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27 June 2023
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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23-134
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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23-135
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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23-136
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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23-137
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.
Idaho Business Owner Sentenced to Probation for Criminal Clean Air Act Violation Involving Asbestos ContaminationRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that Alexander Borys Mischenko, age 76, of Priest River, Idaho, was sentenced to three years of probation and a fine of $12,060 for criminal violation of the Clean Air Act in connection with asbestos contamination at a site in Spokane in 2018. Senior District Judge Rosanna Malouf Peterson announced the sentence.
According to the plea agreement and other information disclosed during court proceedings, in October 2017, Mischenko and his company, Buck Creek Sales, signed a contract to dismantle a legacy industrial building located on Magnesium Road in North Spokane and known as “Building 5.” Mischenko’s contract included funding to commission an asbestos survey to determine whether and to what extent Building 5 contained asbestos.
Asbestos is a naturally-occurring mineral that, due to its insulating and fire-resistant properties, was a commonly-used material in buildings constructed prior to 1980, such as Building 5. Because inhalation of asbestos fibers has been linked to various dangerous lung conditions, including mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer, asbestos-containing material is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and, in Spokane County, by the Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency (SRCAA).
According to court documents and information discussed in court, in late 2017, a certified asbestos inspector did perform an asbestos survey of Building 5. The survey showed significant quantities of asbestos-containing material in Building 5, including approximately 2,600 linear feet of asbestos-containing material known as thermal systems insulation (TSI). The survey noted that the asbestos-containing TSI was “friable” (that is, easily crumbled with hand pressure), and, therefore, “will require removal by a licensed asbestos contractor prior to any renovation or demolition activity that would directly impact these materials.” Mischenko was provided a copy of the survey report on or about December 4, 2017.
Subsequent to receiving the survey results, Mischenko, who was not a licensed asbestos contractor, and at least one employee, cut the asbestos-containing TSI off of the pipe and disposed of the pipe. Mischenko then placed the asbestos-containing TSI into 14 unsealed sacks and one open-top wooden crate, and moved the sacks and the crate to a nearby building, where they remained until they were found by inspectors from SRCAA and, later, EPA. Mischenko did not notify SRCAA or EPA prior to engaging in the work, which, due to the work methods employed by Mischenko, released significant quantities of asbestos fibers into the air as well as scattered on the floor of Building 5.
In September 2022, U.S. Attorney Waldref, who previously served as Trial Attorney with DOJ’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and an environmental law professor at Gonzaga University’s School of Law, was selected to lead the Environmental Justice & Environmental Issues Subcommittee for the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee. As the subcommittee chair, U.S. Attorney Waldref plays a key role in leading and coordinating DOJ’s criminal and civil environmental enforcement efforts.
“Environmental Justice is a critical public health priority,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “When businesses or individuals cut corners to save money, and fail to take seriously the public health risk posed by dangerous contaminants like asbestos, the entire community is harmed, but the harm falls disproportionately on marginalized and disadvantaged members of our community who are more likely to be affected and less likely to have access to health care and other services.”
“The defendant was responsible for the safe – and legal – removal of material containing asbestos,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Benjamin Carr of EPA’s criminal enforcement program in Washington. “The defendant has been sentenced for doing just the opposite and put workers and the general public at risk.”
Senior District Judge Peterson sentenced Mischenko to 3 years of federal probation, during which time he will be supervised by the court and is prohibited from engaging in, performing, or supervising any asbestos-related work as well as other salvage work. Judge Peterson also imposed a $12,060 fine to ensure that Mischenko did not financially profit from his misconduct.
“I commend the exceptional work by SRCAA in uncovering this dangerous situation and quickly working to protect our community, as well as the stellar investigative work by EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division,” continued U.S. Attorney Waldref. “We will continue to work with our state and federal law enforcement partners to protect public health and our precious natural resources.”
This case was investigated by EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Dan Fruchter and Tyler H.L. Tornabene and Special Assistant United States Attorney Gwendolyn Russell prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
Case No. 2:20-CR-00175-RMP
Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – TJ Jazz Cremeans, 21, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to theft of firearms from a federal firearms licensee.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 15, 2022, Cremeans and Brennon Michael Adkins, 22, broke into Tri-State Pawn and Jewelry in Huntington to steal various electronics from the store’s inventory. Cremeans admitted that he stole three firearms during the breaking and entering: a DPMS model AR-15 5.56mm rifle, a Savage Arms model 111 .30-06-caliber rifle, and a Stoeger model M3000 12-gauge shotgun.
Cremeans is scheduled to be sentenced on October 10, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
Adkins pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen firearm on May 1, 2023, and admitted that he possessed the Stoeger model M3000 12-gauge shotgun following the breaking and entering. Adkins is scheduled to be sentenced on August 14, 2023.
Nigel Jamille Coats, 19, of Huntington, pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen firearm on June 20, 2023, and admitted that he possessed the DPMS, model AR-15 5.56mm rifle shortly after the breaking and entering and theft was completed. Coats is scheduled to be sentenced on September 25, 2023.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Troy D. Adams is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-202.
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Houstonian imprisoned for distributing kilos of meth for Gulf CartelRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 61-year-old U.S. citizen has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction for conspiracy to distribute kilos of crystal meth, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Carlos Rodriguez-Gayton pleaded guilty Nov. 8, 2022.
Today, U.S. District Judge David Hittner sentenced Rodriguez-Gayton to a total of 168 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the defense asked for a lower sentence based, in part, on their position he held a minor role in the conspiracy. However, the court noted that working in concert with a cartel to conduct four drug deals of a kilogram or more is not minor.
Rodriguez-Gayton’s arrest and ultimate conviction stems from an investigation into individuals affiliated with the Gulf Cartel operating in Houston.
From October 2020 through January 2021, Rodriguez-Gayton sold approximately three kilos of crystal meth over the course of multiple transactions that occurred in Houston. The investigation further revealed that on Jan. 21, 2021, another individual purchased an additional two kilos of crystal meth from Rodriguez-Gayton.
Law enforcement was able to take all drugs into their possession before they could hit the streets of Houston.
Rodriguez-Gayton has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, Houston Police Department, Harris County Precinct 5 Constable’s Office and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office conducted this investigation as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shelley J. Sullivan prosecuted the case.
These such cooperative matters provide for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the DEA Strike Force is to identify and prosecute all members of narcotics trafficking organizations. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
Harrisburg Man and Woman Charged with Conspiring to Steal Cell Phone ShipmentsRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Parmod Kumar, age 40, and Reecha Saini, age 36, both of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, were charged yesterday in an information with conspiring to steal interstate shipments of cell phones.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the information alleges that from 2018 to 2021, Kumar and Saini enlisted at least one employee at a UPS facility in Harrisburg to steal packages that they believed contained smartphones. Kumar and Saini then paid the employee for the phones and arranged for their sale at a convenience store in Harrisburg. The conspiracy involved the theft of phones with a total value of over $142,000.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Swatara Township Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 5 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Harlem man admits assault crime for drive-by shooting of residence on Fort Belknap Indian reservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Harlem man accused of shooting an occupied house in Fort Belknap Agency on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation admitted to an assault crime today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Tyree Daniel Doney, 21, pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon. Doney faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three 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 Oct. 15. Doney was released pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that on Jan. 19, a man, identified as John Doe, was inside his residence with his family, including two children. John Doe heard multiple gunshots, and one bullet lodged inside his residence. John Doe feared that he or his family would be harmed from the drive-by shooting. Law enforcement learned that Doney was in the area at the time of the shooting, and Doney ultimately admitted to firing the gunshots into John Doe’s home. Doney did so, in part, because Doney was upset about a physical fight he had with John Doe four months prior. Officers recovered 9mm casings outside John Doe’s residence, 9mm casings inside Doney’s vehicle and the 9mm firearm inside Doney’s residence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan G. Weldon is prosecuting the case. The FBI conducted the investigation.
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Grass Valley Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for a Fentanyl Trafficking Conspiracy and other Narcotics OffensesRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Nathaniel Opondo Hubbert, 42, of Grass Valley, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for conspiring to possess and distribute fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute heroin and methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, in June 2020, Hubbert conspired with Steven Lawrence Robinson, 36, of Granite Bay, and others, to possess and distribute fentanyl in Placer County. A search of Robinson’s residence on June 2, 2020, resulted in the discovery of over 40 grams of fentanyl involved in this conspiracy. On June 24, 2020, a probation search of two hotel rooms Hubbert had rented, and a subsequent booking search of his person, resulted in the discovery of methamphetamine, heroin, and additional fentanyl. Robinson and Hubbert were connected to at least one overdose of a victim who had to be given medical treatment after using drugs purchased from Hubbert.
On March 26, 2021, Robinson was sentenced to five years in prison for his role in the fentanyl trafficking conspiracy.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Lincoln Police Department, the Placer County District Attorney’s Office, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office, and the Roseville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella prosecuted the case.
