Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
14 June 2023
Greensboro, N.C. Clinic Owner Pleads Guilty to $4.7 Million Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Aljihad Shabazz, 44, of Kernersville, N.C., appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan C. Rodriquez today and pleaded guilty to health care fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy for his role in a scheme that defrauded the North Carolina Medicaid Program (Medicaid) of more than $4.7 million, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, Donald “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, Charlotte Field Office (IRS-CI), and North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, who oversees the North Carolina Medicaid Division (MID), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to court records, filed plea documents, and today’s hearing, Shabazz was the owner and operator of Reign & Inspirations, LLC (R&I), a clinic that provided outpatient behavioral services in Greensboro and surrounding areas. Between 2017 and 2020, Shabazz conspired with other individuals to carry out an extensive health care fraud scheme involving the fraudulent submissions of fake reimbursement claims to Medicaid, for services that were never provided to Medicaid beneficiaries. As Shabazz admitted in court today, he obtained the personal identifying information (PII) of Medicaid beneficiaries through community outreach programs, including football and mentoring programs, and misused the beneficiaries’ PII to create and submit hundreds of fraudulent reimbursement claims and to receive payment for services that were never in fact provided by R&I. Over the course of the scheme, Shabazz used the beneficiaries’ PII to submit more than 1,500 fraudulent reimbursement claims to Medicaid, some of which claimed that R&I provided services that exceeded 24 hours in a single day.
Court records show that the reimbursement payments made by Medicaid were deposited in bank accounts under Shabazz’s control. Shabazz used a portion of the fraudulent proceeds to pay kickbacks to his co-conspirators and to cover personal expenses, including to pay for personal travel, luxury items, and timeshares, and to make cash withdrawals.
Shabazz was released on bond following his plea hearing. The health care fraud conspiracy charge carries a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, and the money laundering conspiracy charge up to 20 years in prison. A sentencing date for Shabazz has not been set.
In making today's announcement, U.S. Attorney King credited the FBI in Charlotte, IRS-CI, and NCDOJ’s Medicaid Investigations Division for the investigation that led to today’s guilty plea
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cassye Cole and Mike Savage and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jermaine Sellers with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the case.
Great Falls man admits lying about income to receive MedicaidRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS —A Great Falls man accused of lying about his income to receive Medicaid while he had cancer admitted to fraud charges today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Dustin Tempel, 38, was arraigned on and pleaded guilty to an information charging him with health care fraud. Tempel faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Nov. 9. Dustin Tempel was released pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that investigators uncovered false IRS form 1099s for Dustin Tempel while investigating his mother, Lynn Tempel, who was the finance manager for William Tempel Construction and was sentenced for fraudulently inflating construction costs when building a home for a victim in Great Falls. Investigators determined from a review of bank records that Dustin Tempel received money approximately every two weeks from Lynn Tempel, and that $286,969 of income to Dustin Tempel was underreported during a five-year period.
The government further alleged that in November 2016, Kelly Tempel, Dustin Tempel’s wife, applied for Medicaid, which is a health care benefit. When applying, the Tempels underrepresented their income, claiming they made only $1,692 per month, which was false. If the Tempels had reported their actual income, Dustin Tempel would not have qualified for Medicaid. Investigators further determined that the Tempels had applied for a bank loan for a 2019 Ford F350 in the amount of $63,589 and claimed they made $8,000 in gross monthly income. As a result, from November 2017 to September 2020, Dustin Tempel received $75,493 from Medicaid that he was not entitled to receive.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan G. Weldon is prosecuting the case. The FBI conducted the investigation.
XXX
Gary Man Sentenced to 92 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Michael A. Davis, 34 years old, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Davis was sentenced to 92 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in February 2022, law enforcement responded to a 911 call and upon arrival, located Davis. A firearm with an obliterated serial number was also recovered which Davis possessed. Davis’ criminal history revealed he has prior felony convictions for armed robbery and unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon and was prohibited from possessing the firearm.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Gary Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin F. Wolff and Patrick D. Grindlay.
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.
Former Long Beach First Responder Sentenced to More Than 29 Years in Prison for Drug and Gun Crimes, Including Selling Fentanyl that Resulted in Coworker’s Fatal OverdoseRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former first responder who worked at a Long Beach hospital was sentenced today to 352 months in federal prison for selling fentanyl to two of his co-workers who thought they were buying cocaine, one of whom later died of an overdose after ingesting the powerful opioid.
Cruz Noel Quintero, 43, of Long Beach, was sentenced by United States District Judge Christina A. Snyder, who scheduled a September 6 restitution hearing in this case.
At the conclusion of a six-day trial in September 2022, a jury found Quintero guilty of one count of distributing fentanyl resulting in death, one count of possessing machine guns, two counts of possessing unregistered firearms, one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
According to evidence presented at trial, beginning no later than February 2018, Quintero – who was employed as an emergency medical technician at a Long Beach hospital – shipped cocaine, methamphetamine, and other drugs across the country, and he distributed them locally out of a Long Beach residence.
In May 2019, in the parking lot outside the hospital’s emergency room, Quintero sold a white powder he claimed was cocaine for $100 to a hospital coworker who was planning to go on a weekend trip to Las Vegas with her partner, a former nurse at the Long Beach hospital and volunteer firefighter. The following morning, the couple sampled the white powder – not knowing that it in fact was fentanyl – and both of them passed out. One of the victims – identified in court documents as “S.F.” – later was pronounced dead.
Two toxicologists testified that the only drug they found in S.F.’s blood was fentanyl, and two doctors – a medical examiner and a medical toxicologist – testified that the victim died because of fentanyl toxicity.
After learning that Quintero sold the fatal dose, law enforcement searched two residences in Long Beach and discovered Quintero’s illicit drug-trafficking operation. Across both residences, they found 13 firearms that included two machine guns, two short-barreled assault rifles, and nine other guns, some of which were loaded. One of the residences, which Quintero used as his base of operations, was littered with drug-trafficking paraphernalia, including over ten pounds of cutting agents used to dilute the quality of the drugs he sold and a hydraulic press used to manufacture kilogram bricks of cocaine.
According to trial testimony, Quintero also shipped kilogram-quantities of cocaine and pound-quantities of methamphetamine to drug traffickers in Minnesota, which prompted frequent complaints about the poor quality of his product.
Quintero has been in custody since his arrest shortly after the fatal overdose in May 2019.
“Quintero operated a reckless and callous drug trafficking business that repeatedly endangered people’s lives and ultimately killed [the victim],” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “For at least a year, [Quintero] shipped kilos of cocaine and pounds of methamphetamine out of state, and sold poor-quality, adulterated drugs to unsuspecting buyers, all while guarding his drug-distribution outpost in Long Beach with machine guns and short-barreled rifles.”
Judge Snyder sentenced Quintero to 292 months in prison for the fentanyl death count, 120 months in prison for the firearms counts, 240 months in federal prison for the maintaining a drug premises count – all of which are to run concurrent to each other. Finally, she sentenced Quintero to 60 months in prison for possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, a term which will run consecutive to the other counts.
Homeland Security Investigations; the Drug Enforcement Administration in Los Angeles and Minneapolis; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Long Beach Police Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Suria M. Bahadue of the Criminal Appeals Section and David C. Lachman of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section prosecuted this case.
Former Executive Director Sentenced to Prison for Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – Alfonzo Bailey, 40, of Euclid, Ohio, was sentenced today to 36 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker, after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud. Bailey was also sentenced to 3 years of supervised release, a $100 special assessment, and restitution of $3,465,643.33.
According to court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, Bailey founded Eye for Change Youth and Family Services in 2016 and provided a wide range of services to clients such as mental health counseling, case management, job training, and supportive housing. Beginning in 2017, Bailey and his defendants conspired together to execute a scheme to defraud The Ohio Department of Medicaid by obtaining payments on false claims. To execute the scheme, Bailey encouraged his staff to create false progress notes for counseling services not actually rendered to patients in order to bill the Ohio Department of Medicaid. Search warrants were executed at Eye for Change Youth and Family Services in 2020 which led to the indictments of 21 defendants including Bailey.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cleveland, the Department of Health and Human Services - Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and the Ohio Attorney General’s Healthcare Fraud Section. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Collyer and Edward Brydle as well as Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Metzler.
Former Colstrip police officer sentenced eight years in prison for receiving child pornographyRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A former Colstrip Police Department officer who admitted to directing a minor girl to send him sexually explicit pictures and videos of herself was sentenced today to eight years in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Hossein Cristiano Luigi Borhan, 49, of Billings, pleaded guilty in February to an information charging him with receipt of child pornography.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The court also ordered $4,237 restitution.
“By using his position as a law enforcement officer, Borhan violated the public’s trust and used a minor girl for his own sexual gratification. Our office has no greater responsibility than to protect our children from sexual exploitation and we will do whatever it takes to hold accountable those who seek to harm them. Today, we did just that,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.
The government alleged in court documents that between August 2021 and April 2022, while serving as a Colstrip police officer, Borhan was engaged in an online messaging relationship with a minor girl, identified as Jane Doe. Borhan used his position as a police officer to gain the trust and friendship of the girl and carried on a secret relationship with her for almost a year under the guise of being her mentor, counselor and therapist. The conversation became sexual in nature, and Jane Doe complied with Borhan’s instructions to send him pictures and videos of herself engaging in sexually explicit conduct. In an interview with law enforcement, Borhan admitted to sending Jane Doe approximately 20 sexual pictures and videos of himself and estimated receiving hundreds of sexual images and videos from her.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin D. Hargrove prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, Rosebud County Sheriff’s Office and Colstrip Police Department.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
XXX
Former Bosnian Prison Camp Supervisor Indicted in Scheme to Conceal His Acts of Wartime PersecutionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Swampscott man was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston today for his alleged fraudulent claims of persecution to become a United States refugee and, later, a United States citizen.
Kemal Mrndzic, 51, was charged with using a fraudulently obtained U.S. passport; possessing and using a fraudulently obtained naturalization certificate and fraudulently obtained Social Security card; making a false statement to federal law enforcement officers; and engaging in a scheme to conceal his involvement in persecution during the Bosnian War. Mrndzic was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint on May 17, 2023. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the charging documents, Mrndzic served as a supervisor of the guards at a notorious prison camp in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the sectarian war which fractured the country in the 1990s. The United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) found that guards at the Celebici prison camp had committed numerous murders, rapes, and had engaged in torture and other forms of persecution of Serb prisoners held at the camp. Three of Mrndzic’s fellow guards were convicted by the ICTY after a trial in the Hague at which survivors testified to the harrowing prison camp conditions. According to the documents filed in this matter, numerous survivors have since identified Mrndzic as being involved in the beatings and other abuses committed there.
According to the charging documents, after the war ended, investigators from the ICTY interviewed Mrndzic in Sarajevo and allegedly accused him of being involved in the abuses at Celebici. Mrndzic subsequently concocted a scheme to flee the country by crossing the border into Croatia and allegedly applying as a refugee to the United States using a fabricated story. It is alleged that in his refugee application and interview, he falsely claimed that he fled his home after he was captured, interrogated and abused by Serb forces, and could not return home for fear of future persecution. He was admitted to the U.S. as a refugee in 1999, and ultimately became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2009.
“This prosecution demonstrates that the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners will spare no effort in detecting and prosecuting those who engage in wartime persecution and then cross our borders to conceal their history. Emigrating to the United States is a privilege and if you conceal your criminal conduct to deceive your way into this country, you will ultimately be detected,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy
“Mrndzic is alleged to have lied about his past as a supervisor of camp guards at a Bosnian prison camp known to be the site of violence and persecution, concealing these facts to flee to the United States and begin a new life,” said Michael Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “Our special agents spend years investigating cases of alleged human rights violators and war criminals, interviewing survivors and working alongside historians, in an effort to uncover the true history of perpetrators and hold them accountable for their actions.”
Celebici Camp survivors and family members who have information about the operation of the Camp, or have questions regarding this matter, should call the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 888-221-6023 or send an email to: [email protected]. Please indicate if you would prefer to be contacted in English or Serbo-Croatian.
Bivši logoraši koji su bili u logoru u Čelebićima ili članovi njihovih porodica koji imaju informacije o logoru ili pitanje o ovom predmetu, mogu nazvati Jedinice za pomoć žrtаva kod kancelarije federalnog tužioca tel. 888-221-6023 ili putem e-mailom: [email protected]. Molim obavjestite nas ako želite da mi vas kontaktiramo na engleskom ili na srpskom-hrvatskom-bosanskom jeziku.
