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Monday 10 April 2023
Yuma Contractor Sentenced to 87 Months for Insurance FraudRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Isrrael Millan, III, 43, of Yuma, Arizona, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Roslyn O. Silver to 87 months in prison. Millan also was ordered to pay $391,279.45 in restitution to the victim insurance companies. Millan was found guilty by a jury on December 13, 2022, of Conspiracy, Wire and Mail Fraud, and Money Laundering.
Millan’s conviction was related to several insurance fraud schemes that took place between 2018 and 2020 in Yuma, Arizona. The schemes included staging vehicle accidents, as well as deliberately flooding residences, and then submitting fraudulent claims to insurance companies. One of the incidents occurred in the early morning of June 2, 2019, when two individuals Millan recruited deliberately crashed a U-Haul moving truck into the Sunshine Market and Liquors Convenience Store in Yuma. Millan worked as a general contractor and made fraudulent claims related to the damage caused by some of these incidents in an effort to collect insurance proceeds.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Raymond K. Woo and Aron Ketchel, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-20-00713-PHX-ROS
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-052_Millan# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Woman Sentenced to 48 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Violate U.S. Sanctions Against IranRead the Press Release
A California woman was sentenced on April 7 to four years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) by providing services, including financial services, to Iran and the Government of Iran, in violation of U.S. sanctions against Iran, and for structuring.
According to court documents, Niloufar Bahadorifar, aka Nellie Bahadorifar, 48, of Irvine, pleaded guilty on Dec. 15, 2022, before U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams, who imposed the sentence.
“The Government of Iran has shown that it will take extreme measures to silence dissidents and critics around the world exercising their lawful rights, including through the use of violence on U.S. soil,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “We hold accountable an individual who violated U.S. sanctions by providing financial assistance that ultimately supported a failed kidnapping plot directed by the Iranian government, underscoring the Department’s commitment to bringing to justice those who criminally aid the Iranian regime.”
“Niloufar Bahadorifar provided financial support to a brazen plot intended to kidnap an Iranian human rights activist living in the United States whom the Iranian Government has sought to silence for years,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York. “Efforts by malign foreign governments to stifle free speech and peaceful protest by means of intimidation or repression cannot be tolerated. The right to free speech is a core fundamental principle of American ideals, and this office is proud to protect that right with every means at our disposal.”
“Simply put, the defendant provided assistance to individuals who tried to help kidnap a journalist living in New York, who has criticized the regime in Teheran,” said Assistant Director Alan E. Kohler Jr. of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “This case demonstrates that the government of Iran will continue to target dissidents and reach beyond their borders, violating U.S sanctions and national security, but more importantly threaten the personal safety of individuals living in our country. The FBI will continue to shield those who are targeted and aggressively pursue anyone who attempts to circumvent our laws and will leverage all our authorities to protect the right to free speech.”
According to the indictment and other documents in the public record, as well as statements made in public court proceedings:
For years, the Government of Iran has targeted a prominent Iranian dissident living in New York City (the Victim). The Victim is a journalist, author and human rights activist who has publicized the Government of Iran’s human rights abuses and suppression of political expression. Beginning in at least 2020, Iranian intelligence officials and assets, including co-defendant Mahmoud Khazein, plotted to kidnap the Victim from within the United States for rendition to Iran in an effort to silence the Victim’s criticism of the regime. As part of that plot, on multiple occasions in 2020 and 2021, agents of the Government of Iran procured the services of private investigators to surveil, photograph, and video record the Victim and the Victim’s household members. These agents of the Government of Iran, including Khazein, procured the surveillance by misrepresenting their identities and the purpose of the surveillance to the investigators and laundered money into the United States from Iran in order to pay for the surveillance, photos and video recordings of the Victim.
Beginning in approximately 2015, Bahadorifar, a U.S. citizen residing in California and originally from Iran, provided financial and other services, including access to the U.S. financial system and U.S. financial institutions, to Iranian residents and entities, including to Khazein. Bahadorifar, who is not charged with participating in the kidnapping conspiracy, provided financial services that ultimately supported the plot. Among other things, Bahadorifar caused a payment to be made to a private investigator for surveillance of the Victim on behalf of Khazein. Bahadorifar’s payment obscured the origin of those who had hired the private investigator, who surveilled the Victim without knowing it was on behalf of Iranian intelligence services. At no time did Bahadorifar obtain permission from OFAC to provide services to Iran.
Beginning in approximately 2019, Bahadorifar also structured cash deposits totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars. In total, Bahadorifar structured at least approximately $476,100 in more than 120 individual deposits. All but two of the deposits were less than $10,000.
The FBI New York Field Office Counterintelligence-Cyber Division and the New York FBI Iran Threat Task Force investigated the case, with valuable assistance provided by the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and the NYPD Intelligence Bureau, the FBI Los Angeles Field Office and the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Lockard, Jacob H. Gutwillig and Matthew J.C. Hellman for the Southern District of New York and Trial Attorney Christopher M. Rigali of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
Vernon Man Charged with Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Glen Buehler, 67, of Vernon, Vermont, is scheduled to appear this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle after his arrest for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM).
According to court records, on February 2, 2023, a Portsmouth, New Hampshire Police Detective was conducting an online investigation of the BitTorrent network, looking for individuals sharing CSAM. A BitTorrent user was identified as sharing likely CSAM files, and a download of some of those files occurred the evening of February 2, 2023. After the source of the files was determined to likely be in Vermont, the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force coordinated with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Derby, Vermont. HSI’s investigation revealed the source of the files downloaded from BitTorrent to likely be Buehler’s residence in Vernon, Vermont. A federal search warrant was executed on April 3, 2023, resulting in the seizure of a number of electronic devices. A preliminary forensic examination by HSI revealed that a Motorola cellphone contained multiple files of suspected CSAM. On April 7, 2023, Buehler was charged by criminal complaint. Buehler self-surrendered to law enforcement this morning.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that a criminal complaint contains allegations only and that Buehler remains presumed innocent until and unless he is convicted of a crime. Buehler faces a maximum sentence of 10 years of imprisonment. The actual sentence would be determined with reference to the United States Sentencing Guidelines.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of agents of Homeland Security Investigations, the Portsmouth, New Hampshire Police Department, the New Hampshire ICAC, the Vermont ICAC, and the detectives of the Vermont Attorney General’s Office’s Criminal Division. He also thanked the Vermont State Police and Brattleboro Police Department for their assistance.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt. Buehler is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender.This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and Child Exploitation Obscenity Section, Criminal Division (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.
Vermont Man Pleads Guilty to Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Vershire, Vermont man pleaded guilty today in federal court to possessing methamphetamine and cocaine with intent to distribute in New Hampshire, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Damien Rousseau, 31, pleaded guilty to unlawful possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Landya McCafferty scheduled sentencing for July 24, 2023. Rousseau was charged on August 15, 2022.
On May 11, 2022, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center security personnel determined that Rousseau was in a patient’s room while in possession of a bag that contained a small quantity of narcotics and a drug ledger. The Lebanon Police Department responded and observed that Rousseau’s BMW vehicle, in the medical center’s parking-lot, had methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. A drug detecting canine also alerted the presence of narcotics in the vehicle. The defendant was arrested and released on bail. The following day, May 12, 2022, the Lebanon Police Department observed Rousseau trespassing in their secure-impound lot. After finding him hidden in the BMW, officers arrested him and executed a search warrant on the vehicle. Law Enforcement seized approximately 436 grams of methamphetamine, 98.66 grams of cocaine, 10.5 grams of fentanyl, three loaded firearms, assorted loose ammunition, $2,179 in U.S currency, and 20 assorted silver and gold-colored coins.
The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, a fine of $1,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The United States Drug Trafficking Administration led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Lebanon Police Department, and the Vermont State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Davis is prosecuting the case.
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Two Former Eastern Kentucky Correctional Supervisors Plead Guilty to Roles in the Assault of a Restrained Inmate and Cover-UpRead the Press Release
A former member of Eastern Kentucky Correctional Complex’s (EKCC) internal affairs department pleaded guilty to one count of deprivation of an inmate’s civil rights, and a former EKCC sergeant pleaded guilty to three counts of obstruction of justice for attempting to cover up their roles in the assault of a restrained inmate.
In their plea agreements, James D. Benish, 36, and Randy L. Nickell, 54, acknowledged that on July 24, 2018, they witnessed fellow EKCC correctional officers assault a non-violent inmate who was lying face-down, wearing handcuffs and leg shackles, and isolated in a prison shower cell. Benish admitted that he was present in the shower during the assault, and he further acknowledged that he violated the inmate’s civil rights by failing to intervene and protect the inmate despite having the means and opportunity to do so. Nickell, who stood outside of the shower while the assault occurred, admitted that he falsified records by omitting the assault from his occurrence report, and that he later lied to the supervisor assigned to investigate the incident, as well as to a Kentucky State Police (KSP) detective.
Two other former officers have pleaded guilty in related cases. On Aug. 29, 2022, former EKCC officer Jeffery Havens pleaded guilty to one count of deprivation of civil rights based on his assault of the inmate. On July 11, 2022, former EKCC officer Derek Mays pleaded guilty to four counts of obstruction of justice based on his efforts to cover up the same assault.
Benish and Nickell are scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 11. Benish faces a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison. Nickell faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for each charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Carlton S. Shier IV for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Louisville Field Office and Colonel Phillip Burnett Jr. Commissioner of Kentucky State Police (KSP) made the announcement.
The FBI Louisville Field Office, KSP and the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zach Dembo and Mary Melton for the Eastern District of Kentucky and Trial Attorney Thomas Johnson of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
Texas Man Sentenced to over 11 years in Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – A Texas man was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Miguel Mendoza, 33, of Elgin, Texas, was sentenced on April 6, 2023, in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.
According to court records, on Monday, October 17, 2022, Harrison County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on Interstate 10 East in Pass Christian, Mississippi. Mendoza was the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle. An extensive search of the vehicle revealed a pressure activated access panel for two improvised compartments on each side of the vehicle’s drive shaft. The driver side compartment contained (2) cellophane wrapped packages containing 2.5 kilograms of cocaine. The passenger side compartment contained (2) plastic and aluminum foil wrapped packages containing 1 kilogram of methamphetamine. Tools were located inside the vehicle that were readily available to raise the vehicle and gain access to the compartment.
Mendoza was indicted by a federal grand jury and he pled guilty on January 17, 2023 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose.
Ten-Time Convicted Felon Sentenced to More Than Eight Years in Federal Prison for Possessing AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene E. Honeywell has sentenced Jesus Rivas (29, Tampa) to eight years and four months in federal prison for unlawful possession of ammunition by a convicted felon. Rivas had pleaded guilty on November 4, 2022.
