fraudulent claims to the Plan in exchange for kickback payments to WILLIAMS of at least $300,000.
To verify that certain services were medically necessary, the Plan sometimes requires participants to provide a letter of medical necessity from medical providers, establishing that necessity of the provided services. WILLIAMS fraudulently created and transferred letters of medical necessity for three co-conspirators.
WILLIAMS also impersonated others in furtherance of the scheme. WILLIAMS pretended to be employees of the Plan’s administrative manager. In one instance, WILLIAMS created an email account designed to appear to be an email account used by the Plan’s administrative manager. WILLIAMS used that account to attempt to frighten a co-defendant so that the co-defendant would re-engage with WILLIAMS and would pay kickbacks to WILLIAMS.
On other occasions, WILLIAMS used another email account he created to threaten another co-defendant — a doctor who created fraudulent invoices for WILLIAMS. WILLIAMS used this email account to pretend to be employees of the Plan’s administrative manager and demand that this co-defendant pay WILLIAMS a “fine” or the “employees” would tell the authorities about the submission of fraudulent invoices. Through these threats and deception, WILLIAMS obtained approximately $346,000 from this particular co-defendant.
In or about April 2022, after WILLIAMS was charged and arrested in this case and while on pretrial release, WILLIAMS texted threats to a witness, including that the witness was “talking way to[o] f[---]ing much,” to “shut the f[--]k up,” and “me spitting in your face is exactly what you’ll see.” Following a motion by the Government on May 6, 2022, as a result of this obstructive conduct, Judge Caproni remanded WILLIAMS.
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In addition to his prison term, WILLIAMS, 36, of Seattle, Washington, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $653,672.55 and to pay restitution in the amount of $2,500,000.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan B. Finkel and Daniel G. Nessim are in charge of the prosecution.
Former Hotel Manager Pleads Guilty to Bribing Army Training ManagerRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Last week, Candy Hanza, 50, of Medicine Park, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to paying a bribe to a public official, announced United States Attorney Robert. J. Troester.
On May 3, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a twelve-count indictment against Hanza and co-defendant Alfred Palma. According to the Indictment, Hanza was the general manager of a local hotel in Lawton. Palma, a United States Army employee and public official, was the manager of the Institutional Training Directed Lodging and Meals (“ITDLM”) program at Fort Sill, through which he booked hotel rooms for soldiers who attended on-post trainings. The Indictment alleges that Hanza paid Palma to direct soldiers to the hotel, while she personally profited through her own scheme to defraud the hotel owners and launder the resulting proceeds.
At a hearing before United States District Judge Patrick R. Wyrick on July 28, 2023, Hanza admitted that she gave cash and checks totaling $103,200.00 to Palma with the intent to induce him to favor the hotel at which she was a general manager when Palma booked soldiers for off-post trainings.
At sentencing, Hanza faces up to 15 years in federal prison, and a fine of $250,000 or three times the monetary value of the bribes, and up to three years of supervised release.
On June 26, 2023, Palma pleaded guilty to Count Two of the Indictment, and admitted that he accepted Hanza’s bribe. Palma is also awaiting sentencing.
This case is the result of an investigation by the United States Army Criminal Investigation Division, the Department of Defense Contract Audit Agency, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia E. Barry is prosecuting the case.
Former Hampton Falls Man Pleads Guilty to Making False Statements to Obtain Social Security BenefitsRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A former Hampton Falls man pleaded guilty in federal court to making false statements to obtain additional Social Security benefits, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Kenneth Simard Jr., 37, pleaded guilty to False Statements. U.S. District Court Judge Landya B. McCafferty scheduled sentencing for November 30, 2023.
Simard applied for Social Security Supplemental Security Insurance benefits on behalf of a disabled minor child in October 2018. In the application, Simard represented that the child lived with him and that he would use the benefits on behalf of the child. However, Simard lost custody of the child in February 2019. Although he was required to notify the Social Security Administration (SSA) if the child moved, Simard continued to tell the SSA that he lived with the child and obtained $23,148 in benefits that he was not entitled to receive.
The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 5 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander S. Chen and Matthew T. Hunter are prosecuting the case.
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Former Florida Attorney Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Relating to Operation of His Tallahassee Law Firm and Investment CompaniesRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Phillip Timothy Howard, 62, of Tallahassee, Florida, plead guilty today to racketeering (RICO). Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the guilty plea.
Court documents reflect between in or about December 2015, and in or about January 2018, Howard, a Florida attorney, along with others, was associated with and employed by an Enterprise, that is, his Tallahassee law firm (Howard & Associates, P.A.), and several Tallahassee investment companies (Cambridge Capital Group, LLC; Cambridge Capital Wealth Advisors, LLC; Cambridge Capital Advisors, LLC; Cambridge Capital Funding, Inc., Cambridge Capital Group Equity Option Opportunities, L.P.; and Cambridge Capital Partners, L.P.). During this time, Howard, along with others, knowingly, willfully, and unlawfully conducted and participated in the conduct of the affairs of the Enterprise, through a pattern of racketeering activity, namely, wire fraud and money laundering. Howard engaged in such racketeering activity through multiple acts of wire fraud related to his representation of former NFL players in a class-action lawsuit. These clients were potentially eligible for settlement payouts from the NFL, and as part of his representation, Howard fraudulently enticed his clients to invest their retirement funds with his investment companies. However, Howard failed to disclose and misrepresented to these former NFL player investors the structure of the Enterprise, and the conflicts of interest and the criminal background of persons associated with or employed by the Enterprise.
Howard failed to disclose and misrepresented the true nature of investment companies’ funds and the actual investments made by the former NFL player investors. Despite reassuring investors that their money was secure, Howard never informed them that almost none of investment funds yielded a return and failed to disclose that the investment funds had been commingled with funds used to operate his law firm and to issue payroll for its staff, pay Howard’s personal mortgages, and otherwise personally enrich Howard. The former NFL player investors were provided quarterly and year-end investment statements which were inaccurate. These investment statements indicated that investor funds were allocated into two separate investment funds, including a fund designed specifically to invest in equities. In reality, there were no separated, dedicated investment funds, and the bank accounts for the Enterprise had little or no money. Howard and others fraudulently obtained over $4 million through such conduct.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 6, 2023, at 9:00 a.m., at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before the Honorable United States District Judge Allen Winsor. Howard faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for racketeering and a maximum term of 3 years of supervised release following any prison sentence that is imposed.
This case resulted from a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigations, with assistance from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Justin M. Keen and David P. Byron.
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 for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Former Employee of Eye for Change Youth and Family Services Found Guilty of Fraudulent Medicaid Billing PracticesRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – United States Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko announced today that Eric King, 35, a former employee of Eye For Change Youth and Family Services, Inc., a non-profit corporation in Cleveland, was found guilty of 13 counts of health care fraud, one count of false statement relating to health care matters, and five counts of aggravated identity theft. The jury acquitted King of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, eight counts of health care fraud, one count of false statement relating to health care matters, and one count of aggravated identity theft. The trial lasted eight days and was presided over by U.S. District Judge Patricia Gaughan.