Бивши логораши који су били у логору Челебићима или чланови њихових породица који имају информације о логору или питање о овом предмету, могу назвати Јединице за помоћ жртава код канцеларије федералног тужиоца тел. 888-221-6023 или путем е-маилом: [email protected]. Молим обавјестите нас ако желите да ми вас контактирамо на енгелеском или на српском-хрватском босанском језику.
The charges of using a fraudulently obtained passport and fraudulently obtained naturalization certificate each provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The three remaining charges each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The ICTY judgment which provides a detailed recitation of crimes committed at Celebici can be found here.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy; HSI Acting SAC Krol; Sharon B. MacDermott, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Boston Field Office; and Jonathan Davidson, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. This matter was investigated with the assistance of the United States Interagency Human Rights Violators & War Crimes Center. The Swampscott Police Department also provided important assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. McNeil and Jason A. Casey of Levy’s National Security Unit 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.
Fentanyl Dealer Linked to Fatal Teenage Overdose SentencedRead the Press Release
A fentanyl dealer tied to the death of a 16-year-old boy was sentenced this week to 12 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Eric Aden Herrera, 20, pleaded guilty in September 2022 to distribution of controlled substances to a person under 21. He was sentenced Tuesday by Senior U.S. District Judge Terry R. Means.
“Fentanyl, which is often hidden inside more innocuous-looking counterfeit pills, can snuff out a life in an instant,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “This defendant claimed he was too afraid to try these pills himself, yet he was willing to sell them to an unsuspecting teenager. We must ensure our teens understand that drug dealers will resort to unscrupulous behavior in order to make a buck, and that unless prescribed by a doctor, no pill is safe. The Justice Department will not rest until fentanyl is no longer being sold on our streets.”
“Dealing and purchasing pills on the streets, regardless of what they ‘might’ look like, must stop,” said Eduardo A. Chávez, Special Agent in Charge of DEA Fort Worth. “Illicit fentanyl has made its way into every one of our neighborhoods and you cannot take a chance. The consequences are real. While we cannot heal the damage already done to the victim’s family, we can continue to hold those like Mr. Herrera, and all others, accountable for the devastation selling drugs cause.”
According to plea papers, Mr. Herrera admitted he knowingly distributed counterfeit Percocet pills laced with fentanyl to a victim identified in the complaint as L.W.
He arranged the sale via Snapchat and then met the victim outside his girlfriend’s house to make the exchange.
Shortly after purchasing the pills, L.W. ingested two of them and fatally overdosed. His friend found him unresponsive in bed and called 911. An autopsy revealed L.W. died of acute fentanyl toxicity.
In an interview with law enforcement, Mr. Herrera admitted he sold pills to L.W.
He said that after he got the pills from his dealer, he considered breaking one in half to try it with his girlfriend, but decided not to because he didn’t know about how they were made and was too scared to take them himself.
A review of Mr. Herrera’s Snapchat history confirmed that he offered to sell L.W. Percocet and directed him to Mr. Herrera’s girlfriend’s street.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division and the Fort Worth Police Department conducted the investigation with assistance from the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Montes prosecuted the case.
Note: Illicitly produced, fentanyl-laced pills often look similar to legitimate prescription pills like Oxycontin or Percocet, but can pose significantly more danger. On the street, these pills are often referred to as “M30s” (a reference to the markings on some of the pills), “blues,” “perks,” “yerks,” “china girls,” or “TNT.” DEA research shows that six out of ten pills laced with fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose. One pill can kill. For resources, visit https://www.dea.gov/onepill.
Federal Jury Convicts North Carolina Man of Transporting Cocaine through LouisianaRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that a federal jury returned a guilty verdict yesterday afternoon convicting Howard Davis, 45, of Raleigh, North Carolina, of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote presided over the two-day jury trial.
Testimony at trial showed that on August 2, 2022, Davis was stopped by a Louisiana State Trooper on Interstate 20 near Minden, Louisiana, for a traffic violation. During the traffic stop, the trooper became suspicious of the story that Davis gave him as to why he was traveling through the area. The trooper was able to receive information from law enforcement indicating that the vehicle Davis was driving had been seen in North Carolina during the early morning hours the day before the traffic stop and was seen later that same evening in Dallas, Texas. The information Davis provided to the trooper led him to believe that he was not being truthful. A Louisiana State Trooper K-9 was called in and conducted an open-air sniff of Davis’ vehicle and alerted to the presence of narcotics. While conducting a search of the vehicle, troopers found inside the trunk a tote bag containing approximately 4.5 kilograms of suspected cocaine wrapped in black electrical tape. The cocaine had an estimated street value of over $110,000. The narcotics were seized and sent to the DEA Laboratory for testing, and it was confirmed to be cocaine.
Davis faces a sentence of up to 40 years in prison, and a fine of up to $1,000,000. His sentencing has been scheduled for October 11, 2023, at 9:00 a.m.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Louisiana State Police and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Cassidy and Alexander C. Van Hook, Special Counsel to the U.S. Attorney.
# # #
Federal Jury Convicts for Unlawful Reentry of Removed AlienRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced today that Jesus Herrera-Salazar, age 41, of Rio Verde, Mexico was found guilty by a federal jury of one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien.
The jury trial began and concluded on June 13, 2023, with the guilty verdict.
During the trial, the United States presented evidence that Herrera-Salazar was an alien found in the Eastern District of Oklahoma after having been previously deported or removed from the United States. Herrera-Salazar had not received the consent of the proper legal authority to reapply for admission to the United States.
The guilty verdict was the result of investigations by the Heavener Police Department and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division of the Department of Homeland Security.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the trial in Muskogee and ordered the completion of a presentence report. The sentencing will be scheduled following completion of the report. The defendant will remain in custody of the United States Marshal until sentencing.
FACT SHEET: Update on Justice Department ’s Ongoing Efforts to Tackle Gun ViolenceRead the Press Release
On June 14, 2023, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco convened a meeting with the Criminal Division, FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration (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. These efforts include implementing the landmark Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) passed by Congress and signed by the President last June; addressing the proliferation of untraceable and unlawful “ghost guns” that threaten public safety; surging resources to federal, state, local, and Tribal law-enforcement partners on the front lines; and adopting other common-sense reforms that keep guns out of the wrong hands.
Focusing U.S. Attorney Resources on Gun Crimes: Today during the meeting, the Attorney General reiterated his February 2022 direction to U.S Attorneys’ Offices to prioritize combating gun violence. Among other actions, the Attorney General directed U.S. Attorneys to increase prosecutorial resources devoted to cracking down on illegal firearm trafficking pipelines, to hold accountable those who possess unlawful “ghost guns,” and to pursue investigations against unlawful gun dealing.
Expanding Background Checks: BSCA expanded background checks to include juvenile criminal and mental health records and local law enforcement contacts for prospective purchasers under the age of 21. Since the law’s enactment, the FBI has conducted more than 100,000 enhanced background checks for purchasers under the age of 21. Those checks have kept nearly 1,000 firearms out of the hands of dangerous and prohibited persons – including over 200 attempted transactions that were denied solely because of the changes made by BSCA. The FBI continues to engage in extensive education and outreach efforts to improve the state and local partnerships necessary to the success of these enhanced background checks, including by hosting webinars attended by over 500 law enforcement agencies.
Narrowing the Boyfriend Loophole: BSCA also narrowed the so-called “boyfriend loophole” by expanding restrictions on firearm purchases by those convicted of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence to include those convicted of assault in a “dating relationship.” In August 2022, the FBI implemented the new “dating relationship” definition into its background-check system, and in October, the Department trained federal prosecutors and law enforcement agents on the expanded restriction. The Department is also continuously engaging in efforts to educate state and local law enforcement, prosecutors, and court personnel on the need to document “dating relationship” factors in police reports and court records.
Fighting Illegal Trafficking in Firearms: BSCA created new criminal offenses for unlawfully trafficking in firearms and for straw-purchasing a firearm on behalf of a prohibited person, and it expanded the definition of “engaging in the business” of dealing in firearms. In the months since BSCA’s enactment, the Department held multiple trainings for federal prosecutors and law enforcement agents on these new provisions. That upfront investment is paying dividends in the courtroom: U.S. Attorneys’ Offices around the country have already charged more than 100 defendants with the new BSCA offenses of firearms-trafficking and straw-purchasing, and prosecutions for engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license have increased 52% over their FY2021 level.
Funding Evidence-Based Interventions: BSCA authorized a total of $1.4 billion in funding for new and existing violence-prevention and -intervention programs between 2022 and 2026. The Department has awarded more than $231 million in Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program grants that will fund state crisis intervention programs, such as drug, mental health, and veterans’ treatment programs and extreme risk protection orders that will keep guns out of the hands of those who pose a threat to themselves or others. State programs funded by the grants so far include:
- Education, training, and public-awareness campaigns on extreme risk protection order (“red flag”) laws;
- School resource officer training programs related to gun violence and youth mental health; and
- Drug, mental health, and veterans treatment courts and behavioral health responses such as crisis mobile response teams and stabilization facilities.
The Department has also announced the allocation of
- $40 million in supplemental STOP School Violence grants;
- $20 million in supplemental COPS School Violence Prevention Program grants; and
- $100 million in supplemental Community Violence Intervention Grants, which will go toward developing and expanding the infrastructure needed to strengthen neighborhood and community safety.
Cracking down on ghost guns: Privately made firearms (PMF) – more commonly known as “ghost guns” – are especially attractive to dangerous and prohibited persons because of their untraceable nature. In 2022, the Department recovered 25,785 ghost guns in domestic seizures, as well as 2,453 through international operations. So far in 2023, the Department has recovered more than 10,000 PMFs domestically and 1,000 internationally. These recoveries come on the heels of newly announced Department regulations that modernize firearm definitions to curb the proliferation of ghost guns.
Enhancing Firearm and Ballistics Tracing Efforts: The Department continues to expand the availability and effectiveness of federal investigative resources to help state, local, and Tribal partners solve crimes and bring perpetrators to justice. Last year, the National Tracing Center operated by the ATF conducted 622,735 traces for firearms associated with crimes, representing a 10% increase over 2021 and a 48% increase over 2017. As of June 2023, the National Tracing Center has conducted 299,319 traces and is forecasting a total of over 675,000 traces by the end of this year. Nearly 10,000 law enforcement agencies have now been granted access to eTrace, the online system that allows participating agencies to submit firearm traces to ATF. And since June 2022, the ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) has generated approximately 200,000 leads for law enforcement partners across the country.
Holding Gun Dealers Who Violate the Law Accountable: The Department has adopted an enhanced enforcement policy for federally licensed firearms dealers who willfully violate the law – for example, by refusing to run required background checks or selling guns with full awareness that they will end up in the hands of prohibited persons. Earlier this year, the ATF published information on over 90 federal firearms license revocations.
Easton Man Sentenced to over Three Years in Prison for Cocaine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Easton man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for conspiring to distribute cocaine in Massachusetts and Maine as part of a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy.
Christopher Riley, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to 42 months and five years of supervised release. On March 22, 2023, Riley pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute cocaine.
Riley was charged in November 2021 along with 12 others in connection with a large drug conspiracy centering around the Gangster Disciples gang in Lawrence, Haverhill and Methuen. The investigation, which began in August 2020, intercepted communications between Gangster Disciples’ leaders, members and drug suppliers pertaining to their alleged distribution of fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine and Suboxone in Massachusetts, Maine and southern New Hampshire as well as into the Essex County Jail. The investigation intercepted phone calls between Riley and other gang members, who conspired distribute cocaine in Massachusetts and Maine.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and John E. Mawn, Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Cheng of Levy’s Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case is also a part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
East Windsor Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Recording His Sexual Abuse of MinorRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MARK ROMAN, 54, of East Windsor, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 400 months of imprisonment*, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release, for recording his repeated sexual abuse of a minor.
According to court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement began investigating Roman after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a report that Roman’s email account was transmitting images of child sexual abuse. Investigators determined that Roman’s email account also contained voyeuristic images and videos of naked children that appeared to be homemade.
On November 2, 2021, the Connecticut State Police and East Windsor Police Department executed a state search warrant at Roman’s residence and seized Roman’s iPhone, laptop, and computer storage devices. Analysis of the seized revealed more than 1,000 images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including images and videos of Roman sexually abusing a girl who was between the ages of six and eight. The seized images also included numerous voyeuristic videos that Roman secretly took of the minor victim, another minor female who was between the ages of two and four, and adult victims.
Roman has been detained since his arrest on November 29, 2021. On January 11, 2023, he pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography.
