Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
16 May 2023
Burleson Man Charged with Possessing Destructive DeviceRead the Press Release
A Burleson man who allegedly idolized the Columbine High School shooters has been charged with possessing a homemade bomb, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Noah Robert Calderon, 22, was charged via criminal complaint on April 18 and indicted on May 10 on one count of possession of a destructive device. He made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey L. Cureton on May 15, 2023.
“This defendant exhibited several indicators of potential violence: a fascination with mass shooters, an obsession with weapons, and hatred towards a protected class. What’s worse, he had allegedly progressed from ideation to planning and preparation,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “In apprehending Mr. Calderon, we may have averted mass tragedy. We are especially grateful to the tipster who alerted law enforcement to Mr. Calderon’s concerning social media posts. We encourage anyone who witnesses worrisome behavior to report it to law enforcement. Texas iWatch is anonymous and available 24/7.”
“The FBI’s top priority is to protect the communities we serve from acts of violence. Mr. Calderon’s actions presented a potential threat to the public’s safety, and the FBI moved quickly to ensure no one was harmed, “ said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough. “We encourage the public to remain vigilant and contact law enforcement if they see anything suspicious. Awareness allows us to take actions such as we did in this investigation to protect the American public.”
According to court documents, the FBI was alerted to SnapChat images allegedly posted by Mr. Calderon in October 2022. In the posts, Mr. Calderon allegedly shared images of homemade explosives, including one marked “SS” – an apparent reference to the infamous Nazi paramilitary organization.
On his social media accounts, Mr. Calderon allegedly embraced white supremacist ideology and professed a fascination with high-profile mass shootings, particularly the 1999 massacre at Columbine High School. He posted numerous images of himself in tactical-style vests posing with AR-15-style rifles and handguns and shared Columbine-themed memes.
In March 2023, FBI received a tip that Calderon had detonated a homemade bomb in a residential neighborhood. (911 calls about a loud concussive sound and smoke corroborated the account.)
Shortly thereafter, agents reviewed Mr. Calderon’s Google account and found searches for the Columbine killers, the Charleston church shooter, “pipe bomb how to make,” “how to make propane bombs,” and “wear [sic] were the propane bombs in Columbine,” as well as searches of the names of several local public schools. They also searched e-commerce activity, which showed that Mr. Calderon allegedly bought two pounds of potassium percholorate, one pound of aluminum powder, and a striped fuse online.
On April 17, 2023, agents executed a federal search warrant at Mr. Calderon’s home in Burleson, Texas. In the garage, they located a brown shoe box that contained items that could be used to make and detonate a bomb, including a glass jar marked “frag,” which contained metal bb’s and lead. Near the carboard box was a white plastic container with 659.2 grams of explosive powder. In Mr. Calderon’s room, they recovered a handwritten document labeled “Manifesto” that glorified the Columbine shooters and espoused white supremacy.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations of criminal conduct, not evidence. Mr. Calderone is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison.The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, the Burleson Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Weimer is prosecuting the case.
Buffalo Man Going to Prison for Selling Heroin Which Led to the Death of A 24-Year-Old ManRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Orlando Albert-Arroyo, 28, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, heroin, was sentenced to serve 144 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who handled the case, stated that on February 27, 2019, Buffalo Police Officers responded to a drug overdose call and found a 24-year-old male deceased. The deceased man’s girlfriend told officers that the day before, she met Arroyo and co-defendant Genesis Tolentino-Cruz at a gas station in Cheektowaga to purchase heroin. Later that night, the girlfriend said that she and the deceased male used some of the heroin purchased from the defendants. The girlfriend went to sleep, and when she awoke, she found her boyfriend was deceased. In March and April, 2019, investigators conducted six controlled purchases of heroin from Arroyo and Cruz. On April 19, 2019, a federal search warrant was executed at Arroyo and Cruz’s residence, during which heroin, ammunition, a rifle, a pistol, and drug processing items were seized.
Cruz was previously convicted and sentenced to serve 120 months in prison.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division, the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia, and the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Gould.
# # # #
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. Delivers Remarks at First Colloquium Bringing Together 20 African Countries to Collaborate on Pretrial Detention IssuesRead the Press Release
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division joined the Honorable Chief Justice of the Kenya Supreme Court Martha Koome and Kenya Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji in delivering remarks today to kick off the first Africa Regional Colloquium on “Enhancing the Delivery of Justice by Addressing Pretrial Detention Challenges.” The three-day colloquium in Nairobi, Kenya, brings together representatives of 20 African governments to explore initiatives designed to strike the appropriate balance between public safety and national security and fairness and the efficient, orderly administration of justice, including by reducing pretrial detention.
Government representatives are engaging with each other on topics including the causes and consequences of excessive pretrial detention, international norms, alternatives to pretrial detention, developing plea agreement regimes to reduce pretrial detention, and the unique challenges presented by terrorism and violent extremism. They will also discuss examples of initiatives from Kenya and Senegal.
“Events like today’s provide us opportunities to learn from each other, consider new approaches, and reaffirm our shared commitment to advancing the rule of law,” said Assistant Attorney General Polite. “These opportunities reinvigorate us, equip us with more tools, and build closer partnerships to help overcome shared challenges and meet our responsibilities to our citizens and the international community.”
Chief Justice Koome delivered the keynote address.
“In the pursuit of justice, the principle of ‘innocent until proven guilty’ is sacrosanct. This principle is often put to the test in the face of pretrial detention,” said Justice Koome. “As custodians of the law, we must strive to ensure that our justice systems are both efficient and effective. We must work towards reducing case backlogs, streamline court processes, and leverage on technology to expedite court proceedings. We must embrace the view that justice is not merely punitive but is also preventive and restorative. It is a mechanism for social change or social transformation.”
Kenya Director of Public Prosecutions Haji highlighted the initiatives that Kenya has taken through the implementation of alternatives to prosecution, such as Diversion and Plea bargaining as well as the All-for-Justice Program, while reiterating the shared values of the Kenyan-U.S. prosecutorial relationship.
“This colloquium will enhance International and Regional cooperation amongst criminal justice actors to further develop frameworks and mechanisms which will incorporate human rights, socio- political, cultural and economic realities, to reduce on pretrial detention,” said Director Haji. “It is our responsibility to ensure that pretrial detention is used in a manner that upholds the rule of law, respects human rights, and fosters public trust in the criminal justice system. By doing so, we can ensure that justice is served in a manner that is fair, just, and humane.”
Kenya’s Judiciary and Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions hosted the Colloquium, which is being sponsored by several partners, including the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development Assistance and Training (OPDAT), the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Counterterrorism and Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement, the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, the European Union-funded Anti-Money Laundering–Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML-CFT) Platform in East, South, Center of Africa and Yemen (ESCAY), the British High Commission in Kenya and the International Institute for Justice Malta. OPDAT has been working with African partners to improve their policies and practices that can lead to excessive pretrial detention of suspects, by both rediscovering their existing legal mechanisms and developing new tools to reduce excessive detention. Reductions in unnecessary detention will have cascading benefits throughout criminal justice systems by reducing overcrowding in the prisons, limiting exposure of vulnerable detainees to violent extremist rhetoric in those prisons, and reducing caseloads to permit police, prosecutors, and judges to focus on priority cases.
Government officials from the following countries participated in the Colloquium: Algeria, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, and Zambia.
Please visit www.justice.gov/criminal-opdat for more information about OPDAT’s capacity building efforts around the world.
Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Albert A. Childress, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, announced today that Arturo Archuleta pleaded guilty to five counts of tax evasion. Archuleta, 50, of Albuquerque, will remain on conditions of release pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
According to the plea agreement, from 2014 to 2018, Archuleta worked as an office manager at ABQ Injury Clinic, a chiropractic medicine practice in Albuquerque. During that time, Archuleta derived approximately $200,000 from his role at ABQ Injury Clinic. In the same period, Archuleta also took checks made out to ABQ Injury Clinic and diverted them to a separate bank account he controlled. Archuleta did not report any of his income to the IRS between 2014 and April of 2019 and took affirmative acts to avoid creating records of the income.
The tax evasion offenses carry a statutory maximum sentence of five years of imprisonment but, according to the terms of his plea agreement, Archuleta faces up to two years of imprisonment at sentencing.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this case with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Taylor F. Hartstein is prosecuting the case.
# # #
23-105
Albuquerque Man Charged with Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Brendan Iber, Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), announced that Marquez Martinez was charged with dealing in firearms without a license and illegal possession of a machine gun. Martinez, 25, of Albuquerque, appeared in federal court for a detention hearing and will remain at the La Pasada Halfway House under numerous conditions of release pending trial, which has not been scheduled.
According to the criminal complaint, on Jan. 9, 2023, the ATF identified an Instagram account associated with Martinez advertising the sale of firearms including firearms modified with a machine gun conversion device commonly referred to as a “switch.” A machine gun conversion device is a small device that can be mounted to the back of a handgun. Once mounted, the device allows the handgun to operate as a fully automatic weapon.
On Jan. 10, 2023, a student at West Mesa High School was found with two firearms in their possession. One of the firearms was purchased by Marquez on Nov. 10, 2022, 61 days prior and modified with a machine gun conversion device. On Feb. 1, 2023, an undercover detective with the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) contacted Martinez through Instagram and set up numerous controlled purchases of contraband. Specifically, the undercover detective purchased LSD, several handguns, an AK-47, several machine gun conversion devices, and fentanyl. One of the handguns was found to have been purchased by Martinez 39 days prior to the controlled purchase.
On March 2, 2023, a Texas State Ranger conducted a traffic stop in El Paso, TX, on a vehicle that contained an individual wanted for homicide in Albuquerque. During a search of the vehicle a firearm was recovered. The firearm had been purchased by Martinez on June 26, 2022.
