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Thursday 20 April 2023
Supervisory Paramedic Sentenced to Three Years in Federal Prison for Stealing Fentanyl and Tampering with Drugs Intended for PatientsRead the Press Release
DENVER - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Christopher Robert Pattinson, age 41, of Commerce City, was sentenced to three years in prison for tampering with fentanyl intended for patient use.
According to the plea agreement, Pattinson was a Paramedic Field Lieutenant Supervisor at a Denver hospital. For a period of four years, he stole approximately 1900 vials of fentanyl from the paramedic department, and in the last few months of his employment, tampered with fentanyl vials intended for patient use. He concealed his theft by altering the hospital’s narcotics logs and making false entries in the hospital’s records. When the defendant tampered with the narcotics, he removed fentanyl vials from a locked narcotics supply cabinet, replacing the drug with a clear liquid believed to be saline. The defendant then returned tampered fentanyl vials to the locked narcotics supply cabinet and placed tampered vials in narcotics kits to be used on ambulances to respond to emergencies.
“We won’t tolerate medical professionals who put patients at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan. “Drug addiction is tragic, but it’s no excuse for harming patients – this conduct will send you to prison for a long time.”
“Health care professionals who tamper with patient medications not only harm patients but also put at risk the trust that U.S. consumers have in those who provide their medical care,” said Special Agent in Charge Charles L. Grinstead, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Kansas City Field Office. “We will continue to investigate and bring to justice health care professionals who tamper with patients’ medications.”
“Trust is the cornerstone of a patient’s relationship with the medical community,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge David Olesky of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Rocky Mountain Field Division. “Mr. Pattinson violated that trust, and as a result of his actions, the DEA, the FDA, and our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office have held him accountable.”
United States District Court Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney sentenced the defendant on April 19, 2023. After his period of incarceration, the defendant will also serve three years on supervised release. The defendant was also ordered to pay restitution to the hospital.
Substance abuse and mental health services are available to medical professionals experiencing addiction and other issues that may be detrimental to their ability to safely practice their profession. Nurses, dentists, psychologists, pharmacists, and other medical professionals can reach out to nonprofit agency Peer Assistance Services, Inc. (peerassistanceservices.org), and emergency medical professionals can contact nonprofit agency Path4EMS (path4ems.org). These programs promote earlier identification and intervention to prevent professionals from engaging in unsafe practices.
This matter was investigated by the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Case No. 22-cr-0263-CNS
Starke Couple Indicted on Mail Theft ChargeRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Connor Lee Austin (31, Starke) and Maranda Ann Stewart (26, Starke) with theft of mail. If convicted, each faces up to five years in federal prison and payment of restitution to the victims in the case.
According to court documents and public records, Austin and Stewart stole First Class mail over multiple months in 2022. Austin appeared in federal court on April 19, 2023, pursuant to a writ bringing him to Jacksonville from Florida State Prison, where he is serving a prison sentence of 36 months for grand theft, grand theft from a dwelling, and burglary. The Court ordered Austin detained pending trial. Stewart appeared in federal court on April 17, 2023, and was released on a bond. Their trial is set for June 2023.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Postal Inspection Service, with valuable assistance from the Bradford County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
South Carolina Woman Pleads Guilty to Fraud Conspiracy Targeting Retirees and Military Pension HoldersRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A South Carolina woman pleaded guilty to conspiracy for her role in a nationwide structured cash flow scheme that exploited military veterans in desperate financial straits and targeted elderly investors seeking a safe retirement investment.
Candy Kern, 55, of Anderson, South Carolina, was the managing partner of a small South Carolina-based law firm. From approximately 2012 through 2021, she used her law firm to facilitate a fraudulent scheme involving illegal assignment of veterans’ benefits.
The scheme worked as follows: Numerous individuals and small corporate entities, referred to as Structured Cash Flow (SCF) entities, offered veterans – many of whom were in acute financial distress – an up-front lump sum payment in exchange for the assignment of the veterans’ monthly pension and/or disability payments for a period of time. Working through a network of investment advisors and insurance agents, the SCF entities would then solicit retirees to invest in these contracts – providing the up-front lump sums under the false pretense that the flow of repayments by veterans over time would translate into a return for the retiree-investors.
For more than eight years, Kern, through her law firm, served as the banker, legal counsel, and debt collector for the SCF operation. Among other services, Kern’s law firm (1) managed, controlled, and maintained the bank accounts through which payments to and from investors and veterans flowed; and (2) filed suits against veterans who defaulted. Throughout the duration of the scheme, and unbeknownst to the veterans or the retirees, the pension assignment contracts were in fact void, as it is illegal to assign a pension under federal law – a fact Kern knew but never disclosed during the execution of any contract.
Over time, the scheme collapsed, as many veterans (who tended to be in dire financial straits) either were unable to repay their “obligations” under the contract or opted not to do so upon learning that federal law prohibited pension assignments. Over the course of this scheme, approximately $14 million in illegally assigned veterans’ benefits flowed through the accounts controlled by Kern’s law firm. Notwithstanding the invalidity of the contracts, Kern pursued enforcement actions against veterans who defaulted, securing numerous default judgments against veterans in absentia. As a result, Kern’s law firm received approximately $1,446,336, while retiree-investors – who were misled and fraudulently induced to purchase the SCF product without being informed of all material information about the contracts – lost approximately $31,352,897.26.
“This elaborate scheme preyed upon and exploited some of our most vulnerable populations, and when it collapsed, it left thousands of veterans in financial ruin and scores of retiree-investors without adequate resources to retire,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department is committed to protecting servicemembers, veterans, and older adults from fraud. And we are dedicated to ensuring that those involved in this scheme are held accountable.”
“The District of South Carolina has been at the forefront of prosecuting fraud related to veterans’ pensions and associated investment scams,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs for the District of South Carolina. “It is reprehensible that a former member of the South Carolina state bar would participate in such a scheme and use her standing as a lawyer to give victims a false confidence. My office will continue its efforts to protect our veterans and to bring perpetrators to justice.”
“This guilty plea is a true testament to the FBI’s steadfast mission to uphold justice and protect the most vulnerable members of our society from financial exploitation and fraud,” said Special Agent in Charge Steve Jensen of the FBI Columbia Field Office. “The FBI recognizes the sacrifice and dedication of our veterans and values the contributions of our seniors to our communities. The guilty plea represents our commitment to holding accountable those who seek to take advantage of our nation’s heroes and seniors.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney William Watkins for the District of South Carolina and Trial Attorneys Ehren Reynolds and Yolanda McCray Jones of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch prosecuted the case.
The matter was investigated by the FBI. The Veterans Benefits Administration’s Benefits Protection and Remediation Division and the Defense Finance Accounting Service also assisted. Resources from the Department of Justice’s Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative and the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force aided in the investigation and prosecution.
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.
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. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at https://www.ovc.gov. For more information on the Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative, or to file a complaint, visit https://www.justice.gov/servicemembers.
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South Carolina Man Convicted of Robbing A Mount Pleasant Restaurant at Gunpoint Is Sentenced to 50 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Brandon Lloyd Daniels, 31, of North Charleston, South Carolina, was sentenced today to 50 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for the 2018 armed robbery of the Tavern and Table restaurant in Mount Pleasant, S.C., announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks presided over the sentencing hearing.
Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in North Carolina and South Carolina, and Chief Mark Arnold of the Mount Pleasant Police Department join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to filed court documents, evidence presented at trial, and witness testimony, on the evening of April 4, 2018, officers with the Mount Pleasant Police Department responded to reports of a robbery and shooting at the Tavern and Table restaurant, located at 100 Church Street in Mount Pleasant. Trial evidence established that around 11:30 p.m., shortly after the restaurant closed for the evening, Daniels entered the restaurant through the back door wearing a face covering and went into the restaurant’s office, where several employees were gathered. Daniels pointed his firearm at the employees and demanded money. According to trial evidence, Daniels aimed his firearm at the restaurant’s assistant manager and shot him in the lower back. The victim sustained serious, permanent injuries from the gunshot.
Following the shooting, the employees complied with Daniels’ demands and handed him several of the restaurant’s cash drawers. As Daniels fled the scene, he fired two more shots inside the restaurant in the direction of another employee.
In July 2022, a federal jury convicted Daniels of Hobbs Act robbery, discharging a firearm during and in relation to the robbery, and felon in possession of ammunition.
In October 2021, following a bench trial before Judge Hendricks, Daniels was convicted of possession of a sawed-off shotgun and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. The convictions stemmed from investigators’ discovery of a sawed-off shotgun in Daniels’ bedroom during the execution of a search warrant in connection with the Tavern and Table robbery.
Daniels is in federal custody. He will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In announcing today’s sentence, Judge Hendricks described the shooting as “vicious,” and said that “This offense involved a tragic robbery, shooting, and maiming of an innocent man tantamount to attempted murder.” She also noted that “it is a miracle the victim did not die,” and that the “amount of physical damage to the victim is unparalleled.”
U.S. Attorney King commended the ATF and the Mount Pleasant Police Department for their investigation of the case and thanked the FBI for their substantial assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Taylor Stout, Regina Pack, and Erik Lindahl, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
South Carolina Man Arrested for Stealing and Possessing A Firearm as A Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Alexander Timothy Rosa (31, South Carolina) on a three-count indictment charging him with possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, possession of a stolen firearm, and stealing a firearm from a federal firearms licensee. If convicted, Rosa faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison on each count.
According to the indictment, on or about October 26, 2021, Rosa unlawfully took a firearm from a pawn store that is licensed to engage in the business of dealing firearms. Rosa continued to possess the stolen firearm until November 9, 2021. Rosa was previously convicted of multiple felonies, including breaking into a motor vehicle (2014), grand theft (2015), robbery (2017), and two counts of assault and battery first degree (2017). As such, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
An indictment is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a federal criminal offense. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case is being investigated by the Belleview Police Department, the Camden County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.
Smugglers Sentenced for U-Haul Transport Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Trajahn Alexander Johnson, 25, of Glendale, Arizona, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Douglas L. Rayes to six months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release. Johnson, the final co-conspirator to be sentenced, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens Resulting in Death.
Johnson’s co-defendants were charged for their role in the transportation of the undocumented noncitizens and they also pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens Resulting in Death and were sentenced by Judge Rayes:
- Israel Omar Vargas, 21, of Avondale, Arizona, was sentenced on September 19, 2022, to 80 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
- Worine Terrell Sams, Jr., 25, of Mesa Arizona, was sentenced on March 27, 2023, to 64 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
Two other individuals also were charged by a separate indictment for their role in the transportation of undocumented noncitizens and pleaded guilty to Transportation of Illegal Aliens Resulting in Death and were sentenced by United States District Judge Susan M. Brnovich:
- Tristan James Mott, 22, of Mesa, Arizona was sentenced on January 18, 2023, to 78 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
- Jera Simone Richard, 25, of Tempe, Arizona, was sentenced on January 30, 2023, to 36 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
On October 1, 2020, in response to a 911 call, the Gila River Police Department (GRPD) conducted an investigative traffic stop of a U-Haul box truck. Upon investigation, GRPD officers discovered that there were 14 undocumented noncitizens in the U-Haul truck, one of whom had died during the transportation. Four others were taken to the hospital, suffering from heat-related illnesses. GRPD officers identified Richard as the driver of the U-Haul and Mott as the passenger. It was later determined that Richard and Mott had coordinated the transport of the 14 individuals with Vargas, Sams, and Johnson.
“Human smuggling is always a risky business proposition, and sometimes those seeking a better life in America pay the ultimate price,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino. “Thanks to the collective work of a private citizen calling 911, observant tribal police officers and dedicated federal agents, we disrupted an alien smuggling scheme and held these five defendants accountable for the death of a migrant in their care.”
“Dismantling human smuggling networks has been a longtime focus for HSI Arizona, but for those events that have resulted in a death of a migrant our investigation intensifies,” said Scott Brown, special agent in charge for HSI Arizona. “No one should ever lose their lives at the hands of a smuggler. Together, with our law enforcement partners, we continue to identify smuggling syndicates to safeguard the U.S. border and help save the lives of people these organizations regularly prey upon.”
Homeland Security Investigations–Casa Grande Office conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-20-00646-PHX-SMB
CR-21-00210-PHX-DLR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-056_Johnson# # #
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.Six indicted as part of Whatcom County fentanyl trafficking organizationRead the Press Release
Seattle – A federal grand jury indicted six people in connection with a Whatcom County fentanyl distribution organization, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. The ring has been under investigation since late 2022 and was actively moving fentanyl from the Seattle area to redistributors in the Bellingham, Washington area. Three of the six people indicted are in custody. Three more are being sought by law enforcement.
“I commend the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office Drug and Gang Unit and the Drug Enforcement Administration for a fast-moving investigation that worked to interdict potentially deadly pills over the last four months,” said U.S. Attorney Brown. “These alleged traffickers also possessed guns – some stolen, some with extended magazines – a dangerous combination with the narcotics.”
In a detailed criminal complaint, law enforcement officers described how they observed various apparent drug transactions and interdicted the drug loads. In one instance, law enforcement was called to a mini-mart where two people involved with the drug ring overdosed on fentanyl and had to be revived and transported to the hospital. Investigation of the ring revealed that the alleged two top leaders lived in Burien, Washington, and downtown Seattle. Multiple members of the ring have criminal histories which prohibit them from possessing firearms.
The grand jury charges all six defendants below with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Additionally, the defendants are charged as follows:
- Robel Sisay Gebremedhin A/K/A Robel Sisay Gebremedhui, 40, of Burien, WA is charged with: possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute; unlawful possession of a firearm; and carrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
- Mohamed Abdirisak Mohamed, 34, of Seattle, WA is also charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute; unlawful possession of a firearm; and carrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
- Ahbdurman Ahmed, 32, of Seattle, WA is also charged with: two counts of possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute; unlawful possession of a firearm.
- Matthew Anderson, 35, of Bellingham, WA is also charged with: two counts of possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute
- Daniel John Faix, 39, of Bellingham, WA is also charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute; possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute; unlawful possession of a firearm; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
- Natasha Parkhill, 37, of Bellingham, WA is also charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute.
State charges are anticipated on seven additional defendants.
“While our community struggles with the impacts of fentanyl overdoses and deaths, the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office Gang and Drug Task Force continues to work closely with our local, state, and federal partners to hold those distributing this dangerous drug accountable for their actions. We aggressively investigate those that bring these deadly drugs and criminal enterprises into our communities that prey on our most vulnerable,” said Whatcom County Undersheriff Doug Chadwick.
“In order to continue to protect the Puget Sound region from organizations that distribute fake pills laced with fentanyl, we will act swiftly, as we did in this investigation, with all of our local and federal partners to ensure the health and safety of our communities,” said Jacob D. Galvan, Acting Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division.
For some defendants in this case, the large drug quantities involved, and the firearms, require mandatory minimum penalties of ten years in prison and up to life in prison. Possession of a firearm is furtherance of a drug trafficking crime is punishable by a consecutive five years in prison on top of any sentence imposed on other charges.
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.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .
This investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Whatcom County Drug and Gang Task Force, with valuable assistance provided by the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, Washington State Patrol, and the Whatcom County Prosecutor’s Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Hobbs.
Six Federal Inmates Indicted for Contraband Cell PhonesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Six federal inmates housed at the Federal Correctional Complex in Butner, North Carolina (“FCC Butner”) have been charged with possession of contraband cell phones.
According to the indictment, the inmates, Rakeem Baldwin, Antoine Stanfield, Neshawn Howard, Alan Gutierrez, Shafter Manuel, and Ronito Gomez, were housed at three different institutions within the Butner Complex at the time of the offenses: the Federal Medical Center, the Low Security Institution, and the Federal Prison Camp. Each has been charged with one count of possessing a cell phone. Additionally, Antoine Stanfield was charged with a second count of destruction or removal of property to prevent seizure.
If convicted, each inmate faces up to a year of imprisonment for possessing the cell phone, with Stanfield facing an additional statutory maximum of five years for destroying or removing property to prevent its seizure. Additionally, if convicted, the of the charge of possessing a cell phone would also make each inmate ineligible for credit under the First Step Act, which allows federal inmates to earn up to 365 days off of their sentence for participating in eligible programming while incarcerated.
“Contraband cellphones in prison threaten the safety and security of the inmates and the institution as a whole,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “By indicting these six inmates at FCC Butner, we hope to send a clear message to the inmate population that the possession of cellphones will never be tolerated at FCC Butner.”
Thomas Scarantino, Complex Warden, at FCC Butner stated, “I would like to thank the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina for their continued support in prosecuting these cases. I would also like to thank the legal team and staff at FCC Butner who have assisted with this case. I have zero tolerance for inmates introducing contraband into FCC Butner that puts the safety and security of staff and inmates at risk.”
Federal Bureau of Prisons investigative staff are investigating the cases, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mallory Brooks Storus and Merrill E. Ward are prosecuting the cases.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
San Felipe Man Sentenced for Abusive Sexual Contact in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today that Robert Chavarillo was sentenced to 190 days of incarceration. Chavarillo, 43, of San Felipe Pueblo, and an enrolled member of the San Felipe Pueblo, pleaded guilty on Dec. 12, 2022, to abusive sexual contact in Indian Country. Chavarillo will be subject to 5 years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
According to the plea agreement, Chavarillo engaged in sexual conduct with the victim, identified as Jane Doe, while she was heavily intoxicated and sleeping. Chavarillo knew that he did not have permission to engage in sexual conduct with Doe at the time. The incidents took place within San Felipe Pueblo.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall and Caitlin Dillon prosecuted the case.
Rochester Drug Trafficker Sentenced to over 19 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Rochester man has been sentenced to 235 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release for leading a methamphetamine trafficking ring, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, from September 2021 through February 2022, Jerry Lee Milliken, 40, led a large-scale methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy based in Rochester and operated throughout southeastern Minnesota and elsewhere. Milliken organized the delivery of methamphetamine from a supplier in Kansas City, Missouri, to sub-distributors in the Rochester area. Milliken also collected and received drug proceeds and facilitated communications in support of the conspiracy. Between the fall of 2021 and the winter of 2022, law enforcement seized approximately 80 pounds of methamphetamine from the conspiracy during various enforcement operations.
Milliken pleaded guilty on November 18, 2022, to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. He was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson.
Aaron Raymond Dombovy, 30, one of Milliken’s coconspirators, pleaded guilty on November 16, 2022, to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. He also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Rochester Police Department, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Southeast Minnesota Violent Crimes Enforcement Team, and the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen A. Slaughter Jr. prosecuted the case.
Ringleader and Two Associates of Illicit Massage Parlor Operation Sentenced to Combined 6 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – Three women from South Carolina, Virginia, and North Carolina were sentenced today to combined 72 months in prison for their management and involvement in an illicit massage parlor operation between August 2020 and June 2021. The leader of the organization, Ok Hwa Lee, 55, was sentenced to 34 months in prison. Shanyu Song, 50, and Xuejin Bai, 51, were sentenced to 26 and 12 months and 1 day, respectively. Additionally, Lee was ordered to forfeit $151,000; Song $146,000; and Bai $55,000. On November 10, 2022, Lee pled guilty to three counts, including one count of conspiracy and two counts of bribing a public official and Song pled guilty to conspiracy. On December 12, 2022, Bai pled guilty to one count of conspiracy.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Lee, Song, and Bai were arrested as part of a broad undercover operation for attempting to bribe law enforcement officers to provide protection for their illicit massage parlors where sexual services were being offered in Cary, Durham, and Wilmington, North Carolina. During the investigation, an undercover HSI agent met with Lee, Song, Bai, and other individuals who provided more than $18,000 in bribes to the agent, believing that the bribes would provide protection from unwanted law enforcement inquiries at the various massage parlors. Song was Lee’s main accomplice within the organization and Bai was a part owner of two illicit massage parlors in Wilmington.
On June 16, 2021, HSI, with the assistance of numerous law enforcement agencies, led a coordinated takedown across four different federal districts that included the execution of search warrants at eight different massage parlors, multiple residences, and the arrest of six individuals, including Lee, Song, and Bai. Two other co-defendants, Ming Ji Cao and Ogbun Park, were previously sentenced, and the corresponding press release can be found here.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Wake County Sheriff’s Office, the Durham County Sheriff’s Office, the Cary Police Department, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, the Wilmington Police Department, the Horry County Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, and other state and local investigators investigated the case and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Blondel and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan M. Stephany prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:21-cr-00079-FL.
Raleigh County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Fraud CrimesRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Paul Richard Massey, 50, of Shady Spring, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud and money laundering. Massey admitted to issuing fraudulent payments as an insurance claims adjuster and using the money to fund a powersports business that he owns.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Massey was employed as a claims adjuster for Allstate Insurance Company from 2015 until June 2019. Massey was routinely assigned claim files to investigate after Allstate customers filed a claim under their insurance policy. Massey’s job included investigating assigned claims, determining coverage, and coordinating with the insured customer and others to determine what services were needed to bring a claim to conclusion. In his role as claims adjuster, Massey had the authority to issue settlement check payments to policy holders and businesses on behalf of Allstate to settle insured property damage claims.
Massey admitted to authorizing and issuing a $15,110.29 check on behalf of Allstate to a business called American Mitigation Services LLC, also known as AMS Cleaning, on December 26, 2018. The check was issued for mitigation work allegedly performed by AMS Cleaning and was deposited into AMS Cleaning’s bank account. Massey admitted that this payment was fraudulent, as AMS Cleaning had completed no work to justify the payment. Massey further admitted that he had a business relationship with AMS Cleaning and was an authorized signer on the business’s bank account.
Massey also admitted that he authorized and issued 68 fraudulent claim payment checks totaling more than $850,000 on behalf of Allstate to AMS Cleaning from at least January 22, 2018, until at least June 19, 2019. Massey attempted to hide the fraudulent nature of some of these checks by creating fraudulent receipts and documents that appeared to justify the payments.
Massey used the fraudulent claims payments deposited in AMS Cleaning’s bank account to fund Massey Powersports LLC, a Beckley business owned and operated by Massey. The investigation revealed that Massey routinely wrote checks from AMS Cleaning’s bank account to pay Massey Powersports employees, to purchase inventory for Massey Powersports, and to pay Massey Powersports’ recurring bills. Massey admitted that on December 27, 2018, he wired $105,403.20 in fraudulently obtained proceeds from AMS Cleaning’s bank account to a North Carolina business to prepay for tractors intended for Massey Powersports.
Massey attempted to conceal his scheme from investigators. On June 27, 2019, Massey falsely told an Allstate fraud investigator that he had no financial interest in AMS Cleaning. On August 14, 2020, Massey created and submitted a fictitious $1 million sales contract for AMS Cleaning in response to a federal grand jury subpoena. On January 22, 2021, Massey falsely told a Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent that he had negotiated the sale of AMS Cleaning with an individual identified by Massey as “Jerry Wayne.”
Massey is scheduled to be sentenced on August 4, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $500,000 fine. Massey owes $862,871.29 in restitution.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Litigation Financial Analyst with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Blackwell is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-219.
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Raleigh County Man Pleads Guilty to Export Fraud ViolationRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Rana Zeeshan Tanveer, 42, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to committing an export fraud violation. Tanveer admitted that he knowingly submitted false export valuations for two high-technology devices that Tanveer shipped to Pakistan.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 31, 2017, Tanveer ordered the two high-technology items, paying more than $4,000 for both items. The two items were shipped to Tanveer in Beckley and he received them on June 7, 2017. Tanveer admitted to creating a false invoice that intentionally understated the value of the items as less than $200. Tanveer further admitted to using the false invoice to ship the items to Pakistan using a freight forwarding service in July 2017.
Tanveer also admitted that he intentionally used false invoices on at least six other occasions, from June 14, 2014 through August 20, 2018, that deliberately undervalued the purchase cost of U.S.-origin technology that Tanveer exported to Pakistan.
“Mr. Tanveer pleaded guilty to unlawfully shipping high-technology devices overseas and is now being held accountable,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Department of Justice is steadfast in its commitment to prosecute those who would undermine our nation’s security and economic interest by flouting U.S. export control laws.”
Federal law requires the filing of accurate Electronic Export Information (EEI) through the Automated Export System (AES) about certain items that are exported from the United States. It is a federal crime to knowingly submit false or misleading Electronic Export Information. The purpose of this export requirement is to strengthen the ability of the United States to prevent the export of certain items to unauthorized destinations or end users. Accurate information in the Automated Export System also aids the United States in targeting, identifying, and, when necessary, confiscating suspicious or illegal items or shipments prior to export.
“Violating export control requirements is a serious offense,” said United State Attorney Will Thompson. “Our office is committed to working closely with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who evade U.S. export laws.”
Tanveer is scheduled to be sentenced on August 4, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Department of Commerce Office of Export Enforcement (OEE) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
“Knowingly undervaluing shipments in order to avoid export reporting requirements is a violation of U.S. export control rules,” said OEE Washington Field Office Acting Special Agent in Charge Scott Anderson. “The Office of Export Enforcement will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to prevent and disrupt illicit trade that threatens U.S. national security and undermines U.S. foreign policy.”
“Mr. Tanveer used deceptive practices and tried to disguise his true activities for years,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall. “The FBI will always work to disrupt these types of actions, as they pose a threat not only to our national security, but also to the U.S. economy. I commend the work done by everyone at the FBI, but we would not have been successful without our strong partnership with the Department of Commerce. Together, our agencies will continue to fight export fraud.”
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes and National Security Division Trial Attorney R. Elizabeth Abraham are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-26.
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Pasadena Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Using Fraudulently Obtained EDD Cards to Withdraw Nearly $1 Million in CashRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Gabriel Valley man was sentenced today to 120 months in federal prison for using dozens of fraudulently obtained debit and credit cards as part of a scheme to defraud the state’s unemployment insurance program out of nearly $1 million, and for possessing methamphetamine and ammunition.
Robert Sloan Mateer, 32, of Pasadena, was sentenced by United States District Judge Otis D. Wright II, who also ordered him to pay $937,173 in restitution.
Mateer pleaded guilty in November 2022 to one count of use of unauthorized access devices, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition.
On October 1, 2020, Mateer – whose criminal history includes a felony conviction in Los Angeles Superior Court in March 2020 for driving or taking a vehicle without consent – and co-defendant Sarah Taylor Brown, 36, of Los Angeles, were stopped in Pasadena for a traffic violation and his vehicle was searched. The search of Mateer’s Maserati SUV revealed:
- approximately 85 grams of methamphetamine;
- two cellphones with debit and credit cards in names belonging to persons other than Mateer and Brown;
- a 9mm-caliber pistol with no serial number and loaded with two rounds of ammunition;
- an additional round of 9mm-caliber ammunition in the driver’s side pocket of the car;
- 17 California Employment Development Department (EDD) cards in the names of third parties;
- five credit and debit cards in other people’s names; and
- approximately $197,711 in cash.
Mateer admitted in his plea agreement that he fraudulently obtained EDD debit cards by applying for unemployment insurance benefits using another individual’s personal identifying information on the EDD website. On the website, Mateer would direct the EDD debit card to be sent to an address that did not belong to the individual whose identity he was using. Mateer, Brown, and other co-conspirators then would retrieve the debit cards from the Mateer-designated address and use the card at ATMs to withdraw cash benefits.
In total, the conspiracy caused actual losses to the EDD program of approximately $937,173. Brown was captured on ATM surveillance footage making at least $54,740 in withdrawals.
Judge Wright in November 2021 ordered the Maserati SUV and the $197,711 in cash forfeited to the United States.
Brown pleaded guilty in December 2022 to one count of use of unauthorized access devices. On February 7, Judge Wright sentenced Brown to time served, after she had served nearly 20 months, to be followed by supervised release for three years, and ordered her to pay $54,740 in restitution, to be held jointly and severally liable with Mateer.
The United States Postal Inspection Service investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Nisha Chandran of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section prosecuted this case.
Oroville Man Charged with Trafficking Fentanyl and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment today against Joseph Alan Childers, 37, of Oroville, charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between November 2022 and February 2023, Childers conspired with others to acquire and distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine in Butte and Yuba Counties. On Feb. 27, 2023, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of Childers in Oroville. A later search of the vehicle uncovered over 2 pounds of fentanyl, a half a pound of methamphetamine, a digital scale, and packing materials.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Butte County Sheriff’s Office and the Oroville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alstyn Bennett is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Childers faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This 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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Operation Smoke and Mirrors Update: Charleston Woman Pleads Guilty to Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Kimberly Dawn Legg, 49, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, admitting to a role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area.
According to court documents and statements made in court, for several months prior to December 5, 2022, Legg sold quantities of methamphetamine obtained from a supplier who usually delivered the methamphetamine directly to her Lotus Drive residence in Charleston. Kimberly Dawn Legg admitted to handling the money when selling the methamphetamine to customers while co-defendant Larry Wayne Legg typically weighed out the amounts. Kimberly Dawn Legg further admitted that the supplier usually provided the methamphetamine without requiring full payment, with the understanding that he would be paid from the individual sale proceeds.
On December 4, 2022, the supplier delivered approximately 1 pound of methamphetamine to Legg’s residence. The next day, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Legg’s residence and found the methamphetamine. Kimberly Dawn Legg admitted that she and Larry Wayne Legg intended to sell the seized methamphetamine.
Kimberly Dawn Legg is scheduled to be sentenced on August 3, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
Larry Wayne Legg, 55, of Charleston, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine on March 6, 2023. Kimberly Dawn Legg and Larry Wayne Legg are among 30 individuals indicted as a result of Operation Smoke and Mirrors, a major drug trafficking investigation that has yielded the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history. Law enforcement seized well over 200 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 28 pounds of cocaine, 20 pounds of fentanyl, 18 firearms and $747,000 in cash.
Two other co-defendants have pleaded guilty. Indictments against the other defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard Counter Drug program, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is prosecuting the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-4.
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Omaha Man Sentenced for Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Elmer Rene Hernandez-Hernandez, 43, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on April 19, 2023, by United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Hernandez-Hernandez received a sentence of 210 months’ imprisonment with a four-year term of supervised release to follow. There is no parole in the federal system. Hernandez-Hernandez also forfeited $13,400 that was seized as part of the investigation.