This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Connecticut State Police, with the assistance of the East Windsor Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy V. Gifford.
U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the Hartford State’s Attorney’s Office for its cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this case.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
*On June 29, 2023, Judge Bryant issued an amended judgment correcting Roman's sentence to 360 months of imprisonment.
Drug Kingpin Sentenced to More than 24 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Drug Kingpin Sentenced to More than 24 Years in Prison
DETROIT – The leader of a 13-member conspiracy to distribute cocaine, opioid pills, and other drugs was sentenced to 24 years and 4 months in federal prison today, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Ison was joined in the announcement by James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division.
Ray Guerrero, age 50, of Waterford, Michigan, was sentenced by United States District Judge Bernard A. Friedman. Evidence at Guerrero’s October 2022 jury trial showed that he supplied drugs to family members, friends, and others for sale, mostly in Oakland County, from 2009 through April 2017. He owned a house on Virginia Street in Pontiac, and he supplied drugs to relatives at that house for frequent sales, turning the Virginia Street house into a “trap” or drug house. Guerrero also provided drugs for sale at other Oakland County residences and properties. He used minors as well as adults to sell drugs, and the organization he led sold drugs at and near a school in Oakland County.
Twelve other defendants in the case had previously pleaded guilty; only Guerrero proceeded to trial. The jury found him guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances (cocaine, pills, including Norcos and Valium, and other drugs) and being a felon in possession of firearms.
"Today’s sentence highlights the impact that collaboration among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies has on our communities when it comes to combatting drug trafficking,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison. “Drug dealers who use minors to help them distribute poison in our communities should know that we are committed to stopping them and ensuring that they face serious consequences.”
“Everyone deserves to live in a safe environment, free from illicit narcotics and the violence that goes hand in hand with these criminal activities,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “This large-scale investigation conducted by the FBI’s Oakland County Violent Crimes and Gangs Task Force is a great example of how law enforcement agencies at every level can work together to positively impact a community
flooded with dangerous drugs. Mr. Guerrero’s sentence should serve as deterrent to anyone who thinks they can traffic drugs in Southeast Michigan without consequence.”
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF
The FBI’s Oakland County Violent Crime Task Force was the investigating agency. The Task Force includes FBI agents and other law enforcement partners such as Deputies of the Oakland County Sheriff, Madison Heights Police Department, Southfield Police Department, Bloomfield Township Police Department, Michigan State Police, Novi Police, Ferndale Police and officials from the Michigan Department of Corrections. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dave Portelli.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Assault with Intent to Kill While Armed and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking CrimeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Terreance Robinson, 25, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty, yesterday, to assault with intent to kill while armed in connection with a retaliatory shooting, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the Washington Field Office, and Interim Chief Ashan Benedict, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
According to the Government’s evidence, on October 20, 2022, around 6:08 p.m., surveillance captured the defendant in the Clay Terrace neighborhood with his juvenile co-conspirators. While there, the defendant pulled two firearms out of his waistband before providing one to a juvenile co-conspirator. At approximately 6:42 p.m., the defendant and his three juvenile co-conspirators drove a carjacked vehicle (“Suspect Vehicle”) from the Clay Terrace neighborhood to the 500 block of 51st Street Northeast, Washington, D.C. in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood. The defendant and his co-conspirators targeted a group of people who were gathered by the 500 block of 51st Street NE.
While driving by the group, the defendant and his co-conspirators fired their firearms at the group, prompting everyone in the group to flee. During the shooting, the Suspect Vehicle that defendant and his co-conspirators occupied collided into a parked vehicle on the road by 519 51st Street NE. The defendant and his co-conspirators swiftly exited the vehicle and fled the scene as the defendant continued to shoot his firearm at the retreating group. At least one individual in the targeted group was shot multiple times and was hospitalized for his injuries. While fleeing the scene, the defendant and his co-conspirators ran through Marvin Gaye Park and back to the Clay Terrace neighborhood in Washington, D.C. The investigation revealed that the shooting was retaliatory in nature.
Less than a month later, on November 16, 2022, federal and local law enforcement executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence. At the commencement of the search, the defendant ran upstairs and tossed out of a window a Glock 17, 9mm firearm. Police arrested the defendant and found, on his person, distribution-quantities of fentanyl and cocaine base that were packaged for sale. Ballistics analysis linked the Glock 17, 9mm firearm recovered from the defendant’s residence on November 16, 2022, to the October 20, 2022 shooting in Lincoln Heights. At the time of defendant’s conduct on October 20 and November 16, the defendant was on supervision in a case for which he had previously plead guilty for unlawful possession of a firearm.
On June 13, 2023, the defendant pleaded guilty, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. U.S. District Court Judge Jia M. Cobb scheduled a sentencing hearing for September 14, 2023, at which time the defendant faces a sentence of 15 years in prison.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Interim Chief Benedict commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force in Washington, D.C., and MPD’s Violent Crime Suppression Division. They also acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sitara Witanachchi and Will Hart, of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses section, who are prosecuting the case.
Davenport Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Unlawful Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, IA – A Davenport man was sentenced yesterday to seven years in federal prison for being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, and evidence presented at sentencing, Donnell Hargrove, 54, was stopped by law enforcement on the evening of August 21, 2022 for a traffic violation. Officers detected the smell of marijuana coming from the vehicle. Hargrove admitted that marijuana had been smoked in the vehicle earlier and showed officers the marijuana. During the traffic stop and a search of Hargrove’s person, a loaded nine-millimeter pistol was found on Hargrove’s waistband. Hargrove was a felon prohibited from possessing firearms.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Hargrove will be required to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Bettendorf Police Department.
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. In May 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Columbus Resident Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud, Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ga. – A Columbus resident pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft resulting from an investigation that originated with citizen complaints about a suspected driver’s license renewal scheme.
Amanah Childs, 43, of Columbus, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft before U.S. District Judge Clay Land on June 13. Childs faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for wire fraud and a maximum of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft. Childs also faces a maximum of three years of supervised release and a maximum $250,000 fine for each count. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 29. There is no parole in the federal system.
“The defendant attempted to defraud taxpayers and used unsuspecting citizen’s personal information to commit these crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “This case is a good reminder to all of us to carefully protect our personal identifying information and report suspected fraud to the authorities. Working with our law enforcement partners, our office will hold fraudsters accountable.”
“This is a great example of law enforcement partners working together to investigate and identify a fraudster illegally obtaining funds for her own personal gain,” said Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). “Postal Inspectors will not cease in their ongoing efforts to protect the nation’s mail system from criminal misuse.”
“IRS-CI special agents and our federal and local law enforcement partners worked together to stop Childs from her attempts to defraud taxpayers and the federal government,” said Lisa Fontanette, acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “Child’s guilty plea serves as a warning to individuals contemplating committing fraud that they better find a legal means to make a living, or they will face the same consequences.”
“When the Columbus Police Department’s Financial Crimes Unit began this investigation, we already had 100 victims throughout the country, including Columbus, Georgia. Two search warrants of Childs’ residence, numerous arrest warrants and several court appearances later, we are getting to see justice achieved. This would not be possible without our amazing partners at the IRS and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service who see the importance of fraud and financial investigations, especially the horrific impact it has on our citizens, society and economy. This also sends a strong message to people who commit these types of crimes that they, too, could face similar punishment,” said Sgt. Jane Edenfield with the Columbus Police Department.
According to court documents, the Columbus Police Department began receiving complaints from people in the community and other states in 2021 about an unknown person using a Columbus, Georgia, address to apply for driver’s license renewals and replacements in their names. Law enforcement suspected this was an attempt to fraudulently apply for credit cards. A subsequent investigation revealed that Childs lived at the address and a search warrant was executed at the residence; investigators found driver’s license replacement and renewal paperwork, credit cards and mail in other people’s names. In addition, evidence revealed that Childs was applying for federal loans in other people’s names without their knowledge or authorization. Law enforcement identified 20 instances where Childs fraudulently applied for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA). All the applications, except one, were rejected by the program for suspected fraud. Fourteen fraudulent applications were submitted in the names of other people, using their means of identification and personal identifying information in the online application. Childs also submitted six fraudulent applications in her own name claiming nonexistent businesses with spurious gross revenues, costs of goods sold and other false information. The total intended loss was $1,006,600; the actual loss was $10,000. Childs used the name of a victim to get an advance on an EIDL loan for $10,000.
The case was investigated by the Columbus Police Department, IRS and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Crawford Seals is prosecuting the case for the Government.
Chula Vista Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Attempted Sex Trafficking of a ChildRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – June 14, 2023
SAN DIEGO – Keenon Green, who used social media to try to recruit someone he believed was a 16-year-old female into prostitution, was sentenced today in federal court to144 months in prison.
A jury convicted Green of Attempted Sex Trafficking of Children and Attempted Enticement of a Minor after a three-day jury trial in February.
According to evidence presented at trial, from December 16, 2021, to January 14, 2022, Green used Instagram direct messages and cell phone text messages to lure into prostitution a social media user he knew as “Lexi,” who told him she was 16 years old.
Green promised to provide protection for Lexi on “the blade,” a slang term that refers to an area where prostitutes/sex workers solicit sex-buyers. He also promised to get her a false identification and post commercial sex advertisements for her online. He assured her that she could “charge 350 a hour and only be in there 30 mins max.” He even offered to teach her how to drive. And in return, he expected Lexi to earn $500 a night as a prostitute, and $1,000 a night if they were out of town.
When Lexi finally agreed, he arranged to pick her up at a local park and planned to take her to Orange County to work on “the blade.” Showing his intent to follow through on that plan, he arrived at the meeting location with feminine items in the trunk of his vehicle, including hair products and a bottle of Vagisil. However, Lexi was not a 16-year-old female, but an undercover officer with the San Diego Sheriff’s Department, and he was greeted by law enforcement and immediately arrested.
Evidence presented at trial, and also discussed at the sentencing hearing, demonstrated that Green’s pimping activity was not just aspirational. Post-arrest, he admitted he “ran” seven to nine other women and had earned tens of thousands of dollars, bragging that he “lives off the earnings of a prostitute.” Instagram records showed that at the same time he was enticing Lexi to work for him as a prostitute, he was attempting to recruit multiple other women on Instagram, telling them that their “anatomy is the most valuable thing on this earth” and that he could help them “use it wisely.” Green also was not above using violence and threats of violence to keep his prostitutes in line. In an audio message presented at sentencing, Green repeatedly threatened one woman who was working for him as a prostitute, screaming that he would “break [her] fucking jaw,” “beat the shit out of [her],” “stomp a fucking mudhole in [her],” and “play games with [her] face.”
“The sentence imposed today recognizes the severity of the crime for which Mr. Green has been convicted,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “Fortunately, proactive efforts by our law enforcement partners identified Mr. Green as someone willing to exploit the most vulnerable members of our society for nothing more than his own financial gain. This case should serve as a clear warning that law enforcement will not tolerate these crimes and will do everything in our power to protect children in our communities.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team, the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, and the San Diego Sheriff’s Department for their excellent work on this case.
“Today’s announcement is a result of strong partnerships by law enforcement agencies uniting to put a stop sexual violence and exploitation,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta. “Today’s sentencing sends a strong message that those who engage in sex trafficking and target vulnerable youth in our communities will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. I want to thank my team with the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners for their collaboration in making California a safer place. When we work together, we get results. Protecting public safety is our highest priority and we won’t rest until the job is done.”
“Sex traffickers typically prey on and sexually exploit the most vulnerable population; fortunately, in this case, the defendant was speaking to a law enforcement officer – not a 16-year-old girl,” said Chad Plantz, special agent in charge for HSI San Diego. “HSI is committed to using proactive efforts to target and prevent sex trafficking offenses. Together, we can more effectively eradicate this vile criminal activity from the community.”
“The Sheriff’s Department is proud of the collaborative efforts by all involved in this investigation and prosecution. This teamwork is vitally important in targeting the people involved in this type of criminal behavior. The department is committed to these partnerships as we continue in our efforts to prevent these crimes from occurring.”
