Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
17 July 2023
Manchester Man Sentenced to More Than 8 Years in Federal Prison for Fentanyl Distribution and Gun Possession OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that EDUARDO COLON, 34, of Manchester, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to 100 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for fentanyl distribution and firearm possession offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 3, 2022, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force made a controlled purchase of 1,000 wax sleeves of fentanyl from Colon in front of his Manchester residence on Buckland Hills Road. Later that day, a court-authorized search of Colon’s residence revealed a loaded 9mm semiautomatic handgun, approximately 2,100 sleeves of fentanyl, approximately 230 grams of unpackaged fentanyl, items used to process and package narcotics, a money counter, and approximately $11,000 in cash.
Colon’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for narcotics offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Colon has been detained since June 3, 2022. On March 27, 2023, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
The FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Manchester Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Reed Durham.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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.
Local Men Sentenced in Connection with Jung Hotel ShootingRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – TREJON HOWARD, age 20, of New Orleans, and TIQUAN EVERSON, age 26, of Avondale, were sentenced on July 12, 2023 by United States District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
HOWARD was sentenced to 330 months imprisonment, five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment, and a $400 mandatory special assessment fee.
EVERSON was sentenced to 360 months imprisonment, five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment, and a $400 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, HOWARD and EVERSON previously pled guilty to attempted Hobbs Act Robbery, conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute quantities of marijuana, using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Co-defendant, CHRIS ROSS, age 22, of St. Bernard Parish, was sentenced on June 5, 2023 by United States District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle. ROSS was sentenced to 355 months imprisonment. In addition, ROSS received five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment, along with a $400 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, ROSS previously pled guilty to attempted Hobbs Act Robbery, conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute quantities of marijuana, using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
This prosecution stems from a shootout that occurred at the Jung Hotel in New Orleans, on December 28, 2020. HOWARD and EVERSON, along with four other co-defendants, entered the Jung Hotel and attempted to rob drug dealers (hotel occupants) of significant amounts of marijuana. During the attempted robbery, a shootout ensued during which over 80 shots were fired and three people wounded. These events were documented by Jung Hotel security cameras footage that was introduced as evidence at the sentencing hearing for co-defendants DARIUS DANNEL and TERRELL MOORE.
DARIUS DANNEL, age 28, and TERRELL MOORE, age 25, both of New Orleans, were sentenced on June 28, 2023 by United States District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle. DANNEL was sentenced to 360 months imprisonment, while MOORE received a 330-month sentence. In addition, both defendants received five years of supervised release following imprisonment, along with a $400 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, DANNEL and MOORE previously pled guilty to attempted Hobbs Act Robbery, conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute quantities of marijuana, using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Three of the marijuana distributors involved in the shootout, CLARENCE SANTIAGO, BRIAN JACOB, and MALIK FERNANDEZ, pled guilty to similar crimes before United States District Court Judge Greg G. Guidry. On March 7, 2023, Judge Guidry sentenced SANTIAGO to 360 months in prison and on July 11, 2023, he sentenced FERNANDEZ to 350 months in prison. BRIAN JACOB will be sentenced on October 31, 2023.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The cases were investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Maurice Landrieu of the Narcotics Unit and Elizabeth Privitera, Chief of the Violent Crime Unit are in charge of the prosecutions.
* * *
Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – David Jefferson Womack, 45, of St. Albans, pleaded guilty today to theft of a firearm from a federal firearms licensee.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 16, 2022, Womack stole a Kel-Tec, model P-32, .32-caliber pistol from a Kanawha County pawn shop. Womack admitted to the theft when he was arrested by law enforcement officers on April 4, 2023.
Womack is scheduled to be sentenced on October 18, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the St. Albans Police Department.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Troy D. Adams is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-45.
###
Jury Convicts Former San Francisco Public Utilities Commission General Manager of Felony Bribery and Bank Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – A federal jury today convicted Harlan Kelly, the former General Manager of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (PUC) of charges that he accepted bribes and gifts from a local businessman in a scheme to provide confidential information about the city public bidding process and steer city contracts to that person’s businesses, announced First Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Robbins, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp, and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Special Agent in Charge Darren Lian. The verdict follows a two-week trial before United States Chief District Judge Richard Seeborg.
Kelly, 61, of San Francisco, was arrested on a criminal complaint in November 2020, and he was tried on charges contained in a May 31, 2022, superseding indictment that included charges of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud and honest services wire fraud. The superseding indictment also included charges of false statements to a bank, conspiracy to make false statements to a bank, bank fraud, and bank fraud conspiracy, related to a scheme to defraud Quicken Loans in connection with a $1.3 million mortgage refinance loan obtained by Kelly.
Kelly was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, one count of honest services wire fraud, and all four counts related to the bank fraud scheme. The jury found Kelly not guilty of two honest services wire fraud counts.
The charges against, and prosecution of, Kelly grew out of a years-long investigation into bribery and public corruption in San Francisco city government, led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and IRS-CI. To date, 13 individuals have been charged in connection that larger set of investigations, including Mohammed Nuru, former director of the San Francisco Public Works department, and multiple city contractors and other facilitators of bribes and corruption.
The evidence at trial showed that Kelly, appointed in 2012 as General Manager of the San Francisco PUC, had access to confidential information about city contract bidding processes, and the ability to influence the awarding of some city contracts. Documents and testimony showed that Kelly had a close personal and professional relationship with San Francisco business owner and contractor Walter Wong, and that during the time Wong both conducted business with the city and sought additional lucrative contracts to supply the PUC with LED streetlights. While he was doing business with the city and seeking contracts, Wong provided numerous gifts, benefits, and bribes to Kelly. These bribes including discounted construction work on Kelly’s personal residence and a lavish international trip hosted by and in part paid for by Wong. Evidence showed that Wong paid travel and personal expenses for Kelly and his family during a March 2016 Kelly family vacation to Hong Kong, Macau, and China, and that Wong paid for hotel expenses and incidentals such as meals and luxury excursions. Wong has previously pleaded guilty to charges that he engaged in an honest services fraud conspiracy in connection with his interactions with Kelly and others.
The evidence at trial showed that as part of the bribery conspiracy, Kelly provided confidential information and documents about the details of bids submitted by other contractors, including proprietary pricing and cost information, and information and documents with internal notes about how city employees in the PUC were evaluating and rating the bidders. The evidence showed that Kelly delivered these documents to Wong and his associates in violation of Kelly’s fiduciary obligations to the city and its residents, and that the confidential information assisted Wong and his company in improving Wong’s chances to obtain the contract award.
Trial evidence also showed that Kelly defrauded Quicken Loans, a financial institution, in a $1.3 million dollar real estate mortgage loan provided to Kelly. The evidence at trial showed that Kelly worked with an associate, prominent city businessman and property manager Victor Makras, to mislead the bank. According to the evidence, in the application for the loan Kelly falsely represented that he had a $915,000 mortgage and concealed the true nature of his debts from Quicken. According to the trial evidence, these misrepresentations were material to the bank’s evaluation of the borrower and the loan. The outstanding debts that Kelly concealed from Quicken included a construction debt owed to the contractor, Walter Wong that amounted to about $89,000. Another debt concealed from the company was a $70,000 unsecured personal loan made by Makras to Kelly, a result of Makras directly paying Kelly’s credit card debt in order to conceal the fact that Kelly received this loan from Makras.
Co-defendant Makras, 64 of San Francisco, was also charged in the May 31, 2022 superseding indictment, and was convicted of making false statements to a bank and bank fraud at a separate trial in August 2022.
The federal jury today convicted Kelly of the following:
• One count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1343, 1346, and 1349, which carries a maximum possible penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or the greater of twice the gross gain or gross loss
• One count of honest services wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1343 and 1346, which carries a maximum possible penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or the greater of twice the gross gain or gross loss
• One count of making false statements to a bank in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1014, which carries a maximum possible penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine
• One count of conspiracy to make false statements to a bank in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, which carries a maximum possible penalty of 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000
• One count of bank fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1344(1),(2), which carries a maximum possible penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000, or not more than the greater of twice the gross gain or gross loss
• One count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1344(1),(2) and 1349, which carries a maximum possible penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000, or not more than the greater of twice the gross gain or gross lossAs part of any sentence, the court also may order the defendant to serve an additional period of supervised release to begin after any prison term, to pay additional penalties, and to pay restitution, if appropriate. However, any sentence will be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553. Defendant Kelly remains out of custody pending sentencing. No future date has yet been set.
The case is being prosecuted by the Corporate and Securities Fraud Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Ward and Kristina Green prosecuted the case at trial with the assistance of Tina Rosenbaum. The case is being investigated by the FBI and the IRS-CI.
Janesville Man Sentenced to 13 Years for Multiple Armed Robberies & Brandishing a FirearmRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Devonti Wilson, 38, Janesville, Wisconsin was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 13 years in federal prison for armed robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. This prison term will be followed by a 5-year term of supervised release. Wilson pleaded guilty to these charges on March 21, 2023.
On September 8, 2020, Wilson robbed a Lion’s Quick Mart in Janesville. During the robbery, Wilson pointed a gun at the clerk and demanded money and cigarettes; he also told the clerk to “hurry up or you’ll die.” Wilson then left the store with money and cigarettes. Over the next three hours, Wilson committed similar armed robberies at a Kelley Williamson Mobil in Fitchburg, Wisconsin and a 7-Eleven in Madison, Wisconsin. He also attempted a fourth armed robbery at a BP in Madison.
On September 10, 2020, Wilson committed four more armed robberies in Janesville. Within one hour, he robbed a Kwik Trip, a second Lion’s Quick Mart, a Tigermart Exxon, and a Walgreens. In each robbery, Wilson brandished a gun at an employee. Shortly after the last robbery, police found Wilson in a vehicle near his home and arrested him. Inside the vehicle officers found bait bills from one of the convenience stores, cash, cartons of cigarettes, and a loaded 9mm firearm.
At the time of these offenses, Wilson had been convicted of multiple felony offenses and was prohibited from possessing a firearm. He was also on active state supervision in connection to a 2018 conviction for committing a robbery with use of force.
In sentencing Wilson, Judge Conley remarked that the amount of money Wilson took from each store paled in comparison to the terrorism he imposed on each employee. Judge Conley stated a significant sentence was warranted in this case as no prior sentence had deterred Wilson from committing additional crimes.
The charges against Wilson were the result of an investigation conducted by the Janesville, Fitchburg, and Madison Police Departments and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor L. Kraus prosecuted this case.
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.
Iowa Man Sentenced to Nearly 11 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Heroin and Methamphetamine in Northwest IllinoisRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — An Iowa man has been sentenced to nearly eleven years in federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine and heroin in northwest Illinois.