Gloucester City Business Owner Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Payroll Tax Fraud and Pandemic Loan FraudRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – The owner of a business in Gloucester City, New Jersey, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for failing to pay over payroll taxes to the IRS, failing to file personal income tax returns, and fraudulently obtaining a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
John Degan, 69, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler to an information charging him with one count of failing to collect, account for, and pay over payroll taxes, one count of failure to file income tax returns with the IRS, and one count of bank fraud. Judge Kugler imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Degan was the owner and operator of Companion Services Group Inc., a building maintenance and restoration service company in Gloucester City. Companion provided architectural maintenance and restoration services, which includes restroom maintenance, glass restoration, and graffiti removal.
Degan admitted that for tax years 2016 through 2020, he willfully failed to file payroll tax returns and failed to pay over $600,629 in withheld employment taxes on behalf of his employees. Degan attempted to conceal from the IRS over $4.4 million in wages that he paid to himself and his employees by not filing and submitting Forms W-2 or Form W-3 to the Social Security Administration (SSA).
Degan admitted that he received a yearly salary that ranged from $140,000 to $170,000 from Companion, willfully failed to file his federal income tax returns for tax years 2016 through 2020, and has not filed a tax return since 2003. He also failed to file the corporate tax returns for Companion, a business that generated more than $1.4 million in gross receipts yearly.
Degan also submitted a fraudulent application to a lender to obtain a PPP loan. In April 2020, Degan submitted a PPP application for Companion in which he falsely represented to the lender that Companion had employees and payroll expenses. In further support of his application, Degan submitted various IRS Forms to establish that he was paying compensation to his employees. Those forms were never actually submitted to the IRS; instead, they were false forms that were only created and used for the purpose of securing the loan.
Based on Degan’s misrepresentations, the lender approved the PPP loan and disbursed $193,407 in federal COVID-19 emergency relief funds.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Kugler sentenced Degan to three years of supervised release. Restitution will be determined at a later date.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Jason M. Richardson, Attorney in Charge of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
Gardena Woman Sentenced to 2 Years in Federal Prison for Throwing Molotov Cocktail Inside Torrance Bank BranchRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A South Bay woman was sentenced today to 24 months in federal prison for throwing a Molotov cocktail inside a bank in Torrance after having a dispute with the branch manager.
Teranee Millet, 35, of Gardena, was sentenced by United States District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr.
Millet pleaded guilty on March 21 to unlawful possession of a firearm and destructive device.
On September 20, 2021, Millet entered a Bank of America branch in Torrance. She spoke to the bank manager and demanded to be helped by another teller because she believed she had been waiting in line for too long.
When the bank manager informed her that no other tellers were available and she would have to continue waiting, Millet used profane language and then yelled, “I’m going to blow this bitch up!” In response, the bank manager called 911 and informed law enforcement of Millet’s comments.
A few minutes later, Millet returned to the bank branch and threw a Molotov cocktail into the bank, causing a fire in the middle of the bank. A bank customer successfully extinguished the fire. On her way out of the bank’s parking lot and before law enforcement arrived, she threatened another customer and threw a glass bottle at the customer’s truck, causing minor damage to the vehicle. Police responded within a few minutes, secured the scene and recovered the item that Millet threw on the floor.
Law enforcement used bank surveillance photos to help identify Millet.
Millet was arrested in Georgia in December 2021, after she led law enforcement on a chase in a stolen U-Haul van that ended with the van crashing, according to court documents. Inside the van, law enforcement recovered a gym bag containing four packs of glass bottles with tissue paper inserted inside the bottles, a can of lighter fluid and a five-gallon can of gasoline, according to court documents. Millet sustained injuries in the crash and later received medical treatment. She has been in custody since that time.
The FBI, the Torrance Police Department, and the Torrance Fire Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Kellye Ng of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.
Four More Arrested as Tractor-Trailer Smuggling Investigation ProgressesRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Four Mexican nationals were arrested Monday in San Antonio, Houston and Marshall, Texas, for their alleged connection to the 2022 tractor-trailer smuggling incident, which resulted in the death of 53 and injury of 11 undocumented noncitizens.
A superseding indictment returned by a San Antonio Grand Jury on June 7, alleges that Riley Covarrubias-Ponce aka Rrili aka Rilay, 30; Felipe Orduna-Torres aka Cholo aka Chuequito/Chuekito aka Negro, 28; Luis Alberto Rivera-Leal aka Cowboy, 37; and Armando Gonzales-Ortega aka El Don aka Don Gon, 53, participated in a human smuggling organization (HSO) which illegally brought adults and children from Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico into the United States between December 2021 and June 2022. The superseding indictment alleges that the smugglers worked in concert to transport and facilitate the transportation of the migrants, sharing routes, guides, stash houses, trucks, trailers, and transporters in order to consolidate costs, minimize risks, and maximize profit. The HSO maintained a variety of tractors and trailers for their smuggling operations, some of which were stored at a private parking lot in San Antonio.
The indictment alleges that in the days leading up to June 27, 2022, Covarrubias-Ponce, Orduna-Torres, and others exchanged the names of undocumented noncitizens who would be smuggled in an upcoming tractor-trailer load. The four new defendants charged in the superseding indictment allegedly orchestrated the retrieval of an empty tractor-trailer and its corresponding hand-off to the driver on June 27. The driver, Homero Zamorano, Jr. of Elkhart, Texas, was previously charged in a July 2022 indictment along with Christian Martinez, of Palestine, Texas. Orduna-Torres allegedly provided the Laredo address at which Zamorano loaded the migrants into the tractor trailer. The indictment also alleges that Gonzalez-Ortega traveled to Laredo to meet the tractor-trailer, where at least 66 undocumented individuals, including eight children and one pregnant woman, were loaded for smuggling. According to the superseding indictment, Martinez, Covarrubias-Ponce, Orduna-Torres, Rivera-Leal, and Gonzales-Ortega then coordinated, facilitated, passed messages, and made each other aware of the tractor-trailer’s progress.
The superseding indictment alleges that some of the defendants were aware that the trailer’s air-conditioning unit was malfunctioning and would not blow any cool air to the migrants inside. When members of the organization met the tractor-trailer at the end of its approximately three-hour journey to San Antonio, they opened the doors to find 48 of the migrants were either already dead or had died on site, including the pregnant woman. 16 of the undocumented individuals were transported to hospitals—five of whom died.
Each defendant is charged with one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in death; one count of conspiracy to transport of illegal aliens resulting in serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy; one count of transportation of illegal aliens resulting in death; and one count of transportation of illegal aliens resulting in serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy. If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
“Human smugglers prey on migrants’ hope for a better life – but their only priority is profit,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Tragically, 53 people who had been loaded into a tractor-trailer in Texas and endured hours of unimaginable cruelty lost their lives because of this heartless scheme. Human smugglers who put peoples’ lives at risk for profit and break our laws cannot hide for long: We will find you and bring you to justice.”
“One year ago today, an unthinkable crime perpetrated by human smugglers at our southern border caused the death of 53 human beings,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “But today’s arrests demonstrate that those who seek to profit from desperation will be brought to justice. Working with international partners, the Department of Justice is striking back at international organized crime and sending a clear message that there is no safe haven for trafficking in firearms, deadly narcotics, or human beings.”
“The allegations in the indictment are horrifying,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “Dozens of desperate, vulnerable men, women and children put their trust in smugglers who abandoned them in a locked trailer to perish in the merciless south Texas summer. Thanks to our law enforcement partners at the local, state, and federal levels—with Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Division leading the investigation—we are one step closer to delivering justice for those migrants and their families.”
“This horrific tragedy underscores the callous disregard criminal smuggling organizations have for human life, including the lives of children,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. for the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These indictments and arrests are another step forward in obtaining justice and accountability for these senseless deaths. Joint Task Force Alpha will remain steadfast in its efforts to thwart these deadly schemes driven by greed at the expense of safety and security.”
“These additional arrests are a result of the hard work and determination displayed by our agents and prosecutors in their efforts to identify those who were responsible for deadliest human smuggling event in U.S. history,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee for the Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Division. “HSI will continue investigating all leads to ensure that justice will be served for the deceased, the injured, and their families. We will remain committed to leveraging our broad range of authorities to dismantle all transnational criminal organizations engaged in human smuggling around the globe.”
HSI is investigating the case with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and has received tremendous support from Customs and Border Protection; Border Patrol; Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations; the San Antonio Police Department; the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office; the San Antonio Fire Department; the Marshall Police Department; and the Palestine Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Fuchs, Sarah Spears and Amanda Brown are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
These charges resulted from the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas is part of the JTFA, which was established by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to enhance U.S. enforcement efforts against the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. The Task Force focuses on disrupting and dismantling smuggling and trafficking networks that abuse, exploit, or endanger migrants, pose national security threats, and are involved in organized crime. JTFA consists of federal prosecutors and attorneys from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the Southwest Border (District of Arizona, Southern District of California, Southern District of Texas, and Western District of Texas), from the Criminal Division and the Civil Rights Division, along with law enforcement agents and analysts from DHS’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol, the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
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Four Arrested for Tractor-Trailer Smuggling Incident that Resulted in 53 DeathsRead the Press Release
Four Mexican nationals were arrested yesterday in San Antonio, Houston, and Marshall, Texas, for their alleged roles in a tractor-trailer smuggling incident that resulted in 53 deceased and 11 injured undocumented individuals one year ago today.
