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Friday 7 April 2023
Beckley Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Travis John Miller, 40, of Beckley, was sentenced today to seven years and three months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for distributing 5 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Miller admitted to selling approximately 26.94 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant at his Beckley residence on October 19, 2021. Miller further admitted to selling quantities of methamphetamine to a confidential informant on October 20 and October 27, 2021.
On October 29, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Miller’s residence and found methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and a Hi-Point .380-caliber semi-automatic pistol.
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 Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit. The Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell 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. 5:22-cr-107.
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Beckley Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Steven Marvin Lawson Jr., 29, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Lawson admitted to possessing a Springfield Armory model XD .45-caliber pistol at a Beagle Club Road residence in Jumping Branch, Summers County, on September 28, 2020.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Lawson was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for two counts of theft by receiving stolen property in Gwinnett County, Georgia, Superior Court on May 13, 2016.
Lawson is scheduled to be sentenced on July 28, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (AFT), and the West Virginia State Police-Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI).
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Kathleen Robeson and Kristin F. Scott are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-217.
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Alamogordo firefighter pleads guilty to production of child pornographyRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced that Jason Ross-Lattion Fleming pled guilty to production of a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct and providing child pornography to a minor. Fleming 36, of Piñon, New Mexico will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
According to the plea agreement and other court documents, from Feb. 2021 until Dec. 2013, Fleming persuaded a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing an image of that conduct with his cellphone. Beginning in January 2021 and continuing until March 2021, Fleming engaged in sexual contact with a nine-year-old he was babysitting. Fleming exposed himself to the child and provided her access to pornographic videos on his cellphone, including child pornography. Fleming offered the child Reese’s candy to entice her to engage in sexual acts.
On Dec. 9, 2021, New Mexico State Police (NMSP) executed a search warrant and seized two cellphones from Fleming. On April 18, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) obtained and executed a federal warrant to search the contents of Fleming’s phones. Investigators found child pornography on Fleming’s personal cellphone.
Fleming was a firefighter in Alamogordo, New Mexico, at the time of the offenses. The City of Alamogordo has terminated his employment.
Fleming faces a minimum of five years and up to 20 years in prison for providing child pornography to a minor, and up to 30 years in prison for the production of a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Upon his release from prison, Fleming will be subject to at least five years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
HSI investigated this case with assistance from NMSP, the Las Cruces Police Department, New Mexico State Police, and the Otero County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Marisa A. Ong and Matilda McCarthy Villalobos are prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
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23-71
Alamogordo firefighter pleads guilty to production of child pornographyRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced that Jason Ross-Lattion Fleming pled guilty to production of a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct and providing child pornography to a minor. Fleming 36, of Piñon, New Mexico will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
According to the plea agreement and other court documents, from Feb. 2021 until Dec. 2013, Fleming persuaded a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing an image of that conduct with his cellphone. Beginning in January 2021 and continuing until March 2021, Fleming engaged in sexual contact with a nine-year-old he was babysitting. Fleming exposed himself to the child and provided her access to pornographic videos on his cellphone, including child pornography. Fleming offered the child Reese’s candy to entice her to engage in sexual acts.
On Dec. 9, 2021, New Mexico State Police (NMSP) executed a search warrant and seized two cellphones from Fleming. On April 18, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) obtained and executed a federal warrant to search the contents of Fleming’s phones. Investigators found child pornography on Fleming’s personal cellphone.
Fleming was a firefighter in Alamogordo, New Mexico, at the time of the offenses. The City of Alamogordo has terminated his employment.
Fleming faces a minimum of five years and up to 20 years in prison for providing child pornography to a minor, and up to 30 years in prison for the production of a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Upon his release from prison, Fleming will be subject to at least five years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
HSI investigated this case with assistance from NMSP, the Las Cruces Police Department, New Mexico State Police, and the Otero County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Marisa A. Ong and Matilda McCarthy Villalobos are prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
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23-71
Alamogordo firefighter pleads guilty to production of child pornographyRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced that Jason Ross-Lattion Fleming pled guilty to production of a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct and providing child pornography to a minor. Fleming, 36, of Piñon, New Mexico will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
According to the plea agreement and other court documents, from Feb. 2021 until Dec. 2013, Fleming persuaded a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing an image of that conduct with his cellphone. Beginning in January 2021 and continuing until March 2021, Fleming engaged in sexual contact with a nine-year-old he was babysitting. Fleming exposed himself to the child and provided her access to pornographic videos on his cellphone, including child pornography. Fleming offered the child Reese’s candy to entice her to engage in sexual acts.
On Dec. 9, 2021, New Mexico State Police (NMSP) executed a search warrant and seized two cellphones from Fleming. On April 18, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) obtained and executed a federal warrant to search the contents of Fleming’s phones. Investigators found child pornography on Fleming’s personal cellphone.
Fleming was a firefighter in Alamogordo, New Mexico, at the time of the offenses. The City of Alamogordo has terminated his employment.
Fleming faces a minimum of five years and up to 20 years in prison for providing child pornography to a minor, and up to 30 years in prison for the production of a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Upon his release from prison, Fleming will be subject to at least five years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
HSI investigated this case with assistance from NMSP, the Las Cruces Police Department, New Mexico State Police, and the Otero County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Marisa A. Ong and Matilda McCarthy Villalobos are prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
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23-71
Alamogordo firefighter pleads guilty to production of child pornographyRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced that Jason Ross-Lattion Fleming pled guilty to production of a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct and providing child pornography to a minor. Fleming, 36, of Piñon, New Mexico, will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
According to the plea agreement and other court documents, from Feb. 2021 until Dec. 2013, Fleming persuaded a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing an image of that conduct with his cellphone. Beginning in January 2021 and continuing until March 2021, Fleming engaged in sexual contact with a nine-year-old he was babysitting. Fleming exposed himself to the child and provided her access to pornographic videos on his cellphone, including child pornography. Fleming offered the child Reese’s candy to entice her to engage in sexual acts.
On Dec. 9, 2021, New Mexico State Police (NMSP) executed a search warrant and seized two cellphones from Fleming. On April 18, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) obtained and executed a federal warrant to search the contents of Fleming’s phones. Investigators found child pornography on Fleming’s personal cellphone.
Fleming was a firefighter in Alamogordo, New Mexico, at the time of the offenses. The City of Alamogordo has terminated his employment.
Fleming faces a minimum of five years and up to 20 years in prison for providing child pornography to a minor, and up to 30 years in prison for the production of a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Upon his release from prison, Fleming will be subject to at least five years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
HSI investigated this case with assistance from NMSP, the Las Cruces Police Department, New Mexico State Police, and the Otero County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Marisa A. Ong and Matilda McCarthy Villalobos are prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
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23-71
6 Sentenced for Illegally Trafficking Corals from the PhilippinesRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE – On April 4, 2023, a Colorado man was sentenced on charges related to violations of the Lacey Act and smuggling protected marine corals from the Philippines into the United States for retail sale.
Veleriy V. Gorbounov, 45, of Morrison, Colorado was sentenced this week by U.S. District Court Judge Joshua Kindred to a term of probation of two years, the payment of a fine of $4,000 to a Philippines based organization dedicated to coral reef restoration and being prohibited from engaging in the sale of marine corals for his role in illegally importing endangered coral from the Philippines for sale. Gorbounov is one of 8 defendants charged in the District of Alaska for illegally importing corals from the Philippines for retail sale.
In April, 2022, prosecutors charged Jerome Anthony Stringfield, 43, of Kissimmee, Florida; Albert B. Correira, 35, of Westport, Massachusetts; and Allen William Ockey, 35, of Long Beach, California, with felony violations of conspiracy, violations of the Lacey Act and smuggling of corals from the Philippines. Ockey pleaded guilty to Wildlife Trafficking felony charges and was sentenced to a term of two years’ probation and required to pay a donation to a Phillipines organization dedicated to coral reef restoration in the amount of $5,000. Defendant Stringfield and Correira’s cases remains pending.
In separate filings, the following individuals were each charged with misdemeanor offenses related to violations of the Lacey Act: Derek M. Kelley, 31, of Elkhart, Indiana; James Knight, 47, of Newaygo, Michigan; Valeriy V. Gorbounov, 46, of Morrison, Colorado; Nathan C. Meisner, 35, of Rapid City, South Dakota; and Ricky A. Sprires, 34, of Gilbert South Carolina. Each of these defendants have plead guilty to Wildlife Trafficking under the Lacey Act and were sentenced to terms of probation of two years, required to pay contributions to a Philippine-based coral reef restoration organization in amounts varying from $2,000 to $4,000 and conditions that they do not import or sell corals for the term of probation.
The indictment and separate filings all alleged that between July 2017 and August 2018, the defendants paid a Philippine national to dive for and collect protected marine corals which they would then sell online to coral collectors and hobbyists. They further alleged that some corals were illegally sold in violation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) which is an international treaty implemented to prevent species from becoming endangered or extinct because of international commercial trade. Additionally, Philippine law prohibits any person to gather, possess, commercially transport, sell or export corals commercially regardless of CITES status. In total, the defendants, through their Philippine supplier, illegally purchased and transported for sale more than 3,000 separate pieces of coral in violation of Philippines and United States law.
The charging documents in all cases states that the Republic of the Philippines is one of six countries straddling the Coral Triangle, a 5.4 million-square-kilometer stretch of ocean that contains 75% of the world’s coral species, one-third of the Earth’s coral reefs and more than 3,000 species of fish. Poaching for corals and other factors have left only 5% of coral reefs in the Philippines in “excellent” condition, with only 1% in a “pristine” state.
The supplier in the Philippines, Glenn Albert Binoya, a Philippines national, was charged by the Republic of the Philippines after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service contacted Philippine authorities about their investigation. Binoya, 47, died of unrelated medical issues prior to resolution of his case.
“This office and the Department of Justice will pursue state, national and transnational wildlife trafficking regardless of location,” said United States Attorney S. Lane Tucker, District of Alaska. “Through our partnership with the Fish and Wildlife Service these traffickers have been brought to justice.’
U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska made the announcement.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Skrocki is prosecuting the cases.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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usao/ak/23-025
28 Year Old Sentenced on Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven A. Russell announced that Eduardo Marquez, 28, was sentenced April 6, 2023, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and as an addict in possession of a firearm. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter Jr. sentenced Marquez to 84 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a 4-year term of supervised release.