On March 18, 2021, the DEA Criminal Interdiction Unit, while working at the United States Post Office in Omaha, intercepted a package containing 3,242 grams of methamphetamine. The package was destined to an address in Omaha. A controlled delivery of the package was completed to the listed address, and Kenneth Flowers accepted the package at the residence. Flowers was then monitored as he exited out his backdoor and walked up the street to deliver the package to the residence of Hernandez-Hernandez. Flowers was arrested after delivering the package.
A search warrant was obtained for Hernandez-Hernandez’s residence. Inside, officers found various small amounts of illicit drugs (cocaine, fentanyl, and marijuana), $13,400, and some firearms. One of the firearms was stolen.
Flowers was sentenced to 40 months’ imprisonment on April 6, 2023 for his role in receiving the package for Hernandez-Hernandez.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Nebraska State Patrol.
Oklahoma Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening to Murder Federal Law Enforcement OfficersRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Today, CHARLES DEAN LACK, 56, of Wayne, Oklahoma, entered a plea of guilty on a federal charge of threatening to murder federal law enforcement officers, announced United States Attorney Robert J. Troester.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, on or about August 5, 2022, the Federal Bureau of Investigation learned that Lack had communicated an intention to travel to Will Rogers World Airport (WRWA) and kill federal officers when he arrived. The affidavit further alleges Lack had previously visited WRWA on three separate occasions to determine the location of certain federal law enforcement officials within the WRWA.
On August 17, 2022, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment against Lack. Count 1 charged him with threatening to murder federal law enforcement officers, and Count 2 charged him with interstate transmission of a threatening communication.
Today, Lack entered a plea of guilty to Count 1 of the indictment before U.S. District Judge Timothy D. DeGiusti. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled in approximately 90 days. At sentencing, Lack faces a maximum penalty of 10 years of imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Lack has been in federal custody since August 8, 2022.
This case is the result of investigations by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office and Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matt Dillon and Mark Stoneman are prosecuting the case.
Reference is made to public filings for more information.
Oklahoma City Man Charged with Unlawful Possession of a Stolen United States Postal Service Key and Theft of Stolen MailRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY — Earlier this week, TARYAN NABOND PRINCE-SADLER, 18, of Oklahoma City was arrested on charges of unlawful possession of a stolen United States Postal Service (USPS) arrow key and theft of stolen mail, announced United States Attorney Robert J. Troester.
Public records reflect that on April 17, 2023, Prince-Sadler was charged by criminal complaint with one count of possession of a stolen USPS arrow key and one count of theft of stolen mail. Arrow keys are universal keys USPS uses to access collection boxes, outdoor parcel lockers, cluster box units, and apartment panels.
An affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint alleges that the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) received numerous complaints from customers reporting that mail items containing checks placed into USPS collection boxes were stolen and later altered, forged, or counterfeited. The affidavit further alleges that victims reported the checks cleared through their financial institutions, often through mobile deposit/electronic banking methods.
According to the affidavit, USPIS conducted a law enforcement operation on Monday, April 17, 2023, that identified Prince-Sadler who was then arrested.
On April 18, 2023, Prince-Sadler had his initial appearance on the complaint in federal court in Oklahoma City. He was released on bond pending further proceedings in the case.
If found guilty of unlawful possession of a stolen USPS arrow key, the defendant faces up to 10 years in federal prison, a fine of $250,000, and a special assessment of $100. If found guilty of theft of stolen mail, the defendant faces up to 5 years in federal prison, a fine of $250,000, and a special assessment of $100. The defendant would also be required to serve a term of supervised release of up to three years for each count.
The public is reminded that these charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
This case is the result of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle London is prosecuting the case.
North Country Drug Enforcement Operation Results in Arrests of 31 IndividualsRead the Press Release
CONCORD – 31 individuals have been arrested as part of a coordinated drug enforcement operation in Coos and Grafton counties, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
The operation, which took place this week, was a coordinated effort by federal, state, and local partners to focus on drug trafficking in Coos and Grafton counties. The enforcement effort targeted the distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine, which resulted in federal charges against 5 individuals for federal drug offenses and an additional 26 for state drug offenses. Over the course of the investigations, law enforcement seized more than 14 lbs of suspected fentanyl, more than 2 lbs of suspected methamphetamine, 183 grams of suspected crack cocaine, 93 grams of suspected powder cocaine, and $131,397 in U.S. currency.
The enforcement effort brought together 9 law enforcement agencies to target individuals distributing drugs in communities throughout Coos and Grafton counties. The arrests resulted in the removal of individuals allegedly operating in the following New Hampshire communities: Berlin; Colebrook; Gorham; Groveton; Lancaster; Littleton; Stratford; and Whitefield.
The following defendants were arrested on federal charges:
- John King, age 33, of Berlin, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. King made an initial appearance in federal court in Concord on April 19, 2023 and is detained.
- Rose Hand, age 39, of Berlin, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. Hand made an initial appearance in federal court in Concord on April 19, 2023 and is temporarily detained.
- Clarisa C. Haas, 26, of Berlin, for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, fentanyl. Haas made an initial appearance in federal court in Concord on April 20, 2023 and is detained.
- Kimberly Supernois, 27, of Norton, VT for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. An initial appearance for Supernois has not been scheduled.
- Alec Supernois, age 28, of Norton, VT for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. An initial appearance for Supernois has not been scheduled.
The charges provide for a maximum term of 20 years’ imprisonment, a maximum fine of $1,000,000, and a minimum of three years of supervised release.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; the New Hampshire State Police; and the New Hampshire Drug Task Force led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Colebrook Police Department; the Berlin Police Department; the Coos County Sheriff’s Department; the Whitefield Police Department; the Littleton Police Department; the Lancaster Police Department; and the United States Border Patrol.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Monmouth County Pair Indicted for Fraudulently Obtaining More Than $3.75 Million in Loans Meant to Help Small Businesses During COVID-19 PandemicRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Two former residents of Monmouth County, New Jersey, who allegedly obtained approximately $3.75 million in federal pandemic-related loans have been indicted, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Jean Rabbitt, 52, and Kevin Aguilar, 52, both of Sherman, Texas, and both previously of Farmingdale, New Jersey, are each charged by indictment with: one count of conspiracy to engage bank fraud; seven counts of bank fraud; one count of conspiracy to engage in wire fraud; three counts of wire fraud; conspiracy to engage in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity and one count of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity; and one count of aggravated identity theft. Rabbitt is additionally charged with one count of making a false statement in a loan application.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
Rabbitt and Aguilar submitted seven fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of four businesses that Rabbitt owned or controlled. Rabbitt and Aguilar made multiple false statements in their PPP applications, at least one of which was submitted to a Federal Home Loan Bank member. The lenders approved PPP loans totaling $3.33 million, and transmitted those funds to Rabbitt’s businesses. Rabbitt and Aguilar also submitted fraudulent applications to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) under the federal Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. Based on false statements in those applications, the SBA approved EIDLs to three of Rabbitt’s businesses, totaling approximately $447,000.
After receiving the PPP and EIDL funds, Rabbitt and Aguilar transferred those funds to other businesses that Aguilar created to give the false appearance that the PPP and EIDL funds were being used for legitimate purposes. Aguilar and Rabbitt then used the PPP and EIDL funds for personal expenses.
Rabbitt and Aguilar also engaged in identity theft, by submitting an EIDL application using the name and identifying information of an individual who did not authorize the use of that information.
Rabbitt is also charged with making a false statement on a loan application, including with respect to her gross monthly income, in order to obtain financing to purchase a new truck from a Monmouth County car dealership.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Patricia Tarasca in New York; special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins; special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Sharon MacDermott; postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Inspector in Charge is Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division; special agents of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Robert Manchak; and special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David V. Simunovich of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Health Care Fraud Unit, in Newark.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
rabbitt.aguilarindictment.pdfMissouri Man Sentenced for Hate Crime in Attempted Murder of Teen Because of His Sexual OrientationRead the Press Release
A Missouri man was sentenced in federal court today for committing a hate crime by shooting a local teenager eight times in an attempted murder that was motivated by the victim’s sexual orientation.
Malachi Robinson, 25, of Kansas City, Missouri, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 262 months in federal prison without parole.
“This defendant’s sentence holds him accountable for the violent and callous hate crime perpetrated against a defenseless teenager targeted because of their LGBTQ+ status,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Recent FBI data makes clear that hate crimes targeting the LGBTQ+ community persist and this sentence should send a strong message to the perpetrators of these crimes that they will be held accountable. Bias motivated misconduct has no place in our country, and the Justice Department is committed to working with our federal, state and local partners to vigorously pursue justice for victims targeted because of their sexual orientation.”
“This significant penalty brings a measure of justice to the young victim and to the larger LGBTQI+ community,” said U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore for the Western District of Missouri. “To ambush and shoot an unwitting victim, who posed no threat to him, for no other reason than his sexual orientation is reprehensible behavior that won’t be tolerated. Our entire community must stand together against acts of violence motivated by hatred for any group of people. The Department of Justice is committed to protecting the civil rights of all citizens and prosecuting those who illegally threaten those rights.”
“This sentencing validates that bias-motivated crimes will not be tolerated and demonstrates law enforcement’s continued commitment to aggressively investigate and bring to justice those responsible for these heinous crimes. To target an individual, lure them and shoot them multiple times for no other reason than their perceived sexual orientation is reprehensible,” said Special Agent in Charge Charles Dayoub of the FBI Kansas City Field Office. “The sentence imposed today reflects the severity of the crime committed against the victim and the entire LGBTQI+ community. Every individual has the right to live without fear of being attacked or harassed, regardless of their sexual orientation. The FBI is committed to working with our federal, state and local partners to protect the civil rights of all. “
On July 7, 2022, Robinson pleaded guilty to one count of violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Robinson has been in federal custody since he was indicted by a federal grand jury on Aug. 10, 2021.
By pleading guilty, Robinson admitted that he shot the then-16-year-old victim, identified in court records as M.S., approximately eight times with a Taurus 9mm pistol in an attempt to kill him because of his sexual orientation, causing life-threatening injuries.
After a chance meeting at the Kansas City Public Library on May 29, 2019, Robinson and M.S. talked briefly over Facebook Messenger before meeting outside the library. According to court documents, library surveillance footage showed that M.S. began to walk away, and Robinson followed him, catching up to M.S. before crossing the street. The two then walked for a while in the Swoop Park area, until Robinson suggested that they go into a wooded area nearby under the guise of looking for a place to engage in a sex act. Around the same time, Robinson wrote separately to his girlfriend that he “might shoot this boy” because of his sexual orientation.
Robinson and M.S. entered a wooded area nearby. M.S. changed his mind and turned to leave the woods, but Robinson pulled out his pistol and fired repeatedly at M.S. M.S. was able to get up and onto a sidewalk in front of the woods. He moved along the sidewalk until he eventually collapsed in front of a nearby apartment building. A bystander called 911, and police officers and emergency medical services responded. M.S. was transported to a local hospital, where he was deemed to be in critical condition.
M.S., who sustained eight gunshot wounds, survived the shooting after spending approximately two weeks in the hospital. M.S. has since suffered long-term effects of the shooting. He has undergone multiple surgeries and physical therapy and still has several bullets inside of him.
Robinson fled through the woods toward his apartment building and engaged in attempts to avoid detection or arrest. Later that day, and in the days that followed, Robinson told others that he shot M.S. because of his sexual orientation.
The FBI Kansas City Field Office and the Kansas City Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Dave Ketchmark for the Western District of Missouri and Trial Attorneys Shan Patel and Eric Peffley of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
Mexican National Sentenced to More than 12 Years’ Imprisonment for Drug Trafficking CrimeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Bartolo Roman-Tapia, 23, of Mexico, was sentenced on April 19, 2023, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Roman-Tapia to 151 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison he will be subject to deportation. He was also ordered to serve a five-year term of supervised release.
On June 22, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant on a South Omaha apartment. Special Agents encountered Roman-Tapia locked inside the lone apartment bedroom. Within that bedroom Special Agents discovered 28 one-pound packages of methamphetamine, $18,754 in narcotics proceeds, two cellular telephones, a scale, money remitter receipts and drug payment ledger, apartment keys, and a wallet with Roman-Tapia's identification. The $18,754 was previously forfeited to the United States as proceeds from narcotics trafficking.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.
Meridian Man Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Possession of a Firearm by Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. - A Meridian man was sentenced to 57 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
According to court documents, Patrick Terrell Lewis, Jr., 31, was found in possession of a firearm in his vehicle by officers of the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office on January 7, 2021. Lewis was stopped by officers while in the parking lot of a motel on suspicion connected to an unrelated investigation. The officers smelled marijuana. One officer then checked Lewis’s vehicle and saw a marijuana grinder inside the vehicle on top of the center console. When the officer looked under the driver’s seat the officer found a 9mm pistol. Lewis has two prior felony convictions and was on probation at the time of this incident.
Lewis pled guilty on October 31, 2022 to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office and the ATF investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica S. Terrill and Charles W. Kirkham prosecuted the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Massillon Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Kidnapping of 5-Year-Old Child and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
YOUNGSTOWN – Jonathan L. Stinnett, 37, of Massillon, Ohio, was sentenced on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, to 30 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Benita Y. Pearson after he pleaded guilty to kidnapping a 5-year-old child and possessing child pornography. Once released from prison, Stinnett will be under court supervision for life.
According to court documents, on November 11, 2021, Stinnett, the boyfriend of the child’s babysitter, took the child during an outing with his girlfriend and the child in Massillon, Ohio. Stinnett left Massillon with the child in his vehicle, disabled his cellular phone, and avoided attempts by his girlfriend and law enforcement to contact him.
Court documents state that more than 24 hours later, law enforcement in McLean County, Illinois, received a call reporting a suspicious vehicle parked on a rural road. Sheriff’s deputies responded and found Stinnett and the child asleep in Stinnett’s vehicle. Stinnett was arrested and the child was returned to her family.
During interviews with investigators from the McLean County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Stinnett admitted taking the child without her mother’s knowledge or consent. Prior to the kidnapping, Stinnett had purchased a new cellular phone and camping equipment that he planned to use as they traveled.Court documents also show that a search of Stinnett’s vehicle revealed numerous electronic storage devices. One of those devices contained approximately 229 images of child pornography. Stinnett admitted possessing and viewing those images.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Jackson Township Police Department, and the McLean County, Illinois, Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter E. Daly and Aaron P. Howell.
Massachusetts Health Care Company Agrees to Plead Guilty and Pay More Than $2.5 Million for Purchasing Botox That was Packaged and Labeled for Use Only in Foreign CountriesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The United States Attorney’s Office announced today that Massachusetts-based medical corporation, Greater Boston Behavioral Health LLC, has agreed to plead guilty to charges related to the receipt of misbranded drugs and to pay in excess of $2.5 million in fines and forfeiture.
“Greater Boston Behavioral Health disregarded laws designed to protect patient safety,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting patients and the integrity of federal health care programs, and we will continue to use our criminal authority to ensure that health care providers play by the rules that protect the public and ensure quality of care.”