CORDERO DAVIS, 36, of Dubuque, Iowa, pleaded guilty earlier this year to knowingly and intentionally possessing nearly 900 grams of methamphetamine and more than 50 grams of heroin with the intent to distribute. U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston on Thursday sentenced Davis to 130 months in federal prison.
On June 28, 2022, an officer with the Jo Daviess County Sheriff’s Office stopped Davis’s vehicle. Davis failed to produce any identification and then provided a false name and date of birth to the officer. The officer confirmed Davis’s true identity and discovered that Davis’s driver’s license was suspended. The officer also discovered an arrest warrant pending against Davis from Cook County, Ill. The officer arrested Davis and discovered the controlled substances during a search of his vehicle.
The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Sheila G. Lyons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The Jo Daviess County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Maveus.
International Cyber Fraudster Sentenced to More Than 8 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A resident of the United Arab Emirates who orchestrated an $8 million cyber fraud scheme targeting several United States-based companies has been sentenced to more than eight years in a U.S. prison.
OLALEKAN JACOB PONLE, also known as “Mr. Woodbery,” and “Mark Kain,” 31, was living in the UAE in 2019 when he worked with co-schemers to engage in numerous business email compromise schemes. The co-schemers used phishing links to gain unauthorized access to email accounts and then created false instructions directing employees of the victim companies to wire money to bank accounts opened by money mules at Ponle’s direction. The fraudulent emails often claimed to be from the company or a known business contact and were nearly identical to prior legitimate emails sent over the company’s email account. After unwitting employees wired money, in some cases millions of dollars, to the bank accounts, Ponle instructed the money mules to convert the proceeds to Bitcoin and send them to him.
As a result of Ponle’s scheme, victim companies suffered more than $8.03 million in actual losses and more than $51.3 million in intended losses. One of the victim companies was based in Chicago, while others were located in Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, New York, California, and elsewhere.
Ponle is a Nigerian national who was arrested in June 2020 by law enforcement in the UAE. He was subsequently expelled from the UAE into the custody of the FBI and arrived in Chicago the following month. He pleaded guilty earlier this year to a federal wire fraud charge.
U.S. District Judge Robert W. Gettleman on July 11, 2023, sentenced Ponle to eight years and four months in federal prison. Ponle was ordered to pay more than $8.03 million in restitution to the victim companies and forfeit numerous luxury items purchased with proceeds traceable to the fraud scheme, including a Rolls Royce Cullinan, Lamborghini Urus, Mercedes-Benz G-Class AMG G55, and Rolex and Patek Philippe watches. Ponle previously forfeited to the government 151 bitcoin, which were also derived from proceeds traceable to the fraud scheme.
The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Valuable assistance was provided by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Dubai, UAE Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melody Wells of the Northern District of Illinois represented the government.
Independence Man Pleads Guilty to Transporting Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to uploading videos of child pornography to his online storage accounts.
Joshua M. Rodgers, 29, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to one count of transporting child pornography.
Rodgers uploaded hundreds of images and videos of child pornography to his cloud storage online Google account, particularly in his Google Drive file, as well as to Dropbox, an online cloud file storage program, from Dec. 4, 2017, to Feb. 27, 2019. In particular, on November 23, 2018, Rodgers uploaded two videos depicting child pornography to Dropbox through the internet.
During the course of the investigation, the Western Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force received four CyberTip reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding a total of 548 videos of child pornography uploaded to Rodgers’s Google accounts. Investigators then identified 728 images and 771 videos of child pornography in Rodgers’s Google account. Of those, roughly 101 files involved infants or toddlers. An additional 1,022 images and 124 videos depicted “age difficult” persons and child erotica.
On Oct. 22, 2019, federal agents executed a search warrant at Rodgers’s residence. They seized his computer, which contained 658 videos and 139 images of suspected child pornography, including prepubescent victims, sadomasochistic behaviors, and bestiality.
Rodgers also admitted to previously communicating with a female from Ohio, beginning when she was 15 years old, and he admitted to sharing images and videos with her. Rodgers repeatedly asked her to send him pornographic images and videos of herself. He even bought her a sex toy, and had it sent to her to use in videos she could create for him. Rodgers also sent her videos of child pornography.
Under federal statutes, Rodgers is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth W. Borgnino. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Western Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Independence Man Pleads Guilty to Dealing Firearms Without a LicenseRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On July 11, 2023, RICHARD LUDWIG II, age 74, of Independence pleaded guilty for dealing firearms without a license in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(a)(1)(A) and 924(a)(1)(D), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans .
LUDWIG faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five (5) years, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. He will be sentenced on October 17, 2023.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Trummel of the Violent Crime Unit.
Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl Crime and Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Zachary Scott Whitmore, 32, of Huntington, was sentenced today to four years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl and violating his supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 19, 2022, Whitmore sold 7 grams of suspected heroin to a confidential informant near 25th Street in Huntington for $700. Whitmore also admitted to arranging the sale of 7 grams of suspected heroin to a confidential informant at a 9th Avenue residence in Huntington on October 24, 2022.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Mid-Atlantic Laboratory confirmed the controlled substances from both transactions was fentanyl.
At the time of this offense, Whitmore was serving a term of federal supervised release after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on August 12, 2019. Today’s prison sentence includes two years for committing a crime while on supervised release.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 3:23-cr-1 and 3:19-cr-137.
###
Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Jeremy Adam Bartram, 31, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 30, 2023, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Bartram in Huntington. Officers searched Bartram’s vehicle and arrested him. Bartram admitted that when he was taken to the Huntington Police Department, a bag containing approximately 172 grams of methamphetamine fell out of his shorts as he got out of the police cruiser.
Officers later searched Bartram in a holding cell and found approximately 10.4 grams of fentanyl hidden in his person. Bartram admitted that he intended to sell the methamphetamine and the fentanyl.
Bartram is scheduled to be sentenced on October 30, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-86.
###
Honduran National Sentenced for Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – MARIO HERNANDEZ-MARIN, a/k/a “Jose Hernandez-Marin,” a/k/a “David Hernandez-Marin,” a/k/a “Jose G. Hernandez,” a/k/a “Daniel Enrique-Polanco,” a/k/a “David Hernandez-Enrique,” age 50, was sentenced on July 13, 2023 for illegal reentry of a removed alien in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a) on July 13, 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents , MARIO HERNANDEZ-MARIN (“HERNANDEZ-MARIN”) admitted reentering the United States after being previously deported on June 23, 2011. HERNANDEZ-MARIN was sentenced by Judge Wendy B. Vitter to (3) three years of probation with eight (8) months home curfew with location monitoring. He was also ordered to pay a mandatory $100.00 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating this matter. Assistant U. S. Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit was in charge of the prosecution.
Hartford Man Who Possessed Loaded Guns and Drugs While on State Parole Sentenced to 32 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LUIS MIGUEL RODRIGUEZ, 25, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to approximately 32 months of imprisonment, time already served, and three years of supervised release, for unlawfully possessing firearms.
According to court documents and statements made, on November 19, 2020, Rodriguez’s state parole officer, with the assistance of Hartford Police, conducted an unannounced search of Rodriguez’s Hartford residence and found distribution quantities of crack cocaine and fentanyl, two loaded semi-automatic handguns, and $9,436 in cash. One for the handguns had been reported stolen in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Rodriguez’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for larceny and burglary offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Rodriguez has been detained since November 19, 2020. On May 9, 2022, he pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Hartford Police Department, with the assistance of the Connecticut Department of Correction Division of Parole and Community Services. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Gresham.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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.
Former San Francisco Senior Building Inspector Sentenced to Prison Term for Accepting Illegal GratuitiesRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Bernard Curran, a former San Francisco Senior Building Inspector, was sentenced today to serve a year and a day in prison in connection with charges that he accepted cash payments and charitable donations from developers and property owners whose projects Curran had responsibility for approving, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp. The sentence was handed down by United States Senior District Judge Susan Illston.
Curran, 62, of San Francisco, pleaded guilty to the charges on December 9, 2022. According to his plea agreement, Curran acknowledged that he was a Building Inspector for the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection (“DBI”) in 2005, and in approximately 2009, was promoted to Senior Building Inspector. As a Senior Building Inspector, Curran was responsible for conducting physical inspections of buildings and construction sites in San Francisco to verify that construction or renovation work had been completed according to approved permits and plans. Curran admitted that after he became a Senior Building Inspector, he received improper financial benefits in connection with his employment.
“San Francisco government officials must always work with the public’s best interest in mind and rebuff invitations for corrupt personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Ramsey. “Curran is not the first, and he will not be the last, defendant sentenced in rooting out corruption in San Francisco. Today’s sentence makes clear that officials who abuse the public trust will serve time in federal custody.”
“Bernard Curran chose to line his own pockets instead of performing his duties with integrity,” said Special Agent In Charge Robert K. Tripp. “That’s not a small lapse: building inspectors ensure our new construction is safe, and play a key role in creating new housing and businesses that make San Francisco a vibrant place to live and work. Curran’s time in prison should be a stark warning to all that if you’re a public servant who takes a bribe, you will be held to account.”
According to his plea agreement, Curran admitted that he received cash payments from a San Francisco developer “in connection with and as rewards for” the inspections that he conducted or for the approvals that Curran granted as an inspector. In addition, Curran admitted that he accepted what amounted to a $260,000 interest-free loan from the same developer, $30,000 of which was never paid back. Curran admitted that he understood the developer never required the outstanding $30,000 balance to be repaid, “in part due to our friendship, but also in connection with and as a reward for conducting past and future inspections,” on the developer’s projects. Further, Curran admitted that in 2021, the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office investigated potential conflicts of interest related to his employment and, in response, Curran falsely certified that the loan he received was not from the developer, but rather was from a relative and had been issued at a 6% interest rate. Curran admitted that he submitted this false statement in an effort to deceive the City officials.
In addition to the improper gifts from the developer, Curran also admitted in his plea agreement that he accepted illegal gifts from co-defendant Rodrigo Santos. Santos, a licensed civil engineer, worked with project owners and contractors seeking building permits in San Francisco. Curran admitted that between May of 2017 and April of 2020, Santos asked some of his San Francisco clients to make “charitable” donations in connection with inspections that Curran conducted. Specifically, Curran was a volunteer for, and supporter of, a non-profit organization and Santos instructed his clients to write checks for the organization. Curran admitted that on several occasions Santos discussed with Curran the checks that his clients donated while also asking for official action to be taken on specific projects. Curran admitted that the government could prove that between May of 2017 and April of 2019, Santos’s clients wrote $9,600 in donations from 13 clients and that Curran took at least one official action for all 13 of the donors.
