Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Thursday 13 April 2023
Iowa Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Assaulting an Intimate PartnerRead the Press Release
A man who punched the mother of his children in the face twice was sentenced today to over a year in federal prison.
Dawson Davenport, age 42, from Tama, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 21, 2022 guilty plea to assault of an intimate partner resulting in substantial bodily injury.
Information from the case showed that on January 24, 2022, Davenport was intoxicated and involved in a fight with another man. The victim, who was the mother of three of Davenport’s children, tried to separate the two men. She then retreated into a nearby house and sat on the couch. Davenport entered the home and punched the victim in the face twice, striking near her left eye each time. He attempted to punch her a third time but missed and fell onto the victim. Davenport has previously been convicted of domestic assault five times in state court.
Davenport was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Davenport was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Davenport is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Meskwaki Nation Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-cr-66.
Harrison County man guilty of firearms and witness tampering chargesRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Shinnston, West Virginia, man was found guilty this week of illegally having an assault rifle and tampering with a witness to cover up the crime.
Charles Raymond Wable, 62, was found guilty by a federal jury after a two-day trial. Wable, a person prohibited from having firearms because of prior drug convictions, was under supervision by the U.S. Probation Office. During a home check, officers found a loaded assault rifle hidden under his bed. During a hearing in federal court to revoke his probation, Wable had someone falsely testify about the ownership of the firearm.
Wable will be sentenced on August 2, 2023. He faces up to 10 years in prison for the firearms charge and faces up to 20 years for witness tampering. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Probation Office investigated.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon Flower and Andrew Cogar prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
Chief U.S. District Court Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Harborer linked to deceased migrant sent to prisonRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 39-year-old Mexican woman illegally residing in Edinburg has been sentenced for her role in harboring aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Sanjuana Yurit Garcia-Salazar pleaded guilty Nov. 2, 2022.
Today, Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane sentenced her to a total of 24 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, Garcia-Salazar is expected to face removal proceedings following her imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Garcia was an indispensable link in the chain of events that led to the death of a migrant. In handing down the sentence, the court noted alien smuggling is an inherently dangerous crime, and the harborers, transporters and money launderers in the conspiracy all understand the risks migrants face as they must walk through the South Texas brush in sweltering heat.
“Leaving a migrant’s dead body on the side of the road is a growing and common tragedy along the southern border and shows the callousness of human smugglers,” said Hamdani. “Today’s sentence is a message that our office will aggressively prosecute those who smuggle migrants and harbor migrants, treating them as chattel and endangering their lives solely for profit.”
Law enforcement had discovered the body of a deceased Guatemalan citizen in Edna near FM 234.
The investigation revealed the victim had been harbored at a residence in Edinburg before transportation further into the United States.
Authorities went to a residence believed related to the crime residence Sept. 13, 2022, where they encountered Garcia-Salazar. A subsequent search led to the discovery of 21 individuals illegally present in the United States. Garcia-Salazar admitted she harbored 50 to 60 individuals per week for two years for financial gain.
She further acknowledged knowing about the Guatemalan male whom she had harbored at her residence. She noted he had a really bad cough before being transported away from her residence.
Garcia-Salazar has been in custody since her arrest where she will remain pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Border Patrol conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jongwoo Chung prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of the Missing Migrant Program (MMP). Established in 2021, MMP’s objective is to review migrant smuggling fatalities and determine if there is the possibility of further investigation and prosecution.
Hawaiian Man Sentenced to 12 Years Imprisonment on Possession of Methamphetamine ConvictionRead the Press Release
St. Croix, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Jason Lee Current, 45, was sentenced as a career offender to 12 years imprisonment by District Judge Wilma A. Lewis on his conviction of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. Judge Lewis also sentenced Current to five years of supervised release, a fine of $2,500.00 and a $100.00 special assessment.
According to court documents, on November 5, 2020, Custom and Border Protection in San Juan, PR, intercepted a package that was shipped from California and addressed to Current. The package contained 112 grams of methamphetamine and 341 grams of marijuana. The contraband was removed and replaced with sham drugs and outfitted with a tracking device. On November 10, 2020, Current picked up the package from the Sunny Isle Post Office in St. Croix. Current attempted to eluded capture after he detected the tracking device but was subsequently taken into custody. In July 2020, Current absconded from Hawaii to avoid sentencing on his felony robbery and assault convictions.
The case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel H. Huston prosecuted the case.
Greece Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Jason Lane, 28, of Greece, NY, pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography, before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. The charge carries a minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that in July and August 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received tips from Yahoo that a user uploaded approximately 260 files of possible child pornography to a Yahoo email account. NCMEC forwarded the information to the New York State Police and a subsequent investigation traced the files to an IP address belonging to Lane, a former Town of Greece police recruit, who was terminated following a probationary period. The files include an image of a partially nude preschool-aged child, which appears to have been taken at a childcare facility in the Rochester, NY, area. The files also include sexually explicit images of two minor victims (Victim 1 and Victim 2), that appear to have been taken by Lane.
On August 9, 2022, the NYSP executed a search warrant at a residence in Brighton, NY, and seized a cellular phone belonging to Lane. A second search warrant was executed at a residence in Greece, NY. A forensic analysis of the phone recovered child pornography. A search warrant was also executed on Lane’s Yahoo account. That search recovered additional images of child pornography that were produced by Lane, in images that Lane obtained via the internet, and images of students at Spencerport High School that appear to have been take surreptitiously by Lane when he worked as a security guard at the school.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Brian J. Ratajczak, and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 11, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. before Judge Geraci.
# # # #
Grant County residents sentenced to a combined 50 years for child pornRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Two Petersburg, West Virginia, residents have been sentenced for creating and distributing sexual images of a minor under the age of 12.
Christine Shook, age 34, was sentenced today to 240 months in prison. Jasper E. Shook, age 35, was sentenced in February to 365 months. Both defendants pleaded guilty in 2022 to child pornography charges.
Jasper Shook messaged an undercover FBI agent using the KIK app, bragging about sexual contact with a minor and sending sexually explicit images of the child. A search warrant was later executed at the Shook home, where officers seized electronic devices that contained child pornography, with some of the images also identifying Jasper Shook and Christine Shook.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the West Virginia State Police investigated.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley D. Crockett prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Gang Leader Sentenced for Possessing Ammunition While on Federal Supervised Release Less Than a Year After Serving More Than Fifteen Years in Prison for Trafficking DrugsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Providence man identified by law enforcement as a leader of the Trinitarios street gang, has been sentenced to thirty months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Juan Guerrero, 42, was found to be in possession of 9 mm cartridges in October 2019, ten months after he completed serving a fifteen-and-a-half-year federal prison sentence for trafficking drugs. The October 2019 arrest occurred while Guerrero was subject to a five-year term of supervised release that followed his term of incarceration.
Minutes after Providence Police saw a vehicle driven by Guerrero speed away from an area where they were investigating reports of shots fired, a traffic stop resulted in the discovery of a knapsack containing 9 mm ammunition in Guerrero’s vehicle. The investigation later determined that ten spent shell casings recovered by police from the shooting location carried the same marking as did live 9 mm cartridges retrieved from the knapsack.
“Gang violence and gun crimes sow fear on our streets and rob Rhode Islanders of the safety that every one of us deserves in all of our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Cunha. “Rather than learning from the consequences of his past crimes, this Defendant chose to reoffend and put lives at risk. Thanks to superb investigative work by the Providence Police, however, he has been held accountable yet again, and our streets are safer for it.”
“I commend the outstanding work conducted by our officers to assist in removing this dangerous career criminal from our streets,” said Providence Police Colonel Oscar L. Perez. “The continued partnership amongst our law enforcement partners has been an invaluable resource in the reduction of drug and gun violence and in this case the defendant is more than deserving of the sentence he was given. We will continue to utilize every resource available to us to make our streets safe and I thank the Office of the United States Attorney for their commitment to public safety.”
According to a government Sentencing Memorandum filed with the court, on October 21, 2019, at approximately 1:20 am, Providence Police received reports of shots fired. As they were responding, they saw a vehicle speed away from the general area. Providence Police followed the vehicle and attempted to stop it. At first, the driver refused to stop. When it did, the driver, Juan Guerrero, was uncooperative with police and refused officers’ commands. Guerrero was removed from the vehicle at gunpoint and handcuffed. Police later determined that the 16-year-old was, at the time, in the custody of the Rhode Island Training School, but was allowed home under the supervision of his mother. A knapsack containing the ammunition was discovered in the vehicle.
As detailed in court filings, a subsequent investigation by Providence Police revealed surveillance video showing several shots being fired into the air by a person that matched a physical description of Guerrero and the clothing he was wearing at the time of his arrest. The individual is seen in the video firing the gun into the air, and nine or ten muzzle flashes can be seen as shots are fired. The shell casings retrieved from the scene of the shooting and the ammunition contained in the knapsack retrieved from Guerrero’s car carried the same markings.
As a result of his arrest related to this incident, Guerrero was found to have violated the conditions of his federal supervised release and was sentenced to 24 months of incarceration.
On March 23, 2023, Guerrero pleaded guilty to a separate charge of being a felon in possession of ammunition. He was sentenced on Wednesday by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith to 30 months of incarceration to be followed by three years of federal supervised release. The Court ordered Guerrero to serve the additional 30-month sentence imposed today consecutive to the term of incarceration he is currently serving for violating his supervised release conditions.
The matter was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey A. Erickson.
###
Fredericksburg Man Sentenced for Production and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Fredericksburg man was sentenced today to 19 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for production and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
According to court documents, from at least December 11, 2018, through April 8, 2019, Chad Michael Lehofer, 37, repeatedly engaged in sexually explicit discussions with a minor online and enticed and coerced the minor to produce sexually explicit pictures and videos and send them to Lehofer. After the minor tried to break off contact with him, Lehofer pretended to be a different person and continued to communicate with the minor online. Lehofer sent threatening messages to the minor, telling the minor that if the minor did not send him sexually explicit videos, he would expose the minor to others, including the minor’s mother and friends. Lehofer claimed to be watching the minor’s house and would send the minor messages indicating he knew the minor’s location and he would be waiting at the minor’s home. In response to these threats, the minor produced a sexually explicit video and sent it to Lehofer.
After obtaining a warrant to search Lehofer’s cell phone, law enforcement discovered that his phone contained numerous images and videos of child sexual abuse material involving prepubescent minors. Lehofer was previously convicted in Connecticut in 2006 for state offenses involving his sexual abuse of two minors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., the Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division; and Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Nachmanoff.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zoe Bedell and Lauren Halper, as well as Trial Attorney Eduardo Palomo from the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
In 2021, EDVA launched “UnMasked,” a community-based educational outreach and prevention program in Virginia dedicated to raising awareness and educating the community about the prevalence of online sexual exploitation involving children and young adults. UnMasked is a multi-disciplinary partnership of local, state, federal, and non-profit stakeholders. The core curriculum is provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) NetSmartz program. To report an incident involving online sexual exploitation, call 1-800-843-5678 or submit a report at report.cybertip.org. To request an UnMasked event at your school or organization, please contact EDVA’s Community Outreach Coordinator at [email protected].
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-82.