According to court documents, On November 22, 2021, just after midnight, Tampa Police Department (TPD) officers observed a silver Infiniti use the shoulder of the road to illegally pass another car. The officers activated their police emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop and Infiniti pulled over to the side of the road. As officers approached the car on foot, the Infiniti fled from the scene and the officers radioed out a description of the car and the events that had just occurred. Another TPD officer was in the area, heard the radio call, and observed two men walking away from a silver Infiniti that was had just been parked. The officer looked inside the silver Infiniti and saw a firearm poking out from under the driver’s seat and radioed his findings. The officers from the earlier traffic stop responded to the scene and saw the two men walking, approached them. Rivas was one of the two men. During an interview with the officers, Rivas admitted that he had been driving the silver Infiniti and that he had fled from the scene.
During a search of the silver vehicle, officers located a ghost gun—a firearm that is assembled from different parts of firearms—loaded with 22 rounds of Blazer ammunition under the driver’s seat. After collecting a DNA sample from Rivas and the swabbing the found gun for a comparable, forensic testing determined that the samples matched. As a previously convicted felon, Rivas is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charlie D. Connally.
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.
Tech Company CEO Sentenced to 42 Months in Connection with Fraud Against His Former EmployerRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that SUNI MUNSHANI, the former Chief Executive Officer of a Connecticut-based technology company (the “Victim Company”), was sentenced to 42 months in prison for his participation in a scheme to defraud the Victim Company of millions of dollars. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Suni Munshani believed that he could ransack a company that had put its trust in him. He lied for years — even impersonating his deceased uncle — to steal from an organization he was supposed to lead. His sentence shows once again that crime doesn’t pay, and that this Office will bring to justice those who flout the law, even if they have the top job.”
According to public court filings and statements made in Court:
Between 2011 and 2019, SUNI MUNSHANI was the CEO of the Victim Company, which provided data security services to its clients. Within six months of his appointment as CEO, MUNSHANI and others began an approximately eight-year scheme to defraud the Victim Company. During the scheme, MUNSHANI, among other things, created an email account in the name of his deceased uncle but controlled by MUNSHANI. MUNSHANI, posing as the uncle, used that email account to correspond with the Victim Company and to obtain payments from the Victim Company totaling at least approximately $3 million dollars for services that were never provided. These purported services were falsely represented to have been rendered by the uncle as well as others, including a marketing executive who had met MUNSHANI in social settings but had never worked for MUNSHANI or the Victim Company and had no idea his identity was being used by MUNSHANI. MUNSHANI also caused the Victim Company to issue a $3.5 million check for a purported tax liability, which check MUNSHANI then deposited into an unauthorized bank account created by MUNSHANI in the name of the Victim Company.
In addition, MUNSHANI defrauded the Victim Company through fraudulent licensing and reseller agreements between the Victim Company and two other companies (the “Licensing Company” and the “Reseller Company,” respectively). Among other things, MUNSHANI instructed another individual to set up the Reseller Company “in the same way as [the Licensing Company],” and then helped create and submit fraudulent invoices from the Reseller Company to the Victim Company.
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In addition to his prison term, MUNSHANI, 61, of Easton, Connecticut, was sentenced to three years of supervised release. The Court reserved decision on the amount of restitution.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New York Office.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy V. Capozzi and Steven J. Kochevar are in charge of the prosecution.
Superseding Indictment Charges Additional Defendant with Federal Racketeering Offenses and Murder of Chicago RapperRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal superseding indictment unsealed today charges a sixth alleged member or associate of the O-Block street gang with participating in a criminal organization that murdered a Chicago rapper and violently protected the gang and its territories on the South Side of Chicago.
The original indictment alleges that the O-Block gang publicly claimed responsibility for acts of violence in Chicago and used social media and music to increase their criminal enterprise. The O-Block gang allegedly engaged in numerous acts of violence, including the murder of Carlton Weekly, a Chicago rapper also known as “FBG Duck,” on Aug. 4, 2020.
RALPH TURPIN, also known as “Tall” and “Teezy”, 33, of Chicago has been added to the case, charged with one count of committing murder in aid of racketeering and one count of conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering. Turpin’s initial appearance occurred today before Magistrate Judge Sunil R. Harjani. Turpin is currently in federal custody and a detention hearing has been set for April 12, 2023.
Charged in the original indictment in October of 2021, for committing murder in aid of racketeering and conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, are Chicago residents CHARLES LIGGINS, also known as “C Murda,” 30; KENNETH ROBERSON, also known as “Kenny” and “Kenny Mac,” 28; TACARLOS OFFERD, also known as “Los,” 30; CHRISTOPHER THOMAS, also known as “C Thang,” 22; and MARCUS SMART, also known as “Muwop,” 22. The indictment also charges the original defendants with federal firearm violations and assaults in aid of racketeering.
The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for] the Northern District of Illinois; Robert W. Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Eric Carter, Interim Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. Substantial assistance in the investigation was provided by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason A. Julien, Albert Berry III, and Ann Marie Ursini.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The murder count in the indictment carries a mandatory minimum sentence of life in federal prison and a maximum potential sentence of the death penalty. One of the firearm counts is also punishable by a maximum potential sentence of the death penalty, while the other firearm count is punishable by a mandatory minimum of ten years and a maximum of life. The assault counts are each punishable by a maximum of twenty years. If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
St. Louis Man Caught with Two Guns After Dangerous High-Speed Chase Sentenced to 8 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man caught by St. Louis police with two guns in a stolen vehicle after a police chase ended in a crash was sentenced Monday to eight years in federal prison.
Eric Davis, 31, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty in December in front of U.S. District Judge John A. Ross to one felony count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted that he was driving a stolen 2016 Jeep Cherokee on May 4, 2021 when he was spotted by officers with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Police tried to stop the Jeep in a parking lot, but Davis accelerated recklessly and sped away. Officers then successfully deployed a spike strip, but it did not stop Davis. After he ran a red light at the intersection of Kingshighway Boulevard and Dr. Martin Luther King Drive, the Jeep collided with another vehicle, disabling it. The driver of that other vehicle sustained a head injury and required medical assistance.
Police found a Glock .357-caliber pistol and a stolen American Tactical Omni Hybrid AR-style pistol, both with large-capacity magazines, in Davis’ car. Davis admitted possessing the weapons and admitted that he told his girlfriend, who was also in the vehicle, to hide a baggie containing prescription pills including oxycodone. Davis has several prior felony convictions and had bench warrants for his arrest at the time of the crash.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Missouri Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Bluestone prosecuted the case.
Southern Ohio woman sentenced to prison for embezzling $700k from employerRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Sardinia, Ohio, woman was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to serve 28 months in prison for stealing more than $700,000 from the family-owned business for which she worked. She was also sentenced to pay restitution to the company.
Tina Coday-Townes, 49, pleaded guilty on October 20, 2022, to wire fraud.
According to court documents, Coday-Townes previously served as the office manager for a business in Clermont County. In that role, she was responsible for accounts payable and bookkeeping, including inputting and sending data to a third-party payroll company.
The defendant admitted that from 2013 until 2019, she wrote checks using an employers’ signature stamp to pay off her personal credit cards. Coday-Townes made false entries into the accounting database, indicating the checks were to vendors rather than to her personal credit cards.
In addition, Coday-Townes entered overtime hours for herself, even though she was ineligible for overtime as a salaried employee.
Her sentence calls for her to pay $697,000 in restitution to her former employer, $11,500 to the State of Ohio for fraudulently paid unemployment benefits, and $35,000 to West American Insurance Company.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed today by Senior U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett. Assistant United States Attorney Ashley N. Brucato is representing the United States in this case.
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Schuylkill County Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine and Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that John Bartel, age 63, of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on April 6, 2023, before U.S. District Court Judge Malachy Mannion, to the charge of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Bartel admitted to possessing methamphetamine and fentanyl for further distribution. The charge stems from an investigation in which the Pennsylvania State Police made a traffic stop of a vehicle Bartel was driving on August 3, 2022, in Pottsville, and seized approximately 55 grams of methamphetamine, 1,371 packets of fentanyl and $1,974 in U.S. currency. Bartel was the sole occupant of the vehicle.
The charge against the defendant resulted from an investigation conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets 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.
This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
The maximum sentence under federal law is up to twenty years in prison, a term of supervised release 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.
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Romanian National Indicted for Stealing Donation Checks from Numerous Florida ChurchesRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Ionut Vaduva (34, Orlando) with 11 counts of bank fraud and 2 counts of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, Vaduva faces up to 30 years in federal prison on each bank fraud count, a consecutive minimum mandatory penalty of 2 years’ imprisonment for each aggravated identity theft count, and payment of restitution to the victims he defrauded.
According to the indictment, Vaduva obtained donation checks made payable to various religious institutions by stealing them from mail receptacles at churches located throughout the Middle District of Florida and elsewhere. Vaduva then deposited the stolen checks, using ATM machines, into various bank accounts that he controlled. In total, Vaduva deposited more than $150,000 in stolen donation checks into his accounts.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, with the assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shannon Laurie.
Download IndictmentReadout of U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland’s Meeting with Singapore Attorney General Lucien WongRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland met Monday in Washington, D.C., with Attorney General of the Republic of Singapore Lucien Wong.
The leaders discussed the importance of cooperation in international criminal investigations and prosecutions, and on extradition and mutual legal assistance matters, in order to combat cybercrime, cryptocurrency crimes, financial fraud, money laundering, and drug trafficking.
In the meeting, Attorney General Garland thanked Attorney General Wong for the Singapore Attorney General’s Chambers assistance with the investigation of the global bribery and $4.5 billion embezzlement and money laundering scheme involving the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and for their recent excellent assistance with extraditions in other cases.
Attorney General Garland reaffirmed our increasingly close and outstanding bilateral relationship over the past decade with Singaporean law enforcement and the Singapore Attorney General’s Chambers.
“The Justice Department’s international law enforcement partnerships are integral to our efforts to uphold the rule of law and keep our country safe,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Department is grateful for its relationship with our Singaporean law enforcement partners and looks forward to continuing our work together to combat transnational threats.”
Also attending the meeting were U.S. Ambassador to Singapore Jonathan Kaplan, Singapore Ambassador to the United States Ashok Kumar Mirpuri, Singapore Deputy Attorney General Ang Cheng Hock, Chief Prosecutor Tan Kiat Pheng, Deputy Public Prosecutor Ryan Lim, Deputy Assistant Attorney General and Counselor for International Affairs Bruce C. Swartz, and Justice Department Attaché for Maritime Southeast Asia Scott Simeon.