On April 27, 2021, the Drug Enforcement Administration arranged to purchase 1,000 fentanyl pills from a Mexico-based source of supply using a confidential source. The source of supply provided the confidential source with Marquez’s phone number.
The confidential source, under the direction of law enforcement, successfully purchased the fentanyl from Marquez. Following the purchase, DEA Agents searched Marquez’s residence and recovered 573 grams of cocaine, 139 grams of fentanyl, an AK-47 rifle and a .45 caliber handgun. Marquez was arrested at the residence. He admitted selling cocaine and possessing the .45 caliber handgun.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
18-Year-Old Sentenced to Prison for Flight from Immigration CheckpointRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. –Derek Ira Pablo Jr., 18, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced on Tuesday by United States District Judge John C. Hinderaker to 10 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release. Pablo pleaded guilty to one count of High-Speed Flight from Immigration Checkpoint.
On November 3, 2022, Pablo drove his vehicle through a United States Border Patrol checkpoint on Arizona State Route 86 near Robles Junction, Arizona. He did not slow down or stop as directed by the speed bumps and signage. Pablo accelerated and operated his vehicle at speeds up to 100 mph in a 45 mile per hour zone during the chase, but would not stop as agents pursued him. He finally stopped his vehicle because of a flat tire and then tried to flee on foot, but was apprehended and arrested.
Customs and Border Protection’s United States Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Brandon M. Bolling, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-2593-TUC-JCH AS (BGM)
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-051_Pablo# # #
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.
Thursday 6 April 2023
Wolf Point woman admits trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl on Fort Peck Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Wolf Point woman today admitted to allegations that she trafficked methamphetamine and fentanyl on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Jordan Paige Day, 24, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Day faces a mandatory minimum of five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The court set sentencing for Aug. 30. Day was released pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that in January 2022, the Idaho State Police stopped a vehicle Day was driving toward Montana. During a search of the vehicle, officers located methamphetamine and fentanyl pills. In April 2022, Fort Peck officers searched a residence based on information that Day was at the house and was selling drugs. Officers seized a large bag of meth from the couch and approximately 140 fentanyl pills from under a couch cushion. Day later admitted to selling meth. Regarding the April incident, Day said that she and another person had picked up multiple pounds of meth and several hundred fentanyl pills and that the meth seized was a portion of those drugs.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan R. Plaut is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Idaho State Police, Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office and Fort Peck Department of Law and Justice.
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.
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Wilmington-Area Felon Who Sold Illegal Machine Gun, Cocaine, and Other Weapons Sentenced to over 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – Devonte Lewis, of Navassa, was sentenced to 130 months in prison for armed drug trafficking uncovered through an undercover operation focused on curbing gang violence in the Wilmington and Brunswick County Areas. Lewis pled guilty on December 8, 2022 to possession of a firearm not registered with the National Firearms Registry, possession of a firearm by a felon, distribution of a quantity of crack cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
“Those selling illegal machine guns and carrying firearms in furtherance of their drug dealing endanger our communities and will face significant consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “The public needs to know that we will not allow criminals to use and deal in machine guns and ‘switches’ that convert Glocks into fully-automatic machine guns.”
According to court documents, evidence presented in court, and other documents, between November 16, 2021, and December 10, 2021, Lewis sold a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) undercover agent the following: a 9mm handgun with an extended magazine ad a 50-round drum, two rifles, one that was stolen, a Glock 45 caliber handgun, a “switch” that converted a Glock 9mm handgun from a semiautomatic into a fully functioning machine gun, a semiautomatic handgun with an extended magazine, and a .38 caliber handgun. Additionally, Lewis sold the undercover agent a quantity of cocaine on at least two occasions. On one of those occasions Lewis was armed with a handgun.
On March 2, 2022, ATF contacted Ernest Robinson, a co-conspirator, about purchasing a firearm. Robison and Lewis arrived together to meet the undercover agent, and Lewis brought in an AR-10 rifle with a large capacity magazine and a revolver. The agent paid Robinson for the guns after he said they belonged to him. Robinson is a validated Blood gang member and, like Lewis, a convicted felon.
This is part of “Operation Golfer,” which is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Wilmington Police Department, and the Duplin, New Hanover and Brunswick County Sheriffs’ Offices investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Severo and Gabe Diaz prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:22-CR-00038-FL.
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Westford Man Sentenced for Bank Fraud and Possessing an Unregistered FirearmRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Westford man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for conspiring to commit bank fraud and possessing an unregistered short-barreled rifle.
Bin Lu, 51, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. to one year of supervised release. In June 2021, Lu pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of possession of an unregistered firearm. Lu cooperated with the government’s investigation.
Lu was arrested and charged in January 2021 along with co-conspirator Daniel Whitman, a former police officer with the Tyngsborough Police Department and the owner of Hitman Firearms, LLC, a retail gun shop in Tyngsborough.
Lu and Whitman created Freedom Alley Shooting Sports LLC, which they envisioned as a large indoor shooting range that would serve regional and international customers and offer shooting clinics and other services. Lu and Whitman brought in a Chinese investor who contributed several million dollars to Freedom Alley in exchange for a majority interest in the company. However, in applying for loans from federally insured financial institutions, Lu and Whitman hid the true source of their initial funding and the investor’s ownership interest from the banks, and filed false documents in connection with their loan applications.
Lu also possessed a short-barreled rifle that was not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required by the National Firearms Act.
On March 22, 2023, Whitman was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to one year and one day in prison and two years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to his role in the conspiracy. Whitman was also ordered to pay a $20,000 fine.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Jonathan Davidson, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Boston; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. The Tyngsborough and Westford Police Departments provided valuable assistance in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evan D. Panich of Rollins’ Criminal Division and Eugenia M. Carris, Deputy Chief of Rollins’ Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the case.
West Virginia Truck Driver Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Attempted Sex Trafficking of a Minor in Morton, IllinoisRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A West Virginia over-the-road truck driver, Michael Leonard, 53, has been sentenced to fifteen years in prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for attempted trafficking of a minor. Leonard will also be required to register as a sex offender and pay restitution totaling $49,000 to victims of child pornography, whose images were stored on his phone.
At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid, the United States presented evidence that Leonard initiated a conversation on an advertising website in August 2020 with an individual he believed to be a mother offering sex with her 9-year-old daughter. In August 2021, Leonard again initiated a text conversation, agreeing to pay $50 for sex with the minor girl. He planned to meet the girl and her mother at an agreed upon location in central Illinois, FBI agents then arrested Leonard upon his arrival. He admitted he was there to meet the minor girl and her mother and that he intended to have sex with the girl. He also admitted that his phone contained images of child pornography. Agents searched the phone and found hundreds of images and videos of child pornography.
Leonard was indicted in September 2021 and pleaded guilty in September 2022. He has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest.
The statutory penalties for attempted sex trafficking of a minor are fifteen years to life imprisonment, followed by five years to life of supervised release.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Hollingshead-Cook represented the United States in the prosecution.
The case against Leonard was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.
U.S. Attorney’s Office and Justice Department File Complaint Against SunSetter Products LP Alleging Delay in Reporting Dangerous Awning CoversRead the Press Release
BOSTON –A complaint has been filed against Massachusetts-based SunSetter Products LP (SunSetter), alleging that the company delayed reporting a hazardous defect involving protective vinyl covers for its retractable awnings. The announcement was made by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, the Department of Justice and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
SunSetter is a limited partnership based in Malden, Mass. that manufactures motorized, retractable awnings for outdoor use. The complaint, filed in federal court in Boston, alleges that SunSetter knowingly failed to immediately report to the CPSC that when bungee tie-downs securing its protective awning covers were removed, the retractable awnings could spring open unexpectedly with enough force to strike consumers and cause them to fall and suffer death or serious injury. The complaint alleges that between 2012 and 2017, SunSetter received 14 reports of its motorized awnings springing open, which resulted in several injuries and one death. Despite notice of these incidents, the company did not report the problems with its awning covers to the CPSC until October 2017.
According to the complaint, the protective covers at issue were sold separately or given away as a promotional item with the company’s motorized awnings between June 1999 and January 2019. The covers were recalled in August 2019.
“Prompt reporting of potentially dangerous defects or problems with products is vital to impactful and immediate consumer protection. CPSC cannot do its job without strict compliance by industry. The defect in this matter, as alleged, can cause serious injury up to and including death,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Manufacturers must be held accountable for failing to comply with this important obligation which jeopardizes the safety of consumers.”
“Companies must report safety issues in consumer products immediately, as the law requires, to prevent unnecessary injury or death,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to work closely with the CPSC to hold accountable manufacturers that put profits over the safety of consumers.”
“SunSetter knew for years that its product was hazardous, yet failed to tell CPSC as required by federal law,” said Chair Alex Hoehn-Saric of the CPSC. “It took a tragic death and numerous other injuries before they finally took action – which is unacceptable. When a company continues to sell dangerous products – knowing they can cause injuries and death – it must be held accountable.”
The Consumer Product Safety Act requires manufacturers, distributors and retailers of consumer products to report “immediately” to the CPSC information that reasonably supports the conclusion that a product contains a defect which could create a substantial product hazard or creates an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death.
This matter is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin E. Brizius of Rollins’ Civil Division and Senior Litigation Counsels Christina Parascandola and Claude Scott and Trial Attorney Nicole Frazer of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch, with the assistance of Harriet Kerwin and Renee H. McCune of the CPSC’s Office of the General Counsel.
The claims made in the complaint are allegations that, if the case were to proceed to trial, the government would be required to prove by a preponderance of the evidence.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey Hosts “Unite Against Hate” Forum to Connect Asian-American Pacific Islander Community Groups to Federal, State, and Local Law EnforcementRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO - United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey hosted the first of several planned forums to combat unlawful acts of hate. U.S. Attorney Ramsey partnered with The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) to organize the meeting arranged to build trust between law enforcement and nonprofit advocates and to create and strengthen coordination between government partners—including law enforcement—and community-based organizations. The first meeting occurred Wednesday, March 29, 2023, at the Deb Colloquium Room of the University of California Law San Francisco and featured leaders from Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community and federal, state, and local law enforcement.
