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28 June 2023
Baton Rouge Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting and Threatening Federal OfficersRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – KESHAWN KELLY, age 20, a resident of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pled guilty on June 27, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Greg G. Guidry to an indictment charging him with influencing federal officials by threat, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 115(a)(1)(B), and assaulting, resisting, or impeding federal officers, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 111(a)(1), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, on February 15, 2022, KELLY initiated a 21-minute standoff with police in the emergency department parking lot at the New Orleans VA Medical Center. During the standoff, KELLY possessed an AR-15 rifle that was fully loaded with a round in the chamber and the selector switch in the semi-automatic firing position. KELLY, who continuously refused to get out of the car he occupied with his hands up, made various threats to shoot and otherwise assault the officers for the duration of the standoff.
KELLY’s sentencing is scheduled for October 3, 2023. The maximum punishment KELLY faces for influencing federal officials by threat is six years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. The maximum punishment for assaulting federal officers is one year imprisonment, up to a $100,000 fine, up to one year of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $25 mandatory special assessment fee.
This case was investigated by the United States Department of Veteran’s Affairs Police. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers of the Narcotics Unit.
Baltimore Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Racketeering Conspiracy Charge for His Participation in the Triple C GangRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Jawaun Harris, age 24, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to a federal charge of conspiracy to participate in the affairs of a racketeering enterprise, in connection with his membership in the Triple C gang, including a carjacking, two attempted murders and a drug distribution conspiracy.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Chief Robert McCullough of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Acting Commissioner Richard Worley of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to court documents, Harris was a member of the Cruddy Conniving Crutball gang, or Triple C, an enterprise operating primarily in east Baltimore. The gang’s main purpose was to commit violent acts to promote the reputation of the gang and to command respect from the neighborhood. The enterprise benefitted financially from selling narcotics, murdering drug dealers, taking contract killings, engaging in street robberies, robbing dice games, and occasionally carjacking vehicles. The members of the gang divided the proceeds of the robberies. Harris admitted that between 2015 and 2020, he and other Triple C members engaged in more than a dozen murders and numerous non-fatal shootings, robberies, and carjackings.
Also, Triple C members routinely used social media to identify and locate victims and to share information concerning possible retaliation for violent crimes committed by gang members. Triple C members and associates used at least 14 firearms to commit crimes, often trading with each other or other groups to avoid detection through ballistic evidence. They limited conversations about criminal plans to members of Triple C and critiqued each other after committing crimes regarding ways to improve their actions.
Harris admitted that he participated in two attempted murders on October 10 and 11, 2018, and a carjacking on October 10, 2018, during which at least one member of the conspiracy possessed a firearm. Harris also admitted that it was foreseeable to him, that his co-conspirators would commit other acts that he did not participate in, including at least 16 murders, 28 attempted murders, at least 22 robberies and attempted robberies, and three carjackings.
Co-defendants Rashaud Nesmith, a/k/a Shaud, age 21, and Michael Chester, a/k/a Mikkie, age 24, both of Baltimore, pled guilty to their participation in a racketeering conspiracy in June 2022 and were sentenced to 40 years and 20 years in federal prison, respectively.
Harris and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Harris will be sentenced to 10 years in federal prison. Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar has scheduled sentencing for October 5, 2023 at 10:00 a.m.
This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ (“ATF”) National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (“NIBIN”). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.
This case 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.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF, the Baltimore County Police Department, the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the FBI and the Office of the Baltimore City State’s Attorney for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia C. McLane and Michael C. Hanlon, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Bvi Man Sentenced to Eight Months for Failing to Stop His Vessel Being Used for Human SmugglingRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Buney Chinnery, 22, of Tortola, BVI, was sentenced by Chief District Judge Robert Molloy to eight months incarceration on his conviction for failure to heave to law enforcement and giving a false statement.
According to the evidence presented at trial, on October 31, 2022, at approximately 9:00 p.m., Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine agents were conducting border security patrol between the U.S. and British Virgin Islands. Agents approached Coral Bay, St. John, and observed Chinnerys’ vessel operating without navigation lights. Despite continued warnings and attempts to stop the vessel, Chinnery refused to stop and accelerate his vessel while operating the it in an evasive manner. Agents eventually disabled the vessel and later discovered Chinnery along with six individuals attempting to gain illegal entry into the United States.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Natasha L. Baker.
Atoka Resident Sentenced for Killing Four Durant Teens in May 2020 Motor Vehicle CollisionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Bradley Shawn Pittman, age 45, of Atoka, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 405 months in prison each for four counts of Second-Degree Murder in Indian Country. The sentences will be served concurrently.
The charges arose from investigations by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Durant Police Department, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, Texas Highway Patrol, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On December 1, 2020, Pittman pleaded guilty to four counts of Murder in Indian Country – Second Degree. At the plea hearing, Pittman admitted that he was driving a pickup at speeds of over 70 miles per hour on Main Street in Durant when he collided into the rear of another vehicle that was stopped at a traffic light just before midnight on May 24, 2020. Four Durant teens in the other vehicle were killed in the collision. At the time of the collision, Pittman registered a blood alcohol level three times the legal limit, was driving on a suspended or revoked driver’s license, and had previously been convicted of driving under the influence on three separate occasions.
The crimes occurred in Bryan County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation and within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
“Every parent’s worst fear is having your child taken from you in the blink of an eye. Four teenagers were stolen from their families with one reckless decision that has had a devastating and rippling impact on the Durant community,” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Gray. “Let this sentence serve as a reminder of the grave and irrevocable consequences of driving under the influence, so that no other family will have to endure such tremendous loss.”
“No sentence can heal the loss to these families and this community,” said U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “The devastation brought about by one individual’s reckless actions underscores our determination to hold those accountable who engage in criminally reckless actions within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.”
The Honorable John F. Heil, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearings in Muskogee, Oklahoma.
Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin D. Traster represented the United States.
Albany Man Receives 64 Months for Distribution of Heroin and FentanylRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Carlos Hernandez, age 54, of Albany, was sentenced today to 64 months in prison for distributing heroin and fentanyl on at least five occasions in April and May 2021. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), made the announcement.
On February 8, 2023, Hernandez pled guilty to distribution of a controlled substance. He admitted that between April and May 2021, while he was on parole from a state prison term, he sold a total of 68 grams of fentanyl and 71 grams of heroin on at least five occasions in Albany.
Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn also ordered Hernandez to serve a 4-year term of supervised release after he is released from prison.
The DEA investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin S. Clark prosecuted the case.
6 men convicted of conspiring to traffic gunsRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The final of six conspirators responsible for trafficking more than 100 firearms pleaded guilty in federal court here today.
Jadden I. Bedell, 21, of Cleveland, admitted to his role in the conspiracy involving 114 guns.
According to court documents, between January and May 2022, the defendants illegally dealt in firearms without a federal firearms license. Many of the firearms were resold in Cleveland and Rochester, New York, and have been recovered in connection with other crimes and shootings.
Two defendants – Brian R. Cunningham, 43, of Marysville, Ohio, and Tyson Rathburn, 47, of Ashville, Ohio – purchased the guns at licensed firearms dealers in the Southern District of Ohio, including at Frazier Firearms LLC, George Washinguns LLC and Rural King. The pair sometimes used straw purchasers to obtain guns. The defendants then listed the firearms for sale online at marked-up prices.
The four other co-conspirators completed a series of trips from Cleveland to Columbus to purchase the firearms from Cunningham and Rathburn. Two of those customer co-defendants, Charles L. Jackson, 28, of Rochester, New York, and Anthony D. Redmond, 59, of Cleveland, were prohibited from possessing firearms because they had previously been convicted of or are currently under indictment for felony crimes.
Beddell, Jackson, Redmon and Martino D. Lorenzi, 35, of Cleveland, met with Cunningham and Rathburn multiple times at gas stations and stores in the Southern District of Ohio to purchase handguns.
For example, on March 19, 2022, Beddell and Jackson met Rathburn near a gas station in Marengo, Ohio, to buy 42 firearms for $14,000 total.
In May 2022, Beddell, Jackson and Lorenzi purchased 16 firearms from an undercover ATF agent.
Each of the six defendants has pleaded guilty to conspiring to deal in the business of firearms without a license, which is a federal crime punishable by up to five years in prison.
Jackson has been sentenced to 51 months in prison, and his five co-defendants await sentencing.
Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence. Sentencing is determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); announced the guilty plea offered today. Assistant United States Attorneys Noah R. Litton and S. Courter Shimeall are representing the United States in this case.
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22-Year-Old Man Receives 21 Months in Prison for Assault on a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Hugo Alexander Garcia-Sales, 22, of Guatemala, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Rosemary Márquez to a term of 21 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release. Garcia-Sales pleaded guilty on April 11, 2023, to Assault on a Federal Officer with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon and Improper Entry by an Alien.
On October 13, 2022, Garcia-Sales threw five softball-sized rocks at a United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations helicopter Air Interdiction Agent while the helicopter was in the air. Although the rocks failed to hit the helicopter, one rock came within several feet of striking the aircraft. As part of his guilty plea, Garcia-Sales admitted that striking the helicopter with any of the rocks could have caused the aircraft to crash. Additionally, Garcia-Sales admitted he is a Guatemalan national who knowingly entered the United States near Newfield, Arizona, without legal permission to enter or remain in the United States.
CBP’s United States Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Nathaniel J. Walters, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-02445-RM-BGM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-100_Garcia-Sales# # #
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.
27 June 2023
Yuba City Man Indicted for Unlawfully Possessing and Selling GunsRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — On June 15, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment against Billy Glyn Sims Jr., 29, of Yuba City, charging him with dealing in firearms without a license, being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, and selling ammunition to a prohibited person, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between April 1, 2022, and March 9, 2023, in the Counties of Yuba, Yolo and Sutter, Sims, who is not a licensed firearms dealer, unlawfully engaged in the business of dealing in firearms. In connection with his dealing, Sims was in possession of two guns and ammunition, which he is prohibited from possessing because of his prior felony convictions, including for domestic violence and burglary. Sims also sold ammunition to a person that he knew had prior felony convictions and could not legally possess ammunition.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin L. Lee and Dhruv M. Sharma are prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Sims faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for unlawfully dealing in firearms, 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for being a felon in possession of a firearm, and up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for being a felon in possession of ammunition and for selling ammunition to a prohibited person. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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 U.S. Department of Justice 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.
Wolcott Man Who Attempted to Have Sex with A 12 Y/O Is Going to Prison for 35 YearsRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Jacob Ritchie, 37, of Wolcott, NY, who was convicted of distributing child pornography following a prior conviction for a child sex abuse offense, was sentenced to serve 35 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who handled the case, stated that between November 2021, and February 2022, Ritchie engaged in sexually explicit online communications with an undercover New York State Police Investigator, who Ritchie believed was a 12-year-old female. During these conversations, Ritchie repeatedly asked the child to produce and send to him images of child pornography. He also attempted to persuade the child to meet him for sex. Ritchie also sent images of child pornography in an attempt to groom the child for sexual activity. The images depicted children as young as eight-years-old engaged in sexual activity with adults. Ritchie also made numerous references to possible sexual contact with a minor relative while communicating with the undercover investigator.