Following both Attorneys General meeting, the delegation from Singapore met with Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard Downing, the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team, and the FBI to discuss cybercrime, cryptocurrency and blockchain technology issues. They also met with the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland with Attorney General of the Republic of Singapore Lucien WongPrison escapee sentenced to 10 years for being a felon in possession of a firearm, a charge resulting from shooting of Farmington Police OfficerRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Brendan Iber, Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), announced today that Elias Buck was sentenced to the statutory maximum of 10 years in prison. Buck, 24, of Aztec, New Mexico, pleaded guilty on Dec. 8, 2022, to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
According to the plea agreement and other court records, on Jan. 7, 2022, police officers in Farmington responded to a report that the male driver of a black Cadillac was possibly driving under the influence. An officer located the vehicle in the drive-thru line of a Starbucks and waited for it to exit. Once it did, the officer initiated their lights and sirens and attempted to stop the Cadillac, but the driver fled at a high rate of speed. Another officer located the Cadillac a short time later in the Carl’s Junior parking lot and learned from witnesses that two individuals fled from the vehicle on foot. A third officer who was nearby decided to check a large dirt lot in the area the witness had indicated that individuals fled. He parked his vehicle and walked towards an opening in the corner of the lot, where he observed two individuals walking towards him. The officer contacted the individuals and recognized Buck from the escape flyer circulated after Buck escaped from a Durango jail the week prior despite his attempt to disguise himself by wearing a wig. The officer asked Buck and the other individual to sit down, at which time Buck pulled a pistol from his pocket, pointed it towards the officer’s face, and pulled the trigger.
The firearm’s muzzle was approximately one foot from the officer’s face when Buck pulled the trigger. The officer raised his arm to shield his face and the bullet passed through his arm. Buck shot him a second time in the elbow. The officer retreated to put some space between him and Buck and heard Buck fire two more rounds at him before fleeing. Since the shooting, the officer has returned work, however he has not regained full range of motion in his arm.
Buck was arrested on Jan. 14, 2022, in Phoenix, Arizona after he was recognized by a security guard at a local convenience store.
During sentencing proceedings, Farmington Police Chief Steve Hebbe addressed the Court, saying “…the long-term impact of this event was significant, and not just [to the] Farmington PD, but to the City of Farmington and to the entire San Juan County. It's a remote county, pretty close-knit. We had not had an officer shot in the line of duty in over 30 years, and that means every officer on my agency had never lived through an officer-involved shooting, had never experienced it. It was -- It was a shocking event for our agency.”
Chief Hebbe continued by addressing Judge Kea W. Riggs directly, saying “. . . today is singular for you in that you have a chance to say, as a federal judge, the pinnacle of the criminal justice system, to say in no uncertain terms that assaults on our criminal justice system, assaults on our police officers is absolutely not tolerable; that whatever the vitriol, whatever the second-guessing, whatever the climate has been over the last few years, that does not excuse, it does not belittle, it does not minimize the impact of a crime like this.”
At the time of sentencing, United States District Court Judge Kea W. Riggs addressed Buck, saying “You do not have the right to change anyone else's life or alter -- you altered this man's life for the rest of his life. You altered his family's life. It is a ripple effect. It's a ripple effect through his family, on the Department, and through that community . . . I'm thankful that our officer is alive and able to continue to work, but you're lucky that you're alive and here, and you need to think about that.”
“We owe a special debt of gratitude to those who put their lives on the line to keep our communities safe,” said U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez. “Just as federal, state, and local law enforcement officers walk our streets daily to protect us from harm, we will relentlessly seek justice when harm comes to them.”
“There is no place in our society for those who use firearms for violent, criminal purposes,” said Brendan Iber, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Phoenix Field Division. “ATF will continue to work with our law enforcement partners at the federal, state, and local levels to bring those individuals to justice.”
At the time of the offense, Buck had a prior conviction for attempted possession of dangerous drugs for sale. As a convicted felon, Buck could not legally possess a firearm or ammunition.
Upon his release from prison, Buck will be subject to three years of supervised release.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with assistance from the Farmington Police Department and San Juan County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Letitia Carroll Simms is prosecuting the case.
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Pierce County motocross coach and sponsor arrested for production of child pornographyRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A 32-year-old Tacoma man was arrested and charged with production of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Bryant Keith McCullough was arrested today, April 10, 2023, after an investigation conducted by the Tacoma Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. McCullough is accused of enticing and coercing minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography. McCullough made his initial appearance today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma.
According to the criminal complaint filed in the case, the Tacoma Police Department received information from a concerned parent about an image that was shared in a group chat of Pierce County motocross parents regarding an explicit Snapchat message apparently sent by McCullough to a minor motocross racer whom he was sponsoring.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant at McCullough’s Tacoma residence last month and seized several devices, including a GoPro camera. Police found numerous sexually explicit images and videos of minors on the seized GoPro. Several of the GoPro videos found by law enforcement show McCullough filming a cellphone on which he is viewing sexually explicit images and videos of young males sent to him through Snapchat.
At least one victim confirmed to law enforcement that they had sent McCullough sexually explicit images and videos, at the motocross coach’s request. The victim acknowledged sending the images with the promise that they would receive money, clothing, alcohol, marijuana, and/or preferential treatment regarding motocross coaching.
McCullough came into federal custody today and will remain detained at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac pending further hearings.
Production of child pornography is punishable by a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years in prison.
The charges contained in the complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the Tacoma Police Department and the FBI. If you have any information regarding this case, you can submit a tip to tips.fbi.gov.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matt Hampton.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ 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 www.justice.gov/psc
Oklahoma Resident Pleads Guilty to Advertising and Distributing Images of Child Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Austen Peppers, 34, of Lawton, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty today to one count each of advertising and distributing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, law enforcement investigators identified Peppers as someone who sold and offered to sell images of minors being sexually abused. Peppers conducted transactions on the dark web using platforms and applications that he believed were secure and protected him from law enforcement scrutiny.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Homeland Security Investigations offices in Fresno, Chicago, and Oklahoma as well as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police with assistance from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol Tactical Team. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa is prosecuting the case with Trial Attorney James Burke IV of the Department of Justice Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.
Peppers has been in custody since his initial appearance in this case on Nov. 14, 2019. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 17, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Ana de Alba. Peppers faces potential punishments for each of the two counts including a mandatory minimum term of 15 years in prison and up to 30 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, a lifetime term of supervised release, forfeiture of property, and possible restitution to victims. The actual sentence, however, will 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.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.
O.C. Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty to Conspiring with Social Worker to Perpetrate Fraud Schemes that Caused $3.8 Million in LossesRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – An Orange County tax preparer pleaded guilty today to a federal criminal charge for participating in schemes that caused nearly $3.8 million in losses to the United States government, including one orchestrated by a corrupt social worker who stole his clients’ identities to fraudulently obtain tax refunds, welfare benefits and credit cards.
Anton Nguyen, 54, of Fountain Valley, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States.
According to his plea agreement, Nguyen operated a Westminster-based tax preparation company called Century Tax & Travel. From 2012 to June 2019, Nguyen and his co-conspirators filed hundreds of tax returns using personal identifying information (PII) belonging to other individuals without their permission to generate fraudulent tax refund payments from the United States.
One of Nguyen’s co-conspirators was John Tran, who is believed to be either 57 or 61 years old, of Fountain Valley, an Orange County Social Services Agency case worker from July 1994 to October 2018, who stole the Social Security numbers and other personal identifying information (PII) from his clients – many of them recent immigrants.
Tran and his co-conspirators used this stolen information to fraudulently obtain money from the federal government, the State of California, the County of Orange, and financial institutions. Nguyen used the stolen identities that Tran provided to create fraudulent Forms 1099-MISC that falsely showed payments made to the identity theft victims by companies, including those controlled by Tran and other accomplices.
Nguyen prepared and filed federal income tax returns using the Tran-provided stolen identities. Nguyen then used the purported payments on the fraudulent Forms 1099 as income to the identify theft victims, making them appear to qualify for tax credits, including the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit.
In turn, the reported payments to the identity theft victims were used by Nguyen’s clients to offset business revenues and reduce the taxes they owed by making it appear that the identity theft victims worked for them. In exchange for the fabrication of the Forms 1099, Nguyen’s clients paid him a fee.
In total, Nguyen and his co-conspirators defrauded the United States out of at least $3,773,282.
United States District Judge James V. Selna scheduled a July 24 sentencing hearing, at which time Nguyen will face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
Federal prosecutors have secured a total of seven guilty pleas to criminal charges connected to this scheme.
Tran pleaded guilty in November 2019 to conspiracy to defraud the United States, mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. Tran is scheduled to be sentenced on June 5, at which time he will face a statutory maximum sentence of 72 years in federal prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in federal prison.
Chau Nguyen, 69, of Garden Grove; Sophie Thuy Nguyen, 48, of Westminster; Kevin Le, 57, of Anaheim Hills; Van Quach, 43, of Monterey Park; and Peter Duc Nguyen, 63, of Garden Grove, each have pleaded guilty to evasion of assessment of taxes and are scheduled to be sentenced later this year, at which time they will each face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
Thomas Nguyen, 62, of Santa Ana, pleaded guilty in June 2021 to one count of tax evasion. He was fined $30,000 and ordered to pay $133,796 in restitution.
Rosemary Pham, 65, of Midway City, the owner and operator of Victory Tax Service in Westminster, has pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and 10 counts of aiding and advising the filing of false tax returns. Her trial date is scheduled for August 15.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
IRS Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Bradley E. Marrett of the Santa Ana Branch Office is prosecuting this case.
Northwood Man Sentenced for Defrauding U.S. TaxpayersRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Northwood man was sentenced today in federal court for attempting to fraudulently obtain over $6 million in CARES Act funds from the United States government, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Joshua Leavitt, 41, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Paul J. Barbadoro to 28 months in prison and 2 years of supervised release. Leavitt was also ordered to pay $873,475.50 in restitution. On September 27, 2022, Leavitt plead guilty to bank fraud and wire fraud. His co-defendant, Pierre Rogers, was sentenced on February 3, 2023, to 41 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud.
“Leavitt’s conduct in this case was egregious,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “Leavitt and Rogers attempted to steal a combined $6.2 million dollars, which ultimately denied legitimate businesses nearly a million dollars in emergency pandemic relief funds. I thank our law enforcement partners for their outstanding work in unraveling the largest CARES Act fraud case in the District of New Hampshire to date.”
Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to help businesses and individuals adversely affected by the COVID pandemic. The CARES Act created the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which offered low-interest loans to employers. Private lenders could participate in the PPP program. If borrowers used the PPP loans for payroll and other approved expenses as intended, they could apply for loan forgiveness. The CARES Act also expanded the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. As with PPP loans, EIDL loans were intended for payroll and other business expenses, such as rent and mortgage.
Leavitt applied for 35 PPP and EIDL loans for seven different companies, including Dark Matter Associates, a company that was allegedly dedicated to “COVID-19 Disaster Relief Loan Acquisition and Management.” Other companies Leavitt submitted fraudulent applications for included Demeter Group and the wine company Puro Trader, also known as Yahyn. Leavitt attempted to obtain a total of $6,019,725.50, of which he received $873,475.50.
Leavitt and his co-defendant, Pierre Rogers, inflated the companies’ revenues and number of employees on the applications. Leavitt also generated false supporting documents, including tax filings purportedly filed with the IRS. For example, in a PPP application for Puro Trader, Leavitt submitted a fake tax return claiming the company’s payroll was over $1 million in 2020, but no such return was ever filed with the IRS. Similarly, in a PPP application for a company called Monticello Transnational, Leavitt submitted a fake tax return claiming the company paid employees almost $340,000 in the fourth quarter of 2020. The company’s payroll was only $9,000 during that period.