Four People Indicted for Roles in Romance and Internet Frauds, Illegal Money TransmittingRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A husband and wife formerly of Burlington County, New Jersey, and a Nigerian national were indicted for their roles in an online romance fraud and other internet frauds, resulting in the loss of $4.5 million to over 100 victims, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Martins Inalegwu, 34, of Philadelphia, Phildelphia, Steincy Mathieu, 26 of Brooklyn, New York, and Moses Chukwuebuka Alexander of Nigeria, were indicted on April 6, 2023, for various charges of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, money laundering, transacting in criminal proceeds, and tax evasion.
A fourth defendant, Oluwaseyi Fatolu, of Springfield, New Jersey, was indicted for conducting an unlawful money transmitting business. Fatolu was arraigned on April 12, 2023, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sharon A. King in Camden federal court. Inalegwu and Mathieu are scheduled to be arraigned before Judge King on April 20, 2023. Alexander remains at large.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Between April 2016 and May 2020, Inalegwu, Mathieu, Alexander and their conspirators, several of whom reside in Nigeria, allegedly participated in an online romance scheme, defrauding more than 100 victims throughout the country. The conspirators made initial contact with victims through online dating and social media websites, then corresponded with victims via email and phone, pretended to strike up a romantic relationship with victims, wooed them with words of love, and then requested the victims send money to them, or their associates, for fictitious emergency needs. In all instances, the individuals whom the victims believed they were speaking to did not exist, and instead they were speaking to the conspirators of this scheme. Inalegwu, Mathieu and their conspirators engaged in apartment rental scams wherein they advertised the rental of a property, not owned or controlled by them, for the purpose of collecting money from the victims in the form of application fees and security deposits. After Inalegwu, Mathieu and conspirators collected the money, the victims never heard from them again.
Conspirators used myriad email accounts and phone numbers to communicate with the victims and instruct them on where to wire the money, including recipient names, addresses, financial institutions and account numbers. Victims wired money to bank accounts held by Inalegwu and Mathieu in the United States, and also mailed checks directly to Inalegwu and Mathieu. Some victims transferred money to the conspirators via money transfer services, such as Western Union or MoneyGram, and others wired money to bank accounts held by conspirators overseas.
Federal law enforcement agents have identified more than 100 victims who sent a total of $4.5 million directly to Inalegwu and Mathieu, who spent the money on personal expenses, withdrew money in cash, transferred money to other bank accounts they personally controlled, and transferred money to bank accounts held by Alexander and other conspirators in Nigeria and Turkey. Inalegwu also used the unlicensed money transmitting business run by Fatolu to send money to Nigeria. Fatolu operated a “hawala system,” wherein she directed Inalegwu and other customers to deposit money into her bank accounts and the accounts of her associates in the United States, and thereafter facilitated the movement of corresponding money into the destination bank account overseas, as directed by the customer. Fatolu charged a fee for this service. Inalegwu and Mathieu failed to report the income derived from the victims, and evaded the payment of tax on the entirety of this victim money.
The counts of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering are each punishable by a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The count of transacting in criminal proceeds is punishable by a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The counts of tax evasion are each punishable by a maximum of five years in prison and a $100,000 fine. The count of unlicensed money transmitting is punishable by a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, Newark Division, Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy; special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel in Newark; special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins; postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division; and special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Martha K. Nye of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Trenton office.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
inalegwu.indictment.pdfFour Indicted in Scheme to Deliver Drugs into State Prisons by DroneRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — An indictment, brought on Feb. 16, 2023, has been unsealed, charging four defendants in a scheme to use drones to deliver drugs and other contraband into state prisons, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
Michael Ray Acosta, 48, an inmate at Pleasant Valley State Prison, is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana, conspiracy to own and operate an unregistered drone and serving or attempting to serve as an airman without an airman’s certificate, and using a cellphone in aid of racketeering.
Jose Enrique Oropeza, 34, of Colton in San Bernardino County, is charged with conspiracy to own and operate an unregistered drone and serving or attempting to serve as an airman without an airman’s certificate, possessing with intent to distribute heroin and marijuana, owning and operating a drone that is not registered, and serving or attempting to serve as an airman without an airman’s certificate.
Rosendo Rene Ramirez, 34, of Sacramento, is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana, conspiracy to own and operate an unregistered drone and serving or attempting to serve as an airman without an airman’s certificate, distributing and possessing with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine, serving and attempting to serve as an airman without an airman’s certificate, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
David Ramirez Jr., 34, of Sacramento, is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana, conspiracy to own and operate an unregistered drone and serving or attempting to serve as an airman without an airman’s certificate, and owning or operating a drone that is not registered.
According to court documents, between Jan. 1, and Dec. 10, 2021, Acosta used a contraband cellphone to coordinate multiple drone deliveries of contraband into Pleasant Valley State Prison and other prisons across the state. Oropeza, Rosendo Ramirez, and David Ramirez Jr. flew drones over the prisons and dropped packages of contraband into the prisons. Acosta and his associates would then recover the contraband for further distribution throughout the prison population. The packages that Acosta helped to smuggle into the prisons included methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, marijuana, cellphones, cellphone accessories, butane oil, and various other items.
Acosta’s conspirators took various steps to prevent corrections officers from detecting and intercepting the contraband. They planned drone drops when it was night and the drones were less likely to be seen. Rosendo Ramirez flew the drones from concealed positions in the fields surrounding the prison. The incursions included the following facilities: Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison, Corcoran; Salinas Valley State Prison, High Desert State Prison, Pleasant Valley State Prison, California State Prison, Sacramento; and California State Prison, Corcoran.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the Federal Aviation Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonio J. Pataca is prosecuting the case.
If convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years to life in prison and a fine of up to $10 million. If convicted of possessing with intent to distribute heroin and marijuana or distributing and possessing with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine, the defendants face a statutory penalty of five to 40 years in prison and a fine of up to $5 million. If convicted of conspiracy to own and operate an unregistered drone, serving, owning or operating a drone that is not registered, attempting to serve as an airman without an airman’s certificate, or using a cellphone in aid of racketeering, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. If convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm, Ramirez faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. 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 defendants are 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.
Fort Myers Roofing Contractors Plead Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
Two Florida businessmen pleaded guilty yesterday to tax evasion.
According to court documents, David Aaron and Russell Ultes were co-owners of Marlin Construction Group LLC (Marlin), a Fort Myers-based residential and commercial roofing company. In 2018 and 2019, Aaron and Ultes diverted millions of dollars of customer checks made payable to Marlin, by cashing them at check-cashing businesses in nearby counties. Aaron and Ultes used the cash to pay personal expenses and caused Marlin’s books and records to falsely underreport the business’s gross receipts and income for those years. Aaron and Ultes provided false information to Marlin’s tax return preparers, resulting in the preparation of false 2018 and 2019 corporate income tax returns (Forms 1120S) that did not report all of the gross receipts and income. Because the income from the false corporate returns flowed through to Aaron and Ultes’s personal returns, their 2018 and 2019 personal income tax returns (Forms 1040) were similarly false. In total, Aaron and Ultes caused a tax loss to the IRS of over $1.4 million.
Aaron and Ultes each face a maximum of five years in prison, a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Roger Handby for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Senior Litigation Counsel Stanley J. Okula, Jr., and Trial Attorney Richard J. Hagerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
Former Nurse Pleads Guilty to Tampering with a Consumer ProductRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Catherine Shannon Dunton, 54, has pled guilty in federal district court in Fort Pierce to tampering with a consumer product.
From approximately February 28 to April 18, 2022, Dunton, a Florida licensed Registered Nurse (RN), worked at an outpatient surgical center in Jensen Beach, Martin County, Fla. as a circulating nurse. While working at the center, Dunton took vials of fentanyl, a narcotic painkiller in liquid form, and self-administered it by injection. To avoid detection, she replaced the fentanyl from nearly 450 vials with saline solution, and then returned the adulterated vials to the center for use during outpatient surgical procedures.
At sentencing, Dunton faces up to 10 years in prison, followed by up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is set for June 27, at 10:30 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Justin C. Fielder of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI), Miami Field Office, announced the guilty plea.
FDA-OCI Miami investigated the case, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Diana M. Acosta is prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-14073.
###
Former Correctional Officer at the Metropolitan Transition Center in Baltimore Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison for a Racketeering Conspiracy Related to a Smuggling SchemeRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III today sentenced Shanese Butler, age 35, of Baltimore, a former Correctional Officer at the Metropolitan Transition Center (“MTC”) in Baltimore, to two years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for a racketeering conspiracy related to a scheme to smuggle contraband the MTC.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Secretary Carolyn J. Scruggs of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.
According to court documents and her guilty plea, from June 2020 to November 2020, Butler engaged in a romantic relationship with Christopher Mann while he was a detainee at the Metropolitan Transition Center, and conspired with Mann, other employees, detainees, and associates of MTC to participate in a pattern of racketeering activity, including drug distribution and bribery.
Specifically, Butler, Mann and at least two other conspirators, including outside facilitator, Cania Jefferson, age 35, and Correctional Officer Thomas Green, worked together to smuggle contraband into MTC in exchange for bribe payments. At Mann’s direction, Butler sent $1,000 bribe payments to Green on multiple occasions. In exchange for these bribe payments, Green smuggled contraband into MTC and delivered it to Mann. For example, in July 2020, after receiving a bribe payment from Mann, Green smuggled two cell phones, suboxone, and K2 into MTC but was apprehended by law enforcement on their way to MTC.
The evidence showed that Butler controlled Mann’s Cash App account, through which multiple payments were made to Green and facilitator Cania Jefferson; and multiple payments from and on behalf of Mann’s customer’s inside MTC were received. The government presented evidence that, not only did Butler assist in managing the day-to-day financial aspects of Mann’s contraband smuggling organization, she assisted in liquidating the operation’s proceeds. Cash App records confirm that between September 16 and October 3, 2020, Butler withdrew approximately $33,000 from the account. The FBI recovered approximately 10 percent of that amount, $3,020, while searching Butler’s home on October 2, 2020. The balance of the proceeds is unaccounted for.
According to court documents, in September 2020, law enforcement intercepted a series of phone calls in which Butler and Mann devised a scheme to spray liquid K2 onto a piece of paper, and to smuggle the paper into MTC through the United States mail service. Butler sent the piece of paper to another detainee as a “trial.” The mailing was seized by jail administrators, tested by a chemist, and found to have been soaked in synthetic marijuana. When the FBI raided Butler’s home in October 2020, they recovered a spray bottle containing liquid K2, as well as multiple pieces of paper that had been soaked in liquid K2.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Co-defendants Christopher Mann, age 40, of Baltimore; Thomas Green, age 34, of Pikesville, Maryland; and Cania Jefferson, age 36, of Lansdowne, Maryland previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme and were sentenced to between a year and a day and three years in federal prison.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and DPSCS Intelligence and Investigative Division for their work in this joint investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter J. Martinez and Aaron S.J. Zelinsky who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
# # #
Florida Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Assaulting Two Military Police Officers with His CarRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Florida man was sentenced today to 33 months in prison and three years of supervised release for assaulting two U.S. Air Force military police officers with his car. Hal Wander, 26, of Port Charlotte, Florida, pleaded guilty by teleconference on Feb. 8, 2022, before U.S. District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez, to an information charging him with assault on two federal officers using a deadly and dangerous weapon, namely, a motor vehicle.