“Human smugglers prey on migrants’ hope for a better life – but their only priority is profit,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Tragically, 53 people who had been loaded into a tractor-trailer in Texas and endured hours of unimaginable cruelty lost their lives because of this heartless scheme. Human smugglers who put people’s lives at risk for profit and break our laws cannot hide for long: We will find you and bring you to justice.”
“Today’s announcement is another important step in our unprecedented effort against smugglers,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “These indictments are the direct result of a whole of government effort to prevent these horrific crimes and is the largest campaign of its kind in U.S. history. Human smugglers will do anything to turn a profit, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will continue to do everything possible to stop them. I am grateful for the leadership of our Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) team and U.S. Customs and Border Protection for seeking justice for the 53 lives lost last year.”
These charges resulted from the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), which Attorney General Garland established in June 2021 in partnership with Secretary Mayorkas, to strengthen the departments’ overall efforts to combat these crimes based on the rise in prolific and dangerous smuggling emanating from Central America and impacting our border communities. JTFA enhances U.S. enforcement efforts against the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.
According to court documents, between December 2021 and June 2022, Riley Covarrubias-Ponce, aka Rrili, aka Rilay, 30; Felipe Orduna-Torres, aka Cholo, aka Chuequito/Chuekito, aka Negro, 28; Luis Alberto Rivera-Leal, aka Cowboy, 37; and Armando Gonzales-Ortega, aka El Don, aka Don Gon, 53, are alleged to have participated in a human smuggling organization which illegally brought adults and children from Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico into the United States. The alleged smugglers worked in concert to transport the migrants by sharing routes, guides, stash houses, trucks, trailers, and transporters to consolidate costs, minimize risks, and maximize profit. The organization maintained a variety of tractors and trailers for their smuggling operations, some of which were stored at a private parking lot in San Antonio.
“One year ago today, an unthinkable crime perpetrated by human smugglers at our southern border caused the death of 53 human beings,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “But today’s arrests demonstrate that those who seek to profit from desperation will be brought to justice. Working with international partners, the Department of Justice is striking back at international organized crime and sending a clear message that there is no safe haven for trafficking in firearms, deadly narcotics, or human beings.”
“This horrific tragedy underscores the callous disregard criminal smuggling organizations have for human life, including the lives of children,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These indictments and arrests are another step forward in obtaining justice and accountability for these senseless deaths. Joint Task Force Alpha will remain steadfast in its efforts to thwart these deadly schemes driven by greed at the expense of safety and security.”
The indictment alleges that in the days leading up to June 27, 2022, Covarrubias-Ponce, Orduna-Torres, and others exchanged the names of undocumented individuals who would be smuggled in a tractor-trailer. The four new defendants charged in the superseding indictment allegedly orchestrated the retrieval of an empty tractor-trailer and its corresponding hand-off to the driver on June 27. The driver, Homero Zamorano Jr. of Elkhart, Texas, was previously charged in a July 2022 indictment along with Christian Martinez, of Palestine, Texas. Orduna-Torres allegedly provided the Laredo, Texas, address at which Zamorano loaded the migrants onto the tractor trailer. The indictment also alleges that Gonzalez-Ortega traveled to Laredo to meet the tractor-trailer, where at least 66 undocumented individuals, including eight children and one pregnant woman, were loaded into the back to be smuggled. Martinez, Covarrubias-Ponce, Orduna-Torres, Rivera-Leal, and Gonzales-Ortega then allegedly coordinated, facilitated, passed messages, and kept each other updated on the tractor-trailer’s progress.
“The allegations in the indictment are horrifying,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “Dozens of desperate, vulnerable men, women, and children put their trust in smugglers who abandoned them in a locked trailer to perish in the merciless south Texas summer. Thanks to our law enforcement partners at the local, state, and federal levels – with the Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Division leading the investigation – we are one step closer to delivering justice for those migrants and their families.”
Some of the defendants charged were allegedly aware that the trailer’s air-conditioning unit was malfunctioning and would not blow any cool air to the migrants inside. When members of the organization met the tractor-trailer at the end of its nearly three-hour journey to San Antonio, they opened the doors to find 48 of the migrants, including the pregnant woman, were already dead. Sixteen of the undocumented individuals were transported to hospitals, and five of them died there.
“One year ago today, HSI responded to a mass casualty human smuggling event that occurred in San Antonio, which resulted in the death of 53 undocumented noncitizens from Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras,” said Senior Official Performing the Duties of Deputy Director PJ Lechleitner of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “The indictments announced today emphasize that we will work tirelessly to bring to justice those who are responsible for this horrible tragedy. HSI continues investigative efforts with Joint Task Force Alpha and international partners to dismantle smuggling networks that demonstrate no regard for human life.”
Each defendant is charged with one count each of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in death, conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy, transportation of illegal aliens resulting in death, and transportation of illegal aliens resulting in serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy. If convicted on the top counts, they each face a maximum penalty of life in prison.
HSI is investigating the case with valuable assistance from Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, FBI, ATF, San Antonio Police Department, Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, San Antonio Fire Department, Marshall Police Department, and Palestine Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Fuchs, Sarah Spears, and Amanda Brown for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
Since its creation, JTFA has successfully increased coordination and collaboration between the Justice Department, DHS, and other interagency law enforcement participants, and with foreign law enforcement partners, including in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico; targeted those organizations that have the most significant impact on the United States; and coordinated significant smuggling indictments and extradition efforts in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country. JTFA is comprised of prosecutors from southwest border U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, including the Southern District of Texas, the Western District of Texas, the District of New Mexico, the District of Arizona, and the Southern District of California. Dedicated support for the task force is also provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division that are part of JTFA – led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and supported by the Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training (OPDAT), the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section (NDDS), the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS), the Office of Enforcement Operations (OEO), the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA), and the Organized Crime and Gang Section (OCGS). JTFA is made possible by substantial law enforcement investment from the DHS, FBI, DEA, and other partners.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former officer convicted of smuggling cocaineRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A federal jury has returned guilty verdicts against a 51-year-old Raymondville resident for trafficking drugs, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
The jury deliberated for two hours before convicting Juan Posas Jr. of trafficking cocaine and conspiracy to do so.
Posas is a former Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer. At trial, the jury heard that on June 6, 2022, Posas traveled from Raymondville to a Home Depot in Weslaco where he met with Alexis Soria-Soria, 25, a Mexican national illegally residing in the United States. Soria then transferred a box containing approximately 20 kilograms of cocaine into Posas’ truck.
At trial, the jury heard recordings of phone conversations in which Posas helped plan the drug smuggling attempt.
However, the defense attempted to convince the jury that Soria approached him in the parking lot and simply asked if he wanted free fruits, then placed a box of fruits in his car. He said he never checked the box to see what was inside. The jury did not believe his claims and found him guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez presided over the trial and set sentencing for Sept. 14. At that time, Posas faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life imprisonment and a possible $10 million maximum fine.
Previously released on bond, Posas was taken into custody following the conviction today where he will remain pending that hearing.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jongwoo Chung and Jose A. Garcia prosecuted the case.
Former Hamilton man sentenced on felony for lying to receive more than $70,000 in Social Security Administration benefitsRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A former Hamilton man who admitted to making false statements to receive more than $70,000 in disability payments from the Social Security Administration was sentenced today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Aaron Lee Grossman, 51, of Washington, Utah, and formerly of Hamilton, pleaded guilty in February to false statements to a government agency.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided. The court sentenced Grossman to three years of probation, with three months to be spent on electronic location monitoring, imposed a $20,000 fine, ordered $71,456 restitution to the Social Security Administration and required Grossman to perform 150 hours of community service.
In court documents, the government alleged that in 2011, Grossman applied for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) payments from the Social Security Administration. The agency approved Grossman’s application and advised him of his legal obligation to notify it if he experienced a change in his ability to work, returned to work or if his medical condition improved. In February 2020, the Social Security Administration learned Grossman had started a new business and not reported it as required. Additionally, the agency learned that Grossman received $36,210 from Lynch Insulation in 2019 for work he performed through Grossman Consulting, LLC. The agency then directed Grossman to update a Work Activity Report. Grossman did so but did not report making any money from Lynch Insulation. Had he reported the income, Grossman would have been ineligible for SSDI benefits. When confronted, Grossman lied to agents and claimed his wife earned those wages. However, records from Lynch Insulation indicted that Grossman, in fact, completed the work. In an interview in 2021, Grossman admitted he concealed his income from Lynch Insulation so he could maintain his government benefits. Grossman also underreported the value of his work for another company, owned by his father, from 2019 to 2021. Grossman’s father disclosed that Grossman’s hourly wage was set so low so he could maintain his disability payments.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Karla E. Painter prosecuted the case. The Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation.
