Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
20 June 2023
St. Charles County Man Accused of Online Coercion of MinorsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Charles County, Missouri accused of coercing minors into sending him nude pictures has been ordered held in jail until trial.
Tristin M. Davis, 26, was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis May 24 on three counts of coercion and enticement of a minor and three counts of receiving child pornography. The indictment accuses him of coercing three minors, in New York, Tennessee and Connecticut, into engaging in sexually explicit conduct to produce images. Davis pleaded not guilty to the charges June 8.
On Friday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Shirley Padmore Mensah ordered Davis detained until trial. In addition to the federal charges, Judge Mensah cited pending statutory sodomy charges in Lincoln County Circuit Court and St. Charles County Circuit Court and accusations that Davis has sexually abused four minors.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The St. Charles County Police Department 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.
Southern California Woman Sentenced to 33 months in Prison for Knife Assault on a Camper in Sequoia National ParkRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Sarah E. Meenahan, 28, of Manhattan Beach, was sentenced today to 33 months in prison for assault with intent to commit a felony, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on May 16, 2022, Meenahan entered a camper van in Sequoia National Park with the intent to steal the camper van from the occupant, who was sleeping. Meenahan exited the camper van, but moments later reentered the camper and attempted to stab the occupant with a 4-inch serrated knife. The occupant was able to subdue Meenahan and eject her from the camper before she could stab him. Then Meenahan fled in a stolen car. When National Park Service rangers encountered her and tried to arrest her, she refused to comply with commands, and was only taken into custody after rangers deployed a taser.
On Feb. 21, 2023, Meenahan pleaded guilty to the assault.
This case was the product of an investigation by the National Park Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly A. Sanchez and Michael G. Tierney prosecuted the case.
St. Croix Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
St. Croix, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Roniel Allembert, 22, of St. Croix, pleaded guilty before U. S. Magistrate Judge Emile A, Henderson, III, to Possession of a Firearm in School Zone. Allembert’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 13, 2023, where he faces a maximum sentence of up to 5 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to court documents, on September 28, 2021, Virgin Islands Police Department officers discovered a fully loaded Taurus 9mm handgun in a ditch located at #21 Anna’s Hope, approximately 290 feet from the Church of God Holiness Academy. Allembert was observed at the same location but drove off at a high rate of speed when VIPD police units approach the area. Allembert later returned to the location driving slowly while looking on the side of the road where the handgun was discovered. Allembert’s DNA was later discovered on the firearm. He did not have a license to possess the firearm.
This case was investigated by the Virgin Islands Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel H. Huston. The investigation is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and community leaders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. For more information on the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods, please see: https://www.justice.gov/psn.
Romanian Citizens Plead Guilty to Laundering $1.4 Million in Proceeds from Jewelry Thefts and Covid FraudRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – June 20, 2023
SAN DIEGO – Eduard Ghiocel and Floarea Ghiocel, married Romanian nationals and leaders of a Romania-based transnational organized crime group, pleaded guilty today to laundering $1.4 million in proceeds from dozens of grand thefts, robberies and swindles targeting mostly elderly victims in San Diego County.
According to their plea agreement, Eduard and Floarea Ghiocel, along with the assistance of co-conspirators Gabriel Ghiocel, Marius Ghiocel, Larisa Ghiocel, and Argentina Alexandru, conducted a series of 17 grand thefts and robberies of jewelry in elderly communities in San Diego. Defendants and co-conspirators then pawned the stolen, expensive jewelry and watches for cash in jewelry stores in Los Angeles. In addition, Eduard and Floarea Ghiocel admitted to submitting fraudulent unemployment claims to the California Employment Development Department (EDD), and together with their co-conspirators received a total of approximately $32,250 in California unemployment insurance benefits intended to help workers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Eduard and Floarea Ghiocel admitted to sending cash from the jewelry thefts and the stolen unemployment insurance proceeds by wire transfers to Romania via Money Service Businesses, and using the stolen proceeds to purchase gold bars, gold coins, and high-end luxury vehicles from locations in Southern California and shipping these items to Romania. In total the Ghiocel Sub-Group sent $1,367,652.02 from illicit funds to Romania, knowing the money represented the proceeds of grand thefts and robberies of jewelry, and California EDD fraud, the plea agreement said.
In a forfeiture addendum, Eduard and Floarea Ghiocel also agreed to forfeit assets including a white 2019 Lamborghini Urus, a black 2020 Ferrari Portofino, two gold coins worth $4,000, and $1,896.37 worth of U.S. currency. These items were seized across Valcea County, Romania on March 14, 2023 pursuant to seven Romanian search warrants issued by the Bucharest Tribunal and executed by police officers from the Romanian National Police's Directorate for Combatting Organized Crime, Service for Combatting Organized Criminal Groups, and Service for Combatting Organized Crime Valcea, assisted by FBI and IRS officers. Eduard and Floarea Ghiocel also agreed to forfeit a blue 2021 Lamborghini Urus and a BMW X4, also seized in Romania pursuant to the aforementioned warrants. After the defendants are sentenced and the forfeiture finalized, it is the intent of the U.S. Attorney to seek restoration of the forfeited properties to pay restitution to victims.
The co-conspirators remain at large in Romania.
“These defendants led an international crime ring that stole beloved personal items from elderly victims,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “They thought that seniors would be easy marks, but the plan has backfired. Our prosecution team and agencies followed the organized crime group’s trail all the way to Romania to assist in the seizure of assets laundered from stolen jewelry and pandemic funds in California.”
Grossman thanked the prosecution team and agencies along with their international partners for their inexhaustible efforts to bring justice for these victims.
“This scheme is egregious because it specifically targeted our most vulnerable citizens,” said FBI San Diego’s Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy. “The FBI is allocating as many resources as possible to identify and bring to justice individuals who are preying on our older adult population.”
“Too many people suffer at the hands of this type of organized crime,” said San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit. “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to hold these criminals and their co-conspirators accountable.”
“While most people were worrying about how to stay healthy and protect their loved ones during the height of the pandemic, Eduard Ghiocel and Floarea Ghiocel were busy victimizing the elderly within our communities and targeting relief programs. They will now face the consequences of their crimes and their flagrant disregard for our communities,” said Tyler Hatcher, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation Los Angeles Field Office. “Investigating individuals and organizations that prey on vulnerable communities and exploited the CARES act is one of our top priorities. IRS-CI will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners locally and internationally to locate and hold criminal organizations accountable for their crimes.”
Assistance was provided by the Romanian National Police (Service for Combatting Organized Criminal Groups and Service for Combatting Organized Crime Valcea) and the Romanian Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (Agency for Prosecuting Organized Crime). The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided significant assistance.
The couple is scheduled to be sentenced on August 21 at 10 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Larry Burns.
DEFENDANTS Case Number: 23-cr-00650-LAB
Eduard Ghiocel (1) Age: 47 Transient, Romanian
aka Eduard Alexandru, aka “Filica”
Floarea Ghiocel (2) Age: 48 Transient, Romanian
aka Floarea Alexandru
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Title 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h) and Title 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) — Conspiracy to Transport Funds to Promote Unlawful Activity
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $500,000 fine or twice the value of the monetary instrument or funds involved in the transportation, transmission, or transfer, whichever is greater
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
San Diego Police Department
Internal Revenue Service
California Employment Development Department Investigative Division
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Department of Labor Office of Investigator General
Recently Released Felon Sentenced for Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to 5 years in prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
According to court documents, on July 12, 2022, a Richmond Police Department officer saw a car driving on the wrong side of the road. Octavius Bentley, 37, got out of the car, removed a firearm from his waistband and placed it on the driver’s seat, and hopped the fence. The officer recovered the loaded gun from the car and found part of Bentley’s ankle monitoring equipment in the passenger’s seat. Six months before, Bentley had been released from prison after serving 18 years for a violent rape. Bentley had been placed on location monitoring as a condition of his state probation. In the trunk of the car, officers found over 6 ounces of marijuana, baggies, a digital scale, a drug ledger, and a cell phone.
Officers could not locate Bentley on July 12. Within days, he fled to Vermont, and, in August, was arrested on a federal warrant for flight to avoid prosecution.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division; Shannon Saylor, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Rick Edwards, Acting Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Hannah M. Lauck.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Wright and Kenneth Simon prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-157.
Readout of Justice Department Convening with National Public Defense Organizations Hosted by the Office for Access to JusticeRead the Press Release
Director Rachel Rossi of the Justice Department’s Office for Access to Justice (ATJ) and staff from ATJ and the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) met with national public defense organizations today at the Justice Department.
The organizations discussed an array of critical topics impacting adult and youth public defenders including challenges in securing federal funding and resources; research needs and data gaps; the need to promote policies that ensure early and continuous access to counsel and concerns about increasing caseloads and workloads that can lead to the constructive denial of counsel.
ATJ is charged with planning, developing and coordinating the implementation of access to justice policy initiatives of high priority to the Justice Department and the Executive Branch, including in areas of criminal indigent defense. Today’s convening was held in furtherance of the ATJ’s commitment and mandate to regularly engage with the public defense community and to support indigent defense. It is part of the department’s continuing engagement with and support for the public defense community.
In March, the Justice Department celebrated 60 years since the Supreme Court decision recognizing the right to counsel in criminal cases, Gideon v. Wainwright, by launching a country-wide tour to hear from those on the ground doing the work of making the right to counsel a reality. High-level Justice Department officials joined ATJ in visits with public defenders, impacted communities and advocates across the United States to hear about barriers and announce a number of actions in response. These actions include:
- Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco’s launch of a 100-day review of access to counsel in Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) facilities;
- OJP and ATJ’s issuance of a “Dear Colleague” letter encouraging states to use Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program funding to resource public defense
- An ATJ partnership with the National Institute of Justice on a research project detailing the landscape of state public defender systems; and
- The establishment of new attorney position in ATJ, filled by Senior Counsel Nikhil Ramnaney, dedicated to supporting, collaborating with, and engaging the state and local public defense community.
Portland Area Diesel Repair Shop and Shop Owner Plead Guilty to Clean Air Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland area diesel repair shop and its owner pleaded guilty today in federal court to knowingly and intentionally tampering with monitoring devices on more than 200 vehicles after removing their emissions controls in violation of the Clean Air Act.
Pure Addiction Diesel Performance, LLC, located in Hillsboro, Oregon, pleaded guilty to tampering with pollution monitoring devices and was ordered to pay a fine of $148,733 to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The company was also sentenced to three years’ probation.
Pure Addiction’s owner and operator, Travis Turner, 38, a resident of Forest Grove, Oregon, pleaded guilty to being an accessory to the tampering of monitoring devices and was sentenced to six months in federal prison.
“By disabling the emissions control systems of hundreds of diesel vehicles, Pure Addiction and its owner, Travis Turner, favored their own financial interests above the health and safety of our community, said Ethan Knight, Chief of the Economic Crimes Unit for the U.S. Attorney’s Office. “We will continue working closely with our partners at the EPA to ensure all businesses and business owners play by the rules.”