Fentanyl Trafficker Sentenced to 12+ Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
A drug trafficker who left Dallas’ Galleria Mall laden with more than 2,000 fentanyl-laced pills was sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Jesus Alexander Perez Fuentes, 27, pleaded guilty to in October 2022 to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. He was sentenced Wednesday to 145 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade, who also ordered him to forfeit more than $13,000.
According to the criminal complaint, the investigation began when a confidential informant tipped off law enforcement that Mr. Fuentes was distributing fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone tablets marked M/30.
On March 30, 2022, agents received information that Mr. Fuentes would be at the Galleria Dallas Mall with well over a thousand counterfeit pills. A surveillance team observed Mr. Fuentes and an unknown female exit the mall and enter Mr. Fuentes’ pickup.
Troopers followed the pair towards Interstate 635, then pulled over the pickup for traffic infractions. A Dallas Police Department canine alerted to narcotics in the vehicle.
In the center console, law enforcement found a loaded Glock 30, which Mr. Fuentes later admitted he used in furtherance of drug trafficking. Under the driver’s seat, they found a black backpack containing two clear plastic baggies stuffed with 2,072 fentanyl-laced pills. Also inside the backpack was $13,821, which Mr. Fuentes later admitted was proceeds from drug trafficking.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Group 3 (Dallas Field Division), the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Dallas Police Department, the Frisco Police Department, and the Colony Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division.
Falls Church Man Sentenced for Possessing Unregistered SilencersRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Falls Church man was sentenced today to 3 years in prison for unlawful possession of unregistered silencers.
According to court documents, Hatchet Speed, 41, began panic buying firearms in early 2021. From February to May 2021, Speed purchased at least twelve firearms and spent more than $40,000 at stores that sold firearms, firearm accessories, and ammunition. According to court documents, the defendant began stockpiling weapons after participating in the incursion at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, a time when he anticipated civil war and spoke of the need for political violence.
In March 2021, during the midst of his firearm purchases, Speed purchased three silencers from a company in Georgia. While the silencers were marketed as “solvent traps” ostensibly to be used in cleaning the barrel of a firearm, they were actually designed to serve as silencers. The silencers were not registered to Speed in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required by law. By circumventing the registration requirements for silencers, Speed was able to take possession of the silencers within a week of purchasing them.
In early 2022, Speed met with an undercover employee of the FBI. During these meetings, Speed discussed his anti-Semitic, anti-government ideologies with the FBI undercover employee. Speed also discussed taking violent action in furtherance of his ideologies. Speed praised the approach of jihadists and suggested that their approach would be an effective way to “wipe out” the opposition, referring to Jewish people. Speed discussed his efforts to identify targets who were “reachable” by someone like him, stating that he thought about using a “mock trial” to decide which people to add to “the list.” During this discussion, Speed confirmed to the FBI undercover employee that he believed his “solvent traps,” meaning his unregistered silencers, would come in handy for this purpose.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Michael H. Glasheen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Counterterrorism Division; and Michael T. Weddel, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Traxler and Amanda Lowe prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-165.
FBI Arrests Canutillo Woman for Making False StatementsRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – A Canutillo woman was arrested Tuesday on criminal charges related to her alleged false statements made to an FBI Task Force Officer.
Court documents allege that, Veronica Gutierrez, 41, claimed that a police officer inappropriately touched her while executing a search warrant at her residence on or about Dec. 15, 2022. The April 5 indictment adds that she also claimed the police officer told her, this is what happens when she does not send pictures of herself to the officer.
Gutierrez is charged with one count of false statement. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey R. Downey of the FBI El Paso Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI’s West Texas Border Corruption Task Force is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Skillern is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
Erie Drug Dealer Gets Federal Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A former resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 70 months in prison on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter imposed the sentence on Peter Daniel Gambill, Jr., 25.
According to information presented to the court, Gambill and others engaged in a conspiracy to distribute multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine, approximately 1.7 kilograms of blue fentanyl pills (an estimated 15,000 pills), and methamphetamine within the Western District of Pennsylvania from in and around February 2022 and continuing thereafter to in or around May 2022.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul S. Sellers prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Erie Area Gang Law Enforcement (EAGLE), Safe Streets Task Force, which is comprised of investigators from the FBI, the Erie Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Oil City Police Department, the Titusville Police Department, the Franklin Police Department, and the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, in coordination with the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Internal Revenue Service, the Erie County Detectives, and the Millcreek Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Gambill.
The investigation was also conducted in association with the Northwest Pennsylvania Drug Initiative which was formed following Erie County’s designation as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) in 2021. The HIDTA program was created by Congress in 1988 to coordinate and assist Federal, State, and Local law enforcement agencies in addressing regional drug threats with the purpose of reducing drug trafficking and drug production in the United States. The Northwest Pennsylvania Drug Initiative coordinates personnel and resources between multiple agencies including the Pennsylvania State Police, Federal Burau of Investigation, Erie Police Department, Erie County District Attorney’s office, Erie County Detectives, United States Postal Inspection Service, the EAGLE Task Force, and other participating agencies.
Elmira Man with Prior Child Sex Conviction Arrested on Federal Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Eugene R. Criss, Jr., 55, of Elmira, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession of child pornography by an individual with a prior sex offense conviction, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of 20 years.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on March 23, 2023, Criss shared suspected child pornography on a peer to peer sharing network with an undercover law enforcement employee. On April 5, 2023, a search warrant was executed at Criss’ residence, during which investigators seized multiple electronic devices to include a cellular telephone, laptop computer, USB thumb drive and a tablet. A review of the thumb drive recovered more than 1,000 files in more than 700 folders of suspected child pornography.
Criss made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark W. Pederson and was held pending a detention hearing on April 14, 2023.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
# # # #
Ellensburg Man Sentenced to 132 Months in Federal Prison for Fentanyl Distribution that Resulted in the Deaths of Two Young PeopleRead the Press Release
Yakima, Washington – Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian sentenced Jonathan Rivera-Venegas, age 21, of Ellensburg, Washington, to 132 months in federal prison after Rivera-Venegas had pleaded guilty on December 7, 2022 to Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl. Rivera-Venegas will also serve five years of supervised release after his release from confinement.
According to court documents, Rivera-Venegas began distributing “blues” – which are counterfeit prescription medication containing fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid – in Ellensburg, Washington beginning in at least June 2021. Over a nine day span in August 2021, Rivera-Venegas distributed fentanyl-laced pills to a twenty-one year old male and a sixteen year old male. Both young men were poisoned by the fentanyl distributed by Rivera-Venegas and died. Rivera-Venegas then relocated to Hawaii where he was located by law enforcement and returned to the Eastern District of Washington.
United States Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref stated, “Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat facing this country, and this case in particular presents egregious consequences stemming from this dangerous poison. Mr. Rivera-Venegas knew these drugs were deadly and yet continued to distribute fentanyl in our communities. Two families are devastated as a result of Rivera-Venegas’s crimes. Our community is safer and stronger today as a result of the incredible work of several law enforcement agencies, who came together to investigate and prosecute this tragic case.”
Ken Wade, Chief of the City of Ellensburg Police Department, stated, “I appreciate the hard work and commitment to public safety that went into the investigation and prosecution of Jonathan Rivera-Venegas. We realize this conviction will not lesson the pain felt by our community and the families of those we lost. I want to thank our federal partners for their assistance in bringing Rivera-Venegas back to Washington and holding him accountable for his actions that led to these tragedies.”
“This investigation demonstrates the determination of the DEA, and our law enforcement partners, to tirelessly pursue those who bring poison into our communities,” said Jacob D. Galvan, Acting Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “This sentence should serve as a warning to those who distribute fake pills laced with fentanyl that we will find you and hold you accountable.” The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Ellensburg Police Department, the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Washington State Patrol. This case was prosecuted by Michael J. Ellis, Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
1:22-cr-02034-SAB
Eight Crips Gang Members and Associates Indicted for Racketeering and Numerous Violent Crimes on Long IslandRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, a 59-count indictment was unsealed charging eight members and associates of a violent subset of the Crips street gang known as the Insane Crip Gang or “ICG,” with various offenses including racketeering, conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, and firearms offenses, as well as fraud schemes.
The indictment charges seven defendants with racketeering and conspiracy to commit murder; six defendants are charged with multiple attempted murders, assaults, and related firearms offenses; four defendants are charged in connection with their respective roles in three murders committed in Nassau County between 2016 and 2021. Six defendants were taken into custody this morning in New York and will be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Arlene R. Lindsay. A seventh defendant, Jonathan Gonzalez, was arrested in North Carolina and will be arraigned in federal court in Winston-Salem this afternoon. One additional defendant remains at large.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Anne T. Donnelly, District Attorney, Nassau County District Attorney’s Office (NCDA); Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and Patrick J. Ryder, Commissioner, Nassau County Police Department (NCPD), announced the arrests and indictment.
“As alleged, the defendants participated in a staggering amount of extreme violence that shattered lives, maimed rivals and endangered countless innocent bystanders on Long Island. As of today, after three brutal murders, over a dozen shootings, hundreds of thousands of dollars of fraud, their chokehold of fear and violence over our community is finally over,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “This Office and our law enforcement partners will continue working tirelessly to protect our communities from gang violence and fraud.”
Mr. Peace expressed his appreciation to the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force and the Nassau County Police Department’s Homicide Squad and Gang Investigation Squad for their tireless efforts to bring these violent offenders to justice. Mr. Peace also thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the United States Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General for their efforts in assisting the investigation.
NCDA Donnelly stated: “This Crips faction has wreaked havoc in the Hempstead area for nearly a decade, killing perceived rivals and innocent bystanders alike. In just two years, Akeem Chambers allegedly participated in two homicides and more than a dozen shootings. This gang celebrated its violence on social media, using that same social media as a recruiting tool, and financed its activities by systematically stealing from government benefit programs designed to aid the unemployed and those adversely impacted by COVID. Dismantling gang networks is incredibly difficult work and I thank my staff and our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI and NCPD for the collaborative spirit used during this year-long investigation.”
“The defendants allegedly engaged in multiple acts of gang violence, bringing undue fear and harm to the streets of our neighborhoods,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll. “Gang violence menacing communities is something no one should have to endure; people have the right to feel safe where they live. Today’s indictment serves as a reminder that the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force is persistent in its efforts to keep the neighborhoods of Long Island safe and free of violent crime.”
“This multi-agency law enforcement investigation has led to the arrest of numerous Crips gang members for homicides, shootings and racketeering. These defendants have terrorized our communities in Nassau County and now our residents can show a sign of relief that these criminals will no longer be able to inflict harm in our neighborhoods. I would like to congratulate all of the dedicated law enforcement professionals for their hard work and diligence during the course of this investigation. A job well done by all,” stated NCPD Commissioner Ryder.
As alleged in the indictment and court filings, the defendants engaged in a pattern of gang violence which resulted in dozens of gang-related shootings, as well as multiple murders in Nassau County between 2015 and the present. The defendants, as part of their membership and association with the ICG, together with others, committed dozens of violent crimes in and around Hempstead, New York, including shootings, assaults, murders, robberies, and kidnappings.