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Florida Man Sentenced to 10 years in Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute 40 Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – A Florida man was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Vicente Valerio, 32, of West Palm Beach, Florida, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.
According to court records, On October 11, 2022, a DEA Task Force Officer (TFO) conducted a traffic stop on a Chevrolet Silverado on Interstate 10 in Gulfport, Mississippi. The driver of the vehicle and sole occupant was identified as Vicente Valerio. Officers searched Valerio’s vehicle and found three bags containing forty bricks of cocaine. Each brick weighed a kilogram of cocaine.
Valerio was indicted on November 1, 2022, and plead guilty on March 24, 2023.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with the support of the Gulfport Police Department.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose.
Federal Agreement Requires Nationwide Service Improvements at CVS MinuteClinics for Patients Who Are Deaf or Hard of HearingRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE –MinuteClinic, LLC (“MinuteClinic”), a retail health care provider operating inside CVS pharmacy locations nationwide, has entered into a settlement agreement with the United States, requiring it to change its policies and procedures to provide effective communication to individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing at all of its over 11,000 locations, announced Zachary A. Cunha, United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island.
This agreement follows an investigation begun after the Rhode Island U.S. Attorney’s Office received a complaint from a deaf individual who alleged that MinuteClinic failed to provide her with requested American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation for her medical appointments at a MinuteClinic. The investigation revealed that MinuteClinic had, in fact, failed to provide her with requested ASL interpretation, and that as a result, she was not able to effectively communicate with MinuteClinic health personnel during her medical appointments.
Additionally, the investigation revealed that, while CVS MinuteClinic’s website directed hearing-impaired patients to contact a patient support line to obtain an ASL interpreter for visits to a MinuteClinic, on at least six other occasions, when individuals called that number to request an ASL interpreter for upcoming medical appointments, the MinuteClinic representatives who answered the phone did not assist them with scheduling an interpreter.
“Interactions with health care providers as we make crucial decisions about treatment and care are among the most personal interactions we have in life,” said U.S. Attorney Cunha. “And the most basic part of that interaction is being able to communicate effectively with your health care provider. Providers have an obligation under the Americans with Disabilities Act to eliminate obstacles to access for those with disabilities, and I am pleased that, with today’s agreement, MinuteClinic is taking appropriate steps to ensure that those barriers are eliminated for users of CVS stores across the country.”
Under the settlement agreement, MinuteClinic will revise its policies and procedures for requesting, providing and tracking requests for qualified interpreters at all of its MinuteClinic locations, train staff on those policies, and post notices at its locations and website, informing patients of the means and methods by which to request auxiliary aids and services, free of charge. MinuteClinic will also pay $5,000 to the complainant.
The matter was litigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy R. Romero.
The Department of Justice has a number of publications available to assist entities in complying with the ADA. For more information on the ADA and to access these publications, visit www.ada.gov or call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD). Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging that a place of public accommodation or public entity in Rhode Island is not accessible to persons with disabilities may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (401) 709-5000 or by email at [email protected].
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cvs_minuteclinic_ada_agreement.pdfFather and Son Guilty in $21 Million Medicare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – June 15, 2023
SAN DIEGO - El Cajon resident and businessowner Anthony Duane Bell, Sr., pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that he fraudulently received more than $21 million in Medicare payments. His son and namesake, Anthony Duane Bell, Jr., admitted making false statements to the FBI to conceal the fraudulent scheme.
As part of his guilty plea, Bell, Sr. agreed to pay $21,725,604.56 in restitution to Medicare and forfeit $806,375.12 and a multi-million-dollar luxury house in El Cajon.
According to court records, the Bells created companies known as Universal Medical Solutions 1 and Universal Medical Solutions 2, with locations in Santee and San Diego. The companies supplied durable medical equipment like knee, ankle, wrist, shoulder, and back braces. The Bells obtained customers for their companies by paying thousands of dollars in kickbacks to “marketing” companies. To obtain the prescriptions, the marketing companies paid doctors for the medically unnecessary prescriptions for braces. The Bells sought to conceal their fraudulent kickback scheme by entering into sham “marketing” agreements and other contracts. In truth, the Bells were paying a set fee per brace to purchase the patients. The Bells would then send the braces to the Medicare beneficiaries and bill Medicare for the medically unnecessary braces. The Bells paid significantly less for the braces than they billed Medicare.
When Bell Jr. was interviewed by the FBI, he falsely stated that he had never heard of PA Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, a provider of durable medical equipment and his former employer.
“Fraudulent conduct that exploits the Medicare system erodes public support for this important program and squanders taxpayer resources,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “I am grateful to our prosecution team and agency partners for their efforts to bring these crimes to justice.”
“Medicare is an essential government program that is supposed to assist some of our most vulnerable citizens with getting the healthcare they need. It should not be used as a ‘get rich’ scheme by scammers,” said FBI San Diego Acting Special Agent in Charge, Thomas Ryan. “People who exploit government programs to attempt to mask their malicious acts will continue to be investigated and held accountable by the FBI and our law enforcement partners.”
The Bells are scheduled to be sentenced on January 8, 2024, at 9 a.m., before U.S. District Judge William Q. Hayes.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Health and Human Services, and United States Marshal’s Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Valerie H. Chu and Christopher M. Alexander of the Southern District of California.
DEFENDANTS Criminal Case No. 20CR2887-WQH
Anthony Duane Bell Sr. Age: 54 El Cajon, California
Anthony Duane Bell Jr. Age: 33 Los Angeles, California
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Health Care Fraud, a felony, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1347
Maximum Penalty: Ten years in custody; $250,000 fine
False Statement, a felony, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001
Maximum Penalty: Five years in custody; $250,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General
United States Marshal’s Service
Drug Dealer Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Role in Fentanyl Death of Yamhill County TeenRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—An Oregon man was sentenced to federal prison Tuesday for distributing counterfeit pills containing fentanyl that caused the fatal overdose of a Yamhill County teen.
Dylan Wilson, 26, of Lafayette, Oregon, was sentenced to 96 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, on July 21, 2021, Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the fatal overdose of a 15-year-old in Dayton, Oregon. A search of the victim’s cell phone and an interview with one of the victim’s minor friends revealed that the victim had recently purchased what they thought were Oxycodone pills from Wilson. The victim was not aware that the counterfeit pills, labeled with “M30,” contained fentanyl. A toxicology report later confirmed the victim died of a fentanyl overdose.
The next day, on July 22, 2021, Yamhill County deputies and FBI special agents surveilled Wilson’s residence in Lafayette and arrested him without incident. Wilson confessed to knowing the victim was a minor before selling the counterfeit pills. A search of Wilson’s cell phone revealed evidence of his fentanyl supplier. Investigators identified the supplier as Scott Keeling, 23, of McMinnville, Oregon, and arrested Keeling the same day.
On December 7, 2021, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a three-count indictment charging Wilson and Keeling with conspiring with one another and others to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl.
On February 21, 2023, Keeling pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl. Two months later, on April 5, 2023, Wilson pleaded guilty to the same charge. On May 30, 2023, Keeling was sentenced to 96 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI. It was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
District of Columbia Woman Found Guilty in Scheme to Steal Money from Non-Profit She Was Entrusted to RunRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Rowena Joyce Scott, 70, of the District of Columbia, was convicted today of wire fraud, credit card fraud, filing false tax returns, and failing to file tax returns, in connection with a scheme to steal and embezzle money from the non-profit corporation she was entrusted to run for the benefit of some of the District’s economically disadvantaged residents.
The verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter, of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Washington D.C. Office and Chief John Fowler of the DC Office of Tax and Revenue Criminal Investigation Division. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 18, 2023.
The offense of wire fraud carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison. The offense of filing a false income tax return carries a statutory maximum of 3 years in prison. The offense of credit card fraud carries a statutory maximum of 10 years. The offense of willful failure to file tax returns carries a statutory maximum of one year. All the offenses also carry financial penalties.
According to evidence presented in court, from approximately January 2010 through May 2014, Scott served as the president of the board of directors and manager of Park Southern Neighborhood Corporation (“PSNC”), a non-profit, non-member corporation that owned and operated the Park Southern apartment complex in Southeast Washington, D.C. Instead of serving PSNC’s charitable mission – of providing adequate, safe, affordable housing for the District’s underhoused and underprivileged residents – Scott engaged in a scheme through which she embezzled at least $125,000 from the organization’s coffers and used nearly $30,000 in additional funds to make purely personal, unauthorized purchases from third-party vendors. All the while, Scott collected $260,000 in “salary” (about $60,000 per year), lived in the building rent-free, and used the property’s common rooms, free of charge, to operate her own ministry. Scott failed to report all of the income she received from PSNC – legitimate or otherwise – for tax purposes. Meanwhile, under her watch, the PSNC failed to finish renovations for Americans-with- Disabilities-Act compliant units and failed to make loan payments to the District.
