Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Wednesday 26 April 2023
U.S. Attorney’s Office Honors Law Enforcement Partners in Fourth Annual “Excellence in the Pursuit of Justice” Awards CeremonyRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – The United States Attorney’s Office recognized members of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies at its fourth annual “Excellence in the Pursuit of Justice” Awards ceremony. The ceremony, held on April 25, 2023, honored law enforcement professionals who have gone above and beyond their duties to safeguard Minnesota’s communities.
“It is a great honor to recognize the exceptional work and unwavering dedication put forth by the law enforcement officials and victim advocates with whom we are fortunate to work on a daily basis,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger. “In conjunction with National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, I applaud our law enforcement partners for their outstanding service to our communities and their pursuit of justice for the victims as well as the offenders.”
The honorees are members of the following agencies:
- Bloomington Police Department
- U.S. Department of Labor – Office of the Inspector General
- Burnsville Police Department
- U.S. Postal Inspection Service
- Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of the Inspector General
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
- Drug Enforcement Administration
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office
- Brooklyn Park Police Department
- Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
- Albert Lea Police Department
- Minnesota Department of Corrections
U.S. Attorney's Office Hosts Annual Distinguished Victim Services Award CeremonyRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – To commemorate National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW),
the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina hosted its annual Distinguished Victim Services Award ceremony, recognizing 11 recipients for their significant support, advocacy, and services to crime victims and their contributions to the cause of justice.
National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is April 23-29, 2023. The Justice Department’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) has selected this year’s NCVRW theme, “Survivor Voices: Elevate. Engage. Effect Change,” to emphasize the importance of engaging with victims of crime; learning from their lived experiences; amplifying their voices; and fostering an environment where they are heard, believed, and supported.
“National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is an opportunity to honor and recognize outstanding individuals and organizations for their efforts to advocate on behalf of crime victims, and for their exceptional commitment to the pursuit of justice for victims and their families,” said U.S. Attorney Dena J. King. “This year’s recipients were selected for their professionalism, their advocacy, their superior service to crime victims, and their unwavering commitment to making sure that crime victims, crime survivors and their families have equal access to the resources and services they are entitled to on their path to recovery.”
The 11 award recipients recognized for their work are:
Outstanding Law Enforcement Award
- Deputy David Coffman – Catawba County Sheriff’s Office
- Special Agent Timothy Kyle Thiel – Homeland Security Investigations
Outstanding Criminal Justice Professional Award
- Assistant U.S. Attorney William Bozin
- Assistant U.S. Attorney Lambert Guinn
Outstanding Support Staff Award
- Supervisory Legal Assistant Pamela Burgess
- Student Intern Marim Habib
Outstanding Victim Advocate Award
- Adelaide Auman – Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department
- Migdalia Cortes – Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department
- Present Age Ministries – Concord, North Carolina
Outstanding USAO Partner
- Tracey Bernstein – Holiday Inn City Center
- Demetria Brittingham - U.S. Marshals Service
In presenting the awards today, U.S. Attorney King thanked the recipients for their outstanding dedication and service in working with crime victims and noted the important role each honoree has played in delivering justice and providing victims with the support they need in the aftermath of crime.
Throughout the nation and in the Western District of North Carolina, victim advocacy organizations, community groups, and state, local, and Tribal agencies host rallies, candlelight vigils, and other events during NCVRW, to raise awareness of victims’ rights and services.
The Office for Victims of Crime leads communities in their annual observances of NCVRW. On Wednesday, April 26, 2023, a candlelight vigil will be held on the National Mall from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. eastern time, to pay tribute to victims of crime and the many dedicated professionals and volunteers who advocate on their behalf. Attendees will also observe a moment of silence to honor all crime victims. Use this link to register for the event. For more information about how to support all victims of crime, visit OVC’s website at ovc.ojp.gov.
Additional information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office Victim/Witness Assistance Program can be found here.
U.S. Attorney Emphasizes Commitment to Survivors of Crime During National Crime Victims’ Rights WeekRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas joins the rest of the nation in commemorating National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW) April 23-29. NCVRW is an annual week of recognition to honor victims of crime and ensure their rights are upheld.
This year’s theme is “Survivor Voices: Elevate. Engage. Effect Change.” It calls upon communities to amplify the voices of survivors and create environments where survivors have the confidence that they will be heard, believed, and supported.
“Survivors of crime often face physical, emotional and psychological trauma that can have long-lasting effects. They deserve our support, our compassion and our protection,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas. “As U.S. Attorney, I am committed to ensuring that criminals are held accountable for their actions, and that victims are treated with dignity and respect. This week, we stand in solidarity with survivors and remain focused on working toward a society in which all victims are treated with dignity and respect so that they can heal and rebuild their lives.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas has a dedicated team of prosecutors and victim assistance professionals who work together to ensure victims of crime receive the services and support they need.
In 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas obtained a default judgement against Samantha Mueting and her company, iCORE Global. Mueting led a real estate scam, perpetrating a series of frauds upon couple nearing retirement. One of the victim couples lost approximately $600,000 to Mueting and iCORE Global when they sent wire transfers to Mueting’s bank accounts in San Antonio. Immediately after the wire transfers were deposited, Mueting made a large cash withdrawal. Suspecting fraud, bank officials closed the account and issued a check to Mueting who then deposited the funds into another bank account in San Antonio under the name of iCORE Global LLC and ICG Secure Deposit Funds LLC. Working with the United States Secret Service, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas filed a civil forfeiture case against the funds, which then totaled $482,194.05. The funds were returned to the victims in or about Oct. 2022.
On Aug. 4, 2022, Jose Gomez III was sentenced in Midland to 25 years in prison on hate crime charges for attacking an Asian family he believed was Chinese and therefore responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. Gomez further admitted that he had attempted to kill the family’s six-year-old child. In addition to the prison sentence, Gomez was ordered to pay the victims $16,782.74 in restitution.
On Aug. 24, 2022, two men were sentenced in Waco for robbing five area merchants at gunpoint, causing severe harm to each of their victims through violent crime. Roosevelt Jones IV is now serving a 20 year prison sentence, while co-defendant Christopher Teon Fults is serving 10 years. Combined, Jones and Fults were ordered to pay more than $21,000 in restitution to the victims.
On Jan. 23, 2023, Jaycob Andrew Bustamante was sentenced to 204-months imprisonment, a 30 year term of supervised release, and $13,500 restitution, for cyberstalking, distribution of child sexual abuse material and extortion. Between January 2021 and September 2021, he created multiple social media accounts posing as the victim, through which he posted the sexually explicit images and sent the child pornography to her friends and family. Over the course of Bustamante’s constant harassment, he repeatedly threatened and stalked the victim through social media, placing her and her family in fear of violence, while demanding more sexually explicit images.
On Feb. 8, 2023, Connor Flores Jimenez, of the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas Reservation near Eagle Pass, was sentenced in Del Rio to 20 years in prison after he severely injured his two-month-old baby and choked his wife unconscious.
On April 4, 2023, Alberto Jimenez Pastrana was sentenced in Pecos to 15 years in prison for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Pastrana had shot at a vehicle containing his children and their mother, then crashed into it with this own vehicle and drove away, fleeing numerous law enforcement vehicles from various agencies. Pastrana was a convicted felon with four prior felony convictions and received the statutory maximum sentence.
Visit ovc.ojp.gov/ncvrw2023/overview for more information on National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.
###
Two Sentenced to Prison for ‘We Build the Wall’ Online Fundraising Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that BRIAN KOLFAGE and ANDREW BADOLATO were sentenced today by United States District Judge Analisa Torres. KOLFAGE was sentenced to 51 months in prison, and BADOLATO was sentenced to 36 months in prison, for their respective roles in carrying out a scheme to defraud hundreds of thousands of donors in connection with an online crowdfunding campaign known as “We Build The Wall” by soliciting donations using false statements and then stealing the resulting donations.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Brian Kolfage and Andrew Badolato abused the trust of donors to We Build the Wall and stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations to line their own pockets. The defendants have now been held accountable for their criminal conduct.”
According to court filings and evidence introduced during court proceedings:
Starting in approximately December 2018, BRIAN KOLFAGE, ANDREW BADOLATO, their co-defendant TIMOTHY SHEA, and others orchestrated a scheme to defraud hundreds of thousands of donors, including donors in the Southern District of New York, in connection with an online crowdfunding campaign ultimately known as “We Build The Wall” that raised more than $25,000,000 to build a wall along the southern border of the United States. In particular, to induce donors to donate to the campaign, KOLFAGE repeatedly and falsely assured the public that he would “not take a penny in salary or compensation” and that “100% of the funds raised…will be used in the execution of our mission and purpose.”
Those representations were lies. In truth, KOLFAGE, BADOLATO, SHEA, and others received hundreds of thousands of dollars in donor funds from We Build the Wall, which they each used in a manner inconsistent with the organization’s public representations. For example, KOLFAGE covertly took for his personal use more than $350,000 in funds that donors had given to We Build the Wall. To conceal the payments to KOLFAGE from We Build the Wall, KOLFAGE, BADOLATO, SHEA, and others devised a scheme to route those payments through entities and bank accounts that they controlled. They took various steps to obscure or conceal these payments, including by using fake invoices and sham contracts — conduct for which SHEA was convicted at trial of obstruction of justice.
In imposing today’s sentences on KOLFAGE and BADOLATO, Judge Torres noted that “this was no ordinary financial fraud,” because when victims donated to We Build the Wall, “they were expressing their views about a political issue that was important to them.” Noting that the offense cast doubt on the efficacy of political involvement and that the scheme would “undoubtedly have a chilling effect” on political donations, Judge Torres remarked that “the fraud perpetrated by Mr. Kolfage and Mr. Badolato went well beyond defrauding individual donors. They hurt us all.”
* * *
KOLFAGE, 41, of Miramar Beach, Florida, and BADOLATO, 58, of Cocoa, Florida, each pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. KOLFAGE also pled guilty to tax and wire fraud charges originally filed by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida.
SHEA, 52, of Castle Rock, Colorado, was convicted after trial of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and obstruction of justice, and is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Torres on June 13, 2023.
In addition to the prison terms, KOLFAGE was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $17,872,106 and pay restitution in the amount of $2,877,414. BADOLATO was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $1,414,368 and pay restitution in the amount of $1,414,368. Judge Torres also separately ordered forfeiture of $1,376,597.39 of funds held by We Build the Wall and real property located in Sunland Park, New Mexico, on which We Build the Wall had constructed a portion of a wall.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mollie E. Bracewell, Alison G. Moe, Nicolas Roos, Robert B. Sobelman, and Derek Wikstrom are in charge of the prosecution.
Two New Orleans Men Sentenced to over 40 Years in Federal Prison for Violent CarjackingsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – HAROLD FOSTER, age 31, and MARC DALTON, age 31, of New Orleans, Louisiana were sentenced on April 25, 2023 by United States District Judge Jay C. Zainey, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. After a federal jury trial, the defendants were convicted of two counts of carjacking in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2119(1) and two counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(ii). FOSTER was sentenced to a total of 44 years imprisonment and DALTON was sentenced to a total of 41 years and 6 months imprisonment.
Testimony at trial established that FOSTER and DALTON carjacked the driver of a white Chevrolet Equinox on April 10, 2020 at the Eastside Cash and Carry convenience store on Chef Menteur Highway in New Orleans. The defendants held the victim at gunpoint with a revolver in furtherance of the offense. After forcing him into his car, the pair briefly kidnapped, then abandoned him on the side of the road.