According to court documents and trial testimony, from June 2018 through May 2021, King defrauded Medicaid by causing Medicaid to be billed for services not actually performed or for services that were not actually performed for the amount of time the billing codes reflected; for falsifying progress notes into Medicaid beneficiary electronic records; for creating false progress notes; and for using the identities of clients without authorization to bill Medicaid. As a result of King’s conduct, Medicaid paid over $483,000 for fraudulent billings. King is scheduled to be sentenced on November 15, 2023.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Cleveland Division of the FBI, the Department of Health and Human Services - Office of the Inspector General and the Ohio Attorney General’s Healthcare Fraud Section. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward D. Brydle and Brian M. McDonough, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan L. Metzler.
Former Coordinator for Long Hollow District Sentenced for Embezzlement from TribeRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a Sisseton, South Dakota, woman, who was convicted of Embezzlement and Theft from a Tribal Organization. The sentencing took place on July 31, 2023, in Aberdeen, South Dakota.
Valette Keoke, age 52, was sentenced to two years of probation and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $23,000. She was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Keoke pled guilty to a criminal information on May 4, 2023.
According to court documents, from about June of 2017 through July of 2020, Keoke embezzled and converted to her own use funds and other property belonging belonging to the Long Hollow District ("LHD") of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Sioux Tribe ("Tribe".) During the relevant time period, Keoke was employed as the District Coordinator for the LHD, thereby making her an employee of a tribal organization associated with the Tribe. As part of her duties, Keoke processed checks from the LHD’s bank account. While working in that capacity, Keoke accepted checks payable to herself. Her offense conduct involved her unlawful receipt of approximately $23,000. The money she received derived from the LHD’s bank account. She was not entitled to that money, and her receipt of that money was unlawful.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri prosecuted the case.
The case was brought pursuant to The Guardians Project, a federal law enforcement initiative to coordinate efforts between participating agencies, to promote citizen disclosure of public corruption, fraud, and embezzlement involving federal program funds, contracts, and grants, and to hold accountable those who are responsible for adversely affecting those living in South Dakota’s Indian country communities. The Guardians Project is another step of federal law enforcement’s on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination, and positive action on behalf of tribal communities. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the participating agencies include: FBI; the Offices of Inspector General for the Departments of Interior, Health and Human Services, Social Security Administration, Agriculture, Transportation, Education, Justice, and Housing and Urban Development; Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division; U.S. Postal Inspector Service; U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General.
For additional information about The Guardians Project, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (605) 330-4400. To report a suspected crime, please contact law enforcement at the federal agency’s locally listed telephone number.
Former CEO of Whittier Clinic Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Medi-Cal Family Planning Program Through Multimillion-Dollar SchemeRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The former president and CEO of a Whittier medical clinic pleaded guilty today to submitting fraudulent billings to a Medi-Cal health care program that provides family planning services to low-income Californians without health insurance.
Vincenzo Rubino, 58, of Valencia, pleaded guilty to nine counts of health care fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft in the middle of his federal criminal trial, in which the prosecution had nearly concluded its case.
According to evidence presented at trial, Rubino founded, owned and operated Santa Maria’s Children and Family Center, a Whittier-based medical clinic based registered as a non-profit public benefit corporation and enrolled as a Family Planning, Access, Care and Treatment (Family PACT) provider run through Medi-Cal.
From November 2014 to August 2017, Santa Maria’s submitted fraudulent claims totaling nearly $5 million to the Family PACT program for family planning services that were never provided, often using the information of patients who were recruited at off-site locations with offers of free diabetes testing, but who in fact never received the examinations and other services.
To submit many of these claims, Rubino used the names of two medical providers whom the patients did not see and who did not even work for Santa Maria’s at the time -- a physician’s assistant and an elderly doctor who was himself a patient in a skilled nursing facility during much of the scheme.
The Medi-Cal program paid more than $2.3 million dollars on the fraudulent claims, as well as an additional approximately $1.5 million to a pharmacy and laboratory stemming from referrals based on the same services that were never delivered.
United States District Judge Otis D. Wright II scheduled a sentencing hearing for January 22, 2024, at which time Rubino will face up to 10 years in federal prison for each health care fraud count, and a mandatory sentence of two years in federal prison consecutive to the other sentences for each aggravated identity theft count.
The United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the California Department of Justice investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kristen A. Williams and David H. Chao of the Major Frauds Section are prosecuting this case.
Food Products Manufacturer FrieslandCampina Agrees to Pay More Than $2.8 Million in Civil Penalty and Implement Environmental Protection Project at Food Production Facility in Central New YorkRead the Press Release
The Justice Department, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the State of New York have entered into a consent decree with FrieslandCampina Ingredients North America, Inc. (Friesland) of Delhi, New York, to resolve violations of the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act and New York state law. The proposed consent decree calls for Friesland to address its air emissions, as well as its wastewater discharges to a municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and the West Branch of the Delaware River.
The company’s Clean Water Act violations led to pollution that passed through and interfered with the Village of Delhi WWTP and entered the West Branch of the Delaware River, which is part of the watershed supplying drinking water to New York City and other water systems. This action also addresses the company’s Clean Air Act violations, which led to excessive emissions of toluene, a volatile organic compound and hazardous air pollutant. The company will pay a civil penalty of $2.88 million. Half of the penalty will be directed to New York State, exclusively to fund projects to prevent, abate, restore, mitigate or control any identifiable instance of prior or ongoing water, land or air pollution. Additionally, the company will implement a supplemental environmental project (SEP) at its facility to reduce its discharges of heated water to the river at a cost of $1.44 million.
“Today’s settlement secures significant reductions in air pollution and improves water quality in the Delaware River and a watershed system that provides drinking water to millions of Americans,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The settlement shows the United States’ commitment to ensuring that companies like Friesland comply with federal law requirements that limit discharge of industrial pollutants to our air and water.”
“This settlement will result in a 95% reduction of toluene emissions into the air, as well as significant reductions in discharges of pollutants into the West Branch of the Delaware River, which is a drinking water source,” said EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “This settlement sends an important message that the United States will take decisive action to hold companies accountable for failing to properly control pollutants being emitted into the air and discharged into the water, and that shirk permitting and reporting responsibilities. EPA’s work will benefit the people of Delhi and will result in a healthier Delaware River for all who enjoy and rely on it.”
“Every New Yorker has a fundamental right to clean air and water, and companies have a fundamental obligation to protect public health and the environment wherever they operate,” said Attorney General Letitia James for the State of New York. “For years, FrieslandCampina ignored their obligation and the law, and as a result, put New Yorkers at substantial risk. This settlement reflects my office’s continuing commitment to protecting the environment and holding those who break our environmental and public health laws fully accountable. I want to thank the Department of Justice and the New York Department of Environmental Conservation for their continued partnership in this effort.
“DEC is committed to ensuring the safety of New York’s air and water for all and will continue to work hand-in-hand with our state and federal partners to hold those who violate New York's strict environmental laws accountable,” said Commissioner Basil Seggos of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). “Thanks to the partnership with the New York State Attorney General’s Office, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Department of Justice, this joint enforcement action and substantial penalty will require FrieslandCampina to improve its operations, protect Delhi residents and fund environmental benefit projects that will improve the surrounding community."
As a significant industrial source under the Clean Water Act, Friesland must first treat its wastewater – a process referred to as pre-treatment – before discharging it to the local municipal WWTP. Proper pre-treatment prevents excessive pollution levels, which can interfere with the effectiveness of the WWTP and can cause untreated pollutants to pass through the plant into receiving waters. In this case, the pollution levels that the company discharged exceeded levels set by the Village of Delhi on numerous occasions. The company also failed to comply with the requirements of New York’s industrial stormwater permit, which prohibits the exposure of industrial materials and activities to rain, snow, snowmelt or runoff that can transport pollutants to surface waters.