“The defendants installed emissions defeat equipment on hundreds of diesel trucks, resulting in substantial increases in pollution from each individual vehicle,” said Scot Adair, Special Agent in Charge of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID) in Oregon. “EPA CID will continue to focus on stopping the usage of illegal defeat devices that contribute to serious health problems and put our communities at risk.”
According to court documents, beginning in at least 2018 and continuing through 2020, Pure Addiction tampered with and disabled the emissions control systems of approximately 245 diesel vehicles for paying customers in violation of the Clean Air Act. Pure Addiction charged its customers approximately $2,000 each for the emissions modification and collected more $400,000 in total for the unlawful services over an approximately two-year period.
As owner of Pure Addiction, Turner took action to assist the company in evading detection by federal environmental authorities by issuing, maintaining, and subsequently providing to investigators sales invoices that included inaccurate or incomplete information about the company’s illegal vehicle modifications. 46 of the service invoices Turner provided to investigators reflected “parts only” transactions when, in fact, those transactions included additional service work that violated the Clean Air Act.
On June 1, 2023, Pure Addiction was charged with one count of Clean Air Act tampering. In the same information, Turner was charged with one count of being an accessory after the fact to Clean Air Act tampering.
This case was investigated by EPA CID. It was prosecuted by Ryan W. Bounds, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon, and Karla Gebel Perrin, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
If you witness an environmental event that may lead to an immediate threat to human health or the environment, please call 9-1-1. After alerting local emergency authorities, please also report incidents to the EPA’s National Response Center by calling 1-800-424-8802.
Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Trafficking and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – Lamont Bray pled guilty to fentanyl trafficking and gun crimes, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Bray, age 23 of Pittsburgh, pled guilty before United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan. Bray pled guilty to conspiring to falsify a firearm purchase form and to possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute. Judge Horan ordered sentencing to occur on October 11, 2023, at 10:00 a.m.
In support of the guilty plea, the Court was informed that, between October 2020 and February 2021, Bray and his co-defendant formed and carried out a scheme whereby the co-defendant would purchase firearms, from federally licensed firearms dealers, as if she was the actual purchaser, and as if she would be the actual possessor, of the firearms when Mr. Bray would, in fact, be the actual purchaser and actual possessor of the firearms. Bray also possessed fentanyl with intent to distribute on April 10, 2021.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the conviction in this case.
Owner of Desert Star Motel in Bakersfield Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Participation in Sex Trafficking EnterpriseRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Jatinbhai Naresh Bhakta, 31, of Bakersfield, was sentenced today to 4 years in prison and ordered to pay a forfeiture money judgment of over $1 million for using a facility of interstate commerce in aid of a racketeering enterprise, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, in 2015, Bhakta purchased and began operating the Desert Star Motel at 516 South Union Avenue in Bakersfield. Bhakta lived in a unit at the motel. Co‑defendant Roy Gene Drees, 45, also lived at the motel and was employed as a handyman and general manager. During Bhakta’s ownership from at least 2018 to 2020, the Desert Star primarily catered to prostitutes and their actual and potential clients. Bhakta communicated with pimps by telephone and messaging applications, and would check in on prostitutes when asked to do so by the pimps. Depending on the time of day, it was not unusual to see most, if not all, of the doors to motel rooms wide open with suspected prostitutes in lingerie standing outside, waving to drivers and approaching their vehicles. Prospective customers would park directly in front of the room of the prostitute they desired, and the prostitute would either direct them into the room immediately or meet the customer outside to arrange a deal. There were approximately 20 to 25 rooms available for rent, most of which were occupied by prostitutes, with very few, if any, used for legitimate overnight residency. Bhakta routinely charged rates of $120-140 per room per night in cash. From 2018 through January 2020, Bhakta deposited over $1 million in cash into his bank accounts, at a typical rate of approximately $30,000 to $40,000 per month.
In May 2019, two minor females were rescued from the property after having been trafficked by Darnell Edwards, 33, of Antioch at the Desert Star. On Jan. 22, 2021, a search warrant was executed at the Desert Star, and 15 prostitutes and three pimps were encountered. Drees and Bhakta were arrested at that time.
On Nov. 10, 2022, Bhakta pleaded guilty. On May 1, 2023, Edwards was sentenced to 19 years and seven months for sex trafficking of the two minors.
Charges are pending against Drees, who is scheduled for trial on March 23, 2024. If convicted, he faces a maximum statutory penalty of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bakersfield Police Department, and the Parole Division of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David L. Gappa is prosecuting 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 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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.
Owner of Car Parts Remanufacturing Company Pleads Guilty to Employment Tax CrimeRead the Press Release
A Minnesota man who owned an automobile transmission business pleaded guilty today to willfully failing to account for and pay over employment taxes.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Timothy J. Lundquist owned and operated Dynotec Industries, Inc., an automobile transmission remanufacturing company based in Jordan, Minnesota. Lundquist was responsible for filing quarterly employment tax returns and collecting and paying over to the IRS payroll taxes withheld from employees’ wages. For at least the last quarter of 2013 through 2018, Lundquist did not, however, or pay withholdings to the IRS or file required employment tax returns. In total, he caused a tax loss to the IRS of over $1.2 million.
Lundquist faces a statutory maximum of five years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Ahmed Almudallal of the Justice Department’s Tax Division is prosecuting the case.
Ohio Man Sentenced to More than 11 Years in Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Quashane R. Varner Jr., 28, of Akron, Ohio, was sentenced today to 11 years and four months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 17, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a 12th Street apartment in Huntington where Varner was residing and found 362 grams of methamphetamine and a Glock, Model 29, 10mm pistol. Varner admitted to possessing the methamphetamine and the firearm and further admitted that he intended to sell the methamphetamine.
Varner also admitted that he told investigators on the day of the search that he had previously obtained a 1-pound quantity of methamphetamine, and the amount seized during the search represented what he had not yet sold. Varner admitted to investigators that he had been selling fentanyl in the Huntington area.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Courtney L. Finney prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-72.
###
Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Johnte Tyree Warren, 24, of Akron, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 1, 2022, Warren arranged by phone to sell a quantity of fentanyl to a confidential informant. Warren admitted to meeting the confidential informant in a vehicle on 20th Street in Huntington on that day as arranged and to selling approximately 12.95 grams of fentanyl to the confidential informant. Warren further admitted to distributing additional quantities of fentanyl in the Huntington area at various times including February and March 2022, sometimes utilizing another individual to distribute fentanyl on his behalf.
Warren is scheduled to be sentenced on September 25, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force and the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Courtney L. Finney are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-79.
###
Newport News Man Sentenced for Robbery and Brandishing a FirearmRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Newport News man was sentenced today to 13 years in prison for brandishing a firearm while robbing a gas station convenience store in Henrico County.
According to court documents, on January 17, 2019, Chaikim Reynolds, 22, entered a gas station convenience store in Henrico County to rob it. His co-conspirator, Darrell Pittman, 24, of Hampton, was armed with a semi-automatic handgun and trained it on the clerk while Reynolds gave commands to the clerk and removed U.S. currency from the cash register.
Reynolds was identified by a member of the Hampton Police Department, who saw him in an area-wide request to identify. Less than a week after the robbery, officers attempted to stop the vehicle Reynolds was driving, with Pittman and two firearms inside, but he fled. After running two red lights, he crashed into another vehicle, killing that car’s passenger. One of the loaded firearms recovered from the vehicle was identified as the one used in the robbery.
On December 2, 2022, Reynolds was found guilty of interference with commerce by robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence by a jury. At sentencing, the Court found that Reynolds lied and obstructed justice when he testified in his own defense, including about his knowledge of the 36th Street gang that was a rival to the 44–Newsome gang to which Pittman belonged and to which Reynolds was alleged to belong. In case 4:17-cr-52, defendant Eric Nixon was previously convicted of shooting Pittman in the head in connection with his 36th Street Bang Squad activity.
After pleading guilty to three armed robberies, on June 9, 2020, Pittman was sentenced to 21 years in prison for his role in the conspiracy.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division; Eric D. English, Chief of Henrico County Police Division; Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police; Mark G. Solesky, Chief of Chesapeake Police; and Orin Gallop, Interim Chief of Hampton Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes.
Significant assistance was provided by the U.S. Marshals Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie D. Podlesni and D. Mack Coleman are prosecuting the case. Former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy E. Cross previously provided valuable assistance in the investigation of the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:22-cr-39.
New York Man Sentenced to over 10 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy and Possession with Intent to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis today sentenced Valfonso Dewitt, a/k/a “Valentino” and “Val,” age 72, of Bronx, New York, to 121 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and for two counts of using his cellular telephone to facilitate a felony drug offense.
The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division; Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Washington Field Office Criminal Division; and Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department.
According to the evidence presented at his four-day trial, from January 2019 through at least September 2019, Dewitt conspired with co-defendant James Isaac Gaston, Gaston’s wife Jacqueline Shelton Gaston, and others to distribute fentanyl. The evidence proved that in September 2019, Dewitt distributed nearly half a kilogram of pure fentanyl—enough to kill almost 250,000 people—to James Gaston just outside Memphis, Tennessee. Approximately 14 hours later, law enforcement seized the fentanyl during a traffic stop on Gaston’s car shortly after Gaston drove over the I-495 bridge from Virginia into Prince George’s County, Maryland. The jury acquitted Dewitt on three counts of using his cellular telephone to facilitate a felony drug offense.
James Isaac Gaston, age 74, of Lanham, Maryland, was sentenced to six years in federal prison for his role in the drug distribution conspiracy. Co-defendant Jacqueline Shelton Gaston, age 52, also of Lanham, Maryland, also pleaded guilty to her role in the conspiracy and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 23, 2023.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DEA, the FBI, and the Montgomery County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Prince George’s County Police Department and the Maryland State Police for their assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Jeffrey J. Izant and Geonard F. Butler II, who prosecuted the case and recognized Intelligence Research Specialist Angelina Thompson and Paralegal Specialists Andrew Branigan, Mark Phares, and Derek Harwerth for their assistance.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
# # #
New York Man Admits Assault on AirplaneRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A New York man today admitted assaulting a female passenger on a flight to Newark Liberty International Airport, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Ryan Manuella, 30, of Cheektowaga, New York, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton in Newark federal court to assault with intent to commit another felony, namely, stalking, while on an airplane. Manuella was ordered detained without bond.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On a flight from Denver, Colorado, to Newark, on April 16, 2021, Manuella moved to a vacant seat next to a female passenger and touched the passenger without her consent. Manuella admitted the victim then yelled at him and left the row of seats. He admitted that touching the victim caused her substantial emotional distress.