The evidence at trial also showed that on April 12, 2020, FOSTER and DALTON were caught immediately after a second carjacking. In that event, two victims were sitting in a Mercedes C300 vehicle on St. Peter Street in New Orleans when the defendants held them at gunpoint with a semi-automatic Taurus handgun. Like the previous offense, the defendants kidnapped then abandoned the victims on the side of the road. The New Orleans Police Department located the defendants in the stolen Mercedes immediately after the carjacking and arrested them following a high-speed pursuit on Downman Road.
FOSTER’s 44-year sentence consists of 180 months for each count of carjacking and 84 months for each count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, all to run consecutively. He was further ordered to pay $400.00 in mandatory special assessment fees and serve a term five years on supervised release. DALTON’s 41 year and 6-month sentence consists of 165 months for each count of carjacking and 84 months for each count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, all to run consecutively. He was further ordered to pay $400.00 in mandatory special assessment fees and serve a term five years on supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, New Orleans Police Department, and Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Charles D. Strauss, David E. Haller of the Violent Crime Unit, and J. Benjamin Myers of the Narcotics Unit are in charge of the prosecution.
Trigg County Man Sentenced to over 3 Years in Prison for Federal Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Paducah, KY – A Trigg County man was sentenced yesterday to 3 years and 4 months in federal prison followed by a 3-year term of supervised release for possessing a firearm after having been previously convicted of a felony offense and possessing the firearm in violation of the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division made the announcement.
According to court documents, Chanz Outing, 41, of Cadiz, Kentucky, possessed a shotgun having a barrel length of less than 18 inches that was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Outing was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses. On October 15, 2002, in Trigg Circuit Court, he was convicted of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (cocaine). On January 15, 2009, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, Paducah Division, Outing was convicted of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and aiding and abetting the distribution of marijuana.
The case was investigated by the ATF Bowling Green Resident Agency and the Trigg County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Leigh Ann Dycus, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
###
Three Nevada Men Convicted in Multimillion Dollar Prize Notice SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted three Nevada men yesterday for perpetrating a prize-notification scheme that stole more than $6 million from victims. The notices led victims to believe that they could claim a large cash prize if they paid a fee of $20 to $30. This was false; victims who paid the fees did not receive anything of value. Many of the schemes’ victims were retirees or other older adults.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Mario Castro, 55, and Miguel Castro, 58, of Las Vegas, and Jose Luis Mendez, 49, of Henderson, Nevada, produced the fraudulent prize notices at their business in Las Vegas. The three defendants also were partners in companies that sent the fraudulent prize notices. The defendants used money from victims to print and mail prize notices and also received a share of the profits.
“This verdict demonstrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to pursuing and holding accountable those who participate in scams that defraud consumers,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department is committed to protecting consumers from deceptive mass-mailing schemes.”
“The defendants mailed fraudulent prize notices to prey upon and trick victims, many of them elderly, out of millions of dollars,” said U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada. “This guilty verdict should be a warning to individuals who commit fraudulent acts. We are committed to working together with the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to identify and hold fraudsters accountable. We will continue to protect older Americans and prosecute individuals who seek to carry out fraudulent schemes targeting seniors.”
“Vulnerable and older Americans have been victimized for far too long by individuals who hide in the shadows to commit their crimes,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group. “This verdict unmasks these criminals and holds them to account for their conduct. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is proud to have contributed to this result and will be relentless in protecting American consumers from fraud through the U.S. Mail.”
The defendants operated the scheme from 2010 to February 2018, when postal inspectors executed multiple search warrants and the Department of Justice obtained a court order shutting down the fraudulent mail operation. Mario Castro, Miguel Castro, and Jose Luis Mendez worked at the printing and mailing businesses that sent the fraudulent mail and shared the profits from the fraudulent prize notices. The defendants and their co-conspirators ignored multiple cease and desist orders from the U.S. Postal Service that prohibited their companies from sending fraudulent mail. The defendants responded by changing the names of their companies and using straw owners to hide their continuing fraud.
Mario Castro was convicted of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and seven counts of mail fraud. He was found not guilty of five counts of mail fraud.
Miguel Castro was convicted of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and five counts of mail fraud. He was found not guilty of seven counts of mail fraud.
Jose Luis Mendez was convicted of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and eleven counts of mail fraud. He was found not guilty of one count of mail fraud.
A fourth defendant, Salvador Castro, was acquitted by the jury on all charges.
The convicted defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 23 and face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count of mail fraud and conspiracy to commit mail fraud. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Four other people previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud in connection with this prize notice scheme: Patti Kern, 65, of Henderson, Nevada; Andrea Burrow, 43, of Las Vegas; Edgar Del Rio, 45, of Las Vegas; and Sean O’Connor, 54, of Las Vegas.
The USPIS investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Timothy Finley and Daniel Zytnick of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mina Chang for the District of Nevada are prosecuting the case.
The Department urges individuals to be on the lookout for lottery, prize notification, and sweepstakes scams. If you receive a phone call, letter, or email promising a large prize in exchange for a fee, do not respond. Fraudsters often will use official-sounding names or the names of real lotteries or sweepstakes, or pretend to be a government agent purportedly helping to secure a prize.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available. The Federal Trade Commission also provides a hotline at 877-FTC-HELP_and a website at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov_to receive consumer complaints.
More information about the Department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. The Department of Justice provides information about a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which are available at https://www.ovc.gov.
Three Nevada Men Convicted in Multimillion Dollar Prize Notice SchemeRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A federal jury convicted three Nevada men yesterday for perpetrating a prize-notification scheme that stole more than $6 million from victims. The notices led victims to believe that they could claim a large cash prize if they paid a fee of $20 to $30. This was false; victims who paid the fees did not receive anything of value. Many of the schemes’ victims were retirees or other older adults.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Mario Castro, 55, and Miguel Castro, 58, of Las Vegas, and Jose Luis Mendez, 49, of Henderson, Nevada, produced the fraudulent prize notices at their business in Las Vegas. The three defendants also were partners in companies that sent the fraudulent prize notices. The defendants used money from victims to print and mail prize notices and also received a share of the profits.
“This verdict demonstrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to pursuing and holding accountable those who participate in scams that defraud consumers,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department is committed to protecting consumers from deceptive mass-mailing schemes.”
“The defendants mailed fraudulent prize notices to prey upon and trick victims, many of them elderly, out of millions of dollars,” said U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada. “This guilty verdict should be a warning to individuals who commit fraudulent acts. We are committed to working together with the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to identify and hold fraudsters accountable. We will continue to protect older Americans and prosecute individuals who seek to carry out fraudulent schemes targeting seniors.”
“Vulnerable and older Americans have been victimized for far too long by individuals who hide in the shadows to commit their crimes,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group. “This verdict unmasks these criminals and holds them to account for their conduct. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is proud to have contributed to this result and will be relentless in protecting American consumers from fraud through the U.S. Mail.”
The defendants operated the scheme from 2010 to February 2018, when postal inspectors executed multiple search warrants and the Department of Justice obtained a court order shutting down the fraudulent mail operation. Mario Castro, Miguel Castro, and Jose Luis Mendez worked at the printing and mailing businesses that sent the fraudulent mail and shared the profits from the fraudulent prize notices. The defendants and their co-conspirators ignored multiple cease and desist orders from the U.S. Postal Service that prohibited their companies from sending fraudulent mail.
The defendants responded by changing the names of their companies and using straw owners to hide their continuing fraud.
Mario Castro was convicted of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and seven counts of mail fraud. He was found not guilty of five counts of mail fraud.
Miguel Castro was convicted of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and five counts of mail fraud. He was found not guilty of seven counts of mail fraud.
Jose Luis Mendez was convicted of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and eleven counts of mail fraud. He was found not guilty of one count of mail fraud.
A fourth defendant, Salvador Castro, was acquitted by the jury on all charges.
The convicted defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 23 and face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count of mail fraud and conspiracy to commit mail fraud. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Four other people previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud in connection with this prize notice scheme: Patti Kern, 65, of Henderson, Nevada; Andrea Burrow, 43, of Las Vegas; Edgar Del Rio, 45, of Las Vegas; and Sean O’Connor, 54, of Las Vegas.
The USPIS investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Timothy Finley and Daniel Zytnick of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mina Chang for the District of Nevada are prosecuting the case.
The Department urges individuals to be on the lookout for lottery, prize notification, and sweepstakes scams. If you receive a phone call, letter, or email promising a large prize in exchange for a fee, do not respond. Fraudsters often will use official-sounding names or the names of real lotteries or sweepstakes, or pretend to be a government agent purportedly helping to secure a prize.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available. The Federal Trade Commission also provides a hotline at 877-FTC-HELP_and a website at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov_to receive consumer complaints.
More information about the Department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. The Department of Justice provides information about a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which are available at https://www.ovc.gov.
###
Three Companies and Eleven Individuals Charged in Major Clean Air Act CaseRead the Press Release
Defendants Accused of Disabling Emissions Controls on Semi-Trucks; Some Plea Agreements Signed, Investigation Ongoing in One of the Largest Cases of Its Kind
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that three companies and eleven individuals have been charged with violating the Clean Air Act in an aftermarket scheme to disable the emissions control systems of semi-trucks. While the investigation is ongoing, even now this case is one of the largest of its kind ever charged in the United States. The corporate defendants are Diesel Freak LLC, of Gaylord, and Accurate Truck Service, LLC, and Griffin Transportation, Inc., of Grand Rapids.
“Today’s criminal charges send a loud message of accountability to polluters who flout our environmental laws,” said U.S. Attorney Totten. “These rules not only protect the planet; they also protect people – especially the most vulnerable. They safeguard the water we drink, the lakes we fish, and the air we breathe. To the owners and drivers of the vehicles that participated in this scheme and are now spewing harmful pollutants: get them fixed now.”
The individual defendants are:
Defendant
Age
City
Ryan Lalone
47
Gaylord
Wade Lalone
44
Gaylord
Dustin Rhine
32
Indian River
James Sisson
42
Mt. Pleasant
Douglas Larsen
51
Wayland
Craig Scholten
58
Byron Center
Ryan Bos
45
Grandville
Robert Swainston
50
Hopkins
Randy Clelland
33
Grand Rapids
Scott DeKock
45
Hudsonville
Glenn Hoezee
55
Howard City
The three companies, Ryan Lalone, Wade Lalone, Douglas Larsen, Craig Scholten, Ryan Bos, Robert Swainston, Randy Clelland, Scott DeKock, and Glenn Hoezee have all signed plea agreements indicating their intent to plead guilty to a felony information. Dustin Rhine and James Sisson were indicted by a federal grand jury. Arraignments and change of plea hearings will occur on dates to be set by the U.S. District Court.
According to public records filed in the case, Ryan Lalone owns Diesel Freak LLC and Wade Lalone, Rhine, and Sisson were employed there. Accurate Truck Service, LLC, is owned by Larsen, Scholten, and Bos, and Swainston and Clelland were employed there. Griffin Transportation, Inc., is owned by Scholten and Bos. DeKock used to own a shipping company, at which Hoezee was employed.