On November 28, 2022, Curran was charged by superseding information with two counts of accepting illegal gratuities, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 666(a)(1)(B). Curran pleaded guilty to both counts.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Illston sentenced Curran to two years of supervised release following his prison term. The court set a further hearing on September 8, 2023, to determine the amount of restitution that Curran must pay to DBI to compensate the agency for the costs of an internal audit of projects that Curran inspected. DBI initiated the audit after the charges in this case
The case is being prosecuted by the Special Prosecutions Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The case is being investigated by the FBI and the IRS-CI.
Former Employee of Taste of Brazil Restaurant in Woburn Sentenced for Transferring False Identification DocumentsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Salvadoran man and former employee of the Taste of Brazil – Tudo Na Brasa restaurant in Woburn was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for providing false identification documents to Brazilian employees of the restaurant who lacked work authorization.
Marcos Chacon Gil, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to time served (approximately 10 months in prison) and two years of supervised release. On May 23, 2023, Chacon Gil pleaded guilty to one count of transferring false identification documents.
Chacon Gil worked at Taste of Brazil for three years beginning in 2014. Beginning in approximately 2018, Chacon Gil provided false identification documents to Brazilian employees of the restaurant who lacked work authorization in the United States. Chacon Gil did so in order for the employees to secure work authorization. In one instance, on Feb. 20, 2020, Chacon Gil met with an employee and provided the employee with a fake green card and a fake social security card.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael Krol, Acting Special Agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; Harry Chavis, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Woburn Police Chief Robert F. Rufo, Jr. made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Norwood Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James D. Herbert, Kelly Lawrence and Samuel R. Feldman of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.Former Aroostook County Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Role in Penobscot and Aroostook County Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A man formerly from Aroostook County was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for his role in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Andrew Adams, 31, to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
According to court records, between January 2018 and December 2021, Adams, along with others, trafficked methamphetamine and fentanyl in Penobscot and Aroostook counties. His participation in the conspiracy resulted in contacts with local law enforcement that led to the seizure of drugs, firearms, drug paraphernalia and other items.
Adams is the sixth participant involved in the northern Maine conspiracy to be sentenced. To date, nine of the remaining 15 defendants related to the case have pleaded guilty.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case. Assistance was provided by the police departments in Orono, Bangor, Brewer, Caribou, Presque Isle and Houlton. U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee also recognized the cooperation and coordination provided by the Maine State Attorney General’s Office and the Aroostook County District Attorney’s Office.
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces: This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
###
Florida Man Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Conspiracy to Commit Wire FraudRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Chester Randall Dunican, 69, of Fort Pierce, Florida, has been sentenced to 78 months months in prison for his role as the leader of a conspiracy to commit wire fraud causing losses to the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians of over $1.1 million. U.S. District Judge Robert J. Jonker also ordered Dunican to spend three years on supervised release, to pay restitution of $1,124,290 and to forfeit $430,350, representing proceeds he personally received from his fraud.
“Every member of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians was impacted by this fraudulent scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “Instead of using the funds for the benefit of all tribal members, Dunican and his co-defendant, attorney Britan Douglas Groom, lied to the tribe and used the money for their personal benefit. Mr. Dunican’s conduct is particularly egregious given that he served in a fiduciary capacity as the Chief Executive Officer of the Tribe’s economic development corporation. My office is committed to holding fraudsters fully accountable for their crimes, especially those that exploit a position of public trust.”
Dunican pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. From December 2015 to December 2016, Dunican served as the CEO of GTB LLC, a tribal entity focused on the development of economic opportunities for the benefit of all members of the Tribe. Dunican represented to the Tribe that he obtained exclusive distributorship rights with a proprietary water filtration company, R.O. Distributors, and that the Tribe would benefit by investing in R.O. Distributors and leasing water coolers that used this proprietary technology to various businesses in Michigan and Florida. In reality, R.O. Distributors was a shell company created and controlled by Dunican and Groom.
The Tribe invested nearly a million dollars in R.O. Distributors. Dunican directed other individuals to send most of the Tribe’s investment to another shell company, Evergreen Distributors LLC, before that entity transferred over $700,000.00 of the proceeds to the personal bank accounts of Dunican and Groom. Dunican then told the Tribe that he expected the business to grow and needed additional funding to continue acquiring inventory. When the Tribe resisted, Dunican told the Tribe that a company named High Sierra Distributors, LLC, acquired R.O. Distributors and that High Sierra was a multi-billion-dollar business that could expand the water filtration business nationwide. Dunican asked Groom to recruit someone to pretend to be a corporate representative of High Sierra at a meeting with the Tribe to pitch the additional $2 million in funding. Groom recruited a friend from Illinois who did attend the meeting pretending to be a corporate official of High Sierra. Shortly after the meeting, and before any additional funds were distributed, the Tribe discovered that this individual was actually a schoolteacher form Illinois, uncovered the fraud scheme and fired Dunican.
“Mr. Dunican and his co-defendant stole money earmarked for investment opportunities, the income from which is designed to provide various forms of assistance to members of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “His behavior was an affront to those who trusted him to act in the Tribe’s best interest and is precisely why the FBI works with our partners to investigate those who knowingly defrauds organizations and bring them to justice.”
“Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) and our law enforcement partners are diligent in unraveling the fraudulent actions of those, such as Chester Dunican, who scheme to defraud victims,” said Charles Miller, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-Criminal Investigation, Detroit Field Office. “Today’s sentencing is a reminder that there are detrimental consequences for this type of criminal behavior.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division, Lansing, and Traverse City offices. The FBI was assisted by the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians Tribal Police Department and the IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Ronald M. Stella prosecuted the case.
###
Felon in Possession of Gun Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Robertsdale, Alabama, man was sentenced to 25 months in prison for his illegal possession of a firearm after being convicted of a felony.
According to court documents, Justin Shea Ulrich, 44, was implicated in a drug investigation when an informant reported that Ulrich was selling methamphetamine. Agents from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives arranged to make a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from Ulrich at his residence. Agents conducted surveillance to document the drug deal.
Agents then obtained a search warrant for Ulrich’s house. They seized additional methamphetamine and a firearm, described as a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol. Ulrich pled guilty to the drug charges in state court, and the gun charge was brought against him in federal court in Mobile. Ulrich pled guilty to the gun charge in March of 2023.United States District Court Judge Kristi K. Dubose imposed the 25-month sentence and ordered that Ulrich would also serve three years on supervised release following his imprisonment. As conditions of his supervision, Ulrich will also undergo testing and treatment for drug and/or alcohol abuse, and he will be subject to a search of his person and premises upon reasonable suspicion. No fine was imposed but the judge ordered that Ulrich pay $100 in special assessments. The firearm used during the commission of the offense was ordered forfeited to the United States.
The case was investigated by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Drug Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.Farmington Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Selling Oxycodone PillsRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ANTHONY HARRIS, 53, of Farmington, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally distributing oxycodone.
According to court documents and the evidence disclosed during a trial in this matter, Harris, who was prescribed oxycodone for a medical condition, unlawfully sold hundreds of oxycodone pills to another individual approximately every three weeks over the course of more than three years. The individual who purchased the pills sold them to customers in the Bristol area.
The investigation revealed that Harris sold a total of approximately 9,000 oxycodone pills prescribed to him in exchange for approximately $200,000.
Harris was arrested on June 3, 2021. On November 9, 2022, a jury found him guilty of four counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, oxycodone, and not guilty of one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, oxycodone.
Harris has been detained since November 17, 2022.
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad and the Bristol Police Department. The Tactical Diversion Squad included officers from the Bristol, East Windsor, Hamden, New Britain, West Haven, Newington, Manchester, Glastonbury, and Watertown Police Departments. Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Conor M. Reardon and Nathaniel J. Gentile.
Detroit Man Sentenced to More than 11 Years in Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Sylvester Roosevelt McNeil, also known as “Juan,” 50, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to 11 years and eight months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 27, 2022, McNeil sold approximately 1.3 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant at a location on Nickel Plate Road in Huntington.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams prosecuted the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-165.
###
Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing Heroin, Fentanyl, Firearms, and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Lebanon man pleaded guilty in federal court to possessing with intent to distribute controlled substances, and firearms crimes, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Marshall Dimick, 32, pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, as well as being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. U.S. District Court Judge Landya McCafferty scheduled sentencing for October 30, 2023. The defendant was previously charged on March 9, 2021.
On July 9, 2020, an officer of the Lebanon Police Department conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle being driven by the defendant. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed a handgun in the center console with a loaded magazine, 540 small bags containing approximately 10g of a mixture containing heroin and fentanyl, over $2,000 in cash, and a cell phone. The phone contained texts of drug activity between the defendant and others, as well as a conversation between the defendant and his mother referencing the gun in the car. The defendant is a convicted felon and cannot legally possess a gun.
The charging statute for the drug offense provides a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a term of supervised release of at least three years, and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. The charging statute for the felon in possession offense provides a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a term of supervised release of not more than three years, and a maximum fine of $250,000. The charging statute for offense of carrying a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking provides a sentence of up to life in prison, and a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, a term of supervised release of not more than five years, and a maximum 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 Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms and the Lebanon Police Department led the investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Gingrande.
###
Convicted Felon Indicted and Behind Bars for Possession of a Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Salt Lake City, Utah – A federal grand jury in Southern Utah returned an indictment charging a Washington County man, and convicted felon, with possession of a firearm and ammunition.
According to court documents, Daniel Demetrio Vigil, 62, of Hurricane, Utah, was taken into custody on June 27, 2023, after Hurricane Police Officers responded to a 911 call at the defendant’s residence. Upon officers’ arrival, Vigil, a convicted felon, was allegedly found in possession of a fully loaded firearm, intoxicated, and was noncompliant with officers. Additionally, as Vigil was being handcuffed, an officer retrieved a fully loaded and cocked Smith & Wesson revolver, which could have been easily discharged from Vigil’s back pocket.
Hurricane City Police Department (Hurricane, Utah)On Monday July 17, 2023, Vigil was ordered detained by a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the District of Utah in St. George. He was arraigned on the indictment on July 13, 2023.
U.S. Attorney, Trina A. Higgins, of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by the Washington County Drug Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brady Wilson for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Connecticut Dentist Admits Evading TaxesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, announced that BOULOS HANNA, also known as “Paul Hanna,” 66, of East Lyme, waved his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to tax evasion.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Hanna is the sole owner of Paul Hanna DMD PC, a dental practice in New London. Hanna takes fees from dental patients in the form personal checks, cash, and credit card payments. Hanna owns the building where his dental practice is located and the practice pays rent to Hanna individually.