This case was investigated by IRS-CID, the DC Office of Tax and Revenue. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Rakoczy, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Lallas. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Kelly and Diane Lucas, and Paralegal Specialist Sona Chaturvedi.
District of Columbia Man Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Narcotics and Use FirearmsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Trevon Fairfax, 28, of Rockville, Maryland, was sentenced today to 70 months in federal prison for his role in an ongoing conspiracy to distribute narcotics and a related conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting Special Agent in Charge Sarah Linden, of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, Special Agent in Charge Craig B. Kailimai, of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Washington Division, and Interim Chief Ashan Benedict, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Fairfax is one of more than a dozen individuals arrested as part of a joint FBI/ATF investigation which resulted in the seizure of more than 34 pounds of marijuana, 16 firearms, and more than $270,000 in cash.
Fairfax, who utilized the street nickname “Trizz,” pleaded guilty on October 21, 2022 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of conspiracy to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana, as well as oxycodone and codeine, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. As part of his plea agreement, Fairfax admitted to participating in a separate conspiracy to use, carry, and possess firearms, and further admitted to discharging a firearm in defense of the co-conspirators’ drug dealing territory. Fairfax was sentenced by the Honorable Amy Berman Jackson. Following completion of his prison term, Fairfax will be placed on four years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, beginning in approximately June 2018, and continuing through April 2021, Fairfax and his co-conspirators maintained drug dealing territory on Trenton Place SE in the Congress Heights neighborhood of Washington, D.C. – a territory they defended by carrying, and discharging, firearms at perceived rivals. As part of his role in the conspiracy, Fairfax distributed marijuana in bulk quantities and served as an armed defender of the co-conspirators’ drug dealing territory. Fairfax admitted that, on April 12, 2020, he fired a 9mm handgun at an SUV driving through the co-conspirators’ territory while another co-conspirator also fired at that vehicle. The driver of that vehicle sustained a gunshot wound and crashed his vehicle, but was able to escape on foot. Fairfax was arrested on April 22, 2021, and has been detained ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Acting Special Agent in Charge Linden, Special Agent in Charge Kailimai, and Interim Chief Benedict commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI, ATF, and MPD. They also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney James B. Nelson who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District of Columbia Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Distribution of Marijuana and OxycodoneRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kiyon Boyd, 23, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 60 months in federal prison for his role in an ongoing conspiracy to distribute narcotics in Washington, D.C. and elsewhere
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting Special Agent in Charge Sarah Linden, of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Interim Chief Ashan Benedict, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Boyd, who utilized the street nickname “Workey,” pleaded guilty on April 7, 2023, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of conspiracy to marijuana and oxycodone, and two counts of possession with the intent to distribute marijuana. As part of his plea agreement, Boyd admitted that he distributed, or conspired to distribute, between 80 and 100 kilograms of marijuana. Boyd also admitted that firearms were used or possessed as part of the drug dealing conspiracy. Boyd was sentenced by the Honorable Beryl A. Howell. Following completion of his prison term, Boyd will be placed on three years of supervised release.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Acting Special Agent in Charge Linden, and Interim Chief Benedict commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI, ATF, and MPD. They also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney James B. Nelson who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District of Columbia Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Unlawful Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jimmy Martez Ellis, 30, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced on June 26, 2023, to 60 months in federal prison for the unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting Special Agent in Charge Sarah Linden, of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Special Agent in Charge Craig B. Kailimai, of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Washington Division.
Ellis, who utilized the street nicknames “Big Oso” and “Jim Bob” pleaded guilty on March 8, 2023, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. As part of his plea agreement, Ellis admitted that he was arrested on April 19, 2020, in possession of a loaded .40 caliber handgun and that he was arrested again on August 6, 2021, in possession of a loaded .38 caliber handgun. Ellis admitted that, as a convicted felon, he was not legally permitted to possess either handgun, and further admitted that he possessed the firearms in connection to another felony crime – namely the distribution and possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances.
Ellis was sentenced by the Honorable Tanya S. Chutkan. Following completion of his prison term, Ellis will be placed on three years of supervised release.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Acting Special Agent in Charge Linden, and Special Agent in Charge Kailimai, commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI and ATF. They also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney James B. Nelson who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Cuatro detenidos por el incidente de tráfico de personas en un tráiler que resultó en 53 muertesRead the Press Release
Cuatro ciudadanos mexicanos fueron detenidos ayer en San Antonio, Houston y Marshall, Texas, por su presunta participación en un incidente de tráfico de personas en un tráiler que resultó en 53 personas indocumentadas fallecidas y 11 lesionadas hoy hace un año.
“Los traficantes de personas se aprovechan de la esperanza de los migrantes de una vida mejor, pero su única prioridad es obtener ganancias”, señaló el fiscal general Merrick B. Garland. “Trágicamente, 53 personas que habían sido hacinadas en un tráiler en Texas y soportaron horas de inimaginable crueldad, perdieron la vida debido a este plan despiadado. Los traficantes de personas que ponen en riesgo la vida de las personas para obtener ganancias e infringen nuestras leyes no podrán esconderse por mucho tiempo: Los encontraremos y los llevaremos ante la justicia”.
“El anuncio de hoy es otro paso importante en nuestro esfuerzo sin precedentes contra los traficantes”, expresó el secretario de Seguridad Nacional, Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “Estas acusaciones formales son el resultado directo de todo un esfuerzo del gobierno para prevenir estos horribles crímenes y es la campaña más grande de este tipo en la historia de los Estados Unidos. Los traficantes de personas harán cualquier cosa para obtener ganancias, y el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS) continuará haciendo todo lo posible para detenerlos. Estoy agradecido por el liderazgo de nuestro equipo de Investigación de Seguridad Nacional (HSI) y la Oficina de Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza de los EE. UU., por buscar justicia para las 53 vidas perdidas el año pasado”.
Estos cargos fueron el resultado de los esfuerzos coordinados de la Fuerza de Tarea Conjunta Alfa (JTFA), que el fiscal general Garland estableció en junio de 2021 en colaboración con el secretario Mayorkas, para fortalecer los esfuerzos generales de los departamentos para combatir estos delitos en función del aumento del tráfico prolífico y peligroso que proviene de Centroamérica y afecta a nuestras comunidades fronterizas. JTFA mejora los esfuerzos de las autoridades del orden público de los EE. UU., contra los grupos de tráfico y trata de personas más prolíficos y peligrosos que operan en México, Guatemala, El Salvador y Honduras.
Según documentos judiciales, entre diciembre de 2021 y junio de 2022, Riley Covarrubias-Ponce, también conocido como Rrili, también conocido como Rilay, 30 años; Felipe Orduña-Torres, también conocido como Cholo, también conocido como Chuequito/Chuekito, también conocido como Negro, 28 años; Luis Alberto Rivera-Leal, también conocido como Cowboy, 37 años; y Armando Gonzáles-Ortega, también conocido como El Don, también conocido como Don Gon, 53 años, están acusados de participar en una organización de tráfico de personas que traía ilegalmente adultos y niños de Guatemala, Honduras y México a los Estados Unidos. Los presuntos traficantes trabajaron en conjunto para transportar a los migrantes compartiendo rutas, guías, escondites, camiones, remolques y transportadores para consolidar costos, minimizar riesgos y maximizar ganancias. La organización mantuvo una variedad de tractores y remolques para sus operaciones de contrabando, algunos de los cuales estaban guardados en un estacionamiento privado en San Antonio.
“Hoy hace un año, un delito impensable perpetrado por traficantes de personas en nuestra frontera sur causó la muerte de 53 seres humanos”, señaló la fiscal general adjunta Lisa O. Mónaco. “Pero las detenciones de hoy demuestran que aquellos que buscan sacar provecho de la desesperación serán llevados ante la justicia. Al trabajar con colaboradores internacionales, el Departamento de Justicia responde a la delincuencia organizada internacional y envía un mensaje claro de que no existe un refugio seguro para el tráfico de armas de fuego, narcóticos letales o seres humanos”.
“Esta horrible tragedia pone de relieve el cruel desprecio que las organizaciones criminales de traficantes tienen por la vida humana, incluidas las vidas de los niños”, expresó el fiscal general adjunto Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. de la División Penal del Departamento de Justicia. “Estas acusaciones formales y detenciones son otro paso adelante para obtener justicia y rendición de cuentas por estas muertes sin sentido. La Fuerza de Tarea Conjunta Alfa se mantendrá firme en sus esfuerzos para frustrar estos planes mortales impulsados por la codicia a expensas de la seguridad y la protección”.