On March 8, 2023, the APD Gun Violence Suppression Unit (GVSU) conducted a vehicle stop in Albuquerque. During the vehicle stop, a firearm was recovered and seized. This firearm had been purchased by Martinez on Jan. 7, 2023, 62 days prior to it being recovered by law enforcement.
During the five-month period of monitoring Martinez’s firearm purchases, the ATF estimates that he was responsible for buying at least thirty-five firearms.
On May 11, 2023, the ATF and other federal law enforcement agencies executed a warrant on the current known residence of Martinez. Inside the home, agents located approximately thirteen firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and numerous ammunition magazines. Martinez was interviewed by an agent from the ATF and admitted purchasing “hundreds” of firearms since turning 21, to include approximately fifty purchases in the past six months.
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Martinez faces up to 10 years in prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Patrick E. Cordova is prosecuting the case.
# # #
23-107
Albuquerque Man Charged with Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Brendan Iber, Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), announced that Marquez Martinez was charged with dealing in firearms without a license and illegal possession of a machine gun. Martinez, 25, of Albuquerque, appeared in federal court for a detention hearing and will remain at the La Pasada Halfway House under numerous conditions of release pending trial, which has not been scheduled.
According to the criminal complaint, on Jan. 9, 2023, the ATF identified an Instagram account associated with Martinez advertising the sale of firearms including firearms modified with a machine gun conversion device commonly referred to as a “switch.” A machine gun conversion device is a small device that can be mounted to the back of a handgun. Once mounted, the device allows the handgun to operate as a fully automatic weapon.
On Jan. 10, 2023, a student at West Mesa High School was found with two firearms in their possession. One of the firearms was purchased by Marquez on Nov. 10, 2022, 61 days prior and modified with a machine gun conversion device. On Feb. 1, 2023, an undercover detective with the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) contacted Martinez through Instagram and set up numerous controlled purchases of contraband. Specifically, the undercover detective purchased LSD, several handguns, an AK-47, several machine gun conversion devices, and fentanyl. One of the handguns was found to have been purchased by Martinez 39 days prior to the controlled purchase.
On March 2, 2023, a Texas State Ranger conducted a traffic stop in El Paso, TX, on a vehicle that contained an individual wanted for homicide in Albuquerque. During a search of the vehicle a firearm was recovered. The firearm had been purchased by Martinez on June 26, 2022.
On March 8, 2023, the APD Gun Violence Suppression Unit (GVSU) conducted a vehicle stop in Albuquerque. During the vehicle stop, a firearm was recovered and seized. This firearm had been purchased by Martinez on Jan. 7, 2023, 62 days prior to it being recovered by law enforcement.
During the five-month period of monitoring Martinez’s firearm purchases, the ATF estimates that he was responsible for buying at least thirty-five firearms.
On May 11, 2023, the ATF and other federal law enforcement agencies executed a warrant on the current known residence of Martinez. Inside the home, agents located approximately thirteen firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and numerous ammunition magazines. Martinez was interviewed by an agent from the ATF and admitted purchasing “hundreds” of firearms since turning 21, to include approximately fifty purchases in the past six months.
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Martinez faces up to 10 years in prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Patrick E. Cordova is prosecuting the case.
# # #
23-107
21-Year-Old Man Charged for Assaulting Border Patrol AgentRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Adbiel Martinez-Barrera, 21, of Mexico, was arrested on May 5, 2023, by United States Border Patrol agents for Assault on a Federal Officer and illegal entry into the United States.
The government’s complaint alleges that on May 5, 2023, Border Patrol agents responded to a remote location near Douglas, Arizona, where a surveillance camera had observed two suspected undocumented non-citizens. An agent located two individuals, a female and Martinez-Barrera. As the agent was attempting to gain control of the female, Martinez-Barrera began vigorously pulling on the agent. Martinez-Barrera then climbed on the agent from behind, pinned the agent’s face to the ground, and placed his hand over the agent’s mouth, preventing the agent from being able to breathe. Martinez-Barrera told the agent to stop and let them go. Each time Martinez-Barrera removed his hand momentarily, the agent would yell and Martinez-Barrera would cover her mouth again, impeding the agent’s breathing. When the agent stopped struggling, Martinez-Barrera and the female undocumented noncitizen fled on foot. Border Patrol agents were later able to detain them and arrested Martinez-Barrera. Agents determined that he is a citizen of Mexico without proper immigration documents. He admitted to illegally crossing the international boundary without being inspected by an immigration officer at a designated port of entry.
A conviction for Assault on a Federal Officer carries a maximum penalty of eight years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
A complaint is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Customs and Border Protection’s United States Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Serra M. Tsethlikai, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 23-00355MJ-1
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-072_Martinez-Barrera# # #
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.18-Year-Old Man Charged for Assaulting Border Patrol AgentRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Alfredo Perez-Rodriguez, 18, of Mexico, was arrested by the United States Border Patrol last week for Assault on a Federal Officer with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon.
The government’s complaint alleges that on May 8, 2023, Border Patrol agents responded to a report of five undocumented non-citizens walking north in the San Pedro River area near the international border between the United States and Mexico. When the agents approached the group, they all fled on foot, including Perez-Rodriguez. After a brief pursuit, agents attempted to arrest Perez-Rodriguez, but he resisted and fought with the agent-victim. During the struggle, Perez-Rodriguez gained control of the agent-victim’s taser and pointed it at the agent-victim’s chest and face. The defendant continued to fight even after another agent arrived to assist the agent-victim, but was eventually taken into custody.
A conviction for Assault on a Federal Officer with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
A complaint is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Customs and Border Protection’s United States Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Nathaniel J. Walters, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 23-00383MJ-1
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-070_Perez-Rodriguez# # #
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.
15 May 2023
Yosemite National Park Squatter Pleads Guilty to Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Devin Michael Cuellar, 29, a transient, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a sawed-off shotgun and ammunition, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, during the summer of 2021, Cuellar broke into a private residence on Koon Hollar Road in Wawona within Yosemite National Park and resided there for several months without permission of the owner. Cuellar possessed a sawed-off shotgun and ammunition that were found in the residence. Cuellar was previously convicted of carjacking and possessing controlled substances for sale and is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
This case is the product of an investigation by the National Park Service with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Forensic Services, and the Madera County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.
Cuellar is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on Sept. 5, 2023. Cuellar faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case 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 U.S. Department of Justice 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.
Woman admits to smuggling minorsRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 22-year-old resident of Toledo, Ohio, has pleaded guilty to transporting an undocumented alien, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
On Jan. 29, Maria Aguilar arrived at the Hidalgo port of entry with three minors in her vehicle. At that time, she claimed they were her relatives and presented Ohio birth certificates.
Law enforcement noticed the children appeared nervous and ultimately discovered the birth certificates were for other people.
Aguilar admitted the minors were not relatives, but undocumented aliens, and expected to be paid $4,700 to smuggle the minors into the United States.
U.S. District Judge Ricardo Hinojosa will impose sentencing Aug. 17. At that time, Aguilar faces up to 10 years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
She was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodore Parran III prosecuted the case.
West Virginia woman convicted of methamphetamine traffickingRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Bridgeport, West Virginia, woman has admitted to possessing more than 50 grams of crystal methamphetamine.
Courtney M. Oliverio, 42, pled guilty today to possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine. According to court documents, during a traffic stop in Harrison County Oliverio had nearly 60 grams of methamphetamine, also known as “ice,” and more than $3,000 cash. During a subsequent search of the vehicle, officers also found digital scales and other drug paraphernalia.
Oliverio is facing at least 10 years and up to life in prison. She is being held in the Central Regional Jail pending sentencing. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case was investigated by the Greater Harrison Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office and the Bridgeport Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Bauer is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
United States Files Complaint Alleging Iowa Surgeon Caused Submission of False Claims to MedicareRead the Press Release
Adam B. Smith, M.D., also known as “Adam Bryant,” has been sued by the United States for two counts of violating the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. §3729 et seq. The claims are contained in a Civil Complaint filed by both the United States and the State of Iowa on May 9, 2023, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa.
The complaint alleges that from approximately August 2014 to August 2019, Smith, a plastic surgeon practicing in Sioux City during that time, submitted or caused to be submitted false claims for healthcare services to government payors, including Medicare. The complaint alleges Smith did so by: (1) billing government payors for services he claimed were medically necessary surgical procedures, but that were in actuality medically unnecessary cosmetic surgeries, which are not payable by government payors; (2) billing for services in excess of those actually rendered (“upcoding”) to increase reimbursement, or even billing for surgical procedures he didn’t perform at all; and (3) overstating the complexity of office visits with patients in order to obtain greater reimbursement from government payors.
Under the federal False Claims Act, the United States is entitled to a judgment equal to three times the cost to the United States for any false claims. In addition, the United States is entitled to per-claim penalties, currently set by law at between $13,508 and $27,018. The United States alleged Smith caused the submission of over one thousand false claims.
The United States previously entered into a settlement agreement for $612,501.44 with Smith’s employer during his time practicing in Sioux City, Tri-State Specialists, LLP, in December 2021.
As with any civil case, a complaint is merely an allegation and a defendant is presumed not liable until shown otherwise by a preponderance of the evidence.
This civil matter arose from an action brought under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. Pursuant to that Act, the whistleblower will share in any recovery obtained by the United States.
The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Melissa A. Carrington and Matthew K. Gillespie and was investigated by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Service.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 5:19-cv-04011-CJW-KEM.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
United States Attorney’s Office Recognizes National Police WeekRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – In honor of National Police Week, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida recognizes the service and sacrifice of our local, state, and federal law enforcement officers. This year, national events are being held in Washington, D.C. between Wednesday, May 10 through Monday, May 15, 2023.