“Administering misbranded prescription drugs to patients puts their health at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Fernando P. McMillan, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations New York Office. “We will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who jeopardize the public’s health.”
Pursuant to a criminal information filed in federal court in Boston, the United States charged Greater Boston Behavioral Health with violations of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. As part of the criminal resolution, Greater Boston Behavioral Health has agreed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor offense, to pay a criminal fine of $657,678 and to forfeit $1,929,464.
According to the criminal information, Greater Boston Behavioral Health sought out sources from which it could purchase Botox® that was packaged and labeled only for sale in the United Kingdom and other foreign countries. The label of the foreign Botox purchased by Greater Boston Behavioral Health differed from the FDA-approved label for Botox and Botox Cosmetic and lacked the designation “Rx Only” as required by the FDCA for prescription drugs. The label also typically did not include the FDA-required “black-box warning” concerning potential side-effects of Botox. Greater Boston Behavioral Health purchased foreign Botox at prices significantly below the price that Allergan and its authorized distributors charged for Botox and Botox Cosmetic that was manufactured and labeled for sale in the United States.
Doctors at Greater Boston Behavioral Health used the foreign Botox to treat patients suffering from migraine headaches and did not disclose to these patients that they purchased the drug from foreign sources or that it was not labeled for distribution in the United States.
U.S. Attorney Rollins and FDA-OCI SAC McMillan made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Looney of Rollins’ Health Care Fraud Unit handled the matter.Maryland Man Sentenced to over Three Years in Federal Prison for Purchasing and Distributing Drugs Through the DarkwebRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Vishesh Aragam Guruprasad, age 31, of Boyds, Maryland yesterday to 42 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for a drug distribution conspiracy involving the purchase and sale of drugs through darkweb marketplaces, and money laundering.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) - Washington Field Division; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Acting Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”) Washington, D.C. Field Office; Postal Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) Baltimore Field Division; and Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, between at least July 2016 and February 2019, Aragam conspired to distribute and possessed with the intent to distribute over two kilograms of 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine, commonly known as MDMA. Specifically, Aragam admitted that he bought and sold illegal narcotics, including MDMA and marijuana, on various darkweb marketplaces. For example, between July 15, 2016 and June 13, 2017, Aragam sold over two kilograms of MDMA on one darkweb marketplace and from October 2018 to April 2019, Aragam completed over 1,000 transactions selling MDMA, heroin, or marijuana through another darkweb marketplace. Aragam’s darkweb customers paid for the narcotics in Bitcoin, which the darkweb marketplace would maintain until Aragam transferred to Bitcoin to a virtual currency wallet Aragam maintained. Aragam used a virtual currency exchange to broker the exchange of Bitcoin to cash.
Aragam admitted that he obtained distribution quantities of MDMA from the United Kingdom, which he sold to drug customers throughout the United States over the darkweb. Aragam had the MDMA shipped from the United Kingdom to the post office boxes of co-conspirators, who would then deliver the drugs to Aragam. As detailed in the plea agreement, Aragam also sold drugs from his residence.
As stated in his plea agreement, Aragam routed the proceeds from his sale of illegal narcotics through several accounts and converted the proceeds from Bitcoins to U.S. dollars to conceal the nature and source of the proceeds. For example, on June 30, 2017, Aragam transferred 18 Bitcoins from a darkweb marketplace to his virtual currency account at Exchange A, and a few days later, exchanged the 18 Bitcoins into U.S. dollars. Aragam transferred $41,822.05, the value of the 18 Bitcoins as of that date, to Aragam’s virtual wallet spend account at his bank, then, in a series of transactions, moved the money into other accounts Aragam controlled.
A search warrant executed at Aragam’s residence on April 4, 2019, recovered four rifles and a shotgun, more than 1,100 rounds of ammunition, 92.83 grams of MDMA, marijuana, and one gram of a mixture containing phenylethyl and fentanyl.
This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DEA, HSI, the IRS-CI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the ATF, and the Montgomery County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher M. Sarma and Leah B. Grossi, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Maryland MS-13 Gang Leader Pleads Guilty to Participating in a Racketeering Conspiracy, Including MurderRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Brayan Alexander Torres, a/k/a “Spooky,” age 29, of Adelphi, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday, to a racketeering conspiracy, including murder, related to his participation in the Weedams Locos Salvatrucha clique of the MS-13 gang. Torres admitted that he was the clique’s “First Word” or leader.
On March 24, 2023, co-defendants and MS-13 members and associates Brian Samir Zelaya Mejia, a/k/a “Chispa,” age 25, of Hyattsville, Maryland and Jorge Isaac Argueta Chica, a/k/a “Timido,” age 22, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, also pleaded guilty to their participation in the racketeering conspiracy, including extortion and accessory after the fact of first degree murder.
The guilty pleas were announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations Baltimore; and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
According to court documents, La Mara Salvatrucha gang, also known as “MS-13,” is an international criminal organization composed primarily of immigrants or descendants of immigrants from El Salvador, with members operating in Maryland and throughout the United States. In Maryland and elsewhere, MS-13 members are organized in “cliques,” smaller groups that operate in a specific city or region. MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence, both to maintain membership and discipline within the gang and against rival gangs. One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, known as “chavalas,” whenever possible. Participation in criminal activity by a member, particularly in violent acts directed at rival gangs or as directed by gang leadership, increases the respect accorded to that member, resulting in that member maintaining or increasing his position in the gang and opens the door to promotion to a leadership position.
As detailed in the plea agreements, from at least August 2018 through July 2021, Torres was the “First Word” or leader of Weedams Locos Salvatrucha, (WLS), an MS-13 clique operating primarily in Adelphi, Maryland. Zelaya Mejia and Argueta Chica were members of the WLS clique from at least March 2019 through July 2021.
On August 8, 2020, Torres and other WLS members, including co-defendant Franklyn Sanchez, were gathered at a park in Prince George’s County, Maryland, where they agreed to murder Victim 4, who was suspected of cooperating with law enforcement and to whom Sanchez owed a debt. Sanchez was armed with a revolver and Torres handed a second revolver to another MS-13 member, instructing that person to shoot first when Victim 4 arrived. Sanchez and the other WLS member each fired multiple shots at Victim 4, who fell to the ground. Sanchez then pistol-whipped Victim 4 and stabbed him with a knife. Torres then walked over and stabbed Victim 4 with a screwdriver. Torres and other WLS members dragged Victim 4’s body to a stream and left it there. As he was leaving the woods, Sanchez noticed he was bleeding and was concerned that his DNA may have been left on the body. To prevent the discovery of DNA or other evidence and to hinder the investigation and prosecution of Victim 4’s murder, Torres called other WLS members, including Zelaya Mejia, Argueta Chica and co-defendant Agustino Eugenio Rivas Rodriguez, and ordered them to bring shovels to the wooded area, where they dug a hole and buried Victim 4’s body. Victim 4’s body was later recovered with a bullet wound to the head.
On June 5, 2020, Torres also conspired with other MS-13 members to kidnap and kill a female member of the rival 18th Street gang. Torres and Rivas Rodriguez ordered subordinate members of the gang to gather at a house with firearms in preparation for the murder, while another MS-13 associate was at a separate location with Victim 5. The group of MS-13 subordinates gathered with guns and were preparing to follow their orders, when police arrived on scene and interrupted the plan.
Torres admitted that he directed the collection of extortion payments, or “rents,” from at least two extortion victims on behalf of WLS. Torres, Zelaya Mejia, Argueta Chica, Rivas Rodriguez, co-defendant Hernan Yanes-Rivera and others collected the rents, knowing that the victims making extortion payments did so under the threat of death or bodily injury by members of WLS. For example, gang members used baseball bats to impose rents and sometimes collected rent while flashing firearms or otherwise making it known that they were carrying weapons.
Finally, Torres participated in money laundering by transferring gang funds obtained through its extortion activities to MS-13 members and associates in El Salvador. As detailed in the plea agreement, Torres also accepted a delivery of rent payments that had just been collected from three brothels by a WLS member, with the intent to use the funds to promote MS-13’s illegal activities, including extortion.
The government and the defendants have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea, Torres will be sentenced to 28 years in federal prison and Zelaya Mejia and Argueta Chica will each be sentenced to six years in federal prison. Torres will also be required to pay restitution in the full amount of the victims’ losses, including any funeral costs incurred by Victim 4’s estate. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis has scheduled sentencing for Torres on August 31, 2023; and for Zelaya Mejia and Argueta Chica on July 11, 2023 and July 21, 2023, respectively.
Franklyn Edgardo Sanchez, a/k/a “Delinquente,” age 26, of Adelphi, Maryland; Hernan Yanes-Rivera, a/k/a “Recio,” age 22, of Adelphi, Maryland; and Agustino Eugenio Rivas Rodriguez, a/k/a “Terrible,” age 25, of Silver Spring, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the racketeering conspiracy. If the Court accepts the guilty pleas, Sanchez will be sentenced to 28 years in federal prison, Yanes-Rivera will be sentenced to 22 years in federal prison and Rivas Rodriguez will be sentenced to 16 years in federal prison. Judge Xinis has scheduled sentencing for Sanchez on May 19, 2023, for Rivas Rodriguez on July 21, 2028, and for Yanes-Rivera on July 28, 2023.
Anyone with information about MS-13 is encouraged to provide their tips to law enforcement. The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations both have nationwide tiplines that you can call to report what you know. You can reach the FBI at 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713), or you can call HSI at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.
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.
This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
United States Attorney Barron and Assistant Attorney General Polite commended the FBI, HSI and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and the Montgomery County Police Department for their assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Crespo, and Trial Attorneys Brendan Woods and Christopher Taylor of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn.
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Man Who Lured Children into Sex via Snapchat Sentenced to 33 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
A San Angelo man who used Snapchat to lure teenage girls into sexual encounters was sentenced to 33 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Esiah Cruz Castillo, 23, was indicted in October 2022. He pleaded guilty in December to enticement of minors and was sentenced on Thursday by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix, who ordered the defendant be subject to 30 years of supervised release following his 30 year sentence.
“HSI will spare no resource in protecting children from sexual predators,” said Lester R. Hayes Jr., Special Agent in Charge HSI Dallas. “A deviant can no longer lurk behind social media applications seeking new victims once he is behind bars.”
In plea papers, Mr. Castillo admitted that he used Snapchat to connect with a 14-year-old child and convince her to sneak out of the house. He admitted that on Sept. 15, 2021, he took her to a remote storage facility, plied her with alcohol, and sexually assaulted her.
After the sexual assault, Homeland Security Investigations agents assumed the child’s identity on Snapchat and continued the correspondence with Mr. Castillo, who used the handle “Mik_Chap.” A few weeks later, Mr. Castillo once again urged the child to leave school and meet him at a gas station for sex, warning her that it might hurt. Agents, posing as the child, agreed. The arrested Mr. Castillo at the agreed-upon gas station.
En route to the processing facility, Mr. Castillo spontaneously stated that he was “really sorry.” He asked if “anyone was going to find out about this” and whether he could “delete” his social media. In an interview with law enforcement, he admitted to sexually assaulting at least four other children under the age of 15, including a 13-year-old. He stated he had sex with minor females because it was “easy.” Agents interviewed the children, who corroborated Mr. Castillo’s account.
At his sentencing hearing, prosecutors revealed that law enforcement had identified a total of seven minor victims.
Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas Field Office and the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office in San Angelo conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Tusing prosecuted the case.
Man Admits Robbing ATM Workers in St. Louis CountyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man on Thursday admitted stealing a bag of cash from workers servicing an ATM in St. Louis County, Missouri.
Mark Anthony Diggs, 21, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey to one robbery charge and one count of possession and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Diggs admitted robbing two employees of ATM Solutions on May 31, 2022 as they were servicing an ATM machine at a Vantage Credit Union. Diggs emerged from the back seat of a white Kia Optima, armed with a fully-automatic Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 firearm and demanded that an employee throw him a bag of cash. The robbery was captured on video.
A Missouri Highway Patrol trooper found the money bag, and Diggs’ DNA was later found on paper inside it. A search of Diggs’ home on July 14 found clothing identical to items worn by the robber.
“It did not take long to identify Mark Diggs as a suspect,” said Special Agent in Charge Jay Greenberg of the FBI St. Louis Division. “When it comes to violent federal crime, the FBI will surge resources to bring perpetrators to justice. In this case, video cameras that are always watching were key to solving the case.”
Diggs is scheduled to be sentenced July 18. The robbery charge carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine or both. The firearm charge carries a mandatory minimum term of seven years consecutive to any other charge.
The St. Louis County Police Department, the FBI, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Lane is prosecuting the case.
Local Dentist and Hygienist Charged with Offenses Related to Healthcare Fraud and False Claims to D.C. MedicaidRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON– A local dentist and dental hygienist, at a dental clinic in the District of Columbia, are charged in an indictment with conspiracy and other charges related to health care fraud.
Dr. Steven A. Price, 66, of the District of Columbia, and Keidi C. Moore, 37, of Temple Hills, Maryland, were presented yesterday after the indictment was unsealed charging them with conspiracy, health care fraud, false statements related to a health care fraud matter, and wire fraud. The indictment also includes a forfeiture allegation seeking all proceeds of the alleged crimes.
The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs, of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia, and Special Agent in Charge Maureen R. Dixon, of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
According to the indictment, Price operated a dental practice, The Washington Smile Center, in the District of Columbia, where Moore was employed as a dental hygienist. The indictment alleges that, beginning on or about January 1, 2017, and continuing through on or about March 22, 2022, Price and Moore conspired to defraud D.C. Medicaid by filing or causing to be filed false claims for dental services that were not provided to D.C. Medicaid beneficiaries. As part of the scheme, according to the indictment, Price and Moore caused multiple claims for two CDT codes (clinical crown lengthening and space maintainers) to be submitted to D.C. Medicaid, totaling more than $4 million, In some instances, patients were alleged to have been provided more than 30 clinical crown lengthening procedures and more than 20 space maintainers during the relevant period.
Conspiracy and wire fraud charges carry statutory maximum of 20 years in prison. The health care fraud charge carries a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison, and the charge of false statements relating to a health care matter carries a statutory maximum of five years. The charges also carry potential financial penalties. The maximum statutory sentence for federal offenses is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. The sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the Office of the Inspector General for the District of Columbia - Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne McNamara.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Lebanon Man Charged with ExtortionRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that John Zayas, age 34, of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, was charged in a criminal information on April 7, 2023, with extortion by interstate communication.
According to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that between September 5, 2022 and October 20, 2022, in Lebanon County, Zayas attempted to extort money from a victim, through communications containing threats to injure the reputation of the victim.
This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian T. Haugsby is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for the extortion offense charged in the information is imprisonment for two years, a $250,000 fine, and one year of supervised release. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged by information are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Lead Defendant Pleads Guilty in Case Targeting International Cocaine Trafficking Conspiracy Involving Corrupt Air Traffic ControllersRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The lead defendant in an indictment targeting an international drug trafficking organization pleaded guilty today to conspiring to smuggle tens of millions of dollars’ worth of cocaine by aircraft from Colombia to Mexico for distribution in the United States via the maintenance of secret airstrips and the bribery of air traffic controllers.