La acusación formal alega que en los días previos al 27 de junio de 2022, Covarrubias-Ponce, Orduña-Torres y otros intercambiaron los nombres de personas indocumentadas que serían traficadas en un tráiler. Los cuatro nuevos acusados imputados en la acusación formal supuestamente orquestaron la obtención de un tráiler vacío y su correspondiente entrega al conductor el 27 de junio. El conductor, Homero Zamorano Jr. de Elkhart, Texas, fue imputado previamente en una acusación formal de julio de 2022 junto con Christian Martínez, de Palestina, Texas. Orduña-Torres supuestamente proporcionó la dirección de Laredo, Texas, en la que Zamorano cargó a los migrantes en el tráiler. La acusación formal también alega que González-Ortega viajó a Laredo para localizar el tráiler, donde al menos 66 personas indocumentadas, incluidos ocho niños y una mujer embarazada, fueron subidos en la parte trasera para traficarlas. Martínez, Covarrubias-Ponce, Orduña-Torres, Rivera-Leal y Gonzáles-Ortega supuestamente coordinaron, facilitaron, pasaron mensajes y se mantuvieron informados sobre el avance del tráiler.
“Las alegaciones en la acusación formal son espantosas”, dijo el fiscal federal Jaime Esparza para el Distrito Oeste de Texas. “Docenas de hombres, mujeres y niños desesperados y vulnerables confiaron en los traficantes, quienes los abandonaron en un tráiler cerrado para luego perecer en el despiadado verano del sur de Texas. Gracias a nuestros colaboradores de las fuerzas del orden público a nivel local, estatal y federal, con la División de Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional de San Antonio a la cabeza de la investigación, estamos un paso más cerca de hacer justicia para esos migrantes y sus familias”.
Algunos de los acusados supuestamente sabían que la unidad de aire acondicionado del tráiler no funcionaba bien y que no salía aire fresco para los migrantes que estaban dentro. Cuando los miembros de la organización se encontraron con el tráiler al final de su viaje de casi tres horas a San Antonio, abrieron las puertas y encontraron que 48 de los migrantes, incluida la mujer embarazada, estaban muertos. Dieciséis de los indocumentados fueron transportados a hospitales y cinco de ellos murieron allí.
“Hoy hace un año, HSI respondió a una situación de tráfico masivo de personas con víctimas que ocurrió en San Antonio, terminó en la muerte de 53 no ciudadanos indocumentados de México, Guatemala y Honduras”, comentó el alto funcionario que desempeñaba las funciones del subdirector PJ Lechleitner de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE). “Las acusaciones formales anunciadas hoy enfatizan que trabajaremos incansablemente para llevar ante la justicia a los responsables de esta horrible tragedia. HSI continúa los esfuerzos de investigación con la Fuerza de Tarea Conjunta Alfa y los colaboradores internacionales para desmantelar las redes de traficantes que no demuestran aprecio por la vida humana”.
Cada acusado está imputado de un cargo de asociación delictuosa para transportar extranjeros ilegales con resultado de muerte, asociación delictuosa para transportar extranjeros ilegales con resultado de lesiones corporales graves y poner vidas en peligro, transporte de extranjeros ilegales con resultado de muerte y transporte de extranjeros ilegales con resultado de lesiones graves corporales y poner vidas en peligro. Si son condenados por los cargos principales, cada uno enfrenta una pena máxima de cadena perpetua.
HSI está investigando el caso con la valiosa asistencia de Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza, Patrulla Fronteriza, Operaciones de Detención y Deportación de ICE, FBI, ATF, Departamento de Policía de San Antonio, Oficina del Alguacil del Condado de Bexar, Departamento de Bomberos de San Antonio, Departamento de Policía de Marshall y Departamento de Policía de Palestina.
Los fiscales federales adjuntos Eric Fuchs, Sarah Spears y Amanda Brown para el Distrito Oeste de Texas están procesando el caso.
Desde su creación, JTFA ha aumentado con éxito la coordinación y la colaboración entre el Departamento de Justicia, el DHS y otros participantes interinstitucionales del orden público, y con colaboradores extranjeros del orden público, incluido en El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras y México; se ha dirigido contra aquellas organizaciones que tienen el impacto más significativo en los Estados Unidos; y coordinando importantes acusaciones formales de tráfico y esfuerzos de extradición en las fiscalías federales de los Estados Unidos en todo el país. JTFA está compuesto por fiscales de las fiscalías federales de los EE. UU. en la frontera suroeste, incluido el Distrito Sur de Texas, el Distrito Oeste de Texas, el Distrito de Nuevo México, el Distrito de Arizona y el Distrito Sur de California. Numerosos componentes de la División Penal del Departamento de Justicia que forman parte de JTFA también brindan apoyo dedicado para el grupo de tarea, dirigido por la Sección de Derechos Humanos y Procesamientos Especiales (HRSP) y apoyado por la Oficina de Desarrollo Procesal, Asistencia y Capacitación (OPDAT), la Sección de Estupefacientes y Drogas Peligrosas (NDDS), la Sección de Blanqueo de Capitales y Recuperación de Activos (MLARS), la Oficina de Operaciones del Orden Público (OEO), la Oficina de Asuntos Internacionales (OIA) del Departamento de Justicia y la Sección de Delincuencia Organizada y Pandillas (OCGS). JTFA es posible gracias a una inversión sustancial en las fuerzas del orden público por parte del DHS, el FBI, la DEA y otros colaboradores.
Una acusación formal es simplemente un alegato. Todos los acusados se presumen inocentes hasta que se pruebe su culpabilidad más allá de toda duda razonable en un tribunal de justicia.
Columbia Man Sentenced to over 7 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Leon Johnny King, 38, of Columbia, was sentenced to 90 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin and crack cocaine, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking crime.
Evidence presented to the Court showed that in June 2019, Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) narcotics investigators began investigating King for drug trafficking activity in the Columbia area. Investigators made a series of controlled buys of heroin from King, which led to investigators executing a search warrant at King’s apartment in July 2019. Investigators found a loaded .380 pistol and a quantity of heroin in a bag in King’s bedroom. After his arrest, investigators found a quantity of crack cocaine and more heroin on his person. Federal law prohibits King from possessing firearms or ammunition based on convictions for trafficking cocaine and autobreaking.
United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced King to 90 months in prison, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher D. Taylor is prosecuting the case.
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Columbia Man Sentenced to over 6 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Kendell Deion Pollock, 28, of Columbia, was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession of a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking crime.
Evidence presented to the Court showed that on November 12, 2020, Columbia Police Department (CPD) officers were dispatched to investigate a robbery call in the Marlboro St. area of Columbia. Officers saw Pollock and another man riding in a car thought to be involved in the robbery, and they stopped the car. They searched the car due to a strong odor of marijuana coming from the car.
Officers found a 9mm pistol with a fully loaded 30-round ammunition magazine attached, nearly a quarter of a pound of marijuana, and other drug paraphernalia in the car. Pollock admitted to possessing the marijuana and pistol. Pollock had previous convictions for burglary and drug possession.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Pollock to 78 months in prison, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Columbia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher D. Taylor is prosecuting the case.
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Cherokee County Man Convicted of Sex Trafficking Teens in Tyler AreaRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas - A Jacksonville, Texas man has been convicted of federal sex trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today.
Desnique Deshawn Herndon, 27, was convicted of six counts of sex trafficking of children and one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of children. Herndon was found guilty of all counts by a jury following a five-day trial before U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker.
According to information presented in court, beginning in 2019, Herndon engaged in trafficking multiple teenage girls for commercial sex acts. Herndon recruited the girls by social media, deceived them by promising riches, and placed them in hotels in the Tyler area. He then posted advertisements on sex trafficking websites showing explicit photos of the girls and offering commercial sex acts. Some of Herndon’s victims were as young as 13 years old. During trial, jurors heard testimony that Herndon used co-conspirators to continue to run his operation while he was in jail so that the victims could earn money to pay his bond.
Three of Herndon's co-conspirators previously pleaded guilty for their roles in the offenses. Malcolm Kadeem Roberts, 27, of Tyler, pleaded guilty on October 4, 2022, to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of children. Roberts also faces pending aggravated sexual assault of a child charges in Smith County for his conduct in relation to one of the minor victims in this case. Patrick Lamont Cross, Jr, 27, of Palestine, Texas pleaded guilty on August 22, 2022, to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of children. Tavarus D. Watkins, 27, of Jacksonville, Texas, pleaded guilty on August 9, 2022, to interstate transport of a minor for illegal sexual activity.
Under federal statutes, Herndon faces up to life in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations’ Tyler Resident Agency, the FBI Tyler Resident Agency, Texas DPS Criminal Investigations Division, the Texas Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Unit, Tyler Police Department, Henderson County Sherriff’s Office, Cherokee County Sherriff’s Office, the Jacksonville Police Department, and the Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Lab. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Locker and Alan Jackson, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Jiral.