In February 2022, investigators executed a search warrant at Ritchie’s residence, where they recovered a cell phone containing dozens of images of child pornography. Some of the images depicted the sexual abuse of children as young as toddlers, and children being subjected to violence. A subsequent search of Ritchie’s social media found that he engaged in multiple online conversations during which he openly discussed sexually abusing children and traded child pornography. Ritchie admitted to sexually abusing multiple children, to include a child as young as five-years-old. He is a level 3 sex offender following child sexual abuse convictions in 2012, 2016, and 2017.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Brian J. Ratajczak and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino.
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Wisconsin Man Sentenced for Sex Trafficking a ChildRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Milwaukee, Wisconsin man was sentenced in federal court today for the sex trafficking of a child.
Gerald H. Paul-Gibson, 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Paul-Gibson to 10 years of supervised release following incarceration.
On March 9, 2022, Paul-Gibson pleaded guilty to the sex trafficking of a child. Paul-Gibson admitted that he recruited, transported, and advertised a 15-year-old victim for prostitution, and either knew or recklessly disregarded the fact that the child victim was under the age of 18.
Kansas City, Mo., police officers initially arrested the child victim for soliciting prostitution during a human trafficking sting at a local hotel on April 24, 2019. Once arrested, officers recognized she was a minor. She identified herself via her high school email address and confirmed she was 15 years old.
The child victim told investigators she met Paul-Gibson in Milwaukee and he brought her to Kansas City. Paul-Gibson placed advertisements online and transported her to the hotel for the appointment with an undercover police officer. Paul-Gibson, who was parked outside the hotel, was arrested. When investigators searched his cell phone, they found a large number of text messages that confirmed Paul-Gibson recruited women for prostitution. In some conversations, Paul-Gibson refers to himself as a pimp.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine A. Connelly. It was investigated by the FBI and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
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."
Washington man admits trafficking meth, fentanyl on Rocky Boy’s Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Washington man suspected of trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl on the Rock Boy’s Indian Reservation admitted to a drug crime today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Antonio Penalosa Infante, 36, of Spokane, Washington, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Infante faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Nov. 21. Infante was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that in the fall of 2022, the FBI received reports that Infante was bringing controlled substances to the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation. During a traffic stop in December 2022 by the Montana Highway Patrol, officers recovered a total of 91 fentanyl pills, two pistols, cocaine and methamphetamine from the vehicle in which Infante was a passenger. Infante later said the drugs were his and intended only for personal use. In a second traffic stop of Infante on the reservation 10 days later, officers located a half pound of meth, approximately 100 fentanyl pills, cocaine and a loaded 9mm magazine. Officers found a 9mm pistol in the police officer’s vehicle where Infante had been seated for transportation following the traffic stop. Additionally, in January, law enforcement conducted a controlled purchase of 100 fentanyl pills from Infante. In a third traffic stop of Infante on the reservation, officers located meth and 76 fentanyl pills. In February, the FBI executed a search warrant on a residence where Infante had been staying and recovered a large quantity meth that was determined to be 9.8 pounds of the drug, which is approximately 35,515 doses.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ethan R. Plaut and Amanda L. Myers are prosecuting the case. The FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Rocky Boy’s Police Department, Tri Agency Task Force and Montana Highway Patrol conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Ulster County Felon Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Bram Fox, age 43, of Kerhonkson, New York, pled guilty today to unlawfully possessing a rifle as a previously convicted felon. Fox also admitted to manufacturing and possessing several dozen firearms, which law enforcement seized from his Ulster County house earlier this year.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement.
Fox admitted that from about October 2020 until January 2023, he purchased firearms parts from numerous online retailers; had these items shipped to his residence in Kerhonkson; and then used these firearms parts to manufacture non-serialized handguns and rifles, which are sometimes called “ghost guns” due to the fact that this type of firearm does not contain a serial number imprinted by a manufacturer.
Fox also acquired several serialized firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition, including an Aero Precision M5 rifle. Fox has felony convictions in New York and Connecticut, including a 2009 conviction for an armed bank robbery, that prevents him from lawfully possessing the rifle, and other firearms and ammunition.
Fox has been in custody since his arrest on January 31, 2023. He faces up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to 3 years of post-imprisonment supervised release, when United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino sentences him on October 26, 2023. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
Fox also agreed to abandon, to the ATF, all firearms, ammunition, firearms parts and related items that were seized from his residence and formerly in his possession, including more than 25 firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
The ATF and New York State Police investigated this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett is prosecuting this case.
U.S. Attorney's Office Testifies Before D.C. Council in Support of the Safer Stronger Amendment ActRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia will testify today at a committee hearing before the Council of the District of Columbia on proposed legislation, Bill 25-0291, the “Safer, Stronger Amendment Act of 2023” and Bill 25-0247, the “Female Genital Mutilation Prohibition Act of 2023.”
USAO-DC supports the “Safer Stronger Amendment Act” because it will make the community safer by increasing penalties for firearms and violent crimes; supporting violent crime investigations; enhancing pretrial detention for violent crimes; and expanding information considered in second look sentence reductions for the most serious violent crimes. This legislation offers targeted, common-sense measures to address shortcomings in our criminal justice system. Fixing these deficiencies will make our judicial system work better and, consequently, increase community safety.
In addition to appearing before the Council’s Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, Elana Suttenberg, Special Counsel to the U.S. Attorney, provided written remarks, available in the accompanying attachment.
The testimony is available in the attachment below.
USAO DC Testimony on b25-0291_b25-0247More information available in the attachment below.
USAO DC Safer Stronger one-pagerU.S. Attorney warns about rise in online impersonators exploiting childrenRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, announced today that his office and law enforcement agencies are seeing an increase in cases involving impostors posing as others, especially as children or teens on social media and online gaming platforms, persuading victims to provide sexual or intimate personal information, and using that information to threaten or intimidate their victims.
Parker urged parents and caregivers to take steps to help young people identify the impostors and avoid becoming victims.
“Social media has opened up a whole new realm of child exploitation opportunities,” Parker said. “An online predator can easily amass victims across the United States by pretending to be someone they aren’t. Offenders will tell fictitious stories and create personas to manipulate and coerce victims.”
Parker offered the following guidance to parents and child caregivers:
- Know what devices your child is using and their passcodes to access the devices;
- Become familiar with the online games and the social media your child uses, and the privacy settings in the games and apps;
- Set limits on the time your child spends online;
- Talk with your child about the dangers of sharing personal information or images online and how those images can damage their mental health and reputation; and
- Watch for sudden changes in a child’s behavior such as isolation, missing school, losing interest in friends, becoming obsessive about their phone, and being angry or upset after they’ve been online.
Parker also emphasized that parents need to maintain open lines of communication with their children letting their child know that the parent will be monitoring the child’s online activity to protect their child. “Assure your child that they can come to you and talk judgment-free about their online activity, who they’ve met, and what they discuss,” Parker said.
Parker cited recent cases of a 28-year-old high school coach accused of impersonating a 15-year-old girl and persuading his victims to send sexually explicit photos which he distributed over the internet, and a convicted sexual offender who allegedly worked with his girlfriend claiming that the only way he could get life-saving surgery for his mother was to sell sexually explicit images and videos of minor victims. Defendants in all criminal cases should be presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
Parker said these two cases, like many child exploitation cases, started with caregivers or other adults notifying local law enforcement of their concerns. He urges any parents who suspect their children could be victims of online exploitation to contact their local law enforcement agency. Many local agencies participate in Internet Crimes Against Children task forces that unite federal, state, and local law enforcement resources to investigate and prosecute cases of child exploitation.
To report online child sexual exploitation, use the electronic Cyber Tip Line or call 1-800-843-5678. The Cyber Tip Line is operated by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in partnership with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies.
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Two Charged in Conspiracy to Access Protected Computer Network of Non-Profit Mental Health Treatment ProviderRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two men have been charged in Worcester for allegedly conspiring to access a protected computer of their former employer, a non-profit substance use and mental health treatment provider that operates recovery centers throughout Massachusetts.
Nathan Howe, 42, of Rutland, Mass., was indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to access a protected computer to obtain information and cause damage and one count of intentionally causing damage to a protected computer and impairing medical treatment. Patrick Edmonds-Morin, 31, of Union, Conn., was charged by Information on May 18, 2023, with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to access a protected computer to obtain information. Howe was taken into custody on May 16, 2023 and was released on conditions of pre-trial supervision. Edmonds-Morin will appear in federal court in Worcester on June 28, 2023.
According to the charging documents, Howe and Edmonds-Morin were employed by the non-profit until April 2021 and October 2020, respectively. It is alleged that, between September and December of 2021, Howe and Edmonds-Morin conspired to access records of the non-profit’s employees, listen to and view conversations between the employees, and create and deploy a computer program designed to impede a Vice President of the non-profit’s use of the network. In November 2021, Howe allegedly accessed the computer network and transmitted a command that shut down the network for the non-profit’s Westborough campus where individuals were receiving in-patient treatment. By allegedly shutting down the network, Howe made the non-profit’s electronic medical records system inaccessible at its sites across Massachusetts, impairing or potentially impairing the medical examination, diagnosis, treatment and care of patients.
It is further alleged that, between July 2018 and November 2020, Howe and Edmonds-Morin conspired to commit wire fraud by obtaining cell phones from a cell phone provider which were intended for the non-profit’s staff and, instead, selling the cell phones to third parties for personal profit, typically in the amounts of hundreds of dollars per phone.
The charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to access a protected computer without authorization to obtain information and cause damage, provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of intentionally causing damage without authorization to a protected computer and causing the potential impairment of medical treatment provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to access a protected computer without authorization to obtain information, provides for a sentence of up to one year in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $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.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan O’Shea of Levy’s Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Turkish National Charged with Attack on Turkish Consulate in ManhattanRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Carlos F. Matus, the Director of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (“DSS”), and Keechant L. Sewell, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced that a Complaint was unsealed today alleging that RECEP AKBIYIK used a metal bar to shatter the glass of 10 windows and two doors of the building housing the Turkish Consulate General in New York, New York (the “Turkish Consulate”). When two of the Turkish Consulate’s security officers emerged from the building to investigate, AKBIYIK allegedly charged at the security officers with the metal bar and, as the security officers retreated into the building, repeatedly struck the building’s doors with the metal bar. AKBIYIK was arrested this morning and will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Recep Akbiyik brazenly attacked the Turkish Consulate building, causing serious damage to its windows and doors. Even worse, Akbiyik allegedly endangered two of the Turkish Consulate’s security officers, nearly beating them with a metal bar. As these charges make clear, people who attack diplomatic facilities or their employees within the United States will be held accountable for their actions.”