The facility is also a major source of toluene emissions under the Clean Air Act. Exposure to toluene can adversely affect human health by harming the nervous system and negatively impacting the kidney, liver and immune system. Friesland failed to obtain the proper permit coverage for its toluene emissions and to install the necessary emission controls, and violated other permit conditions, such as reporting requirements.
As a result of EPA’s and New York’s enforcement actions, Friesland has already completed approximately $6 million worth of work to come into compliance with all applicable CAA and CWA requirements by, among other things, installing equipment to properly control its toluene emissions, upgrading its wastewater pretreatment plant to properly treat its wastewater and taking other corrective measures.
Furthermore, Friesland will perform a SEP at its facility to reduce the adverse impacts of its discharges of heated water and the overall environmental risk to the Delaware River, by converting its non-contact cooling water system to a recirculating closed-loop system. The new system will reduce Friesland’s discharges of heated water to the West Branch of the Delaware River by approximately 85 percent. The river is habitat for several species of trout and is managed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation as a trout fishery. Water temperature is essential to this habitat because trout are a cold-water species that cannot survive in warmer water temperatures.
The case is being handled by the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Enforcement Section in conjunction with EPA and the State of New York. The consent decree for this settlement, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York, is subject to a 30-day public comment period and approval by the court. A copy of the consent decree and information on submitting comments will be available on the Justice Department's website at: www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
Federal Jury Convicts Knoxville Man of Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On July 28, following a four-day trial in United States District Court, in Knoxville, Tenn., a jury convicted Glenn Fred Glatz, 67, of Knoxville, Tennessee, of four counts of Production of Child Pornography, three counts of Transferring Obscene Material, one count of Receipt of Child Pornography, and one count of Possession of Child Pornography.
Sentencing is set for December 5, 2023, at 11:00 a.m., before the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, in United States District Court in Knoxville, Tennessee. Glatz faces a sentence of life in prison and other penalties.
The evidence presented at trial showed that Glatz used the social media website, Deviant Art, to entice two young girls aged 13 and 14 into sending him lascivious images and videos of themselves over the internet. Glatz responded by sending images of his penis and videos of him engaged in sexual activity to the girls. Glatz saved the images and videos of his victims on his cellular phone. Forensic examination of his phone revealed other child pornography images of similarly aged female children.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton, III, of the Eastern District of Tennessee and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico, made the announcement.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Kolman and Suzanne Sullivan represented the United States at trial.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Edward Mullins, Former President of NYPD Sergeants’ Union, Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Stealing Union FundsRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that EDWARD MULLINS, the former President of the Sergeants Benevolent Association (“SBA”), the union that represents all current and former sergeants of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), was sentenced today to two years in prison in connection with a scheme to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from the SBA through the submission of fraudulent expense reports. MULLINS pled guilty on January 19, 2023, before U.S. District Judge John G. Koeltl, who imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “For years, Edward Mullins abused his position as the head of the SBA to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from the pockets of hard-working NYPD sergeants. Mullins publicly vowed to protect the interests of the thousands of active and retired sergeants that he represented. But behind the scenes, Mullins stole from the SBA and its members, treating the SBA as his personal piggy bank. In doing so, Mullins disgraced his uniform, broke the law, and undermined the public’s trust in law enforcement. As today’s sentence demonstrates, no one — not even high-ranking union bosses — is above the law.”
According to the Information filed in the case and other filings and statements made in court:
The SBA is the fifth-largest police union in the United States with its headquarters located in lower Manhattan. The SBA’s membership consists of all active and retired sergeants of the NYPD with approximately 13,000 members. From 2002 until October 2021, EDWARD MULLINS served as President of the SBA.
Beginning in 2017, MULLINS devised a scheme to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from the SBA. MULLINS used his personal credit card to pay for meals at high-end restaurants and to purchase luxury personal items, among other things, and then submitted false and inflated expense reports to the SBA, representing that his charges were legitimate SBA expenditures when, in fact, they were not. MULLINS’s expense reports were fraudulent in at least three ways. First, MULLINS routinely included meals on his expense reports that were not SBA-related. Second, MULLINS routinely inflated the costs of his meals – whether SBA-related or not – thereby taking more money from the SBA. Third, MULLINS took certain expenses from his credit card statements, including clothing and supermarket expenses, and recategorized them as SBA-related meals, thereby obtaining even more money from the SBA.
MULLINS’s fraudulent expenses were paid through the SBA’s Contingent Fund, which was funded primarily through annual dues paid by SBA members. In total, between 2017 and 2021, MULLINS stole at least $600,000 from the SBA through the filing of hundreds of fraudulent expense reports.
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In addition to his prison term, MULLINS, 61, of Port Washington, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to make restitution to the SBA in the amount of $600,000. MULLINS was also ordered to forfeit $600,000.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) and the FBI/NYPD Public Corruption Task Force.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexandra Rothman and David Robles and are in charge of the prosecution.
Dunklin County Man Sentenced to Serve 130 Months in Federal Prison for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – The United States Attorney's Office announced that Jammie Renfro, 35, of Kennett, Missouri, was sentenced Thursday to 130 months in federal prison for the offenses of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine. Renfro appeared for his sentencing hearing today before United States District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr. at the federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
At a guilty plea hearing in April, Renfro admitted that beginning in May of 2022, and continuing through June 23, 2022, he and another were working with John Andrew Schoolcraft to distribute methamphetamine throughout Dunklin County, Missouri. The Missouri State Highway Patrol utilized confidential informants and audio and video recording devices to conduct controlled drug buys of methamphetamine from Renfro and the others involved. The case culminated in the execution of a search warrant at Schoolcraft’s residence in Kennett where officers seized over four pounds of methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, assisted by the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter handled the prosecution for the government.
Dulce Woman Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Voluntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Laurice Montoya was sentenced to 5 years in prison. Montoya, 38, of Dulce, and a registered member of Jicarilla Apache Indian Tribe, pled guilty on May 4, 2023, to voluntary manslaughter.
According to court documents, on Jan. 19, 2022, Montoya and the victim, John Doe, got into an argument in her home on the Jicarilla Apache Reservation. During the argument, Montoya hit Doe on the head two times with a snow shovel, causing him to fall and have a seizure. Montoya stayed with Doe but could not call for help. About four hours later, a friend showed up at the residence and called 911. Emergency Medical Services of the Jicarilla Apache Tribe transported John Doe to the San Juan Regional Medical Center where he later died. Doctors found that John Doe had sustained traumatic brain injury, a rib fracture, severe bruising on his upper body and two cuts on his scalp.
Upon her release from prison, Montoya will be subject to 3 years of supervised release.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Jicarilla Apache Police and the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Robert James Booth II is prosecuting the case.
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Drug Importer Sentenced to 41 Months for Importing Fentanyl, Heroin, Methamphetamine, and Cocaine into the United StatesRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Angel Daniel Miranda-Contreras, 29, of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Rosemary Márquez to 41 months in prison. Miranda-Contreras pleaded guilty on April 10, 2023, to Importation of Fentanyl, Importation of Heroin, Importation of Methamphetamine, and Importation of Cocaine.