The charge carries a maximum term of 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 1, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, and officers of the Port Authority Police Department with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys DeNae M. Thomas and Katherine M. Romano of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.
manuella.sinformation.pdfMichigan man admits to methamphetamine trafficking in MorgantownRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Warren, Michigan, man has admitted to transporting methamphetamine to the Morgantown area.
Myron Manning, 25, pled guilty today to a possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine charge. According to court documents, officers conducted a traffic stop in Morgantown, finding nearly three pounds of methamphetamine, also known as “ice,” 48 grams of heroin, and a loaded 9mm pistol in Manning’s possession. Officers also found digital scales, a small amount of marijuana, multiple cell phones and some cash.
Manning is facing up to 20 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda Wesley is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Member of Southwest Baltimore “NFL” Gang Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Participating in a Racketeering Conspiracy, Including Murder and a Drug Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin today sentenced James Henry Roberts, a/k/a “Bub,” age 33, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 30 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise related to his activities in the Normandy, Franklin, and Loudon (“NFL”) gang, which operated in the Edmondson Village area in Southwest Baltimore.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Secretary Carolyn J. Scruggs of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; and Acting Commissioner Richard Worley of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to Robert’s guilty plea, from 2016 to March 2020, Roberts was a member of the NFL gang, which was an enterprise, and participated in its illegal activities with other members, including the NFL drug trafficking organization (“DTO”). Members of the NFL gang have social and familial ties to the Edmondson Village neighborhood of Southwest Baltimore.
During the conspiracy, NFL gang members distributed large quantities of heroin and cocaine to drug customers and re-distributors from Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Roberts admitted that he obtained narcotics from multiple sources of supply and stored the narcotics in stash houses that the NFL gang controlled. Over the course of the charged conspiracy, Roberts and his co-conspirators distributed over one kilogram of heroin and more than 280 grams of cocaine base.
As detailed in his plea agreement and court documents, Roberts paid members and associates of the NFL gang to commit multiple murders on behalf of the enterprise. For example, in 2018, Roberts and others offered a bounty in exchange for the murder of Victim 1, who Roberts believed was cooperating with law enforcement. On June 16, 2018, an NFL gang member (Co-conspirator 1) murdered Victim 1 as well as a bystander (Victim 2). Shortly after the murders, Roberts paid Co-conspirator 1 with money from another NFL related enterprise.
Additionally, in October 2018, Roberts learned of a bounty for the murder of Victim 3. To try to collect the bounty, Roberts recruited two NFL gang members to murder Victim 3 and share the proceeds. Ultimately, the two NFL gang members shot and killed Victim 3 on October 31, 2018, then notified Roberts of Victim 3’s murder.
More than 30 defendants in this and related cases have pleaded guilty and been sentenced to between 30 years and time served.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case is also 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is 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.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, DEA, DPSCS, the Montgomery County Police Department, and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys John W. Sippel, Jr., James T. Wallner, and Robert I. Goldaris who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
# # #
Media Advisory – U.S. Attorney to Host “United Against Hate” Community Outreach EventRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – United States Attorney Michael Easley is hosting a “United Against Hate” community outreach on Wednesday, June 21 at 10:00 a.m. event as part of the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat hate crimes. Through the United Against Hate initiative, U.S. Attorneys are convening local forums to build stronger relationships between community organizations and federal, state and local law enforcement and to educate communities on how to identify and report hate crimes. The United Against Hate outreach in the Eastern District of North Carolina is part of the broader Civil Rights Initiative announced last year.
WHERE: Chavis Community Center, Room 202; 505 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
WHEN: Tomorrow, June 21 at 10:00 a.m.
Media: please arrive at the courthouse by 9:30 a.m. for set up.
TO RSVP and for logistical information in advance of the media availability, please contact Don Connelly at [email protected].
###
Man Sentenced to Nearly Six Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing Guns and Drugs in Chicago SuburbRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison for illegally possessing two loaded handguns and fentanyl-laced heroin in a Chicago suburb.
JARIEN SMITH illegally possessed the guns and drugs on Jan. 2, 2019, in a home in Westchester, Ill. Smith resided in Wheaton, Ill., but used the Westchester residence as a “stash house” to store illegal narcotics that he supplied to other drug traffickers. Law enforcement searched the Westchester residence and discovered Smith in possession of the two guns, the fentanyl-laced heroin, and various items used to cut, weigh, and package narcotics. One of the guns was fully automatic and equipped with a 50-round, high-capacity drum magazine, while the other gun was equipped with laser sight and flashlight attachments to improve accuracy when firing at a target.
A law enforcement search of Smith’s primary residence in Wheaton, Ill., turned up nine cellphones, body armor, and a Rolex watch valued at $85,000.
Smith had previously been convicted of a felony in state court and was not legally allowed to possess a firearm.
Smith, 30, pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal firearm and drug charges. U.S. District Judge Robert W. Gettleman imposed a 70-month prison sentence Thursday after a hearing in federal court in Chicago.
The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Sheila G. Lyons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Substantial assistance was provided by the Chicago Police Department, U.S. Secret Service, Illinois State Police, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Misty N. Wright and Christine M. O’Neill represented the government.
The investigation was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug trafficking organizations and other criminal networks that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local enforcement agencies.
The Chicago High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force also participated in the investigation. HIDTA enhances and coordinates America's drug-control efforts among local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies in order to eliminate or reduce drug trafficking and its harmful consequences.
Holding illegal firearm possessors and drug traffickers accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction strategy. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to attack a broad range of violent crime issues in the Northern District of Illinois, particularly firearm and drug offenses.
Man Accused of Pointing Laser at St. Louis Metro Air Support HelicopterRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Indiana appeared in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Tuesday on a federal charge accusing him of temporarily blinding pilots of a Metro Air Support Unit helicopter in February.
Jason Foster, 47, was indicted March 8 on one count of aiming a laser at an aircraft, and arrested May 31 in Indiana. He pleaded not guilty to the charge Tuesday.
Foster’s indictment says the incident occurred on February 21. A court filing says the pilots were actively involved in an investigation at the time, and the laser temporarily blinded them.
David Gammil, 44, was also indicted in March, and accused of pointing a laser at the helicopter on February 23. He has also pleaded not guilty.
The charge carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both.
Lasers can blind pilots, and aviation authorities say the incidents are on the rise, with almost 9,500 reported to the Federal Aviation Administration in 2022.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was investigated by the St. Charles County Police Department and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Lang is prosecuting the case.
Livermore Falls Man Who Repeatedly Concealed Employment and Assets Pleads Guilty to Theft of Public Money, FraudRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Livermore Falls man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to Social Security fraud, health care fraud and theft of public money.
According to court records, from January 2017 through December 2020, Rick V. Greene, 56, concealed self-employed work and assets from the Social Security Administration (SSA) to maintain his eligibility to receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments. SSI benefits are paid to people with limited income who are blind, disabled or elderly. Greene also concealed his work activity and assets from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (ME/DHHS) to maintain his eligibility to receive MaineCare and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, also needs-based programs.
In multiple benefit eligibility reviews, Greene falsely represented to SSA and ME/DHHS that his only income was from SSI, and he failed to report assets in the form of real property and vehicles. He did so knowing he was required to disclose the information and that it would affect his eligibility to receive benefits.
Greene faces up to five years in prison on the Social Security fraud and health care fraud charges and up to ten years on the theft of public money charge. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release on all charges. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
SSA’s Office of the Inspector General and ME/DHHS’s Fraud Investigation & Recovery Unit investigated this case.
###
Kansas Man Facing Federal Charges for Making Online Threats Toward Nashville Pride EventRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – A Kansas man has been indicted for making online threats to commit acts of violence at an upcoming Nashville Pride event, announced United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis.
An indictment unsealed this morning charges Joshua Hensley, aka Josh Echo, 25, of Hoisington, Kansas, with two counts of transmitting an interstate threat related to the upcoming Nashville Pride event, scheduled for June 24-25, 2023. Hensley was arrested by FBI agents on Thursday at his home in Kansas and appeared before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. A detention hearing is scheduled for Friday in the District of Kansas.
According to the indictment, on April 26, 2023, Hensley posted comments to a Facebook post for Nashville Pride and threatened to “make shrapnel pressure cooker bombs for this event.” In another comment posted the same day, Hensley threatened to “commit a mass shooting.”
“We will not tolerate hate-based, threats of violence designed to intimidate Tennesseans,” said U.S. Attorney Leventis. “We will continue to work with our partners at the FBI to ensure that the civil rights of all persons are protected.”
If convicted, Hensley faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count.
This case is being investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nani M. Gilkerson of the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorney Kyle Boynton of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
# # # # #
Kalkaska Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Pipe BombsRead the Press Release
KALAMAZOO – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten announced that Terrence Wayne Vanochten, 56, pleaded guilty to a federal charge of possessing unregistered destructive devices, namely three pipe bombs.
“Today’s plea agreement demonstrates our ongoing commitment to protect the public from people who unlawfully possess destructive devices,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “Vanochten possessed these pipe bombs in clear violation of federal law, and I am grateful to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kalkaska County Sheriff’s Office for their careful work.”
According to court documents, on August 17, 2022, Kalkaska Sheriff’s Deputies responded to Vanochten’s residence after receiving a report that he was firing a semiautomatic weapon from the home. After finding what initially appeared to be a fully automatic rifle, authorities obtained a search warrant and found three pipe bombs in an ammunition can in his home. The bombs were constructed from sections of metal pipe with screwed-on metal end caps. One end of each bomb was drilled to allow the insertion of fuse cord, a length of which Vanochten kept in the ammunition can with the bombs. When subjected to laboratory testing, the powder and fuses rapidly burned as designed. If detonated, the devices could kill, maim, or injure people through the projection of shrapnel.
Vanochten pleaded guilty today to possessing an unregistered destructive device in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 5861(d), which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. As part of his plea agreement, Vanochten will forfeit the bombs, as well as a projectile launcher attached to one of his AR-15 type rifles. The launcher also qualified as an unregistered destructive device. As a result of today’s conviction, Vanochten cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition again. U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney has scheduled Vanochten’s sentencing for October 4, 2023, in Kalamazoo.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nils Kessler is prosecuting the case.
###
KC Man Sentenced to 17 Years for Seven Armed Business RobberiesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man who committed at least seven armed robberies over several months was sentenced in federal court today.
Robert M. Taylor, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 17 years in federal prison without parole.
On Feb. 9, 2023, Taylor was found guilty at trial of one count of robbery and one count of using a firearm in relation to a crime of violence. Jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict on six additional counts of robbery and six additional counts of using a firearm in relation to a crime of violence and a mistrial was declared as to those 12 counts.
Taylor was not acquitted of any charges. The government presented evidence regarding all of the robberies at trial, and the court today ruled by a preponderance of the evidence that those additional armed robberies should be considered as relevant conduct in determining the sentence.
Taylor was found guilty at trial of robbing a Family Dollar Store on Aug. 11, 2021. Taylor was also found guilty of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm in the robbery.
