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15 June 2023
Foreign National Sentenced for International Cocaine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A Mexican national was sentenced today in the District of Columbia to 13 years in prison for conspiring to distribute cocaine for importation into the United States.
According to court documents, between 1998 and approximately 2012, Jaime Antonio Mandujano-Eudave, 61, worked with the Sinaloa Cartel to coordinate the transportation of cocaine by boat from Colombia to Culiacan, Los Cabos, and elsewhere in Mexico. Mandujano-Eudave communicated GPS coordinates to the boats’ crew members to facilitate meetings in the Pacific Ocean. There, the cocaine-laden boats from Colombia would meet other boats under the control of the Sinaloa Cartel and offload the cocaine. These boats transported multi-kilogram amounts of cocaine. Once the cocaine arrived in Mexico, other members of Sinaloa Cartel would transport the cocaine to the United States for sale. Mandujano-Eudave knew that the cocaine would be subsequently imported into the United States for further distribution.
In 2009, Mandujano-Eudave sent a vessel, the Fiona, to pick up approximately 1,000 kilograms of cocaine in the Pacific Ocean. In October 2009, the U.S. Coast Guard intercepted the Fiona just north of Clarion Island, Mexico. The Fiona was set on fire by its crew, but the U.S. Coast Guard was able to recover 500 kilograms of cocaine from the water.
In August 2014, Spanish authorities arrested Mandujano-Eudave at the request of the United States. He was extradited from Spain to the United States in February 2015. On March 8, Mandujano-Eudave pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, knowing and intending that it would be imported into the United States.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York Field Office made the announcement.
The HSI New York Field Office investigated the case with assistance from the FBI Washington Field Office.
Trial Attorneys Kirk Handrich and Melanie Alsworth of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section prosecuted the case. The Criminal Division’s Office of Enforcement Operations provided significant assistance.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Spain to secure the arrest and extradition of Mandujano-Eudave.
This case is supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF).
Five Defendants Sentenced in Connection with Federal Unemployment FraudRead the Press Release
Natchez, Miss. – Laketia Andrews Crossley, 51, of McComb was sentenced today to 13 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $2,118 in restitution to the Mississippi Department of Employment Security for conspiring to commit wire fraud, conspiring to commit theft of public money, theft of public money, and making a false statement to a federal investigator.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Crossley conspired with Sedrick Pittman, Marcus Parker, Austin Bahm, and Calveshar Isaac to receive federal unemployment insurance benefits. During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pittman, Parker, Bahm, and Isaac were inmates housed at the South Mississippi Correctional Institution in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. The inmates fraudulently applied for federal unemployment insurance benefits by stating on their applications that they were able and available to immediately accept employment benefits.
Due to the overwhelming number of applications for unemployment insurance, these fraudulent applications were not immediately detected, and benefits were approved for the group of prison inmates. The unemployment insurance benefits were sent by mail on debit cards to Crossley. Crossley then converted the funds on the debit cards to funds that she transmitted to Pittman, with whom she had a long-term romantic relationship, via cell phone. When questioned about her actions by special agents of the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), Crossley made false statements. It is contrary to federal law to fraudulently apply for or received federal unemployment insurance benefits. It is also contrary to federal law to make false statements to a federal investigator.
While Pittman, Parker, Bahm, and Isaac all pled guilty to various charges, Crossley asserted her right to a jury trial. After a three-day trial at the federal courthouse in Natchez, a jury found Crossley guilty of all charges. The other four defendants were sentenced prior to Crossley’s sentencing hearing.
Pittman received a sentence of 14 months in federal prison, which will be served consecutively to undischarged terms of imprisonment on state offenses from Pike County, Mississippi.
Parker received a sentence of six months in federal prison, which will be served consecutively to an undischarged term of imprisonment on state offenses from Pike County, Mississippi.
Bahm received a sentence of four months in federal prison, which will be served consecutively to undischarged terms of imprisonment on state offenses from Pike County, Mississippi.
Isaac received a sentence of five months in federal prison, which will be served consecutively to undischarged terms of imprisonment on state offenses from Walthall County, Mississippi and Pike County, Mississippi.
U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca of the Southern District of Mississippi and Mathew Broadhurst, Special Agent in Charge for the Southeast Region of the Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General made the announcement.
The DOL-OIG investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly T. Purdie and Charles W. Kirkham are prosecuting the case.
Federal Jury Finds Indianapolis Man Guilty of Trafficking Methamphetamine and Fentanyl and Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- A federal jury has found Steven Lamar Brown, 42, of Indianapolis, Indiana, guilty of seven felony charges: five counts of trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl, one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents and evidence introduced at trial, between September 2020, and February of 2021, Brown was observed and recorded on video and audio selling more than fifty grams of methamphetamine on three separate occasions. On the recordings Brown can be clearly seen and heard weighing drugs and counting the money he received in exchange.
On February 23, 2021, IMPD officers attempted to stop Brown in his car to arrest him, but Brown refused to comply. Officers eventually stopped Brown, searched his vehicle, and found a loaded .380 caliber pistol in the glove box.
Later that day, law enforcement, including Task Force Officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration and IMPD officers, conducted a court-authorized search of Brown’s residence. Inside, throughout the house, they found a trove of illegal drugs, tools of the drug trade, Brown’s personal documents, and eight firearms, including three assault rifles, four handguns, and a shotgun:
Master Bedroom & Closet
- 52.1 grams of a mixture containing fentanyl and heroin.
- 26.3 grams of fentanyl
- 100.96 grams of heroin
- 165.5 grams of methamphetamine
- 117 Xanax pills
- 10.7 grams of cocaine base (“crack cocaine”)
- 3 loaded semi-automatic assault-style rifles
- A loaded shotgun
- A loaded 9mm semi-automatic handgun
- Brown’s birth certificate and social security card
On and Under the Bed
- 1.2 kilograms of synthetic marijuana in gallon-size bags
- 28.0 grams of synthetic marijuana
- A loaded .38 Special caliber revolver
- 2 loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistols
Bedroom #2
- A metal kilo press
- Loaded magazines
- A box of ammunition behind a standalone mirror
Kitchen
- A black digital scale with drug residue
- 407.1 grams of synthetic marijuana
Brown has multiple prior convictions for felony offenses, including robbery, for which he was on parole when he committed these federal crimes. As a result of those convictions, Brown is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers, Michael Gannon, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Indianapolis Field Office, and Chief of IMPD, Randal Taylor, made the announcement.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and IMPD investigated this case. U.S. District Court Judge, James R. Sweeney II, presided over the trial and will sentence Brown at a later date. Brown faces up to life in federal prison and 10 years of supervised release following his release from prison.
U.S Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Pamela S. Domash and Jayson W. McGrath, who prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Federal Jury Convicts Former St. Albans Auxiliary Police Officer of Child Pornography CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – After two days of trial, a federal jury convicted Billy J. Griffith, 57, of St. Albans, today of receipt of child pornography and possession of prepubescent child pornography.
Evidence at trial showed that on August 24, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Griffith’s Baier Street residence. Officers obtained the search warrant for Griffith’s residence after tracing an Internet Protocol (IP) address that had been used to download multiple digital media files of child pornography. Griffith was an auxiliary officer with the St. Albans Police Department as well as an exterminator, and his wife operated a child daycare at the residence.
Officers seized numerous electronic devices during the search of Griffith’s residence, including an external hard drive, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, and a cell phone. Griffith told officers that the electronic devices were his and that he had sole access to the computers and cell phone through password protections. An analysis found digital media files of child pornography on all four electronic devices, totaling more than 3,000 images and video files.
Griffith is scheduled to be sentenced on September 7, 2023, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 20 years in prison, five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Griffith must also register as a sex offender.
United States Attorney Will Thompson and Assistant United States Attorney Julie M. White are prosecuting the case.
“I appreciate the hard work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and our other law enforcement partners in investigating the case and analyzing the evidence,” Thompson said. “My involvement in this trial should show the high priority the office places on cases involving children.”
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the jury trial.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-218.
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Federal Jury Convicts Businessman of Participating in Bribery Scheme with Former Illinois State LawmakerRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal jury in Chicago today convicted the manager of a sweepstakes gaming company of participating in a bribery scheme with an Illinois state lawmaker.
JAMES T. WEISS, 44, of River Grove, Ill., was convicted on all counts against him: three counts of honest services wire fraud, two counts of bribery, one count of honest services mail fraud, and one count of making false statements to the FBI. The jury returned its verdicts after a trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago. U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger set sentencing for Oct. 11, 2023.
The convictions were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; and Justin Campbell, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine M. O’Neill and Sean Franzblau.
Evidence at trial revealed that in 2018 and 2019 Weiss paid thousands of dollars in bribes to then-Illinois State Rep. Luis Arroyo. The bribes were paid from Weiss’s gaming company, Collage LLC, in the form of checks made payable to Spartacus 3 LLC, Arroyo’s private lobbying firm in Chicago. In exchange for those bribes, Arroyo promoted legislation in the Illinois General Assembly related to the sweepstakes industry and advised other state lawmakers to support the legislation.
In August 2019, Arroyo offered to have payments made to an Illinois state senator in return for the senator’s support of sweepstakes-related legislation. On Aug. 22, 2019, Arroyo met with the senator at a restaurant in Skokie, Ill., and provided him with a $2,500 check from Collage as an initial bribe payment, with the expectation that the senator would receive similar payments for 12 months. Arroyo told the senator, “This is the jackpot,” and then wrote the name of the senator’s nominee on the company’s check. The nominee’s name was used for the purpose of concealing the illicit payment.
Arroyo, who represented the 3rd District in the Illinois House of Representatives from 2006 to 2019, pleaded guilty to his role in the bribery scheme and was sentenced in 2022 to nearly five years in federal prison.
Federal Jury Convicts Broome County Man for Traveling to Wyoming County to Attempt to Have Sex with A 13-Year-OldRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that a federal jury convicted David Lettieri, 36, of Harpursville, NY, of enticement of a minor. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul E. Bonanno and Maeve E. Huggins, who handled the prosecution of the case, stated that in October 2020, Lettieri traveled from Broome County to meet a 13-year-old girl (victim) in a park in Wyoming County with the intent of having sexual intercourse, however sexual contact did not occur. Subsequent investigation recovered communications between Lettieri and the victim, including photos of the victim on Lettieri’s phone. Investigators also searched Lettieri’s Facebook account and recovered conversations between Lettieri, the Victim, and the Victim’s sister, which were sexual in nature. The Victim’s age was also revealed during the conversations.
The verdict is the result of an investigation by the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Gregory J. Rudolph, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.
Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo, who presided over the trial of the case.
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Federal Grand Jury Indicts Two Men for Wire Fraud and Odometer TamperingRead the Press Release
Bowling Green, KY – A federal grand jury in Bowling Green, Kentucky, returned an indictment on June 14, 2023, charging two Warren County men with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit odometer tampering, and four counts of odometer tampering.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Kevin Porter of the Department of Transportation made the announcement.