The theme of “united against hate” was initiated by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. Attorney General Garland announced the initiative during a White House visit last year and encouraged all 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to host local forums. Program participants engage in robust interaction on topics such as defining hate crimes versus hate incidents; the importance of reporting unlawful acts of hate; providing options for responding to hate incidents when situations do not constitute a federal or state crime; and distinguishing unlawful conduct from protected First Amendment activity, including identifying protected speech versus speech that advocates violence or encourages people to commit hate crimes. Several offices of the Department of Justice provided critical assistance in developing the program, including the Community Relations Service, the Community Oriented Policing Services Office, the FBI, and the Office of Justice Programs.
Members of a dozen AAPI community groups, including TAAF, participated in the program. Several government officials also attended. Government participants included officials having leadership roles such as San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Robert Tripp, UC Law San Francisco Dean of Students Grace Hum, and U.S. Attorney Ramsey, who provided opening remarks for the event.
Special thanks are given to UC Law San Francisco for providing technical assistance and the venue for the event and to TAAF for co-hosting and providing invaluable assistance at every stage of organizing the event.
Two Los Angeles Men Sentenced for Drug Conspiracy that Led to MurderRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK –Two men from Los Angeles, California, were sentenced yesterday for their roles in a conspiracy to acquire methamphetamine in California and distribute it in the Cortland, New York area, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Sheriff Mark E. Helms, Cortland County (New York) Sheriff’s Office, and Chief Andrew Espinoza Jr., City of Barstow (California) Police Department. Edgar Arrendondo, 31, was sentenced to serve 240 months (20 years), and Jose Pimentel, 35, was sentenced to serve 151 months (12 years and seven months) in federal prison for conspiring to provide more than 50 grams of methamphetamine to co-defendant Kyle Leeper, who intended to distribute it in Cortland. Arredondo was also sentenced based on his possession in the Central District of California of a shotgun and ammunition as a convicted felon, and for possession of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Both men were also sentenced to serve 5-year terms of post-incarceration supervised release.
Co-defendant Kyle Leeper was at the center of the conspiracy that trafficked methamphetamine from Indiana and Southern California to Cortland County, New York, where Leeper distributed it to local residents and drug dealers. In the fall of 2018, co-defendant Crystal Stephens, of Groton, New York, who was incarcerated in Indiana on burglary charges, contacted Leeper by telephone with contact information for co-defendant John Rice, an Indiana-based methamphetamine dealer. Leeper communicated with Rice by telephone and then travelled to and from Indiana twice in late 2018 and early 2019, where he obtained crystal methamphetamine and a .380 caliber pistol from Rice. Leeper distributed this methamphetamine in the Cortland area.
After Rice was arrested in Indiana in early January 2019, Leeper arranged to travel to the Los Angeles area to purchase more methamphetamine. From jail Crystal Stephens provided Leeper with telephone numbers for possible methamphetamine sources in East Los Angeles. In mid-January 2019, Leeper and an associate, co-defendant Ramon Nieves-Cotto, drove from Cortland to Los Angeles, where Leeper contacted one of these sources. The source sought assistance from co-defendant Arlene Rodriguez, who introduced Leeper to a middleman. On January 17, 2019, this middleman arranged for Leeper to buy three pounds of crystal methamphetamine for $5,000 from co-defendant Jose Pimentel. But after the methamphetamine was delivered to a motel in El Monte, California, Leeper realized that he had been shortchanged on the quantity delivered. Leeper abducted the middleman and Arlene Rodriguez at gunpoint. Later that day, Nieves-Cotto purchased zip ties, which Leeper used to bind the middleman. On the night of January 17, 2019, in the desert in Barstow, California, Leeper shot the bound middleman eight times from behind with the .380 caliber pistol, killing him. Leeper and Nieves-Cotto, along with Rodriguez, then drove to Cortland, where Leeper distributed the methamphetamine he obtained on this trip to California.
In early February 2019, Leeper, Nieves-Cotto, and Rodriguez returned to Los Angeles, where Leeper purchased an additional six to eight pounds of methamphetamine and a 9 mm pistol from co-defendant Edgar Arredondo. Upon his return to Cortland, Leeper, assisted by Rodriguez, began to distribute this methamphetamine. On February 19, 2019, officers from the Cortland County Sheriff’s Office stopped Leeper and Rodriguez while they were driving in Leeper’s pickup truck, which had an expired registration and cracked windshield. Inside the truck, the officers found four pounds of high-purity methamphetamine, the loaded .380 caliber pistol Leeper had used to commit the murder, and ammunition. They arrested Leeper, who previously had been convicted of state and federal felony offenses in Pennsylvania, and Rodriguez.
Five (5) other co-defendants previously pled guilty to participating in the drug trafficking conspiracy, and/or aiding and abetting the murder.
Kyle Leeper, 38, of Palmyra, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on November 18, 2022, to serve 40 years in federal prison for a murder committed during a drug trafficking conspiracy, conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon
Ramon Nieves-Cotto, 30, of DeRuyter, New York, pled guilty to aiding and abetting a murder during a drug conspiracy, and conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. He was sentenced on October 7, 2022, to serve 156 months in federal prison, and a four-year term of supervised release.
Crystal J. Stephens, 34, of Groton, New York, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. She was sentenced on November 15, 2022, to serve 100 months in federal prison, and a four-year term of supervised release.
Arlene N. Rodriguez, 38, of Montebello, California, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking crime. She was sentenced on October 6, 2022, to serve 94 months in prison, to be followed by four-year term of supervised release.
John Rice, 57, of Crawfordsville, Indiana, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and was sentenced on January 12, 2023, to 63 months in federal prison and a four-year term of supervised release after incarceration.
A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Cortland County (New York) Sheriff’s Office, the Barstow (California) Police Department, and the San Bernadino (California) County Sheriff’s Department, with assistance from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Cortland County (New York) District Attorney’s Office, the Montgomery County (Indiana) Sheriff’s Department, the Montgomery County (Indiana) District Attorney’s Office, the Pomona (California) Police Department, and the El Monte (California) Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven D. Clymer, Richard R. Southwick, and Thomas R. Sutcliffe, with assistance provided by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California (Assistant U.S. Attorney Benedetto Balding).
Toledo Men Sentenced to Prison for Their Roles in Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
TOLEDO – Three Toledo men were sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary after they were convicted at trial in November 2022 of various drug trafficking offenses. They were the last of 26 defendants charged in a 2020 indictment.
Antuan Wynn, who has a previous federal drug conspiracy conviction in the Northern District of Ohio, was sentenced to 224 months imprisonment; Marquise Figures was sentenced to 70 months imprisonment; and Christopher Simpson, who has a previous federal felon in possession of a firearm conviction in the Northern District of Ohio and was on supervised release at the time of this indictment, was sentenced to 300 months.
According to court documents, Wynn, Figures, Simpson, and other co-defendants conspired to traffic large amounts of cocaine, cocaine base, and fentanyl in the Toledo area. Court documents indicate that Wynn supplied substantial amounts of cocaine to another co-defendant, Anthony Duff, who then distributed ounce quantities to various distributors including Figures. Additionally, court documents state Simpson supplied fentanyl to Jackie Green and others.
Court records also show that members of the conspiracy used multiple cell phones that were obtained under other names, fictious names, or in no name at all. They also used code words to conceal their activity and used multiple residences in the Toledo area to store, break down, package, and distribute their narcotics and proceeds.
On December 16, 2020, federal, state, county, and local law enforcement authorities participated in an extensive takedown operation which included arrests and search warrants of those involved in the drug trafficking conspiracy. This effort was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF)operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case was investigated by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, Toledo Metro Drug Task Force, and the Northwest Ohio Interdiction Task Force.
The FBI Safe Streets is comprised of the FBI, Toledo Police Department, Sylvania Township Police Department, and the Oregon Police Department. The Toledo Metro Drug Task Force is comprised of the FBI, Toledo Police Department, Bureau of Criminal Investigations, Lucas County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). The Northwest Ohio Interdiction Task Force is comprised of the FBI, Toledo Police Department, and the Lucas and Wood County Sheriff’s Offices. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alissa M. Sterling and Robert N. Melching.
Ten People Charged for their Involvement in the Illegal Trafficking of Migratory BirdsRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A federal magistrate judge has unsealed indictments brought against 10 defendants in 10 separate cases for their alleged involvement in the illegal trafficking of migratory birds under Operation Ornery Birds II.
The cases brought against the 10 defendants are:
United States v. Alain Armando Hernandez, case no. 22-cr-20535.
United States v. Daniel Hernandez Matos, case no. 22-cr-20536.
United States v. Alejandro Hernandez Valero, case no. 23-cr-20119.
United States v. Julio Cesar Santana Menduina, case no. 22-cr-20537.
United States v. Andres Hernandez Rivera, case no. 22-cr-20538.
United States v. Felix Yoan Diaz Montesinos, case no. 23-cr-20120.
United States v. Yoander Cruz Sardina, case no. 22-cr-20589.
United States v. Conrado Torres Aleman, case no. 23-cr-20121.
United States v. Armando Espino Gonzalez, case no. 22-cr-20590.
United States v. Onelio Rene Hernandez, Jr., case no. 22-cr-20591.
In 1918, Congress enacted the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) for the protection of migratory birds. Now in its 100th year, the MBTA prohibits, among other things, the pursuit, hunting, taking, capture, killing, possession, sale, barter, purchase, shipping, exportation, and importation of migratory birds. Migratory birds are listed at Title 50, Code of Federal Regulation, Section 10.13.
According to the indictments, the defendants acquired the protected wildlife through a variety of means, including the employment of baited bird traps spread throughout the region as collection points and the barter, purchase, and sale of specimens among like-minded individuals employing internet sales sites frequented by traffickers. They also unlawfully transported the captured wildlife between buyers and sellers across the country.
According to the allegations contained in the indictments, the various defendants offered to buy, sell, or barter a variety of MBTA protected birds, including specimens of Indigo Buntings (Passerina cyanea), Blue Grosbeaks (Passerina caerulea), Rose-breasted Grosbeaks (Pheucticus ludovicianus), Painted Buntings (Passerina ciris), Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis), and Lazuli Buntings (Passerina amoena), all highly prized for their colorful plumage and singing abilities.
Federal agents from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) recovered more than 500 illegal specimens from the defendants. After a determination that the release of the seized wildlife was safe and appropriate, the USFWS returned as many of the birds to the wild as possible. Some of the birds did not survive.
If convicted of the charges, the defendants each face a possible maximum statutory sentence of 2 years in prison for each count of trafficking migratory birds and criminal fines of up to $250,000 per count.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Assistant Director Edward Grace of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Office of Law Enforcement, acting Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Buckley of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, Major Alberto Maza, Regional Commander of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Division of Law Enforcement, South B Region, announced the charges.