“Every day our brave law enforcement officers face dangerous and difficult situations without reservation or expectation of thanks,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “These courageous individuals serve, not for fame or fortune, but act selflessly to protect their fellow citizens and keep our communities safe. This week we pay tribute to Tallahassee Police Officer Christopher Fariello and Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office Corporal Ray Hamilton, both of whom made the ultimate sacrifice in service of our nation. We remember the courage with which they worked and lived. Moreover, we recommit ourselves to the mission to which they dedicated their lives.”
In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty. Based on data submitted to and analyzed by the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), 224 law enforcement officers died nationwide in the line of duty in 2022.
Additionally, according to 2022 statistics reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program, 60 law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty in 2022 were killed as a result of felonious acts, whereas 58 died in accidents. Deaths resulting from felonious acts decreased 17.8% in 2022, when compared to the 73 officers who were killed as a result of criminal acts in 2021. Additional LEOKA statistics can be found on FBI’s Crime Data Explorer website for the LEOKA program.
Each year, hundreds of names of officers killed in the line of duty are engraved on the walls of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC. The NLEOMF’s 35th Annual Candlelight Vigil on the National Mall in Washington, DC, memorializes the 556 fallen officers who sacrificed all for their communities. The schedule of National Police Week events is available on NLEOMF’s website.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Reference to any specific organization or service(s) offered by an organization is for the information and convenience of the public, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Department of Justice.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Joins Federal, State and Local Agencies to Host Maryland Statewide Reentry and Justice-Involved Conference on May 18, 2023Read the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – On Thursday, May 18, 2023, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland will join the sponsor, My Covenant Place, and the Maryland Division of Parole and Probation, the Maryland Statewide Alliance for Returning Citizens and the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office to host the Maryland Statewide Reentry and Justice-Involved Conference, a full day conference being held at First Baptist of Glenarden-Ministry Center, 3600 Brightseat Road, Landover, MD 20706. The conference is free and open to the public, but registration is required for all attendees.
A free continental breakfast and lunch will be provided for all participants and parking is also free. Interactive panel topics include: best practices; juvenile justice; diversion programs; women and reentry; mental/physical health; law enforcement; stability after reentry; funding for programs; and challenges and solutions. You may register at: https://bit.ly/3LEHMSK. For more information, please call (410) 209-4976.
This conference and events like it, are components of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s violent crime reduction strategy. In addition to the office’s enforcement efforts to remove violent criminals with guns from our communities, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has initiated outreach, intervention and prevention efforts to support and invest in communities plagued by violence, such as this reentry and justice-involved conference.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
# # #
U.S. Attorney’s Office Commemorates National Police Week 2023Read the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – In honor of National Police Week 2023, U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement officers who made the ultimate sacrifice, as well as the family members, friends, and fellow officers they left behind.
In 1962, President John F. Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, May 15, honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty. According to National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund, in 2021, 472 U.S. law enforcement officers died in the line of duty, including 319 who succumbed to COVID-19.
The following seven officers who died in the line of duty in the Southern District of Indiana had their names read and added to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial on Saturday, May 13, 2023, during a Candlelight Vigil in Washington, D.C.
- JOHN MEDLEY WHISMAN, 45, Charlestown P.D. EOW 10/1/1936
- WILLIAM JAMES COX, 67, Fairmount P.D. EOW 6/26/1941
- GARY LAYNE WEINKE, 67, Indiana Department of Correction. EOW 4/25/2020
- NOAH CLEON RAINEY, 29, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office. EOW 1/29/2022
- NOAH JACOB SHAHNAVAZ, 24, Elwood P.D. EOW 7/31/2022
- DOUGLAS WARREN SANFORD, 48, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. EOW 3/29/2022
- SEARA BROOKE BURTON, 28, Richmond P.D. EOW 9/18/2022
“We honor these fallen heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice in service of their communities.” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “We must never lose sight of the danger and difficulties that law enforcement officers face on our behalf. Without them, we cannot protect the public and maintain the rule of law. We are forever grateful for their bravery, selflessness, and sacrifice.”
Additionally, according to 2022 Statistics reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program, 60 law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty in 2022 were killed as a result of felonious acts, whereas 58 died in accidents. Deaths resulting from felonious acts decreased in 2022, lowering 17.8 percent from the previous year. Additional LEOKA statistics can be found on FBI’s Crime Data Explorer website for the LEOKA program.
###
U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee Recognizes Police WeekRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. In honor of National Police Week, United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement. This year, the week is observed Sunday, May 14th through Saturday, May20th. Again, this year, communities across the United States will honor and remember those law enforcement officers who made the ultimate sacrifice, as well as the family members, friends, and fellow officers left behind.
In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15th, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.
This year, the names of 556 officers killed in the line of duty are being added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC. These 556 officers include 224 officers who were killed during 2022, plus 332 officers who died in previous years, but whose stories of sacrifice had been lost to history until now. For more information, go to https://nleomf.org.
For more information about National Police Week, please visit https://nleomf.org/policeweek.
###
Reference to any specific organization or service(s) offered by an organization is for the information and convenience of the public, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Department of Justice.
U.S. Attorney's Office Announces Protecting Houses of Worship Training Seminar in DenverRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces it will co-host a Protecting Houses of Worship (PHOW) event in Denver next week. This interfaith event is open to the public and will focus on providing faith-based institutions with information from law enforcement and faith-related security experts about the threats of violence facing houses of worship and responsive measures to counter potential risks. The event will be held on Wednesday, May 24th, from 6-8 p.m. at the Colorado Muslim Society, 2071 S Parker Rd, Denver, CO 80231.
If interested in attending, please RSVP to Jillian Dardani at [email protected].
The PHOW programs are interfaith events hosted at a community center, church, mosque, synagogue or other faith-based facility for participation by all interested faith-based organizations in the city or region.
The upcoming event is sponsored by The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, Denver District Attorney’s Office, Denver Police Department, and the Department of Justice’s Community Relations Service, Rocky Mountain Region.
U.S. Attorney Will Thompson to Honor Excellence in Law Enforcement at Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, May 17, 2023Read the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson will honor more than 60 law enforcement professionals during the 2023 Law Enforcement Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, May 17, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. at the Robert C. Byrd U.S. Courthouse in Charleston.
The annual awards ceremony recognizes the exemplary service of federal, state, and local law enforcement officers who have provided invaluable assistance to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia in cases and initiatives.
Thompson will present awards for outstanding law enforcement work on major cases involving drug crimes, violent crimes, white collar crimes and the sexual exploitation of minors. Thompson will also present awards honoring the Law Enforcement Officers of the Year and the Drug and Violent Crime Task Force of the year.
This year’s ceremony is in conjunction with National Police Week, a collaborative effort of many organizations to remember and honor the service and sacrifice of law enforcement officers.
WHAT: 2023 Law Enforcement Awards Ceremony
WHEN: Wednesday, May 17, 2023, at 1 p.m.
WHERE: Robert C. Byrd United States Courthouse, Charleston, Fifth Floor
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.
###
U.S. Attorney Waldref Recognizes Police Week in Eastern WashingtonRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington: In honor of National Police Week, Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, recognized the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement. This year, the week is observed from May 14 through May 20, 2023.
At the National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service, which was held earlier today at the Nation’s Capital, United States Attorney General Merrick Garland stated, “We pay tribute to the law enforcement officers who sacrificed their lives in service to our country, we also honor the ongoing sacrifices by those they love the most.” The Attorney General continued, “These are individuals who answered the call to serve from a wide variety of backgrounds bringing different perspectives and different experiences to their work. . . . Each made the same promise, to serve and protect their communities. They promised that when a call for help came, they would answer. They promised that when a crisis arose in their community, they would respond. They promised that nothing, no danger, no threat, would stop them from showing up when they were needed the most. Each of the individuals we honor today kept that promise.”
U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref joined the Attorney General in thanking law enforcement. “Today and throughout this week, we thank our federal, state, local and Tribal law enforcement officers for their unrelenting commitment to protect us all and keep the communities of Eastern Washington safe and strong,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “These courageous men and women routinely put their lives on the line for ours, and we are extremely grateful for their sacrifice. We all owe them our deepest gratitude and respect – and not just for this week alone, but each and every day that these brave individuals serve our communities.”
President John F. Kennedy issued the first proclamation in 1962 for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty. Based on data submitted to and analyzed by the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), 332 law enforcement officers died nationwide in the line of duty in 2022. In the State of Washington, five officers died last year in the line of duty.
In proclaiming May 14 through May 20, 2023, as Police Week, President Biden “call[ed] upon all Americans to observe these events with appropriate ceremonies and activities and salute our Nation’s brave law enforcement officers and remember their peace officer brothers and sisters who have given their last full measure of devotion in the line of duty.” President Biden further “encourage[d] all Americans to display the flag at half-staff from their homes and businesses on that day.”
Additional information and resources regarding this year’s Police Week is available at: https://nleomf.org/memorial/programs/national-police-week-2023/.
U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker recognizes National Police WeekRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – In honor of this week as National Police Week, U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker recognizes the service and sacrifice of all law enforcement officers in the Southern District of Ohio.
“I ask the public to join me in thanking the many men and women of law enforcement who nobly and honorably serve their profession and communities,” said U.S. Attorney Parker. “Our law enforcement officers are public servants, who are tasked with serving our communities knowing their commitment to do so could cost them their lives. They have taken a solemn oath to protect us with the same vigor that they would their own families.”
In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.
Each year, hundreds of names of officers killed in the line of duty are engraved on the walls of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC. These names are then read aloud during the annual Candlelight Vigil to memorialize those who made the ultimate sacrifice. This year marked the 35th Annual Candlelight Vigil.