DSS Director Carlos F. Matus said: “The Diplomatic Security Service is firmly committed to working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our other law enforcement partners to investigate allegations of crime related to diplomatic facilities and personnel within the United States, and to bring those who commit these crimes to justice. This was a great success by all of the agencies involved.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint:[1]
On May 22, 2023, at 3:15 a.m., AKBIYIK used a blue metal bar to shatter approximately 10 of the Turkish Consulate’s windows. Below are photographs reflecting the damage done to the windows:
As AKBIYIK shattered the Turkish Consulate’s windows, two security officers who had been in the Turkish Consulate’s lobby stepped outside of the building. AKBIYIK sprinted toward the security officers with the blue metal bar raised as if to strike them. Below are stills from surveillance video showing AKBIYIK running toward the security officers:
As the Security Officers retreated into the Turkish Consulate, pulling its doors closed, AKBIYIK repeatedly struck the Turkish Consulate’s doors with the blue metal bar, breaking the doors’ glass panes. Below is a photograph reflecting the damage done to the Turkish Consulate’s doors:
AKBIYIK fled, leaving behind a blue bag containing eight bricks and the blue metal bar, photographs of which are below:
In a post-arrest interview with NYPD officers, AKBIYIK admitted to the attack on the Turkish Consulate and stated that he had been planning the attack for weeks.
* * *
AKBIYIK, 29, of Brooklyn, New York, is charged with damaging property occupied by a foreign government, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of DSS and the NYPD and thanked the U.S. Marshals Service and the New York County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin M. Burkett is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
U.S. v. Akbiyik ComplaintThree-Time Removed Mexican National Convicted of Trafficking over 24 Pounds of Methamphetamine in Omaha AreaRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Juan Felipe-Carmona, 34, originally of Mexico but residing illegally in Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Felipe-Carmona to 120 months’ imprisonment. He was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after his release from prison. There is no parole in the federal system. He faces potential deportation following the completion of his prison sentence.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant on defendant’s residence in Omaha on September 9, 2021. During the execution of the warrant, officers located a small amount of methamphetamine and through further investigation learned defendant distributed at least 24 pounds of methamphetamine to others in the Omaha area from approximately July 2020 through September 2021. Defendant was previously removed from the United States on three occasions for unlawfully being present in the country.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department.
Think Tank Agrees to Pay More Than $500,000 to Resolve Allegations That It Falsely Certified Its Eligibility to Receive PPP LoanRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office has reached a $501,161 settlement with the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS), a nonprofit headquartered in Washington, D.C., to resolve allegations that IPS falsely certified that it was eligible to receive a Second Draw Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan from the Small Business Administration (SBA). As part of the settlement, IPS admits that it certified to the SBA that it was not a think tank primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities, when it had publicly stated otherwise.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who were suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain approved expenses, through the PPP. Entities that applied for Second Draw PPP loans were required to certify their eligibility for the loan, including that they were not “primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities.”
IPS conducts research and publishes reports to influence public policy. As detailed in the settlement agreement, on Feb. 11, 2021, IPS submitted an application for a Second Draw PPP loan from SBA. In its application, IPS certified that it was “not a business concern or entity primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities, including any entity that is organized for research or for engaging in advocacy in areas such as public policy or political strategy or otherwise describes itself as a think tank in any public documents.” But, as IPS admits, IPS has described itself as a “think tank” in various sections of its website, on LinkedIn, and in various public documents, including reports and press releases. Per its corporate bylaws, “The purpose of IPS is to conduct research to produce publications, and to educate the public on important matters of public policy.” Among many other objectives, IPS’ Strategic Plan for 2021-2022 included lobbying activities such as “leveraging public scholarship for social movements with progressives in Congress.”
The United States contends that IPS was ineligible for a Second Draw PPP loan, which it received only after falsely certifying to SBA that it was not primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities.
The settlement stems from allegations originally brought in a lawsuit filed by a whistleblower under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, which allow private parties, known as relators, to bring suit on behalf of the government and to share in any recovery. In connection with today’s announced settlement, the relator will receive 10 percent of the recovery.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Isabella Casillas Guzman, Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julien M. Mundele and Jessica J. Weber of Levy’s Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit handled the matter.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
US v. Institute for Policy Studies - Settlement AgreementTexas Man Sentenced to Twenty Months in Prison for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
Springfield, Ill. – On June 26, 2023, a Texas man, Robert Niffen, 63, was sentenced to 20 months in prison and seven months of supervised release for failing to register as a sex offender in Illinois in violation of 18 U.S.C. §2250(a).
At Niffen’s sentencing hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Lawless found that Niffen absconded from the state of Texas, despite being on parole, and had failed to register or update his registration as a sex offender when he arrived in Pike County, Illinois. Niffen remained in Pike County doing odd jobs and staying with various people. Niffen is required to register as a sex offender as a result of his conviction for aggravated rape in 1981. Niffen previously spent 20 years in a Texas state prison and is required to register as a sex offender for life.
At the sentencing hearing, the government presented evidence that Niffen was arrested after approaching three female minors and offering them marijuana and the use of a hot tub. Local law enforcement was contacted, and Niffen initially presented a fictitious name before running away. Niffen was later caught and arrested. When he was arrested, he was in possession of a small amount of marijuana. Niffen has remained in the custody of the United Marshal since his arrest on June 13, 2022. He pleaded guilty on March 7, 2023.
The statutory penalties for failing to register as a sex offender pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 2250(a) are up to ten years imprisonment, a minimum five-year term of supervised release up to life, and a fine of up to $250,000.
The Barry, Illinois Police Department and United States Marshals Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sierra Senor-Moore represented the government in the prosecution.
The case against Niffen was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. 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.
Texas Man Sentenced to over 2 Years in Federal Prison for Participation in Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A Texas man, who is a citizen of Ghana and the United Kingdom, was sentenced today after being convicted of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge of Headquarters Operations John T. Perez of the Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard of the Homeland Security Investigations Atlanta Field Office made the announcement.
According to court documents, Joshua Roberts, 32, participated in a scheme to conceal the source of proceeds of criminal activity. As part of the scheme, Roberts established a sham company to launder illicit funds from a Business Email Compromise scheme. Business Email Compromise is a sophisticated scam that targets both businesses and individuals who perform legitimate transfer-of-funds requests. The scam is frequently carried out when a subject compromises legitimate business or personal email accounts through social engineering or computer intrusion to conduct unauthorized transfers of funds.
Roberts was sentenced to 2 years and 3 months in federal prison followed by 3 years of supervised release. Roberts was also ordered to pay $831,996.84 in restitution. Roberts’ sentence of imprisonment will run concurrent to a sentence he is serving for related crimes in a case arising out of the Northern District of Georgia. There is no parole in the federal system.
On September 26, 2022, Peggy McDowell Brown, 69, of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, was sentenced to 2 years of probation for her role in the conspiracy. Brown was also ordered to pay $831,996.84 in restitution.
On October 21, 2022, Olajide Samuel Agbaniyaka, 33, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to 3 years and 1 month in federal prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, for his role in the conspiracy. Agbaniyaka was also ordered to pay $1,117,000.54 in restitution.
The case was investigated by the Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Corinne Keel prosecuted the case.
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Suburban Chicago Attorney Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Federal Prison for Bankruptcy FraudRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal judge today sentenced a suburban Chicago attorney to more than three years in prison for fraudulently enabling her brother to conceal more than $357,000 from creditors and the trustee in his bankruptcy case.
JAN R. KOWALSKI was a licensed attorney when she engaged in the fraud scheme in 2018 with her brother, co-defendant ROBERT M. KOWALSKI. When Robert Kowalski filed for bankruptcy, he possessed hundreds of thousands of dollars in cashier’s checks payable to himself but which were the property of his bankruptcy estate. Jan Kowalski helped her brother conceal the cashier’s checks, as well as money orders and other checks, by depositing them into her attorney trust account (IOLTA). She then withdrew a portion of the funds in cash or for use in, among other things, real estate transactions for her brother’s benefit.
When the bankruptcy trustee discovered the IOLTA account activity, Jan Kowalski attempted to conceal the scheme by fabricating documents and making materially false statements to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court. The funds concealed through the fraud scheme have yet to be recovered.
Jan Kowalski, 59, of LaGrange, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to a federal charge of concealing assets from a bankruptcy trustee. In addition to the 37-month prison term, U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Kendall ordered Jan Kowalski to pay $357,492 in restitution.
The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Vincent R. Zehme, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Region of the FDIC’s Office of Inspector General; Machelle L. Jindra, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Inspector General in Chicago; Justin Campbell, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago; Catherine Huber, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Central Region of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General; Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; Andrea Peacock, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Department of the Treasury, Office of Inspector General; Deborah Witzburg, City of Chicago Inspector General; and Kathryn B. Richards, Chicago Housing Authority Inspector General. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Trustee Program. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle Petersen, Brian Netols, and Kristin Pinkston, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Snell.
A jury earlier this year convicted Robert Kowalski for his role in the bankruptcy fraud scheme with his sister, as well as additional embezzlement and tax fraud offenses. Evidence at Robert Kowalski’s trial revealed that Robert Kowalski was a close associate of John Gembara, the former President of Washington Federal Bank for Savings, and that Robert Kowalski played a key role in an embezzlement scheme at the bank. Washington Federal was based in Chicago’s Bridgeport neighborhood until it was closed in December 2017 after the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency determined that the bank was insolvent and had at least $66 million in nonperforming loans.
Robert Kowalski, of Chicago, is awaiting sentencing. Numerous other defendants, including several high-ranking former bank employees, were charged as part of the federal criminal investigation into the failure of Washington Federal.
Substance Use Recovery Center Agrees to Pay $300,000 to Resolve Alleged False Claims Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Recovery Services, LLC, a recovery center that provides outpatient alcohol and drug services in Louisville, Kentucky, agreed to pay $300,000 to resolve civil allegations that it violated the False Claims Act, a federal law that prohibits causing the submission of false or fraudulent claims to the federal government.
According to the settlement agreement, the United States alleged that Recovery Services, formerly known as Recovery Chestnut, billed Kentucky Medicaid for urine drug screens for patients who did not receive individualized medical assessments. Kentucky Medicaid only pays for urine drug screens that are individualized to each patient for their medical diagnosis or treatment. The United States also alleged that Recovery Services billed Kentucky Medicaid for urine drug screens for residential patients, despite only being licensed to provide outpatient services. Kentucky Medicaid does not pay for residential services, including urine drug screens, performed by outpatient providers.
The United States encourages anyone with information about the improper billing of urine drug testing, or about other potential fraud, abuse, or mismanagement of Medicare or Medicaid funds, to please call the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ hotline at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The case against Recovery Services was investigated by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; and the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office of Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Control. Assistant United States Attorney Meghan Stubblebine represented the United States.