USFWS, HSI Miami, and FWC investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Watts-FitzGerald is prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Stone is handling asset forfeiture.
An indictment contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The public is encouraged to report any instances of illegal wildlife trapping and trafficking to the United States Fish & Wildlife Service at 305-526-2620 or the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) at 888-404-3922 or by email or text to [email protected].
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under the case numbers listed above.
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Stevens Point Man Sentenced to 6 Years for Unlawful Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Lorenzo Miner, 30, Stevens Point, Wisconsin was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to six years in federal prison for possessing a firearm after previously being convicted of a felony. Miner pleaded guilty to this charge on November 21, 2022.
On January 12, 2022, the Stevens Point Police Department was looking for Miner as part of a state investigation and observed him leaving a hotel and walking to a car, carrying an AR15 rifle partially concealed under a bathrobe. A detective drew his handgun, pointed it at the defendant, and told him that he was under arrest. Miner denied having a gun – he had already placed it in the vehicle - and refused to comply with the officer’s commands. The detective tried to gain control of him, but the defendant punched the detective in the face. After a very physical struggle the defendant was eventually taken into custody. Police searched the vehicle and recovered the unloaded AR15 in the backseat. The defendant had felony convictions for burglary, bail jumping, and drug trafficking.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson acknowledged both the aggravating facts of this case and the defendant’s significant criminal history, concluding that a long period of imprisonment was necessary to protect the public.
The charge against Miner was the result of an investigation conducted by the Stevens Point Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan.
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.
Statement of U.S. Attorney Damian Williams on the Conviction of Nicholas TartaglioneRead the Press Release
“Martin Luna, Miguel Luna, Urbano Santiago, and Hector Gutierrez were beloved fathers, husbands, brothers, and sons. In 2016, Nicholas Tartaglione, a former police officer-turned drug dealer, suspected that Martin Luna had stolen money from him. Tartaglione then devised a scheme to confront Martin at a meeting. Unaware he was being lured into a deadly trap, Martin tragically brought his two nephews — Miguel and Urbano — and a family friend — Hector — to the meeting. What occurred next could only be described as pure terror, as Tartaglione tortured Martin, then forced one of his nephews to watch as Tartaglione strangled Martin to death with a zip-tie. Tartaglione and two of his associates then transported Miguel, Urbano, and Hector — who were simply at the wrong place at the wrong time — to a remote wooded location, forced them to kneel, and executed them with gunshots to the back of the head. Tartaglione then buried all four victims in a mass grave. Tartaglione’s heinous acts represent a broader betrayal, as he was a former police officer who once swore to protect the very community he devastated. Today, a jury has found Tartaglione guilty of these heinous acts, sending a message that no one is above the law. We commend the career prosecutors and investigators for their relentless pursuit of justice in this case over the past seven years, and for ensuring that Nicholas Tartaglione faces a lifetime in federal prison for his unconscionable murder of four men. Most of all, we thank the victims’ families for trusting law enforcement to find their loved ones and see that justice was done.”
Six Sioux Falls Men Charged with Online Sex CrimesRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that Homeland Security Investigations, with the assistance of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Sioux Falls Police Department, Watertown Police Department, Tea Police Department, Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the FBI, conducted a joint online sex crimes operation that ran from March 3, 2023, through March 8, 2023.
As a result, the following six men from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, were arrested and charged with Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet:
Cole Bogen Bettin, age 27; Joshua David Catron, age 33; Jayden Debevec, age 28; Kody William Konechne, age 21; Michael Valleck, age 32; and Jonah Earl Severson, age 23.
The mandatory minimum penalty upon conviction is 10 years and a maximum of life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, five years minimum of supervised release, up to life, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The charges are merely accusations and all six Defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
“Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents work tirelessly to protect children from exploitation,” said Jamie Holt, HSI St. Paul Special Agent in Charge. “This successful online sex crimes operation shows the threat child predators pose in our communities and the importance of working hand-in-hand with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to bring individuals and networks who prey on vulnerable populations to justice.”
The cases are being federally prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey C. Clapper and Jeremy R. Jehangiri.
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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would like to extend its appreciation to all law enforcement partners involved in the investigations for their efforts and continued cooperation.
- Shiprock man pleads guilty to involuntary manslaughter
Second Defendant Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – LANCE M. VALLO, age 38 and a resident of Gueydan, Louisiana, pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering before U.S. District Court Judge Jane Triche-Milazzo, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
As according to court documents, VALLO conspired with RYAN MULLEN, DUANE DUFRENE, DILLON ARCENEAUX, GRANT MENARD, and ZEB SARTIN to use a number of shell Louisiana companies with no assets to defraud a merchant cash company based in Georgia. MULLEN and DUFRENE helped establish ARCENEAUX, VALLO, MENARD, and SARTIN as the owners of existing corporations. MULLEN and DUFRENE then created fake vendor accounts for the corporations, and MULLEN, with the aid of another person, created false bank records for the companies. Thereafter, VALLO used an alias to present himself as a broker for the companies he helped create.
Through the aid of another broker, MULLEN supplied the victim merchant cash advance company with the fake vendor accounts and false bank records in order to obtain funding. The victim cash advance company approved the advances and began to electronically wire ARCENEAUX, VALLO, MENARD, and SARTIN millions of dollars in advances. ARCENEAUX, VALLO, MENARD, and SARTIN laundered a portion of the funds by paying MULLEN and DUFRENE percentages of the funds. ARCENEAUX, VALLO, MENARD, and SARTIN then closed their non-existent businesses before fully repaying the victim merchant cash advance company, resulting in overall losses of approximately $6.4 million. VALLO alone, was responsible for approximately $876,000 in losses to the victim.
VALLO is set for sentencing on July 19, 2023 and faces a maximum sentence of five years on the wire fraud conspiracy, and a maximum sentence of up to twenty years on the money laundering conspiracy. After imprisonment, the defendant faces up to three years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine on the wire fraud count, and up to three years of supervised release, and up to a $500,000 fine on the money laundering count. Each count also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
U.S. Attorney Evans commended the special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and IRS-Criminal Investigation for their handling of the matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Edward J. Rivera and Andre Lagarde of the Financial Crimes Unit.
Raleigh Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking 14-Year OldRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – Kevin Harold Rudolph, 28, of Raleigh, was sentenced yesterday to 180 months in prison for sex trafficking of a minor. Rudolph and co-defendant Marcus Gambrell were charged in a four-count superseding indictment on April 7, 2020. The indictment charged both men with sex trafficking of a minor and using the internet to promote prostitution, Gambrell with manufacturing child pornography, and Rudolph with possession of a firearm by a felon. Rudolph pled guilty to the sex trafficking charge on March 7, 2022.
According to court records and statements made during hearings, in December 2018, a Raleigh Police Department detective was conducting an online investigation when he came across an advertisement offering a minor for prostitution. Law enforcement identified the minor as a 14-year-old girl who left a temporary home six days earlier. The detective texted the phone number listed on the advertisement to set up prostitution sting date. He was directed to a room at a Motel 6 in Raleigh, where he located and rescued the victim. In the room, officers found condoms, an iPad, and a bookbag. The bookbag contained a firearm and paperwork in Rudolph’s name. On the iPad, officers found photos of the victim that had been used in the prostitution advertisements, as well as additional photos that showed the minor victim’s genitals. The hotel was registered to Marcus Gambrell.
The victim explained to officers that after running away—in slippers and with no coat, despite it being late December—she had ended up at the Raleigh Inn in Raleigh. There, on Christmas Day, she had met and socialized with Gambrell and Rudolph. The two men invited her to relocate with them to a nearby Motel 6 the next day. Once at the Motel 6, Gambrell took photos of the victim with the iPad. The two men used those photos to post and maintain prostitution advertisements for the victim on the internet. Over the next two days, they took turns supervising the prostitution and updated each other over Facebook Messenger. The victim estimated that Rudolph and Gambrell arranged around 10 to 15 “dates” per day, and they kept all the money. She stated that on one occasion Gambrell had vaginal sex with her, as Rudolph recoded a video with his cell phone. Law enforcement, however, did not recover the video. After his arrest, Rudolph provided law enforcement with the same number that has been listed in the prostitution advertisements.
Co-defendant Marcus Gambrell pled guilty on January 19, 2021, to manufacturing child pornography. On December 21, 2021, he was sentenced to a 210-month term of imprisonment.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Raleigh Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake D. Pugh prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:19-cr-0336-FL.
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Providence Man Indicted for Selling Oxycodone to Undercover OfficerRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Providence man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Worcester for allegedly selling oxycodone on multiple occasions to an undercover officer.
Brandon Jones, 32, has been indicted on one count of possession with intent to distribute oxycodone and two counts of distribution of oxycodone. Jones was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint on March 13, 2023. He has remained in custody since.
According to the charging documents, in July 2022, Jones was identified as an oxycodone and cocaine distributor in the Worcester area. Specifically, it is alleged that Jones traveled to Worcester in rental vehicles on a daily basis to sell drugs throughout the area in the afternoon before returning to Providence. On at least three occasions between October 2022 and January 2023, Jones allegedly distributed oxycodone pills to an undercover officer in controlled purchases. It is alleged that, at the time of his arrest on March 13, 2023, Jones was found in possession of approximately 1,500 oxycodone pills.
The charges each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. 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.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Southbridge Police Chief Shane D. Woodson made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island and the Rhode Island State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Friedholm of Rollins’ Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Portsmouth Man Convicted of Sex Trafficking and Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Portsmouth man today on seven charges of sex trafficking, production of child pornography, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and unlawful possession of a firearm.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on April 30, 2022, Pierre De Romeo Smith, 40, met 16-year-old Jane Doe. The same day, he took sexually explicit photographs of her, as well as sexually suggestive photographs of her posed with the muzzle of a shotgun in her mouth. Several hours later, he posted these pictures of her on a commercial sex website, advertising her for commercial sex. For the following three weeks, the defendant continued to make her available for commercial sex—with as many as 30 “dates” a night—throughout the Hampton Roads area. He gave her amphetamines to keep her awake and confiscated the money from her dates.
On May 19, 2022, the Virginia Beach Police Department conducted an undercover commercial sex operation at a hotel in Virginia Beach where they encountered Jane Doe. When interviewing her at the hotel, detectives observed a text message on her phone from the defendant stating he was there. The defendant was observed arriving at the hotel’s parking garage and was arrested. In his car were multiple controlled substances, including fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine, and a Glock handgun, which the defendant was prohibited from possessing as a convicted felon.