The U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the U.S. Secret Service led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen prosecuted the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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New Orleans Man Sentenced for Using Stolen Identity at Local StoresRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that COREY THOMAS, age 49, from New Orleans, was sentenced to home detention for committing wire fraud, stemming from fraudulent charges made in someone else’s name at local stores.
According to court documents, THOMAS used a victim’s personal identifying information to make fraudulent charges at Best Buy and several Lowe’s Home Improvement locations in New Orleans and surrounding parishes. THOMAS attempted the purchases on behalf of other actual customers, offering to charge the goods on a store credit card in exchange for a cash payment that was less than the purchase price. Under the terms of the plea agreement, THOMAS agreed to repay a total of $77,781.98 to Synchrony Bank, which issued the Lowe’s credit cards that THOMAS used in his scheme.
Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle sentenced THOMAS to five years of probation, beginning with an eight-month term of home detention, as well as restitution of $77,781.98, 100 hours of community service, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas D. Moses, Health Care Fraud Coordinator, is in charge of the prosecution.
Muscatine County Man Sentenced to Twenty Years in Prison for Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
Des Moines, IA – A Muscatine County man was sentenced Friday, April 7, 2023, to twenty years in prison following his guilty plea for Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a Child.
According to court documents, from February 2022 to September 2022, David Franklin Duncan III, 33, used cellphones and Facebook to communicate with a person he believed to be a fifteen-year-old child. During the conversations, Duncan attempted to employ, use, persuade, entice, or coerce the person he believed to be a child to capture and send Duncan images and videos of the child engaged in sexually explicit conduct, to travel to Duncan’s location or meet him at an agreed location for the purpose of engaging in sexually explicit conduct, and to engage in commercial sex acts. Duncan also sent images and videos of his penis and of him masturbating. Unbeknownst to Duncan, the person he was communicating with was an undercover law enforcement officer.
Following his prison term, Duncan must also serve a ten-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Altoona Police Department, in conjunction with the Iowa Crimes Against Children Task Force, investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Essley prosecuted the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Michigan City Man Sentenced to 180 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Earl Rauschenberg, 46 years old, of Michigan City, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr. after pleading guilty to transportation of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Rauschenberg was sentenced to 180 months in prison followed by 7 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in July 2020, Rauschenberg uploaded to the internet a video depicting child pornography. A year earlier, July 2019, Rauschenberg had been released from prison following his conviction for possession of child pornography.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations with the assistance of the Indiana State Police and the Michigan City Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John M. Maciejczyk.
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Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Voluntary Manslaughter on the Umatilla Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.— A 23-year-old resident of the Umatilla Indian Reservation was sentenced to federal prison today for repeatedly striking a fellow resident of the reservation with his fists, causing the person’s death.
Tom Redhawk Tias was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, on January 26, 2021, Tias contacted law enforcement to report an unresponsive adult. Officers responded to the scene on the reservation and located the victim who was deceased. Multiple witnesses interviewed by officers said that Tias said he hit the victim. Tias told police that he and the victim fought after the victim struck Tias with a branch. Tias admitted to law enforcement that he continued striking the victim after the victim fell to the ground.
On February 10, 2021, Tias was charged by criminal complaint with voluntary manslaughter. Later, on March 16, 2021, a federal grand jury in Portland indicted Tias on the same charge. On December 14, 2022, he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the FBI and Umatilla Tribal Police Department. It was prosecuted by Pamela Paaso, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Malcolm Torres pleads guilty to second degree murderRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Malcom Torres pleaded guilty to second degree murder. Torres, 29, of Española, New Mexico, will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
According to the plea agreement and other court records, on Sept. 7, 2019, Torres was home with his five-year-old stepdaughter, identified as Jane Doe, and eighteen-month-old son. Torres was heavily intoxicated and not fit to supervise the children. While in Torres’ care, Jane Doe sustained blunt-force trauma to her head, torso, and extremities. Torres became aware of Jane Doe’s injuries while she was still alive but failed to seek or provide necessary medical care. Torres claims he was too drunk to remember how he injured Jane Doe.
On the afternoon of Sept. 8, 2019, Jane Doe’s grandparents returned to the home and were informed by Torres that Jane Doe had been missing since that morning. Jane Doe’s grandmother immediately alerted Doe’s mother, who contacted law enforcement.
On Sept. 11, 2019, law enforcement located Jane Doe’s body in the Rio Grande River on the Santa Clara Pueblo. The resulting investigation revealed that Torres had driven to the area 5.5 miles from his home and left her body there on Sept. 8. Over the course of interviews with the Rio Arriba County Sheriff’s Office and the New Mexico State Police, Torres provided law enforcement with numerous conflicting statements, delaying the recovery of her body, and lengthening the wide-spread and vigorous efforts of law enforcement and the Santa Clara Pueblo community to locate her.
"This conviction demonstrates the continuing commitment of federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials to work together to combat violent crime on Native American tribal lands,” said Raul Bujanda, FBI Special Agent in Charge. “The senseless murder of a 5-year-old child is a tragic occurrence, and I’m glad the collaborative effort put forth by all involved agencies has resulted in this conviction. The murder allegation in this complaint reveal an indifference to human life that will not be tolerated."
“As a crimes against children prosecutor myself, and a father of three, the loss of young life strikes at my core,” said U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez. “I mourn with you. While a guilty plea does not bring back the life that was taken, we hope it brings closure to Jane Doe’s family and confidence that justice will find those who harm the most vulnerable.”
Torres faces a minimum of 30 years and up to life in prison. Upon his release from prison, Torres will be subject to five years of supervised release.
The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI investigated this case with assistance from the Espanola Police Department, Santa Clara Pueblo Tribal Police Department, Rio Arriba County Sheriff’s Office, New Mexico State Police, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Albuquerque Police Department Open Space Search and Rescue Team, Espanola Fire Department and Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo Tribal Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jack Burkhead, Brittany DuChaussee and Zachary Jones are prosecuting the case.
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Laser Strikes on Kern County Sheriff Helicopter Lead to Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Richard Earl Francis, 51, of Bakersfield, was sentenced today to one month in prison in addition to the 71 days already served to be followed by 11 months home detention and 36 months of supervised release for knowingly aiming the beam of a laser pointer at a Kern County Sheriff’s Office helicopter, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on July 28, 2022, while the sheriff’s helicopter was patrolling the Oildale area of Bakersfield, Francis shined a bright green laser into the cockpit of the aircraft four times. One of the airmen experienced temporary loss of vision in his right eye as a result of the laser. On Dec. 13, 2022, Francis pleaded guilty to knowingly aiming a laser at an aircraft.
In 2022, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) received 9,457 reports of laser strikes. In 2022, there were, on average, three laser strike incidents reported every month in Bakersfield. Noting the hazards of lasers in navigable airspace, the FAA advises that, when aimed at an aircraft, lasers can cause visual interference and incapacitate pilots. Such incidents can occur anywhere but have been reported most frequently in the Western Pacific and Southern regions of the United States. See “Laser Hazards in Navigable Airspace.”
This case was the product of an investigation by the FBI, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar prosecuted the case.
Larsen & Toubro Technology Services Pays $9,928,000 to Resolve False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — L&T Technology Services, LTD (“LTTS”), a company based in India, with U.S. offices in Edison New Jersey, has agreed to pay $9,928,000 to resolve allegations that between 2014 and 2019, LTTS underpaid visa fees owed to the United States by acquiring inexpensive B-1 visas, rather than more expensive H-1B visas, in alleged violation of the False Claims Act.
LTTS provides services and personnel to companies in the United States. Most of the personnel are foreign nationals, who are required to have visas in order to lawfully enter or remain in the United States.
B-1 visas generally do not permit visa holders to perform paid labor while in the United States. During the time period in question, fees for B-1 visas were between approximately $200 to $300, and there was no limit on the number of B-1 visas that could be issued.
Although H-1B visas permit foreign nationals to perform paid labor while in this country, the visa fees for such work visas were between approximately $4,000 to $6,000. Additionally, such visas are more difficult to obtain, because they are limited by an annual cap of 65,000, to foreign nationals with the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree in an occupation requiring highly specialized knowledge; plus an additional 20,000 H-1B visas annually to those in such occupations with a master’s degree or its equivalent.
The investigation leading to this settlement was initiated through the filing of a whistleblower (qui tam) complaint in the United States District Court in Charleston, South Carolina, captioned United States ex rel. Michael Harmon v. L&T Technology Services, et. al., Civ. No. 2:16-cv-01114-BHH (D.S.C.). By law, Mr. Harmon will receive a percentage of the recovery.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office will hold accountable those who skirt this country’s visa requirements,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina Adair F. Boroughs. “Our immigration laws are intended to protect American jobs for American workers, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure companies securing work visas for foreign nationals strictly comply with those laws.”
“This settlement sends a clear message to those who seek to defraud the U.S. government and exploit our nation’s laws, that you will be found and held accountable,” said Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent In Charge of HSI Charlotte, covering North and South Carolina. “Protecting the integrity of the nation’s immigration and labor laws from those looking to exploit them is of vital importance and HSI prioritizes this mission.”
“This settlement is a success in deterring companies in seeking to evade and violate the laws and regulations governing the non-immigrant visa programs managed by the Department of State and Department of Homeland Security,” said Chris Hileman, Special Agent in Charge, Department of State, Office of Inspector General. “It has been and always will be our pleasure to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to protect our immigration laws, the U.S. workers and our economy and hold those accountable who exploit them.”
“When companies apply for work visas, they must follow the rules and pay appropriate fees, just like workers. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to vigorously pursue those who circumvent worker visa programs,” said Mathew Broadhurst, Special Agent in Charge, Southeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.”
“We are pleased at the outcome of this case,” said Karen L. Brown Cleveland, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office of the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service (DSS). “The Diplomatic Security Service values our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other law enforcement agencies around the world to prevent and jointly combat U.S. passport and visa fraud. Deterring, detecting, and investigating U.S. passport and visa fraud is essential to safeguarding our national security.”
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the USCIS Nebraska Service Center Fraud Detection Unit, the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service.
The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Stan Ragsdale, Beth Warren, and Brook Andrews of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. LTTS has denied liability, is cooperating with the United States in this matter, and has taken significant steps to ensure compliance with U.S. visa laws.
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Justice Department Secures Agreement with Florida Restaurant Franchisee to Resolve Immigration-Related Discrimination ClaimsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has secured a settlement agreement with Florida-based Destin Wings LLC, doing business as Hooters of Destin (Destin Wings). The settlement resolves the department’s determination that Destin Wings violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by discriminating against a non-U.S. citizen when checking her permission to work in the United States.