At this year’s candlelight vigil, Clark County Deputy Matthew Eugene Yates’s name was read aloud. Deputy Yates was killed in the line of duty on July 24, 2022.
The schedule of National Police Week events is available on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial website.
You can view U.S. Attorney Parker’s entire message to law enforcement officers on the Southern District of Ohio’s Facebook page.
# # #
Two guilty in prison contraband bribery schemeRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A local man has admitted he paid a prison guard to smuggle contraband into the La Villa Detention Center (LVDC), announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Abel Angel Solis, 24, Pharr, admitted he paid Jose Martin Espinoza, 36, Mercedes, to smuggle cellular phones into LVDC. Espinoza entered his plea April 24.
On May 17, 2022, Espinoza attempted to enter the detention center for his normally scheduled duty. At that time, other prison officials conducted a search and found a cell phone wrapped in cellophane inside his work cap.
Espinoza subsequently admitted Solis was paying him to bring the phones to an inmate who was being detained at LVDC pending proceedings on a hostage taking case. That inmate, Sixto Gonzalez Jr., pleaded guilty in that matter today.
The investigation also revealed cash app transactions between Espinoza and Solis. The transactions totaled $1,500 for the delivery of three phones from Espinoza to Gonzalez.
U.S. District Judge Marina Marmolejo accepted the pleas. U.S. District Judge Ricardo Hinojosa will impose sentencing July 31 and Aug. 18, for Espinoza and Solis, respectively. At those times, Espinoza and Solis face up to 15 years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Solis has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing. Espinoza was permitted to remain on bond.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colton Turner is prosecuting the case.
Two Northeast Ohio Men Sentenced for Armed Carjacking SpreeRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – Thomas J.D. Williams, 19, of Maple Heights, Ohio, was sentenced on Monday, May 8, 2023, to 15 years in prison by U.S. District Judge James S. Gwin after he pleaded guilty to three counts of carjacking and two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Donteze Congress, 19, of Maple Heights, Ohio, was sentenced on Tuesday, May 9, 2023, to 15 years in prison by U.S. District Judge James S. Gwin after he pleaded guilty to three counts of carjacking and two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
According to court documents, in three separate incidents on August 9, 2022, Congress, Williams, and co-defendant Kenneth Franklin used firearms and threats of violence to steal vehicles. During two of the armed carjacking incidents, court documents say that the defendants, riding together in a vehicle, intentionally crashed their vehicle into the rear of the victim’s vehicle to cause a minor traffic incident. In the third incident, the defendants followed the victim’s vehicle to a shopping center parking lot.
Court documents state that on each occasion, as the victim exited their vehicle, they were confronted by two or three of the carjackers brandishing firearms, threatening violence, and demanding the keys to the vehicle.
Court documents state that later that day, officers with the Solon Police Department, along with assistance from other jurisdictions, located Williams driving in one of the stolen vehicles. Williams was later arrested and found to be in possession of a victim credit card and a loaded pistol.
Co-defendant Kenneth Franklin is scheduled to be sentenced on June 5, 2023.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Solon Police Department, Cuyahoga Falls Police Department, Streetsboro Police Department, and the Garfield Heights Police Department.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Peter E. Daly and Christopher J. Joyce.
Two Men Sentenced for Violations of the Federal Controlled Substances and Gun Control ActsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On May 11, 2023 United States District Judge Eldon E. Fallon sentenced GERARD BROWN, age 36, of New Orleans, and EDGARDO RUIZ, age 30, of Los Angeles, California, for violating the Federal Controlled Substances and the Federal Gun Control Acts, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to the court records, BROWN conspired to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute large amounts of heroin and fentanyl. BROWN also pled guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms after DEA agents found several guns in his house during the execution of a search warrant. RUIZ, who was incarcerated in California at the time of the offense, pled guilty to two counts of using a communications device to further drug trafficking activity. He admitted to using a contraband cellphone in jail to arrange drug transactions with BROWN.
Judge Fallon sentenced BROWN to 10 years in federal prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Judge Fallon sentenced RUIZ to eight years imprisonment to be followed by one year of supervised release. BROWN and RUIZ were also ordered to pay a mandatory special assessment fee of $200 each.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by Special Agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney David Haller of the Violent Crime Unit.
Two Fentanyl Traffickers Plead Guilty to Charges Arising from the 2022 “Operation Killer High” Investigation in FresnoRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Henry Cox, 23, and Abel Lozano, 29, both of Sanger, pleaded guilty today to trafficking over 500 grams of fentanyl. Lozano also pleaded guilty to trafficking over 500 grams of methamphetamine and over 100 grams of a fentanyl analogue, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, investigation, dubbed “Operation Killer High,” began after a series of victims overdosed on counterfeit oxycodone M30 pills laced with fentanyl in the Fresno area. The investigation aimed to search for the drug dealers believed to have supplied the toxic pills that caused the spike in fentanyl-related overdoses. The operation uncovered a large drug-trafficking ring led by co-defendant Horacio Torrecillas Urias Jr., 22, of Fresno, the self-proclaimed “M30 king of Fresno.”
On Feb. 11, 2022, federal officers executed a search warrant at Lozano’s residence and found over a kilogram of fentanyl, 991 grams of p-flourofentanyl (an analogue more potent than fentanyl), and 907 grams of methamphetamine. According to Lozano’s plea agreement, he intended to distribute those drugs to other persons.
Also in February 2022, members of the investigative team intercepted communications between Henry Cox and others in which Cox discussed his plan to obtain and sell thousands of M30 fentanyl pills. The recorded calls led investigators to conduct a traffic stop on a car on Feb. 17, 2022. Officers searched the car and found about 20,000 fentanyl pills and almost 1 kilogram of fentanyl powder. According to Cox’s plea agreement, the drugs were part of the conspiracy in which he joined.
Charges are pending against Horacio Torrecillas Urias Jr and the other 15 co-defendants. The defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is the result of an investigation by FORT (a multi-agency team composed of Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Fresno Police Department), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Clovis Police Department, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, and the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, with assistance from the Bakersfield Police Department and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin J. Gilio and Laurel J. Montoya are prosecuting the case.
Sentencing for Cox and Lozano is set for Aug. 28, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston. Cox and Lozano face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison and a fine up to $10 million. The actual sentences, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.), a program designed to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas as well as identifying wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers. In July 2018, the Justice Department announced the creation of S.O.S., which is being implemented in the Eastern District of California and nine other federal districts.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Spokane Resident Sentenced to 6 Months for COVID-19 Relief FraudRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that Natasha Ann Opsal, 41, of Spokane, Washington, was sentenced to 6 months in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining more than $50,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. United States District Judge Thomas Rice announced the sentence, the most recent obtained by the COVID-19 Relief Fraud Strike Force.
On March 27, 2020, the President signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. The CARES Act provided a number of programs through which eligible small businesses could request and obtain relief funding intended to mitigate the economic impacts of the pandemic for small and local businesses. One such program, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), provided government-backed funding to small businesses which could be forgiven so long as the proceeds were used for payroll and other eligible expenses. Another program, the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, provided low interest loans that could be deferred until the conclusion of the pandemic to provide “bridge” funding for small businesses to maintain their operations during shutdowns and other economic circumstances caused by the pandemic. The PPP and EIDL programs have provided billions of dollars in aid, the vast majority of which have not been paid back, including hundreds of millions of dollars disbursed within Eastern Washington.
“COVID-19 relief programs were designed to lift up our community during crisis, and due to the number of people and businesses that requested funding, some deserving small businesses were not able to obtain funding to keep their businesses in operation,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “We created the Strike Force to ensure that those who misused COVID-19 relief funding are held accountable and to protect the strength and safety of our vital small business community.”
In February 2022, U.S. Attorney Waldref and the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) began working with federal law enforcement agencies to create and launch a COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force that would leverage partnerships between different agencies to aggressively investigate and prosecute fraud against COVID-19 relief programs in Eastern Washington. The Strike Force consists of agency representatives from the USAO, Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Inspector General (OIG), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Department of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs OIG, General Services Administration OIG, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) OIG, Internal Revenue Service, Department of Energy OIG, and others.
According to court documents and information disclosed during court proceedings, Opsal fraudulently obtained over $50,000 in COVID-19 relief funding through three PPP loans she obtained in the spring of 2021 for a purported car detailing business. In February of 2023, Opsal pled guilty to submitting false and fraudulent claims to the United States, and admitted to making false and fraudulent representations about the purported business in order to obtain COVID-19 funding. As part of the sentence, Opsal will serve 6 months in federal prison and be supervised by the Court for three years following her release, among other conditions, and will be required to maintain employment and to make full restitution of the funds that she fraudulently obtained.
“I commend the stellar investigative work on these cases performed by the Strike Force and especially in this case by SBA OIG, U.S. Secret Service, and DHS OIG” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “We will continue to work together with our law enforcement partners to vigorously prosecute those who abuse and misuse COVID-19 relief funding, and to strengthen our communities by protecting our small and local businesses.”
DHS Inspector General, Dr. Joseph V. Cuffari, said, “I appreciate the continued partnership between DHS OIG and the Eastern District of Washington’s COVID Fraud Strike
Force. Defrauding the U.S. Government’s programs for personal gain is unconscionable. This sentencing should serve as a deterrent to individuals intent on fleecing our COVID pandemic relief programs.”“Individuals making false statements to fraudulently obtain pandemic funds will face justice,” said SBA OIG’s Western Region Special Agent in Charge Weston King. “Our Office will remain relentless in the pursuit of fraudsters who seek to exploit SBA’s vital economic programs. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and commitment to seeing justice served.”