Accurate Truck Service, LLC, removed or altered the hardware components of vehicles with heavy-duty diesel engines, which components controlled the vehicles’ emissions. Diesel Freak LLC reprogrammed the engine computers of the vehicles so that they would continue to function even after the hardware was removed or altered. This process is sometimes referred to as a “deletion,” that is, “deleting” the emissions controls from the vehicles. “Deleting” emissions controls from the vehicles can improve performance and fuel economy and save maintenance costs. Tampering with or removing emissions controls can drastically increase the emissions of nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and non-methane hydrocarbons found in vehicle exhaust. Exposure to and inhalation of these chemicals at greater levels is associated with serious health risks.
Griffin Transportation, Inc., and the company DeKock formerly owned engaged Accurate Truck Service, LLC, and Diesel Freak LLC to “delete” trucks owned, operated, or leased by the companies. During the conspiracy, Diesel Freak LLC was involved in at least 362 deletions; Accurate Truck Service, LLC, in at least 83 deletions; Griffin Transportation, Inc., in at least 12 deletions; and DeKock’s former company in at least 4 deletions. Accurate Truck Service, LLC, and Griffin Transportation, Inc., have agreed to pay a combined $1 million fine. Diesel Freak LLC has agreed to pay a $750,000 fine subject to defense arguments regarding inability to pay. Any fine is a part of the criminal sentence and ultimately within the discretion of the sentencing judge.
“By illegally tampering with emissions controls on diesel trucks operating throughout the United States and Canada, defendants caused the excessive release of diesel exhaust containing toxic gases and impurities harmful to public health and the environment,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Richard Conrad of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division (“EPA-CID”). “This case highlights EPA and our law enforcement partners’ continued efforts to prosecute those who violate environmental and public health laws in the U.S. for financial gain.”
The charges in an indictment are merely accusations and are not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. The government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. A conviction for conspiracy is subject to a prison term of up to five years and a fine of up to $250,000 for an individual, $500,000 for an organization, or twice the gain from the offense, among other penalties. A conviction for violating the Clean Air Act carries a prison term of up to two years and the same fines, among other penalties.
The purpose of the Clean Air Act is, among other things, “to protect and enhance the quality of the Nation’s air resources so as to promote the public health and welfare and the productive capacity of its population.” In passing the Act, Congress found that “the increasing use of motor vehicles[] has resulted in mounting dangers to the public health and welfare.”
U.S. Attorney Totten also noted that those with information about other companies and individuals involved in tampering with emissions controls in connection with this investigation can contact EPA-CID at (734) 214-4913. General environmental violations can be reported to EPA through the website https://echo.epa.gov/report-environmental-violations.
EPA-CID is investigating the matter with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General, and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Environmental Investigation Section. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin M. Presant is prosecuting the cases.
Diesel Freak LLC - Felony Information - File Stamped Copy
Plea Agreement - Accurate Truck Service and Griffin Transportation
Plea Agreement - Craig Scholten
Plea Agreement - Diesel Freak LLC
Plea Agreement - Douglas Larsen
Plea Agreement - Glenn Hoezee
Plea Agreement - Randy Clelland
Plea Agreement - Robert Swainston
Plea Agreement - Ryan Bos
Plea Agreement - Ryan Lalone
Plea Agreement - Scott Dekock
Plea Agreement - Wade Lalone###
Special Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights Violation and is SentencedRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Brandon T. Greenfield-Logan, 33, of Oxon Hill, Maryland, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to one misdemeanor count of deprivation of rights under color of law for violating the constitutional rights of a handcuffed prisoner. The plea was entered before United States District Judge Jia M. Cobb, who sentenced Greenfield-Logan to one year of probation and ordered him to perform 50 hours of community service.
According to the plea documents and as discussed in the plea hearing, on September 27, 2021, the defendant was working as a Special Police Officer. On that date, while in full uniform and vested with police powers, Greenfield-Logan was called to assist other Special Police Officers at the Trinity Tower Apartments, located on 14th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. At approximately 12:30 a.m., an individual identified as W.S. was in the custody of Special Police Officers at the Trinity Tower Apartments. W.S. was seated in a chair with his hands handcuffed behind his back. Defendant Greenfield-Logan slapped W.S. across the face without warning or legal justification in violation of the individual’s constitutional rights
This matter was investigated by the Internal Affairs Bureau of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Truscott.
The U.S. Attorney's Office remains committed to investigating allegations of excessive force by law enforcement officers and will continue to devote the resources necessary to ensure that all allegations of serious civil rights violations are investigated fully and completely.
South Georgia man with lengthy criminal history of drug offenses sentenced to federal prisonRead the Press Release
WAYCROSS, GA: A Lowndes County man who sold cocaine from a Waycross, Ga., residence has been sentenced to more than 10 years in federal prison.
Benjamin Godwin, 36, of Remerton, Ga, was sentenced to 151 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to Distribution of Cocaine, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The sentence for Godwin is consecutive to a 41-month drug-trafficking sentence in state court in Florida for which Godwin had failed to report to custody, and to any additional time he could be ordered to serve for violating state parole in Georgia. After completion of his prison terms, Godwin must serve three years of federal supervised release, and there is no parole in the federal system.
“Benjamin Godwin’s extensive criminal record makes it clear that a substantial period of incarceration is warranted,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “We hope that the sentence in this case will finally deter him from future criminal conduct and ensure the safety of the community.”
As described in court, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation initiated an investigation in 2021 after identifying Godwin as a drug trafficker in Ware County. The investigation led to his federal indictment in September 2022, and he pled guilty in December 2022 to Distribution of Cocaine.
Godwin, who has multiple prior convictions for drug trafficking, faced an outstanding state warrant after failing to report for incarceration after a methamphetamine trafficking conviction in Hillsborough, Fla., in January 2021. After sentencing in the federal case, U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood ordered Godwin remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
“Removing this repeat offender from the Waycross, Ga., community will effectively disrupt one of the primary supply chains for cocaine in south Georgia,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. “This defendant will now spend well-deserved time in prison instead of selling poison in our community.”
“This repeat offender has chosen a life of crime and now must pay the consequences by serving this lengthy sentence,” said Mike Register, Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. “We will continue to work with our federal partners to investigate drug trafficking and make our communities safer.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcela C. Mateo.
Soap Lake, Washington Physician’s Assistant Pleads Guilty to Lying to the FBIRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of
Washington, announced that Eldon L. Leinweber, age 72 of Waterville, Washington pleaded guilty
to making a materially false statement to the FBI. Leinweber faces a maximum sentence of five
years imprisonment, a three-year term of court supervision, and a $250,000 fine. Senior Judge
William Fremming Nielsen will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing
Guidelines and other statutory factors. Leinweber is scheduled to be sentenced on July 26, 2023,
at 9:00 a.m. in Spokane, Washington.According to court documents, Leinweber was a practicing Physician’s Assistant who held a
Physician’s Assistant License in the State of Washington and U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration registration number. As such, he was authorized to prescribe controlled substances
for legitimate medical purposes and in the usual course of professional practice. He owned and
operated Mansfield Family Medicine in Soap Lake, Washington. The FBI and the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”), opened
an investigation of Leinweber regarding the potential violation of federal criminal law with respect
to his prescribing of controlled substances. The FBI and HHS-OIG were investigating, in part,
allegations that the Mansfield Family Clinic was overbilling Medicare and Medicaid. In a billing
investigation, one of the material questions relates to the amount of time a medical professional,
such as Leinweber, spends with a patient and the nature of the examination performed, which
directly affect the bill’s amount and whether it is lawfully paid.When the FBI and HHS-OIG interviewed Leinweber during its investigation, he falsely stated that
“99.99%” of the time he checked the vital signs of a patient before prescribing an opioid
medication. In truth and in fact, as Leinweber well knew, that statement was materially false,
when made, because he did not check the vital signs of a patient “99.99%” of the time before
prescribing an opioid medication. Indeed, the rate at which the Mansfield Family Clinic performed
complete physicals was materially lower. Further, for multiple patients, the Mansfield Family
Clinic updated opioid prescriptions with minimal physical examinations. Leinweber’s false
statement was made to mislead the FBI in its investigation.Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington said, “Lying to
federal agents is a serious offense. Lying about core aspects of patient safety when prescribing
opioids impacts the health of our entire community. The integrity of our Nation’s criminal justice
system depends on people telling the truth and those who fail to abide by this fundamental
principle must face the consequences.”“Integrity is a core value of the FBI and absolutely fundamental in our investigative work. The
public expects the same from those given the privilege of providing medical care,” said Richard A.
Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle Field Office. “This case serves as an example
of the importance of honesty and that we will hold those who lie accountable, no matter their
profession.”“This provider endangered the safety of his patients by recklessly prescribing opioid medications
and lying to federal investigators about doing so,” said Steven J. Ryan, Special Agent in Charge at
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG).
“HHS-OIG will not tolerate those who attempt to subvert our investigations, particularly when
they concern undermining critical efforts to end the opioid crisis.”This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States
Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. This case is being
prosecuted by George J.C. Jacobs, III, Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of
Washington.2:19-CR-209-WFN
Slidell Man Sentenced After Pleading Guilty to Violating the Federal Controlled Substance ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – OLIVER PIERRE, age 40, a resident of Slidell, Louisiana, was sentenced to time served, followed by three years of supervised release and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine base (“crack”), in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, in October 2015, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration learned of the drug trafficking activities of James Bickham, a Houston-based drug trafficker who used PIERRE as a drug courier to deliver drugs from Houston to Slidell, Louisiana. Through a court-approved telephone wiretap, from October 6 to October 8, 2015, Agents intercepted telephone calls between Bickham and a customer discussing the delivery of 7.5 ounces of crack from Bickham to the customer in Slidell, Louisiana. In the conversations, Bickham informed the customer that PIERRE would deliver the drugs to him on October 8.
Aware of the pending drug transaction, on October 8, 2015, agents established surveillance outside of the customer’s residence in Slidell. Agents also intercepted calls between Bickham, the customer, and PIERRE regarding the delivery of the crack. At approximately 3:40 p.m., the customer exited an apartment and drove to the Quick E-Z, 35220 Hwy 433 in Slidell and parked next to a silver colored SUV driven by PIERRE. PIERRE, who was delivering the drugs supplied by Bickham, threw the drugs into the customer’s vehicle. While PIERRE was throwing the drugs into the customer’s vehicle, Bickham, who was on the phone with the customer, told the customer that PIERRE gave the customer two bags containing a total of 7.5 ounces of crack. After PIERRE threw the drugs into the customer’s vehicle, the customer and PIERRE left the area in their separate vehicles. Agents attempted to stop the customer but the customer drove away and threw the drugs out of the window. Eventually, Agents caught and arrested the customer and retrieved the two bags of drugs that he threw from his vehicle. In total, agents recovered 158 grams of crack that PIERRE delivered to the customer.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney André Jones of the Narcotics Unit.
Sex Offender Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
FORT SMITH – A Green Forest man was sentenced today to 240 months in prison without the possibility of parole on one count of Transportation of Child Pornography. The Honorable Judge P.K. Holmes, III presided over the sentencing hearing, which was held in the U.S. District Court in Fort Smith.
According to court documents, in February of 2019, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an individual in Green Forest had posted images of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to the social media platform Twitter. The resulting investigation identified the individual who had posted the CSAM files as Pedro Saldivar, Jr, age 46. In a subsequent interview, Saldivar admitted to trading items of CSAM with other users. Saldivar is a sex offender out of the State of Texas.