Akeem Chambers is charged with participating in over a dozen shootings and two homicides between 2020 and 2022, including the August 1, 2020, murder of 28-year-old Thiasia Williams in Hempstead, New York. In that incident, Chambers, along with Rob Pardo and another associate of the ICG learned of a party on Martin Luther King Drive in Hempstead that was going to be attended by members of the rival D Block Bloods. Chambers and the others decided to commit a drive-by shooting of the party. Jonathan Gonzalez was enlisted to be the driver for the shooting. Chambers and the other associate, each armed with a 9mm firearm, planned to shoot the rivals, while Rob Pardo remained in the area to assist their flight from the scene of the crime. As Chambers and the others drove down Martin Luther King Drive shortly after midnight on August 1, 2020, they fired at least eight times at party goers, striking and killing Thiasia Williams, an innocent bystander who was sitting in her car outside the party to pick up a friend. Another innocent female bystander was also struck by gunfire and suffered a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to her leg.
Chambers was also charged with his role in the 2021 robbery and murder of James Diamond in Freeport, New York. In that incident, Chambers, together with others, planned to rob Diamond of a large sum of cash. Chambers and another individual, both armed with firearms, approached the victim and another man, and attempted to rob them at gunpoint. During the course of the robbery, Chambers’ coconspirator shot and killed Diamond. Chambers and several accomplices were indicted and arrested for this murder by Nassau County authorities.
Notably, Jalen Rogers, who is charged with over a half-dozen violent crimes ranging from attempted murder and assault to attempted kidnapping, committed at least three of those violent crimes while he was wearing a court-ordered GPS ankle monitor imposed as a condition of supervision. In each of those shootings, records for Rogers’ ankle monitor place him at the scene of the crime at the time of the shootings.
Jonathan Vazquez is charged with the November 19, 2016 murder of 19 year-old Joecephus Vanable in Hempstead, New York. Vanable, an individual who was repeatedly targeted by the ICG in Hempstead, was shot and killed on a Hempstead street by Vazquez. In the wake of Vanable’s murder, members and associates of the ICG took to social media to brag about the killing. In addition, the gang boasted about the killing in rap videos and graffiti around Hempstead. In addition to violence directed at rivals, Vazquez is also charged with attempted murder for opening fire on two Nassau County Police Officers who were attempting to conduct a stop of his vehicle. Vazquez is also charged with the gunpoint robbery of a woman in Levittown, New York and several other gang-related shootings.
To finance their criminal conduct and enrich themselves, the defendants and other ICG members and associates engaged in a wide array of fraud schemes, including defrauding state unemployment systems, the federal Covid-19 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), various forms of identity theft and bank fraud. The frauds perpetrated by ICG members and associates netted the gang’s members and associates hundreds of thousands of dollars since early 2020. For example, the ICG stole approximately $200,000 from the State of California by submitting fraudulent unemployment benefits applications. In addition to their fraud schemes, the defendants regularly purchased, maintained and sold a wide array of firearms. The investigation linked a total of 26 guns to the defendants and their associates; 14 of the 26 guns were linked to multiple shootings committed by the defendants or other ICG members.
Law enforcement executed multiple search warrants this morning and recovered a 9mm, fully-loaded semiautomatic pistol and a .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol with an extended magazine and additional ammunition.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Chambers, Dindyal, Gonzalez, Lesly Pardo, Rogers, and Vazquez face up to a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Pardo faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Boeckmann, Michael Maffei and Samantha Alessi are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Kerry Ucci and Automated Litigation Specialist Michael Compitello.
This prosecution is the product of investigations led by the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force, which is comprised of agents and officers of the FBI, Suffolk County Police Department, NCPD, Nassau County Sheriff’s Department, Suffolk County Probation Office, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, New York State Police, Hempstead Police Department, Rockville Centre Police Department, and the NCDA.
The Defendants:
Akeem Chambers, also known as “Luca”
Age: 21
Uniondale, New YorkJAHZIAH DINDYAL, also known as “JZ” and “Nine”
Age: 19
Hempstead, New YorkJonathan Gonzalez, also known as “Grizz”
Age: 23
Greensboro, North CarolinaLESLY PARDO, also known as “Chop” and “Chopavelli”
Age: 26
Mount Sinai, New YorkROB PARDO, also known as “Static”
Age: 25
Mount Sinai, New YorkJALEN ROGERS, also known as “Drama” and “Moonie”
Age: 20
Hempstead, New YorkJONATHAN VAZQUEZ, also known as “Chulo” and “Clutch”
Age: 21
Hempstead, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-157 (JMA)
East Rochester Man Sentenced for Defrauding Elderly Family MemberRead the Press Release
CONCORD – An East Rochester man was sentenced in federal court for defrauding a 79-year old family member of almost $84,000, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Craig Corriveau, 51, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Samantha D. Elliott to 12 months in prison. Corriveau was also ordered to pay $83,629.69 in restitution to the victim. On December 21, 2022, Corriveau pleaded guilty to wire fraud.
“The defendant targeted an elderly family member, which is particularly insidious,” said U.S. Attorney Young. “The victim and their family placed their trust in Corriveau, and he abused that trust over the course of two years. I thank the Rochester Police Department and FBI for their excellent investigative work in bringing the defendant to justice. Our office will continue to work to protect the elderly population in our communities.”
Between March 2019 and late 2021, the defendant stole approximately $84,000 from the victim and left them with almost $20,000 in credit card debt. He spent more than $31,000 of the stolen funds at a Rochester gun store to purchase ammunition, a knife throwing set, and 32 firearms. He only stopped stealing after he breached the credit limit on the victim’s credit cards and emptied their bank accounts. The defendant lied to the Rochester Police Department by claiming the victim had authorized him to spend the stolen money.
Corriveau used his knowledge of the victim’s personal identifying information to gain access to their bank accounts and credit cards. The defendant set up paperless bank and credit card statements, so the victim was unable to detect the fraud.
The Rochester Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen prosecuted the case.
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.
###
Dubuque Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a FelonRead the Press Release
A man who possessed a firearm as a felon was sentenced today to ten years in federal prison.
Daniel Arsenio Rodgers, age 34, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 31, 2022, jury verdict finding him guilty on one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
The evidence at trial showed that Rodgers knowingly possessed a Beretta 9mm handgun on June 25, 2021. On that date, Rodgers shot at a residence on West Locust in Dubuque before ditching the car he was driving. Later that day, Rodgers shot at a residence on W. 11th Street as a passenger in a different vehicle. Dubuque police officers were able to track that vehicle using traffic cameras from W. 11th Street to a local restaurant where Rodgers was arrested on an outstanding warrant a short time later. The Beretta used in both shootings was found in the vehicle in which Rodgers traveled to the restaurant.
Rodgers was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Rodgers was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Rodgers is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and was investigated by the Dubuque Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-1013.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Dominican National Sentenced to 70 Months in Federal Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl AnalogueRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that WILLIAM VALERIO-PALERMO, also known as “Willy,” 37, a citizen of the Dominican Republic last residing in East Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 70 months of imprisonment for trafficking acetylfentanyl, a fentanyl analogue.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2018, law enforcement received information that Valerio was trafficking kilogram-quantities of fentanyl and was using his Hartford auto-repair business to launder drug proceeds. On July 12, 2018, a court-authorized search of a West Hartford apartment that Valerio rented revealed approximately six kilograms of acetylfentanyl, items used to process and package narcotics, and approximately $49,000 in cash.
Valerio has been detained since his arrest on July 12, 2018. He pleaded guilty on July 6, 2021.
Valerio faces immigration proceedings when he completes his prison term.
This investigation was conducted by the DEA’s Hartford Task Force and the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Windsor Locks and Willimantic Police Departments. The FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force includes the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Narcotics Trafficking and Possession of a MachinegunRead the Press Release
Defendant Faces Ten Year Mandatory Minimum Sentence
WASHINGTON – Daniel Jahleel Thomas, also known as “dandue,” 22, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to conspiring to distribute marijuana and oxycodone, illegal possession of a machinegun, and carrying a handgun during or in relation to drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Robert J. Contee, III, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
U.S. District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell scheduled sentencing for August 4, 2023. The crimes to which Thomas pleaded guilty carry a combined mandatory-minimum of ten years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison.
According to court documents, Thomas advertised on Instagram that he had marijuana for sale. On February 25, 2022, MPD officers learned of the advertisement and responded to the location – outside the Fort Chaplin Park Apartments – knowing that Thomas had a court-ordered stay-away from the complex as a condition of a prior gun arrest. The officers saw Thomas standing outside the apartments and approached him. When Thomas saw the officers, he jumped into the back seat of a vehicle operated by a ride share service. As the officers attempted to speak with Thomas about the stay-away order, he resisted and pulled away. During the subsequent struggle, officers discovered a firearm in Thomas’ waistband. The firearm was later determined to be a Glock, Model 19, 9mm handgun loaded with one round in the chamber and 14 rounds in the magazine. The handgun was also fitted with a “giggle switch,” which made the handgun capable of fully automatic fire.
Thomas was arrested that afternoon outside the Fort Chaplin Park Apartments in the 4200 block of Blaine Street, Northeast. During a search of the duffel bag he was carrying, officers found four large bags of marijuana, each containing approximately one-pound, as well as 81 pills, each of which contained 30mg of oxycodone.
At the time of his arrest, Thomas was under investigation by the FBI for his role in a variety of federal offenses related to firearms and narcotic trafficking. Coordination between the FBI and MPD led to an indictment charging Thomas and two of his co-conspirators with numerous federal offenses.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case, including FBI and MPD. Finally, they cited the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys James B. Nelson and Meredith Mayer-Dempsey and Paralegal Specialist Genevieve de Guzman.
Covington Man Charged with Wire FraudRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS - United States Attorney Duane A. Evans, announced that MARC QUIROZ (“QUIROZ”), resident of Covington, Louisiana, was charged by bill of information on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, with one count of wire fraud.
According to the charging document, QUIROZ co-owned and operated a company called VetAttend of Jackson where he purported to provide services to Veterans for home aid and assistance.
QUIROZ’s co-conspirators, James Thomas Sinyard, Jr., a/k/a Jay Sinyard, and Mary Gigi Sinyard, a/k/a Gigi Sinyard, were charged by bill of information on February 14, 2023.
According to the bill of information, QUIROZ submitted fraudulent affidavits for home aid services provided when he knew that those services were not actually provided. As part of the scheme to defraud, beginning in or about April 2013 and continuing until at least July 2018, QUIROZ did knowingly devise and intend to devise a scheme to defraud the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (Veterans Affairs). The purpose of the scheme was to obtain money and property by submitting false affidavits and applications to Veterans Affairs on behalf of veterans and their spouses, claiming that VetAttend had provided home services to the veterans, when in fact, it had not. During the scheme, Veterans Affairs issued funds to over 300 veterans and/or their surviving spouses from whom QUIROZ fraudulently appropriated monies, without the knowledge of the veterans, totaling approximately $4,065,969.18.
If convicted, QUIROZ faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, up to five years of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee per count.
“These charges were brought as a result of the hard work of VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) Special Agents who remain vigilant in investigating all who seek to benefit improperly from programs meant to assist deserving veterans,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Patrick Roche of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s South-Central Field Office. “The VA OIG thanks the US Attorney’s Office for their efforts in this joint investigation.”
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans stated that a bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case is being investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General. The prosecution of the case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Kathryn McHugh, Financial Crimes Unit.