DEFENDANT Case Number 22-cr-187-CAB
Keenon Green Age: 35 Chula Vista
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Attempted Sex Trafficking of Children – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1591(a)
Maximum Penalty: Life in prison and $250,000 fine, with 10-year mandatory minimum
Attempted Enticement of a Minor – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 2422(b)
Maximum Penalty: Life in prison and $250,000 fine, with 10-year mandatory minimum
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force
Homeland Security Investigations
San Diego Sheriff’s Department
This case is the result of the ongoing efforts of the Violent Crime and Human Trafficking (VCHT) Section. Formed in 2019, the VCHT is tasked with leading collaborations between federal and local law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution of cases involving violent crimes, firearms and gang cases; sex trafficking and child exploitation; civil rights, and labor trafficking. The VCHT Section oversees the Southern District of California Coordinators for Project Safe Neighborhoods, Human Trafficking, and Project Safe Childhood. The VCHT Section also provides federal prosecutors to the downtown San Diego Violent Crimes Task Force-Gang Group, the North County Gang Task Force, and the East County Gang Task Force.
Child Sex Trafficker Convicted at TrialRead the Press Release
A DeSoto man who drugged young girls and then forced them into commercial sex was convicted Wednesday evening of 15 counts related to sex trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Anjum Zafar Mian, 42, was charged via criminal complaint in December 2022 and indicted in March 2023. After two days of trial and an hour and a half of deliberation, a jury convicted him Wednesday of two counts of sex trafficking through force, fraud and coercion; two counts of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking through force, fraud and coercion; four counts of sex trafficking of a minor; three counts of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor; two counts of sexual exploitation of a child; one count of transporting a minor across state lines for prostitution; and one count of interstate transportation for prostitution.
“This man threatened, beat, drugged, and raped these girls – mere children – so that he could make money. That is the horrific truth of human trafficking, and it’s happening in our backyard,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “These victims are hiding in plain sight. Please, if you suspect trafficking, reach out to law enforcement. The Justice Department will not rest until the invisible chains of trafficking are broken.”
“Successfully removing child predators from our communities is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the North Texas Trafficking Task Force,” said Lester R. Hayes Jr., Special Agent in Charge HSI Dallas. “During the trial, the courageous testimony of the minors abused by this defendant ensured that he will account for his actions. Today’s verdict stands as a strong message that HSI will never relent in the pursuit of those who exploit children.“
According to evidence presented at trial, Mr. Mian forced at least two young girls – ages 16 and 17 – to engage in commercial sex by intimating that he would harm their family if they did not comply.
He brought another 17 year old down from Oklahoma, would not allow her to go back home when she asked, and made her engage in commercial sex.
He also attempted to traffick an adult woman from Oklahoma, who called the police after he assaulted her.
The victims testified that Mr. Mian, who also went by the “AJ” and “Dre,” used explicit photos of them to advertise their sexual service online. He communicated with customers via TextNow and Google, then plied the girls with drugs and alcohol, delivered them to customers, and demanded they turn all proceeds over to him.
On multiple occasions, Mr. Mian raped them while they were unconscious, victims testified.
Mr. Mian now faces up to life in federal prison. He is set to be sentenced on Friday, Oct. 13 in Fort Worth.
The Arlington Police Department conducted the investigation in conjunction with Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas Field Office and with the assistance of the Dallas Police Department, DeSoto Police Department, Fort Worth Police Department, and Texas Department of Public Safety. This was a North Texas Trafficking Task Force case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandie Wade and Matthew Weybrecht are prosecuted. U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor presided over trial.
If you believe you or someone you know may be a victim of human trafficking, call local law enforcement or the 24/7 confidential National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
Bridgeport Felon Caught with Loaded Gun Receives 54 Months in Prison for Fourth Federal ConvictionRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RAHSHIM CARTER, 34, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 54 months of imprisonment, followed by three years for supervised release, for unlawfully possessing a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in January 2013, Carter was sentenced in Hartford federal court to 18 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for distributing heroin in and around the Trumbull Gardens housing complex in Bridgeport. He was released from prison in September 2013. In February 2014, Carter was arrested by Bridgeport Police after he was found in possession of a loaded .380 caliber handgun and heroin that he intended to distribute. He pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and, on January 30, 2015, was sentenced in Hartford federal court to 62 months of imprisonment for the offense, and for violating the conditions of his supervised release.
In November 2016, while Carter was incarcerated in a federal prison in New Hampshire, he was found in possession of a homemade weapon (“shank”) and a quantity of Suboxone, a controlled substance. He was charged in the District of New Hampshire, pleaded guilty and, on January 22, 2018, was sentenced to an additional 18 months of imprisonment. He was released from prison in March 2020.
On April 20, 2022, members of the U.S. Marshals Service Violent Fugitive Task Force, Connecticut State Police and Bridgeport Police Department sought to arrest Carter for violating his supervised release. Carter was located and arrested in an apartment in the Green Homes Housing Complex in Bridgeport. At the time of his arrest he possessed a loaded .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, and quantities of heroin and crack cocaine.
Carter has been detained since his arrest. On November 17, 2022, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
This investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), U.S. Marshals Service Violent Fugitive Task Force, Connecticut State Police and Bridgeport Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Kale.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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.
Binghamton Man and Woman Plead Guilty to Heroin Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK – Worth Brown, age 35, and Christina Martinez, age 31, both of Binghamton, pled guilty yesterday to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
In pleading guilty, Brown and Martinez admitted to being members of a heroin trafficking conspiracy in which large amounts of heroin were transported from the New York City area for distribution in and around the Broome County area. Brown further admitted that he possessed over 200 grams of heroin and over $78,000 in drug proceeds during the conspiracy.
Brown and Martinez are both scheduled for sentencing on October 11, 2023, before United States District Judge David N. Hurd. Brown faces up to life with a mandatory minimum of imprisonment of ten years, a fine of up to $10,000,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least five years. Martinez faces up to twenty years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and a post-incarceration term of supervised release of at least three years.
A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Broome County Special Investigation Unit Task Force, which is comprised of members of the Binghamton Police, Endicott Police, Johnson City Police and Broome County Sheriff’s Office. Additional assistance was provided by Detectives from the Binghamton Police Department, members of the New York State Police, and Special Agents from the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristen Grabowski, Rick Belliss, and Jonathan Reiner are prosecuting the case.
Baton Rouge Man Sentenced to 26 Months Imprisonment for Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – DONALD PETER AUZINE was sentenced on June 13, 2023 to 26 months of imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release after pleading guilty in federal court relating to his role in a health care fraud conspiracy.
AUZINE, age 51, a resident of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pled guilty on September 23, 2021 before U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan to Count One of an indictment that charged him with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1347 and 1349.
According to the indictment, in or around March 2014, and continuing through in or around October 2016, AUZINE, conspired to knowingly and willfully executing a scheme and artifice to defraud TRICARE, a federal health care benefit program affecting commerce, and other health care benefit programs.
AUZINE was the marketing manager of Prime Pharmacy Solutions (“Prime”), which was located in Slidell, Louisiana. Prime Pharmacy was mainly a closed-door pharmacy whose business focus was the production of compounded medication. Such medication, when created properly, involved drugs that were combined, mixed, or altered by licensed pharmacists or other practitioners to meet the specialized needs of individual patients.
Prime’s contracts with various entities, including Pharmacy Benefit Managers (“PBMs”), obligated Prime to collect copayments from beneficiaries in order to be reimbursed by various health care benefit programs, including TRICARE. Additionally, Prime’s owner worked with AUZINE to market the compounded medications produced by Prime. AUZINE also found marketers outside of the state to find beneficiaries willing to receive medically unnecessary compounds and doctors willing to prescribe compounds without medical necessity.
AUZINE also pressured pharmacists to fill prescriptions for beneficiaries where no doctor-patient relationship existed and helped create prescription pads containing the highest value prescription.
Through his fraud, AUZINE received a percentage of Prime’s profits and the reimbursements paid by TRICARE, as well as reimbursements from other health care benefit programs.
“This sentence sends a strong message to those who knowingly defraud the Defense Health Agency for their own selfish enrichment, “stated Special Agent in Charge Darrin Jones, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Southeast Field Office.
"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."
The U.S. Attorney’s Office praised the work of 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.
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.
Baltimore Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge for Illegal Possession of a Firearm in a School ZoneRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Ronnie Peoples, age 36, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to a federal charge of illegal possession of a firearm in a school zone, specifically, the New Hope Academy.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Acting Commissioner Richard Worley of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, on April 29, 2020, Peoples was seen engaging in what appeared to be hand-to-hand drug transactions in the 500 block of Orchard Street. Peoples then got into a maroon Nissan Ultima and Baltimore Police officers conducted a traffic stop and arrested Peoples. Law enforcement recovered a revolver, loaded with six rounds of ammunition, and 34 flip-top containers of approximately 14.5 grams of cocaine from Peoples’ jacket pocket.
Peoples admitted that he knew he had the firearm and ammunition and had reasonable cause to believe he was within 1,000 feet of the New Hope Academy.
Peoples faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for possession of a firearm in a school zone. U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III has scheduled sentencing for September 6, 2023, at 9:30 a.m.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney LaRai Everett, who is prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
# # #
Atlanta Man Sentenced to 36 Months for Defrauding Farmers in Hemp Business VentureRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA — Rahsaan Jackson Garth, age 49, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to three years in federal prison and ordered to pay over 2 million dollars in restitution for his role in defrauding farmers in a hemp business venture.
Evidence presented to the court showed that, after being released from federal prison in 2017 for his involvement in a health care fraud, Garth formed the company Verde Leaf and directed it. Verde Leaf was supposed to address the challenges farmers faced in the hemp arena including license acquisition, hemp cultivation and processing, and industry knowledge. He solicited multiple farmers (in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia) to grow hemp for his company.
On February 19, 2020, in the District of South Carolina, Verde Leaf held a workshop for potential farmers. During the workshop, Garth represented that Verde Leaf had distribution networks and deals with food companies, pet companies, and pharmaceutical companies. While Garth was in various stages of negotiations with many of these companies, he fraudulently represented that Verde Leaf had consummated these deals.
Based in part on these knowing misrepresentations, farmers entered into contracts with Verde Leaf to grow hemp. Verde Leaf assisted these farmers with their hemp crops. However, Verde Leaf was unable to consummate the deals referenced at the SCDA meeting to distribute or sell products. Therefore, Verde Leaf was unable to process the hemp or pay most of the farmers for their crops and had to declare bankruptcy. As a result of the false statements that lured the farmers into doing business with Garth, the farmers suffered great financial harm.
“The District of South Carolina is committed to prosecuting schemes that target South Carolina farmers and small business owners,” said United States Attorney Adair F. Boroughs. “We appreciate the hard work of the FBI and their continued efforts to investigate these crimes.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Bill Watkins prosecuted the case.
###
Appleton Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Coercing 13-Year-Old to Engage in Sexual ConductRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Wang Lo, 23, of Appleton, Wisconsin was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 15 years in federal prison for enticing and coercing a child to engage in sexually explicit conduct. This term of imprisonment is to be followed by 15 years of supervised release. Lo pleaded guilty to this charge on March 16, 2023.
In May 2022, a then-14-year-old girl, reported she had been sexually assaulted by someone she met online when she was 13. She reported that he coerced her to engage in sexually explicit conduct with him, that he recorded that conduct, and then threatened to distribute the video if she did not engage in additional sexual conduct with him.
Agents searched Lo’s phone and found messages to the girl, threatening to send the sexually explicit video to her family and to her school if she did not engage in additional sexual activity with him. They also found messages indicating he had sexually assaulted a second 13-year old girl.
Judge Peterson called the defendant’s conduct shocking and outrageous, and noted that while the defendant was technically a first time offender, he had been engaged in similar conduct for almost three years. He stated the 15-year sentence was warranted to protect the public because Lo was a repeat and dangerous sex offender.
The charge against Lo was the result of an investigation conducted by the Marathon and Outagamie County Sheriffs’ Offices and the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman prosecuted this case.
Ada Resident Sentenced for Murder in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced today that Anthony Brian Walker, age 41, of Ada, Oklahoma, was sentenced to life imprisonment for First-Degree Murder in Indian Country.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Chickasaw Nation Lighthorse Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On July 20, 2022, a federal jury found Walker guilty at trial of First-Degree Murder in Indian Country. At trial, the government presented evidence that on November 29, 2021, while the victim sat in a vehicle at a convenience store drive-through, Walker approached the vehicle and stabbed him in the heart. The crime occurred in Pontotoc County, within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation Reservation and within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the trial and sentencing hearing in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Walker will remain in the 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 T. Cameron McEwen and Special Assistant United States Attorney Erin McKenzie represented the United States.