Saldivar was indicted by a Grand Jury in the Western District of Arkansas in September of 2022 and entered a plea of guilty in December of 2022.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations Fayetteville, Green Forest Police Department, Eureka Springs Police Department, Fayetteville Police Department, and Springdale Police Department participated in the investigation of this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Marshall and Assistant U.S. Attorney Devon Still prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Scott County Man Indicted for Producing and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.— A Georgetown, Ky., man, Tyler Brady Lawson, 26, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on two counts of production of child pornography, one count of possession of child pornography, and one count of possession of visual representations of the sexual abuse of children.
The indictment alleges that on March 9, 2023, Lawson knowingly possessed visual depictions that involved minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, as well as visual representations (e.g., computer-generated images) of the sexual abuse of children. The indictment also alleges that, in February 2022 and again in June 2022, Lawson coerced two minor victims to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of that conduct.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Chief Darin Allgood, Georgetown Police Department, jointly announced the indictment.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by FBI Louisville and Georgetown Police Department. The indictment was presented to the grand jury by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Melton.
Lawson appeared in court for his arraignment on Wednesday. For each production charge, he faces a minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years. For each possession charge, he faces up to 20 years in prison. However, any sentence following a conviction would be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.
Any indictment is an accusation only. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
— END —
St. Croix Woman Charged with Sexual Assault of a MinorRead the Press Release
St. Croix, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that the District Court unsealed an indictment charging Cherise King, age 39, of St. Croix with a single count of sexual abuse of a ward or minor. If convicted, King faces a maximum of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to court documents, King served as a paraprofessional teacher at the St. Croix Youth Rehabilitation Center (YRC), a youth detention facility. The indictment charges that between September 9, 2022, and September 15, 2022, King engaged in sexual acts with a juvenile male detainee, over the age of 12, but under the age of 16, who had been incarcerated at YRC.
The case is being investigated jointly by Homeland Security Investigations and the Virgin Islands Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Evan Rikhye.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children through the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
United States Attorney Delia L. Smith reminds the public that an indictment is merely an allegation and that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
St. Croix Man Charged with Possession of 50 Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
St. Croix, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Leroy Roebuck, Jr., 36, of St. Croix, appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Emile A. Henderson, III, for his initial appearing hearing after being charged with possession with intent to distribute five or more kilograms of cocaine. Roebuck was ordered detained pending a detention hearing on April 28, 2023. If convicted, Roebuck faces a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to court documents, on April 25, 2023, Roebuck agreed to sell 60 kilograms of cocaine at a price of $900,000.00 to an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration agent. On April 26, 2023, Roebuck contacted the undercover agent to advise that he was only willing to sell 50 kilograms of cocaine as the remaining 10 kilograms were of poor quality. After arriving at the location of the exchange, Roebuck showed the undercover agent four containers located inside his 2019 Jeep Wrangler and filled with 50 individually wrapped bricks of cocaine. Roebuck was immediately arrested and taken into custody by federal and local agents.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and Virgin Islands Police Department are jointly investigating the case and Assistant United States Attorney Melissa Ortiz is prosecuting the case. 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.
United States Attorney Delia L. Smith reminds the public that an indictment is merely an allegation and that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Retired General Sentenced for Wire Fraud, Falsifying Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A retired Air Force brigadier general was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio today to 12 months and one day in prison with three years of supervised release for wire fraud and filing a false tax return.
According to court documents, Scott A. Bethel, 59, of Spring Branch began working as a government contractor and advisor to the Air Force upon his active duty retirement in 2012. During that time, he launched his own business, working directly with government staffing contracts, which he tended to simultaneously with the work he conducted for his contract employer. Bethel would seek hotel reimbursement from both his employer and the government. Bethel also submitted false hotel invoices for instances when he stayed with personal acquaintances rather than at hotels. In total, Bethel received approximately $15,140.50 from the Air Force to which he was not entitled.
An examination of Bethel’s work laptop revealed that he had also falsified charitable deductions and business expenses from 2015 to 2019, resulting in a government tax loss of approximately $139,687.00.
In addition to the prison sentence, Bethel was also ordered to pay $154,827.50 in restitution.
“Our commitment to upholding the rule of law and safeguarding the public trust remains unwavering,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas. “No one is above the law, and my office will relentlessly prosecute those who abuse their positions for personal gain and undermine the integrity of our financial systems, regardless of their status or background.”
“Today, the sentencing of retired U.S. Air Force Brigadier General Scott Allen Bethel serves as a reminder that those in positions of authority and trust are expected to uphold higher standards of integrity and accountability,” said Special Agent in Charge Ramsey E. Covington of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Houston Field Office. “Bethel’s fraudulent actions, which included fabricating invoices, claiming false deductions, and attempting to enlist others in his criminal activities, not only tarnished his distinguished career but also undermine the very foundations of our tax and government systems. We are committed to enforcing the law and ensuring that individuals, regardless of their rank or status, are held accountable for their actions as we continue to work with our law enforcement partners to uphold the values of justice and fairness.”
IRS-CI, General Services Administration Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Harris and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Porier prosecuted the case.
###
Readout of Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta’s Meeting with Uvalde FamiliesRead the Press Release
On Wednesday April 26, Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta traveled to Uvalde, Texas, where she and members of the Critical Incident Review team from the Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) met with families and community members to hear from them and provide an update on the department’s review of the law enforcement response to the horrific mass shooting that took place at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde last May. Earlier in the day, she also met with the mayor.
In the days following the tragedy in Uvalde, the mayor reached out to the Justice Department seeking an independent after-action review. In response to the mayor’s request and in order to provide the families and community members of Uvalde the full accounting they deserve, the department has been conducting a Critical Incident Review of the law enforcement, school, victim services, and other stakeholders’ response to the incident, which will culminate in a written report to be delivered in the next few months. The goal of the review is to provide (1) an independent account of law enforcement and other stakeholder actions and responses; (2) identify lessons learned and best practices to help first responders prepare for and respond to active shooter events; and (3) provide a roadmap for community safety before, during, and after such incidents. This review is consistent with the COPS Office’s Collaborative Reform Initiative and is not a criminal or civil investigation.
Progress Made in the Department’s Review
Since the department officially launched the review on June 8, 2022, a team from the department’s COPS Office has been working closely with ten subject-matter experts with extensive experience in emergency management and active shooter response, school safety, incident command and management, tactical operations, officer safety and wellness, and victim and family support. The review team is examining policies, training, communications, deployment and incident command, tactics, and practices as they relate to preparing for and responding to active shooter events, as well as the post-incident response, including a review of survivor and victim and family support and resources.
In the course of their work thus far, the review team has visited Uvalde nine times, and has spent a total of 30 days there over the past 11 months. They have conducted, viewed, or participated in interviews of over 200 individuals, from more than 30 organizations and agencies, including personnel from the law enforcement agencies involved in the response to the mass shooting, as well as other first responders and medical personnel; family members; victim services providers; communications professionals and public information officers; school personnel; government officials; witnesses; and hospital staff. The team has collected and is analyzing almost 13,000 pieces of evidence, including policies, procedures and training materials from the responding agencies; manuals; many hours of video; photographs; interview transcripts; and other materials relevant to the review. The team has also conducted walkthroughs of Robb Elementary School and observed multiple active-shooter training sessions and meets regularly as a full group and in sub-teams on different topic areas in preparing the forthcoming written report.
Extensive, detailed reviews such as this one take time, and the department is committed to taking that time to provide an accurate and detailed examination of the events, as well as guidance to other agencies and communities moving forward. The department will make its full findings and recommendations publicly available at the completion of the review, which is expected in the coming months.
Resources to Support the Uvalde Community
During the Wednesday meeting, Department of Justice leadership also shared with families and community members that, in advance of the one-year commemoration next month, the Justice Department is offering additional technical assistance and support to the Uvalde community. These additional resources are designed to help the community and local government prepare for and manage the time around the one-year mark, including: (1) intentional and systematic trauma therapy for victims and families, school district staff, and first responders; (2) appropriate, victim-centered, trauma-informed crisis communications; and (3) assistance with operations and planning for large gatherings. The COPS Office will be coordinating with the department’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) on counseling and trauma related services.
In addition to these new resources, OVC has been providing no cost expert mass violence training and technical assistance to the Uvalde community, and in October 2022, the COPS Office awarded the Uvalde Independent School District a grant through the School Violence Prevention Program, which includes funding for security training, secured doors and protective gear for law enforcement.
Readout from the Symposium for Returning Citizens Hosted by the United States Attorney’s Office and Wayne State UniversityRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Transitioning formerly-incarcerated individuals back into their communities requires a team effort, which is why the United States Attorney’s Office, along with Wayne State University, the Michigan Department of Corrections, and other community partners organized a symposium that brought together returning citizens and support networks to share ideas and best practices for improving the success for citizens returning to the community. The symposium was part of Second Chance Month where we raise awareness of the collateral consequences of a criminal conviction and help individuals who have completed their sentences make the best of their second chance.
“Our justice system must be vigilant in holding individuals accountable when they commit crimes, but we must be equally vigilant in helping those who want to take advantage of their second chance by becoming contributing members of society,” stated U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison. “Helping returning citizens effectively reintegrate into society is a matter of public safety. This work helps us carry out our obligation to make our community safer. I salute the individuals who are here today making the best of their second chance and helping others to successfully reenter our communities.”
“This is a full circle moment for me to be a part of helping to empower the lives of our brothers and sisters returning back to our community,” said Darryl Woods, Founder and CEO of Fighting the Good Fight.
“While preventing recidivism and crime remains a key priority for the MDOC, under the direction of Director Heidi Washington, the department has been focused on supporting the success of those impacted by this system with goals such as fostering employment and self-sufficiency,” said Kyle Kaminski, Offender Success Administrator. “Access to high quality vocational and post-secondary programs is just one way that we are working to prepare people for success, and that work continues in the community with our reentry, education, and community partners. The value of this type of event is the ability to bring all those groups together, along with men and women impacted by the criminal justice system, to have an open dialogue about how we can have a great impact.”
Raising awareness of and finding solutions for the barriers that exist for individuals who have either served time in prison or have otherwise been impacted because of criminal convictions was the focus of today’s symposium at Wayne State University.
Detroit Pistons Assistant Coach Jerome Allen spoke about his own experience in the criminal justice system and how taking responsibility for his own mistakes helped him find peace and take advantage of his second chance. Coach Allen directly addressed the returning citizens in the audience and offered them an inspirational message that you do not have to be defined by your mistakes.
More than 115 returning citizens attended the symposium, along with parole and probation officers, law enforcement officials, service providers, and other community leaders. Vendors from Project Clean Slate, City of Detroit Skills for Live, Blast Detroit, Recovery 4 Detroit, Goodwill Industries, Genesis House, Team Wellness, and Detroit Rescue Mission were in attendance to provide guidance, resources, and assistance to symposium participants.
The symposium addressed breaking through the obstacles to successful re-entry, such as housing barriers, employment, mental health and trauma, child support debt, and family obligations. Speakers addressed how each of these issues impact successful reintegration into society.
Additional speakers included U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison; Shirley Stancato, Vice Chair of the Wayne State University Board of Governors; Darryl Woods, Founder and CEO of Fighting the Good Fight; and, Kyle Kaminski, Offender Success Administrator for Michigan Department of Corrections.
Providence Man Sentenced for Bank FraudRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A citizen of Liberia residing in Providence who participated in a fraud scheme to create and deposit fraudulent checks and then quickly withdraw the funds from banks before the fraud was discovered was sentenced today to forty-one months in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Maximillian Mwah, 39, previously admitted to a federal judge that he conspired with others to create and deposit numerous counterfeit checks drawn on the accounts of individuals and businesses, including local law firms.