Convicted Felon Sentenced for Role in Two Richmond Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to 12 years in prison for his role in two armed robberies.
According to court documents, Ricardo Horne, 41, and his co-defendants Michael Brown, 40, and Rashanda Booker, 38, both also from Richmond, robbed a Family Dollar on April 17, 2022 and a Dollar General on April 28, 2022.
On April 17, 2022, Horne and Brown forcefully grabbed a Family Dollar employee as he sought to empty trash prior to the store opening. Brown, holding a semiautomatic pistol that belonged to his sister, guided the employee to a safe inside the store and held him at gunpoint near the safe while emptying it. Horne stood watch and maintained control over a customer as well as another terrified Family Dollar employee. Altogether, they obtained approximately $10,000 from Family Dollar—money they used to buy high-end shoes at a boutique shoe store.
Between the two robberies in this case, Horne and Brown directed Booker to purchase new pistol for the second robbery. She did so on April 22, 2022. Six days later, Horne and Brown committed another armed robbery of a Dollar General. Brown entered the store carrying the semiautomatic pistol purchased by Booker alongside Horne. After Horne grabbed control of one of the employees, the two men took her to find the Dollar General manager who could open the safe. Brown held the manager at gunpoint near the safe while Horne maintained control of the other employee. Notably, several customers, including a woman and her young son, were shopping in the store at the time of the robbery.
A GPS tracker was installed inside some of the money taken from the Dollar General. Brown and Horne exited the store with the United States currency, entered Booker’s car, and then drove off. As Booker drove, Brown and Horne changed their clothing. Law enforcement began to follow the GPS tracker and discovered, Booker, Brown, and Horne in Booker’s Blue Toyota sedan. Among the items recovered by law enforcement were the clothing worn during the armed robbery of the Dollar General by Brown and Horne of the Dollar General, the Taurus, Model G3C, 9mm, semi-automatic pistol used during that robbery, and a Family Dollar bag.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; and Rick Edwards, Acting Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth R. Simon, Jr. and Jessica Wright prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-122.
Contractor Pleads Guilty to Bribing Former School Board President of Madison District Public SchoolsRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A school contractor pleaded guilty today to bribing and conspiring with Albert Morrison, the former School Board President of Madison District Public Schools, in a half-million dollar pay to play scheme, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced.
Ison was joined in the announcement by James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Michigan Division; Sarah Kull, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division; and John Woolley, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Education, Office of Inspector General.
John David, age 65, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Laurie Michelson to conspiracy to commit federal program bribery from 2014 through 2018 and bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds. Morrison was the elected President of the Madison District Public Schools Board of Education from 2012 through 2018. While Morrison was President, David was one of the owners of a building maintenance and reconstruction company, Emergency Restoration (a/k/a Emergency Reconstruction), that was awarded over $3.1 million in maintenance and construction projects in the Madison District Public Schools.
According to court records, David, who was a long-time friend of Morrison, wrote over $550,000 in checks from his company to Morrison’s company, Comfort Consulting, from 2014 through 2018. Morrison deposited the checks from David into his own bank account. The investigation uncovered $561,667 in payments from David to Morrison. David admitted he had to “pay to play” in the school district, and David’s companies received approximately $3,167,275 from the Madison District during the bribery conspiracy. Morrison spent the money from David on personal luxuries such as vacations in Florida and a boat slip.
To keep the payments secret from the school board and the community in the Madison Schools, Morrison, when publicly confronted at a Madison District school board meeting, denied having any financial ties to David or Emergency Restoration. Morrison and David also failed to disclose to State of Michigan auditors the payments Morrison received from David.
“Our community deserves school systems free of corruption,” said U.S. Attorney Ison. “This prosecution demonstrates our commitment to ensure that public officials in our educational systems put the interests of our children first.”
“Mr. David guaranteed he would receive work funded by Madison District Public Schools not by participating in a fair and transparent process, but by bribing those in positions of power,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “Public corruption is one of the FBI’s top investigative priorities because of the negative impact corruption has on the public’s faith in government agencies. The FBI, IRS, and Department of Education Office of Inspector General will continue to work cooperatively to hold those who engage in corrupt practices in our education system accountable for their crimes.”
Sentencing is set for August 14, 2023 at 1 PM.
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, and the Department of Education. It is prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Resnick Cohen, Karen Reynolds, and Gjon Juncaj.
Connecticut Man Pleads Guilty to Human Smuggling ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Connecticut man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Worcester to conspiring to commit human smuggling.
Fagner Chaves De Lima, 41, of East Hartford, Conn., pleaded guilty to one count of attempted human smuggling. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for July 13, 2023. De Lima was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in June 2022 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2022.
“Mr. De Lima’s human smuggling operation exploited and endangered vulnerable individuals who sought his services to come to the United States for a better life. He exploited these vulnerable individuals in order to reap tens of thousands of dollars in profit,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “This case should serve as a reminder that our office will identify and prosecute those whose actions cause danger to human life and threaten our nation’s security.”
“Fagner Chaves De Lima admitted today to taking advantage of those seeking a new life in America by conspiring to exploit, endanger, and extort them,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “No human being should ever be treated as a commodity but that is exactly what this man did. He lied to his victims to make hundreds of thousands of dollars for himself, and the FBI and our law enforcement partners will not sit idly by and let that happen. We will leverage the full force of the federal government to ensure those who engage in human smuggling are held accountable for their crimes.”
De Lima conspired with others to illegally smuggle individuals from Brazil into the United States for money and profit. In exchange for payments of thousands of dollars, De Lima and conspirators made travel arrangements for clients to illegally enter the United States from Brazil by plane or bus, and arranged lodging accommodations for clients during their travel. In addition, De Lima extorted clients while their journey to the United States was underway by threatening to harm them and/or their family if they did not pay additional money. De Lima and his conspirators also created and transmitted false documents that were used as part of the illegal smuggling operation.
In May and June 2022, an undercover agent-initiated communications with De Lima over WhatsApp under the guise that the agent sought to have his sister and niece smuggled into the United States. The undercover agent offered to pay $15,000 for De Lima’s services, and De Lima agreed to the arrangement. De Lima stated during these communications (translated from Portuguese) that he had been engaged in human smuggling “for 20 years,” and that he will smuggle individuals “whether you have a visa, no visa, or if . . .[they] are wanted by the police.” De Lima also acknowledged in later messages that human smuggling is “dangerous.” On June 16, 2022, De Lima traveled to Worcester to meet with the undercover agent, during which De Lima accepted two checks for the agreed upon total of $15,000 in exchange for his smuggling services and requested the sister’s passport and Social Security number.
The charge of conspiracy to commit human smuggling provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
U.S. Attorney Rollins and FBI Boston SAC Bonavolonta made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Yuma Field Office; Homeland Security Investigations in Yuma; U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and the Marlborough, Worcester, Hartford (Conn.) and East Hartford (Conn.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of Rollins’ Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
If you believe that you or someone you know may be a victim of human smuggling/trafficking, please contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, or Text 233733.
Community Engagement Efforts Surge as U.S. Attorney’s Office Hosts Multiple Events within a WeekRead the Press Release
MIAMI – It was a busy week for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida’s Law Enforcement Coordination and Community Outreach Section, which held three significant events over a four-day period in early April.
“This is something you just don’t see very often,” said LEC/COS Chief J.D. Smith. “We’ll usually host one big event per week, with other smaller ones interspersed throughout. But to host this many large events and to be spread out over our agency’s footprint was a real challenge.”
Smith and crew first hosted a Farm Share Drive-Thru Food Distribution at Wells Recreational Center in Riviera Beach, Fla. Groceries and resource materials were given to nearly 500 families. These food drives—held each Tuesday—have gone on for years and helped thousands of South Florida residents.
Next up was a Re-Entry Simulation also held at Wells Recreational Center on April 5. More than 100 community stakeholders attended the event to get a better perspective on what former inmates face when attempting to re-enter society.
“This will be unlike any training you’ve experienced,” Smith told participants. “I went through it twice and it was physically and mentally challenging both times. You’re going to get various types of customer service. Not everyone is going to be helpful.”
Stations had been set up prior to the participants’ arrival and were labeled bank, employer, transportation, and counselor, among others. Each participant had a folder with bio, background situation, education level, and limited resources to navigate the course. They had to find housing, pay rent, pass drug tests, acquire health care, and try not to end up back in “jail,” which was located in a corner of the gymnasium.
“You have to be able to play the game,” said Re-entry and Community Outreach Specialist Keisha Bazile. “This training is a unique way to bring light to the hardships of re-entering society. Hopefully, it will spark compassion in those who come in contact with returning citizens.”
Most participants had no clue what they were in for as the event unfolded. It was intended to be frustrating to navigate, exactly how it is for returning citizens. Several threw up their hands in disgust because customer service wasn’t as helpful as they thought it should be. The point of the training was to open the minds of the community stakeholders in hopes that the system can change … that the path for returning citizens can be made easier, which benefits everyone.
“Most attendees are apprehensive at the beginning of the training because it’s set up to be difficult,” said Bazile. “But once it was over, several people expressed how much they enjoyed it. For me, that’s a success.”
The week culminated with the 3rd Spring Classic Youth & Cops Basketball Tournament at the Betty T. Ferguson Recreational Complex in Miami Gardens, Fla. Ten teams participated and were comprised of law enforcement personnel and local kids who had been recruited via community outreach efforts.
“Each year I’m amazed at the talent we see from both the adult players and the kids,” said Smith. “The games are very entertaining to watch but for me the most special thing to see is how the adults and kids interact and work together as teammates.”
Miramar Police Department took the title with a win over North Miami Police Department. The basketball was great, but in the end, it was about creating and fostering relationships.
“The main goal of this tournament is to develop a level of togetherness between youth and law enforcement,” said Bazile. “Usually, law enforcement interacts with youth when they are in trouble. However, this gives them an opportunity to meet under different circumstances. It’s about building trust.
Law Enforcement Coordination Specialist Mark McKinney unpacks frozen chickens in preparation for a recent Farm Share Drive-Thru Food Distribution where more than 500 families were served.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida gives closing remarks following a Re-Entry Simulation held at Wells Recreational Center in Riviera Beach, Fla. The simulation gave community stakeholders a view into what former inmates face when trying to re-integrate into society.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida takes a moment to pose with the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s basketball team during the recent 3rd Spring Classic Youth & Cops Basketball Tournament at the Betty T. Ferguson Recreational Complex in Miami Gardens, Fla.
###
Chicago man who illegally possessed firearm during home burglary in Cincinnati sentenced to more than 7 years in prisonRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Chicago man who committed a home burglary in Cincinnati while illegally possessing two firearms before leading law enforcement on a high-speed pursuit was sentenced in federal court to 87 months in prison.
Terrance Lorenzo White, 28, pleaded guilty in October 2021 to illegally possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony crime.
According to court documents, on Aug. 21, 2020, deputies with the Warren County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call about an attempted robbery at a residence. When deputies responded to the residence, witnesses said White was armed and threatened to shoot up the house. He had stolen marijuana and cash and was driving a white Jeep.
As deputies were assessing the crime scene, White drove past in the white Jeep and law enforcement pursued him. White led the deputies on a high-speed vehicle pursuit and crashed his Jeep before attempting to flee on foot.