Jaison Dávila Amador, 56, a.k.a. “Costeño” and “María Angélica,” of Bogotá, Colombia, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine for the purpose of unlawful importation. Dávila has been in federal custody since September 2021 after his extradition from Colombia.
According to his plea agreement, from at least October 2017 to May 2019, Dávila participated in the cocaine trafficking conspiracy. Dávila and his accomplices carried out their plan by maintaining clandestine airstrips in Colombia where aircraft from Mexico would land to retrieve bulk quantities of cocaine.
To facilitate the scheme, members of the conspiracy bribed air traffic controllers and law enforcement officials to ensure the flights from Mexico could enter Colombian airspace undisturbed.
On November 5, 2017, an aircraft bound from Mexico entered Colombian airspace for the purpose of receiving a cocaine shipment, but it was intercepted and forced down by the Colombian Air Force and then destroyed it with machine gun fire. Near a clandestine airstrip and near the airplane’s wreckage, law enforcement found approximately 515 kilograms (1,135 pounds), which Dávila and his co-conspirators intended to traffic by aircraft. Investigators estimate that the seized cocaine, if sold in the United States, would have been valued at more than $13 million.
Dávila admitted in his plea agreement to coordinating various aspects of the conspiracy, including bribe payments to air traffic controllers, financing for the cocaine shipment, and logistical support for the aircraft that would transport the cocaine from Colombia to Mexico.
United States District Judge George H. Wu scheduled an August 28 sentencing hearing, at which time Dávila will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
All 13 defendants arrested and extradited to the United States in this case have pleaded guilty to participating in the international drug trafficking conspiracy. Those defendants include:
- Miguel Hadad Facusseh, 40, a Mexican national previously extradited from Canada, who procured financing for aircraft, pilots, and clandestine airstrips in Mexico to facilitate cocaine shipments;
- Marta Elizabeth Orozco Acevedo, 57, an air traffic controller in Colombia who used her position to monitor Colombian airspace during the anticipated arrival and exit of the plane from Mexico that would retrieve cocaine shipments; and
- José Alberto Cantillo Aponte, 58, a Colombian government worker who was employed to bribe or otherwise influence corrupt government officials to permit the aircraft from Mexico to enter Colombian airspace.
Two other defendants were also charged: Eduardo Antonio Bula Correa, a retired colonel in the Colombian National Police who died while awaiting his extradition to the United States, and Francisco Javier Ruelas Tejada, 61, who remains a fugitive and is believed to reside in Mexico.
The investigation into this drug trafficking organization was conducted by special agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration, which received substantial assistance from the Colombia National Police’s Dirección de Investigación Criminal e Interpol (DIJIN) and Colombia’s Fiscalía General de La Nación. This investigation was conducted with the support of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing the defendants’ extradition from Colombia and Canada.
Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander B. Schwab of the Major Fraud Section, Chelsea Norell of the Violent and Organized Crime Section, and Elia Herrera of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section are prosecuting this case.
Las Cruces Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Francisco B. Burrola, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, announced today that Sean Patrick Fosler was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Fosler, 30, of Las Cruces, New Mexico, pleaded guilty on April 28, 2022 to production of child pornography. Upon his release from prison, Fosler will be subject to 5 years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
According to the plea agreement and other court records, on Dec. 2, 2021, a confidential source notified HSI that Fosler had live-streamed an incident of sexually explicit conduct with a then eight-year-old child through Snapchat. During the investigation, HSI agents located two Snapchat accounts belonging to Fosler, each containing numerous images of child pornography produced by Fosler with the victim starting as early as when she was six or seven years old. Fosler told the victim to not tell anyone because otherwise he would go to jail.
“HSI special agents remain committed to work tirelessly to protect innocent children victimized by those who engage in such heinous and perverse actions,” said Francisco B. Burrola, Special Agent in Charge for HSI El Paso. “This case was a great example of multiple agencies in our region collaborating to bring justice for a minor victim, and we will stop at nothing to put an end to child victimization.”
"Those who use minors for their own sexual gratification are selfish and cowardly,” said U.S. Attorney Alexander Uballez. “Those who then capture and share those darkest moments of a child-victim’s life infinitely compound the harm. I’m proud to partner with Homeland Security Investigations, New Mexico State Police, and the El Paso Police Department to support healing and closure for the victim and their loved ones.”
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated this case with assistance from the New Mexico State Police and the El Paso Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Marisa A. Ong and R. Eliot Neal are prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
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Lame Deer man sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for aggravated sexual abuseRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Lame Deer man convicted of sexually abusing a woman on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation in 2022 was sentenced today to 11 years and eight months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
James Cale Allen, 29, pleaded guilty in December 2022 to aggravated sexual abuse.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that in June 2022, Allen was drinking alcohol in a Lame Deer residence and became angry with the victim, a woman. Allen first slapped and punched the victim and then sexually assaulted her while she was telling him no.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI.
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Kalispell man admits threatening to murder U.S. Sen. Jon TesterRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Kalispell man accused of threatening to kill Montana U.S. Senator Jon Tester in calls to his office admitted to a threats charge today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Kevin Patrick Smith, 46, pleaded guilty to threats to murder a United States Senator. Smith faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. A sentencing date was set for Aug. 24 before U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Smith was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that on Jan. 30, Smith made numerous threatening phone calls to Sen. Tester, a member of Congress, by leaving voicemails at Sen. Tester’s Kalispell office.
In one message, Smith said:
“There is nothing I want more than to have you stand toe to toe with me. You stand toe to toe with me. I rip your head off. You die. You stand in a situation where it is physical between you and me. You die.”
And:
“I will never stop … And I would love to destroy you and rip your (obscenity) head from your shoulders. That is no problem. Call that a threat. Send the FBI.”
Smith also left a message for Sen. Tester that said:
“I would love to (obscenity) kill you. I would love to see your FBI at my door. I would love to see something in the news.”
Smith acknowledged in the recordings that he threatened Sen. Tester and such threats were “on purpose.” Smith made the threats because he was upset with Sen. Tester’s political decisions.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan G. Weldon is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI and U.S. Capitol Police.
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KC Man Sentenced to 21 Years for Hate Crime in Attempted Murder of Teen Because of His Sexual OrientationRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for committing a hate crime by shooting a local teenager eight times in an attempted murder that was motivated by the victim’s sexual orientation.
“This significant penalty brings a measure of justice to the young victim and to the larger LGBTQI+ community,” said U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore. “To ambush and shoot an unwitting victim, who posed no threat to him, for no other reason than his sexual orientation is reprehensible behavior that won’t be tolerated. Our entire community must stand together against acts of violence motivated by hatred for any group of people. The Department of Justice is committed to protecting the civil rights of all citizens and prosecuting those who illegally threaten those rights.”
Malachi Robinson, 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison without parole.
“This sentencing validates that bias-motivated crimes will not be tolerated and demonstrates law enforcement’s continued commitment to aggressively investigate and bring to justice those responsible for these heinous crimes,” said Special Agent in Charge Charles Dayoub of the FBI’s Kansas City Field Office. To target an individual, lure them and shoot them multiple times for no other reason than their perceived sexual orientation is reprehensible. The sentence imposed today reflects the severity of the crime committed against the victim and the entire LGBTQI+ community. Every individual has the right to live without fear of being attacked or harassed, regardless of their sexual orientation. The FBI is committed to working with our federal, state and local partners to protect the civil rights of all.”
“This defendant’s sentence holds him accountable for the violent and callous hate crime perpetrated against a defenseless teenager targeted because of their LGBTQ+ status,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Recent FBI data makes clear that hate crimes targeting the LGBTQ+ community persist and this sentence should send a strong message to the perpetrators of these crimes that they will be held accountable. Bias motivated misconduct has no place in our country, and the Justice Department is committed to working with our federal, state, and local partners to vigorously pursue justice for victims targeted because of their sexual orientation.”
On July 7, 2022, Robinson pleaded guilty to one count of violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Robinson has been in federal custody since he was indicted by a federal grand jury on Aug. 10, 2021.
By pleading guilty, Robinson admitted that he shot the then-16-year-old victim, identified in court records as “M.S.,” approximately eight times with a Taurus 9mm pistol in an attempt to kill him because of his sexual orientation, causing life-threatening injuries.
After a chance meeting at the Kansas City Public Library on May 29, 2019, Robinson and M.S. talked briefly over Facebook Messenger before meeting outside the library. According to court documents, library surveillance footage showed that M.S. began to walk away, and Robinson followed him, catching up to M.S. before crossing the street. The two then walked for a while in the Swoop Park area, until Robinson suggested that they go into a wooded area nearby under the guise of looking for a place to engage in a sex act. Around the same time, Robinson wrote separately to his girlfriend that he “might shoot this boy” because of his sexual orientation.
Robinson and M.S. entered a wooded area nearby. M.S. changed his mind and turned to leave the woods, but Robinson pulled out his pistol and fired repeatedly at M.S. M.S. was able to get up and onto a sidewalk in front of the woods. He moved along the sidewalk until he eventually collapsed in front of a nearby apartment building. A bystander called 911, and police officers and emergency medical services responded. M.S. was transported to a local hospital, where he was deemed to be in critical condition.
M.S., who sustained eight gunshot wounds, survived the shooting after spending approximately two weeks in the hospital. M.S. has since suffered long-term effects of the shooting. He has undergone multiple surgeries and physical therapy and still has several bullets inside of him.
Robinson fled through the woods toward his apartment building and engaged in attempts to avoid detection or arrest. Later that day, and in the days that followed, Robinson told others that he shot M.S. because of his sexual orientation.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dave Ketchmark with the Western District of Missouri and Trial Attorneys Shan Patel and Eric Peffley of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section. It was investigated by the FBI and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Justice Department and EPA Announce Clean Air Act Settlements with Three Natural Gas ProcessorsRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced three separate settlements with natural gas processors that will require the companies to pay a combined $9.25 million in civil penalties and make improvements at 25 gas processing plants and 91 compressor stations. These settlements will reduce harmful air pollution and improve air quality in 12 states, including in communities disproportionately impacted by pollution and in Indian Country. The states of Alabama, Colorado, Louisiana, North Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming, and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, are also settling claims against the companies.
When fully implemented, the combined settlements with The Williams Companies Inc., MPLX LP and WES DJ Gathering LLC fka Kerr-McGee Gathering LLC will reduce ozone-producing air pollution by an estimated 953 tons per year and greenhouse gases by 50,633 tons per year of carbon dioxide equivalent, including methane. This reduction equates to taking 11,267 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles off the road for one year. The settlements, lodged simultaneously today in the Federal District Courts of Colorado and Utah, resolve allegations that the companies violated the Clean Air Act and state air pollution control laws.
“These three settlements will measurably improve air quality for communities in 12 states and Indian Country,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Today’s announcement highlights this administration’s commitment to reduce harmful air pollution – including emissions that exacerbate climate change – and provide environmental justice for those disproportionately impacted.”
“EPA continues to deliver cleaner air through rigorous enforcement of the Clean Air Act,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Larry Starfield of the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Leaks from valves, pumps and connectors at natural gas processing plants and emissions from compressor stations are a significant source of harmful air pollution. We will continue to hold these companies accountable and work to reduce these unlawful emissions into the atmosphere.”
The settlements filed today address allegations that The Williams Companies Inc., MPLX LP and WES DJ Gathering LLC violated federal and state clean air laws related to leak detection and repair (LDAR) requirements for natural gas processing plants at various facilities that they own and operate across the nation. These facilities emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrogen oxides (NOx), hazardous air pollutants such as benzene and formaldehyde, and greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, according to the complaints filed against the companies.
VOCs are a key component in the formation of smog or ground-level ozone, a pollutant that irritates the lungs, exacerbates diseases such as asthma, and can increase susceptibility to respiratory illnesses, such as pneumonia and bronchitis. NOx reacts with VOCs in the presence of sunlight to form ozone. Children, people with respiratory illness, the elderly, and those working or exercising outdoors have a higher risk of being harmed from breathing ozone.
Emissions at the defendants’ facilities also emit greenhouse gases, such as methane, a potent colorless and odorless gas that is the main component of natural gas and which significantly contributes to global warming when emitted into the atmosphere. See www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/overview-greenhouse-gases (describing carbon dioxide equivalent).
Under the settlements, the companies will spend approximately $16 million combined on injunctive relief requirements. To minimize emissions at the natural gas processing plants, the defendants will install and operate new technologies, as well as improve and expand existing control techniques. These commitments include installing equipment that leaks less, conducting audits, reviewing compliance with leak detection and repair requirements, and repairing leaking equipment faster. The companies will improve staff training for leak detection and repair at their facilities, and they have agreed to use optical gas imaging technology at their facilities to improve the visual detection of leaks and quickly repair them.
Finally, The Williams Companies Inc., MPLX LP and WES DJ Gathering LLC will implement additional projects to mitigate the harm caused by the excess emissions resulting from their violations of the CAA. These projects vary by company, and more information about each project can be found in the fact sheets linked above.
The consent decrees lodged today are: United States, et al. v. The Williams Companies Inc., et al.; United States, et al. v. MPLX LP; and United States, et al. v. WES DJ Gathering LLC fka Kerr-McGee Gathering LLC.
For each separate settlement, the United States will publish a notice of the Consent Decree’s lodging in U.S. District Court in the Federal Register and will accept public comment for 30 days after each notice is published. The Federal Register notices also will include instructions for submitting public comment.
The three gas plant settlements announced today are part of EPA and the Department of Justice’s ongoing focus on reducing air pollution from oil and gas facilities. Today’s announcement follows the announcement on March 27 by the EPA, the Justice Department and the New Mexico Environment Department of a settlement with Matador Production Company, another landmark settlement with an oil and gas company.
Justice Department Secures Agreement with Micron Technology to Resolve a Claim of Immigration-Related Employment DiscriminationRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has secured a settlement agreement with Micron Technology Inc. (Micron), a manufacturer of semiconductor memory and storage products based in Boise, Idaho. The settlement resolves the department’s determination that Micron violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by discriminating against a U.S. citizen when it failed to hire him for a position and instead hired a temporary visa worker.
“Companies cannot unlawfully discriminate against a job applicant because they prefer to hire someone with a different citizenship or immigration status,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We will continue to hold companies accountable, both big and small, for their violations of this federal civil rights law.”
The department’s investigation began when a U.S. citizen worker complained that Micron unfairly denied him employment because of his citizenship status. The department determined that Micron unlawfully preferred a temporary visa worker for the position, failing to meaningfully consider the U.S. citizen’s qualifications. Under the INA, employers cannot discriminate based on citizenship, immigration status or national origin at any stage of the hiring process, unless required or allowed by law.
Under the settlement, Micron will pay a civil penalty to the United States and offer back pay totaling $85,000 to the affected worker. Additionally, Micron will train its staff on the INA’s anti-discrimination provision, change its policies and procedures and be subject to departmental monitoring for a two-year period.
The Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. This law prohibits discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; and retaliation and intimidation.