The settlement resolves claims alleged by the United States; there has been no determination of liability.
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St. Louis Man Accused of Firebombing HomeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis, Missouri has been accused of using a Molotov cocktail to firebomb a St. Louis home last year.
Marcus Reece, 31, was indicted in April on one felony count of damaging or destroying a building by fire and one felony count of possession of an unregistered destructive device. He was arrested June 22 and on Tuesday ordered held in jail until trial.
The indictment accuses Reece of possession of a Molotov cocktail on March 19, 2022 and attempting to damage or destroy a home in the 3700 block of Minnesota Avenue on the same date. A motion seeking to detain Reece in jail says he threw Molotov cocktails at the victim’s home after a dispute over a parking space.
Reece pleaded not guilty June 22 to both charges. Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The damaging by fire charge is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or both, and the unregistered destructive device charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Ware is prosecuting the case.
Springfield Man Sentenced for Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Springfield man was sentenced today for fentanyl distribution.
Christian Camacho, 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to six months in prison and three years of supervised release. In November 2022, Camacho pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
On or about March 30, 2022, in Hampden County, Camacho knowingly possessed 40 grams or more of fentanyl intended for distribution. Additionally, at the time of his arrest, Camacho was found in possession of more than 129 grams of fentanyl laced with heroin packaged for distribution in more than 8,000 bags as well as $14,282 cash.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in New England; and Springfield Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd E. Newhouse of Levy’s Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Six Wolf Point residents sentenced to prison for roles in kidnapping, assault of girl on Fort Peck Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — Six Wolf Point residents convicted in the kidnapping and assault of a girl on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in 2021 were sentenced this month to prison terms for their roles in the attack, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
All six of the defendants pleaded guilty earlier to kidnapping an individual under 18. All defendants initially faced a mandatory minimum of 20 years to life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release. At the time of their sentencing hearings, however, they were eligible for sentences below the mandatory minimum.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
“This case is every parent’s worst nightmare. A Native American girl was lured out of her home, beaten, kidnapped, and left for dead in an open field on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said. “Our office stands with the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women’s movement, seeking to ensure that Native women and girls are protected and that perpetrators of crimes like these are held accountable. I would like to personally thank law enforcement and the Fort Peck community for their help and quick actions. Without their efforts, this case easily could have resulted in the senseless death of a child on the reservation.”
Today, the court sentenced Patti Jo Annunciata Mail, 23, the sixth and remaining defendant, to 42 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release.
The government requested a sentence of 168 months for Mail. The sentencing guideline range for Mail was 87 months to 108 months.
Co-defendant Cheri Cruz Granbois, 21, was sentenced on June 15, and co-defendants Dylan Troy Jackson, 20; Elmarie Amelia Weeks, 22; Kaylee Jade Jackson 19; and Lavanchie Patricia Goodbird, 30, were sentenced on June 14.
The five co-defendants were sentenced as follows:
- Cheri Cruz Granbois was sentenced to 58 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The government requested a sentence of 185 months in prison, which was within Granbois’ guideline range of 168 months to 210 months.
- Dylan Jackson was sentenced to 55 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The government requested a sentence of 180 months in prison for Dylan Jackson, whose sentencing guideline range was 108 months to 135 months.
- Elmarie Amelia Weeks was sentenced to 49 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The government requested a sentence of 170 months for Weeks, whose sentencing guideline range was 108 months to 135 months.
- Kaylee Jade Jackson was sentenced to 45 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The government requested a sentence of 160 months in prison for Kaylee Jackson, whose sentencing guideline range was 87 months to 108 months in prison.
- Lavanchie Patricia Goodbird, 30, was sentenced to 41 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The government requested a sentence of 140 months in prison for Goodbird, whose sentencing guideline range was 108 months to 135 months.
The government alleged in court documents that on Sept. 15, 2021, Granbois, seeking revenge on the victim, a 15-year-old identified as Jane Doe, recruited others to help him exact that end. Saying the victim had wronged him, Granbois paid Kaylee Jackson money to lure Jane Doe outside of her house in Wolf Point so she could be assaulted. That evening, after drinking, Goodbird drove the group to the victim’s house. When Jane Doe came out, the situation escalated. Some of the individuals in the group assaulted the victim in her front yard. When eyewitnesses yelled that they were going to call the police, some of individuals forced Jane Doe into the vehicle and drove her to a vacant field where the assault continued.
The government alleged that during the assault, Granbois directed others as to when and who could assault the victim and directed others to take items from Jane Doe, including a cell phone that could have been used to report the kidnapping. An eyewitness to the assault in the field described the victim screaming and then going silent. The eyewitness thought Jane Doe had been murdered. The victim suffered serious injuries.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan G. Weldon and Wendy A. Johnson prosecuted the case. The FBI, Fort Peck Law Enforcement, Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office and Wolf Point Police Department conducted the investigation.
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Ringleader Sentenced in Immigration Scheme that Offered Fake MarriagesRead the Press Release
Huntsville, Ala. – A federal judge today sentenced a Huntsville man for conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and submit fraudulent immigration documents, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, Homeland Security Investigations Acting Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services District Director Denise M. Frazier.
U.S. District Court Judge Liles C. Burke sentenced Preston Olantunji Augustus, 73, to 27 months in prison. In March, Augustus pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and submit fraudulent documents related to immigration status.
According to the plea agreement, Augustus operated a business, ISE-Interlink located in Huntsville, AL, which purported to provide placement for international students into professional programs to pursue university study or professional career placement. However, according to the indictment and the plea agreement, between November 2016 and August 2021, Augustus, and his co-conspirators Lucretia Bibbs, 44, of Huntsville and Shawnieque Wells, 29, of Huntsville and others participated in a scheme to recruit and pay United States citizens (USC) to engage in fraudulent marriages with non-United States Citizens (non-USC) so that the non-USC could obtain legal status in the United States and ultimately U.S. citizenship. The defendants also assisted with the preparation of documents to be submitted to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) regarding the marriage, to include directing participants to fraudulently represent that they were residing together as spouses, when in fact, they did not reside together as spouses and had no intention of residing together.
HSI investigated the case along with the USCIS. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Russell E. Penfield and John M. Hundscheid prosecuted the case.
Redondo Beach Woman Found Guilty of Leading $24 Million Scam that Billed Medicare for Unnecessary Medical Equipment and RepairsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A South Bay woman was found guilty today of nearly two dozen felonies for billing Medicare more than $24 million by submitting fraudulent claims for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment – mostly power wheelchairs (PWC) – and PWC repairs, many of which were never performed.
Tamara Yvonne Motley, 54, a.k.a. “Tamara Ogembe,” of Redondo Beach, was found guilty by a federal jury of 20 counts of health care fraud, two counts of aggravated identity theft, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Following the reading of the guilty verdicts, United States District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr. remanded Motley into custody.
According to evidence presented at her five-day trial, from July 2006 to August 2014, Motley was the de facto owner of the Hawthorne-based Action Medical Equipment and Supplies. From January 2013 to November 2016, Motley was the de facto owner of the Ventura-based Kaja Medical Equipment & Supply. Both companies were enrolled with Medicare in the names of Motley’s out-of-state relatives.
Motley orchestrated a scheme in which she paid marketers for patient referrals and then directed them to take patients to corrupt physicians, who prescribed medically unnecessary durable medical equipment, such as PWCs, that Motley’s companies used to submit fraudulent bills to Medicare.
In January 2011, when Medicare changed the reimbursement rules for PWCs to make the upfront payments less lucrative to suppliers, Action switched to billing Medicare for PWC repairs, and continued that scheme at Kaja once Action was shut down. These repairs were not medically necessary because the patients did not need the PWCs to begin with, were not needed to make the PWCs serviceable in any event, and often simply were not performed. These repairs were expensive – often billed for $3000-$4000 – and accounted for nearly half of Action’s billings and almost all of Kaja’s.
Over an eight-year period, Action billed Medicare more than $18.2 million for DME – most for PWCs, but also for PWC accessories, knee braces and back braces – and the repair or replacement of PWCs. Medicare paid Action nearly $10.3 million.
Between July 2013 and November 2016, Kaja billed Medicare $6.3 million, primarily for PWC repairs. Medicare paid Kaja approximately $2.8 million for those claims.
Judge Blumenfeld scheduled an October 3 sentencing hearing, at which time Motley will face up to 10 years in federal prison for each health care fraud count, up to 20 years in federal prison for the money laundering conspiracy count, and a mandatory sentence of two years in federal prison consecutive to the other sentences for the aggravated identity theft counts.
Two other defendants have been convicted in this case:
- Cynthia Karina Marquez, 47, of Paramount, who worked as an office manager at both Action and Kaja, pleaded guilty in December 2019 to two counts of making false statements affecting a health care program. She received a time-served sentence, was placed on supervised release for three years, and was ordered to pay $9,886,646 in restitution.
- Juan Roberto Murillo, 46, of Montebello, who worked at both medical supply companies as a repair technician, pleaded guilty in November 2019 to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. He was sentenced to three years’ probation and was ordered to pay $2,504,119 in restitution.
The United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; the FBI; and the California Department of Justice investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kristen A. Williams and David H. Chao of the Major Frauds Section are prosecuting this case.
Recording Artist Casanova Sentenced to 188 Months in Prison for Gang-Related Racketeering and Narcotics OffensesRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that recording artist CASWELL SENIOR, a/k/a “Casanova,” was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Philip M. Halpern to 188 months in prison for racketeering and narcotics offenses arising out of his leadership role in the Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation Bloods Gang (“Gorilla Stone”). As part of the racketeering conspiracy, SENIOR participated in a shooting in Florida on July 5, 2020, and a robbery in New York City on August 5, 2018, and conspired to traffic over 100 kilograms of marijuana.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Caswell Senior is not just a notorious recording artist, but he is also a high-profile leader of a vicious street gang and a magnet for gang violence. At a crowded Miami house party, Senior personally fired a gun that seriously injured and could have killed a victim, inciting a shootout. Further, Senior’s stature in the community was central to Gorilla Stone’s successful recruitment and nationwide expansion. Today’s sentencing — along with the other significant sentences that have been imposed in this case — shows once again that gang life is not worth it and will lead to many years in prison.”
According to the Indictment, public court filings, and statements made in court:
Since at least 2004, Gorilla Stone has been a brutally violent street gang with a national presence that was founded by SENIOR’s co-defendant Dwight Reid, a/k/a “Dick Wolf.” Gorilla Stone has many members across New York State, including throughout New York City, Westchester, and the New York State Prison System, and all over the country — such as in Florida, where SENIOR engaged in substantial criminal conduct. Gorilla Stone is comprised of various sets (or “Caves,” as they are called by gang members). Gorilla Stone is a highly organized and efficient street gang with an organizational commitment to violence that strictly enforces its internal laws.