40 Members of a Violent Gang Charged with Drug Trafficking and Firearms Violations in San Juan, Puerto RicoRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On June 8, 2023, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging 40 violent gang members from the municipality of San Juan with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, possession and distribution of controlled substances, and firearms violations, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. This investigation was led by the FBI San Juan Violent Gang Safe Streets Task Force, which is comprised of Special Agents and Task Force Officers from the FBI San Juan, the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB), the San Juan Municipal Police, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), the Puerto Rico Treasury Department (Hacienda), the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development - Office of the Inspector General (HUD-OIG), the Carolina Municipal Police Department, and the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections (PRDOC).
The FBI wants to thank the DEA San Juan Office, the PRPB San Juan Strike Force and the PRPB San Juan Homicide Division for their assistance in this investigation and the Guaynabo Municipal Police, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the DEA, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the U.S. Marshals Service for their collaboration during the arrests.
“Violent gangs wreak havoc on our communities, engaging in bloody street wars and selling dangerous drugs that devastate communities and families,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “As today’s announcement demonstrates, the United States Justice Department continues to deploy its resources and expertise in close coordination with our law enforcement partners to target violent criminals and hold gang members accountable for their crimes.”
“Violent gangs are a real threat to public safety and this particular gang was among the most violent Puerto Rico has ever seen. The leaders of this organization acted with a complete disregard for authority and human life and caused much harm to the communities in which they operated,” said Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office, Joseph González. “Our commitment to the people of Puerto Rico has been and will continue to be bringing these violent criminals to justice so they can have peace in their communities. As always, the contributions of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico, as well as those of our federal and local law enforcement partners, were instrumental in disrupting this dangerous criminal enterprise and we remain thankful for their support to the FBI mission.”
The indictment alleges that from 2015 to June 8, 2023, the drug trafficking organization distributed heroin, cocaine base (commonly known as “crack”), cocaine, marihuana, Fentanyl, Oxycodone (Percocet), and Alprazolam (Xanax) within 1,000 feet of the Manuel A. Pérez, the Alejandrino, and the Los Laureles Public Housing Projects (PHPs), and other areas nearby, as well as the San Isidro ward in the Municipality of Canóvanas, all for significant financial gain and profit.
The investigation revealed that during the conspiracy the defendants and their co-conspirators would tattoo their arms with gang symbols as evidence of their allegiance to the organization. For example: members of the organization would get a “1500” tattoo to indicate their allegiance to “Los Mil Quinientos.” A selected group of leaders and enforcers, highly trusted by the leadership of the organization, were also permitted to get tattoos with the phrase “STARS INC”, to identify their heightened status to other members of the organization.
As part of the conspiracy, the defendants used abandoned apartments in the Public Housing Projects to prepare the drugs for distribution at the drug points and procured access to many vehicles to transport money, narcotics, and firearms. For that purpose, the co‑conspirators would steal cars or buy stolen cars from others to use in furtherance of the drug trafficking activities. Some of the defendants sold drugs in the presence of minors.
The defendants acted in different roles to further the goals of the drug trafficking conspiracy, to wit: leaders/suppliers, enforcers, runners, sellers, lookouts, and facilitators. The members of the gang used force, violence, and intimidation to maintain control of the areas in which they operated. The defendants charged in the indictment are:
[1] Orlando Carmona Serrano, a.k.a. “Barber/Bar/Capi/Orlan”
[2] Miguel Ángel Santiago Laiz, a.k.a. “Miguelito/Enano”
[3] Victor Rafael Molina Santos, a.k.a. “Father/Cano/Alka/El Cano/Arka”
[4] Félix Benjamín Sánchez Valles, a.k.a. “Goldi/Gordi/Goldy/Tuco/El Manco”
[5] Lloyd David Guzmán Ortiz, a.k.a. “Pumo”
[6] Carmelo Estarella Carmona, a.k.a. “Melo”
[7] Marlon Laguna Santos, a.k.a. “Fuji”
[8] Joseph Manuel Molina Santos, a.k.a. “Bloke/Bloque”
[9] Gregory Lee Matías Gutiérrez, a.k.a. “Pinki/Pinky”
[10] Israel García Ojeda, a.k.a. “Dientes”
[11] Jamisael Jiménez Pérez, a.k.a. “Misa”
[12] Gilberto Jiménez Estrada, a.k.a. “Pichu”
[13] Michael X. Miranda Santiago, a.k.a. “Boqui/Boki”
[14] Jonathan Franqui Robles, a.k.a. “El Malcri/Gatito”
[15] Luis Ángel Crespo Rivera, a.k.a. “Luisin/Chiwi/Chegui”
[16] Luis Yerier Jorge Pabón, a.k.a. “Lento”
[17] Luis Jaffet Díaz Santana, a.k.a. “Piki”
[18] John Anthony Cruz Ramírez, a.k.a. “Cerebro”
[19] Francisco Javier Carrillo Hernaiz, a.k.a. “Polvo/Polvorón/Pelotero/Tito”
[20] Stephenn Dwight Nazario Santiago, a.k.a. “Curry”
[21] Ricardo José Rivera Ortiz, a.k.a. “Chiringa/Chiri”
[22] Juan Ramón Martínez Casanova, a.k.a. “Mota”
[23] Jesús Manuel Crespo Rivera, a.k.a. “Maco”
[24] Nelson Omar Díaz Zambrana, a.k.a. “Sopa”
[25] Luis Rafael Colón Feliciano, a.k.a. “Bichotito”
[26] Miguel Ángel Forteza Ramos, a.k.a. “Migue”
[27] Gregori Gil Colón Colón, a.k.a. “Yoyo”
[28] Jose M. Cotto Velázquez, a.k.a. “Cándido/Negro”
[29] Malik Jordan Walrond León, a.k.a. “King”
[30] Ángel Manuel Peña Méndez, a.k.a. “Peña El Armero”
[31] Julio Cesar Sarit Valle, a.k.a. “Bebito”
[32] Juan Manuel González Ayala, a.k.a. “Goza/Gozando”
[33] Guillermo Jesús Valdez Mari, a.k.a. “Chicha”
[34] Kevin Anthony Ortiz Reyes, a.k.a. “Teta/Terembloko/Terrembloko”
[35] Nelson Martínez Montañez, a.k.a. “El Viejo/Karen”
[36] Steven Cancel Carmona, a.k.a. “Doble”
[37] Jean Carlos Rosario Brito, a.k.a. “Yomo”
[38] Johnuel Rosario Cotto, a.k.a. “Picua/Karen”
[39] Héctor Manuel Sánchez Rivera, a.k.a. “El Ñeco/Bemba/Boca”
[40] Jefferson Díaz Mota, a.k.a. “Barbie/Barbie Mota”
Twenty-nine (29) defendants are facing one charge of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Counts seven, eight and nine charge three different murders that occurred during the conspiracy.
Count seven charges defendants [1] Orlando Carmona Serrano, [5] Lloyd David Guzmán Ortiz, [7] Marlon Laguna Santos, and [9] Gregory Lee Matías Gutiérrez for the murder of W.L.A. on January 9, 2015, by shooting him with a firearm willfully, deliberately, maliciously, and with premeditation.
Count eight charges [3] Victor Rafael Molina Santos and [7] Marlon Laguna Santos for the murder of W.X.M.G. through the use of a firearm on April 22, 2015.
Count nine charges [1] Orlando Carmona Serrano, [3] Victor Rafael Molina Santos, [7] Marlon Laguna Santos, [8] Joseph Manuel Molina Santos, and [9] Gregory Lee Matías Gutiérrez for the murder of M.J.P.R. on September 7, 2015.
Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Gang Section Alberto López-Rocafort, Deputy Chief of the Gang Section, AUSA Teresa Zapata-Valladares, AUSAs Damaré Theriot and Pedro Casablanca, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlos Romo Aledo from the Puerto Rico Department of Justice are in charge of the prosecution of the case. If convicted on the drug charges, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years, and up to life in prison. If convicted of both the drug and firearms charges, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 15 years, and up to life in prison. All defendants are facing a narcotics forfeiture allegation of $38,000,000 and a property in Campo Rico Urbanization in Sabana Llana ward in San Juan, PR, which was currently being operated as “La Casa Roja” AirBnB.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
13 June 2023
Wagoner Resident Sentenced for Assault with A Dangerous WeaponRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced today that Donald David Laverty, age 40, of Wagoner, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 35 months imprisonment for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Wagoner Police Department, the Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On December 9, 2022, Laverty pleaded guilty to Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country. At the plea hearing, Laverty admitted to attacking a responding police officer with an axe. The crime occurred in Wagoner County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation and the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearings in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Laverty will remain in the 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 T. Cameron McEwen and Assistant United States Attorney Zack Parsons represented the United States.
Violent Robbery Crew Member Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RONALDO SMITH, 25, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 120 months of imprisonment for his involvement in a spree of violent robberies of AT&T stores in Connecticut and western Massachusetts.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2021, Smith, Alex Josephs, Shaquille Raymond, and Deshawn Baugh committed several violent armed robberies of AT&T stores in Connecticut and western Massachusetts. The perpetrators typically entered the stores shortly before closing, pointed weapons at employees, and, at times, pistol-whipped, dragged and shoved employees toward the back inventory room. They then held the employees at gunpoint while loading large bags with cell phones and other electronics. The group stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in merchandise. Saviana Bourne, who worked at AT&T stores, helped plan the robberies, served as a getaway driver, and coordinated the sale of the stolen merchandise.
The investigation revealed that Smith, Josephs, and Raymond robbed AT&T stores in Newington on January 29, 2021, and Enfield on February 24, 2021. Baugh then joined the conspiracy and together they robbed an AT&T store in Canton on April 15, 2021, and attempted to rob stores in Torrington and Glastonbury in May 2021, but were locked out of the stores.
On June 6, 2021, Smith and his associates, armed with a semiautomatic pistol, two revolvers, and a semiautomatic rifle, robbed an AT&T store in West Springfield, Massachusetts. After the robbery, they fled in a vehicle driven by Bourne, who led police on a high-speed chase that ended when their vehicle collided with a Massachusetts State Police cruiser. Smith, Josephs, Raymond, Baugh, and Bourne were arrested, and a search of the vehicle revealed more than $150,000 in stolen merchandise, as well as the firearms used during the robbery.
Judge Underhill ordered Smith to pay restitution of $298,073.86, which reflects the losses from the Newington, Enfield, and Canton robberies. The property stolen in the West Springfield robbery was recovered.
Smith has been detained since his arrest. On January 5, 2023, he pleaded guilty to one count of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
Josephs, Raymond, Baugh, and Bourne also pleaded guilty. On March 1, 2023, Baugh was sentenced to 108 months of imprisonment and was ordered to pay restitution of $124,842.45, which reflects the loss from the Canton robbery. On March 29, 2023, Raymond was sentenced to 72 months of imprisonment and Bourne was sentenced to 78 months of imprisonment. On May 23, 2023, Josephs was sentenced to 120 months of imprisonment. Josephs, Raymond, and Bourne were also ordered to pay restitution of $298,073.86.
Josephs and Raymond, who are citizens of Jamaica, face immigration proceedings when they are released from prison.
This matter was investigated by the FBI’s Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force with the assistance of the Massachusetts State Police and the Newington, Enfield, Canton, Torrington, Glastonbury, and West Springfield Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ruff.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Issues 2022 Annual ReportRead the Press Release
DETROIT –The United States Attorney’s Office made significant strides in 2022 in rebuilding community trust, reinvigorating our protection of civil rights, and restructuring our approach to violent crime, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today. The details of the office’s work in 2022 are set forth in a 33-page annual report highlighting prosecutions, community outreach, trials, convictions, systemic change, and community impact. The document is available here for review by the public.
The report sets forth the work done in service of the richly diverse Eastern District of Michigan. The lawyers and support professionals in our Detroit, Flint, and Bay City offices, along with our partner agencies, had significant accomplishments this year. Among them:
• In fiscal year 2022, our office collected more than $289 million in judgments, fines, restitution and forfeiture, more than ten times our operating budget of $25 million. These funds are being returned to victims and taxpayers.
• Our efforts to target the most violent offenders who are harming public safety resulted in numerous federal convictions. We used traditional organized crime statutes, such as the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (“RICO”), to attack violent street gangs. The best example of our focused approach is the reduction of violence in the City of Pontiac. Federal and local law enforcement identified two violent street gangs terrorizing the citizens of the city. So far, fifteen gang members have been charged federally, and fourteen gang members have been charged in state court in a coordinated action. Since these arrests, shots fired calls in Pontiac are down 64%, and assault with intent to murder cases are down 56%.