This case was investigated by the Eastern District of Washington COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force and by the SBA OIG, U.S. Secret Service, and DHS OIG. Special Assistant United States Attorney Frieda K. Zimmerman and Assistant United States Attorney Dan Fruchter prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
Case No. 2:22-CR-53-TOR
South Texan admits to receiving child porn via messaging appRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 20-year-old resident of Edinburg has pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography depicting prepubescent minors, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Lazaro Segundo-Vazquez admitted to receiving over 1,800 images and video files containing child sexual abuse material.
An alert from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children led authorities to a residence in Edinburg appearing to be uploading child pornography to a Google account. The investigation revealed Segundo-Vazquez received images and videos containing child sexual abuse material via a third-party messaging application on his cellular phone.
Segundo-Vazquez admitted to receiving child sexual abuse material that included videos and images of prepubescent children and toddlers. The material depicted children engaged in sexual acts with adults and other children. Segundo-Vazquez then uploaded several images of child sexual abuse material to a Google account.
U.S. District Judge Ricardo H. Hinojosa will impose sentencing Aug. 18. At that time, Segundo-Vazquez faces up to 20 years in prison.
He will remain in custody pending that hearing.
Homeland Security Investigations - Rio Grande Valley Child Exploitation Task Force conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cahal P. McColgan prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.
Sioux City Man to Federal Prison for Meth ConvictionsRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine and possessed with intent to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced May 10, 2023.
Kenneth John David Schneiders, 34, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted by a jury on December 13, 2022, after a two-day jury trial of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine all within 1,000 feet of a protected location, namely the Sioux City Alternative School and Opportunities School, each located in the Boys and Girls Home in Sioux City, Iowa.
The evidence at trial showed that Schneiders was communicating with others for the sale of methamphetamine on December 2, 2019. Law enforcement was made aware of the discussions through a confidential source, and ultimately located Schneiders at the Boys and Girls Home parking lot with approximately two ounces of methamphetamine.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Schneiders was sentenced to 80 months’ imprisonment and must serve an eight-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Schneiders remains in custody of United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-4032. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Sacramento Man Pleads Guilty to Heroin ConspiracyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Juan Medina, 29, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute heroin, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, in July 2015, Medina, a truck driver acting at the direction of a Mexican drug source of supply, went to Garden Grove and received $9,800 for a prior delivery of heroin orchestrated by the Mexican source.
Medina is the third courier in this case to enter a guilty plea. Roberto Palacios-Garcia, 37, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to seven years and three months in prison. Daniel Quiroz, 41, of Los Angeles, is scheduled for sentencing on July 10, 2023.
Charges are pending against a fourth defendant, Otoniel Cardenas-Torres, 33. Cardenas-Torres is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.
Medina is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on Sept. 5, 2023. Medina faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Rockford Man Sentenced to 36 Years in Federal Prison for the Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Rockford man has been sentenced to 36 years in federal prison on charges of sexual exploitation of children.
U.S. District Judge Philip G. Reinhard imposed the sentence Friday on NATHAN TAUCK, 32, and ordered that it be followed by a lifetime of court-supervised release. Judge Reinhard also ordered Tauck to pay $60,000 in restitution to his victims.
The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and R. Sean Fitzgerald, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of Homeland Security Investigations. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica S. Maveus.
Tauck admitted in a plea agreement that in 2015 he knowingly persuaded and coerced a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child sexual abuse material, which he then shared online via a social media application. Tauck further admitted to possessing more than 600 images and videos of child sexual abuse material, three of which he shared on social media.
Shortly after committing the exploitation offense in Rockford, Tauck moved to Europe and later to China, where he worked as a teacher and engaged in the possession and distribution of child pornography. While in China, Tauck exchanged sexual exploitation materials online with another individual, to whom Tauck indicated he was attempting to purchase an infant with the intent of sexually abusing the child.
Tauck was detained in China and sent back to the United States in 2018 after Homeland Security Investigations collaborated with Chinese authorities.
Putnam County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – George Daren Hall, also known as “Pops,” 47, of Nitro, was sentenced today to five years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 10, 2022, Hall sold approximately 65 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant outside of a Cochrane Lane residence in Nitro. Hall admitted to that transaction and to the sale of approximately 59 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant outside the same residence on March 14, 2022. Hall further admitted to selling approximately 59 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant outside of a Brandy Lane residence in Nitro on June 4, 2022.
On March 23, 2022, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Hall in the Poca area of Putnam County. Hall admitted to throwing approximately 1 pound of methamphetamine from his vehicle while trying to flee the traffic stop. Officers apprehended Hall and recovered the methamphetamine from the side of the road.
On October 24, 2022, officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Hall in the Kanawha County section of Nitro. Hall admitted to possessing approximately 30 grams of methamphetamine found by officers in the vehicle, and further admitted that he intended to sell the methamphetamine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the West Virginia State Police and the Ona Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-166.
###
Prominent Ghanaian Influencer Charged for Role in Romance Scheme and Extradited from United Kingdom to the United StatesRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the unsealing of a six-count Indictment charging MONA FAIZ MONTRAGE for her role in a series of romance schemes and for laundering the proceeds of those schemes. MONTRAGE was arrested in the United Kingdom on November 10, 2022, and was extradited from the United Kingdom on May 12, 2023. MONTRAGE will be presented before U.S. District Judge Paul A. Crotty, to whom the case is assigned, later today.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Mona Faiz Montrage was a member of a criminal conspiracy that specifically targeted older Americans through romance scams. These scams can be both financially and emotionally devastating for vulnerable victims. Thanks to the efforts of our law enforcement partners, Montrage was arrested abroad and has been brought to the United States to face justice.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Michael J. Driscoll said: “We alleged today that Ms. Montrage participated in multiple romance scams – often targeting elderly victims – resulting in more than $2 million in fraudulent funds under her control. Romance scams – especially those that target older individuals – are of major concern. The FBI will be tireless in our efforts to hold fraudsters accountable in the criminal justice system.”
As alleged in the Indictment and other publicly filed materials:[1]
From at least in or about 2013 through in or about 2019, MONTRAGE was a member of a criminal enterprise (the “Enterprise”) based in West Africa that committed a series of frauds against individuals and businesses in the United States, including romance scams.
Many of the Enterprise’s romance scam victims were vulnerable, older men and women who lived alone. The Enterprise frequently conducted the romance scams by sending the victims emails, text messages, and social media messages that deceived the victims into believing that they were in romantic relationships with a person who had, in fact, a fake identity assumed by members of the Enterprise. Once members of the Enterprise had successfully convinced victims that they were in a romantic relationship and had gained their trust, they convinced the victims, under false pretenses, to transfer money to bank accounts the victims believed were controlled by their romantic interests, when, in fact, the bank accounts were controlled by members of the Enterprise.
MONTRAGE is a Ghanaian public figure who rose to fame as an influencer through her Instagram profile, under the username “Hajia4Reall,” which at one point had approximately 3.4 million Instagram followers and was among the top 10 profiles with the most followers in Ghana.
MONTRAGE received money from several victims of romance frauds whom members of the Enterprise tricked into sending money. Among the false pretenses used to induce victims to send money to MONTRAGE were (i) payments to transport gold to the United States from overseas; (ii) payments to resolve a fake FBI unemployment investigation; and (iii) payments to assist a fake United States army officer in receiving funds from Afghanistan.
As to one victim, MONTRAGE used her real name and spoke to the victim several times by phone. MONTRAGE sent the victim a tribal marriage certificate purporting to show that MONTRAGE and the victim had been married in Ghana. The victim sent MONTRAGE approximately 82 wire transfers totaling approximately $89,000 to purportedly help with costs associated with MONTRAGE’s father’s farm in Ghana.
In total, MONTRAGE controlled bank accounts that received over $2 million in fraudulent funds from the Enterprise.
* * *
MONTRAGE, 30, of Accra, Ghana, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of wire fraud, one count of money laundering conspiracy, and one count of money laundering, each of which carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. MONTRAGE is also charged with one count of receipt of stolen money, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and one count of conspiracy to receive stolen money, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of MONTRAGE will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the FBI. Mr. Williams also thanked the United States Marshals Services, the National Extradition Unit, United States Customs and Border Protection, and the FBI Legal Attaché in London for their assistance in the investigation. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs of the Department’s Criminal Division provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s extradition from the United Kingdom.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mitzi Steiner and Kevin Mead are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Portland School Employee Sentenced to 22 Years for Sexual Exploitation of Elementary School Student in 2021Read the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Portland man was sentenced today in U.S. District in Portland for the sexual exploitation of a minor.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Benjamin Conroy, 34, to 22 years followed by 15 years of supervised release. The court deferred its decision on restitution to a later date. Conroy pleaded guilty on August 31, 2022.
According to court documents, in the fall of 2021, Conroy sexually exploited a young student at an elementary school in Portland and then sent explicit images of the abuse to a third person using a dating application. The concerned recipient notified the Portland Police Department. During the investigation, law enforcement also discovered video of the sexual exploitation on Conroy’s phone. Conroy was employed as a special education technician by the Portland School District.
“Benjamin Conroy sexually exploited a vulnerable child in a place where parents should feel confident their children are safe and protected, at school,” U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee said. “He used his position as a school employee to victimize a young child with special needs. If not for a concerned citizen who received the child sexual abuse material from Mr. Conroy, we might never have known that a crime occurred. I commend that individual for not hesitating to report this conduct as well as HSI and the Portland Police for the diligent and thorough investigation.”
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case with assistance from the Portland Police Department.
###
Podiatrist Sentenced in Foot Bath Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
OXFORD – A Panola County man was sentenced today to two years in prison following his conviction for his role in a scheme to defraud Medicare and TRICARE by prescribing and dispensing medically unnecessary foot bath medications and ordering medically unnecessary testing of toenails in exchange for kickbacks and bribes.