Smith faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison up to a maximum penalty of life when sentenced on August 9, 2023. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Derek W. Gordon, Acting Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.; and Paul Neudigate, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Wilson Hanes accepted the verdict.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan Montoya and Rebecca Gantt are prosecuting the case.
This case was investigated by the Hampton Roads Human Trafficking Task Force, a collaboration between federal, state and local law enforcement and prosecutors, as well as nongovernmental organizations, working together to combat human trafficking in the Hampton Roads, Virginia region.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-122.
Portland Man Sentenced to More than 17 Years in Federal Prison for Shooting Two People During Armed Marijuana RobberyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland man convicted at trial for shooting and robbing two illicit marijuana dealers was sentenced to more than 17 years in federal prison today.
Earnest Franklin Evans, also known as Ladarius Franklin Bolds, was sentenced to 210 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release.
“Without hesitation, Earnest Evans shot two men with a sawed-off shotgun in a dense residential neighborhood in southeast Portland. We must put an end to violence like this is in our community,” said Steven T. Mygrant, Chief of the Narcotics and Criminal Enterprises Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
“There should be no doubt Evans is a violent felon who holds no regard for public safety,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “I commend our agents and our partners at PPB, FBI, and ATF for another successful joint investigation.”
According to court documents and trial testimony, on August 3, 2017, an associate of Evans set up a ruse to purchase 10 pounds of marijuana from two local illicit marijuana dealers. After arriving at an agreed upon location, the two dealers wheeled out a large black tote full of marijuana. Shortly thereafter, two masked men—Evans and a second associate—came out from behind the corner of a building with guns drawn. Evans had a sawed-off shotgun and his associate had a pistol. Evans shot one of the marijuana dealers in the arm and the second in the back as he was fleeing. Evans and his associates took the marijuana and divided it with one another. For his participation in the robbery, Evans received two pounds of marijuana.
Evans was arrested on November 19, 2018, following the execution of a federal search warrant on his Portland residence. Investigators located and seized a shotgun and ammunition from Evan’s residence.
On May 11, 2021, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a two-count superseding indictment charging Evans with robbery and using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence and drug trafficking crime. On June 17, 2021, he was found guilty on both charges.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with assistance from the Portland Police Bureau, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the FBI. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter D. Sax and Jeffrey S. Sweet.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Oakland Assassin Sentenced to Life Plus 78 Months in Prison After Jury Finds Him Guilty of Carrying Out Murder for Hire PlotRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Burte Gucci Rhodes, a.k.a. Moeshawn, was sentenced today to life in prison plus 78 months for conspiring to commit a murder for hire, committing a murder for hire, and possession with intent to distribute heroin, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp, and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Special Agent in Charge Darren Lian. The sentence was handed down by the Hon. William H. Alsup, United States District Judge.
Rhodes, 41, of Oakland, was convicted of the charges after a week-long trial before Judge Alsup. The trial focused on the March 22, 2016, murder of Louisiana native Trince Thibodeaux, age 28. Trial evidence demonstrated that Marcus Etienne, a.k.a. Hitler, 41, of St. Martin Parish, La., was the leader of a racketeering enterprise based in St. Martin Parish near Lafayette, Louisiana. The criminal enterprise engaged in a wide range of crimes including narcotics distribution, assault, robbery, extortion, extortionate collection of extensions of credit, murder for hire, murder, money laundering, illegal firearms possession, gambling on dogfighting, and obstruction of justice. As early as 2009, the enterprise was led by Etienne and eventually, Thibodeaux became one of seven principal members of the enterprise. In 2016, Etienne tasked Thibodeaux with transporting several thousand dollars and drugs from Louisiana to California. Etienne suspected and then concluded that Thibodeaux had stolen money and narcotics from the enterprise and ordered that Thibodeaux be killed. Etienne offered Mario Robinson, 36, of Opelousas, La., and Oakland, Calif., $5,000 to murder Thibodeaux, and Robinson accepted. Robinson then contracted with Rhodes, a longtime friend of his from Oakland, to complete the murder in exchange for $5,000.
Evidence at trial showed that on the night of March 22, 2016, Robinson and another member of the organization lured Thibodeaux to a predetermined location near the intersection of 90th Avenue and International Boulevard in the eastern part of Oakland, where Rhodes was waiting. The evidence demonstrated that, once Thibodeaux arrived, Rhodes approached him from behind and shot him nine times. Thibodeaux was pronounced dead later that night.
One week after the murder, Robinson sent Rhodes a wire transfer of $1,250. In the months following the murder, Robinson had other associates in Louisiana send additional wire transfers to Rhodes.
The murder took place against the backdrop of a wide variety of criminal activity perpetuated by the criminal enterprise. For example, court documents, including plea agreements signed by Etienne and Robinson, describe how the enterprise purchased marijuana in California and used the United States Postal Service to ship the drugs to Louisiana and Texas. Robinson admitted he received packages containing between one and ten pounds of marijuana every one or two months. Robinson and Etienne used cash proceeds from the narcotics trafficking to purchase marijuana and other controlled substances in California. Robinson also purchased money orders in Louisiana to pay the enterprise’s marijuana suppliers in California. Both Etienne and Robinson admitted that they conducted financial transactions with proceeds of narcotics trafficking to conceal the nature, source, and ownership of the enterprise’s profits. In addition, Etienne admitted he purchased and maintained dogs used for fighting in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, on a property owned by another member of the enterprise. At the property, Etienne and other members of the enterprise hosted dog-fighting events at which attendees would pay a cover fee and gamble on the dogfights. Dogs, including dogs owned by Etienne, were seriously injured and even killed either during the events or as a result of the training leading up to the events.
On December 18, 2018, a federal grand jury issued a Third Superseding Indictment charging Rhodes with murder for hire, in violation of 18 U.S.C § 1958, conspiracy to commit murder for hire, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, and other crimes while Etienne and Robinson also were charged with several crimes related to the activities of the enterprise. On November 4, 2022, a federal jury convicted Rhodes of one count of murder for hire, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1958, and one count of conspiracy to commit murder for hire, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371. After the trial, Rhodes pleaded guilty to an additional charge of possession with intent to distribute heroin, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B)(i). Today, Judge Alsup sentenced Rhodes for all three crimes.
Etienne and Robinson admitted their respective roles in the crimes and both defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute marijuana, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(A)(vii), and 846; racketeering conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d); and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h). Judge Alsup sentenced both Etienne and Robinson on October 13, 2020, ordering Etienne to serve 34 years in prison and Robinson to serve 32 years in prison. In addition, Etienne and Robinson twice refused to testify at trial about the murder for hire scheme when lawfully subpoenaed by the government and ordered to testify by the court. Consequently, Judge Alsup held Etienne and Robinson in contempt of court and added 12 months of prison time to each defendant’s sentence.
The United States Attorney’s Office’s Organized Crime Strike Force is prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Oakland Division, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Oakland Police Department, with assistance from the St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, Sheriff’s Office, and the Opelousas, Louisiana, Police Department.
Norwalk Business Owners Sentenced to Prison for Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
TOLEDO – Gerald E. Reichert, age 65, and Adam M. Reichert, age 36, were sentenced by Judge Jack Zouhary of the Northern District of Ohio, Western Division, on April 6, 2023, following their guilty pleas to Conspiracy to Commit Major Fraud Against the United States, Highway Project Fraud, and Wire Fraud. Gerald E. Reichert was sentenced to serve 16 months in prison, and to pay a fine of $90,000. Adam M. Reichert was sentenced to serve 8 months in prison, and to pay a fine of $70,000. Both men were ordered to pay total restitution of $579,014.
Gerald (father) and Adam (son) were owners and operators of Oglesby Construction, Inc., a pavement marking contractor based in Norwalk, Ohio, that performed paint-striping services for the States of Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia. The men participated in a scheme to defraud state and federal governments by contracting with state authorities to perform paint-striping of roads using a certain amount of paint and glass beads, but then under-applying those materials and falsely informing states that they had complied with contractual requirements. The scheme participants misled the states by either manipulating daily excel spreadsheet reports submitted to the states, or by attaching physical manipulation devices to application trucks including applicators and scales.
The case was investigated by the United States Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert N. Melching, Jody L. King, Suzana K. Koch, and Gene Crawford.
North Braddock Felon Indicted on Drug and Gun Possession ChargesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of North Braddock, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating various federal narcotics and firearms laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The three-count Indictment named Roman Griffey, 28, as the sole defendant.
According to Indictment presented to the court, on July 24, 2022, Griffey allegedly possessed with intent to distribute 10 grams or more of fentanyl analog, a quantity of cocaine, and a quantity of cocaine base. Additionally, the defendant allegedly possessed a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Griffey also allegedly possessed a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 5 years in prison, a fine of not more than $8,000,000.00 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Katherine C. Jordan is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Allegheny County Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
New Jersey Man Sentenced for Using Stolen Identities to Purchase VehiclesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New Jersey man was sentenced today for his role in a scheme to use stolen identities to fraudulently apply for and utilize bank accounts and credit cards.
Jose Irizarry, 46, of Union City, N.J., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to five years in prison and three years of supervised release. On Jan. 6, 2023, Irizarry pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and false representation of a Social Security number.
The Irizarry and multiple co-defendants were charged by criminal complaint in September 2020 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2020. In a coordinated multi-jurisdictional effort, Irizarry was also charged in the State of New Jersey.
According to charging documents, between October 2017 and January 2019, Irizarry visited Massachusetts car dealerships to purchase late-model vehicles and applied for 100% financing. In support of the applications, Irizarry provided stolen biographical information of real United States citizens, fraudulent Puerto Rico driver’s licenses and Social Security cards in those identities, as proof of identification. He used the stolen identities to illegally open bank accounts and credit cards and purchase vehicles, many of which were exported out of the United States. Irizarry used stolen identities to obtain car loans and purchase three cars worth $140,124, collectively, although at sentencing he was held responsible for losses of between $550,000 and $1.5 million.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; John E. Mawn, Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; and Brockton Police Chief Brenda Perez made the announcement today. Assistance was provided by the Lowell, Lawrence, Methuen, Haverhill, Woburn and Dartmouth Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elianna Nuzum and Adam Deitch of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case.The District of Massachusetts investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), a specialized investigative group comprising personnel from various state, local, and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring, and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity and benefit fraud schemes.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Murderer Sentenced to 30 YearsRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Brian Riggs, 51, of Jeddito, Arizona, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Michael T. Liburdi to 30 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Riggs, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was convicted of Second Degree Murder following a seven-day jury trial.