“While employers are legally obligated to verify every new hire’s permission to work in the United States, they cannot discriminate based on the employee’s citizenship status or national origin in the process,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division will continue to vigorously combat unlawful discrimination in the workplace and dismantle unnecessary obstacles to work.”
The department’s investigation began when a worker, a non-U.S. citizen, complained that Destin Wings refused to accept her valid documentation proving her permission to work and demanded additional documentation. Although she had permission to work in the United States, she was not able to obtain one of the documents that Destin Wings required because of her citizenship status. The INA’s anti-discrimination provision prohibits employers from asking for specific documents, or more documents than necessary, because of a worker’s citizenship, immigration status or national origin. Employers must allow workers to present whatever acceptable documentation the workers choose and cannot reject valid documentation that reasonably appears to be genuine.
The settlement requires Destin Wings to pay a civil penalty to the United States, provide backpay to the worker who complained to the department, train staff on the INA’s anti-discrimination provision and be subject to departmental monitoring for a period of three years.
The Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. Among other things, the statute prohibits discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee, unfair documentary practices, retaliation and intimidation.
Find more information on how employers can avoid discrimination when verifying permission to work on IER’s website. Learn more about how IER protects workers’ rights in this video. For more information about protections against employment discrimination under immigration laws, call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); sign up for a free webinar; email [email protected]; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Subscribe to GovDelivery to receive updates from IER.
Applicants or employees who believe they were subjected to discrimination based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee; or discrimination in the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify) based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin; or retaliation can file a charge or contact IER’s worker hotline for assistance.
Justice Department Announces Total Distribution of over $6B to Victims of State Sponsored TerrorismRead the Press Release
The U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund (the Fund) today notified a group of eligible claimants of upcoming payments totaling approximately $2.7 billion that the Fund will begin issuing in the coming weeks. The Fund will issue these payments to 5,361 victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 (9/11) terrorist attacks and certain spouses and children of the victims of those attacks. These payments will bring the total compensation paid by the Fund to victims of international terrorism and their families to more than $6 billion.
“The Fund has collected more than $2 billion in deposits from forfeiture proceeds, penalties, and fines arising from violations of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act or the Trading with the Enemy Act,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This tremendous effort epitomizes our unwavering commitment to the investigation and prosecution of individuals and entities that do business with state sponsors of terrorism. One of the primary goals of the department’s Asset Forfeiture Program is to use forfeited assets to compensate victims. In line with that goal, a significant amount of the Fund’s deposits to date are the result of criminal and civil forfeitures.”
The Fund was established by Congress in 2015 and is administered by the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS), under the leadership of Special Master Mary Patrice Brown. The Fund has paid more than $3.3 billion to victims in four rounds of distributions. The payments announced today are in addition to these distributions. The number of eligible claimants has grown from over 2,000 in 2017 to over 15,500 today. Of those, 12,117 claimants are 9/11 victims and their family members, while another 3,652 claimants have claims related to other acts of international state-sponsored terrorism.
Apart from an initial appropriation of $1.025 billion from Congress and additional Congressional appropriations for 9/11 victims and victims of certain other terrorist attacks, funds available for payment from the Fund resulted from Department of Justice prosecutions and cases and other U.S. government enforcement actions. Congress required the deposit into the Fund of certain forfeiture proceeds, penalties, and fines from civil and criminal matters involving prohibited transactions with state sponsors of terrorism. The department has identified more than 125 qualifying matters for deposit into the Fund. The payments announced today come from the Congressional appropriation for 9/11 victims.
“We know that no amount of compensation could ever repair what was lost for those devastated by acts of international terrorism, and that so many victims and their families have waited years and sometimes decades for compensation,” said Special Master Brown. “The dedicated team at the department remains steadfast in its goal of providing compensation to these victims and in its pursuit to deliver them some semblance of justice. Victims and their family members can be assured that their claims will be processed promptly, fairly, and transparently.”
Since establishing the Fund in 2015, Congress has amended its governing statute several times, including updating the eligibility of certain groups of international state-sponsored terrorism victims – such as certain 9/11 victims – to receive payments from the Fund. Following direction from Congress, in 2021, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) calculated lump-sum catch-up payments to certain 9/11 victims and certain spouses and children of 9/11 victims, based on the Fund’s payments to other 9/11-related victims. This GAO report estimated the total lump-sum catch-up payments at approximately $2.7 billion. Most recently, in 2022, Congress appropriated funds for the Fund to issue these lump-sum catch-up payments, leading to the payments the Fund announced today.
In the same legislation, Congress also appropriated an additional $3 billion to a reserve fund from which the Fund will issue lump-sum catch-up payments to certain victims of the 1983 barracks bombings in Beirut, Lebanon, and the 1996 bombing of the Khobar Towers housing complex in Khobar, Saudi Arabia. As with the payments for certain 9/11 victims announced today, GAO will calculate these lump-sum catch-up payments through a process that provides for public comment. Thereafter, the Fund will issue the payments and any amounts remaining in the reserve fund will be made available for distribution pursuant to the statute.
The Fund continues to accept applications and to collect deposits for future payments as authorized by its governing statute. More information about the Fund’s compensation to victims of state sponsored terrorism is available on the Fund’s website at www.usvsst.com, such as application materials, frequently asked questions (FAQs), and publications including Federal Register notices and reports to Congress. Further questions may be directed to MLARS.
Illegal alien sentenced to life in prison for murdering whistleblower in labor conspiracyRead the Press Release
BRUNSWICK, GA.: An illegal alien who participated a multi-million-dollar scheme to fraudulently employ undocumented workers, then murdered a whistleblower who attempted to expose the scheme, has been sentenced to life in prison.
Juan Rangel-Rubio, 46, of Rincon, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the 2017 execution-style murder of Eliud Montoya, a United States citizen who reported Rangel-Rubio’s illegal activities to the federal government, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered Rangel-Rubio to pay $1,351,217.05 in restitution.
“Eliud Montoya was murdered for doing the right thing and revealing Juan Rangel-Rubio’s scheme to profit off his use of undocumented workers,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “As a result of the diligent efforts of our law enforcement partners, Juan Rangel-Rubio will be held accountable for his despicable crimes.”
In October 2022, Rangel-Rubio was found guilty after a five-day trial in U.S. District Court of Conspiracy to Retaliate Against a Witness; Conspiracy to Kill a Witness; Conspiracy to Conceal, Harbor and Shield Illegal Aliens; and Money Laundering Conspiracy.
Two co-defendants are serving prison terms for their roles in the conspiracy. Rangel-Rubio’s brother, Pablo Rangel-Rubio, 53, of Rincon, was sentenced to 584 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Conceal, Harbor and Shield Illegal Aliens; Money Laundering Conspiracy; three counts of Money Laundering Transactions Over $10,000; and Aiding and Abetting Retaliation Against a Witness. Higinio Perez-Bravo, 52, of Savannah, was sentenced to 240 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Murder for Hire. Both men are citizens of Mexico illegally present in the United States and will be subject to deportation after completing their prison terms. There is no parole in the federal system.
Four other defendants were sentenced to prison terms of up to 24 months for charges related to the investigation, including conspiracy and illegal firearms possession.
As reflected in court records and evidence presented at trial, Pablo Rangel-Rubio worked as a supervisor at Wolf Tree, a contract company that performed tree-cutting services on utility rights-of-way. He and his brother hired illegal aliens to work for the company, then routed the workers paychecks to their own bank accounts where they skimmed a portion of the pay for themselves. They also created fake employee accounts and directed that pay to themselves. As a result of this scheme, the conspirators netted more than $3.5 million.
Montoya saw his colleagues being mistreated and complained to the company and to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. After Montoya blew the whistle on the scheme, Pablo Rangel-Rubio arranged for Montoya’s murder by paying Perez-Bravo for the use of his vehicles and to act as the getaway driver when Juan Rangel-Rubio shot Montoya to death outside Montoya’s home.
“This sentence means that the consequences of Rangel-Rubio’s actions have caught up with him and he will no longer be able to hurt anyone,” said Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “I am proud of the work that our great law enforcement partners did to successfully close this case and the great work that they do to protect our communities.”
The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), the Garden City Police Department, the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office, and the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys, including Tania D. Groover.
Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Van Lee Harrell, 35, of Huntington, was sentenced today to seven years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, also known as “crack.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 12, 2018, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Marshall Avenue residence in Huntington where Harrell was living. Officers found approximately 8.6 grams of crack, three firearms, ammunition and digital scales in Harrell’s bedroom. Harrell admitted to possessing the crack and further admitted that he had been distributing drugs.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force, and the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-148.
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Heroin Dealer Who Absconded Prior to Sentencing in 2018 and Was Recently Found in Jamaica Sentenced to over 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former chef who pleaded guilty in 2018 to a heroin trafficking offense – and was a fugitive for more than four years before being arrested in Jamaica earlier this year – was sentenced today to 121 months in federal prison.
Devon Bennett, 54, who resided in Hawthorne when he absconded prior to a sentencing hearing in September 2018, was sentenced this morning by United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer. After his release from prison, Bennett will be subject to a five-year period of supervised release.
Following Bennett’s flight from justice, Judge Fischer imposed a sentence that was 51 months longer than the 70 months prosecutors had initially recommended in 2018.
Bennett pleaded guilty in May 2018 to one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin, admitting that he and others used his apartment to package and ship heroin and other drugs through the U.S. Mail.
While free on a $50,000 bond and shortly before his original sentencing hearing in September 2018, Bennett fled. Judge Fischer issued an arrest warrant and, soon after, an order forfeiting his bond. Bennett’s third-party surety has since paid the United States more than $40,000 as a result of Bennett’s decision to flee from justice.
In early February, law enforcement authorities in Jamaica located and arrested Bennett at the request of the United States. Bennett consented to extradition and was subsequently surrendered to the United States on March 8.
The United States Postal Inspection Service investigated this matter, with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Los Angeles Police Department.
The United States Marshals Service, the Jamaica Fugitive Apprehension Team, the Jamaica Constabulary Force – Counterterrorism and Organized Crime Branch, and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing Bennett’s arrest and return to Los Angeles.
Assistant United States Attorney Benedetto L. Balding of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section prosecuted this case. Assistant United States Attorney Robert I. Lester of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section handled the bond forfeiture.
Green Cove Springs Man Sentenced to More Than Six Years for Distributing Child Sex Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Ethan Rabin Coleman (33, Green Cove Springs) to six years and eight months in federal prison for distributing videos of children being sexually abused. The court also ordered Coleman serve a five-year term of supervised release and pay $31,000 to victims of his offenses. Coleman entered a guilty plea October 20, 2022.
According to court documents, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents in Jacksonville received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that four files depicting child sexual abuse had been uploaded over the internet on January 6, 2021. The report indicated that the upload of the files came from an account with the username of “bige1131990,” an associated email address, and an IP (Internet Protocol) address that traced back to an address in Green Cove Springs. After reviewing the files and upon further investigation, HSI agents and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office executed a federal search warrant at the residence on November 9, 2021. During the execution of the search warrant, agents encountered Coleman, who exited the residence holding a phone in his hand. An onsite preview of the phone yielded numerous files depicting the sexual abuse of children, including one of the files identified in the reported uploads.