Learn more about IER’s work and how to get assistance through this brief video. Find more information on how employers can avoid discrimination when hiring and recruiting on IER’s websiteoutreach materials. Applicants or employees who believe they were discriminated against based on their citizenship, immigration status, or national origin in hiring, firing, recruitment or during the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify); or subjected to retaliation, may file a charge. The public can also call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); email [email protected]; sign up for a free webinar; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Subscribe to here to receive updates from IER.
Justice Department Secures $400,000 in Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Connecticut LandlordRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has secured an agreement to resolve a lawsuit alleging that New London, Connecticut, landlord Richard Bruno violated the Fair Housing Act by sexually harassing female tenants and applicants. The settlement also resolves claims against Domco LLC and Domco II LLC, which, along with Bruno, owned the properties where the alleged harassment occurred.
Under the consent decree, subject to approval by the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut, defendants are required to pay $350,000 to compensate individuals harmed by the harassment and pay a $50,000 civil penalty to the United States. With this settlement, which is part of the department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative, the department has obtained over $10 million for victims of sexual harassment.
“No person should ever have to endure sexual harassment in order to get or keep housing,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “When landlords and housing providers sexually harass those seeking a roof over their head, they undermine human dignity, and violate the sense of safety and privacy in one’s home that we all deserve. As the Justice Department commemorates National Fair Housing Month, we stand more committed than ever to holding housing providers accountable for their unlawful behavior and seeking relief for survivors.”
“Mr. Bruno abused his power as a landlord to sexually harass and victimize his vulnerable tenants for years,” said U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery for the District of Connecticut. “This settlement serves as an important reminder to the Connecticut community that sexual harassment by landlords is a violation of federal law, and this office will not hesitate to seek justice for any victims of such intolerable conduct.”
Special Agents from the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General supported the Justice Department’s work in this matter.
“The allegations of sexual harassment in this case in violation of the Fair Housing Act are serious,” said Inspector General Rae Oliver Davis of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. “Every person deserves to find and stay in housing without facing sexual harassment from a landlord. HUD OIG is dedicated to working with our law enforcement partners to seek justice for survivors and to hold housing providers accountable for sexually assaulting or harassing HUD tenants.”
Under the consent decree, Bruno is permanently prohibited from owning and managing residential rental properties in the future. The property owners must hire an independent property manager to manage their properties, obtain fair housing training and implement non-discrimination policies and complaint procedures to prevent sexual harassment at their properties in the future.
The Justice Department’s lawsuit, filed in February 2019, alleged that from at least 2011 through 2016, Bruno sexually harassed female tenants and applicants of rental properties owned or co-owned by Bruno, Domco LLC and Domco II LLC. According to the complaint, Bruno engaged in harassment that included making unwelcome sexual advances and comments, engaging in unwanted sexual touching, demanding or pressuring female applicants to engage in sexual acts to obtain rental privileges, evicting or threatening to evict female tenants who objected to or refused sexual advances, entering the homes of female tenants without their consent, asking to take and taking pictures and videos of the bodies of his tenants and their female children and establishing, maintaining and forcing his tenants and their minor female children to view “dungeons” or “sex rooms” in the rental properties.
Bruno, a former resident of Waterford, Connecticut, has been incarcerated since 2017. He is serving a 16-year sentence in federal prison, following his guilty plea to charges related to producing child pornography with a tenant’s minor child in one of the properties he managed.
The Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative is led by the Civil Rights Division, in coordination with U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country. The goal of the department’s initiative is to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers, or other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative in October 2017, the department has filed 30 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered over $10 million for victims of such harassment.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division enforces the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt. Individuals may report sexual harassment or other forms of housing discrimination by submitting a report online or by contacting the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut at: (203) 821-3700.
Individuals may also report such discrimination by contacting HUD at 1-800-669-9777 or by filing a complaint online.
Justice Department Secures $400,000 in Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Connecticut LandlordRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced today that it has secured an agreement to resolve a lawsuit alleging that New London, Connecticut, landlord Richard Bruno violated the Fair Housing Act by sexually harassing female tenants and applicants. The settlement also resolves claims against Domco LLC and Domco II LLC, which, along with Bruno, owned the properties where the alleged harassment occurred.
Under the consent decree, subject to approval by the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut, defendants are required to pay $350,000 to compensate individuals harmed by the harassment and pay a $50,000 civil penalty to the United States. With this settlement, which is part of the department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative, the department has obtained over $10 million for victims of sexual harassment.
“No person should ever have to endure sexual harassment in order to get or keep housing,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “When landlords and housing providers sexually harass those seeking a roof over their head, they undermine human dignity, and violate the sense of safety and privacy in one’s home that we all deserve. As the Justice Department commemorates National Fair Housing Month, we stand more committed than ever to holding housing providers accountable for their unlawful behavior and seeking relief for survivors.”
“Mr. Bruno abused his power as a landlord to sexually harass and victimize his vulnerable tenants for years,” said U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery for the District of Connecticut. “This settlement serves as an important reminder to the Connecticut community that sexual harassment by landlords is a violation of federal law, and this office will not hesitate to seek justice for any victims of such intolerable conduct.”
Special Agents from the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General supported the Justice Department’s work in this matter.
“The allegations of sexual harassment in this case in violation of the Fair Housing Act are serious,” said Inspector General Rae Oliver Davis of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. “Every person deserves to find and stay in housing without facing sexual harassment from a landlord. HUD OIG is dedicated to working with our law enforcement partners to seek justice for survivors and to hold housing providers accountable for sexually assaulting or harassing HUD tenants.”
Under the consent decree, Bruno is permanently prohibited from owning and managing residential rental properties in the future. The property owners must hire an independent property manager to manage their properties, obtain fair housing training and implement non-discrimination policies and complaint procedures to prevent sexual harassment at their properties in the future.
The Justice Department’s lawsuit, filed in February 2019, alleged that from at least 2011 through 2016, Bruno sexually harassed female tenants and applicants of rental properties owned or co-owned by Bruno, Domco LLC and Domco II LLC. According to the complaint, Bruno engaged in harassment that included making unwelcome sexual advances and comments, engaging in unwanted sexual touching, demanding or pressuring female applicants to engage in sexual acts to obtain rental privileges, evicting or threatening to evict female tenants who objected to or refused sexual advances, entering the homes of female tenants without their consent, asking to take and taking pictures and videos of the bodies of his tenants and their female children and establishing, maintaining and forcing his tenants and their minor female children to view “dungeons” or “sex rooms” in the rental properties.
Bruno, a former resident of Waterford, Connecticut, has been incarcerated since 2017. He is serving a 16-year sentence in federal prison, following his guilty plea to charges related to producing child pornography with a tenant’s minor child in one of the properties he managed.
The Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative is led by the Civil Rights Division, in coordination with U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country. The goal of the department’s initiative is to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers, or other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative in October 2017, the department has filed 30 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered over $10 million for victims of such harassment.
This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys William M. Brown, Jr. and Stewart Dearing of the District of Connecticut in coordination with Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division enforces the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt. Individuals may report sexual harassment or other forms of housing discrimination by submitting a report online or by contacting the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut at: (203) 821-3700.
Individuals may also report such discrimination by contacting HUD at 1-800-669-9777 or by filing a complaint online.
Justice Department Issues Dear Colleague Letter to Courts Regarding Fines and Fees for Youth and AdultsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today issued a Dear Colleague Letter for state and local courts and juvenile justice agencies regarding the imposition and enforcement of fines and fees for adults and youth. The letter addresses common court-imposed fines and fees practices, and cautions against those practices that may be unlawful, unfairly penalize individuals who are unable to pay or otherwise have a discriminatory effect. The department provides this letter as part of its ongoing commitment to fairness, economic justice and combating the policies that disproportionately contribute to justice system involvement for low-income communities.
The letter highlights a number of key issues regarding fines and fees, such as the importance of conducting a meaningful ability-to-pay assessment before imposing adverse consequences for failure to pay, considering alternatives to fines and fees, guarding against excessive penalties and ensuring due process protections, including the assistance of counsel when appropriate.
The letter reminds court systems and other federal financial assistance recipients of their ongoing obligations not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex and disability; to provide meaningful access to individuals with limited English proficiency; and to ensure that appropriate recordkeeping can help identify and avoid potential violations of federal nondiscrimination laws. The department will also follow up on this letter by building a best practices guide, highlighting innovative work by states and court leaders in this area.
“Justice in the United States should not depend on one’s income or background,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “The Justice Department’s updated guidance addresses practices that disproportionately affect low-income communities and people of color, can trap individuals and their families in patterns of poverty and punishment and may violate the civil rights of adults and youth alike. Many jurisdictions have innovated to reduce reliance on fines and fees, and the Justice Department is building on that momentum to advance equal justice and public safety for all.”
“The unfettered imposition of fines and fees across the country has entrapped poor people, too many of whom are people of color, in a cycle of escalating debt, unnecessary incarceration and debilitating entanglement in our justice system,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “By confronting the harms that can result from aggressive imposition of fines and fees, we can bring an end to debtors’ prisons and promote equal justice under law for all. The Justice Department stands ready to help courts and juvenile justice agencies put in place reforms and practices that address public safety needs while protecting civil and constitutional rights.”
“Obligations to satisfy fines and fees have a devastating effect on adults and youth who are experiencing poverty and other economic adversities, trapping many in an unending cycle of poverty and debt,” said Director Rachel Rossi of the Office for Access to Justice. “These obligations can also interfere with full and fair access to our justice system. For these reasons, we must remain vigilant to prevent harmful practices that do not serve the interests of justice. This letter is an important step in that ongoing process.”
“Fees and fines practices in the criminal and juvenile justice systems impose the heaviest burden on those who are least able to pay, drawing them deeper into the justice system,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon of the Office of Justice Programs. “We will be working with jurisdictions across the country to end or limit these unfair practices, so that adults and youth in the justice system have the opportunity they need to move forward in their lives.”
In the coming weeks, the Bureau of Justice Assistance will also release a solicitation seeking a training and technical assistance provider to work with a select number of jurisdictions interested in understanding and reforming their fines and fees policies and practices. The ultimate goal is to help these jurisdictions reduce the use of unjust fines and fees and redirect the resources used in these systems into activities with a greater return on public safety.
The letter is grounded in constitutional principles, including the Sixth, Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments, as well as federal nondiscrimination statutes, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI) and the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (Safe Streets Act). A copy of today’s letter can be found here. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division’s work to uphold and protect civil and constitutional rights is available online at www.justice.gov/crt. Complaints about discriminatory practices may be reported to the Civil Rights Division through its internet reporting portal at civilrights.justice.gov.
Justice Department Announces Nationwide Coordinated Law Enforcement Action to Combat COVID-19 Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice today announced criminal charges against 18 defendants in nine federal districts across the United States for their alleged participation in various fraud schemes involving health care services that exploited the COVID-19 pandemic and allegedly resulted in over $490 million in COVID-19 related false billings to federal programs and theft from federally funded pandemic programs.
In connection with the enforcement action, the department seized over $16 million in cash and other fraud proceeds. The Center for Program Integrity of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CPI/CMS) separately announced today that it took adverse administrative actions in the last year against 28 medical providers for their alleged involvement in COVID-19 schemes.
“The Justice Department will not tolerate those who exploited the pandemic for personal gain and stole taxpayer dollars,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This unprecedented enforcement action against defendants across the country makes clear that the Department is using every available resource to combat and prevent COVID-19 related fraud and safeguard the integrity of taxpayer-funded programs.”
“Today’s announcement marks the largest-ever coordinated law enforcement action in the United States targeting health care fraud schemes that exploit the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division’s Health Care Fraud Unit and our partners are committed to rooting out pandemic-related fraud and holding accountable anyone seeking to profit from a public health emergency.”
Today’s announcement builds on the successes of the April 2022 COVID-19 Enforcement Action and the May 2021 COVID-19 Enforcement Action and involves the prosecution of various COVID-19 health care fraud schemes.
“The charges announced today demonstrate the FBI’s, along with its partner’s, commitment to ensuring that COVID-19 health care fraud does not go unpunished,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “During the Covid pandemic, programs were put in place to help the American people, and we will continue to ensure that the individuals that took advantage of those programs face justice.”
In one of the most significant types of COVID-19 health care fraud schemes announced today, multiple defendants were charged with defrauding the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) COVID-19 Uninsured Program. The Uninsured Program was designed to prevent the further spread of the pandemic by providing access to uninsured patients for testing and treatment. The Uninsured Program was also designed to provide financial support to health care providers fighting the COVID-19 pandemic by reimbursing them for services provided to uninsured individuals. The Uninsured Program ultimately ceased operating due to the exhaustion of funding.
“Exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic and viewing the public health emergency as an opportunity to steal money and resources from federal health care programs shows a clear disregard for the well-being and safety of those who rely on government-funded health care services,” said Inspector General Christi A. Grimm of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “As today’s enforcement action demonstrates, HHS-OIG and our partners remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting critical public health measures from fraud.”
In the Central District of California, a lab owner was charged for allegedly submitting over $358 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, HRSA, and a private insurance company for laboratory testing. The indictment alleges that the defendant’s lab performed COVID-19 screening testing for nursing homes and other facilities with vulnerable elderly populations, as well as primary and secondary schools. But to increase its reimbursements, the defendant allegedly fraudulently added claims for respiratory pathogen panel tests even though ordering providers and facility administrators did not want or need them. Also in the Central District of California, a medical doctor was charged for allegedly orchestrating an approximately $230 million fraud on the Uninsured Program. The doctor was the second highest biller in the country to the Uninsured Program, and he allegedly submitted fraudulent claims for treatment of patients who were insured, billed for services that were not rendered, and billed for services that were not medically necessary. He allegedly used over $100 million in fraud proceeds for high-risk options trading. The doctor is also charged with two other individuals for allegedly submitting over 70 fraudulent loan applications through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program and fraudulently obtaining over $3 million in loan funds.
“I am proud of the successful partnership of the CMS, the Department of Justice, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General to combat fraud, waste, and abuse in federal programs,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “It is particularly offensive to discover individuals who took advantage of the pandemic to defraud the government. CMS will continue to aggressively investigate COVID-19-related fraud and has already taken actions against 28 providers to protect the sustainability of the Medicare program.”
The announcement also includes first-of-their-kind charges against suppliers of COVID-19 over-the-counter tests, which Medicare began to cover in April 2022 for beneficiaries who requested them. These kits were provided to the public to slow the spread of the deadly disease, but wrongdoers allegedly sought to exploit the program by repeatedly supplying patients or, in some instances, deceased patients, with dozens of COVID-19 tests that they did not want or need. In the Middle District of Florida, a doctor and a marketer were charged for allegedly unlawfully purchasing Medicare beneficiary identification numbers and shipping over-the-counter tests to beneficiaries throughout the country who did not request the tests, causing over $8.4 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare.
Charges were also brought under the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Initiative. The PRF is part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a federal law enacted in March 2020 that provided financial assistance to medical providers to deliver needed medical care to Americans suffering from COVID-19. In the Eastern District of Louisiana, the operator of a primary care clinic and purported spa was charged with allegedly submitting fraudulent loan agreements, attestations, and other documentation from which she received over $1.1 million in PRF and EIDL funds that were used to purchase real estate, luxury vehicles, a boat, a trailer, a time share, and luxury vacations, among other expenditures. In total, 12 defendants have been charged with crimes related to misappropriating funds intended for frontline medical providers, and seven have pleaded guilty.