On February 16, 2019, emergency medical services responded to a home on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation. The victim was deceased and had sustained injuries over his entire body. Riggs was the only other person present at the home when the victim was killed. The victim and Riggs were involved in an intimate relationship.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tracy Van Buskirk and Brian Kasprzyk, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR19-08091-PCT-MTL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-050_Riggs# # #
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.Monmouth County Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Online Sexual Enticement of MinorRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Manalapan, New Jersey, man was sentenced on April 4, 2023, to 120 months in prison for using online chat applications to entice an adolescent to engage in prohibited sexual activity. Angelo N. Curato, 30, pleaded guilty by videoconference on July 18, 2022, before U.S. District Judge Brian Martinotti to a superseding information charging him with one count of online enticement of a minor.
Minnesota Man Sentenced to 2 Years for Aiming Laser at AircraftRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Nicholas James Link, 43, Rochester, Minnesota was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to two years in prison for aiming a laser at an aircraft. Link pleaded guilty to this charge on January 12, 2023.
On the night of October 29, 2021, pilots with Delta Air Lines reported to the Minneapolis – Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) that they had just been struck by a laser. They were flying an Airbus A319 on a commercial flight from Raleigh-Durham to Minneapolis when, at an altitude of 9,000 feet and just west of River Falls, Wisconsin, the cockpit was lit up three times by a blue laser. At the time they had just been instructed by air traffic control to change runways at MSP. The laser strikes caused a major distraction in the cockpit as they were not able to look at their iPads to brief the new approach.
The pilots were eventually able to brief and transition to the new runway approach and safely land the aircraft. The first officer did not suffer any disruption to his vision, but the captain said that vision in his right eye was affected for several hours after this event.
Air traffic control called a Minnesota State Patrol aircraft, which flew to River Falls to investigate. The State Patrol pilots circled the area at 3,500 feet and their aircraft was also struck by a blue laser. Using the aircraft’s surveillance equipment, they were able to identify the suspect, coordinate with local law enforcement, and maintain a visual on the defendant until officers contacted him. The State Patrol pilots recorded this event using their surveillance camera.
River Falls police officers contacted the defendant and found a blue laser on his person. He said that he was shining the laser at a drone but did not believe it was an aircraft because it stayed very still. He then pointed to the Minnesota State Patrol aircraft. Unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, are considered aircraft under federal law.
The pilot for the Delta Air Lines flight provided a statement to the Court. The captain has been a commercial airline pilot for 28 years with over 25,000 hours of logged flight hours. During their descent into MSP the cockpit was suddenly illuminated by a bright blue light. The captain described that the approach into an airport is considered a critical phase of any flight with a high workload. Because this particular approach also required a runway change, they had to reprogram their flight computers, consult the approach charts, and establish the course and descent into the new runway.
It was at that precise moment that they were struck by the laser. The captain noted the “sheer brightness” and compared it to “suddenly turning on all the lights in a dark room.” The pilots immediately shifted their priority to protecting their eyes, with the first officer using his iPad as a shield instead of using it to brief the approach. The captain wrote that “[o]ne minor mistake during this critical phase could have led to catastrophic results.” The defendant’s action caused a severe safety threat to the safety of the crew and all passengers on board the aircraft.
At sentencing, Judge Conley remarked on Link’s extensive criminal record which included numerous domestic assaults. Judge Conley also discredited the defendant’s argument that it was not commonly known that aiming a laser at aircraft was dangerous. The defendant wrote in his sentencing memorandum that there were almost 10,000 reports of laser strikes on aircraft each of the past two years. Judge Conley said that these incidents are frequently reported in the news, so the danger is commonly known. Judge Conley also mentioned an arrest in 2017 where the defendant shined and strobed a handheld flashlight in the eyes of the arresting officer, saying that incident was similar to the defendant’s conduct in this case. Judge Conley called aiming a laser at an aircraft incredibly dangerous and reckless, and in this case forced the Delta pilots to focus on their temporary blindness which put everyone on the aircraft in incredible danger.
The charge against Link was the result of an investigation conducted by the Minnesota State Patrol, River Falls Police Department, and Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan.
Mexican Citizen Sentenced to 5 Years for Trafficking Methamphetamine in MadisonRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Julio Alvarez Sanchez, 39, Mexico, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 5 years in federal prison for distributing 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. The prison term will be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Alvarez Sanchez pleaded guilty to this charge on December 19, 2022.
Alvarez Sanchez brought methamphetamine from Minneapolis, Minnesota to Madison and provided it to Juana Armenta Mora. On April 4, 2022, Armenta Mora sold 973 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Madison.
On April 14, 2022, Alvarez Sanchez met with the confidential informant in a parking lot in Madison for an additional methamphetamine deal. The defendant provided the confidential informant with a toolbox containing 6.77 kilograms of methamphetamine. Alvarez Sanchez was arrested following the drug deal.
Alvarez Sanchez subsequently was interviewed by law enforcement and admitted to participating in the April 2022 deliveries, as well as additional deliveries of methamphetamine.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson noted that this was a serious crime because of the very large quantity of methamphetamine involved and because Alvarez Sanchez admitted to dealing methamphetamine on additional occasions. In arriving at the five-year sentence, Judge Peterson weighed these aggravating factors against Alvarez Sanchez’s limited prior criminal record.
Juana Armenta Mora pleaded guilty on September 8, 2022 to distributing methamphetamine. She was sentenced on December 22, 2022 to 15 months in federal prison.
The charge against Alvarez Sanchez was the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Jefferson County Drug Task Force, and Madison Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven P. Anderson and Kathryn E. Ginsberg prosecuted this case.
Member of Brockton Drug Crew Sentenced for Fentanyl Distribution and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A member of a violent Brockton drug crew was sentenced yesterday to six years in prison for drug and firearm charges.
Placido Pereira, 36, of Brockton, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to six years in prison and three years of supervised release. In December 2022, Pereira pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl; three counts of distribution of fentanyl; one count of possession with the intent to distribute marijuana; one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition; and one count of possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking offense.
In 2019, an investigation began into a violent Brockton-area drug crew that distributed large quantities of fentanyl throughout southeastern Massachusetts. The drug crew ran a fentanyl delivery service that encompassed all of Brockton as well as neighboring cities. Specifically, drug users/customers placed orders for fentanyl by contacting a cell phone maintained and shared by crew members, which included Pereira, Djoy Defrancesco and brothers Jason Miranda and Natalio Miranda, who worked together to deliver the fentanyl order.A search of Pereria’s Brockton home in October 2019 resulted in the seizure of a loaded firearm with an obliterated serial number, over $5,000 in cash, digital scales, marijuana packaged for sale and the cell phone used by members of the crew to distribute fentanyl.
According to court records, in 2017, Pereira was convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute marijuana and was sentenced to three years in prison. In 2010, Pereira was arrested on drug trafficking charges at Boston’s Logan Airport as he returned to the United States from Cape Verde and was later sentenced to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute cocaine base.
On Feb. 8, 2023, Natalio Miranda, the last of the four charged defendants, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and six counts of distribution of fentanyl. Judge Stearns scheduled sentencing for June 8, 2023. On Feb. 17, 2023 Jason Miranda was sentenced to 78 months in prison and six years of supervised release. In June 2021, Defrancesco was sentenced to time-served, 20 months in prison, after previously pleading guilty.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; John E. Mawn, Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; Brockton Police Chief Brenda Perez; Brian Kyes, U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; and Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz made the announcement. Assistance was provided by the East Bridgewater, West Bridgewater, Whitman and Bridgewater State University Police Departments as well as the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Pohl of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.Maryland Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Federal Prison for $1.2 Million Bank Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III sentenced Daniel Ongele, age 33, of Bowie, Maryland to 33 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for a $1.2 million bank fraud scheme.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
According to his guilty plea, from January to June 2018, Ongele obtained the account information of the elderly victims from a co-conspirator who was employed as a bank teller. Specifically, the co-conspirator, without authorization, accessed confidential computerized account information at the bank and obtained the names and other personal identifying information (PII), which was then provided to Ongele. Ongele and others then used automated teller machines in Maryland to deposit and attempt to deposit fraudulent checks drawn on the compromised accounts into accounts belonging to other conspirators. Ongele obtained information pertaining to at least nine victim accounts, which he used to conduct fraudulent transactions. Ongele admits that as a result of his fraudulent conduct and the foreseeable conduct of his co-conspirators, the intended loss was $1,293,237.06.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter J. Martinez, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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Maryland Man Arrested for Extorting Massachusetts Victims He Met via Online Dating WebsiteRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Maryland man was arrested today for making extortionate threats toward victims in Massachusetts.
Brandon D. Kane, 27, of Baltimore, was charged with making extortionate threats in interstate commerce. Kane was detained following an initial appearance in federal court in the District of Maryland this afternoon. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the charging documents, Kane used an online dating website to meet victims locally in Eastern Massachusetts. It is alleged that, during such meetings, Kane made unauthorized videos of his victims engaging in illicit drug use or sexual activity with him. Kane then allegedly threatened to release the videos to the victims’ families and employers unless his victims paid him.
The charge of making extortionate threats in interstate commerce provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Tolkoff of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Mandeville Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – MAURICE BUTLER, age 35, of Mandeville, Louisiana, pleaded guilty on April 4, 2023 to a single count indictment charging him with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, in violation of the Federal Gun Control Act, Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2) announced United States Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, BUTLER was arrested by St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office deputies when, during the course of a traffic stop, they learned that BUTLER was wanted by the New Orleans Police Department for armed robbery. Deputies additionally noticed a Glock Model 17, nine-millimeter semi-automatic pistol (later determined to be stolen) in plain view on the front passenger seat of BUTLER’s vehicle. Further investigation revealed that BUTLER had previous felony convictions which prohibit his possession of a firearm.
BUTLER faces a maximum term of ten (10) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. BUTLER will be sentenced on July 25, 2023.
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 case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the New Orleans Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Kennedy of the Violent Crimes Unit.
Large-Scale Drug Trafficking Organization Leader Sentenced to Life in PrisonRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – The leader of a large-scale drug trafficking organization was sentenced in a federal court in El Paso Thursday to life in prison.