According to the indictment, beginning in June 2018, through January 2023, Randy Huff, 60, aided and abetted by his employee Donnie Wilson, 50, devised a scheme to defraud the buyers of used cars by fraudulently reducing the mileage shown on the odometers, thereby inducing both the immediate and subsequent buyers of the vehicles to pay more for the motor vehicles than they would have paid if they had known the vehicles’ true mileages.
As part of the scheme, mechanics working for Huff reduced the mileage shown on the vehicles’ odometers by swapping the odometers with lower-mileage replacement odometers. After altering the vehicles’ odometers and the titles, Huff, Wilson, and other employees sold the vehicles to customers at Huff’s Auto Sales in Beaver Dam, Kentucky, and South Side Auto Sales in Bowling Green, Kentucky. This led to larger profits for Huff.
Huff and Wilson are scheduled to make their initial appearances before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky on June 21, 2023. If convicted, each faces a maximum sentence of 35 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is being investigated by the United States Department of Transportation and the Kentucky Department of Transportation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Madison Sewell, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, is prosecuting this case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Farrell Resident Sentenced to 60 Months for Conspiring to Distribute Crack Cocaine and to Launder Drug Trafficking ProceedsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – Eugene Phillips was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute crack cocaine and to launder drug trafficking proceeds, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Phillips, age 31 of Farrell, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon. Judge Bissoon also ordered Phillips to serve four years of supervised release after his prison sentence.
Between March and June 2021, Phillips was detained at the Mercer County Jail because of state crack cocaine trafficking charges. The charges were pending until April 27, 2021, when he was convicted and sentenced to serve 27-54 months in state prison. During that time period, both prior to and after his state conviction and sentence, Phillips kept trafficking crack cocaine from the Mercer County Jail.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Lawrence County Drug Task Force, the Mercer County Drug Task Force, the New Castle Police Department, the Sharon Police Department, the Hermitage Police Department, and the Farrell Police Department led the investigation resulting in the convictions and sentence in this case.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Essex County Woman Sentenced to 21 Months in Prison for Health Care Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County woman was sentenced to 21 months in prison for her role in defrauding insurers by submitting fraudulent claims for chiropractic services that were never rendered, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Tiffany Marsh, 45, of Orange, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi to an information charging her with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Judge Cecchi imposed the sentence on June 14, 2023, in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Marsh was a medical billing professional who submitted false claims to two employer-provided health insurance plans for chiropractic services that were never provided. Marsh, who worked for the chiropractors at issue, falsely claimed that various individuals with employer-provided health insurance had incurred out-of-network medical costs, causing the insurance plans to issue reimbursement checks to the individual employees. The employees received the checks, and then paid Marsh a portion of the reimbursements in cash. As a result of the scheme, the victim health insurance plans incurred losses of approximately $334,000.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Cecchi sentenced Marsh to three years of supervised release and ordered her to pay $334,837 in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney, and the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine M. Romano of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.
Essex County Man Admits Armed Robberies of Three PharmaciesRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man admitted committing three armed robberies of pharmacies in Elizabeth, New Jersey, for oxycodone and other prescription medication, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Charles Johnson, 28, of Irvington, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on June 14, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden federal court to an information charging him with three counts of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Throughout June and July 2022, Johnson robbed three different pharmacies in Elizabeth using a similar approach for each of the robberies, including brandishing a firearm, committing the robberies in the morning, demanding that employees of the pharmacies provide Johnson with oxycodone, promethazine, and other prescription medication, and threatening to shoot individuals in the pharmacies with a firearm. Law enforcement officials collected extensive video surveillance footage that linked Johnson to the robberies.
The Hobbs Act Robbery counts each carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. The brandishing of a firearm during a crime of violence count carries a maximum potential penalty of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison, which must run consecutively to any other term of imprisonment imposed. Each count also carries a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gain or loss from the offenses, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 18, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor William A. Daniel; and the Elizabeth Police Department, under the direction of Chief Giacomo Sacca, for the investigation leading to the guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Ecker of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.
johnson.information.pdfElmira Methamphetamine Dealer Going to Prison for 15 YearsRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Corey J. Lattimer, 30, of Elmira, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, was sentenced to serve 188 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa. Lattimer was also ordered to forfeit $3,528.62 in seized U.S. currency, and over 250 rounds of seized ammunition.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Marangola, who handled the case, stated that Lattimer was arrested April 25, 2022, after the Elmira Police Department Drug Enforcement Unit and the New York State Police Violent Gang and Narcotics Enforcement Team executed a search warrant at his S. Main Street residence. During the search, investigators recovered approximately 2,075 grams of methamphetamine, 475 grams of fentanyl, and 5.2 grams of p-Flourofentanyl, a fentanyl analogue, drug paraphernalia, $3,528.62 in U.S. currency, and over 250 rounds of live .45 caliber, 9mm caliber, and .380 caliber ammunition.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Elmira Police Department, under the direction of Chief Kristen Thorne, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Brian Ratajczak, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division.
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Ellwood City Resident Pleads Guilty to Attempted Production and Production of Material Depicting the Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Ellwood City, PA, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of attempted production and production of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
David Bates, age 63, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan on June 12, 2023.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that in or between July 2020 and October 2020, Bates and another individual attempted to and did use, persuade, induce entice and coerce a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of the minor engaged in such conduct.
Judge Ranjan scheduled sentencing for October 3, 2023, at 12:00 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 15 years and not more than 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, Bates remains detained.
Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Bates.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Eagle Butte Woman Sentenced for Concealment of Information from the Supplemental Social Security Income ProgramRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, woman convicted of Concealment of Information from the Supplemental Social Security Income Program. The sentencing took place on June 12, 2023.
Dale Arthur, a/k/a Dale Hendricks, age 41, was sentenced to four months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, restitution in the amount of $10,825.00, and ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Arthur was indicted by a federal grand jury in May of 2022. She pleaded guilty on March 16, 2023.
The conviction stems from conduct that occurred between December 9, 2022, and March 20, 2023, when Arthur fraudulently claimed financial benefits from the Supplemental Social Security Income Program for dependents that were no longer under her care, during time periods she was incarcerated, and was not entitled to benefit payments on behalf of another.
This case was investigated by the Office of Inspector General for the Social Security Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller prosecuted the case.
Arthur was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Eagle Butte Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled SubstanceRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on June 12, 2023.
Sydney Garreau, age 44, was sentenced to 12.5 years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, a $1,000 fine, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Garreau was indicted by a federal grand jury in August of 2022. He pleaded guilty on February 22, 2023.
The conviction stemmed from a drug conspiracy beginning in February of 2021 and continuing until August of 2022, when Garreau was involved with several other individuals to distribute methamphetamine in and around the central South Dakota area, including on the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation. Garreau received distributable quantities of methamphetamine from a source of supply and then distributed the methamphetamine to various individuals on the reservation. Methamphetamine is a Schedule II controlled substance.
This case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement and the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.
Garreau was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
EDLA Observes World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) 2023Read the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – During this year’s observance of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD), U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans, along with the Department of Justice (DOJ), reaffirms their mission to combat elder abuse, by educating the public concerning the identification and reporting of elder abuse. Through public awareness and reporting, law enforcement officials are empowered to both investigate and bring to justice, the perpetrators of these heinous acts.
Elder Abuse may take many different forms. Some forms include the illegal use of an older person’s money or property, through financial exploitation, or scams. In other forms, it may appear as physical, psychological, or sexual abuse; or the failure or refusal to provide assistance to a needy older person.
Recently, the challenges of the COVID pandemic have created unprecedented opportunities for the victimization of our nation’s senior citizens by fraudsters and abusers. During this time, the increased familial isolation experienced by seniors allowed unscrupulous predators to defraud the elderly through a myriad of schemes.
As the world reflects on our seniors today, the Department of Justice remains committed to protecting this vulnerable population through its Elder Justice Initiative, a program designed to prevent and prosecute elder fraud.
Some recent examples of Elder Fraud cases prosecuted by the USAO, EDLA are described below:
Former Bank Teller Sentenced for Federal Fraud Charges
NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that on February 1, 2023 United States District Judge Sarah S. Vance sentenced KAREN FARRELL TIGLER, age 40, of Marrero, Louisiana, to twenty-seven (27) months imprisonment followed by two (2) years of supervised release for violating Title 18, United States Code, Section 1344 (Bank Fraud), and Making and Subscribing False Tax Returns in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7206(1). According to documents filed in federal court, From February 9, 2015, to October 28, 2016, TIGLER used her position with the bank to embezzle approximately $349,556 from Client A’s account by using 100 counter checks to debit funds from Client A’s account.
Jamaican National Sentenced to 10 Months in Prison for Mail and Wire Fraud
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that ACDANE CAMPBELL, age 25, a resident of Jamaica, was sentenced on May 26, 2022 by U.S. District Court Judge Susie Morgan to serve 10 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to a one count indictment for Conspiracy to Commit Mail and Wire Fraud.
According to court documents, from in or around August 2016, CAMPBELL and others, conspired to obtain money unlawfully by falsely informing elderly victims that they had won a lottery, sweepstakes, or car. The unidentified co-conspirators telephoned the victims, promising them that they would receive their winnings if they first paid taxes and fees. After being instructed by the unidentified co-conspirators that they needed to send payments to CAMPBELL, the victims would send their payments electronically through either a money services business, FedEx or the United States Postal Service. Working as a “money mule,” CAMPBELL either kept the money that he received from the victims or sent it to unknown persons in Jamaica.
EDLA’S MISSION TO ADDRESS ELDER FRAUD ON
WORLD ELDER ABUSE AWARENESS DAY
“Elder fraud causes devastating losses to its victims. With the cooperation of our investigative partners, we will continue to hold the perpetrators of elder fraud schemes accountable. Today, on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD), our office reminds seniors and their caregivers to be constantly vigilant to detect and report fraudulent schemes that target the elderly, and other vulnerable consumers. If seniors believe themselves to be victims of elder fraud or abuse, they should contact law enforcement immediately,” said U.S. Attorney Evans.
Our office has an Assistant U.S. Attorney who is specifically designated to both prosecute elder abuse cases and to train the public on the prevention, recognition, and reporting of elder fraud. If your organization is interested in receiving elder abuse prevention training from our Elder Justice Coordinator, please contact Shane M. Jones, Community Outreach Coordinator, at 504-680-3000 or by email at [email protected].
Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 1-877-FTC-HELP. The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office of Victims of Crime at www.ovc.gov. Additional elder justice resources, training, and outreach materials can be found at the Elder Justice Website at www.elderjustice.gov.
If you need assistance or to report elder abuse, please contact your local adult protective services agency through the Eldercare Locator or by call the helpline at 1-800-677-1116 Monday – Friday 9am - 8pm EST. To report elder fraud, please visit the FBI’s IC3 Elder Fraud Complaint Center or contact the dedicated National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833–FRAUD–11 or 833–372–8311 Monday – Friday, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm EST.