As part of the scheme, conspirators recruited individuals with bank accounts who were willing to deposit the counterfeit checks and then quickly withdraw the resulting funds. Court records show that Mwah often communicated via Facebook messenger with a leader of the fraud scheme, and with others, about effectuating the fraud.
Mwah pleaded guilty on December 20, 2022, to a charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and a charge of bank fraud. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Chief judge John J. McConnell, Jr., to forty-one months in federal prison to be followed by three years of federal supervised release. Mwah was ordered to pay restitutions to banks defrauded totaling $8,404.24.
An immigration detainer has been lodged against Mwah by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; he faces removal from the United States.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ly T. Chin.
The matter was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with the assistance of the FBI, United States Secret Service, ATF, Rhode Island State Police, Providence Police Department, and Delaware State Police.
###
Presque Isle Man Faces up to 20 Years for Role in Penobscot and Aroostook County Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Presque Isle man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Bangor today to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
According to court records, between January 2018 and December 2021, Joshua Young, 32, conspired with others to traffic methamphetamine and fentanyl in Penobscot and Aroostook counties. Young knowingly and intentionally joined and participated in the conspiracy.
Young faces up to 20 years imprisonment. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case. Assistance was provided by the police departments in Orono, Bangor, Brewer, Caribou, Presque Isle and Houlton. U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee also recognized the cooperation and coordination provided by the Maine State Attorney General’s Office and the Aroostook County District Attorney’s Office.
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces: 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.
# # #
Pinedale Woman Sentence to 37 Months for Fatal CrashRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Betrina Harry Grey was sentenced to 37 months in prison. Grey, 31, of Pinedale, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, pleaded guilty on Oct. 11, 2022, to one count each of involuntary manslaughter and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Upon her release from prison, Grey will be subject to 3 years of supervised release.
According to the plea agreement and other court records, on Oct. 14, 2017, Grey was driving while intoxicated when she lost control of her vehicle on State Road 118 near the Fort Wingate Army Depot turnoff on the Navajo Nation. As the vehicle rolled, two passengers, identified as John Doe 1 and John Doe 2, were ejected from the vehicle. John Doe 1 died on the scene, while John Doe 2 suffered a significant brain injury and was airlifted to a hospital for emergency care. Both victims were enrolled members of the Navajo Nation. In her plea agreement, Grey acknowledged that her blood alcohol content, measured after the incident, was .16.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the New Mexico State Police and McKinley County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.
# # #
23-89
Pigeon Township Trustee and Two Co-Conspirators Charged with Stealing Thousands of Dollars from Local Taxpayers in Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
EVANSVILLE- A federal grand jury indicted Mariama Wilson, 50, William Payne, 49, and Terrance Hardiman, 32, all of Evansville, on five counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Hardiman was also charged with one count of money laundering. The indictment was unsealed on April 26, 2023, following the three defendants’ arrests and initial appearances.
As alleged in the indictment, in Indiana, a township is a local governmental entity within a county that uses public funds to provide certain services to residents. A township is administered by an elected official called a Township Trustee. Pigeon Township is one of eight townships in Vanderburgh County. The mission of the Trustee’s Office is to provide emergency financial relief to individuals residing in Pigeon Township who need assistance paying for essentials such as rent, utilities, and prescriptions. Wilson is the elected Pigeon Township Trustee and Payne works in the Trustee’s Office as the Director of Community Relations and Shelter Coordinator.
In February 2020, Wilson and Payne agreed to hire Hardiman and his business, Hardiman Construction LLC, to remodel a homeless shelter and develop a food pantry, in exchange for Hardiman agreeing to kick back a portion of the funds that he received from the Trustee’s Office to Wilson and Payne.
As alleged in the indictment, Wilson and Payne caused the Trustee’s Office to pay inflated invoices that were submitted by Hardiman for the construction projects, and then pocketed the inflated amounts. Wilson, Payne, and Hardiman visited the homeless shelter and food pantry together, and during those visits, they identified specific projects that needed to be completed. Wilson, Payne, and Hardiman discussed how much the projects should cost and by how much Hardiman should inflate those costs to cover the kickbacks to Wilson and Payne. In general, they agreed to inflate the total amount billed in each invoice by $1,000 to $2,000.
Hardiman prepared invoices with fraudulently inflated charges to include the kickbacks, as agreed, and submitted them to Wilson and Payne for payment. Wilson or Payne approved the inflated invoices and caused the Trustee’s Office to issue checks to Hardiman Construction.
Hardiman deposited the checks and then withdrew all or nearly all the deposited amount in cash, for the purpose of kicking back a portion of the proceeds to Wilson and Payne. Hardiman placed cash in an envelope and hand-delivered the envelope to Wilson or Payne. Wilson and Payne then divided the kickbacks.
In total, between February 11, 2020, and May 16, 2022, the Trustee’s Office paid Hardiman approximately $215,371 for the homeless shelter and food pantry projects. As a result of the kickback scheme, Wilson and Payne received approximately $38,000 in total, or approximately $19,000 each.
“Government officials who engage in corruption betray the public’s trust, for their personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers. “Inflated invoices and kickbacks rob the taxpayers of their hard-earned money and damage the trust that citizens are entitled to have in their government. The investigation and charges announced today demonstrate our office’s commitment to work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to root out public corruption at all levels of government.”
“There are consequences when public officials illegally use public funds for their own personal benefit. In this case, the defendants prioritized their greed over the interests of the citizens they were supposed to serve,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will always work together to investigate allegations such as this and ensure perpetrators are held accountable.”
“We should all expect our public officials to act with integrity,” said Justin Campbell, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Field Office of Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. “When these officials violate the trust we have placed in them, there should be consequences. IRS-Criminal Investigation will continue to support our law enforcement partners in ensuring that public funds are spent in the taxpayers’ best interests.”
“I’m proud that we have honest individuals willing to report corruption when they see it, knowing that silence in the face of misconduct is not an option,” said Vanderburgh County Sheriff Noah Robinson. “The alleged crimes committed by these officials are a slap in the face to the community in which we live. This corrupt behavior runs counter to the oath they took, and certainly not what was promised to this community.”
“As Law Enforcement Officers, we have to hold people accountable and keep them honest, regardless of their positions,” said Evansville Police Chief Billy Bolin. “Actions like these defendants cause the community to lose faith in those entrusted with positions of power.”
If convicted, Wilson, Payne, and Hardiman face up to 20 years in federal prison and up to 3 years of supervised release each, as well as a fine. A federal district court judge will determine the actual sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Justin Campbell, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-Criminal Investigation’s Chicago Field Office, Chicago Field Office, Herbert J. Stapleton, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Indianapolis Field Office, Paul Joyce, State Examiner for the Indiana State Board of Accounts, Jeffrey R. Adams, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Indianapolis Field Office, Billy Bolin, Chief of Evansville Police Department, and Noah Robinson, Vanderburgh County Sheriff made the announcement.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Matthew B. Miller, who is prosecuting this case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
Pickerington man pleads guilty to setting fire to local churchRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Pickerington man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court here today to committing a civil rights violation by burning a house of worship.
Benjamin Darrell Ruckel, 25, pleaded guilty to violating the Church Arson Prevention Act.
A federal bill of information charges Ruckel with setting fire to the Mount Zion Church in Baltimore, Ohio, on Nov. 27, 2021. During an arraignment hearing this morning before U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison, the defendant admitted to intentionally setting the fire because of the religious character of the church.
“The defendant in this case is being held accountable for the devastating church arson that impacted an entire community of worshipers,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to ensuring that religious practice is protected from forceful interference and will continue to prosecute those who commit acts of violence against houses of worship because of their religious character.”
“Every resident in the Southern District of Ohio should be free to worship without any criminal acts occurring against them or the place in which they come together to do so,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “Combatting these types of unlawful acts is a priority for my office, and together with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to vigorously use every criminal enforcement tool at our disposal to address civil rights violations.”
“Religious freedom is a cornerstone of our nation, and the FBI will continue to protect the rights of Americans to worship safely,” stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge J. William Rivers. “As the lead agency for investigating criminal violations of federal civil rights statutes, the FBI works closely with law enforcement, religious organizations, and community groups to reduce civil rights abuses.”
According to court documents, Ruckel broke the windows of the church and spread accelerant before setting the church ablaze, causing extensive damage.
Violating the Church Arson Prevention Act is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Assistant Attorney General Clarke, U.S. Attorney Parker and Special Agent in Charge Rivers announced today’s guilty plea. Deputy Criminal Chief Brian J. Martinez for the Southern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Daniel E. Grunert of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case. The FBI Cincinnati Division investigated the case.
Information related to potential civil rights violations in the Southern District of Ohio can be submitted online here: /media/1227446/dl?inline.
# # #
Pair Accused of More St. Louis CarjackingsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Two men from East St. Louis, Illinois who were already facing federal charges related to a carjacking in November have been accused of more.
Quinn Turner, 21, and Jaylen Mays, 25, pleaded not guilty in U.S. District Court Wednesday. Turner is facing four felonies from an April 19 superseding indictment: two carjacking charges and two charges of possession and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Mays is charged with three counts each of carjacking and firearms charge, as well as one count charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The indictment accuses Mays, aided by others, of stealing a 2015 Chevrolet Malibu on Nov. 5, 2022 while brandishing a firearm. It says Mays and Turner, again aided by others, stole a 2007 Chevrolet Malibu at gunpoint six days later, and a 2017 GMC Terrain two days after that.
A detention motion says the GMC was stolen from a gas station at the northwest corner of Russell Boulevard and South 7th Street in the Soulard neighborhood by men who pulled up in a Nissan Rogue and the carjacked Malibu, which had been stolen in the downtown business district.
Detectives assigned to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department's Anti-Crime Task Force utilized spike strips to stop the Malibu, finding Quinn, Mays and a juvenile that matched the description of one of the armed men inside, the detention motion says.
The carjacking and felon in possession charges carry a potential penalty of up to 15 years in prison. The firearm charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Martin is prosecuting the case.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Fentanyl and Firearm ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Anthony Jose Franco, 21, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Franco received a sentence of 120 months’ imprisonment with a five-year term of supervised release to follow. There is no parole in the federal system.
In August 2022, Franco became the subject of a DEA investigation for his role in distributing fentanyl in Omaha. On August 5, 2022, an undercover agent purchased 21.3 grams of fentanyl directly from Franco. A second undercover buy on August 24, 2022, resulted in 29.3 grams of fentanyl being purchased. On September 9, 2022, Franco was arrested while delivering 58.7 grams of fentanyl to the undercover agent. That same day, a search warrant was executed at the residence in which Franco was staying. More than 326 fentanyl pills with venue to Franco and an AK-47 assault rifle were seized.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Setting Fire to a ChurchRead the Press Release
An Ohio man pleaded guilty today to violating the Church Arson Prevention Act for setting fire to a house of worship.
Benjamin Ruckel, 25, of Pickerington, pleaded guilty to a single-count information charging him with setting fire to the Mount Zion Church in Baltimore, Ohio, on Nov. 27, 2021. According to court documents, Ruckel broke into the church and spread accelerant before setting the church ablaze, causing extensive damage. During the hearing, Ruckel admitted to intentionally setting the fire because of the religious character of the church.
“The defendant in this case is being held accountable for a devastating church arson that impacted an entire community of worshipers,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The freedom to congregate in churches across our nation and the liberty to exercise one’s religious beliefs must be shielded and protected. The Justice Department is committed to protecting our houses of worship and ensuring that all people are able to freely engage in religious practice free from violence and forceful interference.”