For each of the 2000 through 2009 tax years, Hanna filed a Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return for himself and his wife, and paid the tax due and owing for those years, typically by having withholdings during the year sufficient to cover his tax liability. For the 2010 through 2012 tax years, Hanna filed a Form 1040 for himself and his wife, but did not pay the tax due and owing. As a result, from approximately April 2012 through 2017, Hanna was subject to IRS collections enforcement for the 2010 through 2012 tax years, including forced collection activity, such as liens placed on property and seized payments taken by way of levy.
From 2013 through 2020, Hanna earned approximately $1.6 million in taxable income from his work as a dentist and from rental income. However, he failed to file tax returns for any of those years, resulting in a loss to the IRS of $244,541. In addition to failing to file personal federal income tax returns, Hanna attempted to evade the assessment of tax by paying himself “management fees” instead of a reasonable wage, operating in cash by self-endorsing business checks to himself and cashing these checks to keep money out of his personal bank accounts, and paying personal expenses directly from his business accounts without reflecting those payments as income.
Judge Williams scheduled sentencing for October 18, at which time Hanna faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. Hanna is released pending sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Wines.
Colorado Man Arrested for Attempting to Provide Material Support to a Foreign Terrorist OrganizationRead the Press Release
Davin Daniel Meyer, 18, of Castle Rock is charged with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and made his initial appearance in federal court today.
According to court documents, Meyer was arrested on Friday, July 14, as he attempted to board an international flight at the Denver International Airport. According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, Meyer pledged an oath of allegiance to the leader of ISIS, and intended to travel to serve as a fighter for ISIS in Iraq.
The FBI Denver Field Office is investigating the case, with assistance provided by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Hindman for the District of Colorado is prosecuting the case, with the assistance of Jennifer Levy of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Canadian National Sentenced to 22 Years in Federal Prison for His Role in ‘Operation Denial’Read the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota, along with United States Attorney Natalie K. Wight, District of Oregon, and Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, announced that Xuan Cahn Nguyen, age 43, Point-Au-Tremble, Quebec, was sentenced by Chief District Court Judge Peter Welte, to 22 years imprisonment for his role in ‘Operation Denial’ and 3 years of supervised release.
Nguyen was extradited from Canada to the United States on January 6, 2021, with significant assistance from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
On May 31, 2022, Nguyen pled guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute and Import Controlled Substances and Controlled Substance Analogues Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and Death and Money Laundering Conspiracy. As part of that plea, Nguyen acknowledged assisting Daniel Vivas Ceron and Jason Berry with their international fentanyl and fentanyl analogue distribution operation that they were running from inside Drummond Correctional Institution in Drummondville, Quebec.
Jason Berry is scheduled for sentencing on July 24, 2023, in Fargo. Daniel Vivas Ceron is scheduled for sentencing on July 25, 2023, in Fargo.
This case is part of “Operation Denial,” an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation into the international trafficking of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues and was significantly aided by the national and international coordination led by the multi-agency Special Operations Division (S.O.D.) near Washington, DC, as part of “Operation Deadly Merchant.” The investigation started in North Dakota on January 3, 2015, with the overdose death in Grand Forks, ND, of Bailey Henke.
Operation Denial has led to thirty-one (31) defendants charged in North Dakota and three (3) defendants charged in Oregon. The investigation has resulted in nearly one million in cash and property forfeited from members of the organization.
On August 31, 2021, the U.S. Department of State offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of People’s Republic of China (PRC) national Jian Zhang, a fugitive in this transnational investigation.
This case is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation; U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; IRS Criminal Investigation – Fargo Field Office; Grand Forks Narcotics Task Force; Royal Canadian Mounted Police; Portland Oregon Police Bureau – Drugs and Vice Division, Portland HIDTA Interdiction Task Force; Oregon State Police; and the Grand Forks Police Department.
The prosecutors for this case are Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher C. Myers, District of North Dakota; Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin, District of Oregon and as a Special Assistant U.S Attorney in North Dakota; and Kaitlin Sahni, Assistant Deputy Chief, and Imani Hutty, Trial Attorney, Criminal Division Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section of the Justice Department.
# # #
Buffalo Man Charged with Assaulting A Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Jenay Cepeda-Nieves, 22, of Buffalo, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with assaulting a federal officer, which carries a maximum penalty of eight years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Louis A. Testani, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on July 6, 2023, United States Customs and Border Protection intercepted a parcel containing approximately 463 grams of cocaine mailed from the U.S. Virgin Islands to a residence on Koons Avenue in Buffalo, bearing both a fictious sender and receiver. On July 11, 2023, investigators conducted a controlled delivery of the parcel, replacing the cocaine with “sham” cocaine. After the parcel was accepted and taken inside the residence, a federal search warrant was executed, during which Cepeda-Nieves refused to follow commands and attempted to fight with investigators and abscond. When he was taken into custody, Cepeda-Nieves bit a Customs and Border Protection Taskforce Officer, on the leg, causing pain and bruising.
The complaint plea is the result of an investigation by United States Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Rose Brophy, Director of Field Operations, Homeland Security Investigations Buffalo Border Enforcement Security Taskforce, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Boston Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
# # # #
Brandon Man Sentenced to over 16 Years in Prison on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Brandon man was sentenced to 195 months in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for attempted production of child pornography and possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Michael E. Patton, 36, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Jackson. In addition to his term of imprisonment, Patton was ordered to pay $30,000 in court assessments. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
According to court records, on June 29, 2021, agents with the Jackson FBI received information that Michael E. Patton was producing images of child pornography in Brandon, Mississippi. On March 4, 2022, FBI agents arrested Patton and found several images of child pornography on his cellular telephone. Patton had actively been uploading and sharing images of child pornography via the internet to receive more images. Patton was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 22, 2022. He pled guilty on March 13, 2023, to attempted production of child pornography and possession of child pornography.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Glenda R. Haynes prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Beaumont Man Sentenced for Federal Violations in Animal Cruelty CaseRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas - A Beaumont man has been sentenced to federal prison for animal cruelty violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today.
Decorius Mire, 24, pleaded guilty to animal crushing and aiding and abetting and was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone.
Animal crushing is defined under federal criminal law as, “actual conduct in which one or more living non-human mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians, is purposely crushed, burned, drowned, suffocated, impaled, or otherwise subjected to serious bodily injury.”
According to information presented in court, on October 15, 2021, Mire and a co-defendant encountered a live domestic cat in the parking lot of a Beaumont apartment complex. The co-defendant, encouraged by Mire, kicked the cat as if kicking a football field goal, propelling the cat approximately 15 to 20 feet through the air. Mire filmed the event with his cellular telephone and posted the video on his social media accounts where it was commented on and shared with others.
Mire was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 28, 2022, and prosecuted under the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act. Signed into law in November 2019, the PACT Act bans the intentional crushing, burning, drowning, suffocating, impalement or other serious harm to “living non-human mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians.” The law also bans “animal crush videos,” meaning any photograph, motion picture film, video or digital recording or electronic image that depicts animal cruelty.
This case was investigated by the Beaumont Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph R. Batte.
###
18-Year-Old Castle Rock Man Arrested for Attempting to Provide Material Support to a Foreign Terrorist OrganizationRead the Press Release
DENVER – A Castle Rock man was charged with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 2339B, and made his initial appearance in federal court today.
Davin Daniel Meyer, 18, was arrested on Friday, July 14, 2023, as he attempted to board an international flight at the Denver International Airport. According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, Meyer pledged an oath of allegiance to the leader of ISIS and intended to travel to serve as a fighter for ISIS in Iraq.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Hindman of the District of Colorado is prosecuting on behalf of the government with the assistance of Jennifer Levy of the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. The case is being investigated by the FBI Denver Field Office with assistance provided by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
The charge in the complaint is an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Case number: 23-mj-00121
14 July 2023
Yukon Man Sentenced to Serve Five Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Yesterday, DUSTIN MICHAEL BUTLER, 34, of Yukon, was sentenced to serve 60 months in federal prison yesterday for possessing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On October 5, 2021, a federal grand jury returned a two-count Indictment charging Butler with receipt and possession of child pornography. On February 7, 2022, Butler pleaded guilty to the possession count. At the plea hearing, Butler admitted to downloading and possessing images of child pornography. According to the Indictment, Butler possessed two hard drives containing images of child pornography.
At a sentencing hearing yesterday, U.S. District Court Judge Stephen P. Friot sentenced Butler to serve 60 months in federal prison. In announcing the sentence, Judge Friot noted the nature, circumstances, and seriousness of the offense, including the “horrific” child abuse depicted in the large volume of images and videos that Butler possessed. This term of imprisonment will be followed by five years of supervised release.
In addition to the prison sentence, the Court ordered Butler pay a total of $15,000.00—$ 3,000.00 to each of his five identified victims—in restitution, in addition to a total of $10,100.00 in special assessments.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Homeland Security Investigations – Dallas Field Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Barry.
Reference is made to public filings for more information.
Waterbury Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that AARON THOMPSON, 50, last residing in Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 48 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his federal supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 10, 2010, Thompson was sentenced in New Haven federal court to 168 months of imprisonment for his leadership of a Danbury-area crack cocaine distribution ring. He was released from federal prison in May 2020 and began serving a four-year term of supervised release.
On May 5, 2021, Danbury Police arrested Thompson for risk of injury and sexual assault offenses. On April 28, 2022, while Thompson’s state case and federal supervised release violation matter were pending, Danbury Police arrested Thompson for narcotics distribution offenses. He has been detained since that date.
Thompson subsequently pleaded guilty nolo contendere in state court and, on March 20, 2023, received an effective sentence of approximately five years of imprisonment. Thompson will begin serving his four-year federal sentence when he completes his state sentence, which is currently due to end in April 2027.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Huang.
Washington County Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Conspiring to Distribute CocaineRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA -- A resident of Washington, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty and has been sentenced in federal court to 84 months’ imprisonment followed by 4 years of supervised release on his conviction for conspiring to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan imposed the sentence on Patrick Ellis, 49, of Washington, Pa.
According to the information presented to the court, in November of 2019, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pennsylvania State Police began investigation a drug trafficking organization that operated in Washington County, Pennsylvania, of which Ellis was a member. Beginning in April of 2020 and continuing into November of 2020, the FBI received authorization to conduct a Title III wiretap investigation into the organization. Ellis was intercepted discussing the distribution of cocaine. In addition to the intercepted communications, agents seized cocaine, heroin-fentanyl mixtures, firearms, ammunition, bulletproof vests, and bulk United States Currency from members of the organization. They seized approximately two kilograms of cocaine from Ellis.
Assistant United States Attorneys Mark V. Gurzo and Jerome A. Moschetta prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police Drug Law Enforcement Division for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Ellis. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Summer Anti-Violence InitiativeRead the Press Release
Salt Lake City, Utah – As temperatures continue to rise across the state, violent crime rates tend to also rise. U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah and federal law enforcement partners are aiming to decrease violent crime through a new Summer Anti-Violence Initiative.