For more information on enforcement actions, training and resources, research, and victim services, please visit www.justice.gov/elderjustice
Dupree Man Sentenced for Sexual Contact with a Person Incapable of ConsentingRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Dupree, South Dakota, man convicted of Sexual Contact with a Person Incapable Of Consenting. The sentencing took place on June 12, 2023.
Floyd Traversie, age 21, was sentenced to three years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Traversie was indicted by a federal grand jury in July of 2021. He pleaded guilty on March 27, 2023.
The conviction stems from conduct that occurred between June 15, 2020, and June 30, 2020, at a residence in rural Ziebach County within the Cheyenne River Reservation. Traversie engaged in sexual contact with a 17-year-old female, who at the time was incapable of appraising the nature of the conduct and was physically incapable of declining participation in and communicating an unwillingness to engage in the sexual contact, knowing that the victim was incapacitated.
This case was investigated by the and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller prosecuted the case.
Traversie was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Drug trafficker returns to prison for committing PPP and other pandemic relief fraud while on supervised releaseRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Ashford Richardson has been sentenced to two and a half additional years in prison for fraudulently obtaining a Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) shortly after being released from prison on federal drug trafficking charges. He was on supervised release and subject to monitoring by the U.S. Probation Office when he committed these new crimes.
“Richardson had been released from prison for only 10 months when he orchestrated a scheme to steal more than $50,000 of pandemic relief funds that were badly needed by small businesses to continue functioning and support their employees,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “We will continue to utilize all the tools at our disposal to identify and hold accountable individuals who commit fraud.”
“Richardson has not learned the lesson that crime doesn’t pay, and his latest crime is evidence of that. Fortunately, his scheme to steal money intended to help people struggling during the COVID pandemic was caught and he is facing justice,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “This isn’t a victimless crime, every time a fraudster like this stole money, legitimate applicants were unable to get those funds to help themselves and their families.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: In July 2013, Richardson was indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiring to distribute multiple kilograms of cocaine. After pleading guilty, he was sentenced to five years and three months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release. In October 2019, he was released from Bureau of Prisons custody and began his term of supervised release.
In June 2020, Richardson applied for $43,400 from the EIDL program and, the following month, applied for a PPP loan of $14,635. In the applications, he claimed he owned a painting and carpentry business that had over $85,000 in revenue in 2019 but had lost more than $60,000 due to the COVID-19 disaster. Richardson also submitted a 2019 corporate tax return document to support the claimed revenue. However, those figures were false, and the tax return document was fake. The applications were ultimately approved due to his fraud, and Richardson immediately withdrew the funds in cash from his bank account. When he learned that the government was investigating him for these new crimes, he submitted more falsified documents in an effort to further conceal his crimes.
Ashford Leon Richardson, 44, of East Point, Georgia, admitted violating his terms of supervised release and committing wire fraud on June 13, 2023, and was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Richard W. Story to two years and six months in prison to be followed by one additional year of supervised release. He was also ordered to repay $58,489.99 to the U.S. Small Business Administration.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Garrett L. Bradford and Sarah E. Klapman are prosecuting the case.
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.
District Man Indicted on Assault with Intent to Kill While Armed Arising from the August 31, 2022 Shooting of a JuvenileRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Delmar Whitley, also known as Damar Whitley, 46, of Washington, D.C., is charged by indictment, filed today, with assault with intent to kill while armed and other charges stemming from the Aug. 31, 2022, shooting of one 17-year old, and the threat to shoot another 17-year old. The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves and Interim Chief Ashan M. Benedict, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Whitley was indicted by a Superior Court grand jury and charged with assault with intent to kill while armed with a firearm committed against a minor; aggravated assault while armed with a firearm committed against a minor; and two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon committed against a minor. Whitley also was indicted on charges of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence or dangerous offense, unlawful possession of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a license, possession of an unregistered firearm, and unlawful possession of ammunition.
Whitley is to be arraigned on June 23, 2023, at a hearing before the Honorable Marisa Demeo. He faces a maximum of 45 years in prison if convicted of the lead charge, and an additional 15 years if convicted of the assault on the second teenager.
According to the government’s evidence, on Aug. 31, 2022, at about 9:27 a.m., Whitley returned home to the apartment building where he resided in the 4700 block of Alabama Avenue SE. As he passed through the common area of the building, Whitley exchanged words with the first victim, a 17-year-old who was visiting the building before he and his classmates were to go to school. According to the evidence, after that exchange, Whitley briefly went inside his apartment before coming back with a firearm and shooting the teenager in the face, and then chasing him outside and shooting him again in the back. Whitley is also accused of pointing the firearm at another teen who was also trying to get away.
Following the assaults, Whitley fled the scene. Whitley was arrested on Sept. 22, 2022, and has remained in custody since his arrest.
In announcing the charges, U.S. Attorney Graves and Interim Chief Benedict commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who are working on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Christina Bloodworth and Paralegal Specialist Antoinette Sakamsa. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Prins and Michael Roberts, who are investigating and prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
Darknet Fentanyl Dealer Convicted at TrialRead the Press Release
A darknet fentanyl dealer who used the moniker “Fent4U” was found guilty yesterday of multiple drug crimes and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
After four days of trial and five hours of deliberation, a jury convicted Sean Shaughnessy, 55, of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance analogue, distribution of controlled substances, and possession of child pornography.
“Drug traffickers who think operating on the darknet will shield them from prosecution should think again,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “We will scour the darkest recesses of the internet to find those dealing fentanyl, a drug that shatters lives and wrecks futures. We are grateful to the many agents and officers – both in uniform and undercover – that worked together to arrest Mr. Shaughnessy, and to the jurors who thoughtfully weighed the evidence and voted to convict.”
“This drug dealer, who used the cloak of the dark web to peddle fentanyl and other illicit drugs, is no longer in business thanks to the investigative efforts and technological expertise of our agents and law enforcement partners,” said Lester R. Hayes Jr., Special Agent in Charge of HSI Dallas. “Criminals who seek personal gain by trafficking illicit drugs at the expense of victims in our communities cannot hide on the dark web. Our team of special agents and criminal analysts will never relent in our resolve to bring to justice those that seek financial gain by selling this poison in our neighborhoods as we all work tirelessly as a community to address drug addiction and fatal overdoses throughout the country.”
According to evidence presented at trial, Mr. Shaughnessy sold fentanyl, carfentanil (a frequently abused elephant tranquilizer), pentedrone, and fentanyl and pentedrone analogues over the dark web, an unindexed portion of the internet accessible only via specialized software that allows users to conduct transactions with relative anonymity. His buyers purchased the drugs on dark web marketplaces using cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, and Mr. Shaughnessy shipped the drugs to their addresses.
Multiple former customers testified at Mr. Shaughnessy’s trial, noting the drugs Shaughnessy sold them, including fentanyl and its analogues, arrived to their DFW are homes very quickly and were of high potency.
Just days after purchasing fentanyl analogues from Mr. Shaughnessy, one of his customers, a young man in his 20s, died of an overdose involving that substance.
An undercover Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent testified about the undercover operation that identified Mr. Shaughnessy, explaining that Mr. Shaughnessy directed tens of thousands of dollars of his illicit drug proceeds to be sent to Mr. Shaughnessy in the Dallas area.
Another agent testified that during an interview with law enforcement, Mr. Shaughnessy claimed that the agents would have to “check his taxes” to determine what Mr. Shaughnessy did for a living. Agents contacted the Internal Revenue Service, which indicated Mr. Shaughnessy had filed no taxes for the relevant time periods.
In a video of his July 2016 arrest played for the jury, Mr. Shaughnessy, with white powder visible around his nose, removed and dropped a baggie of drugs from his pocket while officers were placing handcuffs on him, and he then attempted to kick it out of officers’ view. When officers noticed the baggie, the defendant insisted, “that ain’t mine,” though it was plainly visible on the officers’ body-camera footage.
The defendant now faces up to 80 years in federal prison.
Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas and New York Field Offices conducted the investigation in partnership with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Customs & Border Protection, the Irving Police Department, and the Sacramento District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joe Magliolo, Gary Tromblay, Nicole Dana, and Jordan Ganz are prosecuting the case. U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay presided over the trial.
Convicted robber sentenced for third unlawful entryRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 54-year-old Mexican man has been ordered to prison for illegally re-entering the country…again, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Eleuterio Covarrubias-Martinez pleaded guilty Jan. 20.
Today, U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez ordered Covarrubias-Martinez to serve 151 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Covarrubias-Martinez was facing a large sentence for an unlawful entry, but it was warranted given his significant criminal history in order to promote respect for the law and deter future criminal conduct.
Covarrubias-Martinez is a citizen of Mexico who was found illegally present within the United States. He was previously convicted twice of the same crime with a criminal history including prior convictions for drug trafficking, aggravated assault and aggravated robbery.
On Nov. 14, 2022, law enforcement encountered Covarrubias-Martinez near Hidalgo. At that time, he admitted he was a citizen from Mexico and entered the country by rafting across the river.
Covarrubias-Martinez was deported for the first time on July 25, 2001. He has since been convicted twice for re-entry by deported alien. Documents showed that Covarrubias-Martinez returned just four days after his last removal.
Covarrubias-Martinez will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Phelps prosecuted the case.
Convicted Felon Sentenced for Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Fitchburg man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Worcester for being a convicted felon in possession of a 10 mm Glock pistol, which he used to shoot a victim.
Joel Polanco, 34, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 80 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In April 2022, Polanco pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
In October 2020, Polanco was arrested after police responded to the area of Snow and Cherry Streets in Fitchburg following a report of a person suffering a gunshot wound to the leg. A witness reported seeing someone fitting Polanco’s description shoot the victim. In addition, surveillance videos showed a person fitting Polanco’s description carrying what appeared to be the black fanny-pack and holding an item in his hand that appeared to be a gun. Polanco shot the victim using a 10 mm Glock pistol which was later recovered from a black fanny-pack in the area of Snow Street.
Polanco is prohibited from possessing a firearm after being convicted of being a felon in possession of ammunition and distribution of cocaine base in March 2011.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Fitchburg Police Chief Ernst Martineau made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Mulcahy and Danial E. Bennett of Levy’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Construction Company Owners Charged with $5.4 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of a Complaint charging RAWINDER DHILLON and AMNINDER SINGH, the owners of a construction company, with participating in a scheme to submit fraudulent bonds to the New York State Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery (“GOSR”) in order to obtain payments on false pretenses in connection with construction projects funded by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”). The defendants were arrested this morning and will be presented in Manhattan federal court later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “New Yorkers rely on the New York State Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery and the construction companies and subcontractors supported by GOSR to rebuild after devastating storms. As alleged, Rawinder Dhillon and Amninder Singh greedily defrauded GOSR and obtained more than $5 million of construction payments on false pretenses. Thanks to our partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Dhillon and Singh will now be brought to justice for their conduct.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Michael J. Driscoll said: “The defendants allegedly conspired to obtain over five million dollars from the state of New York based on phony construction surety bonds. Unfortunately, this is another example of a program intended to help communities recover from disaster being targeted for manipulation and fraud. The FBI is committed to ensuring that individuals who conspire to commit fraud against the government face the consequences for their schemes.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaint:[1]
GOSR was established in 2013 – following Hurricane Irene, Tropical Storm Lee, and Superstorm Sandy – to centralize recovery and rebuilding efforts in impacted areas of New York State. GOSR utilizes federal funding to provide aid for housing recovery, small businesses, community reconstruction, and infrastructure. DHILLON and SINGH owned and operated a construction company based in Staten Island, New York (“the Construction Company”). The Construction Company was awarded contracts by GOSR in connection with certain construction projects (the “Construction Projects”) funded by HUD.