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Camden County Man Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Hiring Hitman via InternetRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Camden County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 78 months in prison for paying $20,000 in bitcoin to have a 14-year old child murdered, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
John Michael Musbach, 34, of Haddonfield, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez to an indictment charging him with one count of knowingly and intentionally using and causing another to use a facility of interstate and foreign commerce, that is the internet, with the intent that a murder be committed. Judge Rodriguez imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In the summer of 2015, Musbach exchanged via the internet sexually explicit photographs and videos with the victim, a 13-year-old living in New York. The victim’s parents found out about the inappropriate contact and contacted the local police. Upon identifying Musbach, then a resident of Atlantic County, New Jersey, New York law enforcement officers reached out to the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office (ACPO). In March 2016, officers from the ACPO arrested Musbach on child pornography charges and executed a search warrant at his residence, then in Galloway, New Jersey.
Musbach decided to have the victim killed so that the victim could not testify against him in the pending criminal case. During the period from May 7, 2016, through May 20, 2016, Musbach repeatedly communicated with the administrator of a murder-for-hire website, which operated on the dark net, and which purported to offer contract killings or other acts of violence in return for payment in cryptocurrency, and arranged for a murder-for-hire. Musbach asked if a 14-year-old was too young to target, and upon hearing that the age was not a problem, paid approximately 40 bitcoin (approximately $20,000 at the time) for the hit. Musbach repeatedly messaged the website’s administrator following up on the hit and asking when it would occur. When pressed for an additional $5,000 to secure the hit, Musbach eventually sought to cancel and asked for a refund of his $20,000. The website’s administrator then revealed that the website was a scam and threatened to reveal Musbach’s information to law enforcement.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Rodriguez sentenced Musbach to three years of supervised release and fined him $30,000.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel in Newark and Special Agent in Charge Jamie Holt in St. Paul, Minnesota, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office for its assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Diana Vondra Carrig in Camden.
California resident sentenced to 3+ years in prison for smuggling scheme using ride share companies to transport Indian Nationals crossing the northern border illegallyRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 49-year-old resident of Elk Grove, California, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 45 months in prison for Conspiracy to Transport and Harbor Certain Aliens for Profit and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Rajinder Pal Singh, aka Jaspal Gill, pleaded guilty in February 2023, admitting that he took in more than $500,000 as a key member of a smuggling ring bringing hundreds of Indian Nationals across the border from Canada and then to locations in the mid-west and beyond. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour accepted the joint sentencing recommendation.
“Over a four-year period, Mr. Singh arranged for more than 800 people to be smuggled into the U.S. across the northern border and into Washington State,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “This conduct was not just a security risk for our country, it also subjected those smuggled to security and safety risks during the often weeks-long smuggling route from India to the United States. Mr. Singh’s participation in this conspiracy preyed upon the Indian Nationals’ hopes for a better life in the United States, while saddling those smuggled with crushing debt of as much as $70,000.”
“Mr. Singh spent years illegally smuggling hundreds of Indian nationals into this country; all to make a quick profit,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “Fortunately, through a committed HSI investigative team, complemented by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, that scheme has come to an end. Mr. Singh crushed the dreams of so many who quickly found themselves drowning in debt to their smuggler and unable to realize the life they sought in this country. Mr. Singh won’t need to order up any more Uber rides for the next three years.”
According to records filed in the case, as early as July 2018, Singh and his coconspirators used the ride share app Uber to transport people who had illegally crossed the border from Canada to the Seattle area. Those records detail how trips beginning near the border in the early hours of the morning, would be split between different rides. For example, one Uber trip would be from the border to Sea-Tac airport, and then minutes later the second Uber trip would be from a nearby airport hotel to an address in Lacey, Washington, owned by Singh’s spouse. All told, from mid-2018 to May 2022, Singh arranged more than 600 trips involving the transportation of Indian Nationals who had been illegally smuggled into the U.S.
Once the non-citizens had been smuggled into the U.S., Singh coordinated with other coconspirators who, using one-way vehicle rentals, would transport these individuals to their ultimate destinations outside Washington State.
Singh and his coconspirators used sophisticated means to launder the organization’s illicit proceeds. For example, on one instance, Singh and his coconspirators arranged for smuggling fees to be sent via Hawala from India to New York. Once the smuggling fee was received in cash from the New York Hawala, these funds were converted into a check, mailed to a coconspirator in Kentucky, and then were washed through multiple financial accounts. In the plea agreement, Singh admitted that the purpose of this money movement was to obscure the illicit nature of these funds, i.e., money laundering.
The smuggling scheme has been underway since at least 2018. It slowed during the pandemic when Canada was not admitting non-citizens. However as pandemic restrictions were lifted, the smuggling scheme became active again. In all, the investigation estimates that between July 2018, and April 2022, the 17 Uber accounts tied to this smuggling ring ran up more than $80,000 in charges.
In addition to the search of the home in Lacey, law enforcement searched two of Singh’s residences in California. During the search of one of his homes in Elk Grove, California, investigators found about $45,000 in cash as well as counterfeit identity documents. They also found copies of falsified documents that had been submitted to immigration judges in Washington during bond hearings for non-citizens who had been smuggled into the United States by Singh and his coconspirators, but who had been arrested by immigration authorities after illegally crossing the border.
Singh has agreed to forfeit cash and other personal property seized during the search of his residences, as well as a money judgement of $500,000 which represents proceeds he obtained from his criminal scheme.
Both sides agreed to recommend that Singh serve 45 months in prison. Singh is not legally present in the United States and will likely be deported following his prison term.
The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Uber assisted with the investigation shortly before the arrest in this case.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joe Silvio.
Buffalo Man Arrested, Charged with Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Mark Nash, 34, of Buffalo, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with production of child pornography. The charge carries a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, and a maximum of 30 years.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan P. Cantil, who is handling the case, stated that on April 4, 2023, the Buffalo Police Department received a report that Nash had nude images of a minor victim on his phone and that he had allegedly sexually abused the girl. A search warrant executed on Nash’s phone recovered over 200 sexually explicit images of the minor victim.
Nash is currently on probation following a 2022 conviction in Erie County Court for Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree.
Nash made an initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and is being held pending a detention hearing on June 29, 2023.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Bronx Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Enticement of Multiple Minors to Engage in Illegal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that MICHAEL BARRETO was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla to 20 years in prison for repeatedly enticing minors to meet him for illegal sexual activity over the course of more than a decade and receipt of child pornography. BARRETO previously pled guilty to three counts of enticement and three counts of receipt of child pornography.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Over the course of more than a decade, Michael Barreto repeatedly victimized minors in his community in the Bronx. Barreto tried and succeeded in luring minors to meet him for illegal sexual activity, often by lying to the victims about his own age. Today’s sentence shows that this abhorrent conduct will not be tolerated and will lead to a lengthy prison sentence. This Office is committed to prosecuting those who prey on children.”
According to court filings and statements made in court proceedings:
In 2008, BARRETO, age 19 or 20, had sex with one victim, age 14, and then told the victim to run away from home and lie about their relationship. In 2017, BARRETO, age 29, met a second victim, age 13, at a store in the Bronx, New York. BARRETO lied about his age and began an illegal sexual relationship with him. Two years after meeting, BARRETO surreptitiously recorded illegal sexual activity between himself and the victim. In 2018, BARRETO, age 30, exchanged sexual Facebook messages with a third victim, age 14, lied about his own age, and encouraged the victim to travel to BARRETO’s apartment in the Bronx. This victim in fact traveled to BARRETO’s apartment, where BARRETO engaged in illegal sexual activity with him. In 2018 and 2019, BARRETO exchanged sexual messages with three other victims, each age 14 or 15, lied about his age to each, and eventually received nude photographs constituting child pornography from the victims.
Apart from these victims, from approximately 2017 through 2019, BARRETO attempted to entice more than a dozen other minors using social media chat platforms. In these chats, BARRETO frequently lied about his own age, sent flirtatious and sexual messages, and expressed an interest in meeting with the minor victims in person to engage in sexual activity.
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In addition to the prison term, BARRETO, 34, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced to 10 years of supervised release, ordered to pay $9,000 in restitution, and ordered to pay a $300 assessment pursuant to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of New York City Police Department. He also thanked the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, for its assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kedar S. Bhatia and Brandon D. Harper are in charge of the prosecution.
Bridgeport Felon Found with Loaded Ghost Gun While on Supervised Release Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TIMOTHY STATON, 28, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon, and to violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal conviction.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in September 2018, Bridgeport Police officers arrested Staton after he discarded a 9mm handgun during a pursuit. Staton, who had previously been convicted in state court of narcotics, firearm, and racketeering offenses, subsequently pleaded guilty in federal court to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and, on June 3, 2019, was sentenced to 37 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release. He was released from federal prison in May 2022.
On December 13, 2022, Bridgeport Police officers arrested Staton after they found him in possession of a loaded semi-automatic 9mm privately manufactured firearm (“ghost gun”).
At sentencing, which is not scheduled, Staton faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years for the firearm offense, and an additional penalty for the violating the conditions of his supervised release. Staton has been detained since his arrest.