Following the robbery of the Family Dollar store, investigators reviewed the store’s surveillance video. Taylor entered the store and made a purchase with an EBT card (later identified as belonging to his girlfriend). He then returned to the store a few minutes later, pulled a black semi-automatic pistol from his backpack, and pointed it at the clerk. During trial, the court heard testimony from that clerk, who testified that she was so frightened at the time that she soiled herself. With a victim at gunpoint, Taylor removed the money from the safe and began to flee from the store. As he was leaving, however, he engaged in a brief struggle with an employee over her phone, which Taylor forcefully took before he left. Taylor fled from the business in a silver Chevrolet Impala (also identified as belonging to his girlfriend), which was caught on another business’s surveillance video.
On Aug. 19, 2021, police officers saw Taylor get into the front passenger’s seat of a Dodge Charger that was registered to his girlfriend and conducted a traffic stop. Taylor, who had active warrants for his arrest, was wearing the same hat seen in the robbery video.
According to the government’s sentencing memorandum, Taylor committed six additional violent robberies prior to the armed robbery of the Family Dollar Store on Aug. 11, 2021, to which he confessed (after being read the Miranda warning) following his arrest on Aug. 19, 2021.
On Dec. 8, 2020, Taylor robbed a Family Dollar in Kansas City, Mo., while armed with a silver handgun. During the robbery, Taylor pointed the gun at a store employee and demanded money. The employee complied and emptied a safe and cash register containing approximately $700, which Taylor took and fled the store.
On Dec. 20, 2020, Taylor robbed a Metro by T-Mobile store in Kansas City, Mo. Prior to the robbery, he entered the store and gave his name, indicating that he was there to pick up two iPhones. He left the store, then returned wearing a mask and wielding a black handgun. Taylor pointed the handgun at the sole store employee and took him into the back, where Taylor smashed the store phone and demanded the most expensive mobile phones. Taylor also had the employee empty the store register. During trial, the court heard testimony from the victim of this robbery, who was particularly traumatized by the experience.
On Feb. 2, 2021, Taylor robbed another Family Dollar in Kansas City, Mo., at gunpoint. During this robbery, Taylor pointed a handgun at the cashier and demanded that he empty the safe. The victim complied and Taylor left with approximately $800.
On Feb. 5, 2021, Taylor robbed a Dollar General in Kansas City, Mo. After entering the store and going to the back, Taylor approached the front, pulled out a handgun, cocked the firearm, and jumped over the cashier’s counter. From there, he commanded the cashier to open the safe and took approximately $900 before fleeing.
On Feb. 18, 2021, Taylor robbed a Dollar General in Kansas City, Mo. Upon entering the store, Taylor found a store employee and forced him to walk to the front register at gunpoint. Once at the register, Taylor had another employee empty the register, and commanded a customer to get on the ground and surrender his mobile phone. Taylor commanded everyone to get on the ground, took the employees’ mobile phones, and fled.
On June 27, 2021, Taylor robbed a Family Dollar store in Kansas City, Mo., while armed with a brown handgun. Taylor entered the store, pointed the gun at a cashier’s face, and demanded money. Taylor then fled the store with approximately $460 and the victim’s mobile phone.
According to the government’s sentencing memorandum, corrections officers deployed a Taser and secured Taylor in wrist restraints when he became belligerent, threatened officers and struggled with officers during his incarceration in this case. Taylor has 10 prior felony convictions for offenses including possession of a controlled substance, stealing, second degree burglary, first degree burglary, kidnapping, escape from confinement, and property damage. Taylor has also amassed numerous misdemeanor convictions for offenses such as stealing, contempt of court, providing false information, resisting an officer, careless driving, assault, and destruction of property.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Byron H. Black and Megan A. Baker. It was investigated by the FBI and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Justice Department Announces New National Security Cyber Section Within the National Security DivisionRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced the creation of the new National Security Cyber Section – known as NatSec Cyber – within its National Security Division. The newly established litigating section has secured congressional approval and comes in response to the core findings in Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco’s Comprehensive Cyber Review in July of 2022.
“NatSec Cyber will give us the horsepower and organizational structure we need to carry out key roles of the Department in this arena,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “This new section will allow NSD to increase the scale and speed of disruption campaigns and prosecutions of nation-state threat actors, state-sponsored cybercriminals, associated money launderers, and other cyber-enabled threats to national security.”
The National Security Cyber Section will increase the Justice Department’s capacity to disrupt and respond to malicious cyber activity, while promoting Department-wide and intragovernmental partnerships in tackling increasingly sophisticated and aggressive cyber threats by hostile nation-state adversaries. The Section will bolster collaboration between key partners, notably the Criminal Division’s Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and the FBI’s Cyber Division and will serve as a valuable resource for prosecutors in the 94 U.S. Attorneys' Offices and 56 FBI Field Offices across the country.
“Responding to highly technical cyber threats often requires significant time and resources,” said Assistant Attorney General Olsen. “NatSec Cyber will serve as an incubator, able to invest in the time-intensive and complex investigative work for early-stage cases.”
Today’s announcement builds upon recent successes in identifying, addressing and eliminating national security cyber threats, including the charging of an alleged cybercriminal with ransomware attacks against U.S. critical infrastructure and disruption the Russian government’s premier cyberespionage malware tool.
Jury Convicts Pain Clinic Doctor of Unlawful Drug Distribution, Money Laundering, and Filing A False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Dr. Qing McGaha guilty of 14 counts of unlawful drug distribution, 4 counts of money laundering, and 1 count of filing a false tax return. McGaha faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each count of unlawful drug distribution, up to 10 years for each money laundering count, and 3 years’ imprisonment for filing a false tax return. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 15, 2023. McGaha had been indicted on January 2, 2023.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, McGaha was a Florida-licensed medical doctor who owned and operated MD Care Clinic, a pain management clinic in Hillsborough County. Over a 20-month period, undercover agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted numerous appointments with McGaha. At each appointment, they received hydrocodone, hydromorphone, or oxycodone, Schedule II controlled substances not for a legitimate medical purpose in the usual course of professional practice. Between January 2016 and January 2021, McGaha distributed more than 2.1 million opioid pills.
In addition, McGaha engaged in multiple monetary transactions over $10,000 in funds criminally derived from the operation of her clinic. She used these funds to purchase a piece of real property in Clearwater and deposited them into her bank account. In 2021, McGaha filed false and fraudulent tax forms for tax year 2020 that underreported MD Care’s gross revenue by nearly $300,000.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration—Tampa District Office, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the Lakeland Police Department, the Tampa Police Department, the Largo Police Department, and the United States Attorney’s Office Opioid Fraud Abuse and Detection Unit, which focuses on opioid-related fraud and abuse by medical and health care professionals who have contributed to the prescription opioid epidemic. This case was also part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Greg Pizzo.
Jackson Man Sentenced to Serve over Four Years in Prison for Possession of a Firearm by Convicted Felon and Conspiracy to Commit Bank FraudRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. - A Jackson man was sentenced to 54 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and 51 months for conspiracy to commit bank fraud. The two sentences will be served concurrently.
According to court documents, on March 3, 2020, Deonta Miller, 36, was arrested by the Richland Police Department due to an outstanding arrest warrant. Miller led officers on a short chase which concluded with Miller crashing his vehicle into a hotel located just off Highway 80 West in Hinds County. Miller left a firearm in the car and fled on foot but was taken into custody shortly thereafter. Miller has prior convictions for carjacking and for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Miller pled guilty on February 16, 2023 to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Additionally, on March 11, 2022, Miller conspired with two other individuals to obtain automobile loans through fraudulent means. Miller used a false name, social security number, driver’s license, and utility bill, to obtain a loan for a car. Miller pled guilty on March 21, 2023 to conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca, Special Agent in Charge David Denton of Homeland Security Investigations, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.
The Richland Police Department and the ATF investigated the firearm case. The Madison Police Department and HSI investigated the bank fraud case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam T. Stuart prosecuted the firearm case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Kirkham prosecuted the fraud case.
The firearm case is being 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.
Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Nigel Jamille Coats, 19, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to possession of a stolen firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 15, 2022, Brennon Michael Adkins, 22, and TJ Jazz Cremeans, 21, both of Huntington, broke into Tri-State Pawn and Jewelry in Huntington to steal various electronics from the store’s inventory. After entering, Cremeans stole three firearms. Coats admitted that he was in a vehicle with Adkins and Cremeans prior to and following their breaking and entering at the business. Coats further admitted that he possessed one of the stolen firearms, a 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, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, at least 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 another of the stolen firearms, a Stoeger, model M3000, 12-gauge shotgun, following the breaking and entering. Adkins is scheduled to be sentenced on August 14, 2023. The indictment against Cremeans remains pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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-213.
###
Henrico Man Pleads Guilty to Mail Theft from Westhampton Post OfficeRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Henrico man pleaded guilty today to mail theft.
According to court documents, Stephen Allen Booker, 28, along with other accomplices, stole from the blue USPS collection boxes located at the Westhampton Post Office in Richmond. On December 19, 2022, law enforcement was conducting surveillance on the Westhampton collection boxes based on previous, known incidents of theft from the blue collection boxes earlier that month. During the surveillance, officers observed a gray GMC vehicle, bearing Virginia license plates, enter the Westhampton Post Office parking lot in front of the blue collection boxes. Two individuals exited the vehicle, opened the blue collection boxes, removed the mail matter contained within the boxes, dumped the mail in a trash bag, and drove off. Law enforcement was able to confirm that this vehicle was registered to Booker.
When officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop, Booker initially pulled over, then fled in his vehicle resulting in a high-speed chase. Law enforcement officers were unsuccessful in apprehending Booker and his passenger that day. Booker was later arrested at his residence and a lawful search was conducted. The search revealed that Booker was in possession of checks and credit cards belonging to other individuals.
Booker is scheduled to be sentenced on October 13, 2023. He faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Rick Edwards, Acting Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Hannah M. Lauck accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather H. Mansfield is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-036.
Hastings Man Sentenced to More Than 33 Years for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Joshua Sund, 42, of Hastings, Nebraska, was sentenced today in Lincoln, Nebraska, by Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard for two counts of production of child pornography. Sund was sentenced to 400 months in prison and will also serve 10 years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Sund was additionally ordered to pay $3,000 which will contribute to funds established for victims of these types of crimes.
This case began on November 3, 2021, when a concerned individual reported to the Hastings Police Department that he had purchased a laptop from Joshua Sund and that he had found videos on the computer that appeared to be Sund engaged in sexually explicit conduct with a prepubescent minor. Law enforcement received a search warrant for the device and performed a forensic download. Law enforcement located the videos in question from the download of the laptop computer. They identified Sund as the male in the videos. There were seven videos depicting Sund engaged in sexually explicit conduct with the prepubescent minor which occurred on five separate occasions spanning a period of approximately a year and a half.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Hastings Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Grand jury indicts repeat sex offender & his girlfriend for using ruse of dying relative to coerce minor victim into creating child pornographyRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – A 35-year-old repeat sex offender and his girlfriend have been charged federally with crimes related to coercing a minor female into producing child pornography. It is alleged the defendants used a ruse to trick the victim into believing that one defendant’s mother was dying and, to pay for life-saving surgery, the victim needed to send sexually explicit pictures and videos of herself to a third party over the internet.