For each of the Construction Projects, the Construction Company was required to obtain surety performance bonds (meant to ensure satisfactory completion of a construction company’s contractual obligations) and payment bonds (meant to ensure payment by a construction company to subcontractors and/or vendors supplying labor and/or materials). In or about April 2021, the Construction Company emailed to GOSR documents purporting to be the required performance bonds and payment bonds for the Construction Projects. Following the submission of the purported bonds, GOSR paid the Construction Company more than approximately $5.4 million in connection with the Construction Projects.
In or about February 2022, a subcontractor (the “Subcontractor”) that had contracted with the Construction Company to perform roofing work in connection with one of the Construction Projects contacted GOSR to report that the Construction Company had not paid the Subcontractor for its work. In response, GOSR provided the Subcontractor with a copy of one of the purported bonds so that the Subcontractor could obtain payment from the insurance carrier. However, when the Subcontractor contacted the insurance broker that allegedly issued the bond, the insurance broker informed the Subcontractor, in substance and in part, that the insurance broker had no record of issuing the bond and that the bond was fraudulent. Thereafter, the insurance broker informed GOSR, in substance and in part, that each of the purported payment and performance bonds provided by the Construction Company to GOSR were fraudulent. Accordingly, on or about February 20, 2022, GOSR terminated its contracts with the Construction Company.
* * *
DHILLON, 32, of Staten Island, New York, and SINGH, 37, of New Hyde Park, New York, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence.
The minimum and maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants would be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra S. Messiter is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation.
U.S. v. Dhillon and Singh ComplaintColumbus Armed Robber Sentenced to Prison for 2021 Crime SpreeRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ga. – A Columbus man who committed a series of armed robberies with his stepbrother in 2021, was sentenced to serve 200 months in prison by a federal judge this week.
Quentin Anderson, 29, was sentenced to serve 200 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on June 14; Anderson previously pleaded guilty to one count of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of conspiracy to commit an offense on Feb. 24. Co-defendant, Janerio Jones, 27, pleaded guilty to two counts of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence on Dec. 20, 2022, and faces a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of robbery and a maximum sentence of life in prison and a $250,000 fine for the firearm charge. Jones’s sentencing is scheduled for July 11. There is no parole in the federal system.
“The Columbus business community was terrorized in early 2021 when Anderson and Jones robbed employees of several local businesses at gunpoint; I am thankful no lives were lost during this violent crime spree,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Our office prioritizes prosecutions against violent offenders and in collaboration with law enforcement, we will continue to do everything in our power to reduce violence and hold dangerous criminals accountable.”
“No one should ever be terrorized physically or emotionally, like the victims in these violent armed robberies were,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Thanks to the assistance from our local law enforcement partners, Anderson will spend a long time behind bars where he won’t be able to wreak havoc on any more innocent civilians."
“In the span of a few days, the defendants charted a path of violent armed robberies at multiple businesses across Columbus. Thanks to the collaborative effort with our state and federal partners, these individuals were arrested before they could terrorize another business and its employees. The recent sentencing and plea send a clear message that acts of armed robbery will not be tolerated in our community,” said Columbus Police Department Deputy Chief Lance Deaton.
According to court documents, Jones and Anderson together robbed seven businesses in Columbus between Jan. 18, 2021, and Feb. 22, 2021. On the afternoon of Jan. 18, the defendants robbed both the Little Caesars on Buena Vista Road and the Dollar General on Crystal Drive within an hour and a half of each other. At Little Caesars, the entire cash register was removed from the store and the store employees took cover at the back of the store once they realized the robbers had a gun. At Dollar General, the robbers attempted to take the cash register, failed and fled on foot. Four days later, on Jan. 22, the defendants held up the Forrest Road Package on Forrest Road. One of the robbers pointed a gun in the face of a store employee while the other attempted to rob an employee at the back of the store. The cash register tray was taken. The following day, on Jan. 23, the owner of Jerry’s Food Mart on St. Mary’s Road was robbed at gunpoint by Jones and Anderson. The robbers took the owner’s wallet, store merchandise and cash. On Jan. 27, the owner of the Super C Food Mart on Decatur Street was robbed at gunpoint. The owner refused to give the robbers cash, and Jones fired a round at the cashier, which struck the protective glass barrier. As they exited the building, Jones fired another round at the owner which penetrated the glass barrier, narrowly missing him. The store owner fired his own gun at the assailants. On the evening of Feb. 4, the defendants and another individual robbed the Quality Inn on Macon Road. Jones pointed his handgun at the property owner’s head and stole money out of the hotel safe; the men fled on foot. On Feb. 22 at approximately 8:53 p.m., the defendants robbed the Marco’s Pizza on University Avenue. Jones fired his gun into the air when they entered the restaurant and demanded money. The robbers fled with stolen cash. Several Marco’s Pizza employees quit their jobs after the violent incident. Anderson was taken into custody on April 14, 2021, at a residence in Stockbridge, Georgia. Jones was taken into custody on Aug. 11, 2021, at a motel in Forest Park, Georgia.
The case was investigated by FBI and the Columbus Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Williams prosecuted the case for the Government.
Columbia Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Possession of Short-Barreled Rifle and Felon in Possession of Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA —Rondrell Sumter, 39, of Columbia, was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition and Possession of an Unregistered Short-Barreled Rifle.
Evidence presented to the Court showed that on August 2, 2021, Richland County Sheriff’s Department executed a search warrant at Sumter’s residence. They recovered over 14 pounds of marijuana and three firearms, including 5.56mm American Tactical, model Omni-Hybrid, Multi-Caliber, short-barreled rifle.
The National Firearms Act (“NFA”) is a comprehensive scheme that regulates the manufacture, sale, and transfer of certain particularly dangerous and concealable weapons, and requires the registration of short-barreled rifles. Under the NFA, it is a violation of federal law to knowingly possess an unregistered short-barreled rifle. The rifle recovered at Sumter’s residence had not been registered. Further, federal law prohibits Sumter from possessing firearms due to his prior convictions, including four prior convictions for possession with intent to distribute or distribution of narcotics.
United States District Court Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Sumter to 180 months in prison to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was investigated by the Richland County Sheriff’s Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant U.S. Attorney Elle E. Klein is prosecuting the case.
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Brother and Sister Sentenced for Drug Conspiracy Involving Fentanyl SalesRead the Press Release
Defendants Sold Fake Oxycodone (M-30) Pills Containing Fentanyl Causing Overdose and Death of a 20-year old Woman
WASHINGTON – Larry Jerome Eastman, 23, of Temple Hills, Maryland, and his sister, Justice Michelle Eastman, 26, of Washington, D.C., were sentenced today for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. The pair pleaded guilty February 8, 2023, in U.S. District Court. Larry Eastman was sentenced to 140 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release; Justice Eastman was sentenced to 37 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release. The sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Washington Division Office, and Interim Chief Ashan Benedict, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The defendants were arrested on January 26, 2022, following an investigation into the April 6, 2021 fentanyl overdose death of a woman in Southeast Washington, D.C. According to the government’s evidence, the 20-year-old victim had survived an earlier overdose in November of 2020, and was revived after paramedics administered Narcan. At the time of her fatal overdose in April 2021, white powder was discovered on a coffee table at the victim’s apartment. The DEA analyzed the powder and determined it to be fentanyl. An autopsy determined the victim’s cause of death was acute fentanyl intoxication.
A review of the victim’s phone revealed text messages from the previous evening with Larry Eastman in which the victim asked for “jammers” (a street term that often refers to counterfeit blue Oxycodone pills that contain fentanyl). Larry Eastman then directed the victim to his address in Washington D.C., and requested that she make payment to a Cash App account registered to Justice Eastman. Additional communications between Larry Eastman and the victim went as far back as September 2020, the start of the conspiracy, along with corresponding payments to Justice Eastman’s Cash App accounts. When the two defendants were arrested in January 2022, law enforcement seized additional fake Oxycodone (M30) pills, which contained fentanyl, and match the pills that the defendants were working together to sell.
“Many of the Fentanyl pills being peddled contain fatal doses of the drug,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “Nevertheless, this brother and sister were willing to flood our streets with this poison. Larry Eastman’s actions directly led to the death of a young woman. These sentences establish that there are consequences to distributing this incredibly dangerous drug and where we can prove that someone delivered the fatal dose we will do all within our power to ensure the sentence reflects the tragic loss of life.”
“We are in the middle of a Fentanyl Poisoning Crisis,” said Special Agent in Charge Forget. “Drug traffickers like the Eastmans, are distributing fake pills laced with Fentanyl and misleading our citizens without regard for their wellbeing. We will continue the work with our federal, state and local partner to investigate and ultimately prosecute these ruthless criminals.”
As noted by the DEA, because of its potency and low cost, fentanyl is increasingly being mixed with other drugs including heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine, increasing the likelihood of a fatal interaction. Particularly dangerous are fake prescription pills like the fake oxycodone M30 tablets seized in this case, which contain fentanyl. The DEA Laboratory has found that, of the fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills analyzed in 2022, six out of ten now contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl (see One Pill Can Kill).
The case was investigated by the Washington Division Office of the DEA and the Metropolitan Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andy T. Wang, David T. Henek, and Matthew W. Kinskey, of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Bookkeeper Is Sentenced to Prison for Embezzling More Than $1.35 Million from EmployerRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A bookkeeper was sentenced to prison today for embezzling more than $1.35 from his employer, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger ordered Danny Dale Tremble, 49, of Conover, N.C., to serve 41 months in prison followed by three of supervised release, and to pay restitution in the amount of $1,639,659.99.
Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Donald “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, Charlotte Field Office (IRS-CI), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and court proceedings, from October 2013 to December 2021, Tremble executed a scheme to embezzle and defraud his Asheville-based employer, Azalea Management and Leasing, Inc. (Azalea). Tremble worked at Azalea as an accountant, and in that capacity had access to the company’s bank accounts and accounting records. Over the course of the scheme, Tremble routinely misused his access to Azalea’s bank accounts to embezzle company funds, which he used to pay off personal credit cards and to cover personal expenditures including lavish hotel stays, dining, and shopping. Tremble also used stolen company funds to purchase a camper, a boat, a trailer, a pickup truck, and to buy multiple firearms.