Miranda-Contreras crossed the border from Mexico into the United States in a 2015 Volkswagon Crossfox at the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales, Arizona on August 5, 2022. Concealed in hidden compartments inside the vehicle were 47 kilograms of fentanyl, five kilograms of methamphetamine, two kilograms of cocaine, and 870 grams of heroin. At the time, Miranda-Contreras claimed that he was unaware that he was smuggling illegal narcotics into the United States, but that he had only agreed to smuggle money from the United States to Mexico.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Kelly Cavanaugh, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-01900-TUC-RM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-118_Miranda-Contreras# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Columbia Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Drug and Firearms CrimesRead the Press Release
FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA — Quadree Shakur Mayers, 36, of Columbia, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to four counts of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of controlled substances, one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Evidence presented to the Court showed that over a 16-day period in late February and early March 2020, Mayers sold controlled substances to an undercover law enforcement agent on four separate occasions. On February 26, 2020, Mayers sold the agent 7 grams of a heroin/fentanyl mixture. On March 3, 2020, Mayers sold the agent 22 grams of a heroin/fentanyl mixture and 6 grams of methamphetamine. On March 9, 2020, Mayers sold the agent 51 grams of methamphetamine.
On March 13, 2020, Mayers distributed approximately 27 grams of heroin to the agent. When he arrived to conduct the sale on March 13, Mayers carried a red fanny pack containing both the heroin and a loaded SCCY 9mm handgun. Federal law prohibits Mayers from possessing firearms and ammunition based on his prior criminal history.
United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Mayers to 120 months in prison, to be followed by a 5-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.
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.
The case was investigated by Columbia Police Department, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Flynn and Elizabeth Major prosecuted the case.
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College Professor Charged in Connection with Rape, Sexual Assault, and Sexual Abuse of Multiple Victims from El SalvadorRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Ivan J. Arvelo, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), and Edward A. Caban, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced that JORGE ALBERTO RAMOS was arrested this morning and charged with inducing and transporting two victims to travel interstate to engage in unlawful sexual activity and with smuggling and harboring a third victim. The Indictment unsealed today alleges that from at least in or about 2013 to in or about 2023, RAMOS transported and induced, enticed, and persuaded women to travel with promises of a better life, including educational and other opportunities, from El Salvador to the Bronx, New York, where he raped, sexually assaulted, and abused them. RAMOS is expected to be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge James L. Cott this afternoon. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge John G. Koeltl.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, over the course of a decade, Jorge Alberto Ramos engaged in a scheme to rape, sexually assault, and sexually abuse multiple victims from El Salvador after inducing them to travel to the United States with promises of a better life. Ramos preyed on vulnerable women and smuggled them to New York so that he could exploit their bodies for his own sexual gratification. We thank and commend the courageous women who came forward to report Ramos.”
HSI Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo said: “This indictment sends a strong message that Homeland Security Investigations is committed to bringing predators who engage in deplorable acts of sexual, physical, and psychological violence against other individuals to justice. As alleged, Jorge Alberto Ramos induced several women into traveling to the United States where he subjected them to repeated rape and sexual abuse at his hands. HSI New York, along with our partners at the New York City Police Department and United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, will continue to uphold our mission to ensure our communities are safe for residents and visitors alike.”
NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban said: “Mr. Ramos is alleged to have preyed on vulnerable women, bringing them to the United States with the promise of opportunity and then ruthlessly exploiting them under threat of deportation, not once but three times. I am deeply gratified that the Southern District of New York and detectives from the Homeland Security Investigations/NYPD Human Trafficking Task Force have successfully investigated this case.”
If you believe you are a victim of rape, sexual assault, or sexual abuse perpetrated by JORGE RAMOS, please contact 866-347-2423 or [email protected] and reference this case.
According to the allegations in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:[1]
Over the course of several years, between at least in or about 2013 and in or about 2023, JORGE ALBERTO RAMOS induced, enticed, and persuaded women with promises of a better life, including educational and other opportunities, to travel from El Salvador to the Bronx, New York, where he raped, sexually assaulted, and sexually abused them. RAMOS groomed at least three women (“Victim-1,” “Victim-2,” and “Victim-3,” and together, the “Victims”) by expressing concern for them and their families and by sending them gifts and money. RAMOS arranged for each of the Victims to be smuggled from El Salvador into the United States, including by paying fees for smugglers (or “coyotes”) to transport the Victims across the U.S. border. RAMOS induced at least two of the Victims to travel from El Salvador to the Bronx so that RAMOS could force them to engage in unlawful sex acts with him on demand.
Once the Victims were transported to New York, RAMOS brought each of the Victims, respectively and at different times, to his residence in the Bronx (the “Ramos Residence”). Once at the Ramos Residence, RAMOS raped, sexually assaulted, and sexually abused the Victims. In or about 2016, RAMOS raped, sexually assaulted, and sexually abused Victim-1 on the first day he brought Victim-1 to the Ramos Residence, and RAMOS continued to do so for several weeks until Victim-1 fled from RAMOS. In or about 2017, RAMOS raped, sexually assaulted, and sexually abused Victim-2 on the first day he brought Victim-2 to the Ramos Residence, and RAMOS continued to do so for approximately one month until Victim-2 fled from RAMOS. Between in or about 2013 and in or about 2014, RAMOS raped, sexually assaulted, and sexually abused Victim-3 on at least three occasions after bringing Victim-3 to the Ramos Residence. While the Victims stayed at the Ramos Residence, RAMOS attempted to control the Victims by, among other things, ordering the Victims to stay inside the Ramos Residence, attempting to isolate the Victims from other people, and threatening to report the Victims to immigration officials for deportation back to El Salvador.
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RAMOS, 43, of the Bronx, New York, is charged with two counts of inducement to travel to engage in unlawful sexual activity, which each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; two counts of transportation to engage in unlawful sexual activity, which each carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; one count of conspiracy to engage in human smuggling and one count of human smuggling, which each carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; and one count of harboring an alien, 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 would be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of HSI and the NYPD.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth A. Espinosa, Emily A. Johnson, and Jane Kim are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
U.S. v. Ramos IndictmentChoctaw County Double Homicide Guilty Pleas EnteredRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Chad Jon’Dale Voyles, age 21, and Ashlie Nicole Rose Martin, age 20, both of Fort Towson, Oklahoma, entered guilty pleas relating to a Choctaw County double homicide which occurred on December 22 and 23, 2020.
On January 6, 2023, Chad Jon’Dale Voyles pleaded guilty to one count of Murder in Indian Country. The Indictment against Voyles alleged that on December 23, 2020, Voyles killed the victim willfully, deliberately, maliciously, and with premeditation.
On July 26, 2023, Ashlie Nicole Rose Martin pleaded guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Commit Murder. The Indictment against Martin alleged that beginning on December 22, 2020, and continuing until December 23, 2020, Martin and others agreed to murder Martin’s parents.
According to investigators, on the afternoon of December 22, 2020, Martin, Voyles, and another juvenile planned the murders of Martin’s parents, then set the plans in motion. Voyles admitted during his plea hearing that he bludgeoned Martin’s father and set him on fire. At Martin’s plea hearing, she admitted that she conspired with others to murder her parents. The crimes occurred in Choctaw County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation and within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Choctaw County Sheriff’s Office.