“Every resident in the Southern District of Ohio should be free to worship without any criminal acts occurring against them or the place in which they come together to do so,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker for the Southern District of Ohio. “Combatting these types of unlawful acts is a priority for my office, and together with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to vigorously use every criminal enforcement tool at our disposal to address civil rights violations.”
“All Americans have the right to practice their religion without fear,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to defend that right and hold those individuals accountable who would prevent the free exercise of that right.”
The sentencing date has not yet been set. Ruckel faces up to 20 years in prison for the violation of the Church Arson Prevention Act.
The FBI Columbus Field Office investigated the case.
Deputy Criminal Chief Brian Martinez for the Southern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Daniel E. Grunert of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
New Jersey Doctor Admits Health Care Fraud Targeting AmtrakRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A New Jersey doctor today admitted participating in a health care fraud scheme to defraud Amtrak, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Muhammad Mirza, 50, of Cedar Grove, New Jersey, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From April 2017 through June 2022, Mirza and his conspirators agreed to engage in a scheme to bill the Amtrak health care plan for fraudulent claims for services that either were never provided or were medically unnecessary. They would recruit Amtrak employees to participate in the scheme by paying them to allow the conspirators to use their patient and insurance information to submit false and fraudulent claims. Mirza and his conspirators submitted false and fraudulent claims that caused Amtrak losses of more than $1.3 million.
The charge of conspiracy to commit health care fraud carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 13, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Amtrak Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Waters; special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III in New York; and the Amtrak Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Sam Dotson, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine M. Romano of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.
mirza.information.pdfNYC Mother and Son Charged with Interstate Shipment of Misbranded Animal DrugsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Bien King, 70, of Congers, NY and Khalil King, 36, of New York, NY were charged by indictment with conspiracy, distribution of unregistered and misbranded pesticides, and interstate shipment of misbranded animal drugs.
The indictment alleges that Bien King and her son, Khalil King, jointly operated a business called “Little City Dogs,” based in New York City. The defendants purchased unapproved animal drugs and pesticides, including ivermectin, nitenpyram, praziquantel, and fipronil, from various Chinese suppliers. The defendants’ Chinese suppliers routinely mislabeled the shipments to avoid inspection by United States Customs and Border Protection inspectors. According to the indictment, once the defendants received the shipments from China, they used various locations, including a Manhattan office, to mix and repackage these drugs and pesticides for resale to customers throughout the United States. According to the indictment, the defendants’ company received over $4,000,000 from the sale of these misbranded, unregistered, and unapproved pesticides and animal drugs.
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum possible sentence of 19 years in prison, up to 3 years of supervised release, a $1,450,000 fine, and a $550 special assessment.
The case was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Criminal Investigations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher E. Parisi.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Missouri Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Raping Runaway TeenRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Mexico, Missouri was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in federal prison for repeatedly raping a 13-year-old runaway on a trip to Las Vegas.
Jacob D. Burney, now 24, became involved in a relationship with the 13-year-old victim in 2021. Sometime before Dec. 8, 2021, the victim ran away from home to be with Burney. The teen was reported missing, and Homeland Security Investigations received a National Hotline Tip on Dec. 14, 2021 about her.
Burney switched vehicles and left Missouri to prevent law enforcement officers from finding her. During the trip to Las Vegas, Burney provided drugs and alcohol to the teen and committed the crime of statutory rape repeatedly.
Burney pleaded guilty in January in front of U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey to a charge of transportation of a minor to engage in a criminal sex act.
“Only by joining together will we successfully eradicate child exploitation from our neighborhoods, therefore HSI is asking the community to pay attention to the signs of these abuses and ultimately report them," said Acting Special Agent in Charge Taekuk Cho for Homeland Security Investigations Kansas City.
The Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force at moicac.org and The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at missingkids.org both have resources on how to protect children.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Missouri State Technical Assistance Team. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dianna Collins is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Middleburg Man Arrested for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse VideosRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest and filing of a criminal complaint charging Sam David Harris, Jr. (37, Middleburg) with possession of videos depicting the sexual abuse of young children. If convicted, Harris faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Harris has been ordered detained pending trial.
A complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Northeast Florida (NEFL) INTERCEPT Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase.
This case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Mexican Man Sentenced for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Mexican man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Jesus Ivan Jimenez Joachin, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 15 months in prison and one year of supervised release. Jimenez Joachin will be subject to removal proceedings upon completion of his sentence. In January 2023, Jimenez Joachin pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry after deportation.
Jimenez Joachin was arrested in Plymouth County in 2016 for charges including larceny of a motor vehicle and assault and battery on a family/household member. While in custody, Jimenez Joachin was determined to be illegally present in the United States and was subsequently deported.
At some point after his 2016 removal, Jimenez Joachin illegally reentered the United States. In August 2019, he was arrested in Plymouth County for charges including breaking and entering, domestic abuse and identity fraud as well as earlier charges from 2016.
In April 2021, Jimenez Joachin was convicted and sentenced to 30 months in state prison. He was taken into federal custody upon completion of his sentence.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Todd M. Lyons, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Maple Grove Felon Sentenced to Prison for Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Maple Grove man has been sentenced to 30 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for illegal possession of firearms, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, in January of 2022, the brothers were both charged in Hennepin County District Court for possession of machineguns after they brought to the funeral of a known gang member firearms that had each been modified with auto sears. An auto sear, also known as a switch, is a device used to convert a semi-automatic firearm into a fully automatic firearm and is considered a machinegun under federal law. In the spring of 2022, both Cortez and Quantez Ward pleaded guilty to their Hennepin County charges and were released on terms of probation.
On May 6, 2022, the brothers were pulled over by the Maple Grove police department. During that traffic stop, Cortez Ward was in possession of an unserialized Polymer 80 pistol with a large-capacity magazine loaded with 19 rounds of ammunition on his person. Quantez Ward had an AK-style gun in a backpack in the car. On July 19, 2022, law enforcement executed a federal arrest warrant at the Ward brothers’ residence. Inside, law enforcement found multiple firearms, including a 9mm Ruger rifle, a H&K MP5 rifle and a Polymer 80 pistol with a switch.
On November 21, 2022, Quantez Ward pleaded guilty to one count of possession of firearms as a felon related to several of the firearms recovered on July 19, 2022. He was sentenced yesterday before Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz. Cortez Ward will be sentenced at a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Minneapolis Police Department, and the Maple Grove Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey E. Middlecamp prosecuted the case.
Man with homes in California and Arizona indicted for sex trafficking women in Seattle through force, fraud, and coercionRead the Press Release
Seattle – A California man was indicted today by a federal grand jury for four federal felonies related to his sex trafficking of adult female victims, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Winston Cornell Burt aka “Dice Capone,” 31 of Hemet, California, was arrested November 6, 2022, after he allegedly brutally assaulted a 20-year-old woman and engaged in a rolling gun battle as she fled in a van driven by a man who picked her up from the roadway. Burt is charged federally with Sex Trafficking through Force, Fraud, and Coercion; Transportation of an Adult Female for Prostitution through Coercion and Enticement; and two counts of Unlawful Possession of Firearms. Burt will be arraigned on the indictment within the next couple weeks.
“The level of violence in this case is stunning – brutal beatings of young women, threats with firearms, emotional and physical control of every aspect of the victims’ lives,” said U.S. Attorney Brown. “I commend the Seattle Police Department and King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for working quickly to get Mr. Burt in custody, thus ensuring the immediate safety of the victim and the community.”
According to records filed in the case, Burt self-identifies as a “pimp” who led a sex trafficking enterprise through California, Arizona, and Washington. The young women in the case were allegedly required to provide all the money they earned in prostitution to Burt. Three women had his name tattooed on their faces – an apparent sign of “ownership.”
On November 2, 2022, Burt assaulted the 20-year-old victim in this case by kicking her, punching her, and pistol whipping her after she indicated she wanted to stop working for Burt. The assault occurred at an Airbnb in south Seattle. Three days later, on November 5, 2022, Burt assaulted the victim again and forced her to strip to her underwear. The victim tried to escape from the rental home by jumping out a third story window. The defendant and two women working for him forced her into a car and drove towards a motel on north Aurora Avenue. Burt was armed with a gun, but the victim was able to get out of the car and ran into traffic on Aurora wearing only her underwear. Burt and his female assistants tried to force the victim back into their car, but the victim stayed in the middle of the roadway until finally picked up by an Uber driver who saw her in distress.
Even after the victim was driven away in a van, Burt gave chase on Aurora Avenue and fired shots at the van with the victim inside. The driver was eventually able to evade Burt and called the Washington State Patrol for assistance.
Ultimately law enforcement responded to the scene and got the victim to Harborview Medical Center for treatment.
Burt was arrested on November 6, 2022, as he was attempting to leave the Airbnb in south Seattle. He has been detained at the King County Jail since his arrest.
The indictment calls for the forfeiture of both firearms, more than $24,000 in cash, and jewelry worth in excess of $100,000.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion is punishable by a mandatory minimum 15 years in prison and up to life in prison. Transportation of an adult female for prostitution through coercion and enticement is punishable by up to 15 years in prison and illegal possession of a firearm is punishable by ten years in prison.
The case is being investigated by the Seattle Police Department and the FBI with assistance from the Washington State Patrol (WSP).
Senior Deputy King County Prosecutor Ben Gauen worked closely with the Seattle Police Department and Assistant United States Attorney Kate Crisham on this case.
burt.indictment.filed_.pdfMan Found Guilty of Assaulting Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Jorge Oliverio Moran-Can, 42, of Guatemala, was found guilty on Monday by a federal jury of one count of Assault on a Federal Officer – Bodily Injury and one count of Assault on a Federal Officer – Physical Contact. Sentencing is scheduled for July 6, 2023, before United States District Judge Scott H. Rash.
On July 3, 2022, a United States Border Patrol agent responded to a remote location near New Field, Arizona. The agent was tracking a group of suspected undocumented noncitizens in a remote mountainous area when the agent spotted three people hiding near a ledge. When the agent approached them, two of the suspected undocumented noncitizens fled on foot. Moran-Can stayed and initially remained compliant. However, when the agent reached out to handcuff him, Moran-Can rammed his shoulder into the agent’s torso causing them both to fall and tumble several yards down a rocky slope. Moran-Can continued to struggle, but the agent was able to gain control and handcuff him. The agent sustained abrasions and bruising on his left knee and hip and was treated at a hospital.
A conviction for Assault on a Federal Officer – Bodily Injury carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, or both. A conviction for Assault on a Federal Officer – Physical Contact carries a maximum penalty of 8 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, or both.
Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah B. Houston and Frances Kreamer-Hope, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-01661-SHR-LCK
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-062_Moran-Can# # #
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.Man Convicted of 2006 Murder of Kelly DiazRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that EDWIN CORTORREAL, a/k/a “Crazy Ed,” was found guilty of all three counts at trial, including conspiracy to commit racketeering and two counts for robbing and murdering Kelly Diaz in 2006 in Washington Heights. The verdict followed a five-day trial before U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “In 2006, Edwin Cortorreal conducted a terrifying, gunpoint home invasion robbery in Washington Heights, during which he shot Kelly Diaz in the head, killing him in front of his wife. Kelly Diaz was only 24 years old at the time. We hope today’s verdict will bring some solace to the victim’s family and sends the message that we will not rest until justice is done.”