The law enforcement action also includes charges against manufacturers and distributors of fake COVID-19 vaccination record cards, who intentionally sought to obstruct the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in their efforts to administer the nationwide vaccination program and provide Americans with accurate proof of vaccination. In the Eastern District of New York, three medical professionals who worked at a small midwife practice were charged for allegedly distributing nearly 2,700 forged COVID-19 vaccination record cards to individuals who were not vaccinated. Instead of administering the COVID-19 vaccine, the defendants allegedly destroyed vials of COVID-19 vaccines that were intended to be used to inoculate patients. Despite being a small midwife practice, it was one of the busiest vaccination sites in New York State, outpacing large, state-run vaccination sites. In the District of Utah, two individuals were charged for allegedly manufacturing and selling online approximately 120,000 counterfeit COVID-19 vaccination record cards across the country, especially in areas that were subject to more stringent COVID-19 vaccine restrictions.
Today’s enforcement action was led and coordinated by Assistant Chiefs Justin M. Woodard and Debra Jaroslawicz and Trial Attorney D. Keith Clouser of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Strike Forces in Brooklyn, the Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, and Tampa; the National Rapid Response Strike Force; and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Central District of California, Middle District of Florida, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, Western District of Louisiana, Eastern District of New York, District of Puerto Rico, District of Utah, and Western District of Washington are prosecuting these cases, with assistance from the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team. Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the department’s website at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit/2023-case-summaries.
In addition to the FBI and HHS-OIG, the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General; Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, AMTRAK Office of Inspector General, California Department of Health Care Services, and other federal and state law enforcement agencies participated in the law enforcement action.
The Health Care Fraud Strike Force is part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and HHS to prevent and deter health care fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. In the past three years, the Health Care Fraud Strike Force has rooted out health care fraud related to the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, 53 defendants have been charged in nationwide COVID-19 Health Care Fraud Enforcement Actions for causing over $784 million in loss associated with the pandemic, and 20 defendants have been convicted.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
The Department of Justice needs the public’s assistance in remaining vigilant and reporting suspected fraudulent activity. To report suspected fraud, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) at (866) 720-5721 or file an online complaint at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/webform/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. Complaints filed will be reviewed at the NCDF and referred to federal, state, local, or international law enforcement or regulatory agencies for investigation.
An indictment, complaint, or information is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Justice Department Announces Nationwide Coordinated Law Enforcement Action to Combat COVID-19 Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The Department of Justice today announced criminal charges against 18 defendants in nine federal districts across the United States for their alleged participation in various fraud schemes involving health care services that exploited the COVID-19 pandemic and allegedly resulted in over $490 million in COVID-19 related false billings to federal programs and theft from federally funded pandemic programs.
Two of the most significant criminal cases in this sweep were filed by federal prosecutors in the Central District of California.
In connection with the enforcement action, the department seized over $16 million in cash and other fraud proceeds. The Center for Program Integrity of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CPI/CMS) separately announced today that it took adverse administrative actions in the last year against 28 medical providers for their alleged involvement in COVID-19 schemes.
“The Justice Department will not tolerate those who exploited the pandemic for personal gain and stole taxpayer dollars,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This unprecedented enforcement action against defendants across the country makes clear that the Department is using every available resource to combat and prevent COVID-19 related fraud and safeguard the integrity of taxpayer-funded programs.”
Today’s announcement builds on the successes of the April 2022 COVID-19 Enforcement Action and the May 2021 COVID-19 Enforcement Action and involves the prosecution of various COVID-19 health care fraud schemes.
In one of the most significant types of COVID-19 health care fraud schemes announced today, multiple defendants were charged with defrauding the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) COVID-19 Uninsured Program. The Uninsured Program was designed to prevent the further spread of the pandemic by providing access to uninsured patients for testing and treatment. The Uninsured Program was also designed to provide financial support to health care providers fighting the COVID-19 pandemic by reimbursing them for services provided to uninsured individuals. The Uninsured Program ultimately ceased operating due to the exhaustion of funding.
In the Central District of California, a medical doctor was charged for allegedly orchestrating an approximately $230 million fraud on the Uninsured Program.
Dr. Anthony Hao Dinh, 63, of Newport Coast, was the second highest biller in the country to the Uninsured Program. As a result of the scheme targeting the Uninsured Program, Dr. Dinh and his companies were paid more than $153 million, and he used fraud proceeds for high-risk options trading, losing over $100 million from November 2020 through February 2022, according to court documents.
Dr. Dinh allegedly submitted fraudulent claims for treatment of patients who were insured, billed for services that were not rendered, and billed for services that were not medically necessary, according to a criminal complaint filed on April 10.
After being arrested on April 12 and subsequently released on a $7 million bond, Dr. Dinh is scheduled to be arraigned in United States District Court on May 22. If he were to be convicted of the three charges, Dr. Dinh would face a statutory maximum sentence of 50 years in federal prison.
“Dr. Dinh is alleged to have stolen from a taxpayer-funded program meant to provide COVID-related health care to uninsured patients,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “We will not tolerate stealing from the American people, and our prosecution of this large-scale scheme demonstrates our continued efforts to stop fraud of all sorts.”
Dr. Dinh is also charged with two other individuals for allegedly submitting over 70 fraudulent loan applications under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program and fraudulently obtaining over $3 million in loan funds. The other defendants named in this scheme are Dr. Dinh’s sister – Hang Trinh Dinh, 64, of Lake Forest, who is currently a fugitive being sought by federal authorities – and Matthew Hoang Ho, 65, of Melbourne, Florida, who also was arrested on April 12. Dr. Dinh is charged in the complaint with health care fraud and two counts of wire fraud. Hang Dinh and Matthew Ho are each charged with one count of wire fraud.
The case against Dr. Dinh and his codefendants is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General, the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the AMTRAK Office of Inspector General, and the California Department of Health Care Services.
Assistant United States Attorney Roger A. Hsieh of the Major Frauds Section, and Justice Department Trial Attorneys Justin M. Woodard and Helen H. Lee of the Fraud Section are prosecuting this case.
In another case filed the Central District of California – this one by attorneys with the Justice Department’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force – a lab owner was charged for allegedly submitting over $358 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, HRSA, and a private insurance company for laboratory testing. The indictment alleges that the defendant’s lab performed COVID-19 screening testing for nursing homes and other facilities with vulnerable elderly populations, as well as primary and secondary schools. But to increase its reimbursements, the defendant allegedly fraudulently added claims for respiratory pathogen panel tests even though ordering providers and facility administrators did not want or need them.
Lourdes Navarro, 64, of Glendale, was charged in a superseding indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, health care fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and making false statements, in connection with the operation of Matias Clinical Laboratory, Inc. (Matias), also known as Health Care Providers Laboratory, a laboratory she operated, controlled, and managed with her husband Imran Shams. Navarro was previously charged in an indictment returned in April 2022. The superseding indictment adds allegations that Navarro conspired with Shams and carried out a scheme to submit false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, the HRSA’s COVID-19 Uninsured Program, and an insurance company for respiratory pathogen panel (RPP) testing that was not ordered, medically unnecessary, procured through illegal kickbacks and bribes, and ineligible for reimbursement.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Matias performed COVID-19 screening testing for a variety of clients, including nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities, assisted living facilities, and similar facilities with vulnerable elderly populations, as well as primary and secondary schools. It is alleged that, in order to increase its reimbursements, Matias fraudulently added claims for RPP tests even though medical providers and facility administrators did not order them, and such tests were not needed for the patient population Matias served. It is further alleged that Matias falsely represented to HRSA that patients had been diagnosed with COVID-19 in order to obtain payment on the RPP claims. The superseding indictment alleges additional loss to Medicare, HRSA, and the insurer of approximately $241 million in billed claims, and alleges that these payors reimbursed Matias an additional $39.9 million. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Gary Winters and Ray Beckering of the National Rapid Response Strike Force.
Today’s announcement also includes first-of-their-kind charges against suppliers of COVID-19 over-the-counter tests, which Medicare began to cover in April 2022 for beneficiaries who requested them. These kits were provided to the public to slow the spread of the deadly disease, but wrongdoers allegedly sought to exploit the program by repeatedly supplying patients or, in some instances, deceased patients, with dozens of COVID-19 tests that they did not want or need. In the Middle District of Florida, a doctor and a marketer were charged for allegedly unlawfully purchasing Medicare beneficiary identification numbers and shipping over-the-counter tests to beneficiaries throughout the country who did not request the tests, causing over $8.4 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare.
Charges were also brought under the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Initiative. The PRF is part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a federal law enacted in March 2020 that provided financial assistance to medical providers to deliver needed medical care to Americans suffering from COVID-19. In the Eastern District of Louisiana, the operator of a primary care clinic and purported spa was charged with allegedly submitting fraudulent loan agreements, attestations, and other documentation from which she received over $1.1 million in PRF and EIDL funds that were used to purchase real estate, luxury vehicles, a boat, a trailer, a time share, and luxury vacations, among other expenditures. In total, 12 defendants have been charged with crimes related to misappropriating funds intended for frontline medical providers, and seven have pleaded guilty.
The law enforcement action also includes charges against manufacturers and distributors of fake COVID-19 vaccination record cards, who intentionally sought to obstruct the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in their efforts to administer the nationwide vaccination program and provide Americans with accurate proof of vaccination. In the Eastern District of New York, three medical professionals who worked at a small midwife practice were charged for allegedly distributing nearly 2,700 forged COVID-19 vaccination record cards to individuals who were not vaccinated. Instead of administering the COVID-19 vaccine, the defendants allegedly destroyed vials of COVID-19 vaccines that were intended to be used to inoculate patients. Despite being a small midwife practice, it was one of the busiest vaccination sites in New York State, outpacing large, state-run vaccination sites. In the District of Utah, two individuals were charged for allegedly manufacturing and selling online approximately 120,000 counterfeit COVID-19 vaccination record cards across the country, especially in areas that were subject to more stringent COVID-19 vaccine restrictions.
Today’s enforcement action was led and coordinated by the Fraud Section in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Strike Forces in Brooklyn, the Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, and Tampa; the National Rapid Response Strike Force; and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Central District of California, Middle District of Florida, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, Western District of Louisiana, Eastern District of New York, District of Puerto Rico, District of Utah, and Western District of Washington are prosecuting these cases, with assistance from the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team. Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the department’s website at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit/2023-case-summaries.
In addition to the FBI and HHS-OIG, the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General; Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, AMTRAK Office of Inspector General, California Department of Health Care Services, and other federal and state law enforcement agencies participated in the law enforcement action.
The Health Care Fraud Strike Force is part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and HHS to prevent and deter health care fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. In the past three years, the Health Care Fraud Strike Force has rooted out health care fraud related to the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, 53 defendants have been charged in nationwide COVID-19 Health Care Fraud Enforcement Actions for causing over $784 million in loss associated with the pandemic, and 20 defendants have been convicted.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
The Department of Justice needs the public’s assistance in remaining vigilant and reporting suspected fraudulent activity. To report suspected fraud, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) at (866) 720-5721 or file an online complaint at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/webform/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. Complaints filed will be reviewed at the NCDF and referred to federal, state, local, or international law enforcement or regulatory agencies for investigation.
An indictment, complaint, or information is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Justice Department Announces Nationwide Coordinated Law Enforcement Action to Combat COVID-19 Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice today announced criminal charges against 18 defendants in nine federal districts across the United States for their alleged participation in various fraud schemes involving health care services that exploited the COVID-19 pandemic and allegedly resulted in over $490 million in COVID-19 related false billings to federal programs and theft from federally funded pandemic programs.
In connection with the enforcement action, the department seized over $16 million in cash and other fraud proceeds. The Center for Program Integrity of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CPI/CMS) separately announced today that it took adverse administrative actions in the last year against 28 medical providers for their alleged involvement in COVID-19 schemes.
“The Justice Department will not tolerate those who exploited the pandemic for personal gain and stole taxpayer dollars,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This unprecedented enforcement action against defendants across the country makes clear that the Department is using every available resource to combat and prevent COVID-19 related fraud and safeguard the integrity of taxpayer-funded programs.”
“Today’s announcement marks the largest-ever coordinated law enforcement action in the United States targeting health care fraud schemes that exploit the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division’s Health Care Fraud Unit and our partners are committed to rooting out pandemic-related fraud and holding accountable anyone seeking to profit from a public health emergency.”
Today’s announcement builds on the successes of the April 2022 COVID-19 Enforcement Action and the May 2021 COVID-19 Enforcement Action and involves the prosecution of various COVID-19 health care fraud schemes.
“The charges announced today demonstrate the FBI’s, along with its partner’s, commitment to ensuring that COVID-19 health care fraud does not go unpunished,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “During the Covid pandemic, programs were put in place to help the American people, and we will continue to ensure that the individuals that took advantage of those programs face justice.”
In one of the most significant types of COVID-19 health care fraud schemes announced today, multiple defendants were charged with defrauding the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) COVID-19 Uninsured Program. The Uninsured Program was designed to prevent the further spread of the pandemic by providing access to uninsured patients for testing and treatment. The Uninsured Program was also designed to provide financial support to health care providers fighting the COVID-19 pandemic by reimbursing them for services provided to uninsured individuals. The Uninsured Program ultimately ceased operating due to the exhaustion of funding.
“Exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic and viewing the public health emergency as an opportunity to steal money and resources from federal health care programs shows a clear disregard for the well-being and safety of those who rely on government-funded health care services,” said Inspector General Christi A. Grimm of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “As today’s enforcement action demonstrates, HHS-OIG and our partners remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting critical public health measures from fraud.”
In the Central District of California, a lab owner was charged for allegedly submitting over $358 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, HRSA, and a private insurance company for laboratory testing. The indictment alleges that the defendant’s lab performed COVID-19 screening testing for nursing homes and other facilities with vulnerable elderly populations, as well as primary and secondary schools. But to increase its reimbursements, the defendant allegedly fraudulently added claims for respiratory pathogen panel tests even though ordering providers and facility administrators did not want or need them. Also in the Central District of California, a medical doctor was charged for allegedly orchestrating an approximately $230 million fraud on the Uninsured Program. The doctor was the second highest biller in the country to the Uninsured Program, and he allegedly submitted fraudulent claims for treatment of patients who were insured, billed for services that were not rendered, and billed for services that were not medically necessary. He allegedly used over $100 million in fraud proceeds for high-risk options trading. The doctor is also charged with two other individuals for allegedly submitting over 70 fraudulent loan applications through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program and fraudulently obtaining over $3 million in loan funds.
“I am proud of the successful partnership of the CMS, the Department of Justice, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General to combat fraud, waste, and abuse in federal programs,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “It is particularly offensive to discover individuals who took advantage of the pandemic to defraud the government. CMS will continue to aggressively investigate COVID-19-related fraud and has already taken actions against 28 providers to protect the sustainability of the Medicare program.”