SENIOR’s Gorilla Stone co-defendants were charged with a host of crimes committed in furtherance of their joint enterprise. Some of the charges against Gorilla Stone members include racketeering conspiracy, various frauds, a large-scale narcotics conspiracy that SENIOR actively participated in, myriad firearms offenses, and numerous acts of violence, including a daytime murder of a juvenile in the middle of a Poughkeepsie street; multiple attempted murders and shootings, including two in Florida in which SENIOR was involved; a gunpoint drug-related robbery; and a brutal slashing.
For over a decade, SENIOR participated in and was associated with the Gorilla Stone racketeering conspiracy. SENIOR was a powerful, respected, high-profile member of the gang. SENIOR admitted that he was an organizer or leader of a criminal activity that involved five or more participants. SENIOR joined the gang while incarcerated over a decade ago and has remained an active member ever since, including upon his release from custody from a prior case in 2013.
As part of the racketeering activity, on or about July 5, 2020, while in Florida for a gang member’s birthday, SENIOR shot a gun at a gang member with whom he was having a gambling dispute, hitting one gang member in the leg/calf area and a second, different gang member in the foot when the bullet ricocheted. A victim suffered serious bodily injury because of the shooting and was treated at a Miami-area hospital for a gunshot wound to the foot. Thereafter, other party attendees, including a member of Gorilla Stone, discharged multiple firearms.
Additionally, as part of an August 5, 2018, robbery at a Manhattan diner that SENIOR participated in, a victim was restrained and suffered serious bodily injury. The robbery started when SENIOR appeared to believe that a female victim took a photo of him from the booth where the victim was sitting. SENIOR then proceeded to forcefully take the victim’s cellphone. SENIOR’s gang member associate then came up behind the victim and put her in a headlock until she fell to the floor unconscious from lack of oxygen.
SENIOR further agreed to traffic at least 100 kilograms of marijuana. During an approximately nine-month period, SENIOR was responsible for distributing between 100 kilograms and 400 kilograms of his personally branded “2x” marijuana.
* * *
SENIOR, 36, of Montville, New Jersey, previously pled guilty on May 11, 2022, before Judge Halpern to one count of conspiring to conduct and participate in the conduct of the affairs of a criminal enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity and one count of conspiring to distribute over 100 kilograms of marijuana. In addition to the prison term, SENIOR was sentenced to four years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $50,000.
SENIOR is the 12th defendant in the Gorilla Stone case to have been sentenced. The 11 other defendants who have been sentenced by Judge Halpern are:
- DONAVAN GILLARD, a/k/a “Donnie Love,” who was sentenced to 248 months in prison;
- NAYA AUSTIN, a/k/a “Baby,” who was sentenced to 234 months in prison;
- JARRETT CRISLER, Jr., a/k/a “Jayecee,” who was sentenced to 207 months in prison;
- BRANDON NIEVES, a/k/a “Untouchable Dot,” who was sentenced to 110 months in prison;
- JAMAL TRENT, a/k/a “Trap Smoke,” who was sentenced to nine years in prison;
- DEZON WASHINGTON, a/k/a “Blakk,” who was sentenced to 97 months in prison;
- ROBERTA SLIGH, a/k/a “Trouble,” who was sentenced to eight years in prison;
- JORDAN INGRAM, a/k/a “Flow,” who was sentenced to eight years in prison;
- STEPHEN HUGH, a/k/a “Chino,” who was sentenced to seven years in prison;
- ISAIAH SANTOS, a/k/a “Zay,” who was sentenced to seven years in prison; and
- SHANAY OUTLAW, a/k/a “Easy,” who was sentenced to three years in prison.
Five additional defendants have pled guilty and are awaiting sentencing: DESHAWN THOMAS, a/k/a “Don,” AHMED WALKER, a/k/a “Ammo,” BRANDON SOTO, a/k/a “Stacks,” ROBERT WOODS, a/k/a “Blakk Rob,” and BRINAE THORNTON, a/k/a “Luxury.”
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force, which is comprised of special agents and task force officers from the FBI, U.S. Probation, New York State Police, New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, New York City Police Department, Westchester County Police Department, Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, Rockland District Attorney’s Office, and the Yonkers, New Rochelle, Mount Vernon, Greenburgh, White Plains, Peekskill, Ramapo, and Clarkstown Police Departments.
This case is being prosecuted by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shiva H. Logarajah, David R. Felton, and Courtney L. Heavey are in charge of the prosecution.
Readout of Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke’s Trip to South CarolinaRead the Press Release
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division traveled to Columbia and Charleston, South Carolina on June 23 and June 24 to continue the division’s tour to engage with stakeholders in underserved communities and reaffirm the department’s commitment to protecting the civil rights of all Americans.
On Thursday, Assistant Attorney General Clarke and U.S. Attorney Adair Ford Boroughs for the District of South Carolina visited Turn 90, a non-profit organization in Columbia that is dedicated to assisting individuals who have been recently released from incarceration by providing life skills and job training to participants, including paid work in the organization’s screen-printing shop. They also toured the facility and spoke to program participants, who explained that Turn 90 provided a family-like atmosphere and described the programming as essential for preventing recidivism upon release from custody.
In the afternoon, she met with the staff of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina and thanked the office’s leadership and staff for their service and continued commitment to protecting the civil rights of all Americans.
Assistant Attorney General Clarke and U.S. Attorney Boroughs participated in a community conversation at Bible Way Church of Atlas Road in Columbia with over 40 community leaders and residents from across the state. During the meeting, community members raised concerns about local civil rights issues including education, disability rights, conditions of jails and prisons, and hate crimes and hate incidents.
In the evening, Assistant Attorney General Clarke spoke at the 2023 Emanuel Nine Humanitarian Awards program hosted by Mother Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston to honor the nine individuals who tragically lost their lives on June 17, 2015 to white supremacist violence. During the event, nine honorees from the greater Charleston community were awarded for their work to embody the values of the Emanual Nine. Read her full remarks here.
On Friday, Assistant Attorney General Clarke attended the opening ceremony for the International African American Museum, which is dedicated to telling the story of the significant role that Charleston played in the international slave trade. According to some estimates, over 80 percent of all Black people in the United States can trace their lineage to slave ships that docked in Charleston. The museum’s exhibits document this history and highlights the contributions that these enslaved people and their ancestors provided to the United States. Federal, state, and local officials gave remarks during the ceremony, which also featured a number of musical and other artistic performances.
Assistant Attorney General Clarke concluded her visit to South Carolina with a tour by U.S. District Court Judge Richard Gergel of the “Four Corners of Justice,” a historic intersection in Charleston that is the site of several state and federal buildings, including the courtroom where Justice Thurgood Marshall argued Briggs v. Elliot. Briggs was one of the four cases consolidated with Brown v. Board of Education. While the plaintiff lost the Briggs case, the dissent from Judge Julius Waties Waring, after whom the federal courthouse is now named, influenced the Supreme Court’s ultimate holding striking down the “separate but equal” doctrine.
Ravenna CPA Sentenced for Embezzling More Than $1 Million from Employer and Submitting False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – Michael Harman, 46, of Ravenna, Ohio, was sentenced yesterday to 43 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Solomon Oliver, Jr. after Harman pleaded guilty to a six-count information that charged him with wire fraud, making and subscribing false tax returns, and money laundering. Harman was also ordered to pay restitution of $1,081,875.10 to the victim, Geis Company, and $227,638 to the IRS.
According to court documents, Harman was a Certified Public Accountant and was employed as a controller with his employer. As a controller, some of Harman’s responsibilities included processing payroll adjustments. From 2016 to August 2020, Harman devised a scheme to embezzle more than $1 million from his employer and used the funds for personal use, including child support payments in the State of New York and moving expenses. Harman executed the scheme by using a series of unauthorized wire transfers, fictitious checks, and fraudulent charges on his employer’s credit cards.
In addition, Harman failed to report income earned from the scheme on his tax returns for the tax years 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019.
This case was investigated by the Cleveland FBI, Akron Resident Agency and IRS Criminal Investigation (CI). This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian M. McDonough and Aaron P. Howell.
Poway Man Hid Mother’s Death for 30 Years, Stole More than $800,000 in Government Benefits Intended for HerRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – June 27, 2023
SAN DIEGO – Donald Felix Zampach of Poway pleaded guilty in federal court today to money laundering and social security fraud, admitting that he fraudulently concealed his mother’s death for decades and that he received and then laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars in government benefits intended for her, that should have ceased upon her death.
According to his plea agreement, Zampach’s mother died in Japan in 1990, and at the time of her death she was receiving a widow’s pension from the Social Security Administration and an annuity from the Department of Defense Finance Accounting Service. Just before his mother’s death, Zampach fraudulently conveyed her Poway home and filed for Chapter 7 personal bankruptcy, disclosing neither his ownership of the Poway home nor the government benefits payments he was receiving. After his mother’s death, Zampach maintained her bank accounts, forged her signature on certificates of eligibility to keep her government benefits in pay, and filed forged federal income tax returns, posing as his mother, for over two decades.
Zampach admitted that between November 1990 and September 2022, he received at least $830,238 in stolen public money intended for his mother. Zampach also admitted to using his mother’s identity to fraudulently open credit accounts with at least nine different financial institutions, causing them to suffer a loss of more than $28,000. Zampach admitted to laundering the stolen money to pay off the mortgage on his Poway home, in order to conceal both his ownership of the Poway home and the fact that the money he used constituted criminal proceeds of his fraud.
Under the terms of his plea agreement, Zampach has agreed to pay more than $830,000 in criminal forfeiture, including the forfeiture of his Poway home to make restitution for his crimes.
“This crime is believed to be the longest-running and largest fraud of its kind in this district,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “This defendant didn’t just passively collect checks mailed to his deceased mother. This was an elaborate fraud spanning more than three decades that required aggressive action and deceit to maintain the ruse. He filed false income tax returns, posed as his mother and signed her name to many documents, and when investigators caught up to him, he continued to claim she was still alive. As a result of this fraud, he received more than $800,000 in stolen public money. For his deceit, he will face justice.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team and investigating agencies for their diligence.
“For more than three decades, Mr. Zampach failed to report the death of his mother to the Social Security Administration (SSA) and used more than $250,000 in benefits for himself,” said Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General for SSA. “We will continue to pursue and hold those accountable who defraud SSA. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey D. Hill for prosecuting this case.”
“Mr. Zampach's guilty plea is an acknowledgement of his decades-long identity theft scheme in which he benefited financially from the theft of Department of Defense (DoD) and Social Security retirement benefits,” said DoD Inspector General Robert P. Storch. “The DoD Office of Inspector General, through the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, stands together with our law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice to hold accountable those who choose to engage in beneficiary fraud, particularly as it relates to the DoD.”