White had two loaded firearms, a black ski mask and marijuana in his vehicle.
While he was out on bond in this case, White was convicted in Chicago of aggravated battery against a victim 60 years or older. He was sentenced in December 2022 to six months in prison.
Congress sets the minimum and maximum statutory sentences. Sentencing of the defendant is determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Warren County Sheriff Larry L. Sims announced the sentence imposed on April 11 by U.S. District Court Judge Matthew W. McFarland. Assistant United States Attorney Ashley N. Brucato is representing the United States in this case.
# # #
Champaign, Illinois, Gun Offender Sentenced to 36 Months in Prison for Violating Supervised Release ConditionsRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A Champaign man, Prentiss Jackson, 40, of the 3300 block of Stoneway Court, was sentenced today to 36 months’ imprisonment for violating his conditions of supervised release by possessing a firearm as a felon, along with narcotics. At the time law enforcement agents discovered Jackson with the firearm, he was on supervised release for a 2010 federal narcotics case. The revocation sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid.
At the hearing on the petition to revoke supervised release, the government presented evidence that Jackson illegally possessed the firearm, as well as MDMA (ecstasy) and marijuana. Those actions violated his supervised release conditions, which mandated that he not commit any new crimes. Those who fail to abide by the conditions of supervised release risk penalties for violations, including additional penalties for the commission of new crimes.
Along with the supervised release violation, Jackson was previously charged with possessing a firearm as a felon in a new criminal case. Earlier this week and following Jackson’s guilty plea, U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce sentenced Jackson to 72 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, in that case.
Judge Shadid ordered that 12 months of the 36-month revocation sentence be served consecutively to that 72-month sentence of imprisonment, with the remainder to be served concurrently.
In imposing that sentence, Judge Shadid noted certain mitigating factors but also pointed out that Jackson had only been on supervised release for a short time before his violations.
Jackson faced up to three additional years of imprisonment for violating his supervised release.
The violations in this case were brought to light by the investigative efforts of the Urbana Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Lynch represented the government in the prosecution in cooperation with the Champaign County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Casper Man Sentenced to 170 Years on Six Counts of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Salvador Salas, Jr., age 32, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced today to 2,040 months (170 years) of imprisonment, with 10 years of supervised release to follow if he were ever to be released from his term of imprisonment, for possessing and producing child pornography. A jury convicted Salas after a three-day trial, held in Casper, January 23-25, 2023.
The court ordered $132,056 in restitution to cover the expenses for the victim’s care and treatment and $600 in special assessments. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence.
Based on trial evidence, Salvador Salas was a family friend who was entrusted with the minor victim, a 13-year-old girl. Salas, a graphic artist clothing designer and DJ, had offered to mentor the child, teaching her clothing and shoe design. However, the minor victim arrived home in the early morning hours of February 28, 2021, exhibiting signs of illicit substance intoxication, behaving strangely, and shaking. Her mother took the minor victim to the emergency room. There, she presented with burns on her lips consistent with a methamphetamine pipe and tested positive for methamphetamine. The mother sought the minor victim’s admission to the Wyoming Behavior Institute. The mother also reported to the police that the minor victim was with Salas at his home and had come home high.
Believing that Salas had supplied drugs to a minor, the Casper Police Department executed a search warrant at Salas’s home for evidence of drugs. Officers recovered methamphetamine, paraphernalia associated with methamphetamine use, cocaine, and buprenorphine. While there, officers developed probable cause to believe that Salas had taken sexually explicit images of the minor victim. The same day, officers executed a second search warrant at Salas’s home and collected his electronic devices.
On his devices, the Wyoming Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) found child pornography that had been downloaded from the internet, which featured the graphic sexual abuse of prepubescent children, and five videos and 47 photographs of the minor victim. The images of the minor victim depict Salas sexually abusing her. In the audio that accompanies the videos, Salas can be heard talking to the minor victim and remarking that she is just 13 years old. The videos and photographs were taken in Salas’s home.
As part of the follow up investigation, testing of the minor victim’s clothing revealed semen and Salas’s DNA in her panties. Additionally, Salas admitted to police that he engaged in sex acts with the minor victim and recorded it using his iPhone.
“The evidence in this case demonstrated that Salas is a sexual predator—someone who manipulated people that trusted him. He used his relationship with the minor victim’s mother to gain access to the child. Once he had that access, he supplied the child with drugs, making her even more vulnerable to his sexual abuse. This kind of trauma devastates the victims, the families, and the communities in which it occurs. The long sentence imposed by Judge Skavdahl is just punishment for Salas. Hopefully, it also can be the first step towards healing the victim,” said United States Attorney Nicholas Vassallo.
“Those who exploit children will always be a focus of FBI resources. Our partners like the Casper Police Department enable us to identify, prioritize, and investigate individuals who victimize children and to prevent future abuse,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “While this man will no longer be able to harm children, we know his victim will continue to need support. The significant sentence and restitution in this case recognizes the lasting impact on the survivor of this horrific crime and provides for appropriate care and treatment.”
This crime was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Casper Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christyne Martens and Stephanie Sprecher.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Case Number: 0:21-CR-00077-SWS
Career Offender Sentenced to More Than Twelve Years for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew has sentenced Derek Wallace (46, Tampa) to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. Wallace had pleaded guilty on November 29, 2022.
According to court documents, on January 5, 2022, Wallace arranged a drug transaction with a confidential source. Officers arrested Wallace when he arrived at the transaction location, he had fentanyl and methamphetamine in his possession. An additional 45 grams of fentanyl and 234 grams of methamphetamine were located in his residence. Wallace was on probation at the time.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Beckman.
Canadian Fugitive Sentenced to 97 Months in Prison for Distribution and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Bronx, New York, man was sentenced on April 10, 2023, to 97 months in prison and five years of supervised release for distributing and possessing images of child sexual abuse. Perth De, aka Parthasarthie Kapoor, 53, pleaded guilty on Aug. 12, 2022, before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
California Man Sentenced to 70 Months for Transporting Methamphetamine in Lawn Mower TiresRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS – A man from California was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison after he admitted to transporting 11 pounds of crystal methamphetamine to Fairview Heights, Illinois.
Luis A. Aguilar-Caldera, 31, of Chula Vista, California, pled guilty to one count of manufacture, distribute, dispense, or possess a controlled substance. After serving his prison sentence, he will be placed on supervised release for two years.
“As a transportation hub, southern Illinois roadways are frequented by out-of-state drug dealers who target operations and plan distribution,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “Agents with the DEA work diligently to help prevent the poison from reaching our communities, and I appreciate their efforts.”
According to court documents, a confidential informant working with the DEA set up a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from a Mexico-based supplier in May 2021. The individual met two men in a Ford F-150 at the Flying J truck stop in Alorton, Illinois. Aguilar-Caldera was the passenger in the truck that was pulling a lawn mower on a trailer. Aguilar-Caldera told the confident source there were 11 pounds of methamphetamine located in the tires of the lawn mower.
As the Ford F-150 and the confidential source were driving to a mechanic shop to remove the tires and retrieve the drugs, DEA agents conducted a traffic stop in Fairview Heights and arrested the men in the truck.
Co-defendant Leonardo Andres Hernandez, 49, of Bentonville, Arkansas, was also named in the indictment and is facing a charge for manufacture, distribute, dispense, or possess a controlled substance.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Carraway prosecuted the case.
California Couple Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine and Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Bryce Stanger, age 34, and Tanya Stanger, age 33, of San Yisidro, California, pleaded guilty on April 11, 2023, before U.S. District Court Chief Judge Matthew W. Brann, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Bryce and Tanya Stanger admitted to conspiring to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine and more than 400 grams of fentanyl. The charge stems from an incident on August 25, 2021, in which members of the Pennsylvania State Police made a traffic stop of a vehicle in Union County. Bryce and Tanya Stanger were the occupants of the vehicle. A subsequent search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of approximately thirty pounds of crystal methamphetamine and a kilogram of fentanyl.
The investigation was conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigations Safe Street Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison. The maximum penalty under federal law is up to life in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
###
Bristol Man Sentenced to 46 Months Imprisonment for Possession of Firearms and Impersonating A Deputy U.S. MarshalRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On April 13, 2023, Bobby Rowe Maggard, Jr., 47, of Bristol, Tennessee, was sentenced to 46 months in prison by the Honorable Clifton L. Corker, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville.
On January 11, 2023, Maggard pled guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §922(g)(3), and one count of impersonating a Deputy U.S. Marshal, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 912. Upon his release from imprisonment, Maggard will be on supervised release for 3 years.
According to an Agreed Factual Basis filed with the Court on January 11, 2023, in August 2000, Maggard was convicted of the felony offense of Grand Larceny in Tazwell County, Virginia. In 2021, he became employed as a registered bonding agent for a bonding company in east Tennessee. In July 2021, law enforcement began receiving information that a person was representing himself as a Deputy U.S. Marshal, with one incident arising in Sullivan County, Tennessee. Maggard was identified as a suspect. When questioned by law enforcement, Maggard admitted that he was a felon and that he knew it was unlawful for him to possess a firearm. He also admitted that he used a fake Deputy U.S. Marshal’s badge and patch, which he had purchased on the internet, to pose as a Deputy U.S. Marshal when he was securing information from people. He stated that he impersonated a Deputy U.S. Marshal to people in order to “scare them in to telling the truth.” He also admitted to falsely using the identity of a Deputy U.S. Marshal to obtain repair services for an Apple watch. At the time of his questioning, Maggard was on supervised probation in Sullivan County, Tennessee, for Failure to Appear. Law enforcement conducted a search of his residence and recovered eight (8) firearms - three (3) Glock pistols, four (4) AR-style rifles in various calibers, and a 12-gauge tactical shotgun.
This case was the result of an investigation by the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, the United States Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
“The impersonation of a Deputy U.S. Marshal, while armed and after having been convicted of a felony offense, placed the public in danger,” said U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III. “Our office will vigorously investigate and prosecute those who engage in this conduct.”
“The United States Marshals Service very much appreciates the great work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, ATF and ATF Task Force Officer Farmer of the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Department for their excellent work on this investigation,” said United States Marshal David Jolley.
“We are pleased with the outcome of this case and the work of our detectives and federal partners. Taking dangerous armed felons off our streets is imperative for the public’s safety,” said Sheriff Jeffrey Cassidy, of the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney B. Todd Martin represented the United States.
This case also was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and 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.
###
Brewer Woman Faces up to 30 Years for Wire Fraud, Making False Statements to a Lending Business & Making Straw PurchaseRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Brewer woman pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Bangor today to wire fraud and making false statements to a mortgage lending business. She also pleaded guilty to a separate charge of making a false statement to a licensed firearms dealer.
According to court records, between November 2020 and April 2021, Carol Bragdon, 49, provided false statements and representations to a residential mortgage lender for the purpose of obtaining a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) backed loan. She used Google email accounts to communicate with the lender and the VA and to transmit documentation as part of the scheme. The emails were transmitted from Maine to another state.
In August 2021, Bragdon purchased five firearms at Maine Military Supply in Brewer, falsely stating that she was the actual purchaser of the firearms. She was accompanied by an individual who directed her to specific firearms and who was later arrested with one of the firearms, a Walther model PK380 .380 caliber pistol. That individual was prohibited from purchasing a firearm under federal law.