Court documents show that Tremble failed to report any of the embezzled income on his Joint Individual Income Tax Returns, Forms 1040, amounting to a federal tax loss of $288,716.
On February 13, 2023, Tremble pleaded guilty to wire fraud and filing a false tax return. He is currently released on bond and will be ordered to surrender to the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI and IRS-CI for their investigation of the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville handled the prosecution.
- Black Hawk Man Indicted for Child Pornography Charges
Baton Rouge Man Sentenced to 18 Months Imprisonment for Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – CHRISTOPHER BLACKSTONE has been sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment to be followed by a 2-year term of supervised release after pleading guilty in federal court relating to his role in a health care fraud conspiracy.
BLACKSTONE, age 46, a resident of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pled guilty on February 24, 2021 before U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk to Count One of a bill of information charging him with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1347 and 1349.
According to the bill of information, BLACKSTONE was the owner of Prime Pharmacy Solutions (“Prime”) in Slidell, Louisiana. Between 2014 and 2016, Prime operated primarily as a closed-door pharmacy that mixed and filled prescriptions for compounded medications. The cost of these medications was reimbursed by health care benefit programs, including TRICARE, a health care benefit program for United States military personnel and their families.
Prime Pharmacy contracted with various entities, including Pharmacy Benefit Managers (“PBMs”), obligating Prime Pharmacy to collect copayments from beneficiaries in order to obtain reimbursement from various health care benefit programs, including TRICARE. BLACKSTONE, along with his co-conspirators, acting on behalf of Prime, selected formulas for compounded medications, not based on their effectiveness or individualized patient need, but rather, to maximize reimbursement from TRICARE and other health care benefit programs. Prime then mass produced these High-Yield Compounded Medications and created a series of preprinted prescription forms encouraging and directing prescribers/doctors to prescribe these High-Yield Compounded Medications.
“The VA Office of Inspector General is dedicated to ensuring the integrity of VA’s healthcare services. Those who would commit fraud to exploit veteran care and steal taxpayer dollars will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Kris Raper with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s South-Central Field Office. “The VA OIG thanks the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their efforts in this case.”
"Compounding pharmacy fraud is a prescription for profit instead of patient care and exploits our active-duty service members, veterans, and their families," stated Special Agent in Charge Darrin Jones, with the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Southeast Field Office. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney's Office and our investigative team for their tireless efforts to bring these crimes to light and ensure individuals are held accountable when their first allegiance is to the bottom line at the expense of their patients."
This case was investigated by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service – Office of Inspector General, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General, and the United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Kathryn McHugh of the Financial Crimes Unit.
Batesville Men Sentenced to Prison for Robbery of Postal WorkerRead the Press Release
Oxford, MS – Three Batesville men were sentenced yesterday to over 10 years in prison for the armed robbery of a U.S. Postal Service contract carrier.
According to court documents, Jamarr Smith, 38, Gilbert McThunel II, 37, and Thomas Iroko Ayodele, 40, were each convicted on February 24, 2023, of using a dangerous weapon to rob a contract postal carrier of money belonging to the U.S. Postal Service and conspiracy to rob the employee.
Evidence presented during a four-day jury trial revealed that on February 5, 2018, Smith, McThunel, and Ayodele drove to Lake Cormorant, Mississippi, where the Postal Service’s contract carrier was robbed as he picked up mail for delivery to the Distribution Center in Memphis. Evidence showed that when the carrier arrived at the Lake Cormorant Post Office at approximately 5:15 p.m. to pick up the mail, McThunel approached the carrier, struck him multiple times in the face with a firearm, threatened to kill him, and then stole bags containing U.S. Postal Service money from the carrier’s truck. Ayodele dropped McThunel off at the Lake Comorant Post Office prior to the robbery and picked him up afterward, while Smith acted as a lookout from a separate vehicle.
At the conclusion of the sentencing hearing, District Court Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Smith and McThunel each to 121 months in prison and Ayodele to 136 months in prison. Each defendant will serve five years of supervision following their release from prison. The defendants were also ordered to pay restitution to the U.S. Postal Service for the money taken in the robbery and to the contract carrier for medical costs associated with injuries he received during the robbery.
“Combatting violent crime and protection of our citizens is one of the highest priorities for the US Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Mississippi,” remarked U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “We hope that today’s sentence will serve as a message to all who would target or victimize their fellow citizens in the hopes of easy personal gain. Such acts will not be tolerated and we will do all we can to see that violent criminals and those who assist them are incarcerated for their crimes.”
“Postal Inspectors’ duties include protecting postal employees and investigating violent crimes that are committed against them,” said Scott Fix, Inspector-in-Charge of the Houston Division. “While these types of crimes are rare, when they do occur, they become a top priority for us. The sentencing of Jamar Smith, Gilbert McThunel and Thomas Ayodele for the armed robbery of a USPS Contract Driver at the Lake Cormorant, MS Post Office is a testament to the dedication of Postal Inspectors to bring to justice those individuals that threaten the safety of our postal employees. We extend our appreciation to the Desoto County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance with this investigation.”
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Mims and Clyde McGee prosecuted the case.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Statement on Haaland v. BrackeenRead the Press Release
The Justice Department issued the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland following the Supreme Court’s decision in Haaland v. Brackeen:
“The Justice Department is committed to honoring Tribal sovereignty and protecting Indian children and families. For nearly 45 years, the Indian Child Welfare Act has helped protect Tribal children from being unnecessarily separated from their parents, extended family, and Tribal communities.
I am pleased that today’s Supreme Court decision in Haaland v. Brackeen rejected this challenge to the Indian Child Welfare Act. The Justice Department vigorously defended the statute before the Supreme Court and will continue to support the Indian Child Welfare Act and do everything in our power to protect Tribal communities and affirm Tribal sovereignty.”
Ardmore Resident Sentenced for Child Abuse in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Christopher Lee Hill, age 21, of Ardmore, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 108 months in prison for Child Abuse in Indian Country.
The charges arose from investigations by the Ardmore Police Department, the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On May 26, 2022, Hill pleaded guilty to Child Abuse in Indian Country. During the plea hearing, Hill admitted striking the 39-day-old victim, causing injuries including skull fractures and brain hemorrhaging. The crime occurred in Carter County, within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation Reservation and within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
“One of the most important and difficult duties law enforcement and health professionals will ever undertake is the protection and treatment of child victims of abuse and neglect,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “We are grateful for their care, their sensitivity, and their diligence, and we consider them essential partners in pursuing justice on behalf of child victims.”
The Honorable Timothy D. DeGiusti, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, sitting by appointment, presided over the hearing in Oklahoma City. Hill will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney Anthony C. Marek represented the United States.
Air National Guardsman Indicted for Unlawful Disclosure of Classified National Defense InformationRead the Press Release
A member of the U.S. Air National Guard (USANG) stationed in Massachusetts was indicted today by a federal grand jury in Boston for allegedly retaining and transmitting classified national defense information on a social media platform beginning in or around 2022 and continuing until his arrest in April.
Jack Douglas Teixeira, 21, of North Dighton, Massachusetts, was indicted on six counts of willful retention and transmission of classified information relating to the national defense (National Defense Information). Teixeira was arrested on April 13, 2023, and charged by criminal complaint with retention and transmission of national defense information and unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or materials. On May 19, 2023, U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge David H. Hennessy granted the government’s motion for detention. Teixeira remains in federal custody.
“As laid out in the indictment, Jack Teixeira was entrusted by the United States government with access to classified national defense information — including information that reasonably could be expected to cause exceptionally grave damage to national security if shared,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Teixeira is charged with sharing information with users on a social media platform he knew were not entitled to receive it. In doing so, he is alleged to have violated U.S. law and endangered our national security.”
“Individuals granted security clearances are entrusted to protect classified information and safeguard our nation’s secrets. The allegations in today’s indictment reveal a serious violation of that trust,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI and our partners remain firm in our commitment to hold accountable those who endanger our national security and the security of our allies around the world.”
“The unauthorized removal, retention, and transmission of classified information jeopardizes our nation’s security. Individuals granted access to classified materials have a fundamental duty to safeguard the information for the safety of the United States, our active service members, its citizens, and its allies,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy for the District of Massachusetts. “We are committed to ensuring that those entrusted with sensitive national security information adhere to the law.”
According to the charging documents, Teixeira enlisted in the USANG in September 2019 and has held a Top Secret security clearance since 2021. It is alleged that, beginning in or around January 2022, Teixeira willfully, improperly, and unlawfully retained and transmitted National Defense Information classified as “TOP SECRET” or “SECRET” and/or Sensitive Compartmented Information, which he had reason to believe could be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of a foreign nation, on a social media platform to persons not authorized to receive such information.
According to the charging documents, Teixeira transmitted the classified National Defense Information on the social media platform in two ways. First, Teixeira allegedly accessed classified documents containing National Defense Information from a classified workstation at the Otis USANG Base and transcribed and transmitted the information in written paragraphs to other users on the social media platform. Teixeira also posted images of classified documents to the social media platform, which bore standard classification markings – including “SECRET,” “TOP SECRET,” and SCI designations – indicating that they contained highly classified United States government information. At least one of the documents containing national defense information was allegedly found in digital form in a particular account associated with Teixeira.
Each charge of unauthorized retention and transmission of national defense information provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. A federal judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Boston and Washington Field Offices are investigating the case. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations provided valuable assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nadine Pellegrini, Jared C. Dolan, and Jason A. Casey for the District of Massachusetts and Trial Attorney Christina A. Clark of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Air National Guardsman Indicted for Unlawful Disclosure of Classified National Defense InformationRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A member of the United States Air National Guard (USANG) stationed in Massachusetts has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for allegedly retaining and transmitting classified National Defense Information on a social media platform beginning in or around 2022 and continuing until his arrest in April 2023.
Jack Douglas Teixeira, 21, of North Dighton, Mass., was indicted on six counts of willful retention and transmission of classified information relating to the national defense (National Defense Information). Teixeira was arrested on April 13, 2023 and charged by criminal complaint with retention and transmission of national defense information and unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or materials. On May 19, 2023, U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge David H. Hennessy granted the government’s motion for detention. Teixeira remains federal custody.
“The unauthorized removal, retention and transmission of classified information jeopardizes our nation’s security. Individuals granted access to classified materials have a fundamental duty to safeguard the information for the safety of the United States, our active service members, its citizens and its allies,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “We are committed to ensuring that those entrusted with sensitive national security information adhere to the law.”
“The American people entrust security clearance holders with our nation’s secrets, and anyone who flagrantly violates their duty to protect those secrets by unlawfully communicating classified national defense information to people who are not entitled to receive it will be brought to justice to answer for their criminal conduct,” said Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division.
“As laid out in the indictment, Jack Teixeira was entrusted by the United States government with access to classified national defense information — including information that reasonably could be expected to cause exceptionally grave damage to national security if shared,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Teixeira is charged with sharing information with users on a social media platform he knew were not entitled to receive it. In doing so, he is alleged to have violated U.S. law and endangered our national security.”