The Honorable Gerald Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma in Muskogee, Oklahoma, accepted Martin’s plea, ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report, and remanded Martin to the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending sentencing.
The Honorable David C. Joseph, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma in Muskogee, Oklahoma, accepted Voyles’ plea, ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report, and remanded Voyles to the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin D. Traster represented the United States.
Checotah Resident Sentenced for Crimes Including Child Exploitation, Video Voyeurism, Attempted Sexual Abuse, and BurglaryRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – An Oklahoma man was sentenced today to 14 years and eight months in prison for cyberstalking, video voyeurism, burglary, attempted burglary, attempted sexual abuse, and coercing and enticing a minor.
According to court documents, Tyler James Stephens, 25, of Checotah and a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, committed a string of crimes between May 2020 and May 2021. Stephens roamed Checotah, looking through the windows of residences, and sometimes taking photographs or videos of female victims in various states of undress within their homes. He broke into or attempted to break into the homes of some female victims of whom he had taken surreptitious images. Stephens also broke into a residence and attempted to sexually assault the resident while her minor child was in the room. In two instances, Stephens accessed a social media account belonging to someone else and used it to solicit nude or private images of minors, including by sending an obscene picture to one of the minors. Stephens also threatened to publicly post a photo of one of the minors and “ruin her life” if she did not comply with his requests.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Wilson for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, and Special Agent in Charge Lester R. Hayes Jr. of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Dallas made the announcement.
HSI investigated the case, with substantial assistance from the Checotah Police Department and Muscogee Nation Lighthorse Police.
Trial Attorney Gwendelynn Bills of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Cedar Rapids Man Who Attempted to Receive 30 Pounds of Methamphetamine Sentenced to More Than 14 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who retrieved a vehicle that had contained approximately 30 pounds of ice methamphetamine in a hidden compartment was sentenced July 28, 2023, to more than 14 years in federal prison.
Christopher Eric Curley, age 30, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 20, 2023 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Evidence at prior hearings and information presented at sentencing showed that in October 2020 investigators with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in New Mexico seized approximately 30 pounds of ice methamphetamine from a hidden compartment in a vehicle being shipped to Curley in Iowa. Investigators removed the methamphetamine from the compartment and replaced it with a simulated substance, then re‑loaded the vehicle onto the car hauler and sent it to Iowa. When the vehicle arrived in Cedar Rapids, Curley received delivery of it. He attempted to open the hidden compartment electronically, but it did not open. Curley then pulled down the back seat and pulled the purported methamphetamine out of the compartment. Upon examining some of the packages inside the compartment Curley realized that they did not actually contain methamphetamine. He then threw the vehicle’s keys through the driver’s side window of the vehicle and walked away.
In late 2021 and 2022, Curley was still selling methamphetamine in eastern Iowa. During a wiretap investigation into a group of methamphetamine dealers in the Cedar Rapids area led by David Belton, Curley was intercepted discussing purchasing pounds of methamphetamine from the group, and also supplying pounds of methamphetamine to the group when they ran out of supply.
Eleven other individuals were charged in the same investigation as Curley. David Poitier Belton, Derek Michael Mims, Phillip Lanell Rogers, Robert Lee Michael Bates, Anton Tarrice Whitney, Jr., Elmer Mims, and Timothy Michael Webber are all awaiting sentencing. Kiyonte Levell Sowell was sentenced to 144 months’ imprisonment. Albert Henry Bailey was sentenced to 88 months’ imprisonment. Jesus Vera was sentenced to 151 months’ imprisonment. Calub Joseph Storlie was sentenced to 200 months’ imprisonment.
Curley was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Curley was sentenced to 175 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Curley is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the DEA Task Force in Cedar Rapids and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The DEA Task Force in Cedar Rapids consists of the DEA, the Linn County Sheriff's Office, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Marion Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Chatham.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22‑CR‑39‑CJW‑MAR.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Career Offender Who Led Authorities on a High-Speed Chase on I-95 Sentenced to 35 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. –A Wilson-based United Blood Nation gang member was sentenced to 420 months in prison followed by six years of supervised release. Nazeer Vick, 32, was convicted by a Federal jury in April on gun and drug trafficking charges.
“Vick is a career criminal who led police on a high-speed chase exceeding 130 miles per hour on a busy interstate for nearly 26 miles,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “He endangered the lives of law enforcement and other drivers in his efforts to elude capture and continue his criminal activity. Now, he will spend the next 35 years in a federal prison.”
“I would first like to thank all of the deputies and other law enforcement that were involved in removing this career criminal from our streets,” said Nash County Sheriff Keith Stone. “Not only did he put lives in danger, he showed no regard for his actions. I would also like to thank the hard work and success of the United States Attorney’s Office in prosecuting this case. It takes teamwork like this to remove gangs, guns, and drugs from our community.”
“The State of North Carolina and the City of Wilson are safer places to live today because of this arrest and conviction,” said Wilson Police Chief Scott Biddle. “This case highlights the importance of our partnership with and the commitment of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to making our city and streets safer by eliminating threats to public safety like Mr. Vick and other known gang members.”
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Nazeer Vick, 32, was found in possession of a firearm and marijuana during a traffic stop in Wilson after a K9 unit detected the odor of marijuana. Vick was arrested but quickly bonded out of custody. Nearly six months later, on October 7, 2020, Nash County deputies encountered a car being driven by Vick that was driving erratically on Interstate 95, weaving in and out of traffic and reaching speeds in excess of 130 miles per hour. Vick fled from Nash County, into Wilson County and then into Johnston County where he crashed on I-95 after colliding with a transfer truck. Vick then crawled out of a window of the mangled car with a black bookbag and fled on foot to a nearby motel. Vick was captured by hotel security cameras running around the hotel attempting to open hotel room doors. He threw the bookbag into a trashcan and then hid in an electrical closet where he was later found by law enforcement. Officers recovered the discarded bookbag which contained cocaine, cocaine base, marijuana, various pills, a digital scale, a loaded firearm, and documents associated with Vick. Vick is a validated member of the United Blood Nation street gang and has a lengthy criminal history including voluntary manslaughter, selling heroin, possession with intent to sell or deliver heroin, and possession of a firearm by a felon.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Wilson Police Department, Nash County Sheriff’s Office, Johnston County Sheriff’s Office, Rocky Mount Police Department, and North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashley Foxx and Robert Dodson prosecuted the case.
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. 5:20-cr-00485-D.
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Career Criminal Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for Trafficking FentanylRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A career criminal was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston to a total of 11 years in prison for trafficking fentanyl while still on supervised release for a previous federal drug trafficking conviction.
Ozair Pereira, 35, of Brockton, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 10 years in prison and eight years of supervised release. In September 2022, Pereira pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and four counts of distribution of fentanyl. For committing the offense while on federal supervised release, Pereira was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to an additional term of one year in prison, to be served consecutively to the sentence imposed by Judge Sorokin.
In 2018, Pereira and several other defendants were arrested as part of a wide-ranging investigation targeting drug trafficking and violence in Brockton. Pereira was intercepted on a court-authorized wiretap ordering heroin from a drug supplier. After pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin, Pereira was sentenced to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
On four occasions in February and March 2021, while on federal supervised release for the drug trafficking conviction, Pereira worked with co-defendant Robert Roscoe and others to distribute over 40 grams of fentanyl to cooperating witnesses and undercover agents. In October 2022, Roscoe was sentenced to 16 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, and Explosives, Boston Division; John E. Mawn, Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; Brockton Police Chief Brenda Perez; and New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Pohl of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
California Man Sentenced in Utah for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud in Multi-Million Dollar Telemarketing SchemeRead the Press Release
Salt Lake City, Utah – A California man was sentenced to 12 months and one day of imprisonment and ordered by the court to pay over $48,000 in restitution after he admitted to conspiracy to commit wire fraud by participating in a telemarketing scheme that sold fraudulent products to the public.