John Brickhouse, 35, and Nina Darling, 26, both of Junction City, Ohio, are charged in a 19-count superseding indictment. The case was unsealed today.
According to court documents, the couple conspired for approximately seven months to coerce a minor girl, whom Brickhouse had met online, into producing and sending child pornography.
It is alleged that Brickhouse and Darling told the victim that Brickhouse’s mother had two weeks left to live, but that a third party had agreed to pay for life-saving surgery if the victim created and sent sexually explicit images and videos of herself in exchange.
The third party – “Michael Jones” – was in actuality a fictitious persona created by Brickhouse and Darling. It is alleged that Darling, at Brickhouse’s request, posed as “Michael Jones” in order to convince the victim that Brickhouse’s mother’s life could be saved if only the victim created and sent child pornography. Darling also allegedly posed as Brickhouse’s dying mother and Brickhouse’s aunt as part of this deception.
The victim, believing that she was acting to save Brickhouse’s mother’s life, created and sent the child pornography as requested. Brickhouse and Darling allegedly obtained and then distributed the child pornography to others, including to registered sex offenders.
In a separate scheme, Brickhouse allegedly coerced a different minor victim into producing child pornography.
Brickhouse is a registered sex offender whose most recent conviction was in 2015 for sexually assaulting a child. His multiple sexual offenses against children date back to 2009 and involve victims as young as 3 years old. Brickhouse committed many of the alleged crimes while he was in custody for his prior sexual offenses against minors.
If convicted as charged, Brickhouse faces 25 years up to life in prison and Darling faces between five and 30 years in prison.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division and the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorneys Christina Mahy and Kelly K. Rossi are representing the United States in this case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
# # #
Gloucester County Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Gloucester County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 48 months in prison for trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl in southern New Jersey and Philadelphia, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
John Munson, 48, of Deptford, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Noel L. Hillman to one count of the superseding indictment charging him with possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine. His codefendant, Kevin Salmon, 26, of Philadelphia, previously pleaded guilty to two counts of a superseding indictment charging him with conspiring to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine and distributing methamphetamine. Judge Hillman imposed Munson’s sentence today in Camden federal court
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Munson admitted obtaining methamphetamine from the conspiracy in order to distribute the methamphetamine to others. Salmon acted as a “runner” or “courier” for the drug-trafficking organization that distributed methamphetamine and fentanyl. Salmon was sentenced in March 2023 to 168 months in prison.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Hillman sentenced Munson to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration, Newark Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania; Drug Enforcement Administration, Philadelphia Division; U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Marshals Service; FBI; Bensalem Police Department; Berlin Borough Police Department; Berlin Township Police Department; Bucks County District Attorney’s Office; Camden County Prosecutor’s Office; Clayton Police Department; Delaware County District Attorney’s Office Narcotics Task Force; Deptford Township Police Department; Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office; Gloucester Township Police Department; New Jersey State Police; New Jersey National Guard Counter Drug Task Force; Pennsylvania State Police; Pennsville Police Department; and Winslow Township Police Department for their assistance.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Bender and Diana Carrig of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
Gerard R. Vetter Appointed Acting U.S. Trustee for Maryland, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of ColumbiaRead the Press Release
Gerard R. Vetter has been appointed by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland as the Acting U.S. Trustee for Maryland, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia and for the District of Columbia (Region 4) effective July 1, the Executive Office for U.S. Trustees announced today. Vetter replaces John P. Fitzgerald III, who is retiring after 43 years of dedicated service to the department, including the last four years as the Acting U.S. Trustee in Region 4. Under 28 U.S.C. § 585(a), the Attorney General may fill U.S. Trustee vacancies by appointing an Acting U.S. Trustee.
Vetter joined the U.S. Trustee Program (USTP) in 2010 as the Assistant U.S. Trustee in charge of the Greenbelt, Maryland, office of Region 4, where he served for four years before transferring to become the Assistant U.S. Trustee in the Baltimore office. He was the Region’s Creditor Enforcement Coordinator for many years and has been involved in supporting broader USTP efforts as a member of its Private Trustee Working Group and through service on peer evaluation teams. Before joining the USTP, Vetter was a chapter 13 trustee in the District of Maryland from 2004 to 2010 and prior to that was in private practice. He received his bachelor’s degree in public and international affairs cum laude from Princeton University and his Juris Doctorate from The George Washington University School of Law.
The USTP is the component of the Justice Department that protects the integrity of the bankruptcy system by overseeing case administration and litigating to enforce the bankruptcy laws. The USTP has 21 regions and 90 field office locations. Region 4 has offices in Baltimore and Greenbelt, Maryland; Columbia, South Carolina; Alexandria, Norfolk, Richmond, and Roanoke, Virginia; and Charleston, West Virginia.
Georgia urgent care chain agrees to pay $1,600,000 to resolve False Claim Act allegationsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - CRH Healthcare, LLC and Peachtree Immediate Care FP, LLC agreed to pay $1,600,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by submitting improperly upcoded Evaluation and Management claims to Medicare for the testing and treatment of patients with suspected exposure to COVID-19 during the Coronavirus pandemic.
“Health care professionals provided an invaluable service to the public during the Coronavirus pandemic. But medical practices that seek to misrepresent the services they provide to patients, and to improperly profit from such practices, must be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “The Department of Justice will work diligently to protect taxpayer dollars by ensuring that medical providers fairly and accurately bill federal health care programs.”
"When providers submit improper claims to Medicare, they waste valuable taxpayer dollars," said Tamala E. Miles, Special Agent in Charge with the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). "Health care providers played a critical role in keeping our nation safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, and HHS-OIG is committed to protecting federal health care programs from fraud, waste, and abuse to ensure they can be used for their intended purposes."
“The FBI is thankful for the honesty of the whistleblowers who stepped forward to identify this alleged fraud,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue reports of medical facilities filing false or misleading claims, choices that ultimately rob our citizens.”
The FCA is a federal law that imposes civil liability on any persons or entities who submit, or cause to be submitted, false claims for payment to the federal government or its contractors. It imposes treble damages (that is, three times the loss caused by the false claims) and a civil penalty between $13,508 to $27,018 per false claim. The FCA is the primary authority used by the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to redress fraud, waste, and abuse within federal programs, including Medicare.
This civil settlement resolves lawsuits filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia by former employees of CRH Healthcare, LLC, under the qui tam, or whistleblower provisions, of the FCA. Under the FCA, private citizens may bring suit for false claims on behalf of the United States and share in any recovery obtained by the government. The whistleblowers will share in $320,000 from the settlement in this matter.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The civil settlement was reached by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andres H. Sandoval. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Fresno Woman Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud and Identity Theft in Year-Long SchemeRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Bobbi Jo Heiss, 36, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between August 2020 and September 2021, Heiss engaged in a scheme to steal debit cards, checks, identity documents, and banking information in order to make fraudulent purchases, cash checks, and open unauthorized lines of credit. The scheme caused at least $250,000 in actual and attempted loss during that year-long period.
For example, as part of the scheme, on April 30, 2021, Heiss presented a check for $57,767 to a car dealership in Fresno with the name and driver’s license number of an identity theft victim in order to purchase a 2017 Sierra GMA.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office - Elder Abuse Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Henry Carbajal is prosecuting the case.
Heiss is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on August 21, 2023. Heiss faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for bank fraud. She faces a maximum sentence of two years in prison consecutive to any other sentence and a fine of $250,000 for aggravated identity theft. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Four Indicted for $17 Million Bank Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A criminal indictment has been unsealed in federal court in Asheville, charging four individuals with allegedly executing a multi-million dollar bank fraud scheme, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. The indictment charges Kotto Yaphet Paul, 48, of Waxhaw, N.C., Latoya Tamieka Ford, 48, of Covington, Georgia, Bruce Howard Marko, 64, of Charlotte, N.C., and Love Norman, 49, of West Palm Beach, Florida, with one count of wire fraud and bank fraud conspiracy, 16 counts of financial institution fraud, and four counts of money laundering.
According to allegations contained in the indictment, from 2016 to May 2021, the defendants and their co-conspirators executed a fraudulent loan scheme that defrauded at least 17 federally insured financial institutions of more than $17 million. As alleged in the indictment, the defendants and their co-conspirators obtained loans from the financial institutions by submitting loan applications that contained fraudulent information, including false employment and income information, false tax returns, and misrepresentations regarding the applicants’ assets, liabilities, and the intended use the loan proceeds. The indictment further alleges that, based on the fraudulent loan applications, the defendants secured at least 42 loans from the victim financial institutions. Contrary to information provided on the loan applications about the purpose of the loans, the defendants allegedly used the loan proceeds to purchase real estate, cover unrelated business expenses, make investments, and pay for personal expenditures. The indictment also alleges that the defendants defaulted on most of the loans, causing substantial losses to the victim financial institutions that issued the loans.
Each defendant charged in the indictment has appeared in court on the charges. The bank fraud and wire fraud conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. The charge of financial institution fraud carries a prison term of up to 30 years per count, and the money laundering offense has a statutory maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison for each offense.
The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Four additional defendants have been convicted of bank fraud conspiracy for their involvement in the scheme. Amrish D. Patel, 45, of Stockbridge, Georgia, was sentenced to 15 months in prison. Dwight A. Peebles, Jr., 47, of Chapel Hill, N.C., was sentenced to 18 months in prison. Denise Woodard, 56, of Roswell, Georgia, was ordered to serve 36 months in prison, and Derrick L. Harrison, 54, of Greenville, S.C., was sentenced to a year and a day in prison. The defendants were also ordered to pay restitution ranging from $620,000 to more than $3.1 million.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King credited the Office of the Inspector General of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Office of the Inspector General for the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the Office of the Inspector General for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Charlotte, and the Charlotte Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division, for the investigation of this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Don Gast with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville is in charge of the prosecution.
If you have information related to this investigation, please contact the FBI at 704-672-6666
Former Maryland Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty to Federal Civil Rights ViolationsRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Former Correctional Officer Owen Nesmith, age 54, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to federal charges, including three counts of deprivation of rights under color of law and to making a false statement, all related to his sexual contact with three victims who were incarcerated at the Maryland Correctional Institution Jessup.
The guilty plea was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Secretary Carolyn J. Scruggs of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.