“Individuals granted security clearances are entrusted to protect classified information and safeguard our nation’s secrets. The allegations in today’s indictment reveal a serious violation of that trust,” said Christopher A. Wray, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. “The FBI and our partners remain firm in our commitment to hold accountable those who endanger our national security and the security of our allies around the world.”
According to the charging documents, Teixeira enlisted in the USANG in September 2019 and has held a Top-Secret security clearance since 2021.
It is alleged that, beginning in or around January 2022, Teixeira willfully, improperly and unlawfully retained and transmitted National Defense Information classified as “TOP SECRET” or “SECRET” and/or Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI), which he had reason to believe could be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of a foreign nation, on a social media platform to persons not authorized to receive such information.
According to the charging documents, Teixeira transmitted the classified National Defense Information on the social media platform in two ways. First, Teixeira allegedly accessed classified documents containing National Defense Information from a classified workstation at the Otis USANG Base and transcribed and transmitted the information in written paragraphs to other users on the social media platform. Teixeira also allegedly posted images of classified documents to the social media platform, which bore standard classification markings – including “SECRET,” “TOP SECRET,” and SCI designations – indicating that they contained highly classified United States government information. At least one of the documents containing national defense information was allegedly found in digital form in a particular account associated with Teixeira.
The charges of unauthorized retention and transmission of national defense information each provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy; FBI SAC DiMenna; Attorney General Garland; FBI Director Wray; Matt Olsen, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s National Security Division; and David Sundberg, Assistant Director in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington Field Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nadine Pellegrini, Jared C. Dolan and Jason A. Casey of Levy’s National Security Unit and Trial Attorney Christina A. Clark of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Ada Resident Sentenced for Sexual Abuse of A Minor and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Ronnie Lee Lamb, age 40, of Ada, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 180 months per count for three counts of sexual abuse of a minor in Indian Country, and 180 months for one count of possession of child pornography, with sentences set to run concurrently.
The charges arose from investigations by the Pontotoc County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On October 10, 2021, Lamb pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual acts with a minor and to knowingly possessing visual depictions of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The crimes were committed in Pontotoc County, within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation Reservation and the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the tab “Resources.”
The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing in Muskogee. Lamb will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney Edith A. Singer and Assistant United States Attorney Anthony C. Marek represented the United States.
19-Year-Old Oregon Woman Faces Federal Charges for Running Social Media Drug Distribution Service Targeting MinorsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Clackamas County, Oregon woman is facing federal drug charges for using social media to advertise, sell, and distribute illegal drugs to minors in and around Portland.
Averi Rose Dickinson, 19, a resident of Damascus, Oregon, has been charged by criminal complaint with conspiring to distribute and distributing controlled substances and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, in January 2023, the FBI began investigating Dickinson after learning she ran a drug distribution service called “Kiki’s Delivery Service” that advertised and took orders for illegal narcotics on various social media applications including Instagram, Snapchat, and Telegram. Investigators soon discovered that Dickinson had been operating the service for up to three years, taking and fulfilling orders for cocaine, LSD, MDMA, ketamine, marijuana, and various forms of pills, both real and fake. Investigators also identified Dickinson as a source of supply within a larger drug distribution chain responsible for several juvenile drug overdoses.
On June 14, 2023, investigators executed federal warrants on Dickinson’s Damascus residence and vehicle. They located and seized quantities of cocaine, ketamine, marijuana, and counterfeit Xanax bars; $3,000 in cash; a Glock 9mm handgun with extended magazine; an AR-style assault rifle; and a bullet proof vest. Dickinson told investigators she believed approximately 50% of her drug distribution clients were minors and that she used several minors as runners to deliver drugs.
Dickinson made her first appearance in federal court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge John V. Acosta. She was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
This case was investigated by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Clackamas County Interagency Task Force (CCITF), and Portland Police Bureau. It is being prosecuted by Scott M. Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Wolcott Man Admits Unlawful Manufacture and Dealing of AR-15-Style Assault RiflesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, and Colonel Stavros Mellekas of the Connecticut State Police today announced that GREGORY LEARY, 35, of Wolcott, pleaded guilty yesterday before Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to manufacturing and dealing AR-15-style firearms without a license.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between January and March 2022, Leary received Polymer80 firearms kits from another individual and assembled them in the basement of his Wolcott residence. On three occasions during that period, Leary provided to that individual eight AR-15-style assault rifles with collapsible stocks and 30-round magazines; a “P80” 9mm semi-automatic handgun with a fully loaded, 10-round magazine; 190 rounds of .223 ammunition; one “Magtec” box containing 50 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition; and one “Independence” box containing 50 rounds of 9mm ammunition. The assault rifles and 9mm handgun contained no serial numbers.
In pleading guilty, Leary admitted that he manufactured and dealt a total of more than 25 firearms to the same individual knowing that the individual was selling the firearms to others.
Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for September 25, at which time Leary faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. Leary is released on a $20,000 bond pending sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), the Connecticut State Police Statewide Firearms Trafficking Task Force (SFTTF) and Statewide Urban Violence Cooperative Crime Control Task Force (SUVCCCTF/Gangs Unit), assisted by the Statewide Narcotics Task Force (SNTF) Southwest and North Central Offices, and the Bridgeport, Shelton, Orange, Waterbury, and Hartford Police Departments.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tara E. Levens and Rahul Kale through 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. In May 2021, the Justice 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.
Earlier today, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco convened a meeting with the Criminal Division, FBI, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, and all 93 U.S. Attorneys to discuss ongoing efforts to reduce violent crime and combat the gun violence that fuels it. To learn more about these efforts, visit https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/fact-sheet-update-justice-department-s-ongoing-efforts-tackle-gun-violence.
Virginia Beach Man Sentenced for Dealing Illegal Machine GunsRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man was sentenced yesterday to 20 years in prison for possessing and selling unregistered machineguns and possessing unregistered destructive devices.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, between approximately October 2021 and April 2022, Patrick Tate Adamiak, 28, was obtaining illegal machine guns that were not registered and he was selling these machine guns online. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) purchased eight machine guns from him through a confidential source. They then executed a search warrant at Adamiak’s residence and recovered 25 additional unregistered firearms. A search warrant at his residence found that Adamiak was in possession of two grenade launchers and two antitank missile launchers. Adamiak is a Master at Arms in the U.S. Navy.
Adamiak was convicted after a four-day jury trial on October 21, 2022. Evidence presented at sentencing further revealed that Adamiak engaged in the unregulated sale and transfer of firearms beginning in at least 2016. Adamiak had just begun to make greater profits from his business, Black Dog Arsenal, when his firearms trafficking was discovered by law enforcement.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Craig B. Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division; and Mack Hickman, Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Victoria Liu and Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Muhr 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. 2:22-cr-47.
U.S. Marine, 2nd Man Arrested on Federal Charges Stemming from Firebombing of Planned Parenthood Clinic in Orange CountyRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – Special agents with the FBI and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service this morning arrested two Orange County men on federal charges alleging they used a Molotov cocktail to firebomb a Costa Mesa clinic operated by Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
Tibet Ergul, 21, of Irvine, and Chance Brannon, 23, of San Juan Capistrano, an active duty Marine stationed at Camp Pendleton, were arrested this morning without incident.
Ergul and Brannon are named in a criminal complaint that charges each with using an explosive or fire to damage real property affecting interstate commerce. Both defendants are expected to make their initial appearances this afternoon in United States District Court in Santa Ana.
“My office takes very seriously this brazen attack that targeted a facility that provides critical health care services to thousands of people in Orange County,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “While it is fortunate that no one was physically harmed and responders were able to prevent the clinic from being destroyed, the defendants’ violent actions are entirely unacceptable.”
“The depraved act of launching an improvised explosive device into a public facility put lives at risk and will not be tolerated," said Donald Alway, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office. “The joint investigation among local and federal law enforcement led to today's arrests and we will continue to work collaboratively with our partners to hold accountable those who deliberately endanger the community.”
The complaint alleges that Ergul and Brannon attacked the clinic during the early morning hours of March 13, 2022, by igniting and a throwing a Molotov cocktail at the clinic entrance. As a result of the fire, the Planned Parenthood Costa Mesa healthcare clinic was forced to close the following morning and cancel approximately 30 appointments.
Security videos described in the affidavit show that two men wearing hooded sweatshirts and face masks approached the Planned Parenthood facility at approximately 1 a.m. the day of the attack, ignited a device, and threw the flaming device at the front door of the building. “The device landed against a southern wall next to the glass door and erupted into a fire, which spread up the wall and across the ceiling above the glass door,” according to the complaint.
The Costa Mesa Police Department and Fire Department responded to the scene and extinguished the fire. An analysis of evidence collected at the scene showed that the glass container and other materials contained gasoline.
A criminal complaint contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The charge of using an explosive or fire to damage real property affecting interstate commerce carries a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
The FBI and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service are conducting the ongoing investigation in this matter. The Costa Mesa Police Department provided substantial assistance.
Assistant United States Attorney Kathrynne Seiden of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young Announces Assistant U.S. Attorney AppointmentsRead the Press Release
CONCORD – U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces the appointment of career prosecutor Jeff Strelzin as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, and the appointments of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kasey Weiland as the Senior Litigation Counsel (SLC) and Jarad Hodes as the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Coordinator.
AUSA Strelzin has over 25 years of experience as a prosecutor. AUSA Strelzin most recently served as the Associate Attorney General, Director of the Division of Public Protection at the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, where he oversaw the Criminal Bureau, Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau, and the Environmental Protection Bureau. During his career, AUSA Strelzin prosecuted murder cases as the Chief of the Homicide Unit for nearly 15 years and investigated hundreds of suspicious deaths. He also served as a Special Assistant United States Attorney at the United States Attorney’s Office in 2003. AUSA Strelzin is expected to investigate and prosecute a variety of federal crimes, including violent crime, firearm and drug offences, and immigration cases.
“Assistant U.S. Attorney Strelzin has devoted his career to serving New Hampshire,” said Jane E. Young. “Not only has he spent the past three decades working to make our communities safer, but he has been a committed granite-stater, attending college and law school here.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kasey Weiland has been appointed to serve as the district’s Senior Litigation Counsel. The SLC is a federal prosecutor with at least five years of experience who has been recognized as an outstanding litigator. The SLC is responsible for in-office trainings of other Assistant U.S. Attorneys. Weiland will continue to serve as the Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and the Human Trafficking Coordinator.
“Assistant U.S. Attorney Weiland has had a distinguished career both in the District of New Hampshire and the Western District of Tennessee,” U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young said. “She is an exceptional attorney that has earned the respect of her colleagues. She will be an outstanding mentor for this generation of prosecutors.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarad Hodes has been promoted to serve as the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Coordinator in the District of New Hampshire. The OCDETF Coordinator is responsible for leading the district’s specialized investigation and prosecutions of drug trafficking and money laundering criminal conspiracies.