According to the evidence presented in court during the trial:
From at least 2006 to in or about 2013, a violent robbery crew known as the “Hot Boys” committed countless burglaries and robberies and sold narcotics in the Washington Heights area. EDWIN CORTORREAL was a trusted associate of the Hot Boys. In 2006, CORTORREAL and four other members and associates of the Hot Boys broke into Kelly Diaz’s apartment in the middle of the night. During the course of the robbery, CORTORREAL and his co-conspirators duct-taped Diaz to a chair and threw his wife to the ground. As they were leaving, CORTORREAL came back and shot Diaz point-blank in the head, killing him instantly as his wife looked on. Less than a year later, CORTORREAL planned to commit another armed robbery, during which he plotted to kill the victims to avoid leaving behind any witnesses.
* * *
CORTORREAL, 36, of the Dominican Republic, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit racketeering, which carries a maximum term of life in person; one count of murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison; and one count of the use of a firearm resulting in death, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of a defendant will be determined by the judge.
CORTORREAL is scheduled to be sentenced on September 20, 2023.
Mr. Williams thanked the New York Healthcare Fraud Unit of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), and NYPD Task Force Officers assigned to the United States Attorney’s Office for their work on the investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mathew Andrews, David Denton, Courtney Heavey, Adam Hobson, Emily Johnson, Ni Qian, Justin Rodriguez, and Hagan Scotten are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of paralegal specialist Mia Vuckovich.
Local President of “We Build the Wall” Sentenced to 51 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Brian G. Kolfage, 41, of Miramar Beach, Florida, was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to crimes charged in the Northern District of Florida relating to the filing of his 2019 federal income taxes, along with a guilty plea to conspiracy to commit wire fraud charges filed by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York for defrauding donors to “We Build the Wall.” The sentence was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“The United States relies on the honest payment of taxes to defend our country and maintain its operations,” stated U.S. Attorney Coody. “With the assistance of our dedicated law enforcement partners, we are committed to investigating and prosecuting those who falsely misrepresent their income – whether by traditional evasion or the filing of fraudulent documents to further their criminal schemes. This sentence should serve as a significant deterrent to such illegal conduct.”
Court documents reflect Kolfage pled guilty to three federal charges related to filing false income tax returns for the tax year 2019. With this plea, Kolfage admitted, under oath, that between January 2019 and July 2020, he engaged in a scheme to defraud the United States in relation to his 2019 federal income tax returns. Kolfage admitted illicitly receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars from multiple organizations during 2019, including We Build the Wall, Inc., which were deposited into his personal bank account. Kolfage failed to report this income to the Internal Revenue Service. Upon learning of an investigation into his federal income taxes, Kolfage then filed amended tax returns for 2019 that were also false. These amended tax returns continued to fraudulently fail to report income deriving directly and indirectly from We Build the Wall. Kolfage spent his unreported income on things such as personal boat payments, a luxury SUV, jewelry, and cosmetic surgery.
“Mr. Kolfage deliberately and egregiously side-stepped his legal duty to pay taxes when he devised an elaborate scheme to hide income from his non-profit organization, We Build the Wall,” said IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne. “Kolfage repeatedly falsely claimed he would not take a salary and preyed on the generosity of hundreds of thousands of donors through his vast online fundraising scam. Today’s sentencing should serve as evidence that this type of blatant disregard for the rules and obligations that govern non-profit fundraising will not be tolerated.”
Kolfage’s federal prison sentence will be followed by 3 years supervised release, and he will also be required to pay restitution, to the United States of America, in the amount of $143,003 for his tax crimes, along with millions of dollars’ worth of forfeiture and restitution for his scheme to defraud We Build the Wall donors.
"Mr. Kolfage deliberately and intentionally preyed on the hearts and pocketbooks of hardworking Americans as a way to fund his own lavish lifestyle," said Sherri E. Onks, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Jacksonville. "The FBI and our law enforcement partners will not tolerate this type of blatant fraud against unwitting donors, and this sentencing should serve as a warning to those who attempt to take advantage of others."
The Northern District of Florida case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg along with prosecutors in the Southern District of New York.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html
Leader of North Shore Chapter of Latin Kings Sentenced for Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Inca, or first-in-command, of the North Shore Chapter of the Massachusetts Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (Latin Kings) was sentenced today on racketeering charges.
Israel Rodriguez, a/k/a “King Izzy,” a/k/a “King Imperial,” 41, of Lynn, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to time served (approximately four months in prison) and two years of supervised release. In February 2021, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy.
Rodriguez admitted to his role in an August 2018 conspiracy to “terminate” a leader of the Fitchburg Chapter of the Latin Kings who was suspected of cooperating with law enforcement. On intercepted phone calls, Rodriguez discussed an elaborate ruse to trick this leader into attending a meeting where he would be ambushed and beaten by other Latin Kings members.
The Latin Kings are a violent criminal enterprise comprised of thousands of members across the United States. The Latin Kings adhere to a national manifesto, employ an internal judiciary and use a sophisticated system of communication to maintain the hierarchy of the organization. As alleged in court documents, the gang uses drug distribution to generate revenue, and engages in violence against witnesses and rival gangs to further its influence and to protect its turf.
In December 2019, a federal grand jury in Boston returned an indictment alleging racketeering conspiracy, drug conspiracy and firearms charges against 62 leaders, members and associates of the Latin Kings. In total, 60 defendants in the case have pleaded guilty and have been sentenced or are awaiting sentencing, and two remain fugitives. Rodriguez is the 57th defendant to be sentenced.United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira made the announcement. Valuable assistance was also provided by the FBI North Shore Gang Task Force and the Bristol County and Suffolk County District Attorney’s Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of Rollins’ 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.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The two remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Leader of Miami Crew Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Banks and Cryptocurrency Exchange of More Than $4 MillionRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ESTEBAN CABRERA DA CORTE, a/k/a “Esteban Cabrera,” a/k/a “Esteban Da Corte,” a/k/a “Steban,” pled guilty today to participating in a scheme to steal millions of dollars’ worth of cryptocurrency and trick U.S. banks into refunding the millions used to purchase that cryptocurrency, in part by using personal identifying information stolen from other people.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Esteban Cabrera Da Corte orchestrated a scheme to steal millions of dollars by buying cryptocurrency using false and stolen identities and then deceiving U.S. banks regarding those transactions. As a result of his guilty plea, Cabrera Da Corte is now being held to account. Our Office will continue to work vigorously with our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of U.S. banks and financial markets to the full extent of the law from those who seek to enrich themselves through fraud and deceit, including those who attempt to shroud themselves in the anonymity of digital transactions.”
According to the Indictment and statements made in court:
From at least in or about 2020 through at least in or about March 2020, CABRERA DA CORTE and his co-conspirators engaged in a scheme to deceive U.S. banks and a leading cryptocurrency exchange platform (the “Cryptocurrency Exchange”) by purchasing more than $4 million in cryptocurrency and then falsely claiming that the cryptocurrency purchase transactions were unauthorized, deceiving the U.S. banks and the Cryptocurrency Exchange into reversing those transactions and redepositing the money into the bank accounts that the Defendants controlled. The Defendants then withdrew the money from the bank accounts.
To carry out this scheme, the Defendants opened accounts with the Cryptocurrency Exchange, frequently using photos of fake U.S. passports, fake drivers’ licenses, and stolen personal identifying information. The Cryptocurrency Exchange accounts were linked to bank accounts that the Defendants controlled. The Defendants used money that had been deposited into the linked bank accounts, frequently through a series of cash deposits made using ATMs, to purchase cryptocurrency. That cryptocurrency was then quickly transferred to other cryptocurrency wallets outside of the Cryptocurrency Exchange that were controlled by the Defendants and their co-conspirators. After the cryptocurrency was transferred, the Defendants made telephone calls to the U.S. banks during which they falsely represented that the cryptocurrency purchases were unauthorized, leading the banks to reverse the transactions.
The operation of this scheme by the Defendants resulted in U.S. banks processing more than $4 million in fraudulent reversals and the Cryptocurrency Exchange losing more than $3.5 million worth of cryptocurrency.
* * *
ESTEBAN CABRERA DA CORTE, 26, of Miami, Florida, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison, and agreed to pay restitution of $3,578,786.69 and forfeiture of $1,200,000.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of Homeland Security Investigations’ El Dorado Task Force.
The matter is being handled by the Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Deininger and Josiah Pertz are in charge of the prosecution.
Las Vegas Man Sentenced to Prison for Conspiracy to Sell Firearms and FentanylRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man charged in a conspiracy to sell firearms and machine guns without a Federal Firearms License, and a conspiracy to sell Fentanyl and Xanax was sentenced Monday by United States District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey to 70 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release.
Nicolas Santos (22) pleaded guilty in September 2022 to one count of conspiracy to deal in firearms without a license, one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, and one count of illegal possession of a machine gun.
According to court documents, on September 1, 2021, Santos conspired with co-defendants Wilfred Santos and Martin Magallon to sell firearms and machine guns without a Federal Firearms License. He sold multiple firearms including semi-automatic firearms and shotguns; AR-style personally made firearms; a stolen rifle and shotgun; and Glock switches. Additionally, on four different dates between July and August of 2021, Santos conspired to sell Fentanyl and Alprazolam (Xanax). In June 2021, he possessed a Glock switch used to modify a semi-automatic firearm to fire as a machine gun. While detained in the Henderson Detention Center, Santos attempted to obstruct the investigation when he told his girlfriend to delete evidence related to the federal charges in this case.
United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Acting Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the ATF. Assistant United States Attorney Allison Reese is prosecuting the case.
If you have information about illegal firearms activity, submit a tip to ATF by calling the hotline at 1-800-ATF-GUNS (1-800-283-4867) or through the ReportIt mobile app.
###
Lake County Man Sentenced for Gun Crime and Unlawful Taking of a Bald Eagle Without a PermitRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – Jason Perkins, 44, of Tiptonville, has been sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and the unlawful taking of a bald eagle. United States Attorney Kevin Ritz announced the sentence today.
According to United States Attorney Ritz and information presented in court, on March 21, 2021, United States Fish and Wildlife Service Agents and Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency Officers received a report of a bald eagle carcass in Tiptonville, Tennessee. Through witness interviews and the execution of search warrants on Perkins’s home and his father’s home, officers determined that Perkins shot the bald eagle and that he was previously convicted of felony offenses. A 12-gauge shotgun and .357 handgun possessed by Perkins were recovered.
United States Attorney Ritz stated, “The bald eagle has been a symbol of our country since 1782. This defendant, a felon, shot and killed one of these great birds—violating federal law in the process. I appreciate the federal, state, and local partners who worked to bring him to justice.”
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement, Atlanta, GA Special Agent in Charge, Stephen Clark stated, “United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement, is committed to working collaboratively with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats. The illegal taking of a bald eagle is a violation of numerous federal statutes and will be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We will continue to work closely with our state partners to conduct these criminal investigations.”
United States District Judge J. Daniel Breen sentenced Perkins to 24 months in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency, and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked former Assistant United States Attorney Matt Wilson and Assistant United States Attorney Christie Hopper who prosecuted this case, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated the case.
###
For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at (901) 544-4231 or [email protected]. Follow @ WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.