During an interview with law enforcement, Coleman admitted that the associated email address belonged to him and acknowledged that he “got banned for some reason” from a social media account reported by NCMEC. At first, Coleman denied sending any child sexual abuse files over the social media application. When asked again, he acknowledged such files were shared in a group to which he belonged. Further, Coleman admitted to viewing the files on multiple occasions, downloading files showing children being sexually abused from a file-sharing application onto his phone, sharing images with others, and acknowledged knowing the individuals depicted being sexually abused were young, including a file depicting the sexual assault of a toddler. When asked why he thought it was wrong, Coleman stated, “Because they’re little kids.”
“This predator, knowing it was images of children being sexually abused, decided to feed his perversion by collecting, viewing, and sharing the digital files many times over with others on the internet,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “Thanks to our partnership with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and the efforts of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, we have pulled another predator offline and stopped him from his continued victimization of children.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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.
Grand Jury Charges San Fernando Valley Man Who Allegedly Embezzled $2.2 Million in Money and Real Estate from Elderly VictimRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – A Burbank man was arraigned today on a federal grand jury indictment alleging he embezzled approximately $2.2 million from a sizable estate left to an elderly man by the man’s late brother.
Jamal Nathan “Jimmy” Dawood, 52, is charged with six counts of wire fraud, nine counts of money laundering, and one count of aggravated identity theft.
At his arraignment in United States District Court in Santa Ana, Dawood pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. His bond was set at $50,000 and a June 6 trial date was scheduled.
According to the indictment returned on April 5, during the second half of 2019, Dawood offered to assist the victim with the management of real estate properties and retirement savings that the victim had inherited from the victim’s deceased brother. Specifically, Dawood allegedly helped the victim open a trust account at a bank for the purpose of managing the retirement savings.
Without the victim’s knowledge or authorization, Dawood then initiated wire and online banking transfers from the victim’s trust account to Dawood-controlled accounts, the indictment alleges. Without the victim’s knowledge or permission, Dawood allegedly also wired money from the victim’s trust account to people with whom Dawood had personal and business relationships.
Dawood allegedly convinced the victim to transfer ownership of his home and his late brother’s real estate holdings to various companies. Dawood falsely represented that the victim would retain an ownership interest in his residence and the inherited real estate through these companies. In fact, Dawood and other individuals close to him controlled these companies, according to the indictment.
In total, Dawood allegedly fraudulently obtained at least $2,202,688 in the victim’s money and property. The illicitly obtained funds allegedly were used to purchase real estate in La Crescenta and Fontana.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, Dawood would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count, up to 10 years in federal prison for each money laundering count, and a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years in federal prison for the aggravated identity theft count.
The FBI is investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kristin N. Spencer and Melissa S. Rabbani of the Santa Ana Branch Office are prosecuting this case.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who 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 staffed seven days a week from 3 a.m. to 8 p.m. Pacific Time. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.
Information about the Department of Justice’s Elder Fraud Initiative is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
Founder and Former Chief Investment Officer of Infinity Q Sentenced to 15 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JAMES VELISSARIS, the founder and former chief investment officer of Infinity Q Capital Management (“Infinity Q”), a New York-based investment adviser that ran a mutual fund and a hedge fund that purported to have approximately $3 billion in assets under management, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his participation in a scheme to defraud Infinity Q’s investors. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Velissaris wove a complex scheme to defraud investors in Infinity Q’s investment funds, and he continuously lied to investors, auditors, and even the SEC in order to hide his crimes. Velissaris’s massive scheme was calculated and deceptive, and he now justly faces 15 years in federal prison. We hope this lengthy sentence resonates in the financial sector and deters anyone who may be tempted to lie to investors.”
According to public court filings and statements made in Court:
Background
VELISSARIS was the founder and chief investment officer of Infinity Q, an investment adviser that ran both a mutual fund (the “Mutual Fund”), started in about 2014, and a hedge fund (the “Hedge Fund,” and collectively the “Investment Funds”), started in about 2017. As of 2021, the two funds purported to have approximately $3 billion in assets under management. Infinity Q was headquartered in New York, New York, and employed a small staff, including a chief compliance and chief risk officer (“Employee-1”).
A major component of both the Mutual Fund and the Hedge Fund’s holdings were over-the-counter (“OTC”) derivative positions that involved customized contracts that allowed the counterparties to take positions on the volatility, or price movement, of underlying assets or indices. VELISSARIS, through Infinity Q, represented to its investors that it valued these OTC derivative positions based on fair value, and that in order to do so, it utilized the services of an independent third-party provider. In particular, Infinity Q represented to investors and other stakeholders that it used Bloomberg Valuations Service (“BVAL”) to independently calculate the fair value of these positions, in accordance with the terms of the underlying derivative contracts. These OTC derivative positions comprised hundreds of millions of dollars of the Investment Funds’ portfolios.
VELISSARIS’s Scheme to Lie to Investors and Inflate Derivative Swap Positions
In fact, however, VELISSARIS defrauded Infinity Q’s investors by taking an active role in the valuation of Infinity Q’s positions and by modeling the positions in ways that were not based on the actual terms of the underlying contracts and were inconsistent with fair value. VELISSARIS’s input into the BVAL valuation process was inconsistent with Infinity Q’s representations about the independence of the process and allowed VELISSARIS to fraudulently mismark positions in BVAL. VELISSARIS engaged in the mismarking of positions in BVAL by making false entries in BVAL’s system, including by secretly altering the computer code employed by BVAL that caused BVAL to alter and disregard certain critical terms. Altering and disregarding terms in this fashion caused BVAL to report values that were artificially inflated and, often, much higher than fair value.
By manipulating OTC derivative positions in BVAL in this way, VELISSARIS caused numerous positions in the Investment Funds to have anomalous and, at times, impossible valuations. For example, at times, VELISSARIS made manipulations in either the Mutual Fund and/or the Hedge Fund that caused certain identical positions that were held by both the Mutual Fund and the Hedge Fund (namely, a position where all the material terms are the same) to have substantially divergent values. In other cases, some of VELISSARIS’s manipulations caused certain positions held by the Investment Funds to have impossible values, such as where, under the true terms of the swap, the value adopted by VELISSARIS could only be true if volatility were negative – a condition which is mathematically impossible.
Ultimately, after VELISSARIS’s mismarking scheme was uncovered in or about February 2021, Infinity Q liquidated the Investment Funds and sold its OTC derivative positions. These positions were sold for hundreds of millions of dollars less than their purported market values in BVAL, thereby resulting in substantial losses to the investors in the Investment Funds.
VELISSARIS Lies to Auditors and Obstructs the SEC’s Investigation
In order to hide this scheme and prevent its detection, VELISSARIS lied to numerous outside stakeholders and regulators. First, in order to prevent Infinity Q’s outside auditor (the “Auditor”) from discovering the fraud, VELISSARIS provided the Auditor with falsified term sheets from counterparties that he had altered to change the true terms of certain OTC derivative positions. In particular, in connection with a number of audits, the Auditor selected certain OTC positions that it would independently value in order to confirm the reasonableness of Infinity Q’s values from BVAL. In order to ensure that the Auditor would not arrive at materially different results when independently valuing positions that VELISSARIS had manipulated in BVAL, VELISSARIS altered the terms of certain deal documents and provided them to the Auditor. After receiving these falsified documents and relying on them in its independent evaluation, the Auditor confirmed the reasonableness of VELISSARIS’s valuations in BVAL.
Furthermore, beginning in May 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) opened an inquiry and later an investigation into Infinity Q’s valuation practices. In connection with that investigation, VELISSARIS provided false and misleading information to the SEC. For example, when the SEC asked for original documents that had been provided to investors, VELISSARIS altered the documents before providing them to the SEC, including certain alterations that would help hide his mismarking scheme. For example, Infinity Q’s original investor materials stated that “[o]nce a price is established for a portfolio security, it shall be used for all Funds that hold the security.” As explained above, this was untrue, and on numerous occasions, manipulations in BVAL made by VELISSARIS caused the same positions in the Mutual Fund and the Hedge Fund to have substantially different values. To conceal the falsity of Infinity Q’s disclosures, VELISSARIS, along with Employee-1, removed this line from investor documents that were provided to the SEC.
In June 2020, the SEC requested that Infinity Q provide additional materials, including documents regarding Infinity Q’s valuation committee and all of its meeting minutes. Infinity Q’s investor materials had represented that Infinity Q had a valuation committee, including VELISSARIS; that the committee would meet monthly or more often; and that VELISSARIS would be responsible for preparing minutes of such meetings. In fact, however, VELISSARIS had not kept notes of any such meetings. Accordingly, days before responding to the SEC, VELISSARIS made up notes purporting to be from valuation committee meetings in 2019 and 2020 and submitted them to the SEC.
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In addition to his prison term, VELISSARIS, 38, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and agreed to pay approximately $22 million in forfeiture. The Court reserved decision on the amount of restitution.
Mr. Williams praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He further thanked the SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission for their cooperation and assistance in this investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret Graham is in charge of the prosecution.
Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Fentanyl over the Dark WebRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Chaloner Saintillus, 35, of Delray Beach, Florida, pleaded guilty Thursday, April 6, 2023, to 12 counts of distributing controlled substances into the Eastern District of California using the dark web, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Saintillus operated multiple narcotics vendor accounts on the dark web under the username “chlnsaint,” through which he sold fentanyl, oxycodone, oxymorphone, and other narcotics in exchange for cryptocurrency. Taking advantage of the dark web’s anonymity, Saintillus completed more than 1,000 drug deals between August 2019 and August 2020 alone. Saintillus used the U.S. Postal Service to send his customers the fentanyl, opioids, and other narcotics they purchased from “chlnsaint.”
Law enforcement officers from an interagency task force in the Eastern District of California known as the Northern California Illicit Digital Economy Task Force (“NCIDE”) conducted 12 controlled purchases of narcotics from “chlnsaint” between April and October 2020. Agents identified Saintillus as “chlnsaint” through physical surveillance and analysis of financial, package tracking, and photographic records maintained by the Postal Service. NCIDE agents executed warrants at Saintillus’s Florida residence in October 2020, during which they arrested Saintillus and seized narcotics, over $20,000 in cryptocurrency, a firearm, and a suitcase full of ammunition.
This case is the product of an investigation by NCIDE, which is composed of agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. NCIDE agents received assistance from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and the Delray Beach Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sam Stefanki and Ross Pearson are prosecuting the case.
Saintillus is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller on July 10, 2023. Saintillus faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine on each of the 12 counts to which he pleaded guilty. The actual sentence, however, will 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.
Five men indicted on federal charges for illegal firearms possessionRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Five defendants are among those facing federal charges including illegal possession of firearms after separate indictments by a grand jury in the Southern District of Georgia, while recent actions in U.S. District Court include guilty pleas and criminal sentences related to illegal gun possession.