According to court documents, Jorge Sanchez Morales aka “Capulina,” 47, ran a drug trafficking organization, spanning from Mexico to El Paso and on to Atlanta, from 2002 to 2019. In the early 2000s, Sanchez Morales worked out of Atlanta, trafficking cocaine and other drugs with Sinaloa Cartel operatives.
In 2014, Sanchez Morales returned to Mexico to run his organization, which would then primarily traffic methamphetamine, often in liquid form. Sanchez Morales’ organization imported liquid methamphetamine from Juarez, Mexico into El Paso, and then transported it to Atlanta concealed in the fuel tanks of semi tractors. In Atlanta, the liquid methamphetamine was converted to a crystalline form and distributed. Sanchez Morales oversaw the operation on behalf of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, otherwise known as CJNG.
On Nov. 8, 2022, an El Paso jury found Sanchez Morales guilty of conspiracies to import and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine, conspiracy to commit international money laundering, and laundering monetary instruments. The court sentenced Sanchez Morales to life in prison for the drug conspiracies and to 20 years imprisonment for conspiring and laundering monetary instruments. The court ordered the sentences to run concurrently.
“This sentence serves as another step forward in the U.S. government’s efforts to disrupt and dismantle some of the most dangerous drug trafficking organizations we face,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas. “My office is committed to working with our law enforcement partners, within this district and beyond, to hold accountable those who attempt to poison our communities and carelessly endanger Americans.”
“The men and women of DEA are laser-focused in our mission of defeating the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Millard of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s El Paso Division. “We will continue to tirelessly target these cartels and their associates involved in the manufacture or distribution of methamphetamine and other illicit, synthetic poisons that are killing Americans at record rates.”
The DEA, HSI, United States Border Patrol, El Paso Sheriff’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety and Socorro Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven Spitzer and Nathan Brown prosecuted the case.
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Kern County Man Charged with Making Death Threats and Bomb Threats to a Nonprofit and Reproductive Health CentersRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Kern County man charged with making threatening telephone calls last year, including to a Planned Parenthood office on the day the United States Supreme Court overturned its Roe v. Wade decision, has been arraigned in federal court, the Justice Department announced today.
Nishith Tharaka Vandebona, 34, currently of Bakersfield, but who lived in Camarillo during the alleged offenses, is charged with three misdemeanor counts of threatened forcible intimidation regarding the obtaining and provision of reproductive health services under the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. Vandebona also is charged with two felony counts of transmitting threatening communications in interstate commerce to another organization in Ventura County.
Vandebona pleaded not guilty late Wednesday afternoon to the charges against him and a May 30 trial date was scheduled. A federal magistrate judge ordered Vandebona jailed without bond.
“Death threats are never acceptable regardless of what a person believes,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “No one should be threatened with death or bodily harm simply because they provide health services or work for a nonprofit. This indictment serves as a warning that there will be significant repercussions especially for anyone seeking to intimidate those seeking and providing reproductive health services.”
“The Constitution gives each of us broad free speech rights, but using death threats to bully individuals or attempt to terrorize others will lead to criminal charges, as evidenced in this indictment,” said Donald Alway, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The use of violence to intimidate an individual from exercising their rights cannot be tolerated in a free and civil society.”
According to the indictment returned on March 29 and unsealed Wednesday, from February to June of 2022, Vandebona used an internet application to create anonymous telephone numbers to make the threatening calls.
During the spring of 2022, there was news coverage that the Supreme Court was considering overturning Roe, its 1973 decision that recognized a constitutional right to abortion, after an initial draft of the new opinion was leaked.
On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court published a decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe and ruled that the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion.
That day, using an anonymous number, Vandebona left a voicemail message containing death threats with Planned Parenthood California Central Coast, a Santa Barbara-based reproductive health services organization, the indictment alleges.
On June 25, 2022, Vandebona allegedly called Planned Parenthood Los Angeles and spoke with a call center specialist. According to the indictment, Vandebona said, “I’m calling to let you know that I’m going to come in there and kill all of you, including your staff and your security. You got it? You’re overdue for an attack.”
Within an hour, Vandebona allegedly telephoned Planned Parenthood Los Angeles again and made several death threats, including “I’m gonna come in there and murder your staff.”
Prior to the alleged threats to the Planned Parenthood facilities, Vandebona allegedly called in a bomb threat in February 2022 to the office of Californians for Population Stabilization (CAPS), a Ventura-based non-profit organization that advocates for “zero population growth,” primarily through immigration restrictions.
Vandebona allegedly used anonymous numbers he obtained from the internet to make threatening phone calls to CAPS. In one of the calls, he said, “I’m gonna come in there and kill all of you, dude. Be careful.”
In another call to CAPS in February 2022, Vandebona said, “I’m gonna come in there, plant a bomb, and kill as many white Americans as possible. You understand that? Servicemen, families, everybody,” according to the indictment.
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, Vandebona would face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each count of transmitting threatening communications in interstate commerce, and a statutory maximum sentence of one year in federal prison for each FACE Act count.
The FBI is investigating this matter. The Santa Barbara Police Department, the Santa Monica Police Department, and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office have assisted in this investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Frances S. Lewis and Julius J. Nam of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section are prosecuting this case.
Anyone who has information about incidents of violence, threats, and obstruction that target a patient or provider of reproductive health services or damage and destruction of reproductive health care facilities, should report that information to the FBI at https://tips.fbi.gov.
For more information about clinic violence, and the Department of Justice’s efforts to enforce FACE Act violations, please visit www.justice.gov/crt/national-task-force-violence-against-reproductive-health-care-providers.
Kansas Man Sentenced to 4 Years for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Jimmy Castillo, 24, Topeka, Kansas, pleaded guilty and was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to four years in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
On February 19, 2022, based on information received during the course of a drug investigation, police officers approached Castillo as he exited a hotel in Onalaska, Wisconsin. Castillo was wearing a grey backpack at the time. After detaining Castillo and removing his backpack, officers asked him if he had anything illegal on him. Castillo looked at the backpack. After a drug dog indicated the presence of drugs, officers searched the backpack and found approximately 15.5 pounds of methamphetamine.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Conley stated that Castillo possessed a “massive” amount of methamphetamine and its delivery into the community would have caused major ripple effects. Judge Conley noted that Castillo admitted to officers that he had transported methamphetamine on two occasions prior to his arrest. Judge Conley also noted it was a mitigating factor that Castillo had no prior criminal history.
The charge against Castillo is the result of a joint investigation by the La Crosse Police Department, La Crosse County Sheriff’s Office, Trempealeau County Sheriff’s Office, Onalaska Police Department, and the Town of Campbell Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Wegner prosecuted this case.
Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Tamir Pratt, 20, of Dunbar, pleaded guilty today to receipt of stolen money, admitting to a scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) of $20,832 in COVID-19 relief loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
According to court documents and statements made in court, Pratt applied for a PPP loan for his purported business, “Tamir Pratt,” in April 2021. Pratt admitted that “Tamir Pratt” was not in operation on February 15, 2020, though that was a requirement to qualify for a PPP loan, and he falsely certified that it was. Businesses applying for PPP loans were also required to provide documentation showing their prior gross income from either 2019 or 2020. Pratt admitted that he submitted a false IRS Form 1040, Schedule C, stating that “Tamir Pratt” had earned approximately $100,000 in gross income in 2020.
Pratt submitted the loan application electronically from West Virginia and it was uploaded to servers in Arizona for processing. Pratt’s loan application was approved and $20,832 was electronically transferred to his personal bank account on April 26, 2021. Pratt admitted that he withdrew $1,700 of the fraudulent loan proceeds in Charleston the same day and spent more than $460 using the fraudulent funds.
The CARES Act, enacted in March 2020, offered emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This assistance included forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the Paycheck Protection Program.
Pratt admitted that he did not spend the fraudulent loan proceeds on any permissible business expenses. Pratt further admitted that the SBA forgave his PPP loan on August 9, 2021.
Pratt is scheduled to be sentenced on July 6, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Pratt also owes $20,832 in restitution.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police – Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), and the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office (WVSAO) Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting 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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-38.
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Justice Department Files Complaint Against Manufacturer Alleging Delay in Reporting Dangerous Awning CoversRead the Press Release
The Justice Department and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) jointly announced today the filing of a complaint against SunSetter Products LP (SunSetter), alleging that the company delayed reporting a hazardous defect involving protective vinyl covers for its retractable awnings.
SunSetter is a limited partnership based in Malden, Massachusetts, that manufactures motorized, retractable awnings for outdoor use. The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, alleges that SunSetter knowingly failed to immediately report to the CPSC that when bungee tie-downs securing its protective awning covers were removed, the retractable awnings could spring open unexpectedly with enough force to strike consumers and cause them to fall and suffer death or serious injury. The complaint alleges that between 2012 and 2017, SunSetter received 14 reports of its motorized awnings springing open, which resulted in several injuries and one death. Despite notice of these incidents, the company did not report the problems with its awning covers to the CPSC until October 2017.
According to the complaint, the protective covers at issue were sold separately or given away as a promotional item with the company’s motorized awnings between June 1999 and January 2019. The covers were recalled in August 2019.
“Companies must report safety issues in consumer products immediately, as the law requires, to prevent unnecessary injury or death,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to work closely with the CPSC to hold accountable manufacturers that put profits over the safety of consumers.”
“Prompt reporting of potentially dangerous defects in or problems with products is vital to impactful and immediate consumer protection. CPSC cannot do its job without strict compliance by industry. The defect in this matter, as alleged, can cause serious injury up to and including death,” said U.S. Attorney Rachael S. Rollins for the District of Massachusetts. “Manufacturers must be held accountable for failing to comply with this important obligation which jeopardizes the safety of consumers.”
“SunSetter knew for years that its product was hazardous, yet failed to tell CPSC as required by federal law,” said Chair Alex Hoehn-Saric of the CPSC. “It took a tragic death and numerous other injuries before they finally took action – which is unacceptable. When a company continues to sell dangerous products – knowing they can cause injuries and death – it must be held accountable.”
The Consumer Product Safety Act requires manufacturers, distributors, and retailers of consumer products to report “immediately” to the CPSC information that reasonably supports the conclusion that a product contains a defect which could create a substantial product hazard or creates an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death.