According to his guilty plea, Nesmith was employed as a Correctional Officer (“CO”) Lieutenant at Maryland Correctional Institution Jessup (“MCIJ”). Nesmith admitted that from 2005 to 2017, he deprived three incarcerated individuals of their civil rights by sexually assaulting them. Specifically, in February 2005, Nesmith followed Victim 1 back to his cell. No other inmates were present in the housing unit at that time. Nesmith told Victim 1 that he wanted Victim 1 to perform a sex act on Nesmith, which he did. Victim 1 did not consent to this act, which was a deprivation of rights under color of law.
As detailed in the plea agreement, in July 2015, Victim 2 needed an identification badge (“ID”) and Nesmith offered to take Victim 2 to the ID office. On the way to the office, Nesmith grabbed Victim 2’s genital area, then shut a gate in the area and told Victim 2 that he needed to conduct a strip search. After removing Victim 2’s pants, Nesmith sexually assaulted Victim 2, causing him pain and bodily injury.
Nesmith further admitted that in December 2017, he engaged in a sex act with Victim 3, without his consent, when Victim 3 came to Nesmith’s office to discuss obtaining a job in sanitation. At that time, Nesmith was the acting lieutenant of the building and Victim 3 needed Nesmith’s approval to obtain that job.
Finally, Nesmith admitted that when questioned by law enforcement, he falsely stated that he had never had any inappropriate relationships or sexual contact with any inmates while he was at MCIJ.
Nesmith is the last of 20 defendants charged with federal racketeering and related charged to plead guilty. Five other correctional officers/employees previously pleaded guilty to their roles in a racketeering conspiracy.
Nesmith faces a maximum of 17 years in prison for deprivation of rights under color of law and for making false statements. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis has not set a sentencing date.
U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Sean R. Delaney and Katelyn Semales, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
# # #
Former Augusta city commissioner sentenced to prison for destroying records, lying to federal investigatorsRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: A former Augusta city commissioner was sentenced to prison after being found guilty at trial of destroying records in a federal investigation, and then lying about it to federal investigators researching the case.
Sammie Lee Sias, 68, of Hephzibah, Ga., the former District 4 Augusta Commissioner, was sentenced to 36 months in prison after being found guilty in July 2022. Sias was convicted of Destruction, Alteration, or Falsification of Records in Federal Investigations and False Statement or Representation Made to a Department or Agency of the United States, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Sias to pay a fine of $5,000, and to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“The community trusted Sammie Sias to be an upstanding public official, and saw him as someone their community could count on for leadership,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “This sentence not only will serve to deter Mr. Sias from committing any similar conduct in the future but it will also serve to deter others in similar positions from betraying the community’s trust. It’s important for the citizens of Richmond County and the Southern District of Georgia to know that their trusted public officials will be held accountable when they engage in illegal conduct. No one is above the law.”
As described in court documents and testimony, the FBI and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation in 2019 were investigating then-Commissioner Sias’ role in expenditures of Richmond County Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) funds. An FBI special agent served Sandridge Community Association (SCA) and Sias, the SCA president, with federal subpoenas for records regarding the SCA, Jamestown Community Center, Jamestown Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST), SCA Board of Directors, and SCA Summer Camp. SCA is a private organization that operates the Richmond County government-owned Jamestown Community Center, and Sias served for several years as its leader.
Within hours of the agent’s visit, Sias deleted approximately 7,000 relevant files from a laptop in his possession that belonged to the Jamestown Community Center.
Shortly thereafter, during a recorded interview with an FBI agent, Sias falsely stated that he told the agent that he had provided all files in his possession related to the investigation. A forensic examination later found evidence of those missing files on the laptop, and a U.S. District Court grand jury named Sias in a two-count felony indictment.
After four days of trial testimony, a jury deliberated for just two hours before delivering guilty verdicts on both counts of the indictment.
“This cover-up was not only a violation of the oath taken by Sias, but a theft of the public’s trust,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Public corruption is one of the FBI’s top priorities and we will do everything in our power to pursue officials who abuse their positions.”
“The conviction and sentencing of former Augusta City Commissioner Sammie Lee Sias clearly conveys that no one is above the law, especially public officials entrusted with maintaining higher ethical standards,” said Mike Register, Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. “Sias’s deliberate destruction of records and subsequent false statements to federal investigators demonstrate a complete disregard for the principles of accountability and transparency. The GBI, alongside our partners at the FBI, worked tirelessly to uncover the truth and ensure justice was served.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and the GBI and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney and Criminal Division Chief Patricia G. Rhodes, and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara M. Lyons.
Former 6/10 Construction Project Supervisor Sentenced for Making False StatementsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A former project superintendent of the nearly quarter-billion-dollar federally funded 6/10 Interchange Construction Project was sentenced today for intentionally misleading officials as to the origin and the potential contaminant composition of dozens of truckloads of railroad ballast (stone) and dirt imported to the project, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Dennis Ferreira, a former employee of Barletta Heavy Division, Inc., a Massachusetts construction company responsible for the construction of the Route 6/10 Interchange Project, previously admitted to a federal judge that, in July 2020, he falsely reported to the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) the origin of 93 truckloads of railroad ballast imported to the 6/10 Project from Massachusetts; 52 truckloads of dirt imported to the 6/10 Project from the Pawtucket/Central Falls Rail Station Project Barletta was undertaking; and that he was responsible for a false report submitted to RIDOT by Barletta stating that the stone imported from Massachusetts had been tested and met environmental criteria as required in a Soil and Materials Management Plan (SMMP) prepared by RIDOT.
According to documents filed with the court, Ferreira repeatedly mislead RIDOT and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) into believing that stone imported from Massachusetts to the 6/10 Project had been tested and met established environmental criteria when, in fact, the stone had not been tested. Ferreira submitted to RIDOT an environmental report addressing an entirely different stockpile of stone. As truckloads of stone continued to be sent to the 6/10 Project, testing showed that, in fact, the stone did not meet established environmental standards. Ferreira suggested to a co-worker to wash the ballast before taking another sample and then retest it; take a known clean sample and pretend it was the ballast he had imported; or change the test results to show the material was useable. The employee refused to take any of these actions.
Additionally, in July 2020, as work by Barletta was beginning on the Pawtucket Commuter Bus Hub and Commuter Rail Station, Ferreira sent a crew to the Pawtucket project to clear shrubs, demolish concrete, and install fencing. Despite being aware that removal of dirt was not permitted pursuant to a Construction Soils Management Plan established for the project, Ferreira instructed the workers to remove several feet of soil and transport it to the 6/10 Project. It was later learned that 52 truckloads of soil were removed from the site, and that 6 loads, or approximately 265 cubic yards, were direct dumped at two locations at the 6/10 Project. Ferreira caused false statements to be made to RIDOT regarding the movement of the soil, and at one point told a RIDOT inspector, “I can do whatever I want.”
Ferreira pleaded guilty on December 14, 2022, to three counts of making a false statement in connection with a federally funded highway project. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., to one year probation and ordered to pay a fine of $40,000.
The majority of the material Ferreira caused to be brought to the 6/10 Project is beneath the roadways and RIDOT, in consultation with RIDEM, has not asked for further remediation at the site.
The United States separately entered into a Non-Prosecution Agreement with Barletta in connection with the false statements that were made to the Federal Highway Administration and RIDOT. These statements were meant to conceal the fact that Barletta had imported regulated material in violation of the SMMP, which was part of the contract governing the 6/10 Project. Under the Agreement, Barletta accepted responsibility for the actions of its employees and admitted to the facts that constitute making false statements in connection with a federally funded highway project. In addition to paying a $500,000 criminal fine, the agreement required Barletta to implement ongoing monitoring, reporting, and compliance measures for a period of three years; failure to comply with these conditions will make the company subject to prosecution for the conduct set forth in an agreed-upon Statement of Facts.
Additionally, Barletta has entered into a False Claims Act settlement that resolved allegations that the company knowingly submitted claims for payment for work on the project in connection with the movement of dirt that did not comply with contract requirements, in violation of the federal and Rhode Island state False Claims Acts. Barletta paid $1,000,000 to the government, representing more than twice the government funds paid as a result of the relevant claims.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dulce Donovan and Bethany Wong handled the prosecution and litigation of these matters.
###
Federal Jury Convicts Three Defendants of Interstate Stalking of Chinese Nationals in the United States and Two Defendants of Acting or Conspiring to Act on Behalf of the People’s Republic of ChinaRead the Press Release
Earlier today, a federal jury in Brooklyn, New York, convicted three defendants on multiple counts of a superseding indictment charging them with acting and conspiring to act in the United States as illegal agents of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), without prior notification to the Attorney General.
Michael McMahon, 55, of Mahwah, New Jersey, was convicted of acting as an illegal agent of the PRC, conspiracy to commit interstate stalking and interstate stalking; Congying Zheng, 27, of Brooklyn, was convicted of conspiracy to commit interstate stalking and interstate stalking; and Zhu Yong aka Jason Zhu, 66, of Queens, New York, was convicted of conspiracy to act as an illegal agent of the PRC, acting as an illegal agent of the PRC, conspiracy to commit interstate stalking and interstate stalking.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, McMahon – a retired NYPD sergeant working as a private investigator – and Zhu knowingly acted at the direction of the PRC government officials to conduct surveillance and engage in a campaign to harass, stalk and coerce certain residents of the United States to return to the PRC as part of a global and extralegal repatriation effort known as “Operation Fox Hunt.” Zheng engaged in interstate stalking of the same victims, leaving a threatening note at their residence.
Today’s verdict follows a three-week trial before U.S. District Judge Pamela K. Chen. McMahon faces up to 20 years in prison, Zhu faces up to 25 years in prison, and Zheng faces up to 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
“The defendants engaged in a campaign of harassment and coercion on behalf of the PRC to force the victim’s repatriation to China from the United States, including by threatening family members,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Department of Justice will hold accountable those who would help repressive regimes violate the fundamental freedoms of people in the United States.”
“The jury’s verdict confirms that defendants McMahon and Zhu knowingly acted at the direction of a hostile foreign state to harass, intimidate and attempt to cause the involuntary return of a resident of the New York metropolitan area to the People’s Republic of China, and that defendant Zheng harassed and intimidated that same person and his family,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “It is particularly troubling that defendant Michael McMahon, a former sergeant in the New York City Police Department, engaged in surveillance, harassment, and stalking on behalf of a foreign power for money. We will remain steadfast in exposing and undermining efforts by the Chinese government to reach across our border and perpetrate transnational repression schemes targeting victims in the United States in violation of our laws.”
“The conviction of these three defendants – including a retired NYPD sergeant – is yet another powerful reminder of the Chinese government’s ongoing, pervasive, and illegal behavior here in the United States,” said Assistant Director Suzanne Turner of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “At the direction of the PRC’s Ministry of Public Security, the defendants engaged in increasingly egregious efforts at repression, from stalking to outright threats and intimidation tactics undertaken at the victim’s family home. This will not be tolerated within our borders, plain and simple. If you or someone you know have been targeted in this manner, we urge you to contact the FBI – and to all those engaging in such repression tactics, stand forewarned.”