Kentucky Man Sentenced to over 13 Years in Federal Prison After Coming to Indiana to Distribute over A Kilogram of Crystal MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
EVANSVILLE- Larry Beville, 61, of Louisville, Kentucky, has been sentenced to 160 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents, on August 24, 2022, as part of an ongoing investigation, members of the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration stopped Larry Beville near the 8000 block of Eagle Crest Boulevard after observing a violation of traffic laws. Upon approaching the car, a detective saw drug paraphernalia and smelled burnt marijuana. Officers obtained a warrant to search the vehicle, and recovered marijuana, a glass, smoking pipe with apparent drug residue, and a plastic container that held a gallon-sized Ziploc bag full of over 1 kilogram of crystal methamphetamine.
When questioned by detectives, Beville initially stated that he did not know anything about the bag full of methamphetamine, but then changed his statement to acknowledge that there was a “kilo of methamphetamine” in the bag. Beville stated that he was delivering the methamphetamine to Evansville from Kentucky for distribution.
United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers, Michael Gannon, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Indianapolis Field Office, and Chief Billy Bolin of the Evansville Police Department made the announcement.
“The serious federal sentenced imposed today should be a warning to all who intend to traffic dangerous drugs into our communities—you are not welcome in the Southern District of Indiana,” said United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers. “I am grateful to our partners at the DEA and Evansville Police Department who continue to get deadly drugs and drug traffickers off our streets and out of our neighborhoods.”
Evansville Police Department and DEA investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Richard L. Young. Judge Young also ordered that Beville be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 5 years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Kristian Mukoski, who prosecuted this case.
###
Keene Man Indicted for Threatening to Kill a Member of CongressRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A federal grand jury has indicted Allan Poller, 23, for calling the office of a member of the United States House of Representatives and threatening to kill the Congressman, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
The indictment includes one count of threatening to assault and murder a federal official, and one count of transmitting in interstate commerce a threat to injure the person of another. Poller will appear in federal court for arraignment at a later date.
According to the charging documents, on March 29, 2023 at approximately 12:20 a.m., Poller called the congressional office in Washington D.C. and left a voicemail, stating:
Hi, my name is Allan Poller, A-L-L-A-N P-O-L-L-E-R, phone number []8931. And I just want to let you know, Representative [Name], if you keep on coming for the gays, we’re gonna strike back and I guarantee you, you do not want to fuck with us. We will kill you if that’s what it takes. I will take a bullet to your fucking head if you fuck with my rights anymore. And then if you want to keep going down that path, you know who’s next.
Count one provides for a sentence of up to ten years in prison, and count two provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison. Each count also provides for up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division and the United States Capitol Police led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Keene, New Hampshire Police Department and the Springfield, Vermont Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarad E. Hodes is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
Justice Department Challenges Tennessee Law that Bans Critical, Medically Necessary Care for Transgender YouthRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today filed a complaint challenging Tennessee Senate Bill 1 (SB 1), a recently enacted law that denies necessary medical care to youth based solely on who they are. The complaint alleges that SB 1’s ban on providing certain medically necessary care to transgender minors violates the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. The department is also asking the court to issue an immediate order to prevent the law from going into effect on July 1, 2023.
SB 1 makes it unlawful to provide or offer to provide certain types of medical care for transgender minors with diagnosed gender dysphoria. SB 1’s blanket ban prohibits potential treatment options that have been recommended by major medical associations for consideration in limited circumstances in accordance with established and comprehensive guidelines and standards of care. By denying only transgender youth access to these forms of medically necessary care while allowing non-transgender minors access to the same or similar procedures, SB 1 discriminates against transgender youth. The department’s complaint alleges that SB 1 violates the Equal Protection Clause by discriminating on the basis of both sex and transgender status. Doctors, parents and anyone else who provides or offers to provide the prohibited care faces the possibility of civil suits for 30 years and other sanctions.
“No person should be denied access to necessary medical care just because of their transgender status,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The right to consider your health and medically-approved treatment options with your family and doctors is a right that everyone should have, including transgender children, who are especially vulnerable to serious risks of depression, anxiety and suicide. The Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department will continue to aggressively challenge all forms of discrimination and unlawful barriers faced by the LGBTQI+ community.”
“SB1 violates the constitutional rights of some of Tennessee’s most vulnerable citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Henry Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee. “Left unchallenged, it would prohibit transgender children from receiving health care that their medical providers and their parents have determined to be medically necessary. In doing so, the law seeks to substitute the judgment of trained medical professionals and parents with that of elected officials and codifies discrimination against children who already face far too many obstacles.”
Today’s filings are the latest action by the Justice Department to combat LGBTQI+ discrimination, including unlawful restrictions on medical care for transgender youth. On March 31, 2022, Assistant Attorney General Clarke issued a letter to all state attorneys general reminding them of federal constitutional and statutory provisions that protect transgender youth against discrimination. On April 29, 2022, the Justice Department intervened in a lawsuit challenging a law in Alabama (Senate Bill 184) that imposes a felony ban on medically necessary care for transgender minors. As a result of that litigation, the most significant provisions of Alabama’s Senate Bill 184 have been preliminarily halted from going into effect, and the United States continues to challenge its constitutionality.
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division’s work to uphold and protect the civil and constitutional rights of LGBTQI+ individuals is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt/lgbtqi-working-group. Complaints about discriminatory practices may be reported to the Civil Rights Division through its internet reporting portal at civilrights.justice.gov.
Jury Convicts Three Men of Trafficking Kilograms of Cocaine to SchenectadyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – A jury voted today to convict three men of trafficking kilograms of cocaine to Schenectady, New York, in March and April 2021.
Jeffrey C. Civitello, Sr., age 51, of Schenectady, his son Jeffrey C. Civitello Jr., age 23, of Schenectady, and Richard D. Sinde, age 58, of Fort Lee, New Jersey, were convicted on all counts following an 8-day trial.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, made the announcement.
The trial evidence demonstrated a conspiracy between five men: the three defendants on trial, as well as Christopher J. Kelly, age 56, of Brooklyn, New York, and Robert J. Ingrao, age 76, of Lodi, New Jersey.
As part of the conspiracy, Kelly delivered 3 kilograms of cocaine to Civitello Sr. in Schenectady on March 29, and Kelly and Sinde delivered an additional 3 kilograms of cocaine to Civitello Sr. on March 31.
Also on March 31, the Civitellos ordered more cocaine and suggested that Kelly and Sinde use, as a transportation vehicle, a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee owned by Civitello Jr., which contained, in its trunk, a sophisticated, hidden compartment, also known as a “trap.” Unbeknownst to the conspirators, the DEA had placed a court-authorized tracker on the Jeep several months prior, as part of an investigation of Civitello Jr.
On March 31, Sinde then drove the Jeep from Schenectady to his residence in Fort Lee, and the following evening met Kelly in Breezy Point, New York, on the Rockaway Peninsula, where Kelly and Sinde loaded up the Jeep’s hidden compartment with 9 kilograms of cocaine to be delivered the following day to the Civitellos in Schenectady. Sinde then drove the Jeep home to Fort Lee.
The following day, on April 2, 2021, Ingrao went to Sinde’s house and got into the Jeep, and drove it north on Interstate 87 toward Schenectady. A New York State Police Trooper, at the DEA’s request, conducted a stop on Ingrao in Greene County. The Trooper then located 9 kilograms of cocaine in the Jeep’s hidden compartment.
The jury voted to convict all defendants of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, as well as possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance for the 3 kilograms of cocaine delivered on March 31. The jury also voted to convict Sinde of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and the Civitellos of attempted possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, for the 9 kilograms of cocaine they tried to transport to Schenectady on April 2.
Following the jury’s verdict, Sinde and Civitello Sr. were remanded to custody. Civitello Jr. has been in custody since October 21, 2021, when he was arrested by the DEA in Schenectady on unrelated charges of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possessing and intending to distribute marijuana. Those charges are merely accusations, and as to those charges, Civitello Jr. is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino will sentence the Civitellos on September 6, and will sentence Sinde on September 8. Each man faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison, as well as at least 5 years of post-imprisonment supervised release. 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. Ingrao’s sentencing and Kelly’s sentencing are also pending.
This case was investigated by the DEA’s Capital District Drug Enforcement Task Force, which includes DEA Special Agents and investigators from state and local police agencies, including the Saratoga Springs Police Department, the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, and the New York State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Barnett and Dustin C. Segovia are prosecuting this case.
Jeffersonville Man Sentenced to Eighteen Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
NEW ALBANY- Shawndrae Pratt, 34, of Jeffersonville, Indiana, was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, on January 31, 2019, Pratt met another individual in Jeffersonville and sold them 11.5 grams of pure methamphetamine. On March 12, 2019, Pratt met the same buyer at a location in Clark County, Indiana, to sell them more methamphetamine. Pratt told the buyer he did not have his drug scales and needed to go get them. Pratt drove the buyer to Pratt’s apartment complex in Louisville, Kentucky, where he obtained his drug scales. Pratt returned from his apartment, weighed the drugs, and sold the buyer an additional 66.4 grams of pure methamphetamine. As part of the investigation, law enforcement officers seized methamphetamine, U.S. currency, and a 9mm handgun.
United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers, Herbert J. Stapleton, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Indianapolis Field Office, Kenny Kavanaugh, Chief of Jeffersonville Police Department, Clark County Sheriff Scott A. Maples Jr., and Mark Palmer, Chief of Clarksville Police Department made the announcement.
“Armed methamphetamine traffickers seek ill-gotten profits with utter disregard for the harm they do to our families, friends, and neighbors,” said U.S. Attorney Myers. “The serious federal prison sentence imposed here demonstrates that federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies will work together to hold criminals accountable for pushing deadly drugs in our communities.”
The FBI, Clarksville Police Department, Jeffersonville Police Department, and Clark County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Sarah Evans Barker. Judge Barker also ordered that Pratt be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 7 years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Pamela S. Domash and William L. McCoskey, who prosecuted this case.
###
Jackson Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Bank FraudRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson woman pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge David Denton of Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans.
According to court documents, Valerie Austin, 37, conspired with two other individuals to obtain bank loans through fraudulent means. Austin used false names and social security numbers that did not belong to her to obtain bank loans.
Austin is scheduled to be sentenced on July 25, 2023 and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Madison Police Department and are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Kirkham is prosecuting the case.
Jackson Man Pleads Guilty to Being a Convicted Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson man pleaded guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to court documents, Nigel Payton, 40, was found in possession of a firearm by a Jackson Police officer on September 28, 2021. Payton has a prior felony conviction for manslaughter in Hinds County and is prohibited from possessing a firearm. On February 23, 2022, a federal grand jury indicted Payton for possession of a firearm as a convicted felon.
Payton will be sentenced on August 2, 2023 and faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Jackson Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica S. Terrill.
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.
Illinois Man Sentenced to over 8 Years in Federal Prison for Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
Paducah, KY – A Metropolis, Illinois man was sentenced today to 8 years and 4 months in federal prison followed by a 3-year term of supervised release for robbing a bank in Lone Oak, Kentucky. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and Sheriff Ryan Norman of the McCracken County Sheriff’s Office made the announcement.
According to court documents, on May 10, 2021, Reginald R. Thomas, 67, entered the FNB bank branch in Lone Oak wearing gloves and a mask. He was carrying a large shovel and demanded money from a teller. Thomas stole $11,650 and fled to Illinois where he was subsequently arrested. No one was injured during the robbery.
The case was investigated by the FBI Paducah Satellite Office and the McCracken County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the Metropolis Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Raymond McGee, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, prosecuted the case.
###