This matter is being handled by Senior Litigation Counsels Christina Parascandola and Claude Scott and Trial Attorney Nicole Frazer of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Brizius for the District of Massachusetts, with the assistance of Harriet Kerwin and Renee H. McCune of the CPSC’s Office of the General Counsel.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
The claims made in the complaint are allegations that, if the case were to proceed to trial, the government would be required to prove by a preponderance of the evidence.
Jury Convicts Major Southwest Virginia Drug SupplierRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Texas man last week for trafficking large quantities of high-purity methamphetamine from Mexico into Southwest Virginia.
According to court documents, Alonso Cantu-Cantu, 46, of Houston, Texas, was the major source of supply for a drug conspiracy that distributed more than 33 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine and 6 kilograms of cocaine into Southwest Virginia through a multi-jurisdiction drug trafficking organization.
Evidence presented at trial showed that Cantu-Cantu received methamphetamine in 55-gallon drums that had been transported into the United States in water tankers directly from sources in Mexico. Cantu-Cantu then directed the drugs through distributors from Indiana, who ultimately distributed down the supply chain throughout the Western District of Virginia, from Harrisonburg to Bristol, Virginia. Many of these transactions were orchestrated through another major drug trafficker who was incarcerated in multiple Virginia prisons during the conspiracy.
In all, the estimated street value of the methamphetamine and cocaine distributed during the course of the conspiracy was more than $1.4 million. Over 4.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, 125.4 grams of heroin, 94 grams of cocaine, and 7 firearms were seized, and 26 defendants have now been convicted over the course of the six-year investigation, which started with the investigation of street level dealers in the Smyth County, Virginia, area.
At sentencing, Cantu-Cantu faces life imprisonment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares made the announcement today.
This investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration-Washington Field Division’s Bristol Post of Duty, and the United States Postal Inspection Service with assistance from the Smyth County Virginia Sheriff’s Office. Numerous other agencies also provided assistance throughout the investigation including the Drug Enforcement Administration in Indianapolis, Indiana, and Birmingham, Alabama, the Washington County Virginia Sheriff’s Office, the Abingdon, Virginia Police Department, the Rockingham County Virginia RUSH Drug Task Force, the Rockingham County Virginia Sheriff’s Office, the Harrisonburg, Virginia Police Department, the Bessemer, Alabama Police Department, the Virginia Department of Corrections, the Virginia Department of Corrections Probation and Parole Unit, and the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail Authority.
Special Assistant United States Attorney M. Suzanne Kerney-Quillen, a Senior Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Section, and Assistant United States Attorney Lena L. Busscher prosecuted the case for the United States.
Indictment Charges 14 New Haven Area Residents with Charges Related to Counterfeit Pill Production, Narcotics TraffickingRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England; Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New England; today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an indictment charging the following 14 individuals with offenses related to the large-scale trafficking of fentanyl and methamphetamine pills disguised as legitimate prescription medication, as well as other controlled substances:
WILLIS TAYLOR, 66, of West Haven
AQUARIUS GUMBS, a.k.a. “Q,” “Ice,” and “Diamond,” 48, of New Haven
SEAN PEPE, 38, of East Haven
GORDON LAURIA, 52, of New Haven
PAUL PAOLELLA, 52, of East Haven
PETER ABLONDI TAYLOR, 20, of North Branford
MARK APOTRIAS, 54, of North Branford
THOMAS JOSLIN, 63, of East Haven
DAVID KING, 58, of East Haven
RICHARD GREATSINGER, 26, of West Haven
CHRISTOPHER CAHILL, 55, of Florida
MARKOS PAPPAS, a.k.a. “Speedy,” 49, of New Haven
LISA FAUSEL, 59, of Milford
JULIO ECHEVARRIA, a.k.a. “Warrior, 42, of New HavenAs alleged in court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an investigation by the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force and the DEA New Haven’s Tactical Diversion Squad targeting the manufacture and distribution of counterfeit oxycodone tablets containing fentanyl and counterfeit Adderall tablets containing methamphetamine, and the distribution of heroin and cocaine, in the New Haven area. The investigation revealed that Willis Taylor, with the assistance of Paul Paolella, Gordon Lauria, and others, coordinated the manufacture of the counterfeit pills, which Taylor distributed to Sean Pepe, and Taylor’s son, Peter Ablondi Taylor, for further distribution. Pepe supplied pills to Christopher Cahill and others. Willis Taylor also arranged counterfeit pill transactions between second and third parties, including Mark Apotrias, Thomas Joslin, and David King, and used Aquarius Gumbs as a source of supply for some of these transactions. Gumbs also distributed controlled substances to his own customers, including Richard Greatsinger. Marcos Pappas, Lisa Fausel and Julio Echevarria, also conspired to distribute controlled substances.
During the investigation, investigators seized more than two kilograms of fentanyl, including thousands of counterfeit Oxycodone tablets; approximately two kilograms of methamphetamine, including thousands of counterfeit Adderall pills; three kilograms of cocaine and other drugs; four pill-press machines; one industrial mixer; five firearms; and more than $200,000 in cash.
Thirteen of the defendants were arrested on federal criminal complaints last week. Pepe is currently in state custody.
On April 4, 2023, the grand jury returned an indictment charging each defendant with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, controlled substances. If convicted of this offense, based on the type and quantity of controlled substances attributable to each defendant, Willis Taylor and Paolella face a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life; Pepe, Pappas, and Fausel face a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years; and the remaining defendants face a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. In addition, the indictment charges Willis Taylor, Gumbs, Pepe, Paolella, and Greatsinger with one or more counts related to the possession and distribution of controlled substances.
The indictment also charges both Gumbs and Pepe with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years, and with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, an offense that carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of at least five years.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the DEA New Haven’s Tactical Diversion Squad, the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the U.S. Marshals Service. The DEA Tactical Diversion Squad is composed of personnel from the DEA and the Manchester, Glastonbury, West Haven, Hamden, Newington, and Bristol Police Departments. The FBI Task Force includes participants from the FBI, the Connecticut State Police, the Connecticut Department of Correction, and the New Haven, Milford, East Haven, West Haven, and Wallingford Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah P. Karwan and Tara E. Levens, in coordination with the New Haven and Milford State’s Attorney’s Offices.
This case is being prosecuted through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Immigration Services Provider Pleads Guilty to Fraud and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Mario Henry Garcia, 65, of Miami has pled guilty to one count of fraud and misuse of visas, permits and other documents, as well to one count of aggravated identity theft.
Garcia operated a business, Mar Financial, through which he provided a variety of tax preparation, divorce, and immigration services. In particular, the Defendant would assist clients preparing immigration applications (form I-485) to adjust their status to that of a legal permanent resident. Often those clients would have to provide an Affidavit of Financial Support (form I-864) from a financial sponsor guaranteeing to support the applicant while they were in the United States. When a client of the Defendant did not have anyone to act as their financial sponsor, the Defendant would steal the personal identifying information and supporting documents of a sponsor for a prior legitimate application without the sponsors’ knowledge or consent, in exchange for a fee.
The Defendant was released on bond. On February 1, 2023, the Defendant failed to appear at his arraignment in this case. The Defendant absconded and left the country traveling on a Peruvian travel document. The Defendant was detained in Panama after arriving on a flight from Costa Rica and returned to the United States.
U.S. District Judge Cecilia Altonaga set the sentencing hearings for Garcia for June 14.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, acting Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Buckley, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, announced the guilty plea.
HSI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne is prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
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Illinois Man Sentenced to 100 Months in Prison for St. Louis CarjackingRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Belleville, Illinois was sentenced Thursday to 100 months in prison for a 2020 carjacking in St. Louis.
Darrell Gilkey, 26, was one of two men who carjacked a 2019 Dodge Charger on Sept. 19, 2020. A man and a woman were unloading items from the Charger on Washington Avenue in downtown St. Louis when a red Toyota drove up, the occupants pointed a gun at the victims and demanded the Charger’s keys. The robbers then ordered the victims to remove their shoes and lie on the ground before the Toyota and the Charger were driven away.
Gilkey pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in January to one count of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
In addition to his prison time, which will begin running Thursday, Gilkey was ordered to pay $31,251 in restitution for the Charger, which was totaled.
Gilkey has been in jail since 2020, when he was indicted on 21 felony charges in St. Louis Circuit Court. He is accused of the carjacking as well as a series of robberies of wallets, phones and other items from June 26, 2020 to Sept. 9, 2020.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Don Boyce prosecuted the case.
Illegal Possession of a Firearm Sends Ruston Man to PrisonRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Howard Demartae Jackson, 27, of Ruston, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty to 170 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to evidence presented to the court, on or about May 25, 2022 while on patrol, an officer with the Ruston Police Department observed a man with a brown shoulder bag standing near the driver’s side of a vehicle near a gas station. The officer was suspicious of the activity and ran the license plate on the vehicle and learned that the driver’s license of the vehicle’s registered owner was suspended. The officer conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle and the driver was confirmed to be the registered owner and she admitted that her license was suspended. Howard Jackson was identified as the passenger in the vehicle with the female. The officer detected the odor of marijuana coming from inside and a search of the vehicle was conducted. Officers and found Jackson with a shoulder bag containing a loaded Smith and Wesson 40 caliber pistol, methamphetamine, marijuana, oxycodone, alprazolam, MDMA, plastic baggies, and a digital scale.
Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) examined and tested the firearm and found it to have been manufactured in Massachusetts and therefore traveled in interstate commerce. Jackson is a convicted felon with prior felony convictions for possession with intent to distribute both Schedule II and III controlled substances in 2020 and knew that he was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition. Jackson pleaded guilty to the charges on November 28, 2022.
The case was investigated by the DEA, ATF and Ruston Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Cassidy.
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India National Sentenced to Four Months After Unlawfully Re-Entering the United StatesRead the Press Release
St. Croix, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced that Ashokkumar Patel, 40, of India, was sentenced by District Court Judge Wilma A. Lewis to 139 days of incarceration on his conviction of re-entry of a removed alien, followed by one year of supervised release and a special assessment of $100.00.
According to court documents, on November 24, 2021, Patel, an illegal alien from India, was intercepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport as he attempted to board Spirit Airlines flight #449 to Fort Lauderdale, FL. At inspection, Patel presented a fraudulent Florida driver’s license. Further inspection revealed that on August 17, 2019, Patel was apprehended and detained by Custom and Border Patrol in Tecate, CA. Thereafter, on November 21, 2019, Patel was removed and departed from the United States to India.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case and Assistant United States Attorney Daniel H. Huston prosecuted the case.