As proven at trial, between approximately 2016 and 2019, the defendants participated in an international campaign with members of the PRC government as part of “Operation Fox Hunt” to threaten, harass, surveil and intimidate John Doe #1 and his family, in order to force John Doe #1 and his wife, Jane Doe #1, to return to the PRC. In or around 2015, the PRC government caused the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), an inter-governmental law enforcement organization, to issue “Red Notices” for John Doe #1 and Jane Doe #1, alleging that both persons were wanted by the PRC government on corruption-related charges.
Zhu hired McMahon who obtained detailed information about John Doe #1, his wife, and his daughter from a law enforcement database and other government databases, then reported back to Zhu and others, including a PRC police officer, what he had learned. McMahon also conducted surveillance outside the New Jersey home of John Doe #1’s sister-in-law and provided Zhu and PRC officials with detailed reports of what he had observed. The operation was supervised and directed by several PRC officials, including co-conspirators Hu Ji, a PRC police officer with the Wuhan Public Security Bureau and Tu Lan, a PRC prosecutor with the Wuhan Procuratorate.
In April 2017, Tu Lan and Hu Ji transported John Doe #1’s then-82-year-old father from the PRC to the New Jersey home of John Doe #1’s sister-in-law to attempt to convince John Doe #1 to return to the PRC. The testimony established that John Doe #1’s father was brought by a PRC doctor and charged co-conspirator, Li Minjun, and that while John Doe #1’s father was in the United States, his daughter was threatened with jailing in the PRC. A co-conspirator conducted surveillance of the home during the visit, wearing night-vision goggles provided by the PRC doctor and the PRC prosecutor. McMahon tailed John Doe #1 from the meeting with his elderly father, back to his home, and provided John Doe #1’s address – which was previously unknown – to the PRC operatives.
In October 2016 and April 2017, McMahon emailed himself a China Daily News article titled “Interpol Launches Global Dragnet for 100 Chinese Fugitives,” which stated, “Amid the nation’s intensifying antigraft campaign, arrest warrants were issued by Interpol China for former State employees and others suspected of a wide range of corrupt practices. China Daily was authorized by the Chinese justice authorities to publish the information below.” The article provided a list of photographs and identifying information about Operation Fox Hunt targets by the PRC government, including those of John Doe #1 and Jane Doe #1.
On Sept. 4, 2018, Zheng drove to the New Jersey residence of John Doe #1 and Jane Doe #1 and pounded on the front door. He and a co-conspirator attempted to force open the door to the residence, then left a note that stated “If you are willing to go back to the mainland and spend 10 years in prison, your wife and children will be all right. That’s the end of this matter!”
Previously, three other defendants pleaded guilty in connection with their roles in the PRC-directed harassment and intimidation campaign.
Zebin pleaded guilty in March 2022 to interstate stalking conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing. Hongru Jin pleaded guilty in June 2021 to conspiring to act as an illegal agent of the PRC and interstate stalking conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing. Tu Lan, Hu Ji and Li Minjun are fugitives.
The FBI Newark Field Office investigated the case with valuable assistance provided by the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Craig R. Heeren, Meredith A. Arfa and Irisa Chen for the Eastern District of New York and Trial Attorney Christine A. Bonomo of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are in charge of the prosecution, with valuable assistance provided by Paralegal Specialist Mary Clare McMahon.
Federal Jury Convicts Three Defendants of Interstate Stalking of Chinese Nationals in the U.S. and Two of Those Defendants for Acting or Conspiring to Act on Behalf of the People's Republic of ChinaRead the Press Release
Earlier today, a federal jury in Brooklyn returned guilty verdicts against three defendants on multiple counts of a superseding indictment charging them with acting and conspiring to act in the United States as illegal agents of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) without prior notification to the Attorney General. Defendant Michael McMahon was convicted of acting as an illegal agent of the PRC, conspiracy to commit interstate stalking and interstate stalking. Defendant Zhu Yong, also known as “Jason Zhu”, was convicted of conspiracy to act as an illegal agent of the PRC, acting as an illegal agent of the PRC, conspiracy to commit interstate stalking and interstate stalking. Defendant Zheng Congying was convicted of conspiracy to commit interstate stalking and interstate stalking. Defendants McMahon and Zhu knowingly acted at the direction of PRC government officials to conduct surveillance and engage in a campaign to harass, stalk, and coerce certain residents of the United States to return to the PRC as part of a global and extralegal repatriation effort known as “Operation Fox Hunt.” Defendant Zheng engaged in interstate stalking of the same victims, leaving a threatening note at their residence. Today’s verdict followed a three-week trial before United States District Judge Pamela K. Chen. When sentenced, McMahon faces up to 20 years in prison, Zhu faces up to 25 years in prison, and Zheng faces up to 10 years in prison.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, James E. Dennehy, Special Agent-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New Jersey Field Office (FBI), and Ivan J. Arvelo, Special Agent-in-Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI), announced the verdict.
“The jury’s verdict confirms that defendants McMahon and Zhu knowingly acted at the direction of a hostile foreign state to harass, intimidate and attempt to cause the involuntary return of a resident of the New York metropolitan area to the People’s Republic of China, and that defendant Zheng harassed and intimidated that same person and his family,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “It is particularly troubling that defendant Michael McMahon, a former sergeant in the New York City Police Department, engaged in surveillance, harassment, and stalking on behalf of a foreign power for money. We will remain steadfast in exposing and undermining efforts by the Chinese government to reach across our border and perpetrate transnational repression schemes targeting victims in the United States in violation of our laws.”
Mr. Peace expressed his thanks to the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, and the FBI’s New York Field Office for their valuable assistance with the investigation.
“The defendants engaged in a campaign of harassment and coercion on behalf of the PRC to force the victim’s repatriation to China from the United States, including by threatening family members,” stated Assistant Attorney General Olsen. “The Department of Justice will hold accountable those who would help repressive regimes violate the fundamental freedoms of people in the U.S.”
FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Dennehy stated: “We hope this verdict serves as a message to other operatives in the United States working right now at the behest of the People’s Republic of China in its effort to silence those who speak out against it. The FBI and our law enforcement partners are watching, and we are taking action to stop the stalking, threatening, and repressing of dissidents. A specific takeaway, private investigators will face consequences if they wittingly ignore the warning signs that they may be part of a larger plot to illegally harass and coerce people by a foreign power. If you have concerns, reach out to us.”
“Today’s verdict reinforces HSI’s commitment to aggressively combat any illegal intrusions by the Chinese government to target, threaten, harass, surveil, coerce and intimidate legal residents of the United States,” stated HSI New York Special Agent-in-Charge Arvelo. “Rather than engaging proper officials through lawful diplomatic channels, PRC officials and intermediaries acting on their behalf have engaged in illegal conduct in the United States to carry out their goals. HSI will leverage all of its law enforcement partnerships and utilize all investigative tools to disrupt attempts by international actors to circumvent our laws, undermine our national security, and target U.S. residents.”
As proven at trial, between approximately 2016 and 2019, the defendants participated in an international campaign with members of the PRC government as part of “Operation Fox Hunt” to threaten, harass, surveil, and intimidate John Doe #1 and his family, to force John Doe #1 and his wife, Jane Doe #1, to return to the PRC. In or around 2015, the PRC government caused the International Criminal Police Organization (also known as “Interpol”), an inter-governmental law enforcement organization, to issue “Red Notices” for John Doe #1 and Jane Doe #1 alleging that both persons were wanted by the PRC government on corruption-related charges.
Zhu hired McMahon, a retired NYPD sergeant working as a private investigator, who obtained detailed information about John Doe #1, his wife, and his daughter from a law enforcement database and other government databases, then reported back to Zhu and others, including a PRC police officer, what he had learned. McMahon also conducted surveillance outside the New Jersey home of John Doe #1’s sister-in-law and provided Zhu and PRC officials with detailed reports of what he had observed. The operation was supervised and directed by several PRC officials, including co-conspirators Hu Ji, a PRC police officer with the Wuhan Public Security Bureau, and Tu Lan, a PRC prosecutor with the Wuhan Procuratorate.
In April 2017, Tu Lan and Hu Ji transported John Doe #1’s then-82-year-old father from the PRC to the New Jersey home of John Doe #1’s sister-in-law to attempt to convince John Doe #1 to return to the PRC. The testimony established that John Doe #1’s father was brought by a PRC doctor and charged co-conspirator, Li Minjun, and that while John Doe #1’s father was in the United States, his daughter was threatened with jailing in the PRC. A co-conspirator conducted surveillance of the home during the visit, wearing night-vision goggles provided by the PRC doctor and PRC prosecutor. McMahon tailed John Doe #1 from the meeting with his elderly father, back to his home, and provided John Doe #1’s address—which was previously unknown—to the PRC operatives.
In October 2016 and April 2017, McMahon emailed himself a China Daily News article titled “Interpol Launches Global Dragnet for 100 Chinese Fugitives,” which stated, “Amid the nation’s intensifying antigraft campaign, arrest warrants were issued by Interpol China for former State employees and others suspected of a wide range of corrupt practices. China Daily was authorized by the Chinese justice authorities to publish the information below.” The article provided a list of photographs and identifying information about Operation Fox Hunt targets by the PRC government, including those of John Doe #1 and Jane Doe #1.
On September 4, 2018, Zheng drove to the New Jersey residence of John Doe #1 and Jane Doe #1 and pounded on the front door. He and a coconspirator attempted to force open the door to the residence, then left a note that stated “If you are willing to go back to the mainland and spend 10 years in prison, your wife and children will be all right. That’s the end of this matter!”
Previously, three other defendants pled guilty in connection with their roles in the PRC-directed harassment and intimidation campaign.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Craig R. Heeren, Meredith A. Arfa, and Irisa Chen are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Christine A. Bonomo of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and Paralegal Specialist Mary Clare McMahon.
The Defendants:
MICHAEL MCMAHON
Age: 55
Mahwah, New JerseyZHU YONG (also known as “Jason Zhu”)
Age: 66
Queens, New YorkZHENG CONGYING
Age: 27
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-CR-265 (S-1) (PKC)
Federal Jury Convicts St. Paul Felon for Illegal Possession of a Firearm Following Bar ShootoutRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A federal jury found a St. Paul man guilty of illegally possessing a firearm following a shootout at a St. Paul bar, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
Following a five-day trial before Judge Eric C. Tostrud, Anthony Charles Deberry, 41, was convicted on one count of possession of a firearm as a felon. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
According to evidence presented at trial, on the afternoon of September 18, 2021, Deberry got into a verbal altercation with a man inside Born’s Bar in St. Paul and, as a result, was kicked out of the bar and prohibited from re-entering. Deberry remained in the vicinity of the bar and at times continued to antagonize the man. Later that evening, Deberry approached the bar, followed a group of men, and brandished a 9mm handgun with an activated laser site. Shortly thereafter, gunfire broke out, including one shot fired by Deberry. Deberry suffered from multiple gunshot wounds and was taken to Regions Hospital. Surveillance video footage from Born’s Bar showed Deberry hide his firearm under a parked car after the shooting. Responding law enforcement officers recovered Deberry’s firearm as well as multiple discharged cartridge casings on the sidewalk.