Zampach was released on bail pending his sentencing hearing, which is scheduled before U.S. District Judge Cathy Ann Bencivengo on September 20, 2023, at 9:00 a.m.
DEFENDANT Case Number 23cr1268-CAB
Donald Felix Zampach Age: 65 Poway, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Money Laundering – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1956(a)(1)(B)(i)
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $500,000 fine
Social Security Fraud – Title 42, U.S.C. Section 408(a)(4)
Maximum penalty: Five years in prison and $250,000 fine
AGENCIES
Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General
Department of Defense – Office of the Inspector General – Defense Criminal Investigative Service
Pittsburgh Woman and Detroit Man Indicted on Fraud Conspiracy and Bank Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Pittsburgh and a resident of Detroit, Michigan, have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of Fraud Conspiracy and Bank Fraud, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
The ten-count Indictment named Matthew Lloyd Parker, Jr., age 36, of Detroit, MI, and Virginia R. Humphries, age 35, of Pittsburgh, PA.
According to Indictment, between March 2020 and August 2021, Parker and Humphries defrauded the Small Business Administration and lenders of over $14,000,000 million dollars in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. Parker, a licensed CPA from Detroit, Michigan, and Humphries, a credit repair specialist in Pittsburgh, recruited hundreds of small businesses in Pittsburgh and Detroit and falsified PPP loan applications of which the SBA approved 226 applications, resulting in loans totaling approximately $14.5 million to businesses, the largest known PPP fraud in the Western District of Pennsylvania.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 50 years in prison, a fine of $1,250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Postal Inspection Services and Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Pineville Woman Indicted for Killing Unborn Child of Kidnapping VictimRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Pineville, Mo., woman who was previously indicted for the kidnapping and murder of a pregnant Arkansas woman now faces an additional charge of killing her victim’s unborn child.
Amber Waterman, 43, and her husband, Jamie Waterman, 43, were charged in a three-count superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo. Today’s superseding indictment replaces an indictment returned on Nov. 16, 2022, and includes an additional charge against Amber Waterman. The Watermans remain in federal custody.
Amber Waterman is charged with one count of kidnapping resulting in death. The indictment alleges that, between Oct. 31 and Nov. 2, 2022, Amber Waterman kidnapped Ashley Bush in order to claim her unborn child as her own. She allegedly transported Ashley Bush from Maysville, Arkansas, to Pineville. The indictment alleges the kidnapping resulted in Bush’s death.
Today’s superseding indictment also alleges, in a new count, that Amber Waterman thereby caused the death of a child in utero.
Jamie Waterman is charged with one count of being an accessory after the fact to kidnapping resulting in death. The indictment alleges that he assisted Amber Waterman, in order to hinder and prevent her apprehension, trial, and punishment, knowing she had committed the offense of kidnapping resulting in death.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie L. Wan and James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the FBI, the Benton County, Ark., Sheriff’s Department, and the McDonald County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department in conjunction with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Arkansas and the Benton County, Ark., Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
Pennsylvania Man Indicted for Meth Trafficking, Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Pennsylvania man who was stopped on Interstate 44 with 80 pounds of methamphetamine in his vehicle was indicted by a federal grand jury today for drug trafficking and illegally possessing a firearm.
Devion K.J. Boykin, 26, was charged in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Boykin on May 30, 2023, and includes an additional firearms charge.
The federal indictment alleges that Boykin was in possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute on May 28, 2023. Boykin is also charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, Boykin was driving a silver 2022 Ford Explorer when he was stopped on Interstate 44 near the overpass of Missouri 37 by a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper on May 28, 2023. Boykin, who was driving a vehicle that had been rented to another person, did not have a driver’s license.
When the trooper opened the rear cargo door of the Explorer, he saw a black Versace shopping bag that contained 10 quart-sized bags, each of which contained approximately a pound of methamphetamine. The trooper unzipped a suitcase and saw 70 quart-sized bags, each of which contained approximately a pound of methamphetamine. In total, the suitcase and shopping bag contained approximately 80 pounds of methamphetamine.
The indictment alleges that Boykin also was in possession of a Glock 9mm pistol on the day of the traffic stop.
Boykin told investigators he was traveling from Phoenix, Arizona, to Erie, Pennsylvania.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Eatmon. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Panama City Man on State Probation for Passing Counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes Pleads Guilty to Manufacturing Counterfeit Federal Reserve NotesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Neal Evan Pollman (42, Panama City) has pleaded guilty to manufacturing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. Pollman faces up to 20 years in federal prison and payment of restitution to the victims he defrauded. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents and public records, in 2022, Pollman entered various businesses in Brevard, Clay, Duval, and Seminole counties and purchased gift cards, food, and merchandise using counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. Law enforcement subsequently determined that Pollman and his co-defendant, Lyndsey Rhea Markland (41, Panama City), were staying at a hotel in the City of Palm Bay. In November 2022, the Palm Bay Police Department (PBPD) executed a search warrant at their hotel room and located Markland inside the room. Also located in the room was approximately $30,000 in counterfeit currency and a printer, along with other tools used to manufacture counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. Shortly after the execution of the search warrant, the PBPD located Pollman in the vicinity of the hotel and arrested him. When the officers searched Pollman they recovered various counterfeit Federal Reserve notes on him which were traced back to his manufacturing activities. During a subsequent forensic examination of Pollman’s cellphone, law enforcement located images of Federal Reserve notes that Pollman used to manufacture the counterfeit currency.
Pollman and Markland appeared in federal court on April 27, 2023, pursuant to writs bringing them to Jacksonville from the Bay County Jail in Florida, where they are serving jail sentences for violating state probation on multiple charges related to passing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. The Court ordered Pollman and Markland detained pending trial.
On June 8, 2023, Markland pleaded guilty to four counts of passing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. She faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each count and payment of restitution to the victims she defrauded. Her sentencing is set for September 25, 2023.
This case was investigated by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Palm Bay Police Department, the Orange Park Police Department, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Secret Service - Jacksonville Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
New Milford Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Tax OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MELISSA PEZZOLO, 66, of New Milford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to 13 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for tax offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, for nearly 20 years, Pezzolo was employed as the office manager and bookkeeper for a nursery and landscaping services company in Bethel. Pezzolo was responsible for managing the company’s books and invoices, paying the company’s bills, and handling the company’s payroll and employment tax obligations. She also was responsible for coordinating with the company’s tax return preparer who prepared the yearly filed corporate tax returns.
Beginning in or before 2014 and continuing through 2018, Pezzolo willfully failed to file any employment tax returns (Forms 941) and failed to make any related payments of withholding taxes on behalf of the company. Nevertheless, she continued to distribute paychecks to employees that withheld employees’ income and FICA taxes. She accounted for the withholdings on the employees’ annual W-2 forms, which she continued to issue, though she did not provide the W-2 forms or pay the related withholding taxes to the IRS or the Social Security Administration. She also failed to pay the company’s own share of FICA taxes.
With respect to her own withholdings, Pezzolo neither withheld nor paid her withholding taxes to the IRS, nor issued herself any W-2 forms between approximately 2010 and 2018.
Pezzolo also has admitted that she stole more than $400,000 from her employer by giving herself raises that were not authorized and by paying personal expenses using the company’s corporate bank account and company credit card.
Judge Bolden ordered Pezzolo to pay to the IRS restitution of $1,329,314, which reflects $1,170,992 in unpaid company payroll taxes and $158,322 in unpaid personal income taxes for the 2014 through 2018 tax years.
On January 17, 2023, Pezzolo pleaded guilty to one count of willful failure to collect or pay over tax, and one count of tax evasion of assessment.
Pezzolo, who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on August 1.
This investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elena L. Coronado and Christopher W. Schmeisser.
Moriarty Man Sentenced for Scheme to Defraud the United StatesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today that Milton Boutte was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay $1,210,000 in restitution. A federal jury convicted Boutte, 77, of Moriarty, New Mexico, of conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to commit wire fraud on June 27, 2022.
Beginning in 2004, Boutte, who was then the Director of the Big Crow Program Office at Kirtland Air Force Base, conspired with others to pay lobbyists, consultants and contractors with funds fraudulently obtained from the United States. Boutte conspired with George Lowe, a lobbyist, and Joe Diaz and Arturo Vargas, owners of Miratek and Vartek, two minority-owned small businesses that had sole-source contracts with the Big Crow Program Office. The conspirators disguised the nature of the claims for lobbying services provided by Lowe as well as other unauthorized subcontracts and expenditures. The Big Crow Program Office was not authorized to lobby or to expend appropriated funds for lobbying activities under the contracts.
Over the course of the conspiracy, Miratek and Vartek received approximately $8.4 million from the government. Of that amount, Boutte required those small businesses to pay nearly $4.1 million to lobbyists, consultants and contractors that Boutte had retained. Of that sum, Miratek and Vartek diverted more than $900,000 to Lowe, and another government contractor paid Lowe an additional $300,000.
Boutte and his co-conspirators were charged in a 46-count indictment on Nov. 28, 2017, with conspiracy to defraud the United States with respect to claims, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, fraud against the United States, and false, fictitious or fraudulent claims. Lowe, Diaz, and Vargas each pleaded guilty previously. The four conspirators were ordered to pay more than $1.2 million in restitution, with Vargas to contribute up to $398,027, Diaz to contribute up to $910,000, and Lowe and Boutte liable for the full amount.
“The United States Attorney's Office is committed to protecting the integrity of our federal agencies and your tax dollars,” said U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez. “I want to thank the dedicated investigators and prosecutors who worked on this case. Their hard work and dedication led to these convictions and sentences."
“The sentencing should serve as a stark reminder that our agents, and those of our partner law enforcement agencies, are relentless in their pursuit of those who choose to defraud the government,” said Special Agent-in-Charge L. Scott Moreland, of the Department of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Major Procurement Fraud Field Office.
The case was investigated by the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division Major Procurement Fraud Field Office, Defense Criminal Investigations Services, Defense Contract Audit Agency – Investigative Support, U.S. Small Business Administration Office – Office of Inspector General, and General Services Administration – Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy S. Vasquez and Jeremy Peña are prosecuting the case.
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Moriarty Man Sentenced for Scheme to Defraud the United StatesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today that Milton Boutte was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay $1,210,000 in restitution. A federal jury convicted Boutte, 77, of Moriarty, New Mexico, of conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to commit wire fraud on June 27, 2022.
Beginning in 2004, Boutte, who was then the Director of the Big Crow Program Office at Kirtland Air Force Base, conspired with others to pay lobbyists, consultants and contractors with funds fraudulently obtained from the United States. Boutte conspired with George Lowe, a lobbyist, and Joe Diaz and Arturo Vargas, owners of Miratek and Vartek, two minority-owned small businesses that had sole-source contracts with the Big Crow Program Office. The conspirators disguised the nature of the claims for lobbying services provided by Lowe as well as other unauthorized subcontracts and expenditures. The Big Crow Program Office was not authorized to lobby or to expend appropriated funds for lobbying activities under the contracts.