The indicted cases are being investigated as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally carry guns.
“Individuals who are convicted of felonies are prohibited from possessing guns,” said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “With our law enforcement partners, we will continue to protect the safety of our communities by identifying and removing these repeat offenders.”
In the past four years, more than 820 defendants have been federally charged in the Southern District of Georgia for illegal firearms offenses – most often for possessing a firearm after conviction for a previous felony. That charge carries a statutory penalty of up to 15 years in prison, and there is no parole in the federal system.
Defendants named in federal indictments from the April 2023 term of the U.S. District Court grand jury include:
- Wesley Rosenberg, 24, of Ludowici, Ga., charged with Engaging in the Firearms Business Without a License, and two counts of Transfer of a Firearm in Violation of the National Firearms Act. The indictments allege Rosenberg unlawfully imported and sold firearm silencers.
- Tyrell Smith, 32, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
- Herman Lamont Dessasure, 30, of Statesboro, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
- Dustin Shane Webster, 30, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and,
- Joquan K. Clark, 25, of Waynesboro, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Additional defendants recently have been adjudicated on federal charges that include illegal firearms possession:
- Maurice Brown, 21, of Savannah, was sentenced to 21 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. In July 2022, Brown sped away from an attempted traffic stop in Savannah by a Georgia State Patrol trooper and later ran from the vehicle. Savannah Police officers found him hiding in a nearby home, and found a pistol under the driver’s seat of the vehicle Brown was driving. Brown was on probation for state charges at the time of his arrest.
- Jeffrey J. Haynes, 30, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah Police officers arrested Haynes during a June 2021 traffic stop after finding a pistol in his waistband.
Agencies investigating these cases include the ATF, the FBI, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Savannah Police Department, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, and the Georgia State Patrol.
The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to purchase – firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense.
For more information from the ATF on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atfw-form-4473
Father Sentenced to 40 Years in Methamphetamine Case Involving SonRead the Press Release
A Fort Worth father who conspired with his son to deal methamphetamine was sentenced Thursday to 40 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
David Devaney, Sr., 59, and David Devaney, Jr., 36, opted for a bench trial and were found guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance by U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman in November 2022. The elder Mr. Devaney was sentenced on Thursday; the younger Mr. Devaney is slated to be sentenced on May 4. Co-conspirator Cory Litts, 36, pleaded guilty to the same charged in October 2022 and was sentenced in April to more than 22 years in prison.
“The dangerous culture created by drug trafficking impacts all of us, creating a terminal plague that ruins the livelihood of our communities,” said Lester R. Hayes Jr., Special Agent in Charge HSI Dallas. “As long as this illicit activity exists, we are all susceptible to the violence and societal ills of the drug trade.”
According to court documents, the investigation into the elder Mr. Devaney began in June 2022, when a cooperating defendant identified the elder Mr. Devaney as a methamphetamine distributor.
Later that month, law enforcement received a 911 call about a 64-year-old woman who was shot and killed in Burleson, Texas. Surveillance video showed that Mr. Devaney, Sr.’s vehicle was involved in the incident, which was thought to be a drug deal gone bad. (The deceased woman was an innocent bystander.)
Officers tracked the vehicle to a hotel parking lot, where they frisked the driver, Mr. Litts, and found a plastic baggy containing 115 grams of methamphetamine and a digital scale concealed inside his clothing.
Officers then approached Mr. Devaney, Sr., who was sitting on the passenger’s side of the vehicle, and observed him throw a shaving kit bag into a nearby bush. Inside the bag, officers found more than a kilogram of methamphetamine and a substantial amount of U.S. currency. They frisked Mr. Devaney, a ten-time convicted felon, and found a .40 caliber Smith & Wesson pistol tucked into his waistband.
Both men were arrested and transported to the Burleson police department.
That same evening, Mr. Devaney, Jr., was also arrested in connection with the shooting in Burleson.
In an interview with law enforcement, Mr. Devaney, Jr. denied involvement with the shooting, but admitted, “obviously, there’s been drugs.” He said his dad “just went off the deep end… and he started selling drugs,” and claimed his father “just kept sucking me in.”
Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas Field Office, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office Stop The Offender Program (STOP), the Burleson Police Department, and the Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shawn Smith and Laura Montes prosecuted the federal case.
The state has filed capital murder charges against both Devaneys and several other individuals for their alleged roles in the Burleson shooting. Although they have been convicted of the federal drug charges, they are presumed innocent of the state capital murder charges until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.El Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo con un restaurante franquiciado en la Florida que resuelve unas acusaciones de discriminación relacionada con la inmigraciónRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha llegado a un acuerdo conciliatorio con una compañía ubicada en la Florida, Destin Wings LLC, conocida comercialmente como Hooters of Destin (Destin Wings). El acuerdo resuelve la determinación del Departamento que Destin Wings vulneró la Ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad («INA», por sus siglas en inglés) al discriminar a una persona no ciudadana de los EE. UU. a la hora de comprobar su permiso para trabajar en los Estados Unidos.
«Mientras que los empleadores tienen la obligación legal de verificar el permiso para trabajar en los Estados Unidos de cada persona recién contratada, no pueden discriminar durante el proceso con base en el estatus de ciudadanía o la nacionalidad de origen del empleado», afirmó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «La División de Derechos Civiles seguirá combatiendo con firmeza la discriminación ilícita en el empleo y quitará los obstáculos innecesarios al trabajo».
La investigación del Departamento comenzó cuando una trabajadora no ciudadana de los EE. UU. se quejó que Destin Wings se había negado a aceptar su documentación válida que demostraba su permiso para trabajar y solicitó documentación adicional innecesaria. Aunque tenía permiso para trabajar en los Estados Unidos, no pudo obtener uno de los documentos que Destin Wings requería debido a su estatus de ciudadanía. La disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA prohíbe que los empleadores soliciten documentos específicos o más documentos de los que sean necesarios por motivos de la ciudadanía, el estatus migratorio o la nacionalidad de origen de un trabajador. Los empleadores deben permitir que sus trabajadores presenten cualquier documentación aceptable que dichos trabajadores quieran y no pueden rechazar documentación válida que parece ser genuina.
El acuerdo requiere que Destin Wings pague una sanción civil a los Estados Unidos, efectúe pagos retroactivos a la trabajadora que se había quejado al Departamento, capacite su personal en cuanto a la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA y que se someta a la supervisión del Departamento durante un período de tres años.
La Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados de la División de Derechos Civiles es responsable de hacer cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. Entre otras cosas, la ley prohíbe la discriminación con base en el estatus de ciudadanía y la nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión, las prácticas documentales injustas, las represalias y la intimidación.
Hay información disponible en el sitio web de la IER sobre cómo los empleadores pueden evitar la discriminación a la hora de verificar el permiso para trabajar. Aprenda más sobre cómo la IER protege los derechos de los trabajadores en este video. Para más información sobre las protecciones que ofrece la INA contra la discriminación en el empleo al amparo de las leyes migratorias, llame a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); inscríbase a un seminario en línea gratuito; envíe en correo electrónico a [email protected]; o visite las páginas web de la IER en inglés y español. Para recibir las últimas noticias de la IER, inscríbase a GovDelivery.
Aquellos aspirantes o empleados que creen haber sido sometidos a: discriminación por motivos de su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión; discriminación en el proceso de la verificación de la elegibilidad para trabajar (Formulario I-9 e E-Verify) con base en su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen; o represalias pueden presentar una denuncia o llamar a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores para pedir ayuda.
Durham Crips Gang Member Sentenced for Fifth Robbery ConvictionRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO – A North Carolina man was sentenced today to 19 years in prison, after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit robbery and two counts of felon in possession of a firearm by an armed career criminal, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC).
DEVONTE DAQUAN COZART, age 28, of Durham, North Carolina, was sentenced to a 228-month term of imprisonment by the Honorable Catherine C. Eagles, United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the MDNC. He pleaded guilty on December 8, 2022, to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1951(a), and two counts of felon in possession of a firearm by an armed career criminal, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1) and 924(e). COZART also agreed to forfeit two handguns.
A codefendant, Tori Demarco Bumpers, pleaded guilty on September 8, 2022, to the same statutory violations. Bumpers’ sentencing is scheduled for August 4, 2023, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
According to court records, COZART, a member of the Eight Trey Gangster Crips street gang, and Bumpers left the area of Glenbrook Drive on March 14, 2022, just before dark in COZART’s gray Honda Accord. At approximately 9:30 p.m. that night, Bumpers robbed a vape shop located at West Club Boulevard in Durham at gunpoint, taking cash, cigarettes, a “Cookies” brand backpack, and other items. Bumpers left the store and fled on foot with a second man. At approximately 9:50 p.m., two men wearing dark clothing and masks robbed an individual waiting for a ride to work (Victim-1). After one of the men, whose height and hair was consistent with COZART’s, got in Victim-1’s face and pointed a gun at him, the assailants took cash, electronics, and an Oakley backpack from Victim-1. At approximately 10:10 p.m., Bumpers aimed a gun at the clerk of a convenience store on Fayetteville Road in Durham and demanded cash and cigarettes. After taking the items, he left the store and ran across the parking lot to a waiting car. Around 10:30 p.m. Durham Police Department officers stopped COZART’s gray Honda Accord on East Club Boulevard. COZART was driving, and Bumpers was in the front passenger seat. A black mask was resting between COZART’s right leg and the center console. Officers removed the men from the car and placed them in handcuffs. Upon searching the vehicle, officers recovered items from each of the above-described robberies and a loaded .45 handgun.
On May 12, 2022, investigators executing a warrant to arrest COZART on federal charges stemming from the March 14, 2022, robberies searched the Durham residence where he was located and found a 9mm handgun. Subsequent investigation identified a fingerprint on the gun’s magazine as having been made by COZART’s right thumb.
The previous year, on April 8, 2022, investigators encountered COZART in a Durham apartment near a .357 magnum revolver. COZART admitted that the gun belonged to him.
At the time of these offenses, COZART had been previously convicted of Common Law Robbery and Breaking and Entering (offense date May 7, 2014); Common Law Robbery and Conspiracy to Commit Common Law Robbery (offense date March 24, 2015); Common Law Robbery (offense date February 5, 2015); Common Law Robbery and Conspiracy to Commit Common Law Robbery (offense date May 1, 2018); and Attempted Common Law Robbery (offense date April 28, 2018). In connection with these offenses COZART was sentenced to multiple terms of imprisonment exceeding one year. Thus, at the time of the offenses, COZART was legally barred from possessing a firearm due to his status as a felon.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Raleigh-Durham Safe Streets Task Force (SSTF), the Durham Police Department, and the Durham County Sheriff’s Office. The lead investigator was an FBI Task Force Officer from the Durham County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric Iverson.