According to court documents, Charles Robert Brewer, aka “Robert Brewer” or “Scott Brewer,” 59, of Manhattan Beach, California, joined a telemarketing conspiracy that spanned several states, including the District of Utah, and caused millions of dollars in losses between June 2016 to February 2017. In furtherance of the conspiracy, Brewer processed payments quickly so that he and his co-conspirators could process the victims’ credit card transactions through merchant accounts and then transfer the victims’ money to safe accounts before the victims realized they had been defrauded and thereby demand refunds, and before the credit card companies recognized the fraud and shut down the merchant accounts. The telemarketing rooms sold different fraudulent products, including but not limited to, “Amazon rooms and accompanying advertising,” “government grants,” and “business opportunities.” Additionally, Brewer helped recruit “nominees,” persons whom he used to set up the merchant accounts to run the fraudulent transactions through without the nominees’ knowledge of the fraud. Brewer helped fabricate fraudulent financial documents and bank statements to trick credit card companies into setting up the merchant accounts. He helped his co-conspirators impersonate satisfied customers to deceive auditors. Brewer also personally sent emails to a payment processor wherein he impersonated a merchant account owner to make fraudulent excuses for the high number of chargebacks to keep the merchant accounts open after the credit card companies became suspicious.
In addition to his term of imprisonment, the court ordered Mr. Brewer to serve 24 months of supervised release and to pay $48,639.86 in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case was investigated jointly by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Salt Lake City Field Office.
Assistant United States Attorney Todd C. Bouton of the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
Bureau of Prisons Employee Charged with Violating the Civil Rights of an Inmate Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging a Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) officer with violating the civil rights of an inmate by showing deliberate indifference to the inmate’s serious medical needs, resulting in his death.
The superseding indictment alleges that on January 10, 2021, BOP Senior Officer Specialist Yolanda Blackwell, 45, of Chester, was on duty and working in her official capacity at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Petersburg. The superseding indictment charges that Blackwell willfully failed to ensure that the inmate, a 47-year-old man identified as W.W., was provided with necessary medical care, even though she knew that W.W. had serious medical needs. W.W. died in federal custody that day.
Two other BOP officials, Lieutenant Shronda Covington and registered nurse Tonya Farley, were previously charged with civil rights and other offenses in connection with the inmate’s death in custody. Another BOP official, Lieutenant Michael Anderson, previously pleaded guilty for his role in the inmate’s death.
If convicted, Blackwell faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kristen Clarke, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; and Michael E. Horwitz, Inspector General of the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General, made the announcement.
The Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas A. Garnett and Special Litigation Counsel Kathryn E. Gilbert and Trial Attorney Matthew Tannenbaum of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 23-cr-68.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Bureau of Prisons Employee Charged with Violating the Civil Rights of an Inmate Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging a federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) officer with violating the civil rights of an inmate by showing deliberate indifference to the inmate’s serious medical needs, resulting in his death.
The superseding indictment alleges that on Jan. 10, 2021, BOP Senior Officer Specialist Yolanda Blackwell, 45, of Chester, Virginia, was on duty and working in her official capacity at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Petersburg, Virginia. The superseding indictment charges that Blackwell willfully failed to ensure that the inmate, a 47-year-old man identified as W.W., was provided with necessary medical care, even though she knew that W.W. had serious medical needs. W.W. died in federal custody that day.
Two other BOP officials, Lieutenant Shronda Covington and registered nurse Tonya Farley, were previously charged with civil rights and other offenses in connection with the inmate’s death in custody. Another BOP official, Lieutenant Michael Anderson, previously pleaded guilty for his role in the inmate’s death.
If convicted, Blackwell faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia and Inspector General Michael E. Horwitz of the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General (DOJ-OIG) made the announcement.
DOJ-OIG investigated the case.
Special Litigation Counsel Kathryn E. Gilbert and Trial Attorney Matthew Tannenbaum of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Garnett for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Superseding IndictmentBoston Man Sentenced for Concealing Income and Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for concealing business income and filing multiple false tax returns.
Albert Casiello, 57, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to two months in prison and one year of supervised release. Casiello was also ordered to pay restitution of $315,856. In January 2023, Casiello pleaded guilty to three counts of filing false tax returns.
Between 2013 and 2015, Casiello was the president, sole shareholder and primary operator of Cassco Development Group, Inc., a Massachusetts construction business. For each of the tax years 2013, 2014 and 2015, Casiello concealed his business income by depositing customer payments in bank accounts held in the names of other entities. Casiello then filed false tax returns for the years 2013, 2014 and 2015, resulting in a tax loss of $315,856.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Markham of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Bitfinex Hacker and Wife Plead Guilty to Money Laundering Conspiracy Involving Billions in CryptocurrencyRead the Press Release
A married couple from New York City pleaded guilty today to money laundering conspiracies arising from the hack and theft of approximately 120,000 bitcoin from Bitfinex, a global cryptocurrency exchange.
Ilya Lichtenstein, 35, and Heather Morgan, 33, were arrested in February 2022 after the government seized approximately 95,000 of those stolen bitcoin from cryptocurrency wallets in the defendants’ control. At the time of the seizure, the recovered funds were valued at approximately $3.6 billion. Since their arrests, the government has seized another approximately $475 million tied to the hack.
According to court documents, Lichtenstein used a number of advanced hacking tools and techniques to gain access to Bitfinex’s network. Once inside their systems, Lichtenstein fraudulently authorized more than 2,000 transactions in which 119,754 bitcoin was transferred from Bitfinex to a cryptocurrency wallet in Lichtenstein’s control. Lichtenstein then took steps to cover his tracks by going back into Bitfinex’s network and deleting access credentials and other log files that may have given him away to law enforcement. Following the hack, Lichtenstein enlisted the help of his wife, Morgan, in laundering the stolen funds.
Lichtenstein, at times with Morgan’s assistance, employed numerous sophisticated laundering techniques, including using fictitious identities to set up online accounts; utilizing computer programs to automate transactions; depositing the stolen funds into accounts at a variety of darknet markets and cryptocurrency exchanges and then withdrawing the funds, which obfuscates the trail of the transaction history by breaking up the fund flow; converting bitcoin to other forms of cryptocurrency, including anonymity-enhanced cryptocurrency (AEC), in a practice known as “chain hopping”; depositing a portion of the criminal proceeds into cryptocurrency mixing services, such as Bitcoin Fog, Helix, and ChipMixer; using U.S.-based business accounts to legitimize their banking activity; and exchanging a portion of the stolen funds into gold coins, which Morgan then concealed by burying them.
Lichtenstein pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Morgan pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy and one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, each of which carries a maximum penalty of five years of in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Consistent with standard practice in criminal forfeiture cases, there will be a formal process at the conclusion of the case pursuant to Rule 32.2 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure for third-party claimants to submit claims for any seized and forfeited property.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia, Chief Jim Lee of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York made the announcement.