According to court documents, Marion Shaun Lund, D.P.M., 54, of Batesville, owned and operated a podiatry clinic, as well as an in-house pharmacy. Lund routinely wrote prescriptions for and dispensed antibiotic and antifungal drugs to be mixed into a tub of warm water for patients to soak their feet. Rather than prescribing drugs based on the individualized needs of patients, Lund prescribed foot bath medications in order to maximize reimbursements from Medicare, TRICARE, and other health care benefit programs, regardless of medical necessity. In addition, Lund took toenail clippings and wound cultures from patients and sent them to a lab for diagnostic testing, even though such testing was not medically necessary. From April 2020 through March 2022, Lund caused the submission of over $1.4 million in claims to Medicare and TRICARE for unnecessary prescriptions of foot bath medications and diagnostic testing of toenails, resulting in over $700,000 in reimbursements. In exchange for his prescriptions and orders, Lund was paid cash kickbacks by a purported marketer.
On February 2, 2023, Lund entered a plea of guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. On Monday morning, U.S. District Judge Glen Davidson sentenced Lund to 24 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered Lund to pay restitution in the amount of $851,428.
Lund is the fourth defendant, including three medical professionals, to plead guilty and be sentenced for his role in the scheme. In October 2021, Logan Hunter Power pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay and receive kickbacks, and in October 2022, Power was sentenced to 25 months in prison. In August 2022, Jared Lee Spicer, D.P.M., pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and was sentenced to serve a term of 3 years probation. In September 2022, Carey “Craig” Williams, D.P.M., pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and was sentenced to serve 42 months in prison.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner for the Northern District of Mississippi; Special Agent in Charge Derrick L. Jackson of the Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); and Acting Assistant Director Jay Greenberg of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.
The HHS-OIG and FBI investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Sara E. Porter and Assistant Chief Justin M. Woodard of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton A. Dabbs of the Northern District of Mississippi prosecuted the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, comprised of 15 strike forces operating in 25 federal districts, has charged more than 5,000 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $24 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Phoenix Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Robbery Spree that Ended in High-Speed Chase in Which He Opened Fire on Law EnforcementRead the Press Release
RIVERSIDE, California – An Arizona man pleaded guilty today to federal criminal charges for committing armed robberies of nine stores in Southern California and Arizona during a crime spree last summer that ended in a high-speed chase in which he fired upon federal agents and, after police rammed his car, he accidentally shot himself under his chin.
Samuel Sven Smith, 27, of Phoenix, pleaded guilty to two counts of interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act) and two counts of brandishing and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
According to his plea agreement, from July 31, 2022, until his arrest on August 20, 2022, Smith went on an armed robbery spree in Los Angeles, Orange, and San Bernardino counties as well as in Arizona. Specifically, Smith admitted to targeting and robbing a Big Lots store in Riverside and PetSmart stores in Signal Hill, Orange, San Bernardino, Fontana, Pico Rivera, Redlands, Phoenix, and Rancho Cucamonga.
In each of these robberies, Smith brandished a firearm to control the stores’ employees.
After Smith robbed the Rancho Cucamonga PetSmart store, stealing $400 from a store employee, he exited the store and law enforcement, which included federal officers, confronted him. Smith then opened fire at the officers.
Smith then entered his vehicle and sped off, leading law enforcement on a high-speed chase, during which he fired his gun numerous times at pursuing officers. The chase ended when law enforcement rammed into Smith’s vehicle.
According to court documents, when law enforcement approached Smith’s car, they determined he had suffered a gunshot wound underneath his chin. Smith told officers who were performing life saving measures, that when they rammed into his vehicle, he accidentally shot himself, according to an affidavit filed with a criminal complaint in this case.
United States District Judge Jesus G. Bernal scheduled a January 22, 2024 sentencing hearing, at which time Smith will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 17 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
The ATF Orange County Violent Crime Task Force investigated this matter. The task force, which is responsible for investigating serial robberies around Southern California, is comprised of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); the Brea Police Department; the Fullerton Police Department; the Santa Ana Police Department; and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department provided assistance.
Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey M. Chemerinsky, Chief of the Violent and Organized Crime Section and Assistant United States Attorney Kevin J. Butler, also of the Violent and Organized Crime Section, are prosecuting this case.
Pharr man convicted of kidnapping for ransom in MexicoRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 26-year-old Pharr man has admitted to hostage taking, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Sixto Gonzalez Jr. admitted he unlawfully detained a 19-year-old Alamo man in order to force a ransom to be paid for his safe return.
On June 23, 2021, Gonzalez lured the victim into Mexico by purporting to have a potential job opportunity to give him. Gonzalez picked the victim up after the victim crossed into Mexico on foot. When they arrived at a house located in Reynosa, Mexico, Gonzalez and several co-conspirators beat and restrained the victim. Between June 23 and June 25, 2021, Gonzalez and his co-conspirators demanded $5,000 and a firearm in exchange for his return.
When the family could not immediately obtain the funds, conspirators sent a video to the victim’s family with footage of him being beaten with a wooden board until the board fractured.
Law enforcement eventually determined the location of the house where he was being held. They conducted a search of the home and found the victim bound with zip ties, covered with a blanket and with bruises throughout his body. They also discovered Gonzalez located inside the house.
U.S. District Judge Ricardo Hinojosa will impose sentencing Aug. 18. At that time, Gonzalez faces up to life in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Reynosa State police in Tamaulipas, Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colton Turner and Roberto Lopez is prosecuting the case.
One Detroit Won’t Stop Fighting for a Better, Safer DetroitRead the Press Release
On April 19, a broad coalition of community partners announced the creation of “One Detroit,” the comprehensive violence reduction initiative of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The core of the initiative is partnership. One Detroit is a formal alliance that brings together leaders of the community and those with subject matter expertise in the areas of enforcement, prevention, and reentry—the three pillars that serve as the foundation for One Detroit—to develop and execute the best strategies to reduce violent crime. Our goal is ambitious: we are setting our sights on cutting gun violence in half in the district’s largest city. But it can be done. We must do it. We will do it as One Detroit.
Although the One Detroit partnership was announced in April, this was not the start of our work. For the last year, we have learned about the violent crime problems in Detroit and elsewhere; we have identified individuals and groups working hard to address it; and, we have begun to implement anti-violence practices that have worked in other cities. We learned that urban violence is often perpetrated in clusters by a small number of people and groups, and we can be most effective if we focus on these violent people. We also learned that responses to violence can be overbroad and negatively affect community relationships. Most importantly, we learned that violence is best addressed together, as one community, as One Detroit.
The One Detroit partners come from all aspects of our city, and they include Bishop Edgar Vann of the Second Ebenezer Church, Kenyatta Stephens, the CEO of Black Family Development, Mayor Mike Duggan, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, Detroit Police Chief James White, and Heidi Washington, Director of the Michigan Department of Corrections.
The One Detroit partnership’s enforcement efforts will involve close coordination between federal and local law enforcement to identify emerging violent offenders or trends within particular neighborhoods. We will draw on the expertise of local officers, who have deep experience in the communities they serve. And we will pair that personalized knowledge with technology like the National Integrated Ballistics Identification Network (NIBIN), ShotSpotter, and evidence-based tools that will help us focus on the small number of people perpetrating violence.
This strategy is backed by evidence and experience. It works. It is already having an impact in communities throughout the district, including Detroit. Over the course of the last year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and its state, local, and federal partners have focused enforcement on the drivers of violence throughout the Eastern District of Michigan. And in 2022, shootings in Saginaw were down 57%; down 70% in Pontiac; down 42% in Flint; and down 53% in Jackson. Detroit’s numbers—a 10% reduction in non-fatal shootings—were not as significant. One Detroit is committed to changing that.
But One Detroit is much more than just another enforcement effort. We are focused on crime prevention in ways this community has never seen before. For instance, next week we will send out over one hundred letters warning those on probation and parole about our upcoming summer enforcement in an effort to deter those individuals from illegally possessing guns. We will turn on its head the historical paradigm of arrest first and advise later so that we can prevent crime rather than punish it.
And we will assist returning citizens to transition peacefully to the community by connecting them to housing, mental health, and employment assistance. We recently hosted a “Second Chance” reentry symposium that was attended by over one hundred returning citizens and service providers.
This combined approach—enforcement, prevention, and reentry—recognizes the need for prosecution of those who are the most violent, but also the collateral impacts that often accompany aggressive law enforcement efforts. We are committed to balancing our investigative and prosecutive efforts with outreach strategies designed to prevent violent crime from happening. For the past year, federal prosecutors have been assigned to five precincts in Detroit to work with federal and local law enforcement partners to identify violent offenders. But they are not just involved in enforcement. Our prosecutors also attend community meetings in those precincts where they communicate about our work and learn about things like blight and abandoned buildings where violence and crime often concentrate. This type of partnership has a direct impact on violence and the quality of life for Detroit’s citizens. For instance, last summer, a prosecutor learned from the community about an abandoned house that had become a hotspot for violence. The prosecutor shared that information with the Mayor’s office, which was able to prioritize the house for demolition.
We understand that law enforcement cannot simply target communities for enforcement to reduce crime but must engage with those communities in a positive manner. Last summer, before we implemented our enhanced enforcement strategy in two precincts most affected by violent crime in Detroit, my team and I addressed the Community Relations Councils in those precincts. We explained the data we used to determine the areas in need of the enhanced enforcement. We shared our strategy. We asked the community leaders in those areas to help us deter violence by providing information about the enhanced enforcement. They welcomed the information and readily joined the effort.
In addition, during the summer enforcement period, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, in partnership with the City of Detroit and some of our One Detroit partners, hosted community engagement events called “Peacenics” in those same areas in the city. These community gatherings included everything from cookie decorating, face painting, and basketball giveaways, to literacy programs, expungement assistance, vocational programs, employment opportunities, and other community-level services. The positive reactions from the community to these gatherings inform our belief that outreach and trust are crucial components of crime reduction. Our Peacenics will be returning to O’Hair Park and Heilmann Park this July.