This matter has been investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Bridgeport Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis through the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program.
PSN, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts, is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Bolivar Sex Offender Indicted for Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Bolivar, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today on charges related to the sexual exploitation of a child victim.
Merle G. Daniels, 44, was charged in a three-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield. Daniels is a registered sex offender after having been previously convicted of statutory rape, two counts of statutory sodomy, and interference with custody in Greene County, Mo.
Today’s indictment alleges that Daniels used a victim under the age of 16 to produce child pornography from Nov. 9 to Dec. 9, 2022. Daniels is also charged with one count of being a registered sex offender and committing a felony offense involving a minor, and one count of transferring obscene material to the child victim.
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 Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Polk County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Arizona Woman Pleads Guilty to Violating the Federal Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – EMILY HUCKABEE, age 23, a resident of Yuma, Arizona, pled guilty on June 22, 2023 before United States District Judge Carl J. Barbier to a superseding bill of information charging her with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, on June 28, 2022, a Louisiana State Police Trooper stopped a 2015 Ford F-150 driven by HUCKABEE and traveling on I-59 in Pearl River, Louisiana, for traffic violations. A narcotics detection canine sniffed the vehicle and detected a narcotics odor. HUCKABEE admitted to the Troopers that there was a large amount of controlled substances in a bag on the rear seat of the vehicle. Troopers searched the vehicle and discovered 10.58 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine wrapped in twenty-seven vacuum sealed packages.
HUCKABEE faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty (20) years, a fine of up to $1,000,000.00, a term of supervised release of at least three (3) years, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Louisiana State Police. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney André Jones of the Narcotics Unit.
All Hands on Deck CEO Convicted of Bank Fraud, Wire Fraud, Witness Tampering, and Other OffensesRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Attila Colar, aka Dahood Sariff Bey, aka Sharieff Dahood Bey, aka Saharieff Pasha, aka Georgi Petrakov, was convicted of forty-four counts that included conspiracy, bank fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, false statements to a bank, destruction of property to prevent a search, possession of a firearm as a felon, making a false tax return, obstruction, and witness tampering, by a federal jury on June 23, 2023. The guilty verdicts followed a three-week jury trial before the Honorable Haywood S. Gilliam, Jr., U.S. District Judge.
Colar, 51, of Richmond, Calif., is the former Chief Executive Officer of All Hands on Deck in Richmond, Calif., a residential reentry home for probationers, parolees, homeless persons, and persons with mild mental illness. In finding him guilty of the sundry crimes, the jury concluded Colar carried out multiple schemes to defraud, including defrauding organizations that placed residents at his company’s transitional housing facilities and defrauding several lenders that were participating in the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The jury also found that Colar attempted to destroy evidence, obstructed the FBI’s and grand jury’s investigations into his crimes, and tampered with a witness by attempting to conceal a witness while law enforcement was taking steps to execute a material witness order.
“The evidence in this case demonstrates that during his various fraud schemes, Colar trafficked in multiple people’s identities.” U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey said. “He targeted some of the most marginalized and dispossessed persons in our community. Their badly needed cash went into the defendant’s pocket. In the end, the defendant manipulated the very people who came to him for help.”
“Colar attempted to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program of $34 million intended to help honest businesses in need during the pandemic,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Tripp. “Today's verdict should serve as a warning to fraudsters like Colar that the FBI and our government partners will continue to pursue those who have exploited government programs for personal gain and stolen from American taxpayers.”
“The brazen fraud scheme committed in this case simply for personal gain harmed legitimate businesses in need. This conviction sends a clear message that those who defraud the federal government of pandemic relief funds will be held accountable and brought to justice for their actions,” said Jon Ellwanger, Special Agent in Charge, Western Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. “I commend our agents and their federal law enforcement partners for their hard work and persistence, which ultimately led to this conviction.”
“Providing false information to fraudulently gain access to pandemic relief funds is a theft of taxpayer funds,” said U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Inspector General Western Region Acting Special Agent in Charge Keven Standley. “OIG will relentlessly pursue fraudsters and bring them to justice. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and commitment to seeing justice served.”
“Mr. Colar abused the tax system by submitting fraudulent federal employment tax returns and W-2s to further a scheme he devised and orchestrated that aimed at defrauding the U.S. government of funds designed to help businesses that were impacted by the pandemic under the CARES Act,” said IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Darren Lian of the Oakland Field Office. “IRS-Criminal Investigation will continue to provide resources to help uncover and prosecute such egregious acts. I want to thank those on the trial team, including our federal law enforcement partners and U.S. Attorney’s Office for diligently working together to serve justice.”
“The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration aggressively pursues those who endeavor to defraud taxpayer-funded Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act programs, which were established to provide assistance to American business owners during unprecedented times,” stated Inspector General J. Russell George. “I want to thank our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their efforts to ensure individuals engaged in criminal activity are held to account.”
Evidence at trial showed that starting in late 2018, Colar engaged in a scheme to defraud, among others, GEO Reentry, which provided treatment and supervision programs for adult probationers, parolees, and pretrial defendants in residential, in-custody, and non-residential reentry centers for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). Specifically, in or about 2019, Colar fraudulently induced GEO Reentry to refer parolees to All Hands on Deck using falsified fire inspection clearance reports, a false letter of recommendation, false security clearance documents, and false and misleading information about its staff.
Additional evidence demonstrated that in April and June of 2020, Colar engaged in a second scheme to defraud lenders participating in the PPP lending plan authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who were suffering from the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Pursuant to the CARES Act, the SBA managed the PPP lending plan. Trial evidence established Colar submitted multiple loan applications on behalf of All Hands on Deck to lenders that were false and misleading. For example, the applications substantially overstated the number and payroll of All Hands on Deck employees—while Colar’s loan applications stated All Hands on Deck had approximately 73 to 81 employees, the business had, in fact, perhaps other than himself, no salaried employees.
Colar was also convicted of offenses related to the submission of multiple fraudulent loan applications in the name of other companies. The evidence demonstrated Colar hastily revived two dormant companies, and then submitted loan applications from the PPP lending plan for the bogus businesses. To carry out this scheme to defraud, Colar used, without legal authority, the names and identities of two persons living in his residential reentry facility. Colar falsely represented that the residents were “CEO”s of companies with hundreds of employees with million-dollar payrolls.
In all, the evidence at trial showed that Colar submitted a total of 16 fraudulent loan applications to the PPP lending plan seeking approximately $34,655,437 in PPP loans.
Colar also was convicted of obstruction and witness tampering relating to the investigations into his crimes. Colar has been found guilty of destroying documents during a search of his home, lying to the FBI about a firearm, falsifying records produced to the grand jury, interfering with the representation by counsel of a material witness by impersonating the witness’s Power of Attorney, coaching a witness to falsely state that the witness was the CEO of one of Colar’s bogus companies that submitted fraudulent loan applications, and concealing a witness in multiple hotels and other locations in the Bay Area to forestall or prevent the witness from providing testimony in the federal grand jury.
In sum, Colar was convicted of forty-four (44) federal criminal offenses for his conduct. The convictions include the following: one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349; one count to commit conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349; two counts of bank fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1344; sixteen counts of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343; eight counts of aggravated identity theft, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028A; two counts of false statement to a bank, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1014; one count of possession of a firearm by a felon, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g); one count of destruction of property to prevent a search or seizure, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2232(a); one count of obstruction of justice, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(c)(2); two counts of falsification of records in a federal investigation, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1519; six counts of making a false tax return, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7206; one count of conspiracy to tamper with a witness, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(k); one count of tampering with a witness, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(b)(1); and one count of tampering with a witness, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(b)(2).
Colar is currently being held without bail pending his sentencing. Judge Gilliam scheduled Colar’s sentencing hearing for September 6, 2023. Colar faces the following maximum statutory penalties:
Charge
Maximum Statutory Penalty (per count)
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation 18 U.S.C. § 1349
20 years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine
Conspiracy to commit brank fraud and wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349
30 years’ imprisonment and a $1,000,000 fine
Bank fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1344
30 years’ imprisonment and a $1,000,000 fine
Wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343
20 years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine
Aggravated identity theft, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028A
Mandatory 2 years’ imprisonment, consecutive to prison terms
False statement to a bank, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1014
20 years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine
Possession of a firearm by a felon, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)
10 years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine
Destruction of property to prevent a search or seizure, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2232(a)
5 years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine
Obstruction of justice, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(c)(2)
20 years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine
Falsification of records in a federal investigation, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1519
20 years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine
Making a false tax return, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7206
3 years’ imprisonment and $100,000 fine
Conspiracy to tamper with a witness, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(k)
20 years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine
Witness tampering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(b)(1) & (2)
20 years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine
However, any sentence will be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Barbara J. Valliere, Adam A. Reeves, and Ross D. Mazer are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Laurie Worthen and Legal Assistant Kathy Tat. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Internal Revenue Service: Criminal Investigation, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Small Business Administration.