Straw purchasing typically involves a buyer who can lawfully purchase firearms but who then provides them to another person who is legally prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms, therefore allowing the prohibited person to illegally obtain firearms and avoid the national background check system.
Bragdon faces up to 30 years in prison and up to five years of supervised release. She will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The VA Office of Inspector General and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the cases.
# # #
Brevard County Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Drug OffenseRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced Anthony David Keels (61, Titusville) to 15 years in federal prison. In December 2022, Keels had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, as well as using a minor to distribute methamphetamine.
According to evidence admitted at sentencing, Keels had an extensive criminal history involving more than 20 felony and 10 misdemeanor convictions. From March through September 2022, during undercover drug buys and pursuant to a search warrant at Keel’s home. law enforcement recovered more than 200 grams of a fentanyl analogue, approximately 190 grams of fentanyl, approximately 25 grams of methamphetamine, 3.5 grams of cocaine, and .5 grams of crack cocaine. In addition, during this conspiracy, Keels enlisted the assistance of at least three others, one of which was a 14-year-old child, to distribute methamphetamine.
Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey stated, "I applaud this partnership and the agencies involved who brought this dangerous drug dealer to justice. Through their outstanding efforts, an individual who actively participated in the distribution of a powerful drug responsible for the majority of our overdose deaths has been removed from our communities.”
“Illicit fentanyl is the primary driver of the drug overdose and poisoning deaths currently devastating our communities. DEA remains committed to holding anyone who chooses to bring this poison into our communities accountable for their actions, particularly those who endanger children for their own profit,” said Deanne Reuter, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Miami Field Division. “This investigation highlights our dedication and our commitment to working with our local law enforcement partners to keep our communities safe and healthy.”
This case was investigated by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn P. Napier.
Bozeman man admits traveling with intent to engage in sex with a juvenileRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Bozeman man suspected of traveling to other state to have sex with a juvenile admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Zachary Vernon Stephens, 34, pleaded guilty to travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. Stephens faces a maximum of 30 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to a lifetime of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. Sentencing 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. Stephens was detained pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that in September 2021, while investigating Stephens on allegations of stalking a person in the Bozeman area, law enforcement learned that Stephens had been communicating with another individual, a 12-year-old girl, who was in Utah. Electronic communications between Stephens and the girl, identified as Jane Doe, were sexually explicit and discussed a previously planned trip of Stephens to Utah in July 2021 to engage in sex acts with Jane Doe. The messages also indicated that Stephens had met Jane Doe for sex acts prior to July 2021, including a trip to Nevada in June 2021.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno B. Baucus is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
XXX
Arkansas Man Charged with Flying to Albany in Attempt to Meet 11-Year-Old for SexRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kyle Biswell, age 37, of Fayetteville, Arkansas, was charged this week with one count of interstate travel for illicit sexual conduct. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
According to a federal complaint filed earlier this week, earlier this year Biswell engaged in a series of online conversations with a person in Albany whom he believed would allow him to engage in sexual contact with an 11-year old relative. On April 8, 2023, Biswell flew from Arkansas to Albany to engage in sexual contact with the minor, packing numerous Viagra pills in his suitcase. He was arrested at the airport, and later admitted he flew to Albany with the intent to engage in sexual contact with a minor. Biswell was detained pending a detention hearing later this week. The charge in the complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
If convicted of the charge, Biswell faces up to 30 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Colonie Police Department and the New York State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin S. Clark is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Arkansas Doctor Sentenced to More Than Eight Years in Federal Prison for Accepting Kickbacks, Defrauding TRICARE, and Failed Attempts to Obstruct InvestigationRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—An Arkansas doctor at the heart of a $12 million scheme to defraud TRICARE will spend the next 102 months in federal prison. Earlier today, United States District Judge Kristine G. Baker sentenced Joe David May, a.k.a. Jay May, 42, of Alexander, to 102 months’ imprisonment and ordered him to pay more than $4.63 million in restitution to TRICARE, the health insurer for our nation’s military.
A 2020 indictment charged May with twenty-two counts, including conspiracy, wire fraud, mail fraud, violating the anti-kickback statute, lying to the FBI, falsifying records, and aggravated identity theft. After a six-day trial in June 2022, a jury convicted May on all twenty-two counts.
Proof at trial showed May stood at the center of a bogus prescription-drug assembly line and, later, went to great lengths in a failed bid to cover it up.
As part of the scheme, recruiters found military personnel and veterans with TRICARE and filled out prescriptions for compounded drugs in their names—selecting which drugs to supply (usually the most expensive) and how many refills to authorize. All that was missing were prescriber signatures. So, middlemen routed the pre-filled prescriptions to medical professionals, like May, to be rubber stamped without consulting the ‘patient’ or any regard for whether drugs were needed. TRICARE paid over $12 million for prescriptions generated in this scheme, part of a wave of fraudulent schemes around the country that saw TRICARE spend over $2 billion for compounded prescription drugs in 2015.
In exchange for thousands in cash kickbacks, May rubber stamped 226 prescriptions for which TRICARE paid over $4.63 million. All but one of his prescriptions were for ‘patients’ May did not know, never treated, and knew nothing about.
Following the execution of search warrants at compounding pharmacies around the country, May visited the FBI to answer questions about his prescriptions. May lied by claiming he only signed prescriptions for people he evaluated and denying he received kickbacks. Obstruction continued when May got a subpoena for prescriptions and related ‘patient’ records. May turned over but a fraction of the prescriptions he signed and fabricated medical records to make it seem like the drug recipients were really his patients. Finally, as trial approached, May tried to mischaracterize a $5,000 cash kickback as Oaklawn winnings from the 2015 Arkansas Derby.
All nine of May’s co-conspirators pled guilty to conspiracy and elected to cooperate with federal law enforcement, with several testifying at trial. All but one co-conspirator has been sentenced:
Name
Age
Hometown
Case No.
Sentence
Derek Clifton
41
Alexander, Ark.
4:20-CR-25
51 mos. imprisonment, $1.1M forfeiture
Albert Glenn Hudson
42
Sherwood, Ark.
4:20-CR-129
48 mos. imprisonment, $1.5M forfeiture
Donna Crowder
68
North Little Rock
4:20-CR-130
12 mos. 1 day imprisonment, $18K fine
Jennifer Crowder
40
Little Rock
4:20-CR-131
12 mos. home confinement, $89K forfeiture
Keith Benson
52
North Little Rock
4:20-CR-132
15 mos. imprisonment, $727K forfeiture
Kenneth Myers, Jr.
44
Maumelle, Ark.
4:20-CR-25
3 years probation, $68K forfeiture
Keith Hunter
54
Little Rock
4:20-CR-235
TBD
Through the prosecution of May and his nine co-conspirators, the United States has recovered nearly $8 million in restitution, forfeiture, and fines.
“Our healthcare system is built on trust, and those who abuse it do so at their peril,” said Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. “Dr. May accepted kickbacks, cheated TRICARE, and tried to deceive federal agents investigating his crimes. Now, he will trade hospital scrubs for a prison uniform. Let his case serve as a warning to others in the medical industry. Our office and our partners at the FBI and HHS-OIG are committed to rooting out anyone who succumbs to the temptation of ‘easy money.’”
“By defrauding TRICARE, Dr. May stole from our service men and women, military retirees, and their families. He robbed Americans who had sworn an oath to defend our nation, and he pickpocketed American taxpayers,” said FBI Little Rock Special Agent in Charge James A. Dawson. “Today’s sentencing induces accountability, and demonstrates there is no place in our society for the behavior exhibited by Dr. May. The FBI and its partners will continue to aggressively investigate those who undermine the integrity of our nation’s healthcare system.”
“Federal healthcare programs rely on the honesty and integrity of doctors to prescribe medically necessary medications to their patients,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “On the contrary, Dr. May signed pre-filled prescriptions filled out by a pharmaceutical rep for patients he had no doctor-patient relationship with and all on the backs of the American taxpayer. HHS-OIG is laser-focused on investigating doctors and other medical professionals who lie, cheat, and steal from American taxpayers for their own personal benefit, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to hold them accountable.”
In addition to the 102-month prison sentence, Judge Baker sentenced May to three years’ of supervised release following imprisonment. May was also ordered to pay more than $4.63 million in restitution and a $2,200 special assessment. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and HHS-OIG. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander D. Morgan and Stephanie G. Mazzanti.
This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Adobe Inc. Agrees to Pay $3 Million to Settle Kickback Allegations Involving Federal Software SalesRead the Press Release
Adobe Inc. has agreed to pay $3 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations that it made payments in violation of the Anti-Kickback Act in return for influence over the sale of Adobe software to the federal government.
“Those who do business with the government are prohibited from paying kickbacks, which can result in unnecessary purchases and increase costs to taxpayers,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to use all appropriate tools to safeguard the integrity of the federal procurement process.”
The settlement announced today resolves allegations that Adobe made improper payments under its Solution Partner program to companies that had a contractual or other relationship with the government that allowed them to influence federal purchases of Adobe software. Between January 2011 and December 2020, Adobe allegedly paid the companies a percentage of the purchase price of the software. The United States contends that these payments constituted prohibited kickbacks that resulted in Adobe causing false claims for payment to be submitted to federal agencies.
“A fair market relies heavily on an even playing field,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “When a company, vendor, or business owner tips the scales to their advantage, it undermines the system. When government dollars are involved, it means taxpayers ultimately bear the burden. Whistleblowers – like those in this case – are to be commended for trying to return the playing field to level.”
“The General Service Administration Office of the Inspector General (GSA-OIG) will continue working to protect taxpayer dollars and the integrity of federal contracting,” said Inspector General Carol F. Ochoa of the GSA. “I appreciate the hard work of the special agents, auditors, and attorneys on this case.”
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Alan Dowless, Barbara Evans, and Carrie Whalen, who are all former Adobe managers. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. As part of this resolution, Dowless, Evans, and Whalen will receive $555,000. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Dowless v. Adobe, Inc., Civil Action Number 17-cv-02039 (D.D.C.).
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, with assistance from the GSA-OIG and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service.
Senior Trial Attorney Greg Pearson of the Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Benton Peterson for the District of Columbia handled the matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Additional Charges Filed in Connection with Violent Armed Robbery on Martha's VineyardRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A superseding indictment has been filed in Boston in connection with the Nov. 17, 2022 armed bank robbery of the Rockland Trust Bank in Tisbury, Mass.
Miquel Antonio Jones, 31, of Edgartown, Mass. and Tevin Porter, 27 of Bridgeport, Conn., were charged in a superseding indictment with one count each of conspiracy to commit armed bank robbery, and one count of armed bank robbery and aiding and abetting. Romane Andre Clayton, 21, of Jamaica, was also charged in the superseding indictment with one count of bank robbery and aiding and abetting. Jones and Clayton will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. Following an initial appearance yesterday in federal court in Connecticut, Porter was detained pending a 11:30 a.m. hearing tomorrow.
Jones and Clayton were initially arrested and charged by criminal complaint in December 2022. Jones and Clayton were subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury along with alleged co-conspirator Omar Johnson on March 16, 2023.