The announcement also includes first-of-their-kind charges against suppliers of COVID-19 over-the-counter tests, which Medicare began to cover in April 2022 for beneficiaries who requested them. These kits were provided to the public to slow the spread of the deadly disease, but wrongdoers allegedly sought to exploit the program by repeatedly supplying patients or, in some instances, deceased patients, with dozens of COVID-19 tests that they did not want or need. In the Middle District of Florida, a doctor and a marketer were charged for allegedly unlawfully purchasing Medicare beneficiary identification numbers and shipping over-the-counter tests to beneficiaries throughout the country who did not request the tests, causing over $8.4 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare.
Charges were also brought under the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Initiative. The PRF is part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a federal law enacted in March 2020 that provided financial assistance to medical providers to deliver needed medical care to Americans suffering from COVID-19. In the Eastern District of Louisiana, the operator of a primary care clinic and purported spa was charged with allegedly submitting fraudulent loan agreements, attestations, and other documentation from which she received over $1.1 million in PRF and EIDL funds that were used to purchase real estate, luxury vehicles, a boat, a trailer, a time share, and luxury vacations, among other expenditures. In total, 12 defendants have been charged with crimes related to misappropriating funds intended for frontline medical providers, and seven have pleaded guilty.
The law enforcement action also includes charges against manufacturers and distributors of fake COVID-19 vaccination record cards, who intentionally sought to obstruct the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in their efforts to administer the nationwide vaccination program and provide Americans with accurate proof of vaccination. In the Eastern District of New York, three medical professionals who worked at a small midwife practice were charged for allegedly distributing nearly 2,700 forged COVID-19 vaccination record cards to individuals who were not vaccinated. Instead of administering the COVID-19 vaccine, the defendants allegedly destroyed vials of COVID-19 vaccines that were intended to be used to inoculate patients. Despite being a small midwife practice, it was one of the busiest vaccination sites in New York State, outpacing large, state-run vaccination sites. In the District of Utah, two individuals were charged for allegedly manufacturing and selling online approximately 120,000 counterfeit COVID-19 vaccination record cards across the country, especially in areas that were subject to more stringent COVID-19 vaccine restrictions.
Today’s enforcement action was led and coordinated by Assistant Chiefs Justin M. Woodard and Debra Jaroslawicz and Trial Attorney D. Keith Clouser of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Strike Forces in Brooklyn, the Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, and Tampa; the National Rapid Response Strike Force; and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Central District of California, Middle District of Florida, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, Western District of Louisiana, Eastern District of New York, District of Puerto Rico, District of Utah, and Western District of Washington are prosecuting these cases, with assistance from the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team. Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the department’s website at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit/2023-case-summaries.
In addition to the FBI and HHS-OIG, the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General; Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, AMTRAK Office of Inspector General, California Department of Health Care Services, and other federal and state law enforcement agencies participated in the law enforcement action.
The Health Care Fraud Strike Force is part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and HHS to prevent and deter health care fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. In the past three years, the Health Care Fraud Strike Force has rooted out health care fraud related to the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, 53 defendants have been charged in nationwide COVID-19 Health Care Fraud Enforcement Actions for causing over $784 million in loss associated with the pandemic, and 20 defendants have been convicted.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
The Department of Justice needs the public’s assistance in remaining vigilant and reporting suspected fraudulent activity. To report suspected fraud, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) at (866) 720-5721 or file an online complaint at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/webform/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. Complaints filed will be reviewed at the NCDF and referred to federal, state, local, or international law enforcement or regulatory agencies for investigation.
An indictment, complaint, or information is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Justice Department (Kagawaran ng Katurungan) Naglabas sa mga Korte ng Dear Colleague Letter (liham para sa minamahal na kasamahan) Tungkol sa mga Multa at Bayarin ng Kabataan at mga Taong Nasa Hustong GulangRead the Press Release
Naglabas ngayong araw na ito ang Justice Department ng Dear Colleague Letter tungkol sa pagpapataw at pagpapatupad ng mga multa at bayarin ng mga taong nasa hustong gulang at mga kabataan para sa mga state at local na korte at mga ahensya ng katarungang pangkabataan. Tinutukoy ng liham ang mga karaniwang multa at mga gawi sa bayarin na ipinapataw ng korte, at nag-babala laban sa mga gawaing iyon na maaaring labag sa batas, hindi makatarungan na nagpaparusa sa mga indibidwal na walang kakayahang makabayad o kung hindi man ay nagreresulta sa discrimination (pagtanging masama). Ibinibigay ng kagawaran ang liham na ito bilang bahagi ng patuloy na pangako nito sa pagkamatarungan, pang-ekonomiyang katarungan at paglaban sa mga patakarang nag-aambag ng di katimbang na pagkasangkot sa sistema ng katarungan ang mga komunidad na mababa ang kita.
Itinatampok ng liham ang ilang mahahalagang usapin tungkol sa mga multa at bayarin, tulad ng kahalagahan ng pagsasagawa ng makabuluhang pagtatasa ng kakayahang magbayad bago magpataw ng masamang kalalabasan para sa hindi pagbabayad, pagsaalang-alang ng mga alternatibo sa mga multa at bayarin, pag-iingat laban sa labis na mga parusa at pagtiyak ng mga pag-aalaga sa ankop na proseso, kabilang ang tulong ng abugado kung kailan nababagay.
Nagpapaalala ang liham sa mga sistema ng korte at iba pang tumatanggap ng pederal na tulong pinansyal, sa kanilang patuloy na mga tungkulin na huwag mag-discriminate batay sa lahi, kulay, bansang pinagmulan, relihiyon, kasarian at kapansanan; ang magbigay ng makabuluhang pag-aabot sa mga indibidwal na may limitadong kasanayan sa Ingles; at ang matiyak na makakatulong ang angkop na pagtatala sa pagtukoy at pag-iwas sa mga maaaring paglabag sa mga batas na federal ukol sa walang discrimination. Susundan din ng kagawaran ang liham na ito sa pamamagitan ng pagbuo ng isang gabay sa pinakamahuhusay na kagawian, na nagtatampok ng makabagong gawain ng mga mga pinuno ng state at hukuman sa kinaroroonan.
“Hindi dapat nakasalalay sa kita o karanasan ng isang tao ang katarungan sa United States, ” sabi ni Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “Tumutugon ang pinagbagong patnubay ng Justice Department sa mga kagawiang di katimbang na nakakaapekto sa mga komunidad na mababa ang kita at mga taong may kulay, maaaring magbitag ng mga indibidwal at kanilang mga pamilya sa mga kasanayan ng kahirapan at parusa at maaaring lumabag sa mga karapatang civil ng mga taong nasa hustong gulang at mga kabataan. Maraming hurisdiksyon ang nagpabago upang mabawasan ang pag-asa sa mga multa at bayarin, at bumubwelo ang Justice Department upang isulong ang pantay na katarungan at pampublikong kaligtasan para sa lahat. ”
“Ang walang pigil na pagpataw ng mga multa at bayarin sa buong bansa ay nangbibitag na mga maralitang tao, na hindi puti ang pinkamarami, sa isang paulit-ulit na lumalalang utang, di kinakailangang pagkakulong, at nakakapagpahinang kagusutan sa ating sistemang pangkatarungan, ” ani ni Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke ng Civil Rights Division ng Justice Department. “Sa pamamagitan ng pagharap sa mga pinsala na maaaring idulot ng agresibong pagpataw ng mga multa at bayarin, maaari nating wakasan ang mga bilangguan ng mga may utang at itaguyod ang pantay na katarungan sa ilalim ng batas para sa lahat. Nakahanda ang Justice Department na tulungan ang mga korte at mga ahensya ng katarungang pangkabataan na magsagawa ng mga pagbubuti at kagawiang tumutukoy sa mga pangangailangan ng kaligtasang pampubliko habang inaalagaan ang mga karapatang civil at constitutional.”
“Mapangwasak ang epekto ng mga obligasyong sapatan ang mga multa at bayarin sa mga taong nasa hustong gulang at mga kabataan na dumaranas ng pamumulubi at iba pang kahirapan sa ekonomiya, at nangbibitag sa karamihan sa walang katapusang paulit-ulit na kahirapan at utang, ” sabi ni Director Rachel Rossi ng Office for Access to Justice. “Maaari ding makagambala ang mga tugkuling ito sa ganap at patas na pag-aabot sa ating sistemang pangkatarungan. Para sa mga kadahilanang ito, dapat tayong manatiling mapagbantay upang maiwasan ang mga mapaminsalang kagawian na hindi nagsisilbi sa hangad ng katarungan. Isang mahalagang hakbang sa patuloy na prosesong iyon ang liham na ito.”
“Ang mga tungkulin na sapatin ang bayarin at multa sa mga sistema ng katarungang pangkriminal at pangkabataan ay nagpapataw ng pinakamabigat na pasanin sa mga hindi gaanong nakakapagbayad, na lalong nagtutulak sa kanila na mas malalim sa sistemang pangkatarungan,” sabi ni Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon ng Office of Justice Programs. “Makikipagtulungan kami sa mga hurisdiksyon sa buong bansa upang wakasan o takdaan ang mga hindi patas na gawaing ito, upang magkaroon ang mga taong nasa hustong gulang at mga kabataan sa sistemang pangkatarungan ng pagkakataong kinakailangan nila para sumulong sa kanilang buhay. ”
Sa mga darating na linggo, maglalabas din ang Bureau of Justice Assistance ng paghiling na maghahanap ng tagalinkod ng pagsasanay at tulong na technical para makipagtulungan sa piniling bilang na mga hurisdiksyon na interesadong unawain at baguhin ang kanilang mga patakaran at kagawian sa mga multa at bayarin. Ang pinakalayunin ay tulungan ang mga hurisdiksyon na ito na bawasan ang paggamit ng mga hindi makatarungang multa at bayarin at isadya ang mga mapagkukunang gamit ng mga sistemang ito para sa mga aktibidad na magdudulot ng mas malaking pakinabang sa kaligtasang pampubliko.
Batay ang liham sa mga alituntunin ng constitution, kabilang ang Sixth, Eighth at Fourteenth Amendment (Pang-anim, Pang-walo, at Pang labing-apat na Susog), gayundin ang mga federal nondiscrimination statute (kautusan ng di pagtanging masama), kabilang ang Title VI ng Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI) (batas ng karapatang civil) at ang Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (Safe Streets Act) (batas ng ligtas na mga kalye). Matatagpuan ang isang kopya ng liham dito. Makukuha ang karagdagang impormasyon tungkol sa gawain ng Civil Rights Division upang itaguyod at pangalagaan ang mga karapatang civil at constitutional online sa www.justice.gov/crt. Ang mga reklamo tungkol sa mga gawaing may discrimination ay maaaring iulat sa Civil Rights Division sa pamamagitan ng internet reporting portal (lagusan sa online na pag-ulat) nito sa civilrights.justice.gov.
Johnstown Man Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Possessing a Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Johnstown, Pa., pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal firearms laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Rogelin M. Lopez, age 35, of Johnstown, PA pleaded guilty to Count One of the Information before Senior United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson.
In connection with the guilty plea, on or about July 30, 2021, Lopez, knowing he had previously been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, namely, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. Federal law prohibits an individual who has been convicted of a felony from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
Judge Gibson scheduled sentencing for August 29, 2023. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard, Jr. is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Lopez.
International Firearms Dealer Involved in $2 Million COVID-19 Fraud Scheme Sentenced to More Than 7 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Daniel Ira Johnson (35, Orlando), a/k/a “Shotta” a/k/a “Lajon Black,” to seven years and six months in federal prison for shipping firearms to the United Kingdom and committing wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 unemployment insurance relief. Johnson had pleaded on December 27, 2022.
According to court documents, Johnson shipped firearms to a conspirator in Rugby England in December 2019 and January 2020. He concealed the firearms in a safe, wrapping them to avoid detection, and declaring them to be “car parts” on customs paperwork. After the global COVID-19 pandemic and in March 2020, following the government response of extending and expanding unemployment insurance benefits, Johnson and conspirators used personal identification information from real individuals, without their knowledge, to apply for and obtain unemployment insurance benefits. Those benefits were loaded onto debit cards that were delivered to addresses Johnson and others accessed and the fraud proceeds were quickly withdrawn from those cards or used to purchase U.S. postal money orders. Johnson participated by exchanging PII with conspirators, withdrawing funds from ATMs, purchasing U.S. postal money orders, and instructing other conspirators as to how to use PII to file claims for unemployment insurance benefits. Johnson and his conspirators are linked to $1.9 million in attempted fraudulent unemployment insurance claims in this scheme, over $555,000 of which were paid.
“Daniel Johnson defrauded 19 different state workforce agencies by fraudulently collecting more than $500,000 in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance. Johnson stole unemployment benefits intended for American workers in need of assistance due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of all unemployment insurance benefit programs,” said Mathew Broadhurst, Special Agent-in-Charge, Southeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.
Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Carson of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, Miami Field Office stated, “The illegal smuggling of firearms from United States is a serious violation of our nation’s export control laws. Along with our agency partners, we will pursue these violators wherever they are located- worldwide.”
“Daniel Johnson’s lawless pursuits have finally come to a halt, thanks to the collaborative efforts between the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and our federal partners,” said Juan A. Vargas, Inspector in Charge of the Miami Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “Today’s sentencing should be a reminder to criminals that we will aggressively pursue those that aim to defraud innocent individuals.”
“Disrupting the international flow of illegal guns inevitably saves lives and reduces crime both domestically and abroad. Stopping this scheme to illegally export weapons to the UK did just that,” said Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “Cases like this highlight the great results that can be achieved when agencies work together to protect our communities both here and abroad.”
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the U.S. Department of Labor OIG, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the National Crime Agency of the United Kingdom. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.
Indiana Woman Charged with Federal Hate Crime for Racially Motivated Attack Against a Woman of Chinese DescentRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Evansville, Indiana, returned a single-count indictment charging a woman with committing a hate crime for her racially motivated attack on a woman of Chinese descent.
The indictment returned by a federal grand jury alleges that on Jan. 11, Billie Davis, 56, willfully caused bodily injury to the victim and attempted to do so using a knife, because of the victim’s race and national origin. The indictment also alleges that the offense included an attempt to kill the victim.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers for the Southern District of Indiana and Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton of the FBI Indianapolis Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Indianapolis Field Office and Bloomington Resident Agency investigated the case, with assistance from the Bloomington Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter A. Blackett for the Southern District of Indiana and Trial Attorney Anita Channapati of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Indiana Woman Charged with Federal Hate Crime for Racially Motivated Attack Against a Woman of Chinese DescentRead the Press Release
Indianapolis- A federal grand jury in Evansville, Indiana, returned a single-count indictment charging Billie Davis, 56, with committing a hate crime for her racially motivated attack on a woman of Chinese descent.
The indictment returned by a federal grand jury alleges that on Jan. 11, Davis willfully caused bodily injury to the victim and attempted to do so through the use of a knife, because of the victim’s race and national origin. The indictment also alleges that the offense included an attempt to kill the victim.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers made the announcement.
The FBI Indianapolis Field Office and Bloomington Resident Agency investigated the case, with assistance from the Bloomington Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter A. Blackett for the Southern District of Indiana and Trial Attorney Anita Channapati of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.