Because Deberry has prior felony convictions, he is prohibited from lawfully possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Paul Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph S. Teirab and Lindsey E. Middlecamp tried the case.
Federal Jury Convicts St. Lucia Man of Possession with Intent to Distribute CocaineRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Trevor Stephen, 35, of St. Lucia, was found guilty by a federal jury of possession with intent to distribute 210 kilograms of cocaine. Chief District Judge Robert A. Molloy scheduled Stephen’s sentencing for October 27, 2023.
According to court documents, on November 29, 2021, at approximately 10:15 p.m., a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations aircraft detected a vessel traveling from St. John to St. Thomas without lights onboard. The vessel traveled to Vessup Beach where two individuals onboard the vessel offloaded seven duffle bags to three individuals waiting at the beach, two of whom were identified as Stephens and Russell Robinson. Stephens, Robinson, and an unknown individual loaded the duffle bags into Robinson’s Toyota Tundra truck. After departing Vessup Beach, Robinson drove to a nearby home in Nazareth Bay where the three relocated the duffle bags of cocaine from the bed of the truck to the cabin. The unknown individual remained at the Nazareth Bay property, while Stephens and Robinson drove to Veteran’s Drive where agents attempted to intercept Robinson’s vehicle. Robinson refuse to stop, and agents pursued his vehicle in a high-speed chase that ended on a dead-end road in Hull Bay. The aviation aircraft maintained surveillance of Robinson and Stephens during the chase and ultimately captured footage as they began throwing the duffle bags of cocaine from the truck into the bushes. Agents blocked the exit and took Robinson and Stephens into custody as they approach the roadway. Agents later retrieved seven duffle bags containing 210 kilograms of cocaine from the area where they had been tossed by Robinson and Stephens. Trial testimony established that the seized cocaine had a street value of approximately $2.1 million. Stephens was detained pending sentencing, and Robinson remains in custody pending his trial in this matter.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kyle Payne and Rhonda Williams-Henry. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Dubuque Man Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
A felon who possessed a firearm pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Rosnel Larose, age 32, of Dubuque, was convicted of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. At the plea hearing, Larose admitted that, in January 2022, he possessed a pistol after having been convicted of eleven felonies.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Larose remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Larose faces a possible maximum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is 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 is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Dubuque Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 22-1044.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
District Man Sentenced for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Donnell Rojas, 31, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 168 months in prison for possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division. He was also ordered to pay $117,000 in restitution to the identified victims and serve a lifetime of supervised release.
After receiving a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”), law enforcement executed a search warrant on a Yahoo account later revealed to belong to the defendant. The search warrant revealed that on April 29, 2020, the defendant sent three emails attaching numerous files constituting child sexual abuse materials (“CSAM”) to and from the Yahoo account—apparently sending the attachments to himself. Several of the files depicted the violent sexual abuse of prepubescent girls and boys, including at least two “GIF” files identified as part of the widely known “Daisy’s Destruction” series. A subsequent search warrant on a Facebook account tied to the defendant revealed that he distributed three images containing CSAM to other Facebook users, asking if one user had “[a]ny kid videos?”
On March 8, 2021, law enforcement executed a warrant at Rojas’s residence. During the search, Rojas admitted that the recovery email accounts linked to the Yahoo account belonged to him. Law enforcement also seized nine devices during the search warrant, including a white Apple iPhone 8 on his person bearing a phone number tied to the Yahoo account. A subsequent forensic review confirmed that five of the seized devices contained voluminous CSAM, including an encrypted hard drive containing CSAM in folders labeled “Taboo” and “Very Taboo.”
Rojas was arrested on Nov. 5, 2019, following an investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which is composed of FBI agents and local, state, and federal partners. He has been detained ever since. He pleaded guilty on June 16, 2022.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves and Special Agent in Charge Jacobs commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI and MPD. They acknowledged the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim Witness Service Coordinator Tonya Jones. Finally, they commended the work of Trial Attorney-Detailee Jessica Arco, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Defendants in Two Fresno Cases of Fentanyl Trafficking and Illegal Gun Possession Plead GuiltyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Two defendants pleaded guilty today to charges brought in 2021 of fentanyl trafficking and illegal firearm possession, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
In the first case, Nicholas Solis, 28, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute it and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, an undercover officer ordered fentanyl pills from Solis using a Snap Chat account. Based on the messages, a search warrant was issued for Solis’s person, car, and residence. The same day, Solis posted a video of himself in his car counting a large sum of money with a firearm on his lap. Moments later, agents executed the search warrant and found fentanyl pills and the firearm from the video Solis had posted.
In the second case Uriel Diaz-Santos, 21, of Fresno, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to court documents, after two juveniles overdosed on fentanyl pills, investigators interviewed witnesses and reviewed phone records, ultimately developing enough evidence to obtain a search warrant for Diaz-Santos’s residence. On Nov. 2, 2021, investigators searched Diaz-Santos’s house and found thousands of fentanyl pills and a firearm.
These cases are the product of investigations by the Fentanyl Overdose Resolution Team, a multi‑agency team composed of Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin J. Gilio is prosecuting both cases.
Diaz-Santos and Solis are both scheduled to be sentenced on October 2, 2023. The defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $1 million fine for trafficking fentanyl. The firearm charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence. The actual sentences, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.) a program designed to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas as well as identifying wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers. In July 2018, the Justice Department announced the creation of S.O.S., which is being implemented in the Eastern District of California and nine other federal districts.
D.C. Man Sentenced for Financial Exploitation of a Family MemberRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — Tyronne Gregory Taylor, 53, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 24 months in prison, suspended, and five years of supervised probation, on one felony count of financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult or elderly person. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Inspector General for the District of Columbia Daniel W. Lucas.
According to information presented in court documents, Taylor admitted that from on or about July 2020, to December 2020, he gained unauthorized access to a family member’s debit card, who suffered from cognitive impairments and was hospitalized at a District of Columbia skilled nursing facility. Taylor used his family member’s ATM card for cash withdrawals and purchases at auto parts stores, hardware stores, restaurants, gas stations, liquor stores, hotels, and the purchase of a new car. Taylor also used his family member’s ATM card to make fraudulent payments to his company, TNTGreenConstruction, LLC. In total, Taylor was able to obtain more than $51,000 for his personal use, from his hospitalized family member, who was unable to make decisions for himself or to communicate meaningfully.
Taylor entered his guilty plea in the U.S. Superior Court for the District of Columbia on February 23, 2023. In addition to his sentencing, the Honorable Errol Arthur ordered Taylor to pay $51,886.31 in restitution and pay $100 to the Crime Victims Compensation Fund.
This matter was originally reported to the District of Columbia’s Office of Aging and Community Living’s Adult Protective Services Division and initially investigated by the District of Columbia Office of the Attorney General. In announcing the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Graves and Inspector General Lucas commended the work of those who prosecuted the case from the Office of Inspector General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Major Crimes Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. They also acknowledged the efforts of Special Assistant United States Attorney Jason Facci, on detail from the Office of the Inspector General, who prosecuted the case.
Convicted Felon Indicted for Possession of Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging John Alexis (30, Kissimmee) with one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. If convicted, Alexis faces up to 15 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, on July 17, 2022, Alexis possessed a Smith & Wesson 9mm semiautomatic pistol and 27 rounds of Federal 9mm ammunition.
Alexis had previously been convicted of three felonies including: battery on a police officer, conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute oxycodone, and possession of a firearm and ammunition in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. As a convicted felon, Alexis is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tampa Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney James Muench.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
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.
Columbia Man Sentenced to 11 Years for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Columbia, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute.
Warren Andre Washington, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 11 years in federal prison without parole.
On Nov. 29, 2022, Washington pleaded guilty to one count of possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute.
This investigation began when Boone County, Mo., sheriff’s deputies were involved in a car chase in April 2021 with a stolen Audi A7, but the pursuit was terminated for safety reasons. A few days later, Columbia police officers located the stolen Audi and recovered a Wal-Mart receipt in the vehicle. The receipt led officers to Wal-Mart surveillance video that showed Washington driving the stolen vehicle and making a purchase from Wal-Mart.
Investigators placed Washington under surveillance. On April 30, 2021, officers observed Washington conduct two short meetings consistent with drug transactions. When Washington drove to a Columbia restaurant he was arrested. Washington was in possession of Oxycodone tablets and $4,442 in cash. Inside his vehicle, officers found a clear baggie that contained 47.2 grams of fentanyl (a user dose of fentanyl is approximately .1 gram).
Officers also executed a search warrant at Washington’s residence on the same day. Officers found a loaded Glock .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun with a 50-round large capacity rotary style drum magazine, a loaded Romarm/Cugir Micro Draco 7.62x39mm semi-automatic handgun with a 30-round large capacity magazine, and a loaded FN Herstal 5.7x28mm semi-automatic handgun with a 20-round large capacity magazine. The Micro Draco was confirmed stolen. According to court documents, two of the firearms have been connected to prior shooting incidents.
Officers also found keys to the stolen Audi hanging on a hook near the door to the garage.
Washington has prior federal felony convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm and two counts of distributing crack cocaine.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren E. Kummerer. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the Columbia, Mo., Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Clay County Man with History of Domestic Violence Pleads Guilty to Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Paul Steven Hulbert (27, Middleburg) has pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of an unregistered National Firearms Act firearm (sawed-off shotgun). Hulbert faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. He made his initial appearance on November 18, 2022, and was ordered detained.
According to court documents and public records, in May 2021, a court in Clay County issued a “Temporary Injunction for Protection Against Domestic Violence with Minor Children” against Hulbert. The court extended the injunction until September 2022. The injunction specifically prohibited Hulbert from possessing firearms and directed him to surrender any firearms in his possession to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO). In October 2021, Hulbert was convicted of the misdemeanor crime of domestic battery, in Clay County. After the domestic battery conviction and issuance of the domestic violence injunction, both of which prohibited him from possessing firearms, Hulbert obtained seven firearms that included rifles, pistols and a shotgun.
On May 16, 2022, members of the CCSO went to Hulbert’s home to serve an arrest warrant for violating the terms of the injunction. Upon arriving at the home, the CCSO arrested him and searched the house. They located four rifles, a revolver, a pistol and 12-guage shotgun. Follow up investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) determined that the 12-gauge shotgun was illegally modified, as both barrels had been sawed off. ATF determined that the 12-gauge shotgun was not registered to Hulbert in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Jacksonville Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
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.