The IRS-CI Washington, D.C. Field Office’s Cyber Crimes Unit; FBI Chicago Field Office; FBI’s Virtual Assets Unit (VAU); and HSI New York are investigating the case, with assistance from the Ansbach Police Department in Germany.
Trial Attorneys Jessica Peck and C. Alden Pelker of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher B. Brown and Jolie Zimmerman for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case. Paralegal Specialists Angela De Falco and Brian Rickers and Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick provided valuable assistance. Significant assistance was also provided by Trial Attorney Christen Gallagher, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Southern District of New York, HSI Philadelphia, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica C. Brooks.
Beaumont Man Guilty in Precious Metals Scam Resulting in over $1 Million Loss to VictimsRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas– A Beaumont man has pleaded guilty to federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today.
Michael James White, 34, pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges before U.S. Magistrate Judge Zack Hawthorn on August 1, 2023.
According to information presented in court, White was the owner and operator of Gold Pro, LLC, a business in Vidor, Texas that bought and sold precious metals like gold and silver. The company marketed their products as “financial security for future financial uncertainty.” Gold Pro operated by promising potential buyers from across the United States a certain number of precious metals, then obtaining payment from customers through the wire transfer of funds from the buyer’s bank account to Gold Pro’s bank account. White communicated by email, telephone, or computer chat with potential buyers about the amount of precious metals the buyer would buy and agreed on a price for the precious metals and their delivery. Starting in 2021, in multiple instances after receiving payment, White did not deliver the precious metals to the buyer, delivered a product of lesser value, or delivered fake precious metals. During an almost three-year period beginning in 2020, White defrauded numerous victims throughout the United States, resulting in a loss of more than $1 million.
White faces up to 20 years in federal prison. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Beaumont Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Reynaldo P. Morin.
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Baton Rouge Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr., announced that U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced Michael D. Hopwood, Jr., age 40, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 18 months in federal prison following his conviction for wire fraud. The Court further ordered Hopwood to serve three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered restitution in the amount of $340,621.96.
Hopwood was entrusted to provide assistance with certain financial matters to a permanently disabled relative. After obtaining the victim’s personal identifiable information for the purpose of setting up automatic bill pay, Hopwood knowingly and fraudulently made unauthorized purchases, transfers, and withdrawals from the victim’s account for his personal benefit, without the victim’s knowledge, approval, or consent. This scheme was conducted from approximately November 2019 through approximately February 2020 and resulted in a loss of over $300,000.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Harley W. Ferguson and Lyman E. Thornton III.
Baton Rouge Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Thousands of Videos and Images of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that Ezra P. West, age 26, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pled guilty before U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick to possession of child pornography. As a result of his conviction, West faces a significant term of imprisonment, a fine, and a period of supervised release—which includes sex offender registration requirements.
According to admissions made during his plea, from on or about May 10, 2015, and continuing until May 10, 2019, West used web service provider accounts, mobile applications, and websites to obtain child pornography. West possessed approximately 1,869 total videos and 6,668 total images of child pornography involving prepubescent minors and toddlers.
This matter was investigated by the United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward H. Warner.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
Baltimore County Businessman Facing Federal Charges for Fraudulently Obtaining More Than $1.3 Million in COVID-19 CARES Act LoansRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging David Epstein, age 45, of Owings Mills, Maryland, for wire fraud and money laundering, relating to the submission of fraudulent COVID-19 CARES Act loan applications. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was a federal law enacted in March 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The indictment was filed on June 24, 2023, and unsealed today at Epstein’s initial appearance.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), Washington, D.C. Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite of the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) Office of Inspector General (“OIG”), Eastern Region.
Financial assistance offered through the CARES Act included forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the Paycheck Protection Program, administered through the Small Business Administration (SBA). The SBA also offered an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and/or an EIDL advance to help businesses meet their financial obligations.
According to the eight-count indictment, Epstein was the Chief Executive Office of PEI Staffing, LLC and served as the President of Stafquik, Inc. Epstein was the sole signatory on two accounts maintained by Stafquik at SunTrust Bank. The indictment alleges that from May 2020 to August 2020, Epstein executed a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration and related financial institutions by fraudulently obtaining and attempting to obtain EIDL and PPP loan funds for his own personal use, including the purchase of a Mercedes-Benz automobile, renovations to his home, including installation of a pool, and for other unauthorized expenditures.
Specifically, on April 30, 2020, Epstein submitted a false and misleading PPP loan application in the name of PEI, seeking approximately $1,307,170 in PPP funds. The application allegedly contained false statements and omissions relating to PEI including the number of employees, the wages paid to employees, and that any funds received would be spend on expenses such as payroll, business rent and business utilities. For example, the application stated that PEI had 382 employees, when in fact, an IRS Form 941 for the second quarter of 2020 listed 79 employees for PEI. Epstein also falsely stated that he did not have common management with any other business. In fact, Epstein was a common manager of both PEI and Stafquik.
As detailed in the indictment, Epstein spoke with the representative of a financial technology company that served as the originating agent for the PPP lender regarding the status of PEI’s PPP loan application. During the call, Epstein stated that he planned to upload a February 2020 bank statement for the purported PEI bank account listed in the application. Epstein allegedly submitted a fictitious bank statement that falsely represented the bank account was in the name of PEI, when in fact, the account was one of the accounts in the name of Stafquik, to which Epstein was sole signatory.
In addition, on May 4, 2020, approximately $1,307,170 in PPP loan proceeds were disbursed to the SunTrust Stafquik account. Within four days, Epstein opened four personal bank accounts at two separate banks and subsequently transferred the PPP loan proceeds to those accounts to be used for personal and unauthorized expenses. For example, the indictment alleges that Epstein transferred $110,356.48 in PPP funds to Mercedes-Benz Financial Services in connection with his purchase of a 2019 Mercedes-Benz GT53C4.
The indictment further alleges that on November 18, 2020, Epstein submitted a false application for an EIDL in the name of Stafquik to the SBA, seeing approximately $150,000 in funds. In that application, Epstein proved the SBA a bank account number into which the EIDL proceeds were to be deposited, namely the second account at SunTrust held in Stafquik’s name with Epstein as the sole signatory. On November 19, 2020, SunTrust closed that account after being notified by the lender for the PEI PPP loan that the $1,307,170 in PPP funds disbursed to the other Stafquik account was an unauthorized transaction. Epstein called SunTrust seeking to reverse the closure of the account but was unsuccessful. Because the bank account was closed, the funds sought in the EIDL application for Stafquik were ultimately not disbursed.
If convicted, Epstein faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each of five counts of wire fraud and a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for each of three counts of money laundering. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of three strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the IRS-CI and SBA-OIG for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul A. Riley and Sean R. Delaney, who are prosecuting the case. Mr. Barron also recognized the assistance of the Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force Paralegal Specialist Joanna B.N. Huber.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao/md.
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Attorney Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Filing Fraudulent Lawsuits Under the Americans with Disabilities ActRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that attorney STUART FINKELSTEIN was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe to four years in prison in connection with filing hundreds of fraudulent lawsuits pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”). FINKELSTEIN previously pled guilty to one count of mail fraud.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Stuart Finkelstein, a practicing attorney, filed hundreds of fraudulent lawsuits in which he brought false claims of violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which is meant to protect vulnerable members of our community against discrimination. Finkelstein has now been held accountable and is facing prison time for his brazen scheme.”