Over the course of the conspiracy, Miratek and Vartek received approximately $8.4 million from the government. Of that amount, Boutte required those small businesses to pay nearly $4.1 million to lobbyists, consultants and contractors that Boutte had retained. Of that sum, Miratek and Vartek diverted more than $900,000 to Lowe, and another government contractor paid Lowe an additional $300,000.
Boutte and his co-conspirators were charged in a 46-count indictment on Nov. 28, 2017, with conspiracy to defraud the United States with respect to claims, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, fraud against the United States, and false, fictitious or fraudulent claims. Lowe, Diaz, and Vargas each pleaded guilty previously. The four conspirators were ordered to pay more than $1.2 million in restitution, with Vargas to contribute up to $398,027, Diaz to contribute up to $910,000, and Lowe and Boutte liable for the full amount.
“The United States Attorney's Office is committed to protecting the integrity of our federal agencies and your tax dollars,” said U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez. “I want to thank the dedicated investigators and prosecutors who worked on this case. Their hard work and dedication led to these convictions and sentences."
“The sentencing should serve as a stark reminder that our agents, and those of our partner law enforcement agencies, are relentless in their pursuit of those who choose to defraud the government,” said Special Agent-in-Charge L. Scott Moreland, of the Department of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Major Procurement Fraud Field Office.
The case was investigated by the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division Major Procurement Fraud Field Office, Defense Criminal Investigations Services, Defense Contract Audit Agency – Investigative Support, U.S. Small Business Administration Office – Office of Inspector General, and General Services Administration – Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy S. Vasquez and Jeremy Peña are prosecuting the case.
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Montana Man Sentenced for Trafficking Golden Eagle FeathersRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Viken has sentenced a Hardin, Montana, man convicted of three counts of violating the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. The sentencing took place on June 26, 2023.
Harvey Hugs, age 59, was sentenced to three years in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $300. Hugs was also ordered to pay $70,000 in restitution for the 14 juvenile eagles that he killed.
Hugs was indicted by a federal grand jury in May of 2022. He was found guilty following a jury trial on February 14, 2023.
The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act makes it a crime for anyone to take, sell, purchase, and barter, bald and golden eagles and any parts and feathers of eagles. In February of 2020, Montana authorities received information that Hugs, who had been convicted of trafficking in eagles in 2012, was again involved in trafficking golden eagle feathers. Between August 20, 2020, and November 3, 2020, law enforcement utilized recorded phone calls and text messages in which Hugs offered to sell various eagle feathers. On two separate occasions, Hugs knowingly sold golden eagle tails for several hundred dollars each. On a third occasion, Hugs sold a set of golden eagle wings and a gold eagle tail for $1,000. For each sale Hugs mailed the golden eagle feathers to South Dakota and requested that the payment be wired to him, under his daughter’s name, in Montana.
A search warrant was executed at Hugs’ Montana home on March 3, 2021, where multiple items, including several eagle tails and wings, were seized. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Forensics Lab in Ashland, Oregon was able to determine that items seized from Hugs’ home genetically matched items Hugs sold and shipped to South Dakota during this case. In total, 14 juvenile eagles were genetically identified from the items seized.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Montana Game and Fish Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.
Hugs was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Missouri Husband and Wife Admit Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A married couple from Jefferson County, Missouri on Tuesday pleaded guilty to federal charges and admitted possessing and sharing child pornography with each other.
David John Dohrman, 52, and Jacquelin Michelle Dohrman, 48, each pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Catherine D. Perry to a felony charge of possession of child pornography.
The investigation began when David Dohrman sent a video containing child sexual abuse material to his wife on Oct. 1, 2020, resulting in a tip from Facebook to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. A St. Louis County Police Department detective followed up and obtained a court-approved search warrant for the Dohrman’s home. David Dohrman admitted sending the video to his wife and admitted searching for and downloading child pornography, his plea agreement says. Investigators uncovered child pornography on cell phones belonging to the couple, as well as chats containing more child pornography and a discussion of a young girl they’d seen in a restaurant.
The Dohrmans are scheduled to be sentenced October 5. The charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or both.
The St. Louis County Police Department, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Mescalero Man Pleads Guilty to Assault on Federal OfficerRead 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 that Jeremy Daniel Dennis pled guilty to assault on a federal officer in Indian Country. Dennis, 43, of Mescalero, and an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
According to court documents, on Dec. 25, 2022, Dennis assaulted a BIA Officer conducting a welfare check on him by hitting and kicking the officer, wrestling the officer to the ground, and rubbing pepper spray in the officer’s face. The incident occurred in Otero County, New Mexico, within the bounds of the Mescalero Apache Reservation.
At sentencing, Dennis faces up to 8 years in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant United States Attorney Eliot Neal is prosecuting the case.
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Mescalero Man Pleads Guilty to AssaultRead the Press Release
of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Dennett Jerome Chee pled guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury in Indian Country. Chee, 37, of Mescalero. and an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
A federal grand jury indicted Chee on Jan. 10. According to the indictment and other court records, in May of 2022, Chee assaulted a victim, identified as John Doe, in Otero County, New Mexico, on the Mescalero Apache reservation. The assault resulted in serious bodily injury to John Doe.
At sentencing, Chee faces up to 10 years in prison.
The FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Eliot Neal is prosecuting the case.
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Merrillville Man Sentenced to 102 in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Phillip Carter, Jr., 32 years old, of Merrillville, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting the making of false statements to acquire firearms, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Carter was sentenced to 102 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in April 2021, Carter provided another individual money to purchase two pistols for him from a federally licensed firearms dealer. As a convicted felon, Carter was unable to purchase firearms himself and he knew that the other individual would have to lie in order to purchase the pistols for him. During the investigation, it was determined that Carter had another individual buy up to 24 firearms for him. Carter’s prior felony convictions, which include being a felon in possession of a firearm and discharging a firearm, prohibit him purchasing and possessing the firearms in this case.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of the LaPorte County Drug Task Force and the Michigan City Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kimberly L. Schultz and Jerome W. McKeever.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Luzerne County Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Read admitted to conspiring with other individuals to distribute between 40 grams and 160 grams of fentanyl in the Luzerne County area between 2019 and 2020. Read was indicted by a grand jury in August 2020 for fentanyl trafficking.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), the Kingston Police Department, the Luzerne County Drug Task Force, and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara 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.
Under federal law, the offense carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, a maximum sentence of up to forty years in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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Lenoir, N.C. Felon Is Sentenced to 15 Years for Illegal Firearm Possession and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Dena J. King announced today that Jeremy David Greene, 47, of Lenoir, N.C., was ordered to serve 15 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a felon and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Sheriff Alan C. Jones, of the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office, join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to information in court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, , in April 2022, law enforcement received information that Greene was selling large amounts of methamphetamine in Caldwell County. Greene also had outstanding arrest warrants for state law violations. On April 14, 2023, law enforcement located Greene driving his vehicle in Lenoir. Court records show that law enforcement officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop of Greene’s vehicle, but Greene ignored law enforcement and sped away. Law enforcement deployed stop sticks, successfully stopping Greene’s vehicle, and Greene was arrested shortly thereafter.
According to court records, law enforcement searched Greene’s vehicle and seized more than 500 grams of methamphetamine, a 9mm pistol, 36 rounds of ammunition, and over $11,900 in cash. Greene has prior felony convictions, including Assault with a Deadly Weapon on Law Enforcement, and he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
Greene is currently in federal custody. He will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King commended the ATF and the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case and thanked the Caldwell County District Attorney’s Office for their invaluable assistance and coordination.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) William Wiseman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case. Mr. Wiseman is a state prosecutor with the office of the 26th Prosecutorial District and was assigned by District Attorney Spencer Merriweather to serve as a SAUSA with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte. Mr. Wiseman is sworn in both state and federal courts. The SAUSA position is a reflection of the partnership between the office of the 26th Prosecutorial District and the United States Attorney’s Office.
Las Vegas Felon Sentenced to Nearly 12 Years in Prison for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man who was serving his prison sentence for a prior conviction for possession of child pornography was sentenced today by United States District Judge Anne R. Traum to 140 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for possession of child sexual abuse material.
Ronald William Dougherty (52) pleaded guilty on March 30, 2023, to one count of possession of child pornography. In addition to imprisonment, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, Dougherty must register as a sex offender after completion of his prison term.
According to court documents, on January 7, 2015, Dougherty was convicted of possession of child pornography, and he was permitted to complete his sentence at the Las Vegas Community Corrections Center. Staff at the residential re-entry center located an iPhone belonging to Dougherty. A forensic search of the iPhone found 179 images and 35 videos of child sexual abuse material, including depictions of children as young as toddlers. Dougherty also admitted to distributing child sexual abuse material using his personal email address.
United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI made the announcement.
The FBI and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Supriya Prasad prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or online at www.cybertipline.org.
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Jackson Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Bank FraudRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson woman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge David Denton of Homeland Security Investigations.
According to court documents, Latasha Wise, 36, conspired with two other individuals to obtain bank loans through fraudulent means. Wise used social security numbers that did not belong to her to obtain bank loans.
Wise is scheduled to be sentenced on September 26, 2023 and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Madison Police Department and the HSI are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Kirkham is prosecuting the case.
Injured Workers Pharmacy to Pay $10 Million to Resolve Allegations of Improper Dispensing and Submitting False ClaimsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Injured Workers Pharmacy (IWP) – which has been one of the largest purchasers of opioids in the United States, among pharmacies – has agreed to pay $10 million to resolve allegations that it violated the Controlled Substances Act by improperly filling prescriptions for controlled substances, including opioids, and submitting false claims for payment to the Department of Labor. In addition, IWP will also enter into a five-year corrective action plan with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
As part of the settlement agreement, IWP admitted that between 2014 and 2019 it failed to adequately address prescriptions with “red flags,” including high doses of opioids, early refills and dangerous drug combinations, before dispensing them to injured workers. “Red flags” indicate prescriptions that may not have been issued for a legitimate medical purpose, such as abuse or diversion. IWP previously settled a parallel investigation by the Massachusetts Attorney General into its dispensing practices.
The settlement also concerns IWP’s claims for payment submitted to the Department of Labor, which administers the federal workers’ compensation program. In 2017, in an effort to curb opioid abuse among injured federal workers, the Department of Labor began reviewing claims and flagged concerning prescriptions – a process called a Drug Utilization Review (DUR). Before paying claims flagged for a DUR, the Department of Labor requires pharmacies to represent that a pharmacist or the prescribing medical professional addressed the concerns raised by the DUR. As part of the settlement, IWP admitted that, between 2017 and 2019, IWP’s claims employees routinely represented to the Department of Labor that IWP consulted with prescribers about DURs when, in fact, IWP did not consult with those prescribers. Instead, claims employees, who lacked clinical pharmacy experience and training, submitted codes representing “prescriber consulted” without consulting IWP pharmacists or prescribers.