“These defendants terrorized and spread panic across the communities of Martha’s Vineyard, and we have now charged a fourth person involved,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “We believe these men worked together in an armed bank robbery that involved at least two deadly semi-automatic firearms – one of which was held to an employee’s head – and went to great lengths in attempt to conceal their involvement. Massachusetts residents deserve to live and work without fear. We will hold violent individuals accountable, particularly when they use firearms during their crimes.”
“Today, the FBI arrested the fourth member of a crew that is accused of committing a violent armed bank robbery on Martha’s Vineyard, which terrorized innocent bank tellers and bystanders just trying to go about their daily lives. It’s incredibly fortunate no one was hurt,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Bank robbery is not an easy payday, it is a federal crime, and FBI Boston’s Violent Crimes Task Force and our law enforcement partners will do everything in our power to ensure perpetrators are brought to justice, like we did in this case.”
According to the charging documents, on the morning of Nov. 17, 2022, Porter, Jones and Johnson forced their way through the rear door of the Rockland Trust Bank in Tisbury. The men were allegedly armed with at least two semi-automatic handguns and wearing dark colored clothing and white masks that resembled an elderly man with exaggerated facial features. Once inside the bank, one of the individuals allegedly held a gun to the head of one of the bank employees, forced that employee to open the bank’s vault and took approximately $39,100. It is alleged that the bank employees were bound with duct tape and plastic zip ties while their belongings were searched and the robbers demanded access to one of their vehicles.
The charging documents further allege that Jones, Porter and Johnson then left the bank premises in an employee’s car and drove to the Manuel Correllus State Forest, where they abandoned the vehicle in a parking lot and fled in another vehicle that had been left there for purposes of their escape. It is also alleged that Porter and Clayton then left Martha’s Vineyard together on a ferry later that morning.
Meanwhile, Johnson and Jones allegedly drove to a local farm with the equipment that had been used during the bank robbery. It is alleged that, at the farm, two firearms used in the robbery were found buried in a hole in the ground and the remainder of the robbery equipment, including the plastic masks, were found burned.
After the evidence was disposed of, Jones returned home to his residence where he allegedly hid the approximately $39,100 that had been stolen from the bank, in his bedroom under a bureau. It is further alleged that Johnson left Martha’s Vineyard, reconvened with Porter and Clayton in Woods Hole, Mass. and then drove together to the area of Johnson’s home in New Hampshire.
The charge of armed bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to 25 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to commit armed bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
U.S. Attorney Rollins and FBI SAC Bonavolonta made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by United States Postal Inspection Service; Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms; Immigration and Customs Enforcement; United States Customs and Border Protection; Massachusetts State Police; Cape & Islands District Attorney’s Office; and the Tisbury, West Tisbury, Edgartown, Chilmark, Oak Bluffs, Aquinnah, Canterbury (N.H.) and New Haven (Conn.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan C. Cleary and Kenneth G. Shine of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.
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.
35 Years in Federal Prison for Convicted Cocaine TraffickerRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—A Saline County man was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Thursday afternoon, United States District Judge Brian S. Miller sentenced O.C. Rawls, 50, of Benton, to 420 months’ imprisonment.
The case is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration into the drug-trafficking activities of Rawls and several others beginning in January of 2019. Using a confidential informant, DEA agents made three controlled purchases of cocaine from Rawls. During the investigation, agents learned that Rawls and other members of his drug-trafficking organization were traveling to Houston, Texas, to purchase kilograms quantities of cocaine for redistribution in the central-Arkansas area. In May 2019, agents executed search warrants at Rawls’ residence and the residences of several co-conspirators. Agents recovered cocaine, marijuana, firearms, ammunition, and approximately $19,000 in cash.
Rawls was charged in November 2019 with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine, and three counts of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine. The defendant was convicted after a two-day jury trial in July 2022.
Rawls has a prior federal criminal conviction for possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute, for which he received 150 months’ imprisonment in 2006. He received a sentencing enhancement in this case for committing another drug-trafficking offense.
In addition to the 35-year prison sentence, Judge Miller sentenced Rawls to serve ten years of supervised release following imprisonment and pay a $400 special assessment. There is no parole in the federal system.
# # #
This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
14 Individuals Charged in Drug Trafficking Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On March 10, 2023, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned a 62-count indictment charging 14 individuals with money laundering and narcotics offenses.
According to court documents, beginning no later than March 2020, the defendants conspired and agreed with each other to conduct over $5 million in financial transactions involving proceeds from drug trafficking. They used the U.S. financial system to conceal proceeds from dealing with controlled substances and transferred those illicit proceeds from places within the United States including Puerto Rico, to places outside the United States, including the Republic of Colombia.
Counts 2 to 52 of the indictment detail 51 financial transactions ranging from $16,036.90 to $1,109,960 involving proceeds from drug trafficking. Counts 53 to 59 charge defendant Carlos Javier Ruiz-Patiño, a/k/a “Hustler Man/Jordan/El Chamo”, of international concealment money laundering. It is alleged that the defendant transferred or transported a total of $964,944.35 from Puerto Rico to Colombia and Canada. Counts 60 to 62 include Narcotics Importation Conspiracy, aiding and abetting, and Narcotics Conspiracy.
Defendant Carlos Javier Ruiz-Patiño is an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Regional Priority Organizational Target (RPOT). The RPOT List includes leaders of significant drug trafficking and money laundering organizations that are primarily responsible for a region’s drug threat. Ruiz-Patiño was arrested on March 9, 2023. The defendants arrested today are: Roberto Brioso-Canario, David Luis Zapata-Félix, Walter Alexis Daynes-Torres, and Jesús Alberto Oriol-Cabán. Defendants Guillermo Andrés Beltrán-Osorio, Enmanuel Matos-Matos, Edgardo Delgado-Carmona, Rafael Cruz-Montalvo, Edgar Omar Báez-Vargas, and Franky Pagán-Mendoza were previously arrested. Authorities are actively working on the arrest of three other defendants who are charged in the conspiracy.
The indictment includes a forfeiture notice regarding the following property:
- One Cessna Model 310Q Aircraft, PT-JST, its flight and maintenance logs and manuals, together with associated tools and spare parts seized on November 11, 2022
- $139,940 in U.S. currency seized on June 5, 2020
- $179,900 in U.S. currency seized on September 10, 2020
- $1,000,130 in U.S. currency seized on September 30, 2020
- $1,009,960 in U.S. currency seized on March 7, 2022
- $102,461 in U.S. currency seized on October 19,2022
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to disrupting and dismantling transnational criminal organizations that distribute contraband, launder illicit proceeds, and attempt to corrupt our society,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “I would like to recognize the extraordinary efforts of our federal law enforcement partners for taking down a criminal organization that laundered drug proceeds for drug cartels. Drug traffickers and money launderers operate globally, but this investigation demonstrates that they will be brought to justice wherever they are found.”
“It’s my privilege to recognize the efforts performed by agents from the DEA and our partner agencies in our crusade to rid the public of these dangerous individuals that do nothing but harm our society,” said Denise Foster, Special Agent in Charge of DEA, Caribbean Division. “From Drug Traffickers to money launderers, the DEA will bring all it has to bear to make our communities safer and healthier, and to reverse the devastating trends of drug-related violence and overdoses plaguing our Communities.”
If convicted of the charged money laundering offenses, the defendants face a maximum term of 20 years in prison. If convicted of the charged narcotics offenses, the defendants face a mandatory minimum term of 10 years and up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is in charge of the investigation of the case with the collaboration of FBI, HSI, IRS, and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Olinghouse of the Asset Recovery and Money Laundering Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico is leading the prosecution of this OCDETF matter. The announcement was made by United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow and DEA Special Agent in Charge Denise Foster.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
Wednesday 12 April 2023
Winter Haven Man Admits to Sexually Exploiting A 15-Year-Old Girl and to Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Billie Harold McDuffie, Jr. (36, Winter Haven) has pleaded guilty to a six-count indictment charging him with one count of enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, one count of possessing device making equipment, one count of possessing 15 or more unauthorized access devices, and three counts of aggravated identity theft. He faces a minimum mandatory term of 10 years, up to life, in prison for the enticement offense, up to 10 years’ imprisonment for each of the access device offenses, and a mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of 2 years’ imprisonment on each aggravated identity theft offense. He is scheduled for sentencing on July 18, 2023.
According to court documents, McDuffie met the 15-year-old child victim online and enticed her to engage in sexually explicit conversations using a cellphone and social media. For five months, McDuffie repeatedly engaged in sexual contact with the child victim, even after she confirmed that she was a minor. An online tipster notified the Federal Bureau of Investigation of McDuffie’s sexual misconduct with the child.
On July 21, 2022, a search warrant was executed at McDuffie’s residence, where agents found both McDuffie and the child victim. Agents returned the child to her family and arrested McDuffie.
During their search of the residence, agents found evidence related to McDuffie’s fraud activities. The evidence included blank check paper, packets of stolen identities, multiple fraudulent debit and credit cards, fraudulent driver licenses, card encoders, and printers.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney D. Richardson-Jones.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Winchester Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Fatal Dose of FentanylRead the Press Release
HARRISONBURG, Va. – A Winchester, Virginia man, who sold a fatal dose of fentanyl in October 2020, pleaded guilty yesterday to federal drug charges.
Kenneth James Hughes Jr., 27, pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court in Harrisonburg to two counts of distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents, following a fentanyl overdose resulting in the death of the user on October 23 2020, an investigation by law enforcement revealed Hughes and his supplier to be the deceased user’s source of supply.
Law enforcement’s investigation revealed that Hughes sold drugs to a variety of individuals throughout the Western District of Virginia. In October 2020, one of Hughes’ customers contacted him in regard to acquiring fentanyl in the form of “pressed pills,” namely, fentanyl pills made to appear like Oxycodone 30 mg pills. Hughes contacted his supplier and arranged and facilitated a purchase of two pressed pills by the customer from his supplier.
The individual who purchased the pressed pills subsequently consumed the drugs and was found unresponsive the following morning at his home in Winchester. It was determined his death was the result of acute fentanyl intoxication.
Additionally, in November 2020, in Berryville, Virginia, Hughes sold twenty-two capsules containing fentanyl for $300 to a confidential informant working on behalf of law enforcement.
Hughes is scheduled to be sentenced on July 19, 2023 and faces a sentence of six to ten years in prison pursuant to a written plea agreement with the United States. A United States District Court Judge will determine the final sentence after consideration of the federal sentencing guidelines and the sentencing factors set forth by Congress.
The Northwest Virginia Regional Drug and Gang Task Force, the Winchester Police Department, the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, the Virginia State Police, the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Lee is prosecuting the case.
Wesley Chapel Woman Convicted of Sexual Abuse of Inmate While Employed as A Prison GuardRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Fiona Eyana Palmer (39, Wesley Chapel) guilty of sexual abuse of an inmate. Palmer faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. Her sentencing hearing will be scheduled for a later date. Palmer had been indicted on December 20, 2022.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Palmer was employed as a correctional officer at the Coleman Federal Correction Complex when she engaged in sexual acts with an inmate at the prison. In two recorded phone calls between Palmer and the inmate, Palmer discussed the sexual acts and offered to send money to one of the inmate’s relatives.
This case was investigated by the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys William S. Hamilton and Hannah Nowalk.