Reducing violent crime is my highest priority as U.S. Attorney. People in Detroit need to feel safe when they go about their business on our streets. And I recognize that we need a more mindful approach to violence reduction that acknowledges law enforcement cannot be the only solution to keeping our communities secure. We need to change hearts and minds through trust and transparency.
The One Detroit partners don’t have all the answers to reduce violent crime in the City of Detroit, but we won’t stop trying to find solutions. We won’t stop trying to make Detroit safe for its residents and the people who come to Detroit to work and play. We won’t stop trying to partner with individuals and groups willing to put their efforts into making our community safe. We won’t stop trying to end the cynicism that sees violent crime in cities like Detroit as intractable. Finally, as U.S. Attorney, I won’t stop trying to bring an end to the senseless killings in my treasured hometown of Detroit and throughout the Eastern District of Michigan. I WON’T STOP!
Northfield Man Charged with Wire Fraud for Embezzling $560,000Read the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that John Van Vught, 72, of Northfield, Vermont, was arrested on Friday, May 12, 2023 in Brunswick, Georgia. Van Vught is expected to have his initial appearance later today before a United States Magistrate Judge in Brunswick, Georgia.
According to court records, on May 11, 2023, the federal grand jury in Burlington, Vermont returned a three-count wire fraud indictment related to Van Vught’s embezzlement of $560,000 from ValleyNet, a non-profit operating in the Upper Valley. Van Vught performed contract accounting work for ValleyNet between 2010 and July 2022. During that timeframe, Van Vught transferred $560,000 out of ValleyNet’s accounts into his personal bank account. Van Vught hid the transfers by underreporting the income ValleyNet received according to his accounting submissions. Van Vught also obfuscated his possession of the embezzled funds by purchasing properties in Georgia and Florida.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Van Vught remains presumed innocent until and unless he is convicted of a crime. Van Vught faces a maximum sentence of 20 years of imprisonment on each wire fraud count. The actual sentence would be determined with reference to the United States Sentencing Guidelines.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of Special Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt. Van Vught has not yet retained or been appointed counsel.North Carolina Man Sentenced to Prison for Sex Offense Against A MinorRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Brian Mathew Wittmann, 34, of Madison, North Carolina, was sentenced today to four years and three months in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, for traveling in interstate commerce to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. Wittmann must also register as a sex offender.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 11, 2022, Wittmann contacted an individual he believed to be a minor female on Instagram after finding her profile. Wittmann admitted that he asked for the minor female’s phone number and began sending her text messages that included a photo of his genitals. Wittmann further admitted that he continued to text the minor female for about a week, seeking to entice her into engaging in illicit sexual conduct with him.
On May 19, 2022, Wittmann arranged by text message to meet the minor female the following day at a location in Nicholas County, West Virginia, to engage in illicit sexual conduct. Wittmann admitted to driving the next day from North Carolina to Nicholas County, where he was met by law enforcement officers. Wittmann admitted that he told the officers that he had sent sexually explicit messages to the minor female as well as to other minor females on Instagram. Officers searched Wittmann’s vehicle and found condoms, blankets, a pillow and a morning-after pill, a type of emergency birth control. Wittmann admitted to buying the morning-after pill to prevent pregnancy.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Violent Crime Against Children (VCAC) Task Force.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Julie M. White prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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. 2:22-cr-120.
###
Mexican man guilty after car battery reveals cocaineRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 22-year-old resident of Tamaulipas, Mexico, has pleaded guilty to importing cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Felipe Abad Medina-Rubio admitted he attempted to smuggle approximately four kilograms of cocaine into the United States through the Hidalgo port of entry.
On Dec. 2. 2022, he arrived at the checkpoint, at which time he stated he had no illegal drugs in his vehicle. Authorities referred him to secondary inspection where a K-9 alerted to the odor of narcotics near the battery of his vehicle. An X-ray examination revealed several anomalies which resulted in the discovery of four bricks of cocaine weighing approximately four kilograms. It had an estimated street value of $16,000.
At his plea today, he admitted he expected to be paid $2,000 to smuggle the cocaine into the united states.
U.S. District Judge Ricardo Hinojosa will impose sentencing Aug. 17. At that time, he faces up to 40 years in prison and a possible $5 million fine.
Medina has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodore Parran III prosecuted the case.
Massachusetts Man Indicted for Acting as an Illegal Agent of the People’s Republic of ChinaRead the Press Release
A Massachusetts man was arrested on May 9 for allegedly acting as an agent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) without providing notification to the U.S. Attorney General.
Litang Liang, 63, of Brighton, was indicted on one count of acting as an agent of a foreign government without providing notification to the U.S. Attorney General and one count of conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government without providing notification to the U.S. Attorney General.
“We will not tolerate the PRC’s efforts to interfere with public discourse and threaten civic participation in the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “This case demonstrates, once again, the lengths that the PRC government, including its Ministry of Public Security, will go to target people in the U.S. who exercise their rights to speak out against the PRC.”
“The Department of Justice will protect these individual rights and protect our country against those who seek to unlawfully act on behalf of foreign governments while within our borders,” said U.S. Attorney Rachael S. Rollins for the District of Massachusetts. “We allege that Mr. Liang engaged in a series of acts on behalf of the PRC government including providing information on Boston-area residents, organizations and dissidents to PRC government officials – potentially placing people at risk here in Massachusetts and abroad. Attempts to repress constitutionally protected rights here in the United States will never be tolerated. Anyone who infringes upon those rights on American soil will be identified and held to account.”
“The United States requires agents of foreign countries to register with our government, and for good reason – in such cases, those agents often act against the interests of the United States,” said Assistant Director Suzanne Turner of the FBI Counterintelligence Division. “The FBI is not going to stand by and allow undeclared agents of the People’s Republic of China to operate in our country unchecked. We will continue to steadfastly enforce the law of the land, uncovering these efforts and holding accountable all those who work with foreign governments to violate our laws.”
According to the charging documents, from in or around 2018 through at least 2022, Liang acted within the United States as an agent of the PRC government by allegedly providing PRC government officials with information on Boston-area individuals and organizations; organizing a counter-protest against pro-democracy dissidents; providing photographs of and information about dissidents to PRC government officials; and providing the names of potential recruits to the PRC’s Ministry of Public Security. At no point did Liang notify the U.S. Attorney General that he was acting as a PRC government agent.
Specifically, beginning in or around 2018, Liang allegedly provided information about Chinese individuals and organizations in the Boston area to PRC government officials – including PRC officials formerly in the United States, the Ministry of Public Security, and the United Front Work Department, an entity which reports directly to the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and works to further the CCP’s goals.
It is alleged that Liang provided PRC government officials with information regarding members and leaders of Boston-area, Chinese family associations and community organizations with pro-Taiwan leanings. Additionally, it is alleged that Liang sent information regarding anti-PRC dissidents to PRC officials including: identification of an individual he accused of having “sabotaged” PRC flags in Boston’s Chinatown in October 2018; video of a dissident attending the “Boston Stands with Hong Kong” march in August 2019; and photographs of anti-PRC dissidents in front of the Boston Public Library in September 2019.
The charge of acting as an agent of a foreign government without providing notification to the U.S. Attorney General provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government without providing notification to the U.S. Attorney General provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years 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.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy H. Kistner for the District of Massachusetts is prosecuting the case. Valuable assistance was provided by Trial Attorney Elizabeth Abraham of the Justice Department’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
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.
Massachusetts Dentist Sentenced for Embezzling over $1.2 Million and Defrauding the GovernmentRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Massachusetts dentist was sentenced today for embezzling over $1.2 million from his employer and fraudulently obtaining government benefits in his employer’s name.
Jack Massarsky, 65, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to two years in prison and three years of supervised release. Massarsky also paid more than $1.2 million in restitution prior to sentencing. On Jan. 25, 2023, Massarsky pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud and one count of wire fraud.
Between 2015 and 2021, Massarsky worked as a dentist and bookkeeper for a general dentistry practice in Massachusetts. In 2015, Massarsky opened a secret bank account in the name of the dentistry practice. Massarsky then intercepted insurance reimbursement checks sent to the dentistry practice in the mail and deposited those checks in the secret bank account. He continued this practice for over five years and embezzled over $1.2 million. Massarsky used the stolen funds for personal and family expenses.
Additionally, Massarsky used the dentistry practice’s name to defraud the United States. In July 2020, he submitted a fraudulent application to the Health Resources and Services Administration Provider Relief Fund (HRSA PRF) in the name of the dentistry practice. The HRSA is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services that provides health care to people who are geographically isolated or otherwise vulnerable. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the HRSA PRF provided economic assistance to qualifying healthcare providers, including certain dentistry practices. By submitting the fraudulent application to the HRSA PRF, Massarsky obtained over $52,000 in pandemic relief funds that were deposited in the secret bank account Massarsky had opened in the name of his employer.
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. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Markham of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Maryland Man Found Guilty in Scheme that Bilked Benevolent Donors of Charitable ContributionsRead the Press Release
Defendant Pretended to Collect for Charities But Only Paid Himself
WASHINGTON – James Trankle, 55, previously of Churchton, Maryland, was convicted today of conspiracy to commit mail and bank fraud, and five additional counts of bank fraud all stemming from a scheme in which he created fake charities, solicited donations, and then stole the identities of the donors he tricked into giving funds.
The verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Inspector-in-Charge Damon Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Washington Division. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 29, 2023.
The offenses of conspiracy to commit mail and bank fraud, and the five further counts of bank fraud, each carry a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and financial penalties.