Last month, during a meeting with 93 U.S. Attorneys and the heads of the Department of Justice’s law enforcement components, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland discussed ongoing efforts to reduce violent crime and combat that which fuels it. Efforts include, continuing to work alongside state and local partners to implement district-specific violent crime strategies.
“Among other things, we will be reinforcing the importance of identifying, investing, and prioritizing the prosecution of those who are responsible for the greatest violence in our communities,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. See full remarks here: https://www.justice.gov/opa/speech/attorney-general-merrick-b-garland-delivers-remarks-meeting-us-attorneys-violent-crime
In the District of Utah, our federal partners have been working in tandem with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to identify, investigate, and bring charges against the most violent offenders. the Summer Anti-Violence Initiative will focus on investigating and prosecuting individuals who create a danger to our communities through violence, repeated criminal activity, and weapons offenses. Additionally, the USAO is hiring new Assistant U.S. Attorneys, who will provide additional resources to target violent crime in our state, including, robberies, carjackings, illegal use, trafficking, possession of firearms, and drug trafficking.
Just last month, 63,000 fentanyl pills were taken off Utah streets and two alleged drug dealers were indicted and taken into custody. See full release https://www.justice.gov/usao-ut/pr/63000-fentanyl-pills-removed-utah-streets-and-alleged-drug-dealers-indicted-and-custody. In May, multiple men were indicted in Utah for firearm offenses, including allegedly attempting to smuggle 34 guns into Mexico. See full release https://www.justice.gov/usao-ut/pr/multiple-men-indicted-utah-firearm-offenses-including-allegedly-attempting-smuggle-34.
“Our citizens deserve to feel safe,” said U.S. Attorney Higgins. “Through this initiative we will continue working closely with our federal partners to enforce federal law and prosecute those who commit acts of violence in our communities.”
Federal law enforcement agencies partnering to combat violent crime in Utah through this initiative include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS).
U.S. Attorney Randy S. Grossman Announces DepartureRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – July 14, 2023
SAN DIEGO – Randy S. Grossman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of California, today announced his resignation, effective at the end of the day on August 4, 2023. Grossman plans to return to the private sector.
“It has been the honor of my life to serve as U.S. Attorney alongside our office’s talented and selfless public servants and our exceptional agency and community partners,” Grossman said. “I am very proud of what we accomplished together for our nation, and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have served the people of the Southern District of California. I will leave with the utmost confidence in the future success of the office.”
Grossman, who previously served as the First Assistant U.S. Attorney, began serving as Acting U.S. Attorney on February 28, 2021. Attorney General Merrick Garland then appointed Grossman to be the interim U.S. Attorney, effective December 26, 2021. After Grossman served in that role for 120 days, United States District Judges in the Southern District of California voted to appoint him as U.S. Attorney, effective April 25, 2022.
As the chief federal law enforcement official for San Diego and Imperial counties, Grossman prioritized criminal prosecutions that address the most significant public safety challenges to our district and nation. Together with federal, state and local agency partners, the office successfully prosecuted cases involving national security and cybersecurity; violent crime and illegal firearms; human smuggling and human trafficking; crimes against children; and drug trafficking, including an all-in strategy to dismantle every level in the fentanyl supply chain - from the Sinaloa Cartel leaders to the street level dealers.
Grossman also prioritized the prosecution of fraud and corruption during his tenure, including COVID-related fraud, cryptocurrency schemes, securities fraud, and elder fraud. Grossman oversaw significant civil matters, including successful defensive litigation on behalf of the United States, and the recovery of millions of dollars against individuals and companies for fraud and civil rights violations.
During Grossman’s tenure, the United States Attorney’s Office focused on community outreach and grant programs that strengthened relationships between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve. These include education programs on hate crimes and hate incidents, reentry initiatives and other grant-funded programs to reduce violent crime, and programs to prevent fentanyl overdose deaths.
Grossman continued the collaborative work of multiple stakeholders in the Southern District of California through two highly successful criminal diversion programs led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office - the Alternative to Prison Solutions Diversion Program and the Veteran’s Diversion Program.
As the United States Attorney for one of the largest districts in the nation, Grossman led significant regional and nationwide initiatives for the Department of Justice. For example, the office co-led Joint Task Force Alpha, which was established by the Attorney General in June 2021, to combat human international human smuggling and human trafficking. Grossman also served on subcommittees for the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC), which consists of a select number of U.S. Attorneys who advise the Attorney General on policy issues impacting federal prosecutors’ offices across the country. Grossman served as the co-chair of the Border and Immigration Law Enforcement Subcommittee and a member of the White-Collar Fraud and Violent Crime Subcommittees of the AGAC.
Grossman is a graduate of California Western School of Law (J.D.) and the University of Arizona (B.B.A.). For more information on Grossman’s background, please see https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/meet-us-attorney.
Two More Dublin Federal Correctional Officers to Plead Guilty to Sexually Abusing Multiple Female InmatesRead the Press Release
OAKLAND - As part of its ongoing investigation into Bureau of Prisons officials at FCI Dublin, the U.S. Attorney’s Office today announced charges against two more federal prison correctional officers (CO), Nakie Nunley and Andrew Jones, for sexually abusing multiple female inmates. The two officers were each charged by Information with multiple counts of sexually abusing female inmates and then lying about the abuse to federal investigators. Both Nunley and Jones were employed as federal correctional officers at the time of the abuse. Both have agreed to plead guilty in written plea agreements, which were filed concurrently with the charging documents.
“The sexual abuse charges and guilty pleas announced today are the result of the Department of Justice’s sustained commitment to rooting out sexual misconduct at the Bureau of Prisons,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “As these guilty pleas reflect, we will continue to hold accountable correctional officers who abuse their positions of trust and fail to humanely care for those in their custody.”
“This Office’s ongoing investigation into FCI Dublin has revealed significant findings of wrongdoing by multiple correctional officers at that facility,” said U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey of the Northern District of California. “The Department of Justice has repeatedly warned that criminal misconduct in the care and safety of incarcerated persons will not be tolerated. Correctional officers have an obligation to ensure the safety of incarcerated persons and all Bureau of Prisons employees should view these latest two prosecutions as confirmation that the Department of Justice will do its part to ensure that those who stray from these obligations are held accountable.”
“Nunley and Jones are the seventh and eighth individuals charged with sexually abusing inmates at FCI Dublin. Five individuals, including the Warden and Chaplain, have been convicted of sexual abuse of inmates. The Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General is continuing to investigate these heinous allegations at FCI Dublin and is aggressively pursuing justice for victims of sexual abuse at the hands of rogue BOP employees," said Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz.
“Incarcerated individuals should be able to serve their sentences without fear of being sexually assaulted by correctional institution staff,” said FBI San Francisco Special Agent In Charge Robert Tripp. “Nakie Nunley and Andrew Jones abused their positions and will be held accountable. Protecting civil rights stands among the FBI’s highest priorities, and we will continue to investigate such claims as they come to light.”
Nunley, 48, of Fairfield, was charged with engaging in sexual acts and sexual contacts with five women who were serving prison sentences at FCI Dublin at the time of the abuse. He was also charged with lying to federal investigators about the sexual abuse and writing sexually explicit notes with one of his victims. Jones, 35, of Pleasanton, was charged with engaging in sexual acts with three women who were serving prison sentences at FCI Dublin, as well as lying to federal investigators about sexually abusing one of these victims.
Nakie Nunley
Nunley was employed as a correctional officer at FCI Dublin where he supervised prisoners who worked in UNICOR, a trade name for the federal prison industries. All of Nunley’s victims worked at the UNICOR call center at the time of his abuse. According to his plea agreement, Nunley admits that between March 2020 and November 2021, he engaged in sexual acts with two prisoners, including having oral and vaginal sex with one victim and digitally penetrating another victim on multiple occasions. He also admitted that he engaged in illegal sexual contacts with three other prisoners and that he lied to federal investigators about sexually abusing his victims and about sending one of his victims sexually explicit notes.
In addition to the five victims he is charged with abusing in the Information, Nunley also admitted in his plea agreement that he sexually abused two other prisoners who worked at UNICOR. Nunley admitted that he digitally penetrated one victim’s vagina and caused her to touch his penis under his pants, resulting in him ejaculating in her hand. Nunley admitted that he caused another victim to perform oral sex on him.
Nunley also admitted that he engaged in other inappropriate behavior. For example, Nunley agreed that he wrote sexual notes to one of his victims and made sexual comments to multiple victims. Moreover, when one of his victims approached him about his conduct towards another victim, Nunley threatened her by raising with her the potential that she could be transferred to another facility and that she could lose her job. Similarly, Nunley admitted that he told another victim that if she wanted to keep her job at UNICOR, she needed to pull down her underwear and bend over. When she complied, Nunley slapped her buttocks several times.
Andrew Jones
Jones was employed as a correctional officer at FCI Dublin where he supervised prisoners who worked in the Food Services Department. According to his plea agreement, between July 2020 and June 2021, Jones admitted that he received oral sex from, or had sexual intercourse with, three female prisoners who worked for him in the FCI Dublin kitchen. Jones admitted that he sexually abused these prisoners in multiple places near the FCI Dublin kitchen, including a staff bathroom, a warehouse, and a room where kitchen utensils were kept. In addition, like Nunley, Jones admitted in his plea agreement that he engaged in improper conduct in addition to the conduct for which he was charged in the Information. Specifically, Jones admitted that he also had sexual intercourse and received oral sex from an additional victim on multiple other occasions between July and December 2020, and that he had sexual intercourse with yet another victim multiple times between March and June 2021.
FCI Dublin Investigation
As part of the Department of Justice’s ongoing investigation into FCI Dublin, eight FCI Dublin correctional officers, including the former Warden, have been charged with crimes related to the sexual abuse of the female prisoners at the facility. In December of 2022, former Warden Ray J. Garcia was convicted by a jury of sexually abusive conduct against three female victims and was sentenced to 70 months in prison for his crimes. To date, the tally of correctional officers (“COs”) charged with misconduct as part of the Department of Justice’s investigation are as follows:
NAME
CASE NUMBER
STATUS
Warden Ray J. Garcia
4:21-cr-00429-YGR
Convicted on all counts by jury on December 8, 2022; sentenced to 70 months in prison
CO John Bellhouse
4:22-cr-00066-YGR
Convicted on all counts by jury on June 5, 2023; sentencing scheduled for October 27, 2023
Chaplain James Highhouse
4:22-cr-00016-HSG
Pleaded guilty on February 24, 2022; sentenced to 84 months in prison
CO Enrique Chavez
4:22-cr-00104-YGR
Pleaded guilty on October 27, 2022; sentenced to 20 months in prison
CO Ross Klinger
4:22-cr-00031-YGR
Pleaded guilty on February 10, 2022; sentencing scheduled for December 13, 2023
CO Darrel Smith (a/k/a “Dirty Dick Smith”)
4:22-cr-00110-YGR
Indicted on April 13, 2023; status conference scheduled for August 3, 2023
CO Nakie Nunley
4:23-cr-00213-HSG
Information and Plea Agreement filed on July 13, 2023
CO Andrew Jones
4:23-cr-00212-HSG
Information and Plea Agreement filed on July 13, 2023
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Molly K. Priedeman and Andrew Paulson, with the assistance of Madeline Wachs, Sara Slattery, Christine Tian, Claudia Hyslop, Leeya Kekona, and Kay Konopaske. The prosecutions are the result of an investigation by the DOJ-OIG and the FBI.