AUSA Hodes previously served as a Trial Attorney in the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, as well as an Associate Deputy Attorney General, and an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of California. AUSA Hodes will continue to serve as the National Security Coordinator in the District of New Hampshire.
“Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarad Hodes’ experience in the U.S. Department of Justice makes him uniquely suited to lead the organized crime and drug enforcement task force for the District of New Hampshire,” U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young said. “The OCDETF program requires cohesion and coordination among our federal investigative partners, and Jarad is undoubtedly equipped to work with this specialized group of agents.”
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U.S. Army Soldier Pleads Guilty to Terrorism Charges for Attempting to Help ISIS Conduct Deadly Ambush on U.S. TroopsRead the Press Release
An Ohio man today pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and attempting to murder U.S. military service members based on his efforts to help the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) to attack and kill U.S. soldiers in the Middle East.
Cole Bridges, aka Cole Gonzales, 22, of Stow, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman. According to court documents, Bridges joined the U.S. Army in approximately September 2019 and was assigned as a cavalry scout in the Third Infantry Division based in Fort Stewart, Georgia. Beginning in at least 2019, Bridges began researching and consuming online propaganda promoting jihadists and their violent ideology. Bridges also expressed his support for ISIS and jihad on social media. In or about October 2020, Bridges began communicating with an FBI online covert employee (the OCE), who was posing as an ISIS supporter in contact with ISIS fighters in the Middle East. During these communications, Bridges expressed his frustration with the U.S. military and his desire to aid ISIS. Bridges then provided training and guidance to purported ISIS fighters who were planning attacks, including advice about potential targets in New York City. Bridges also provided the OCE with portions of a U.S. Army training manual and guidance about military combat tactics, for use by ISIS.
In or about December 2020, Bridges began to supply the OCE with instructions for the purported ISIS fighters on how to attack U.S. forces in the Middle East. Among other things, Bridges diagrammed specific military maneuvers intended to help ISIS fighters maximize the lethality of attacks on U.S. troops. Bridges further provided advice about the best way to fortify an ISIS encampment to repel an attack by U.S. Special Forces, including by wiring certain buildings with explosives to kill the U.S. troops. Then, in January 2021, Bridges provided the OCE with a video of himself in his U.S. Army body armor standing in front of a flag often used by ISIS fighters and making a gesture symbolic of support for ISIS. Approximately a week later, Bridges sent a second video in which Bridges, using a voice manipulator, narrated a propaganda speech in support of the anticipated ambush by ISIS on U.S. troops.
Attempting to provide material support to ISIS carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and attempting to murder U.S. military service members carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Bridges is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 2.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York and Assistant Director Robert R. Wells of the FBI Counterterrorism Division made the announcement.
The FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which primarily consists of investigators and analysts from the FBI, the New York City Police Department, and over 50 other federal, state and local agencies, is investigating the case. The U.S. Army Counterintelligence, the FBI Washington Field Office, the FBI Atlanta Field Office and its Savannah Resident Agency, the FBI Cleveland Field Office, the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command and the U.S. Army Third Infantry Division provided valuable assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sam Adelsberg and Matthew Hellman for the Southern District of New York and Trial Attorney Michael Dittoe of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
U.S. Army Soldier Pleads Guilty to Terrorism Charges for Attempting to Assist ISIS to Conduct Deadly Ambush on U.S. TroopsRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that COLE BRIDGES, a/k/a “Cole Gonzales,” pled guilty to attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and attempting to murder U.S. military service members based on BRIDGES’s efforts to assist the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (“ISIS”) to attack and kill U.S. soldiers in the Middle East. BRIDGES pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As he admitted in court today, Cole Bridges attempted to orchestrate a murderous ambush on his fellow soldiers in service of ISIS and its violent ideology. Bridges’s traitorous conduct was a betrayal of his comrades and his country. Thanks to the incredible work of the prosecutors of this Office and our partners at the FBI and the U.S. Army, Bridges’s malign intent was revealed, and he now awaits sentencing for his crimes.”
According to the Complaint, the Indictment to which BRIDGES pled guilty, and other documents in the public record, as well as statements made in public court proceedings:
BRIDGES joined the U.S. Army in approximately September 2019 and was assigned as a cavalry scout in the Third Infantry Division based in Fort Stewart, Georgia. Beginning in at least 2019, BRIDGES began researching and consuming online propaganda promoting jihadists and their violent ideology. BRIDGES also expressed his support for ISIS and jihad on social media. In or about October 2020, BRIDGES began communicating with a Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) online covert employee (the “OCE”), who was posing as an ISIS supporter in contact with ISIS fighters in the Middle East. During these communications, BRIDGES expressed his frustration with the U.S. military and his desire to aid ISIS. BRIDGES then provided training and guidance to purported ISIS fighters who were planning attacks, including advice about potential targets in New York City. BRIDGES also provided the OCE with portions of a U.S. Army training manual and guidance about military combat tactics, for use by ISIS.
In or about December 2020, BRIDGES began to supply the OCE with instructions for the purported ISIS fighters on how to attack U.S. forces in the Middle East. Among other things, BRIDGES diagrammed specific military maneuvers intended to help ISIS fighters maximize the lethality of attacks on U.S. troops. BRIDGES further provided advice about the best way to fortify an ISIS encampment to repel an attack by U.S. Special Forces, including by wiring certain buildings with explosives to kill the U.S. troops. Then, in January 2021, BRIDGES provided the OCE with a video of himself in his U.S. Army body armor standing in front of a flag often used by ISIS fighters and making a gesture symbolic of support for ISIS. Approximately a week later, BRIDGES sent a second video in which BRIDGES, using a voice manipulator, narrated a propaganda speech in support of the anticipated ambush by ISIS on U.S. troops.
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BRIDGES, 22, of Stow, Ohio, pled guilty to attempting to provide material support to ISIS, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and attempting to murder U.S. military service members, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. BRIDGES is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Liman on November 2, 2023, at 2:00 p.m.
The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding efforts of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which primarily consists of investigators and analysts from the FBI, the New York City Police Department, and over 50 other federal, state, and local agencies. Mr. Williams also thanked U.S. Army Counterintelligence, the FBI Washington Field Office, the FBI Atlanta Field Office and its Savannah Resident Agency, the FBI Cleveland Field Office, the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, the U.S. Army Third Infantry Division, and the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division for their assistance.
This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sam Adelsberg and Matthew Hellman are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Michael Dittoe of the Counterterrorism Section.
Three charged in $6M pediatric dental fraud schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - A superseding indictment has been unsealed charging an operator and two managers at a local dental clinic for their roles in a $6 million Medicaid fraud and kickback scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Authorities took Christian Agno Aquino, 42, Humble, into custody today. He is expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena Hanovice Palermo at 2 p.m.
Also charged is Rene Gaviola, 67, and Ifeanyi Ndubisi Ozoh, 51, both of Houston. They were previously arrested on similar charges in August 2022. Ozoh and Gaviola are expected to make their appearances on the superseding indictment in Houston tomorrow.
According to the charges, Gaviola was the operator, while Ozoh and Aquino were managers of Floss Family Dental Care clinic located in Houston. The superseding indictment alleges Gaviola and other employees submitted fraudulent claims to Medicaid for pediatric dental services, including numerous cavity fillings, that Floss did not provide or that licensed individuals did not conduct. At Gaviola’s direction and with Aquino’s assistance, Floss allegedly employed one individual to practice dentistry without a license. Floss billed Medicaid for these dental services as if they were provided by a licensed dentist, according to the indictment.
Gaviola, Ozoh and Aquino also allegedly paid kickbacks to marketers and caregivers of Medicaid-insured children to bring them to Floss for dental services.
The indictment further alleges Gaviola laundered Medicaid monies from the Floss business bank account to his personal bank account in several transactions exceeding $100,000.
From 2019 to 2021, the dental clinic allegedly billed Medicaid for nearly $6.9 million for which Medicaid paid approximately $4.9 million.
If convicted, all three face up to five years in prison for conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks and 10 years for each count of payment of health care kickbacks. Gaviola and Aquino also face up to 10 years for each count of health care fraud and conspiracy to do so. Finally, Gaviola faces up to 10 years in prison for each count of money laundering. All charges also carry a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
The FBI, Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Olson and Assistant U.S. Attorney Grace Murphy are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Syracuse Man Sentenced to 84 Months for Distributing Methamphetamine and CocaineRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Mohamed Mahmoud, age 44, of Syracuse, was sentenced today to serve 84 months in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine, powder cocaine, and crack cocaine, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division.
As part of his previous guilty plea, Mahmoud admitted selling about 29 grams of pure methamphetamine, 12 grams of crack cocaine, and 11 grams of powder cocaine on April 14, 2021. He also was found at sentencing to have sold the same drugs on multiple prior occasions in the preceding months. This was Mahmoud’s second federal drug conviction; in October 2012, he was sentenced in federal court to a 63-month term of imprisonment following his conviction for conspiring to distribute crack cocaine.
United States District Judge David N. Hurd further sentenced Mahmoud to a four-year term of supervised release to begin after imprisonment, imposed a $2,500 fine, and imposed a $2,400 judgment representing Mahmoud’s proceeds from a prior drug sale.
The case was investigated by the DEA-Syracuse Resident Office, the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, the Syracuse Police Department, and the New York State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Sutcliffe.
Suffolk County to Comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act and Prevent Contamination of the County's Drinking Water SupplyRead the Press Release
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Lisa Garcia, Regional Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 2, announced today that the United States filed suit under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), against Suffolk County, the Suffolk County Department of Parks and Recreation and the Suffolk County Department of Public Works for their longstanding violations of the Underground Injection Well regulations which required Suffolk to close all Large Capacity Cesspools (LCCs) by April 2005 and all Motor Vehicle Waste Disposal Wells (MVWDWs) by January 1, 2008 (Prohibited LCCs and MVWDWs). A Consent Judgment requiring Suffolk County to close all Prohibited LCCs and MVWDWs at an estimated cost of $7,020,000 and pay a $200,000 civil penalty was also lodged with the Court.
“Today’s Consent Judgment will protect the residents of Suffolk County and Long Island’s drinking water from harmful nutrient pollution which poses a risk both to the public health and the natural environment,” said United States Attorney Peace. “This office will continue to vigorously enforce violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act to protect the public from contamination of its water supply and promote environmental justice.”
“This agreement with Suffolk County is a major achievement that will help protect the drinking water of millions of Long Islanders from the harmful impacts of large capacity cesspools and waste disposal wells," said Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. "These types of underground injection wells can pollute groundwater and endanger public health and the environment. EPA is committed to enforcing the Safe Drinking Water Act to ensure that all communities have access to clean water.”
Background
The complaint alleges that the Defendants violated the SDWA in their continued ownership and operation of Prohibited LCCs and MVWDWs at various Suffolk County parks and facilities for years beyond the SDWA regulatory deadline by which they were required to close them.