• Former Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith was sentenced to 21 months in prison for obstructing justice in connection with a federal investigation of Smith’s embezzlement of money from his political campaign account. Smith sought to have two of his subordinate Assistant Prosecutors lie to the FBI and to a federal Grand Jury, who were investigating Smith’s embezzlement. As part of his conviction, Smith admitted that he had embezzled $94,000 from his campaign account by falsely claiming the money was used to pay rent on a campaign office and for a political consultant. In fact, Smith used the money for personal expenses. Smith had served as the elected county prosecutor from 2004 through 2020.
• We obtained a summary judgment victory against the City of Troy in our lawsuit alleging that it violated federal law when it denied the Adam Community Center’s efforts to establish an Islamic place of worship in Troy.
• A ranking member of the Los Zetas Mexican drug cartel was found guilty by jury after trial. The defendant facilitated the importation of hundreds of kilograms of cocaine into the District. He faces a significant sentence.
• The office has charged 39 defendants with participating in pandemic fraud schemes, ranging from unemployment insurance fraud conspiracies to fraud in pandemic loan programs. Of the individuals charged in such cases, the United States has thus far obtained more than 20 guilty pleas and one trial conviction.
• A Saginaw man pleaded guilty to hate crime charges for willfully intimidating citizens from engaging in lawful speech and protests in support of Black Lives Matter. The man had called nine Starbucks stores in Michigan and told the employees answering his calls to relay racial threats to Starbucks employees wearing Black Lives Matter T-shirts. He also threatened to kill black people, using a racial slur to refer to his intended victims. In addition, the man placed a noose inside a victim’s car with a threatening note.
• As a result of the Consent Decree governing the United Auto Workers union, the UAW had conducted a referendum of its members and was ordered to alter its constitution to provide for the direct election of UAW leaders. This year, in an historic election, eight independent and dissident members were elected to UAW leadership positions in contested elections.
• FCA US LLC (now known as Stellantis) paid a $300 million fine after pleading guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States as part of a scheme to cheat U.S. regulators and customers by making false and misleading representations about its emissions control systems on diesel vehicles.
The work detailed in the 2022 Annual Report demonstrates the commitment that the 220 men and women of the U.S. Attorney’s Office make each day to protect the citizens of the District and to advance the goals of the country.
Two Mexican Nationals Plead Guilty to Entering the United States After Prior RemovalRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: In separate hearings, two Mexican nationals pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to entering the United States after a prior removal.
According to court records, in April 2023, Manuel Bonilla Davila, 38, and Eduardo Ruiz Rojas, 36, were each discovered by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Aroostook County, a short distance from the international boundary. Immigration records showed that both men had been previously removed from the U.S.—Davila in March 2011 in Texas and Rojas in September 2019 in Arizona. Neither man had obtained the express consent of the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to reapply for admission.
Davila and Rojas each face up to two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. They will be sentenced after the completion of presentence investigation reports by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentences after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Border Patrol investigated the cases.
###
Three People Plead Guilty to Illegally Providing Firearms to Essa Williams, Alleged Shooter of Phoenix Police Department Officer Tyler MoldovanRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Erika LaRae Williams, 51, of Phoenix, Arizona, pleaded guilty on May 22, 2023, to Making a Material False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm. Williams purchased a Taurus G3 pistol from a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) on September 3, 2020, for her son, Essa Williams, five months after his release from the Arizona Department of Corrections. During the purchase, Williams completed the Firearms Transactions Record, and represented that she was the actual purchaser of the firearm. However, Williams knew she was purchasing the firearm on behalf of her son. Essa Williams is pending trial in Maricopa County Superior Court for allegedly shooting Phoenix Police Department (PPD) Officer Tyler Moldovan on December 14, 2021. This Taurus G3 pistol was not the firearm that was used to shoot Officer Moldovan. Sentencing for Erika Williams is scheduled for July 31, 2023, before United States District Judge Steven P. Logan. A conviction for Making a Material False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm carries a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000.
On May 24, 2023, Dwayne Keith Anderson, 51, of Phoenix, Arizona, pleaded guilty to Aiding and Abetting the Making of a False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm. At the time, Anderson was a FFL, doing business in Phoenix, Arizona. Anderson met Essa Williams at a gun show, where he told Essa Williams he could assist him with firearm sales by helping him avoid a background check. On December 13, 2021, Essa Williams texted Anderson information for a female, in addition to a photo of her ID. Anderson filled out the Firearms Transaction Record with the false information of the female, including her signature. Through that transaction, Anderson actually sold a Masterpiece Arms Defender 9mm pistol to Essa Williams. Although Anderson knew that the true purchaser of the firearm must fill out the Firearms Transaction Record, Anderson completed the form using the false information, knowing Essa Williams was not providing his true identification. Anderson had never met the female, and only saw Essa Williams again when Essa arrived at Anderson’s house in a black Dodge Charger to pick up the firearm. Upon completion of the transaction, Essa Williams left with the firearm.
On December 14, 2021, pursuant to a search warrant, PPD detectives searched Essa Williams’ black Dodge Charger after the shooting of Officer Moldovan. During the search, detectives found the Masterpiece Arms Defender 9mm pistol on the back seat floorboard. This Masterpiece Arms Defender 9mm pistol was not the firearm that was used to shoot Officer Moldovan. Sentencing for Anderson is scheduled for August 7, 2023, before Judge Logan. A conviction for Aiding and Abetting the Making of a False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm carries a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000.
Alice Berdicchia, 24, of Phoenix, Arizona, pleaded guilty last week to Misprision of a Felony. On November 26, 2021, Berdicchia agreed to bring Essa Williams, her boyfriend, a Glock 9 mm pistol. At the time Essa Williams possessed the firearm, Berdicchia knew that Essa Williams had been convicted of numerous felonies, and she also knew that Essa Williams could not legally possess a firearm. Berdicchia deliberately helped Essa Williams illegally possess a firearm and helped him conceal that crime. This Glock 9 mm pistol was not the firearm that was used to shoot Officer Moldovan. Sentencing for Berdicchia is scheduled for August 14, 2023, before Judge Logan. A conviction for Misprision of a Felony carries a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000.
This case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-00277-PHX-SPL (ESW)
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-092_Williams# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Stuart Man Sentenced to 15 years for Producing Child Pornography of 15-year-oldRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A 29-year-old man from Martin County, Florida, German Oliver Jose Martin, was sentenced to 180 months followed by 20 years supervised release, for producing child pornography. In addition, the court ordered Martin to pay $3,000 restitution. Upon his release from prison, Martin will report to Immigration officials for deportation.
On May 26, 2022, Martin picked up a 15-year-old girl from her school bus stop, drove her to his trailer, and used his cellular telephone to produce several videos of them engaging in sexually explicit conduct. After law enforcement learned of the activity, in early June 2022, they executed a federal search warrant on Martin’s phone. A Martin County Sheriff’s Office Forensic Examiner located sexually explicit videos involving the minor victim.
On February 3, Martin pleaded guilty to one count of production of visual depictions of sexual exploitation of a minor.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, and Sheriff William D. Snyder of the Martin County Sheriff’s Office announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Robin L. Rosenberg, who sits in West Palm Beach.
FBI Miami, Fort Pierce Resident Agency, and the Martin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Managing Assistant U.S. Attorney Carmen Lineberger prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), 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 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 the Project Safe Childhood initiative and for information regarding Internet safety, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-14043.
###
St. Louis Woman Repeatedly Caught with Stolen Vehicles Admits Running Chop ShopRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A woman from St. Louis, Missouri who was repeatedly caught with stolen vehicles pleaded guilty to federal charges Monday.
As part of her guilty plea, Heather Marty, 28, admitted that she was living in a warehouse in the 2900 block of North Jefferson Avenue that was being used to house, store and disassemble stolen vehicles. St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers and detectives found a total of 12 stolen vehicles over a seven-month period in or near the building, including three motorcycles, five pickup trucks, three cars and one SUV, Marty’s plea agreement says.
On Oct. 30, 2021, police found a stolen 2007 Yamaha motorcycle in front of the warehouse. Marty refused to allow police inside the building.
On Nov. 18, 2021, officers noticed a stolen 2009 Ford Ranger parked in front of the warehouse, with a 2004 Ford F-450 nearby that had been stolen that morning. Inside the building, they found more stolen vehicles in various stages of disassembly: a 2009 Pontiac G6, a 2006 Ford F-350, a 2000 Ford Excursion, a 2011 Dodge Ram and a 2016 Honda motorcycle, the plea says.
On Jan. 29, 2022, Marty was spotted at the Casino Queen in East St. Louis in a 2014 Dodge Ram that had been stolen 23 days earlier. She was arrested. Inside the truck, a detective found nine license plates, two of which belonged to stolen vehicles.
An investigation revealed that in the week before her arrest, Marty had been in the area of four thefts and one attempted theft of catalytic converters, as well as four burglaries and an auto theft.
On June 20, 2022, Marty was caught at the warehouse in a pickup that had a stolen 2022 KTM Duke motorcycle in the truck bed.
On July 13, 2022, a detective found one stolen truck and two stolen cars in the warehouse that were being disassembled.
Marty pleaded guilty Monday in front of U.S. District Judge John A. Ross to one count of transportation of a stolen vehicle and one count of operating a chop shop.
At her September 19 sentencing, Marty faces up to 10 years in prison for the stolen vehicle charge and up to 15 years in prison on the chop shop charge, a $250,000 fine for each count, or both prison and a fine. She will also be ordered to pay restitution to victims.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Ware is prosecuting the case.
Springfield Man Sentenced for Scheme to Transport Stolen Catalytic Converters Across State LinesRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a scheme to transport tens of thousands of stolen catalytic converters across state lines as part of a multi-million-dollar business.
Eric Kaltenbach, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to four years and six months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Kaltenbach to pay $2,625 in restitution to four identified victims whose catalytic converter he stole (most of the victims could not be identified due to the nature of the crime).
On April 25, 2022, Kaltenbach pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to transport stolen property across state lines.
Overall, the conspiracy resulted in the theft of tens of thousands of catalytic converters, totaling an aggregate value of at least $1 million. Kaltenbach stole at least 80 catalytic converters from numerous victims throughout the entire southwest region of Missouri, from January 2020 and throughout 2021. He sold the stolen catalytic converters for a total of at least $20,000 to co-defendants Evan Marshall, 25, and Camren Joseph Davis, 26, both of Rogersville, Mo., and Cody Ryder, 31, of Springfield.
In July 2021, Kaltenbach stole a catalytic converter from a victim’s car in Rogersville and was captured on surveillance footage, which was published on social media. When Kaltenbach went to sell the stolen catalytic converter, Marshall would not purchase it because he had seen the surveillance footage and was upset with Kaltenbach for stealing a catalytic converter in the town in which he lived. Marshall instructed Kaltenbach to not steal catalytic converters in Rogersville; after this incident, Kaltenbach did not steal catalytic converters from vehicles in Rogersville but continued to steal catalytic converters from victims’ vehicles in Springfield. At times, Kaltenbach sold five or six stolen catalytic converters per transaction.
Marshall, Ryder, and Davis were each sentenced on Dec. 20, 2022, after pleading guilty to their roles in the conspiracy.
Marshall was sentenced to five years and 10 months in federal prison without parole. The court also imposed a $750,000 money judgment against Marshall to be forfeited to the government, ordered Marshall to pay $19,133 in restitution to victims of the conspiracy who law enforcement were able to identify, and forfeiture to the government of the following items that were seized by law enforcement: 33 rifles, 20 scopes, six shotguns, 26 handguns, a Glock sub conversion kit, eight ammunition magazines, a 2011 Ram 3500 one-ton pickup, a 2004 Dodge Ram, a flatbed trailer, two 42-foot gooseneck flatbed trailers, a 16-foot livestock trailer, a 2021 Load N Go utility trailer, a 2007 car hauler trailer, a Volkswagen dune buggy, two Harley Davidson motorcycles, a 2012 Keystone 5th wheel camper, a Caterpillar skid steer, a 2019 Honda Talon SXS 1000 side by side, a 2016 Polaris RZR side by side, a Polaris Ranger 4x4, and 191 catalytic converters.
Ryder was sentenced to two years and five months in federal prison without parole. Davis was sentenced to five years of probation. The court imposed money judgments against Ryder and Davis to forfeit to the government $125,000 each.
Co-defendant Enx Khoshaba, 30, of Springfield, was sentenced on June 1, 2023, to four years in federal prison without parole and ordered to pay $15,986 in restitution. Co-defendant Danielle Ice, 35, of Springfield, was sentenced on to 18 months in federal prison without parole and ordered to pay $1,355 in restitution.