Under the terms of the settlement, over the next five years, DEA is allowed to conduct unannounced inspections of IWP without Administrative Inspection Warrants. The DEA monitors pharmacy prescribing practices to ensure compliance with federal law. Pharmacies found in violation face escalating penalties including revocation of their DEA Registration number – the authorization that allows them to write prescriptions for controlled substances.
To address issues uncovered in the investigation, IWP made improvements in its pharmacy practices. For example, the company developed additional procedures to review high-risk prescribing; increased training for all employees; eliminated production quotas for pharmacists and staff; implemented a drug diversion team to implement, establish and maintain diversion controls throughout the pharmacy; and established protocols to reduce losses of prescriptions shipped through the mail. The company also retained additional personnel to address high-risk prescribing, including a new chief compliance officer and a pain management specialty pharmacist. Prior to the settlement, IWP stopped dispensing prescriptions through the Department of Labor’s workers compensation program.
“Last week brought disturbing reports that opioid overdose deaths only increased last year in Massachusetts. Pharmacies are on the front lines of the prescription pill and opioid epidemic devastating our communities,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Pharmacies that distribute dangerous prescription pills have a solemn responsibility to comply with measures enacted to curb abuse and addiction. Prosecutors in our office in the Civil and Criminal Divisions are working every day to fight the scourge of opioids, whether it is prosecuting traffickers, holding pharmacies and manufacturers accountable, or ensuring access to treatment for substance use disorder. We will not relent in our effort to protect the people of Massachusetts from these dangerous drugs.”
“The DEA is committed to ensuring that all registrants are in compliance with the required regulations, which are enforceable through the Controlled Substances Act,” said Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division. “Failure to do so increases the potential for diversion and jeopardizes public health and public safety. DEA pledges to work with our law enforcement and regulatory partners to ensure these rules and regulations are followed.”
“Injured Workers Pharmacy (IWP) enriched themselves by submitting false claims to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) between December 12, 2017, and September 26, 2019. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs to protect the integrity of the DOL’s benefit programs,” said Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent-in-Charge, Northeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.
“This settlement allows the OWCP to recover medical bill payments under the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act and return these funds to the Employees’ Compensation Fund,” said Office of Workers’ Compensation Director Christopher J. Godfrey. “It also shows the commitment of the Department of Labor to ensuring that program funds are used as the law requires, and the benefits of having the department’s Office of the Inspector General devote significant investigative resources to detecting cases of possible abuse within the FECA program.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy, DEA SAC Boyle, DOL-OIG SAC Mellone and OWCP Director Godfrey made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian M. LaMacchia and Jessica J. Weber of Levy’s Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit handled the matter.
US v. Injured Workers Pharmacy - Settlement AgreementIndictment Charges Puerto Rico Woman with Trafficking Cocaine into ConnecticutRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New England, today announced that KARINA CINTRON SANTIAGO, 24, of San Juan, Puerto Rico, had been charged with trafficking 12 kilograms of cocaine into Connecticut.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on June 4, 2023, a search of a luggage bag that Cintron Santiago checked prior to boarding a JetBlue flight from San Juan Airport to Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, revealed approximately 12 kilograms of cocaine. When Cintron Santiago arrived in Connecticut and discovered that her bag was not at baggage claim, she reported it lost. JetBlue personnel informed Cintron Santiago that when her bag was located they would deliver it to her, but she indicated that she would rather pick it up at the airport. On June 7, undercover investigators posing as JetBlue personnel contacted Cintron Santiago to inform her that her bag had been located and would be arriving on a flight to Bradley International Airport the next day.
On June 8, 2023, investigators placed Cintron Santiago’s bag, which contained its original contents, on a luggage carousel at Bradley International Airport. Cintron Santiago was arrested after she arrived at the airport and removed her bag from the luggage carousel.
On June 20, 2023, a grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging Cintron Santiago with possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Cintron Santiago, who had been detained since her arrest, appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford, entered a plea of not guilty to the charge, and was released on a $75,000 bond.
The charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. A charge is only an allegation, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with the assistance of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone.
Indictment Charges Alleged Members of Drug Trafficking Organization in Drug, Gun and Money Laundering ChargesRead the Press Release
Kennedy Street Crew (KDY) Operated Open-Air Drug Markets in Kennedy Street Neighborhood, Scene of Increasing Violence, in Northwest Washington D.C.
WASHINGTON – This morning, law enforcement agents from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) arrested 12 alleged members of a violent drug trafficking organization (“DTO”), known as the “Kennedy Street Crew,” or “KDY,” on charges including conspiracy to commit drug trafficking, possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, possession of firearms by persons convicted of a crime, assault with a deadly weapon, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. In addition to the arrests, law enforcement seized multiple firearms and drugs.
The case was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Interim Chief Ashan Benedict of the Metropolitan Police Department, DEA Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget, of the Washington Division, ATF Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai, of the Washington Division, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Sarah Linden, of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and IRS-Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter, of the Washington, D.C. Office.
According to the indictment, KDY members operated open-air drug markets in and around the 100-1200 blocks of Kennedy Street in Northwest Washington, D.C., as well as the surrounding streets. The named defendants are charged with conspiring to distribute several controlled substances, including fentanyl, cocaine base and marijuana, and utilizing firearms, including fully automatic weapons, to enforce and protect the crew’s territory, including through intimidation and acts of violence. The indictment further alleges that KDY crew members conspired to establish shell companies through which they launder the proceeds of their drug trafficking. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement seized more than 40 firearms (including eight suspected machineguns).
“As alleged in the Indictment, the Kennedy Street Crew (KDY) operated over an 11-block stretch, trafficking in large amounts of drugs and firearms and possessing numerous firearms in furtherance of its operations,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “Criminal organizations like this are a magnet for violence. My office, MPD, and our federal law enforcement partners are focused on identifying and rooting out these types of operations: whether it be Fentanyl poisonings or the violence that typically accompanies large-scale drug operations, these distribution networks present a substantial threat to our community.”
“These individuals were a part of a criminal enterprise that existed to disrupt the community through violence and illegal activity, and today’s operation is evidence that intelligence-led policing and effective criminal justice partnerships can lead to positive outcomes in the District of Columbia,” said MPD Interim Chief Benedict. “The residents and businesses along our Kennedy Street corridor are safer because of the meticulous investigative efforts by law enforcement who relentlessly protect every city neighborhood.”
“Our strong partnership with state and local law enforcement agencies allows us to hold violent gang members like these accountable for their actions,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Forget. “Ultimately, our goal is to ensure the safety of the families in our local area. As part of our initiative Operation Overdrive, we are making a difference in our communities, reducing drug poisonings, cutting violent crime, and stopping violent drug traffickers in their tracks.”
In addition to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 100 kilograms or more of marijuana, and a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine base, the indictment also charges various alleged members of the conspiracy with, among other charges, assault with a dangerous weapon; using, carrying, and possessing a firearm and/or machinegun during a drug trafficking offense; engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license; unlawful possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a crime; possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number; and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The indictment also includes a forfeiture allegation seeking all proceeds of the alleged crimes. A full list of defendants, along with their corresponding charges, is contained below.
“This investigation is the result of multiple law enforcement entities working cohesively towards one common goal. That goal is disrupting criminal organizations and protecting our communities from firearms related violence, and the illegal distribution of narcotics,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Kailimai. “As seen by our combined efforts with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, this collaboration has led to the arrest of many individuals that continuously and carelessly disrupt the peace that we should all enjoy. ATF will continue to partner with our local, state, and federal partners to ensure that people who violate conditions of firearm ownership be prosecuted and held accountable for their actions.”
“IRS-CI is proud to stand with our law enforcement partners to announce this indictment. The dismantling of the Kennedy Street Crew exemplifies our commitment to improve the quality of life in our community and our relentless fight against drug trafficking organizations,” said Acting IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Carter. “IRS-CI is specially equipped to follow the complex financial trail left by criminals, and we are dedicated to holding those accountable for crimes committed.”
The investigation of this case had the sponsorship and support of the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF specializes in the investigation and prosecution of drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and related criminal enterprises.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department, the DEA’s Washington Division, ATF’s Washington Field Division, with assistance from FBI’s Washington Field Office, and the IRS-Criminal Investigation Washington, D.C. Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey and Sitara Witanachchi, of the of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by former Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian Lynch.
DEFENDANTS
NAME
AGE
CHARGES
Kenneth Ademola Olugbenga
27
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana, a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Fentanyl, and a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Cocaine Base;
Unlawful Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana;
Using, Carrying, and Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Offense;
Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Person Convicted of a Crime Punishable by Imprisonment Exceeding One Year;
Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering
Khali Ahmed Brown, also known as “Migo Lee”
22
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana, and 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl;
Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Aiding and Abetting;
Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl;
Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana;
Using, Carrying, and Possessing a Machinegun During a Drug Trafficking Offense;
Unlawful Possession of a Machinegun; Possession of a Firearm with an Obliterated Serial Number
Miasiah Jamal Brown, also known as “Michael Jamal Crawford”
21
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, and a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Cocaine Base;
Using, Carrying, and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense
Tristan Miles Ware, also known as “Greedy”
23
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Marijuana;
Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana;
Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Person Convicted of a Crime Punishable by Imprisonment Exceeding One Year;
Using, Carrying, and Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking
Offense
Herman Eric-Bibmin Signou, also known as “Herman Signour”
23
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute One Hundred Kilograms of More of Marijuana
Cameron Xavier Reid
26
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute One Hundred Kilograms of More of Marijuana
Aaron Deandre Mercer, also known as “Curby,”
27
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl, and a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Cocaine
Base;
Unlawful Possession with Intent to Distribute 40 Grams or More of Fentanyl
David Penn, also known as “Turtle”
30
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, 40 Grams or Fentanyl, and a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Cocaine
Base;
Unlawful Possession with Intent to Distribute 40 Grams or More of Fentanyl;
Unlawful Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana;
Using, Carrying, and Possessing a Machinegun in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense;
Using, Carrying, and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense;
Engaging in the Business of Dealing in Firearms without a License;
Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Person Convicted of a Crime Punishable by Imprisonment for a Term Exceeding One Year
Ronald Lynn Dorsey, also known as “Ron G”
29
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Marijuana and a Mixture and Substance
Containing a Detectable Amount of Cocaine Base;
Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering
Antonio Reginald Bailey, also known as “Boy Boy,” also known as “Fellow King”
22
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Marijuana
Anthony Trayon Bailey, also known as “Fat Ant,” also known as “Bizzle”
27
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Marijuana
Angel Enrique Suncar, also known as “Coqui”
29
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Marijuana and a Mixture and Substance Containing Fentanyl
Defendant Cameron Reid is from Falmouth, VA; all remaining defendants are from Washington, D.C.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.