According to the Indictment and statements made in court filings:
Over the course of six years, FINKELSTEIN filed or caused to be filed nearly 300 fraudulent lawsuits under the ADA. These lawsuits, which were filed in Florida and New York, falsely claimed that the purported plaintiffs (“Victim-1” and “Victim-2”) had authorized the lawsuits and had standing to sue. In reality, Victim-1 and Victim-2 had no idea that FINKELSTEIN had filed lawsuits on their behalf. As a result of FINKELSTEIN’s false representations, FINKELSTEIN caused losses to the places of public accommodation that he sued in excess of $1,500,000 and netted nearly $650,000 for himself. In addition to stealing identities and using the ADA as a vehicle for fraud, FINKELSTEIN made false statements to the courts under oath and sought to obstruct proceedings that could have exposed his scheme.
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In addition to his prison term, FINKELSTEIN, 68, of Davie, Florida, was sentenced to three years of supervised release, fined $200,000, and ordered to forfeit $643,102.60. Restitution will be decided by the Court within 90 days of today’s sentencing.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Special Agents from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rushmi Bhaskaran is in charge of the prosecution.
Armed, Violent Meth Dealer Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- David Taylor, 48, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, on February 5, 2021, investigators with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) stopped Taylor for a traffic violation as he was driving south on US 31 onto North Keystone Avenue. Officers approached the vehicle and immediately observed a firearm resting on the Taylor’s lap. Taylor was also driving with a suspended license.
Officers seized the firearm and detained Taylor. An IMPD K9 sniffed the air surrounding the car and indicated the presence of illegal drugs. Officers searched the car and recovered approximately 333.54 grams of pure methamphetamine from the center console. In an interview with investigators, Taylor stated that he purchased the methamphetamine for $3,500 and would be paid $500 for delivering it to an individual in Indianapolis. Taylor further admitted to making other methamphetamine deliveries previously between South Bend and Fort Wayne.
Taylor is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to his previous felony convictions for theft, robbery, arson, and intimidation.
United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers, Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Columbus Field Division, and Chief Randal Taylor of IMPD made the announcement.
“Deadly drugs and deadly weapons—especially in the hands of criminals who have repeatedly engaged in violent crimes—are a scourge on our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “The serious prison sentence imposed here demonstrates that these offenses will not be tolerated. I commend the work of the ATF and IMPD to stem the flow of poisons into our neighborhoods and take guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals who have no business possessing them.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and IMPD investigated this case, with assistance from the Fort Wayne Police Department. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge, Jane Magnus-Stinson. Judge Stinson also ordered that Taylor be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 8 years following his release from federal prison and pay an $800 fine.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Kelsey L. Massa, who prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Anderson Woman Sentenced to Nearly Five Years in Federal Prison for Embezzling over $2 Million from her Employer over 10 YearsRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Lisa Raines, 52, of Anderson, Indiana, has been sentenced to 57 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud.
According to court documents, from March 2006 until November 2016, Rains was a Senior Finance Technician for Seven Corners, a travel insurance business located in Carmel. During her tenure, Raines was responsible for processing claims and releasing payments for disbursement. As part of her duties, Raines had access to the company’s payments systems.
In March 2006, around the time she started her role as a Senior Finance Technician for Seven Corners, Raines opened a bank account in the name of “L & B Tape, Co.,” a business that did not exist. Raines then entered her fake business as a vendor in Seven Corners’ payment system. Between 2006 and 2016 Raines made sixty-five payments from Seven Corners to her fake business, stealing $2,129,689.86 from her employer.
Raines used the stolen money for her own personal use. For example, in November 2011, Raines used money stolen from her employer to purchase a house in Anderson Indiana for over $600,000. In November 2015, Raines used stolen money to purchase “Mardi’s Gras Too,” a restaurant in Lapel, Indiana.
“For over a decade, the defendant abused her position of trust to steal millions of dollars from her employer to satisfy her own greed,” said United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers. “This U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with the FBI to ensure that those who commit serious financial crimes face serious criminal punishment. The prison sentence imposed here demonstrates that those who seek to profit from fraud and deceit will pay the price behind federal prison bars.”
“The defendant abused her position and took advantage of the trust and confidence placed in her by her employer.” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton. “This sentence clearly demonstrates that those who commit fraud will be caught, prosecuted and held accountable.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge, James P. Hanlon. Judge Hanlon also ordered that Raines be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 3 years following her release from federal prison and pay $2.1 million in restitution to her former employer.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Bradley P. Shepard and James M. Warden, who prosecuted this case.
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Alleged Violent Cartel Enforcer Extradited from MexicoRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – August 3, 2023
SAN DIEGO – Edgar Herrera Pardo, aka Caiman, an alleged violent cartel enforcer in Tijuana, Mexico, was extradited from Mexico yesterday to face federal drug trafficking charges in San Diego.
Caiman was indicted in the Southern District of California on April 10, 2019, as an alleged leader of a group known as Los Cabos, which operated in Baja California to secure control of the region for Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, commonly known as CJNG. Los Cabos employed rampant violence to ensure that CJNG maintained the ability to traffic drugs through Tijuana and into the United States.
Caiman was apprehended by authorities in Mexico on August 5, 2019, and has been in custody there since. He arrived in San Diego on August 2, 2023, and made his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mitchell D. Dembin. He is scheduled for a detention hearing before Judge Dembin on August 8, 2023 at 10 a.m.
“According to the government’s allegations, Herrera Pardo and his group of enforcers unleashed appalling violence on Tijuana on behalf of a powerful drug cartel that is responsible for moving large quantities of illicit drugs into the U.S.,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman “This extradition shows that those who put American lives at risk through trafficking of dangerous substances will be held responsible, wherever they may be. The Department of Justice appreciates the cooperation of the Mexican authorities in this matter. With the assistance of our law enforcement colleagues at home and around the world, we will aggressively pursue drug traffickers and bring them to justice.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team and the Drug Enforcement Administration for their excellent work on the case.
“Drug trafficking is a violent crime,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Shelly Howe. “The alleged actions of Edgar Herrera Pardo demonstrate the devastation that drug trafficking can have on a community. The DEA and its partners at the local, state, and federal level are dedicated to protecting the community from the dangerous actions of people like Herrera Pardo.”
The Justice Department extends its gratitude to the Mexican Attorney General, Foreign Secretariat, and prosecutorial and law enforcement authorities for making the extradition possible. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s arrest and extradition from Mexico. The U.S. Marshals Service assisted in bringing the defendant back to the United States.
This case is part of a long-term investigation led by the Southern District of California that included a six-month period of judicially-authorized interceptions and led to the indictment of other cartel enforcers in Tijuana and drug distributors in the United States.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
DEFENDANT Case Number: Case Number: 19CR1274-BAS
Edgar Herrera Pardo aka Caiman Age: 35 Tijuana, Mexico
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances for Purpose of Unlawful Importation, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. §§ 959, 960 and 963
Maximum Penalty: Mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life in prison; $10 million fine
Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 846
Maximum Penalty: Mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life in prison and $10 million fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Drug Enforcement Administration
Homeland Security Investigations
United States Marshals Service
Department of Justice, Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force
Department of Justice, Office of Enforcement Operations
Department of Justice, Office of International Affairs
San Diego Sheriff’s Department