Co-defendant Leslie Ice, 38, of Springfield has pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy to transport stolen property across state lines and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 27, 2023.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon T. Kempf. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Christian County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Webster County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Missouri Department of Revenue and the Greene County, Mo., Prosecuting Attorney.
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Six More Arrested in Fentanyl Distribution Conspiracy Spanning from California to D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Federal law enforcement arrested six more members of a fentanyl drug distribution, responsible for bringing thousands of fake blue Oxycodone (M30) pills, containing fentanyl, from California to D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, DEA Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget, of the Washington Division, United States Postal Inspection Service Inspector in Charge Damon Wood, of the Washington Division, and Interim Chief Ashan Benedict, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Teron Deandre McNeil, Marvin Anthony Bussie, a/k/a “Money Marr,” Marcus Orlando Brown, Thomas Columbian, a/k/a “Cruddy Murda,” Wayne Rodell Carr-Maiden, and Andre Malik Edmond are named in an indictment – along with previously apprehended co-defendants Hector David Valdez, Charles Jeffrey Taylor, Max Alexander Carias Torres, Raymond Nava, Jr., and Craig Eastman - with conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl.
According to the indictment, from on or about January 2021 to May 18, 2023, each of the defendants conspired together to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl.
DEFENDANT NAME
AGE
RESIDENT OF
DETENTION STATUS
Teron Deandre McNeil
a/k/a “Wild Boy”
33
Washington, DC
Arrested: 06/08/2023
Detained 06/13
Marvin Anthony Bussie, a/k/a “Money Marr”
20
Washington, DC
Arrested: 04/14/2023
Detained in unrelated case
Marcus Orlando Brown
27
Temple Hills, MD
Arrested: 05/30/2023
Detained: 06/02/2023
Thomas Columbian, a/k/a “Cruddy Murda”
25
Washington, DC
Arrested: 06/02/2023
Detained: 06/05/2023
Wayne Rodell Carr-Maiden, a/k/a “Wayne Maiden”
28
Washington, DC
Arrested: 06/01/2023
Detained: 06/06/2023
Andre Malik Edmond, a/k/a “Draco”
22
Temple Hills, MD
Arrested: 06/12/2023
Initial Appearance: pending
The conspiracy charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison up to life. The sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The investigation of this case had the sponsorship and support of the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF specializes in the investigation and prosecution of drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and related criminal enterprises.
The prosecutions followed a joint investigation by the DEA Washington Division and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, in partnership with the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional support from the DEA Los Angeles and Riverside Field Offices, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Washington Field Office and the Charles County, Maryland Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David T. Henek, Matthew W. Kinskey and Andy Wang of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses (VRTO) Section.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Property Management Company to Pay Nearly $75,000 to Resolve Servicemembers Civil Relief Act ClaimsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced that FPI Management Inc. (FPI) has agreed to pay $74,087 to resolve allegations that it violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) by imposing unlawful charges on nine servicemembers who were exercising their right to terminate their apartment leases after receiving military orders to relocate.
“The right for servicemembers to terminate leases without penalty when military orders send them elsewhere is a critical protection for people who already sacrifice so much,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue to enforce federal civil rights laws to ensure that paying rent for housing they no longer need is not another sacrifice servicemembers must bear.”
“The SCRA protects servicemembers who have answered our country’s call to serve,” said U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert for the Eastern District of California. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners in the Civil Rights Division stand ready to vindicate those rights, to allow our servicemembers to focus on their duty and relieve stress on them and their families.”
The SCRA extends various protections to servicemembers to allow them to devote their entire energy to the national defense. The SCRA provides protections for servicemembers in areas such as evictions, security deposits, pre-paid rent, civil judicial proceedings, installment contracts, interest rates, foreclosures and automobile leases. The SCRA also allows servicemembers to terminate their residential leases after entering military service or receiving military orders for a permanent change of station, deployment or retirement. Landlords are prohibited from imposing an early termination charge on servicemembers who terminate their leases under the SCRA.
The department launched an investigation into FPI’s leasing practices after receiving a referral from Coast Guard Legal Assistance about two instances where FPI attempted to require servicemembers who were terminating their leases early under the SCRA to repay discounts they had received when they signed the lease. In one case, FPI required Coast Guard Petty Officer First Class Aaron Gomez and his wife to repay $8,590 in lease concessions after they terminated their lease at an apartment building in Oakland, California, near Coast Guard Island Alameda. In the other case, FPI told Coast Guard Petty Officer First Class William Fuchs that he would have to repay $7,838 in lease incentives after he terminated his lease at the same apartment building. Fuchs had just received military orders to relocate Charleston, South Carolina.
In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, the department alleges that FPI unlawfully imposed early termination charges on a total of nine servicemembers who had exercised their right to terminate their residential leases upon receipt of qualifying military orders.
Under the consent order, which still must be approved by the court, FPI has agreed to pay a total of $51,587 to the servicemembers and a $22,500 civil penalty to the United States. The order also requires FPI to repair the servicemembers’ tenant database entries, implement new policies and procedures that comply with the SCRA and training its employees on the SCRA.
Since 2011, the Justice Department has been awarded over $481 million in monetary relief for over 146,000 servicemembers through its enforcement of the SCRA. For more information about the department’s SCRA enforcement efforts, please visit www.servicemembers.gov.
Servicemembers and their dependents who believe that their rights under the SCRA have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program Office. Office locations may be found at legalassistance.law.af.mil.
Property Management Company to Pay Nearly $75,000 to Resolve Servicemembers Civil Relief Act ClaimsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced that FPI Management Inc. (FPI) has agreed to pay $74,087 to resolve allegations that it violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) by imposing unlawful charges on nine servicemembers who were exercising their right to terminate their apartment leases after receiving military orders to relocate.
“The SCRA protects servicemembers who have answered our country’s call to serve,” said U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners in the Civil Rights Division stand ready to vindicate those rights, to allow our servicemembers to focus on their duty and relieve stress on them and their families.”
“The right for servicemembers to terminate leases without penalty when military orders send them elsewhere is a critical protection for people who already sacrifice so much,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue to enforce federal civil rights laws to ensure that paying rent for housing they no longer need is not another sacrifice servicemembers must bear.”
The SCRA extends various protections to servicemembers to allow them to devote their entire energy to the national defense. The SCRA provides protections for servicemembers in areas such as evictions, security deposits, pre-paid rent, civil judicial proceedings, installment contracts, interest rates, foreclosures, and automobile leases. The SCRA also allows servicemembers to terminate their residential leases after entering military service or receiving military orders for a permanent change of station, deployment, or retirement. Landlords are prohibited from imposing an early termination charge on servicemembers who terminate their leases under the SCRA.
The department launched an investigation into FPI’s leasing practices after receiving a referral from Coast Guard Legal Assistance about two instances where FPI attempted to require servicemembers who were terminating their leases early under the SCRA to repay discounts they had received when they signed the lease. In one case, FPI required Coast Guard Petty Officer First Class Aaron Gomez and his wife to repay $8,590 in lease concessions after they terminated their lease at an apartment building in Oakland near Coast Guard Island Alameda. In the other case, FPI told Coast Guard Petty Officer First Class William Fuchs that he would have to repay $7,838 in lease incentives after he terminated his lease at the same apartment building. Fuchs had just received military orders to relocate Charleston, South Carolina.
In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, the department alleges that FPI unlawfully imposed early termination charges on a total of nine servicemembers who had exercised their right to terminate their residential leases upon receipt of qualifying military orders.
Under the consent order, which still must be approved by the court, FPI has agreed to pay a total of $51,587 to the servicemembers and a $22,500 civil penalty to the United States. The order also requires FPI to repair the servicemembers’ tenant database entries, implement new policies and procedures that comply with the SCRA, and training its employees on the SCRA.
Since 2011, the Justice Department has been awarded over $481 million in monetary relief for over 146,000 servicemembers through its enforcement of the SCRA. For more information about the department’s SCRA enforcement efforts, please visit www.servicemembers.gov.
Servicemembers and their dependents who believe that their rights under the SCRA have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program Office. Office locations may be found at http://legalassistance.law.af.mil.
Pocatello Nurse Practitioner is Fined and Surrenders License for Unlawful Prescriptions and FraudRead the Press Release
BOISE – Rachel Peay-Goodman, a nurse practitioner in eastern Idaho, consented to judgment against her after admitting that she unlawfully prescribed controlled substances and submitted false claims to Medicare while working for AmeriHealth in Pocatello, announced U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit. The judgment found Peay‑Goodman civilly liable for violating the Controlled Substances Act and the False Claims Act, and requires her to pay a $75,000 fine and surrender her DEA license.
According to a complaint by the United States, Peay-Goodman wrote prescriptions for dangerous combinations of drugs to at least one patient, including simultaneous prescriptions for oxycodone, lorazepam, alprazolam, and zolpidem tartrate. Peay-Goodman admitted that such prescriptions lacked a legitimate medical purpose and were written outside the usual course of professional practice. When prescribed together, opioids, benzodiazepines, and other sleeping medications can suppress the central nervous system and cause overdose. As part of the consent judgment, Peay‑Goodman also admitted to submitting at least one false claim to Medicare.
“Unlawful prescriptions for dangerous combinations of drugs leads to addiction, overdose, and pain for patients, families, and communities,” said U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit, who announced the judgment. “This office will continue to hold prescribers accountable under the Controlled Substances Act when they write prescriptions that lack a legitimate medical purpose, and likewise, will continue to root-out fraud on Medicare and Medicaid.”
“Providers who put financial gain before the needs of their patients and prescribe dangerous amounts of controlled substances put their patients at severe risk of overdose and undermine important measures to curb the opioid crisis,” said Steven J. Ryan, Special Agent in Charge with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to address this kind of abuse at every turn and protect American patients, communities, and taxpayers from such dangerous conduct.”
“Ms. Peay-Goodman betrayed the trust of her profession and those who sought her care,” said Jacob D. Galvan, Acting Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “By prescribing a deadly combination of drugs, Ms. Peay-Goodman compromised the health and safety of her patients. We will continue to investigate such conduct at every turn.”
This matter was investigated jointly by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with additional assistance provided by the Idaho Board of Pharmacy.
For additional case information and publicly available court documents, see United States v. Rachel Peay-Goodman, 23-CV-00241 (CWD) (U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho).
###
- Pittsburgh and Clymer Residents Indicted for Violating Federal Narcotics Laws
Pascagoula Woman Sentenced for Embezzlement of Labor FundsRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. -- A Pascagoula woman was sentenced to three years of probation and six months under house arrest with electronic monitoring for embezzlement of labor organization funds, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca.
According to court documents, from January 2016, through February 2020, Lisa Bennett, 51, an elected business agent and self-appointed secretary and treasurer of the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 204, in Pascagoula, embezzled and converted to her own use and the use of others, funds of the OPEIU Local 204 Labor organization. Bennett’s embezzlement included her writing of unauthorized checks from the union’s checking account to herself for lost time she was not entitled to receive and payments of personal cell phone bills for herself and family members. She also doubled her salary without authorization.
Bennett pled guilty in February 2023 to embezzlement of labor organization funds.
At the sentencing hearing on June 12, 2023, the Court also ordered Bennett to pay restitution in the amount of $33,236.93 to the OPEIU.
The case was investigated by the U. S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Meynardie and Andrea Jones.
Ozark Man Sentenced to 14 Years for Meth TraffickingRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – An Ozark, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.
Scott W. Cannon, 42, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 14 years in federal prison without parole.
On July 19, 2022, Cannon pleaded guilty to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.
Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Cannon’s residence on June 28, 2021. Cannon was located in a downstairs bedroom, where officers also found three plastic bags that contained a total of 59.43 grams of pure methamphetamine hidden inside a wooden speaker box. Officers also found a plastic bag that contained psilocybin mushrooms hidden inside a casino-style slot machine, two digital scales, two small plastic bags that contained methamphetamine residue, and a broken glass pipe in the bedroom.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron A. Beaver. It was investigated by the Ozark, Mo., Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Oregon Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—An Oregon man pleaded guilty in federal court today for conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) by producing and distributing propaganda and recruiting materials online in coordination with ISIS members overseas.
Hawazen Sameer Mothafar, 33, an Iraqi national residing in Troutdale, Oregon, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
According to court documents, Mothafar immigrated to the U.S. from Iraq in 2014 and, since his arrival, has resided in Troutdale. An ISIS supporter since 2014, Mothafar was the co-founder of the Sunni Shield Foundation, a pro-ISIS media organization that created and published violent propaganda promoting ISIS ideology and objectives. In this role, Mothafar created the Sunni Shield’s first media product, a video of ISIS battle footage obtained from an official ISIS online platform intended to promote ISIS. In subsequent videos produced by Mothafar, he encouraged viewers to travel to Iraq and Syria to fight for ISIS and conduct attacks on behalf of the organization.