LCCs are cesspools that receive untreated sanitary waste, including human excreta, which have an open bottom or perforated sides, and have the capacity to serve 20 or more persons a day. Such untreated waste is high in harmful nutrients, such as nitrogen, that can compromise ground and surface water quality. Nutrient pollution of the ground and surface waters in and surrounding Suffolk County is a longstanding problem that threatens the area’s water quality and ecosystem.
MVWDWs are disposal wells that receive fluids from motor vehicle repair or maintenance activities. During normal activities, vehicle fluids—such as engine oil, transmission fluid and antifreeze—when released to a dry well or septic system, can introduce various toxic chemicals into sources of drinking water.
Congress enacted the SDWA to protect the nation’s drinking water sources, including the regulation of LCCs and MVWDWs to prevent them from contaminating underground sources of drinking water. Underground injection wells, including the LCCs and MVWDWs at issue in the Complaint, pose a risk to the public because they can contaminate underground drinking water sources and the public water systems that use those sources.
Consent Judgment
All of the Prohibited LCCs and MVWDWs are above the Nassau/Suffolk County Sole Source Aquifer, an already stressed sole source aquifer that supplies drinking water to the entire population of Suffolk County and most of the population of Long Island. Because discharges from LCCs and MVWDWs have the potential to discharge to groundwater, through which contamination may migrate, such discharges impact all communities receiving drinking water from the Sole Source Aquifier, including communities that have been historically exposed to disproportionate environmental burdens.
Under the Consent Judgment, Defendants will close all the Prohibited LCCs and MVWDWs, convert them to lawful uses and prevent further contamination. LCCs associated with most buildings will be converted to Innovative Alternative Solutions (IASs), with significant environmental benefits, particularly in the area of nitrogen reduction to nutrient compromised waters and protection of groundwater on Long Island. IASs significantly decrease nitrogen discharges from wastewater. The estimated cost of these measures and the closing of all Prohibited LCCs and MVWDWs is $7,020,000. Defendants have already implemented certain measures to achieve compliance with the SDWA, including closing one of the Prohibited MVWDWs. The remainder of the MVWDWs will be closed within 30 days of entry of the Consent Judgment. The LCCs will be closed and converted in a phased schedule. The Consent Judgment also requires Defendants to pay a $200,000 civil penalty.
The proposed settlement which is subject to a 30-day public comment period is available here: https://justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
Assistant United States Attorney Deborah B. Zwany is in charge of the litigation, with assistance from Phyllis Kaplan Feinmark and Lauren Fischer, Regional Counsel's Office, EPA Region 2; Doughlas McKenna, Chief of the Water Compliance Branch, EPA Region 2; Nicole Foley Kraft, Chief of the Ground Water Compliance Section, EPA Region 2; and Lisa Kim Pelcyger, Environmental Engineer, Water Compliance Branch, EPA.
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CV-4369
consent_decree_and_judgment.6.14.2023.pdf complaint.6.14.2023.ecf_filed.pdfSt. Charles County Man Admits Child Pornography Charge, Hiding Camera in BathroomRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Charles County, Missouri admitted hiding a camera in a bathroom that captured images and videos of girls.
Dennis J. Naumann, 55, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Court Judge Matthew T. Schelp to one count each of attempted production of child pornography and one count of receiving child pornography.
Naumann admitted uploading at least 50 videos containing child sexual abuse material to Dropbox. He also admitted possessing videos and still images of underage girls that he had produced by hiding a video camera in a bathroom. Naumann shared images or videos he produced with the camera with two others, his plea agreement says.At his sentencing, Naumann faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison for the attempted production charge and at least five years in prison for the receipt charge.
The case was investigated by the St. Charles County Cybercrime Task Force, the St. Charles County Police Department and the FBI. Assistant United States 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.
Springfield Man Sentenced to 180 months in Prison for Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Springfield, Illinois, man, Vonta Commer, 37, of the 200 block of David Street was sentenced on June 13, 2023, to 180 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release.
At the sentencing hearing in front of U.S. District Judge Colleen Lawless, the government presented evidence that Commer, a street gang member, possessed over five pounds of methamphetamine on March 1, 2022, and had been selling similar quantities for several months. Commer has an extensive criminal history, including armed robbery, battery, and drug distribution convictions. The government’s evidence also established that Commer resumed drug dealing while on mandatory supervised release following a 2013 state conviction for drug distribution for which he had received a ten-year sentence to the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Commer pleaded guilty on January 6, 2023, to one count of possession of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it. He has been detained by the United States Marshal since his arrest in March 2022.
The statutory penalties for possession of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute are at least ten years and up to life imprisonment, a minimum five-year term of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10,000,000.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains dedicated to keeping the community safe – which includes stemming the tide of drugs distributed on our streets by individuals such as Mr. Commer,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Seberger. “We thank our local and federal law enforcement partners for their work on this case.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Illinois State Police Central Illinois Enforcement Group, and the Springfield Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Seberger represented the government in the prosecution.
South Portland Man Charged for Threatening Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: United States Attorney Darcie N. McElwee today announced that Nathaniel Curtisbrown, 28, of South Portland was charged by criminal complaint with intimidating or retaliating against a federal official by threat.
According to the criminal complaint, earlier this month, Curtisbrown sent multiple threatening emails to an FBI agent with the intent to retaliate against the agent for the performance of his official duties.
A charge in a criminal complaint is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Smith County Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Methamphetamine Laced with FentanylRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas – A Tyler man has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today.
Devonte Ladarius Davis, 29, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute and distribution of fentanyl near a school or college and was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker.
According to information presented in court, on August 18, 2021, Davis sold approximately 102 pills to a person working with law enforcement. The pills were found to contain approximately 55 grams of fentanyl. This distribution occurred at a Tyler location within 1,000 feet of a public junior college.
In all, Davis was responsible for the possession and intent to distribute 109 grams of pills containing fentanyl and 98 grams of methamphetamine. Davis was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 24, 2022 and charged with drug trafficking violations.
This case was investigated by the FBI, the Tyler Police Department and the Smith County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Jackson.
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Six Charged with Trafficking in Stolen Human RemainsRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Cedric Lodge, age 55, of Goffstown, New Hampshire, Katrina Maclean, age 44, of Salem, Massachusetts, Joshua Taylor, age 46, of West Lawn, Pennsylvania, Denise Lodge, age 63, of Goffstown, New Hampshire, and Mathew Lampi, age 52, of East Bethel, Minnesota, were indicted by a federal grand jury on conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen goods charges. Additionally, Jeremy Pauley, age 41, of Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, was charged by Criminal Information, and Candace Chapman Scott, of Little Rock, Arkansas, was previously indicted in the Eastern District of Arkansas.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictments and information allege that a nationwide network of individuals bought and sold human remains stolen from Harvard Medical School and an Arkansas mortuary. The charges allege that from 2018 through 2022, Cedric Lodge, who managed the morgue for the Anatomical Gifts Program at Harvard Medical School, located in Boston, Massachusetts, stole organs and other parts of cadavers donated for medical research and education before their scheduled cremations. Lodge at times transported stolen remains from Boston to his residence in Goffstown, New Hampshire, where he and his wife, Denise Lodge, sold the remains to Katrina Maclean, Joshua Taylor, and others, making arrangements via cellular telephone and social media websites. At times, Cedric Lodge allowed Maclean and Taylor to enter the morgue at Harvard Medical School and examine cadavers to choose what to purchase. On some occasions, Taylor transported stolen remains back to Pennsylvania. On other occasions, the Lodges shipped stolen remains to Taylor and others out of state.
Maclean and Taylor resold the stolen remains for profit, including to Jeremy Pauley in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Jeremy Pauley also purchased stolen human remains from Candace Chapman Scott, who stole remains from her employer, a Little Rock, Arkansas mortuary and crematorium. Scott stole parts of cadavers she was supposed to have cremated, many of which had been donated to and used for research and educational purposes by an area medical school, as well as the corpses of two stillborn babies who were supposed to be cremated and returned as cremains to their families. Scott sold the stolen remains to Pauley and shipped them to Pauley in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Pauley sold many of the stolen remains he purchased to other individuals, including Matthew Lampi. Lampi and Pauley bought and sold from each other over an extended period of time and exchanged over $100,000 in online payments.
“Some crimes defy understanding,” said United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam. “The theft and trafficking of human remains strikes at the very essence of what makes us human. It is particularly egregious that so many of the victims here volunteered to allow their remains to be used to educate medical professionals and advance the interests of science and healing. For them and their families to be taken advantage of in the name of profit is appalling. With these charges, we are seeking to secure some measure of justice for all these victims.
I’d like to thank Harvard Medical School, which is also a victim here, for their cooperation in this investigation. Additionally, this prosecution would not be possible without the close cooperation and hard work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the United States Attorney’s Offices in multiple districts, including the Eastern District of Arkansas. From the beginning, this has been a multi-jurisdictional investigation, and our two offices have worked side by side to bring justice for these victims.”
"The defendants violated the trust of the deceased and their families all in the name of greed," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Jacqueline Maguire. "While today's charges cannot undo the unfathomable pain this heinous crime has caused, the FBI will continue to work tirelessly to see that justice is served."
“Today, the United States Attorney has announced charges against several individuals who used the United States mail to ship stolen human remains,” said Christopher Nielsen, the Inspector in Charge of the Philadelphia Division of the Postal Inspection Service. “Robbing families of the remains of their loved ones is an unconscionable act and confounds our collective sense of decency. Using the United States mail to facilitate the theft and shipment of human remains is a federal crime and the Postal Inspection Service will do everything in its power to stop it. I want to thank our law enforcement partners and the United States Attorney for working with the Postal Inspection Service to stop this group, and I hope our efforts bring a small amount of relief to the victimized families.”
The United States Attorney’s Office has and will continue to attempt to identify and contact as many of the victims and victims’ families affected by this case as possible. If anyone believes they or a family member may have been affected by the conduct charged in these indictments and information, please contact our Victim and Witness Unit at [email protected] or (717) 614-4249.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the East Pennsboro Township Police Department, and the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean A. Camoni is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 15 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Sioux City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Meth ConvictionRead the Press Release
Aurelio Solorio, age 37, from Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced on June 13, 2023, to over 11 years’ imprisonment, in federal court in Sioux City, Iowa.
Solorio pled guilty July 22, 2022, to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Solorio was previously convicted of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance in the United States District Court for South Dakota in 2011.
At the hearings, evidence showed that on May 24, 2021, Solorio was stopped for suspected driving while intoxicated. A search of Solorio’s vehicle revealed 90 grams of pure methamphetamine. Separately, on July 6, 2021, during an investigation for drug activity, a search warrant was executed on a home where defendant was present. A search uncovered over 2 pounds of methamphetamine and multiple guns. Additionally, as part of the investigation, law enforcement seized a .380 handgun from Solorio’s storage shed. He was under federal supervised release at the time he committed these offenses.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Solorio was sentenced to 134 months’ imprisonment and must serve a seven-year term of supervised release. This sentence is to run consecutive to a 46 month term of imprisonment for other violations of his federal supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Solorio remains in custody of the United States Marshals Service until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-4001. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.