4-23-cr-00212-hsg_information_2023_07_13.pdf 4-23-cr-00213-hsg_information_2023_07_13.pdfTwo Mexican Nationals Sentenced for Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens into the United StatesRead the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota, announced that on July 13, 2023, Armando De Dios-Carrillo, age 38 and Victor Manuel Perez-Aguilera, age 35, Mexican Nationals, were sentenced to federal prison for Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens into the United States. De Dios-Carrillo was sentenced to 24 months in prison and a $100 special assessment and Perez-Aguilera was sentenced to 18 months in prison and a $100 special assessment. The third co-defendant, Jose Ramon Gonzalez-Resendiz, is set for a change-of-plea and sentence hearing on July 24, 2023.
According to court documents, Armando De Dios-Carrillo and Victor Manuel Perez-Aguilera and others partially carried out the smuggling of a group of nationals of Mexico across the United States-Canada border into North Dakota in late March 2023, planning to move them further into the United States in exchange for payment of thousands of dollars per person. The plan fell apart when a pickup truck they were using got stuck in the snow. The pickup had to be towed from the drifted snow and was discovered by Border Patrol agents later at a Langdon, North Dakota, hotel where the smugglers and some of the people they smuggled were staying.
“These strong sentences are another reminder to smugglers: If you think the northern border is a soft target, think again,” Schneider said. “Smugglers who put human lives at risk at the northern border will be caught by our partners in law enforcement, prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office, and face jail time.”
This case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol, with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection -- Office of Field Operations and Pembina County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob T. Rodenbiker.
# # #
Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Possessing with Intent to Distribute More than 332 Kilograms of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Hector Francisco Ramirez-Roman, 39, of San Luis, Rio Colorado, Mexico, was sentenced on Tuesday by United States District Judge John C. Hinderaker to 108 months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release. Ramirez-Roman also was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment. Ramirez-Roman pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of a Mixture or Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine.
Ramirez-Roman was stopped by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers on May 21, 2021, while crossing from Mexico into the United States driving his tractor-trailer loaded with cucumbers. Upon inspection, agents discovered that the passenger-side gas tank was filled with a combination of gasoline and liquified methamphetamine. More than 332 kilograms of methamphetamine -approximately 1.3 million individual doses - was removed from the gas tank.
United States Customs and Border Protection, assisted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David P. Petermann, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-21-01384-JCH-EJM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-107_Ramirez-Roman# # #
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.Three Gang Members Plead Guilty to RICO Charge and Admit Roles in the Robbery and Fatal Shooting of LAPD OfficerRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Three members of a Los Angeles street gang have pleaded guilty to violating the federal racketeering statute for their roles in the robbery and fatal shooting last year of Los Angeles Police Officer Fernando Arroyos, the Justice Department announced today.
The following defendants – all members of the South Los Angeles-based Florencia 13 (F13) street gang – each pleaded guilty late Thursday to one count of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act:
- Luis Alfredo de la Rosa Rios, 29, a.k.a. “Lil J” and “Lil Malo”;
- Ernesto Cisneros, 24, a.k.a. “Gonzo” and “Spooky”; and
- Jesse Contreras, 35, a.k.a. “Skinny Jack” and “Flaco.”
According to three plea agreements filed Thursday afternoon, on the night of January 10, 2022, the defendants were driving in Rios’ truck around F13’s “territory” in the Florence-Firestone area of South Los Angeles, looking for people to rob. The three defendants decided to rob Officer Arroyos because he was wearing gold chains around his neck. Arroyos was accompanied by his girlfriend, another victim who is identified in court documents as “A.M.” Contreras handed Rios a loaded gun. Cisneros already possessed a loaded gun. Rios and Cisneros, both armed, then exited Rios’ truck.
Cisneros approached the off-duty officer, patted him down, and then took his chains and wallet, which contained Arroyos’ LAPD identification card. Rios approached A.M., patted her down and stole her property.
After robbing Arroyos, Rios and Cisneros opened fire. Arroyos was struck by a single bullet, which killed him.
Rios and Contreras further admitted in their plea agreements to committing armed robberies against two victims outside a bar in the Florence-Firestone area earlier the same day.
“This case starkly illustrates the devastating impact of gangs on our community,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “A young man who had achieved great success and returned to serve his community as a Los Angeles Police officer was murdered while shopping for a home in the city he took an oath to protect. These senseless tragedies are repeated too often. Our work in this case sends a message that we will aggressively prosecute violence against our community.”
“The defendants admitted to their role in the callous and cowardly murder of an off-duty police officer,” said Donald Alway, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “These defendants now face spending the better part of their lives in prison and will no longer be in a position to prey on innocent victims.”
“The murder of LAPD Officer Fernando Arroyos was a senseless murder,” said Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert G. Luna. “The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is thankful for the interagency collaboration with the LAPD, and other local and federal agencies. LASD’s Homicide Bureau is appreciative of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Department of Justice for their efforts in bringing some semblance of justice to Officer Arroyos’ loved ones.”
The three gang members pleaded guilty Thursday before United States District Judge Percy Anderson, who scheduled sentencing hearings on September 25 for Rios and Contreras, and an October 16 sentencing hearing for Cisneros. As a result of their guilty pleas, each defendant faces a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison. Prosecutors have agreed to seek terms of between 35 and 50 years in prison for Rios and Cisneros, and a prison term of 35 years for Contreras.
Haylee Marie Grisham, 20, an F13 associate who was Rios’ girlfriend, pleaded guilty on April 5 to one count of violent crime in aid of racketeering for participating in the fatal robbery of Arroyos. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 11, at which time she will face a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Joanna M. Curtis, Chief of the General Crimes Section; Christopher C. Kendall of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section; and Kathy Yu of the Violent and Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case.
Three Darknet Fentanyl Vendors Sentenced to over 20 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Tempe, Arizona, woman was sentenced today to 5 years in prison for her role in operating multiple darknet pages selling illicit drugs alongside two previously sentenced co-conspirators.
According to court documents, from at least in and around January of 2022 through August 2022, Veronica Dittman, 28, along with co-conspirators Rick Schiffner, 31, and Devin Langer, 30, both based in Phoenix, Arizona, ran the darknet monikers “TrustedTraphouse,” “GoldenTrails,” “PopcornPlug,” and others across at least dozen different darknet markets. On these markets, the co-conspirators advertised various controlled substances, including crystal methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills that the conspirators advertised as oxycodone. During the course of the conspiracy, the conspirators made over 1,300 sales of controlled substances over the darknet using these accounts, distributing at least 800 grams of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, 500 grams of methamphetamine, 16 grams of heroin, and 7 grams of cocaine. The conspirators described the pressed pills containing fentanyl on one marketplace as “Not normal OxyCodone”, informing potential customers “These are MUCH stronger than pharmaceutical OxyCodone… These were NOT made by a pharmacy,” and warning customers to “BE CAREFUL.” Dittman worked primarily with Schiffner to process orders over the darknet and then package and ship them. Dittman also operated her own vendor accounts on the darknet using the monikers “VirtualPeddler” and “Darkette”. By the time of her arrest, she had made at least 74 sales of controlled substances through those accounts, the majority of which were fentanyl.
The darknet, also called the darkweb, is a portion of the Internet that hosts darknet markets, or hidden commercial websites. A darknet market operates as a black market, selling or brokering transactions involving legal products, as well as drugs, weapons, counterfeit currency, stolen credit card details, forged documents, unlicensed pharmaceuticals, steroids, and other illicit goods.
Co-conspirators Schiffner was sentenced on April 14, 2023, to 150 months imprisonment. Co-conspirator Langer was sentenced on April 17, 2023, to 84 months imprisonment.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division; Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); and George A. Scavdis, Special Agent in Charge of the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Metro Washington Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis, III.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia expresses its appreciation to the FBI Phoenix Field Office, USPIS Phoenix Division, Homeland Security Investigations Phoenix, the Pinal County Sheriff's Office, the Arizona Department of Public Safety, FBI Las Vegas Field Office, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department for their significant assistance in this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Call prosecuted 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. 1:23-cr-31.
Task Force Agent ArrestedRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment on Thursday, July 13, 2023, charging Antonio Pizarro Adorno, a Puerto Rico Special Investigations Bureau (“NIE” as known in Spanish) officer assigned to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (HSI), for concealing $170 during a law enforcement seizure.
According to court documents, on April 27, 2023, Pizarro Adorno, took $170 in cash seized by the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB), with the intent to impair its integrity and availability for use in an investigation being conducted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives related to drug trafficking in a community in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
“Investigating and prosecuting officials who abuse their positions of trust will continue to be a top priority in the Justice Department and this office,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.
Pizarro Adorno is scheduled for his initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Giselle López-Soler of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI San Juan Field Office, Public Corruption Unit is investigating the case, with the collaboration of the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marie Christine Amy is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
Tacoma man charged federally with production of images of child sexual abuseRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A 37-year-old Tacoma man will appear this afternoon in U.S. District Court in Tacoma charged with production of child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Steven Nicholas Corona was arrested yesterday without incident and will make his initial appearance at 2:00 PM.
According to the criminal complaint, in December 2022 Australian law enforcement contacted law enforcement in the U.S. regarding images of sexual abuse of a young child that had been shared on the internet. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) was able to identify Corona as the person who posted the photos and determined that the material had been created between June and September 2019. The investigation determined that Corona had been living with the child’s household and provided childcare at times during this period.
Production of child pornography is punishable by a mandatory minimum 15 years in prison and up to 30 years.
The charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigation by Homeland Security Investigations.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Hampton.
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 United States Attorneys Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to 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.
Suspected Russian Intelligence Operative Extradited from Estonia to Face Charges Related to Providing American-Made Electronics and Ammunition to Russian MilitaryRead the Press Release
A Russian citizen with alleged ties to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) will be arraigned today on an indictment charging him with conspiracy and other charges related to a global procurement and money laundering network on behalf of the Russian government.