Since 1992, the FBI's Safe Streets Violent Crime Initiative has successfully aligned FBI Agents, state and local law enforcement investigators, and federal and state prosecutors onto SSTFs to reduce violent crime. This nationwide initiative brings resources together in a "force multiplier concept" and utilizes the expertise of each agency. SSTFs focus primarily upon street gang and drug-related violence through sustained, proactive, coordinated investigations to obtain prosecutions on violations such as racketeering, drug conspiracy, and firearms violations.
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Detroit Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Brandon Lamarr McCauley, also known as “Louie,” 30, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to five years and two months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute heroin.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 12, 2022, law enforcement officers pulled over a vehicle driven by McCauley on Fifth Avenue in Huntington. McCauley admitted that he possessed approximately 62 grams of suspected heroin, which he had divided into multiple bags for distribution, that officers found during the traffic stop. The West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory confirmed the controlled substance was fentanyl.
McCauley further admitted to aiding and abetting another individual in the distribution of additional quantities of heroin totaling 2.6 grams on Sixth Street in Huntington on May 12, 2022.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-187.
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Connecticut Man Sentenced to 51 Months for Trafficking More Than 4 lbs. of Cocaine to New HampshireRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Connecticut man was sentenced today in federal court for drug trafficking in New Hampshire, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Jabreel A. Amir, 41, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Paul J. Barbadoro to 51 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release. On December 14, 2022, Amir plead guilty to the charges.
“Today, the defendant was held accountable for trafficking cocaine to New Hampshire,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “Our federal and local law enforcement partners successfully prevented a significant quantity of drugs from impacting our communities, and we will continue to work together to prosecute individuals who contribute to this serious problem.”
On May 9, 2022, Amir attempted to deliver cocaine in New Hampshire to an individual cooperating with the government. Law enforcement officers surveilled Amir as he attempted to conduct the drug sale. He traveled from Waterbury, Connecticut to Concord, New Hampshire, where he was arrested. Law enforcement seized more than 2 kilograms of cocaine.
The United States Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by New Hampshire State Police Narcotics Intelligence Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Davis prosecuted the case.
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Cincinnati man pleads guilty to Covid relief fraudRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI– A man who filed for relief under the Paycheck Protection Program and fraudulently claimed that he was running a business during the time he was incarcerated pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to one count of wire fraud.
Willie Boyce, 41, agreed to pay $41,040 in restitution, in addition to any time he may serve in federal prison.
According to court documents, Boyce was incarcerated in Hamilton County from March 2018 until September 2020, when he was released to a halfway house.
Boyce acknowledged that he applied electronically for two PPP loans in April 2021, claiming he owned a business that provided taxi and ridesharing services.
In his applications, Boyce fraudulently claimed a gross income of $98,500 for 2019 even though he was in prison for the entirety of that year. Boyce used his halfway house address as the business address and submitted a forged bank statement.
Boyce claimed the money was for payroll for his company, and received payments on April 20 and May 5, 2021, but withdrew or spent all the money by the end of May 2021, on non-business-related transactions including payments to Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Expedia, Hampton Inn and Delta Airlines.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, announced the guilty plea entered today before Senior U.S. District Judge Susan J. Dlott. The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, in coordination with U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Secret Service, Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles Investigations and Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ebunoluwa Taiwo is representing the United States in this case.
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Beaver County Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Selling Drugs that Led to an Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A Beaver County resident has been sentenced in federal court to 96 months of imprisonment on his conviction of Possession with Intent to Distribute and Distribution of a Substance Containing Detectable Amounts of Heroin, Acetyl Fentanyl, and Fentanyl, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge William S. Stickman imposed the sentence on Zachary Martin Cymbalak, age 36, of Freedom, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, on Jan. 6, 2019, law enforcement officer found a deceased individual under circumstances suggesting that the death was caused by an overdose, which was later confirmed by the Beaver County Coroner’s Office. At the location of the death, law enforcement officers found drug paraphernalia and distinctive empty stamp bags. Based on telephone records and other investigative techniques, law enforcement identified Cymbalak as the likely source of supply of the drugs that caused the death.
Later on Jan. 6, 2019, law enforcement arranged for a confidential informant to purchase controlled substances from the defendant. The stamp bags were the same distinctive stamp bags found at the scene of the death. After the purchase, law enforcement stopped the vehicle in which Cymbalak was a passenger and recovered more of the distinctive stamps bags and the money used in the purchase. Laboratory tests confirmed that the stamp bags purchased from Cymbalak and recovered from Cymbalak’s person contained a combination of heroin, fentanyl, and acetyl fentanyl. As part of the plea agreement Cymbalak took responsibility for causing the death of the decedent.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, along with the Baden and Harmony Township police departments, the Beaver County Coroner’s Office, and the Beaver County District Attorney’s Office Anti-Drug Task Force, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Cymbalak.
Bakersfield CPA Pleads Guilty to Stealing over $350,000 from InvestorsRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Jeffrey Todd Stewart, 57, of Bakersfield, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud in relation to him stealing $355,000 from investors, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Stewart was employed as a certified public accountant in Bakersfield. Between September 2014 and June 2018, Stewart solicited and received over $2 million from investors to pay fees and expenses purportedly needed for an overseas business deal. Stewart represented to the investors that their investments were being used for the deal and promised significant returns. Although Stewart used most of the money for the purported deal, he spent $355,000 of the money obtained from the investors on his own personal expenses, including mortgage payments, trips to Las Vegas, and gambling.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Barton and Brittany Gunter are prosecuting the case.
Stewart is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on Aug. 21, 2023. Stewart faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000. The actual sentence, however, will 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.
Atlanta Man Sentenced to 6.5 Years in Prison for Distributing Fentanyl from McKeesport ResidenceRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A Georgia resident has been sentenced in federal court to 78 months of imprisonment on his conviction of Possession with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge David Stewart Cercone imposed the sentence on Christopher Jordan, age 42, of Atlanta, Georgia.
According to information presented to the court, an investigation by the Allegheny County Police revealed that Jordan was selling fentanyl from an address on Soles Street in McKeesport, Pennsylvania. Allegheny County Police detectives executed a search warrant at that residence on March 11, 2021, and the detectives found distribution quantities of fentanyl attributable to Jordan, along with other evidence of drug trafficking.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Allegheny County Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Jordan.
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.
Airline Passenger Charged After Flight Diverted into KCI AirportRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A passenger aboard an Alaska Airlines flight has been charged in a federal criminal complaint after the flight was diverted from its course and landed at Kansas City International Airport.
Chloe M. Dasilva, 32, was charged with one count of interfering with flight crew members and attendants in a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., on Friday, April 7. Dasilva, who remains in federal custody, will have her initial court appearance today.
An affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint alleges that Dasilva interfered with the duties of flight attendants while she was a passenger aboard Alaska Airlines flight 456. The flight was scheduled for nonstop service from San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco, California, to Chicago O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, Ill. However, the flight was diverted into Kansas City International Airport in Kansas City, Mo., at approximately 4:20 a.m. Friday, April 7.
According to the affidavit, Dasilva, who had been disruptive during the flight, was involved in a confrontation with a male flight attendant, cussing and yelling and threatening to kill him. A flight attendant, with the assistance of two passengers, used zip ties to restrain her. One of the passengers switched seats with a mother and her infant who was seated directly in front of Dasilva for their safety.
The pilot decided to divert to Kansas City instead of going to Chicago because he was concerned for the safety of the passengers.
The charge contained in this complaint is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Blackwood. It was investigated by the FBI.
Saturday 8 April 2023
Pine Ridge Man Indicted for Pornography and Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal grand jury has indicted a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man for Enticement of a Minor, Possession of Child Pornography, and Sexual Abuse of a Minor.
Rowland Coomes, age 35, was indicted in February of 2023. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta L. Wollmann on April 5, 2023, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is a mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, a mandatory minimum of five years up to life of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund for each count of conviction. Restitution may also be ordered.
The charges relate to Coomes using his cellular phone to entice a minor female to engage in sexual activity in November of 2021. Coomes also possessed child pornography on his social media account. Between March of 2021 and November of 2022, Coomes sexually abused another minor female at Pine Ridge.
The charges are merely accusations and Coomes is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen is prosecuting the case.
Coomes was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has been set for June 13, 2023.
Eagle Butte Man Sentenced for AssaultRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury was sentenced on April 7, 2023, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Ramon Louis Bagola, age 24, was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Bagola was indicted by a federal grand jury in September of 2022. He pleaded guilty on January 11, 2023.
On the evening of May 16, 2022, Bagola and another individual assaulted the victim in the stairwell of the Evergreen Apartments building in Eagle Butte, knocking the victim unconscious and causing a subdural hematoma. The assault was unprovoked. Bagola took the victim’s car keys and wallet from his person. Bagola used the car keys to steal the victim’s Trailblazer from the apartment parking lot.
This case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.
Bagola was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Friday 7 April 2023
Worcester Man Sentenced for Cocaine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Worcester man has been sentenced in federal court in Worcester for conspiring to distribute over 500 grams of cocaine.
Angel Cordova, 39, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to five years in prison and four years of supervised release. In December 2021, Cordova pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
In March 2019, intercepted communications determined Cordova was conspiring with a least five others – including Junior Melendez Juan Rodriguez, Antoine Mack, Kevin Jean, and Carlos Richards – to buy significant quantities of powder cocaine, convert some of that powder cocaine into crack cocaine and distribute powder and crack cocaine in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. From March 2019 through June 2019, investigators identified over four kilograms of cocaine that Melendez either purchased or sold, including over 300 grams of cocaine that was seized in New Hampshire on May 25, 2019.
Juan Rodriguez and Kevin Jean were convicted after a jury trial and sentenced to 52 months and 40 months in prison, respectively. Antoine Mack pleaded guilty and was sentenced 54 months in prison. Melendez pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 156 months in prison. Carlos Richards remains a fugitive.United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent made the announcement today. Valuable was provided by Massachusetts State Police, New Hampshire State Police, Shrewsbury Police and the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Greg A. Friedholm, Kristen M. Noto and Lauren A. Graber of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the cases.
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 details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Waterville Man Faces up to 15 Years for Conspiring to Provide Material Support to TerroristsRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Waterville man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Bangor today to conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists.
According to court records, beginning in November 2021, Xavier Pelkey, 19, conspired with two minors, one located in Chicago and one in Canada, to conduct a mass shooting at a Shia mosque in the Chicago area. Pelkey and his coconspirators were subscribers to a radical form of Sunni Islam and supporters of the foreign terrorist organization the Islamic State, also known as ISIS. Pelkey planned to contribute firearms, ammunition and explosives to be used in the attack.
In February 2022, the FBI executed a search warrant at Pelkey’s Waterville residence and discovered three handmade explosive devices. Investigators observed a hand-painted version of the flag used by ISIS on the wall of Pelkey’s bedroom and recovered written statements intended to be released just prior to the planned attack claiming the attack in the name of ISIS.
Pelkey faces up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine followed by up to a lifetime of supervised release. He 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 FBI investigated the case.
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