Mothafar and other members of the Sunni Shield obtained ISIS Central Media’s permission to begin publishing Al Anfal, an online newspaper promoting the Islamic State’s goals and advocating violent jihad. Mothafar oversaw planning and production of the publication while also serving as one of its graphic designers. Graphics designed by Mothafar for the publication incited readers to attack and kill Westerners and conduct knife attacks against ISIS enemies.
Mothafar communicated directly with ISIS Central Media officials in Iraq, from whom he regularly took instructions about media production. He represented the Sunni Shield in a private online group comprised of ISIS Central Media officials and representatives of other ISIS supporter groups. In this group, ISIS media officials would pass instructions to the supporter groups about official ISIS media campaigns. The supporter groups, including the Sunni Shield, would then prepare media materials to publish in support of the campaigns.
In addition to his work with the Sunni Shield, Mothafar aided other pro-ISIS media organizations and conspired with numerous ISIS associates in furtherance of his support to the terrorist organization. Mothafar provided graphic designs to the Khattab Media Foundation, assisted in the production of the Youth of the Caliphate magazine, published ISIS news on Nashr News Agency channels, worked with Fursan al-Rafa’ (Knights of Uploading) to publish pro-ISIS material on various websites, and assisted the Saqri Foundation with designs. Mothafar also communicated with Abu Qaswara al-Shanqiti, a Specially Designated Global Terrorist imprisoned in West Africa, and connected Qaswara al-Shanqiti with two ISIS officials in hopes of aiding his release.
On November 3, 2020, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a five-count indictment charging Mothafar with conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, providing and attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, and making false statements in an immigration application and to a government agency.
Mothafar faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and a life term of supervised release. He will be sentenced on January 11, 2024, before U.S. District Court Judge Marco A. Hernández.
This case was investigated by the FBI Portland Field Office. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
Oregon Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
An Oregon man pleaded guilty in federal court today for conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) by producing and distributing propaganda and recruiting materials online in coordination with ISIS members overseas.
Hawazen Sameer Mothafar, 33, an Iraqi national residing in Troutdale, Oregon, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
According to court documents, Mothafar immigrated to the U.S. from Iraq in 2014 and, since his arrival, has resided in Troutdale. An ISIS supporter since 2014, Mothafar was the co-founder of the Sunni Shield Foundation, a pro-ISIS media organization that created and published violent propaganda promoting ISIS ideology and objectives. In this role, Mothafar created the Sunni Shield’s first media product, a video of ISIS battle footage obtained from an official ISIS online platform intended to promote ISIS. In subsequent videos produced by Mothafar, he encouraged viewers to travel to Iraq and Syria to fight for ISIS and conduct attacks on behalf of the organization.
Mothafar and other members of the Sunni Shield obtained ISIS Central Media’s permission to begin publishing Al Anfal, an online newspaper promoting the Islamic State’s goals and advocating violent jihad. Mothafar oversaw planning and production of the publication while also serving as one of its graphic designers. Graphics designed by Mothafar for the publication incited readers to attack and kill Westerners and conduct knife attacks against ISIS enemies.
Mothafar communicated directly with ISIS Central Media officials in Iraq, from whom he regularly took instructions about media production. He represented the Sunni Shield in a private online group comprised of ISIS Central Media officials and representatives of other ISIS supporter groups. In this group, ISIS media officials would pass instructions to the supporter groups about official ISIS media campaigns. The supporter groups, including the Sunni Shield, would then prepare media materials to publish in support of the campaigns.
In addition to his work with the Sunni Shield, Mothafar aided other pro-ISIS media organizations and conspired with numerous ISIS associates in furtherance of his support to the terrorist organization. Mothafar provided graphic designs to the Khattab Media Foundation, assisted in the production of the Youth of the Caliphate magazine, published ISIS news on Nashr News Agency channels, worked with Fursan al-Rafa’ (Knights of Uploading) to publish pro-ISIS material on various websites, and assisted the Saqri Foundation with designs. Mothafar also communicated with Abu Qaswara al-Shanqiti, a Specially Designated Global Terrorist imprisoned in West Africa, and connected Qaswara al-Shanqiti with two ISIS officials in hopes of aiding his release.
On Nov. 3, 2020, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a five-count indictment charging Mothafar with conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, providing and attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, and making false statements in an immigration application and to a government agency.
Mothafar faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and a life term of supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 11, 2024 before U.S. District Court Judge Marco A. Hernández.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Natalie K. Wight, and Assistant Director Robert R. Wells of the FBI Counterterrorism Division made the announcement.
The FBI Portland Field Office is investigating the case.
Orchard Park Man Pleads Guilty to Marijuana ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Kevin Judge, 65, of Orchard Park, NY, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, marijuana, before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that Judge was a drug trafficking associate of co-defendant Gary Wolch. Judge traveled to secure marijuana for the drug trafficking operation and coordinated with other associates and conspirators to obtain marijuana for distribution in the Western New York area. On August 16, 2019, Judge arrived at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport, where he was approached by investigators at his gate and his bags were detained. After initial questioning, Judge was taken back to his vehicle in the parking lot. Once back in his vehicle, Judge contacted Wolch and said, “There’s a problem.” He then called other associates and co-conspirators. During the execution of a search warrant on Judge’s bags, law enforcement recovered $60,000 in U.S. currency and $40,000 in Western Union Money Orders. Judge admits he was attempting to go to Southern California with $100,000 to purchase marijuana. Charges are pending against Wolch.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Orchard Park Police Department, under the direction of Chief Patrick Fitzgerald, and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 10, 2023, before Judge Arcara.
# # # #
Orange County Lawyer Agrees to Plead Guilty to Multimillion-Dollar Fraud of Victims Who Believed They Were Funding Loan ProgramRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – A Newport Beach lawyer who claimed she was providing loans to the rich and famous has agreed to plead guilty to federal felony charges for using her investors’ money to fund her lavish lifestyle, causing them to lose more than $8 million, the Justice Department announced today.
Sara Jacqueline King, 39, is charged in a two-count information with wire fraud and money laundering. Both the information and a related plea agreement were filed late Monday in United States District Court in Santa Ana.
King is expected to make her initial court appearance on June 20.
According to her plea agreement, King operated King Family Lending LLC, a Newport Beach-based company that purportedly gave short-term, high-interest loans to professional athletes, celebrities and other high-net-worth individuals. The loans supposedly were secured by the borrowers’ own assets, including designer handbags, watches, luxury automobiles, yachts and earnings from guaranteed sports contracts.
From January 2022 until January 2023, King – through her company – recruited investors to purportedly fund her business’s loans. She admitted to telling investors that their investments were secured by the same collateral as the loans themselves. King promised she would retain possession of the collateral and that, in the event a borrower defaulted, she would sell the collateral to pay the investor in full.
King said she would keep a percentage of the interest earned from the loans and that she would pass along a percentage of the interest to victim-investors, along with their initial investment.
In reality, during this time period, King never initiated or funded any loan. Instead, she used victims’ funds to gamble at Las Vegas casinos and support her lavish lifestyle.
King admitted to causing five investors to lose more than $8 million. She has agreed that the applicable restitution amount in this case is at least $8,785,045.
She further admitted to withdrawing approximately $132,156 of investor money from King Family Lending’s bank account to purchase a Porsche Taycan electric sports car.
The FBI and the IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Waier of the Santa Ana Branch Office is prosecuting this case.
Ohio Resident Indicted for Violating Federal Narcotics LawsRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Cleveland, OH, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Johnstown on a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Antoine Darnell Toodle, age 31, of Cleveland, OH, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment presented to the court, on or about June 29, 2022, Toodle possessed with intent to distribute and distributed 50 grams of methamphetamine, and a quantity of fentanyl and crack cocaine.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of life in prison, a fine of $10,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Michael L. Mitchell is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
New York City Man Found Guilty of Charges for Abducting Elderly Woman with Dementia and Attempting to Obstruct InvestigationRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A New York man was found guilty by a judge today of federal criminal charges stemming from his abduction of a 68-year-old woman with dementia at the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center in July 2021.
Johnny Ray Gasca, 53, of Bronx, New York, was found guilty of one count of kidnapping, two counts of attempted obstruction of justice, and one count of attempted witness tampering.
United States District Judge André Birotte Jr. entered the verdict today at the conclusion of a six-day bench trial.
According to evidence presented at trial, Gasca kidnapped the victim at approximately 8:30 a.m. on July 19, 2021, after attempting to obtain a medical appointment at the VA facility.
The victim was accompanied by a long-time friend, and as the two of them “approached their car, Gasca appeared unexpectedly,” according to court documents. “Gasca put his arms around [the victim] and pushed her toward a gold-colored pickup truck that was parked nearby. Gasca then picked [the victim] up and threw her into the rear portion of the truck’s passenger compartment.”
After the Department of Veteran Affairs Police Department contacted the FBI later in the morning, the victim’s friend told agents she recognized Gasca, believed he previously was in some kind of relationship with the victim, and suspected Gasca may have taken some of [the victim’s] money from her bank and retirement accounts.
The witness also reported that the victim previously noted she was missing some of her credit cards, and when the two went to the victim’s bank to review her accounts, bank records showed a $35,000 withdrawal from the victim’s retirement account, followed by several Venmo, MoneyGram and PayPal transactions that the friend believed the victim did not have “the knowledge or wherewithal” to conduct, court documents state.
Within hours of beginning its investigation, the FBI located the victim’s phone at The Dixie Hollywood Hotel on Hollywood Boulevard, where agents converged. Soon after, Gasca and the victim exited the hotel, leading to Gasca’s arrest.
During an interview recounted in court documents, Gasca described the victim as his girlfriend and told agents that, after leaving the VA facility, they stopped at a bank where the victim made a $15,000 withdrawal.
After his arrest and while in pre-trial custody, Gasca made several jail calls to a friend in New York asking him to destroy evidence of his wrongdoing with the victim, according to evidence presented at the trial. Gasca urged the friend to erase all his messages on the Facebook Messenger app, including messages describing the victim as a “Golden goose.”
In August 2021, Gasca made another jailhouse phone call to his friend and told him to collect his hard drives from his apartment before the FBI could seize them and learn of his financial exploitation of the victim.
Judge Birotte found Gasca not guilty of one count of interference with commerce by extortion.
Judge Birotte scheduled a September 29 sentencing hearing, at which time Gasca will face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
The FBI investigated this matter and received substantial assistance from the VA Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin B. Reidy of the Major Frauds Section and Kathy Yu of the Violent and Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case.
New Britain Man Admits Stealing and Selling Catalytic ConvertersRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ROBERTO ALICEA, 31, of New Britain, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to offenses related to his participation in a stolen catalytic converter trafficking ring.
According to court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement has been investigating the theft of catalytic converters from motor vehicles across Connecticut. A catalytic converter contains precious metals, can easily be removed from its vehicle, and is difficult to trace, making it a desirable target for thieves. The average scrap price for catalytic converters currently varies between $300 and $1,500, depending on the model and type of precious metal component.
The investigation revealed that Downpipe Depot & Recycling LLC (“Downpipe Depot”), which had a warehouse on Park Avenue in East Hartford, purchased stolen catalytic converters from a network of thieves, including Alicea, and then transported and sold the catalytic converters to recycling businesses in New York and New Jersey. Business records seized during the investigation revealed that, between December 2021 and May 2022, Downpipe Depot paid Alicea approximately $540,000 for catalytic converters.
Alicea pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, and one count of interstate transportation of stolen property, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. Judge Nagala scheduled sentencing for September 5.
Alicea has been detained since his arrest on August 23, 2022.
This investigation is being led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), and the East Hartford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and A. Reed Durham.
Modesto Man Sentenced to over 12 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking, Illegal Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Joshua Harrington, 36, of Modesto, was sentenced Monday to 12 years and seven months in prison for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on April 2, 2021, Harrington discarded a backpack with two firearms while fleeing from law enforcement officers. Harrington is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition because he has been convicted of multiple felonies in Stanislaus County, including possession of a controlled substance and two convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Officers also located methamphetamine possessed by Harrington for distribution in the garage at his residence. On Aug. 14, 2021, Harrington possessed methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it in Modesto.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office; the Stanislaus County Probation Department; and the Modesto Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Sanchez 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 U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.