According to court documents, Vadim Konoshchenok, 48, of Tallinn, Estonia, was arrested in Estonia on a provisional arrest warrant issued from the Eastern District of New York and extradited from Estonia to the United States on July 13.
“This defendant, who is suspected of having ties to the FSB, smuggled hundreds of thousands of illicit munitions in support of Moscow’s war machine, using front companies to conceal his criminal enterprise,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Department of Justice remains steadfast in its mission to counter Russian aggression and we will give no quarter to those who violate U.S. sanctions to further fuel its war effort.”
“In early December, I met with Estonian counterparts in Tallinn regarding the pending U.S. request to arrest Vadim Konoshchenok,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “I would like to pay tribute to Prosecutor General Andres Parmas’s team, and to the Estonian Internal Security Service, for their prioritization of this case, and for their close coordination with the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs on the provisional arrest and extradition of Konoshchenok.”
“As alleged, the defendant was a critical participant in a scheme to provide sensitive, American-made electronics and ammunition in furtherance of Russia’s war efforts and weapons development, violating U.S. export controls, economic sanctions and other criminal statutes,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “Let this case serve as the latest example that no matter where you are in the world, if you violate U.S. export controls or evade U.S. sanctions, we will not rest until you face justice in a U.S. courtroom.”
“The FBI and our partners work diligently to bring to justice those who assist Russia’s military interests and put national security at risk,” said Assistant Director Suzanne Turner of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “According to the allegations in the indictment, Konoshchenok helped the FSB smuggle military grade ammunition and a range of nuclear and computer equipment which could be used as instruments of war. Today’s indictment is a fierce reminder of the lengths Russian intelligences services will go to advance Russia’s military capabilities. The FBI is deeply committed to disrupting and dismantling these actions.”
According to the indictment and court filings, Konoshchenok and his co-defendants were affiliated with Serniya Engineering and Sertal LLC (the Serniya Network), Moscow-based companies that operate under the direction of Russian intelligence services to procure advanced electronics and sophisticated testing equipment for Russia’s military industrial complex and research and development sector, some of which can be used in the development of nuclear and hypersonic weapons, quantum computing and other military applications. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the Department of Commerce (DOC) Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) levied sanctions against Serniya, Sertal and several individuals and companies engaged in the scheme, calling them “instrumental to the Russian Federation’s war machine.”
As alleged in the indictment, the Serniya Network was licensed to conduct highly sensitive and classified procurement activities by Russia’s FSB, Russia’s principal security agency and the main successor agency to the Soviet Union’s KGB. According to court documents, in electronic communications, Konoshchenok explicitly identified himself as an FSB “Colonel” and enclosed a photograph of himself wearing his FSB uniform. Additionally, a review of electronic communications equipment recovered from Konoshchenok revealed saved contacts beginning with the prefix “FSB” and email addresses from “FSB[.]ru” domains. One of Konoshchenok’s calendar entries referenced an “FSB order.”
As described in the indictment, Estonia was a popular transshipment point, where Konoshchenok would smuggle U.S.-origin items across the border into Russia. On Oct. 27, 2022, Konoshchenok was detained by Estonian authorities while attempting to cross into Russia from Estonia with approximately 35 different types of semiconductors and electronic components, including several U.S.-origin and export-controlled items. Konoshchenok has also been repeatedly stopped by Estonian border officials attempting to smuggle hundreds of thousands of American-made and export-controlled rounds into Russia, including 6.5 mm, 7 mm, .338 and .308 magnum rounds, which are commonly used by snipers, as well as military-grade .223 rounds.
Konoshchenok used an Estonian front company called Stonebridge Resources and communicated frequently with other co-conspirators about sourcing, transporting and paying for controlled items. In electronic communications, Konoshchenok is clear that his fee is “10%” because he “can’t do less. Sanctions . . . Sanction item for 10%.”
To date, over half a ton of military-grade ammunition linked to Konoshchenok has been recovered or interdicted before being smuggled into Russia.
If convicted, Konoshchenok faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison.
The FBI is investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Estonian authorities, including Estonian Internal Security Service (KAPO) and the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Estonia, provided significant assistance in securing foreign evidence, the arrest and extradition of Konoshchenok.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Artie McConnell and Matthew Skurnik for the Eastern District of New York and Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
This case has been coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions, and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed, along with its allies and partners, in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2, 2022, and under the leadership of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will leverage all the Department’s tools and authorities against efforts to evade or undermine the economic actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.
Suspected Russian Intelligence Operative Extradited from Estonia to Face Charges Related to Providing American-Made Electronics and Ammunition to Russian MilitaryRead the Press Release
Vadim Konoshchenok will be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Ramon E. Reyes, Jr., at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn on an indictment charging him with conspiracy and other charges related to a global procurement and money laundering network on behalf of the Russian government. Konoshchenok, a Russian citizen with alleged ties to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), was arrested in Estonia on a provisional arrest warrant issued from the Eastern District of New York and extradited from Estonia to the United States on July 13, 2023.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Andrew C. Adams, Director, Task Force KleptoCapture; Christie M. Curtis, Acting Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Jonathan Carson, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Export Enforcement, New York Field Office (DOC), announced the extradition.
“As alleged, the defendant was a critical participant in a scheme to provide sensitive, American-made electronics and ammunition in furtherance of Russia’s war efforts and weapons development, violating U.S. export controls, economic sanctions and other criminal statutes,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Let this case serve as the latest example that no matter where you are in the world, if you violate U.S. export controls or evade U.S. sanctions, we will not rest until you face justice in a U.S. courtroom.”
United States Attorney Peace thanked the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and Estonian authorities, including Estonian Internal Security Service (KAPO) and the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Estonia for their significant assistance in securing foreign evidence, the arrest and extradition of Konoshchenok.
“In early December, I met with Estonian counterparts in Tallinn regarding the pending U.S. request to arrest Vadim Konoshchenok,” stated Assistant Attorney General Polite. “I would like to pay tribute to Prosecutor General Andres Parmas’s team, and to the Estonian Internal Security Service, for their prioritization of this case, and for their close coordination with the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs on the provisional arrest and extradition of Konoshchenok.”
“This defendant, who is suspected of having ties to the FSB, smuggled hundreds of thousands of illicit munitions in support of Moscow’s war machine, using front companies to conceal his criminal enterprise,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Department of Justice remains steadfast in its mission to counter Russian aggression and we will give no quarter to those who violate U.S. sanctions to further fuel its war effort.”
“Vadim Konoshchenok allegedly provided cutting edge, American-developed technologies and ammunition to Russia for use in their illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Far from the battlefield, Konoshchenok will now face justice in an American courthouse, thanks to the staunch commitment of our Estonian partners and the federal prosecutors and agents who have dedicated their time and talents to disrupting the Kremlin’s war machine,” stated KleptoCapture Director Adams.
“Last year, charges were announced against the defendant and others involved in this complex transnational criminal scheme under the direction of Russian intelligence services. Today’s extradition of Vadim Konoshchenok is a testament to the team of law enforcement professionals dedicated to enforcing U.S. export controls,” stated DOC Special Agent-in-Charge Carson. “We will continue to enforce the unprecedented export controls implemented in response to Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine and the Office of Export Enforcement intends to pursue these violators wherever they may be worldwide.”
According to the indictment and court filings, the defendants were affiliated with Serniya Engineering and Sertal LLC (the “Serniya Network”), Moscow-based companies that operate under the direction of Russian intelligence services to procure advanced electronics and sophisticated testing equipment for Russia’s military industrial complex and research and development sector, some of which can be used in the development of nuclear and hypersonic weapons, quantum computing and other military applications. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the Department of Commerce (DOC) Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) levied sanctions against Serniya, Sertal and several individuals and companies engaged in the scheme, calling them “instrumental to the Russian Federation’s war machine.”
As alleged in the indictment, the Serniya Network was licensed to conduct highly sensitive and classified procurement activities by Russia’s FSB, Russia’s principal security agency and the main successor agency to the Soviet Union’s KGB. In electronic communications, Konoshchenok explicitly identified himself as an FSB “Colonel” and enclosed a photograph of himself wearing his FSB uniform. Additionally, a review of electronic communications equipment recovered from Konoshchenok revealed saved contacts beginning with the prefix “FSB” and email addresses from “FSB[.]ru” domains. One of Konoshchenok’s calendar entries referenced an “FSB order.”
As described in the indictment, Estonia was a popular transshipment point, where Konoshchenok would smuggle U.S.-origin items across the border into Russia. On October 27, 2022, Konoshchenok was detained by Estonian authorities attempting to cross into Russia from Estonia with approximately 35 different types of semiconductors and electronic components, including several U.S.-origin and export-controlled items. Konoshchenok has also been repeatedly stopped by Estonian border officials attempting to smuggle hundreds of thousands of American-made and export-controlled rounds into Russia, including 6.5 mm, 7 mm, .338 and .308 magnum rounds, which are commonly used by snipers, as well as military-grade .223 rounds. To date, over half a ton of military-grade ammunition linked to Konoshchenok has been recovered or interdicted before being smuggled into Russia. Konoshchenok used an Estonian front company called “Stonebridge Resources” and communicated frequently with other co-conspirators about sourcing, transporting and paying for controlled items. In electronic communications, Konoshchenok is clear that his fee is “10%” because he “can’t do less. Sanctions . . . Sanction item for 10%.”
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum of 30 years’ imprisonment. The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Artie McConnell, Craig Heeren, and Matthew Skurnik are in charge of the prosecution, along with Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
The Defendant:
VADIM KONOSHCHENOK
Age: 48
Tallin, EstoniaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-409 (HG)
Statement of U.S. Attorney Damian Williams on the Arrest of Sophia MarksRead the Press Release
“Last night, my Office, the Southern District of New York, authorized the arrest of Sophia Marks in connection with her distribution of fake oxycodone pills that contained fentanyl. At least one of Marks’s counterfeit pills was purchased and taken by a teenager who subsequently died of a suspected overdose. The arrest was critical because, as we allege, Marks knew the pills could kill, and she continued selling them anyway. The investigation is ongoing.
Fentanyl is now the number one killer of Americans between the ages of 18 and 49. More than cancer, car accidents, or gun violence. It is a law enforcement crisis and a public health crisis. And we are doing everything we can to stop it.”
* * *
SOPHIA MARKS, 20, of New York, New York, is charged with one count of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and alprazolam, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and two counts of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl, each of which also carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. v. Marks ComplaintSouth Bend Man Sentenced to 138 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Victor Gamez, 43 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to distributing methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Gamez was sentenced to 138 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on four occasions between May 2021 and March 2022, Gamez sold varying amounts of pure methamphetamine to a person in South Bend. The total weight distributed was 264.9 grams.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Indiana State Police, the South Bend Police Department, and the DEA North Central Laboratory. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jerome W. McKeever.
###
Soap Lake Man Pleads Guilty to Production and Attempted Production of Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
Spokane – Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Michael Gene Rice, 48, of Soap Lake, Washington, pleaded guilty to Production and Attempted Production of Child Pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2251(a), (e). United States District Judge Thomas. O. Rice accepted Rice’s guilty plea and scheduled a sentencing hearing for October 11, 2023, in Spokane, Washington.
According to court documents and proceedings, Rice caused an 11-year old minor in his care to record the minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct on Rice’s phone. The minor disclosed the conduct to law enforcement, and a search warrant was granted for Rice’s iCloud account data. In Rice’s iCloud account, law enforcement observed child pornography videos consistent with the minor’s statements.
Court documents reveal that Rice was previously convicted in 2002 of Rape of a Child in the First Degree, in Grant County, Washington. The victim in that case was also 11 years old.
Sentencing is also pending in Grant County Case No. No. 22-1-00131-13, where Rice was convicted after a jury trial earlier this year of two counts of Dealing in Depictions of a Minor Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct and two counts of Possession of Depictions of a Minor Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct.
“As a parent, I am chilled by Mr. Rice’s exploitative conduct of a young child,” said United States Attorney Waldref. “My office will continue to take child exploitation seriously, whether online or in-person. Children everywhere deserve to live in a world free from predators.” United States Attorney Waldref continued, “This case, like so many of the cases we prosecute in federal court, involved a joint effort by federal, state and local law enforcement. We are particularly grateful for the Grant County Prosecuting Office’s partnership on this case. When law enforcement is able to partner together – as we did here – we are able to do much to strengthen our communities and keep our citizens, including young children, safe.”
This case was pursued as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the United States Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. The Project Safe Childhood Initiative (“PSC”) has five major components:
- Integrated federal, state, and local efforts to investigate and prosecute child exploitation cases, and to identify and rescue children;
- Participation of PSC partners in coordinated national initiatives;
- Increased federal enforcement in child pornography and enticement cases;
- Training of federal, state, and local law enforcement agents; and
- Community awareness and educational programs.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
In addition, this case was investigated by the Missing and Exploited Children Task Force (MECTF), which is dedicated to protecting the children of Washington State by assisting and investigating missing child and exploitation cases. Washington State Patrol (WSP) MECTF partnered with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Spokane on a Task Force housed at the HSI Spokane office. The Task Force includes Special Agents, Detectives, and Analysts from WSP, HSI, Spokane PD, and representatives from outlying Counties dedicated to serving the children and communities of the region. The MECTF traces its origins to 1999, when the Washington Legislature established a task force on missing and exploited children under the direction of the Chief of the state patrol, RCW 13.60.110.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Grant County Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Ann T. Wick, Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
2:23-CR-23-TOR
Sentencings in Athens-Area Armed Drug Trafficking CasesRead the Press Release
ATHENS, Ga. – Three defendants found guilty in multiple armed drug trafficking investigations in the Athens community were sentenced to federal prison this week for their crimes.
Stacey Collins aka “Sue,” 45, of Alto, Georgia, was sentenced to 240 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. She previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine in Case No. 3:22-cr-00009.
Juan Carlos Pimentel aka “Manuel Romero Gonzalez,” age unknown, of Athens and Mexico, was sentenced to 168 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin in Case No. 3:20-cr-00045. Co-conspirator, Steven Ricole Scott aka “Black” aka “Unc,” 47, of Athens, was sentenced to 120 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine in Case No. 3:20-cr-00008.
U.S. District Judge C. Ashley Royal handed down the sentences on July 10. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Not only are illegal controlled substances themselves growing deadlier due to the intentional or the unintentional mixing in of fentanyl, drug trafficking networks often precipitate violent crime that simply cannot be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “These cases demonstrate our office’s firm commitment to support local, state and federal law enforcement in their efforts to hold armed drug traffickers accountable in the Athens area.”
“The sentencing of these individuals ends an exhaustive investigation and proves that the FBI and our partners will spare no resource when it comes to ending an epidemic in our society that fuels violent crime and kills our citizens,” said Robert Gibbs, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent of FBI Atlanta’s Athens office. “We want to thank our partners who relentlessly work along our side to dismantle these organized, violent criminal enterprises.”
“Drug dealing breeds violence and traffickers who engage in this dangerous lifestyle often protect their drug stash with firearms,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “Consequently, these defendants will spend well-deserved time in prison. DEA and its law enforcement partners are committed to making communities safer by removing such criminals from the streets.”
According to court documents in the Collins case, federal agents learned in 2018 that co-conspirator Malcody Dinges aka “Cody” aka “Yes, Sir Cody,” 44, was conducting drug deals using contraband cell phones while in custody at Wheeler Correctional Facility. During the investigation, agents learned that Dinges was communicating with Collins and other co-defendants located in the Athens region about controlled substances; these individuals would travel to locations in Atlanta as directed by Dinges to receive methamphetamine and return to Athens to distribute the drugs. Dinges received a fee for brokering the deals. Collins kept large amounts of Dinges’s drug proceeds, methamphetamine and other illegal substances at her northeast Georgia home. A subsequent investigation led to her arrest in possession of a five-gallon bag of methamphetamine and approximately $4,300 in cash. A search warrant was executed at her home where agents located several bags of methamphetamine and a firearm. Collins admitted she kept the drugs and up to $50,000 cash at her home because she was a trusted associate of Dinges. Dinges was sentenced to serve 240 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine on Dec. 16, 2021.
According to court documents in the Pimentel and Scott case, agents were investigating the distribution of illegal controlled substances and firearms from the Athens Gardens Apartment Complex by Rickshun Willingham, of Athens, who is deceased. Willingham obtained drugs from Pimentel and Scott, and agents observed Willingham purchasing drugs from Scott’s stash house on Lombardy Circle in Athens. During the investigation, Willingham arranged to buy one kilogram of heroin for $77,000 from Pimentel and another co-conspirator at Pimentel’s home in Athens in Dec. 2019. Willingham told Scott he “robbed the Mexicans” by using $50,000 in fake currency. Scott warned him to be careful because they carry firearms. Under surveillance, Pimentel conducted additional large quantity transactions of heroin. Multiple search warrants were executed in Jan. 2020, including at Pimentel’s residence. Agents seized two firearms and ammunition, $20,000 cash, several cell phones used for drug distribution, receipts for money transfers to Mexico and vacuum sealed bags. Additional narcotics were located at stash houses of co-conspirators named in the indictment. Pimentel is responsible for distributing between three and ten kilograms of heroin. Scott is responsible for distributing 780 grams of crack cocaine.
The Collins case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), the Banks County Sheriff’s Office, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office, the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office, the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, the Georgia State Patrol (GSP), the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) Appalachian RDEO and the Northeast Georgia Regional Drug Task Force.
The Pimentel and Scott case was investigated by the FBI, the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office, the Athens-Clarke County Police Department and Georgia State Patrol (GSP).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Jarrett prosecuted the cases for the Government.
Santa Fe Man Pleads Guilty to Firearms OffenseRead 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 Gilbert Michael Coriz pled guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Coriz, 37, of Santa Fe, will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
A federal grand jury indicted Coriz on Dec. 8, 2021. According to court records, on Jan. 1, 2021, officers from the Santa Fe Police Department responded to a report of shots fired at a residence on Camino Capitan. After obtaining a search warrant, officers cleared and searched the residence and found Coriz allegedly hiding in a water heater closet in the garage. Officers also found two firearms and various types of ammunition.
Coriz was previously convicted of aggravated battery, felon in possession of a firearm, tampering with evidence, possession of a controlled substance and residential burglary. As a previously convicted felon, Coriz cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.
At sentencing, Coriz faces up to ten years on prison.
The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Santa Fe Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Samuel A. Hurtado is prosecuting the case.
# # #
23-150
Sallisaw Resident Sentenced for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Amy Lee Littledeer, a/k/a Amy Hummingbird, age 37, of Sallisaw, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 60 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The charges arose from investigations by the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On May 17, 2022, Littledeer pleaded guilty to one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
On July 7, 2020, Sequoyah County Sheriff deputies executed a search warrant at Littledeer’s residence in Sallisaw, Oklahoma. During the search, they located three baggies containing a total mixture of methamphetamine weighing over 80 grams.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Littledeer will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Jordan Howanitz represented the United States.
Pueblo Man Sentenced to 12.5 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Firearm and Distributing DrugsRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces Leonard Cordova, age 44, of Pueblo, has been sentenced to 151 months in federal prison after earlier pleading guilty to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and two counts of distributing a controlled substance.
According to the plea agreement and criminal complaint, on September 12, 2021, the defendant, from his driveway in a residential neighborhood in Pueblo, fired numerous shots from a handgun at an individual driving down the street. The defendant was arrested on local charges but then released on bond. One week later, on September 19, 2021, the defendant, while driving his vehicle in Pueblo, fired shots at two individuals in another moving vehicle. The defendant’s victims were hit with rounds from the defendant’s gun and sought treatment at a local hospital. The defendant was again arrested on local charges but then released on bond.
The defendant was arrested by the FBI on April 15, 2022, after being charged in the District of Colorado by criminal complaint on April 13, 2022. He was ordered detained pending trial.
The defendant pled guilty in federal court on March 7, 2023. As part of his plea agreement, the defendant, a previously convicted felon, admitted to unlawfully possessing a firearm or ammunition in connection with the two September 2021 shootings. He also admitted that on October 19, 2020, he distributed 221 grams of methamphetamine, and on February 19, 2021, he distributed 98 grams of heroin.
United States District Court Judge Regina M. Rodriguez sentenced the defendant on July 12, 2023.
“Pueblo is a safer place with violent, drug-dealing felons like Leonard Cordova off the streets,” said United States Attorney Cole Finegan. “We are grateful for our partners at the FBI, DEA, and Pueblo Police Department whose hard work and dedication make a real difference for the citizens of Colorado.”
“Cases like this one exemplify what the federal system can bring to our local partners: This repeat offender will no longer threaten the Pueblo community,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “The FBI will continue to work with the Pueblo Police Department to further our shared goals.”
“The DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division is committed to making our communities safer. We know gun violence is often associated with drug-related activity, which is why these cases are a top priority for us,” said DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge David Olesky. “The community of Pueblo should feel safer tonight knowing this defendant will no longer be a menace to his neighbors.”
This case was investigated by the FBI, DEA, and Pueblo Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Andrea Surratt. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also thanks the 10th Judicial District Attorney’s office for their assistance with the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
CASE NUMBER: 22-cr-132