According to evidence presented in court, from 2013 to 2018, Trankle and his co-defendant, Stephen Sibert, were charged with creating fake charities and registering those entities with the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (“DCRA”) and then presenting them as legitimate charities. Examples included the “Disabled and Paralyzed Veterans Fund,” the “National Breast Cancer Awareness Fund,” and the “Children’s Leukemia of America Fund.”
Trankle used a post office box address in Washington, D.C., as the claimed official mailing address for the fraudulent charities. He opened numerous bank accounts in the names of the fraudulent charities. And he sent solicitations via U.S. mail to thousands of potential donors—i.e., victims—nationwide asking the recipients to send personal checks as donations. Through the scheme, Trankle obtained over 1,600 personal checks from victims making charitable donations, which he then deposited into bank accounts that the conspirators Trankle and Sibert controlled.
In addition, Trankle and his conspirator purchased check making supplies such as stock paper and printing equipment. Using the bank account and routing information from the victims’ checks, the conspirators printed additional unauthorized counterfeit checks payable to their fraudulent charities that were drawn against the victims’ personal checking accounts. The conspirators deposited those unauthorized counterfeit checks into the bank accounts they controlled. They later withdrew and spent the funds for various personal expenses.
The fraudulent charities did not perform any of the charitable work described in their solicitations, nor did the fraudulent charities provide any significant funds to other charities that did so.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Borchert and Brian Kelly, and Paralegal Specialist Gina Torres Trujillo.
Manager admits to key role in Indian Call Center scamRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - A 28-year-old Indian citizen has entered a guilty plea in a years-long international conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Between 2017 and 2020, Zaheen Malvi, who was illegally residing in Heber Springs, Arkansas, assisted Indian call centers in a telemarketing scheme that extorted millions of dollars from hundreds of victims in the United States. Malvi first acted as a runner in the scheme, going to different Target stores in the Chicago area and depleting funds from gift cards that victims had transferred to the call centers. In later years, Malvi managed other runners as they traveled around the country, picking up packages filled with cash that call center victims had mailed.
“The Indian call centers perpetrating these scams are relentless,” said Hamdani. “They prey on the fears and insecurities of the most vulnerable among us, such as the elderly. But we are relentless too. Today, one more criminal is finally held to account for the many years he helped funnel money from victims into the pockets of overseas scammers…and tomorrow, we keep working.”
One common script used in the scheme involved coercing victims into believing federal agents were investigating them. The “agent” on the phone would convince the victim the only way to clear his or her name from investigation was to buy gift cards and transfer the redemption codes to the call center or mail cash in a package to a name and address the call center provided. Runners in the United States would then deplete the gift card funds and pick up the packages.
As part of his plea agreement, Malvi will pay restitution to the scheme’s identified victims.
U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen accepted the plea and set sentencing for Aug. 14. At that time, Malvi faces up to 20 years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG), Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations in Houston and Fayetteville, Arkansas, conducted the investigation with the assistance of the FBI and Heber Springs Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Bauman and Kate Suh are prosecuting the case.
The SSA and its OIG consistently warns people of similar scams. Protect yourself!
Man Sentenced for Production of Child Pornography and ExtortionRead the Press Release
A Canadian man was sentenced today to 32 years in prison for producing images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children and for interstate extortion based on an online “sextortion” scheme.
According to court documents, from approximately 2014 to 2016, Muhammad Luqman Rana, 33, of Vaughan, Ontario, used the online messaging chat sites Omegle and Tinychat to target both adult and minor victims living in the United States and Canada to produce sexually explicit images. Rana tricked five minor U.S. victims, who ranged from ages 12 to 17, into producing sexually explicit images by posing as a minor male. Rana surreptitiously captured two of the minor victims changing in their bedrooms after they had accidentally left their webcam on after chatting with him. Once Rana had embarrassing and sensitive videos of his victims, he forced them to produce and send additional sexually explicit images and videos via both live transmission and to his email account out of fear that he would publicly post the videos he had previously obtained if they did not comply with his demands.
In January 2021, Rana was arrested in Canada on a provisional arrest warrant. He was extradited to the United States on Jan. 25, 2022.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division, Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the FBI Baltimore Field Office, and Chief Myron Demkiw of the Toronto Police Services made the announcement.
The FBI and the Toronto Police Services investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs conducted the requests for mutual legal assistance and extradition.
Senior Trial Attorney Jennifer Toritto Leonardo of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney G. Michael Morgan Jr. for the District of Maryland prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Long Island Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Producing and Possessing Child Pornography Dating Back to the 1990sRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, New York, United States District Judge Gary R. Brown sentenced Daniel Mullan to 30 years’ imprisonment for sexually exploiting a child and the possession of child pornography. According to court filings and facts presented during the sentencing, Mullan sexually exploited a child in between 1999 and 2006 as part of his ongoing sexual abuse of children and production of child pornography. Mullan was also convicted of possessing large quantities of child pornography between 2014 and 2017, much of which he produced over the course of decades. Based upon the criminal statutes in place at the time of Mullan’s offenses, 30 years’ imprisonment was the maximum term allowed by law.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentence.
Today’s sentence is a just punishment for the defendant’s years of heinous acts against minors, and sends a message to all who seek to harm innocent children,” stated United States Attorney Breon Peace. “This Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to make every effort to ensure that those who contribute to the exploitation and victimization of children will be brought to justice.”
Mr. Peace extended his grateful appreciation to the FBI Long Island Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which is made up of FBI and local law enforcement agencies, for its investigative work and assistance in the case.
According to court filings, in the summer of 2017 the FBI and the Suffolk County Police Department executed search warrants on Mullan’s Elmont, New York residence and a storage unit Mullan had rented in Melville, New York. During the searches, law enforcement recovered hundreds of images and videos of child sexual abuse. Several of the videos depicted Mullan engaged in sexual acts with minor teenage boys dating back to the early 1980s.
Additional investigation by the FBI located numerous victims, including a minor who Mullan had travelled with domestically and internationally between 1999 and 2006. Mullan had recorded his sexual abuse of this victim. Another search warrant executed by law enforcement on a safe deposit box located over $300,000 in cash that Mullan had intended to use as “hush money” for one of his victims. Mullan was extradited to the United States from Ireland on August 15, 2019.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The government’s case is being handled by the Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Maffei and Madeline O’Connor are in charge of the prosecution. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs assisted in the extradition.
The Defendant:
DANIEL MULLAN
Age: 83
Elmont, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 17-CR-495 (GRB)
Laplace Woman Sentenced to over Two Years for Church EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ANITA WILLENE HOBDY, age 68, of LaPlace, was sentenced to 27 months in prison on May 11, 203 for wire fraud, stemming from fraudulent charges made from First Baptist Church of LaPlace, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
HOBDY previously pled guilty to a one-count bill of information for wire fraud that involved her conduct from 2015 through 2021. According to court documents, HOBDY was a bookkeeper for a church’s daycare and embezzled over $175,000 from church accounts during that period.
The Honorable Eldon E. Fallon sentenced HOBDY to 27 months in prison, followed by one year of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. She was also ordered to pay $175,124.26 in restitution to the First Baptist Church of LaPlace.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Secret Service and the St. John Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas D. Moses, Health Care Fraud Coordinator, is in charge of the prosecution.
Lake County Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Fentanyl Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. today sentenced Jermaine Lamar Harvard (41, Eustis) to 30 years in federal prison for distributing fentanyl resulting in death. A federal jury had found Harvard guilty on February 23, 2023.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Harvard distributed a quantity of fentanyl to the victim, “M.R,” in October 2019. Harvard represented that the substance was heroin. An analysis of the victim’s cellphone revealed that Harvard had set up multiple drug transactions with the victim. The drugs supplied by Harvard led directly to the victim’s death. A medical examiner subsequently confirmed that the victim had died of acute fentanyl toxicity.
Harvard has prior state convictions for the sale of cocaine in 2013.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys William S. Hamilton and Hannah J. Nowalk.
Key West Tax Return Preparer Sentenced to Federal Prison for Tax FraudRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Abel Raphael, 65, of Key West, Florida has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, and ordered to pay almost $150,000 in restitution for aiding and assisting the preparation and presentation of false tax returns. Following his guilty plea in October 2022.
Raphael was a professional tax return preparer and operated Abel Income Tax Service Inc., in Monroe County. In connection with his guilty plea, Raphael admitted that he obtained an Electronic Filing Identification Number (EFIN) to submit tax returns electronically to the IRS in the names of others. Raphael prepared the returns using false deduction and tax credit figures, then electronically filed them with the IRS.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. Line of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore.
IRS-CI Miami and FBI Miami, Key West Resident Agency investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Thompson prosecuted it.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-10016.
###
Kernersville Man Sentenced to Prison and Ordered to Pay $956,028 for Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO, NC – A local man was sentenced in federal court today for filing false tax returns. U.S. District Court Judge William Osteen, Jr. sentenced Brandon Michalak, 41, to 15 months in the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Michalak was ordered to pay restitution of $956,028 in tax loss to the IRS.
In January of 2023, Michalak pled guilty to two counts of filing a false tax return, a violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7206(1).
According to court filed documents, Michalak was part-owner of a metal recycling business known as Sarah’s Recycling that specialized in the collection and bulk resale of used catalytic converters. Michalak operated the business from his home in Forsyth County, North Carolina. The investigation revealed that during the years 2014-2018, Michalak omitted $11,022,953 in sales generated by his catalytic converter business. Each year, Michalak reported minimal taxable income and claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit, which is a refundable credit designed to provide relief for low-to-moderate-income working people. Simultaneously, Michalak led a lavish lifestyle that included home and property purchases without financing, home renovations, pool installation, extravagant jewelry purchases in cash, and at least 20 vehicle purchases for himself and family members. As an example, he paid approximately $136,788 in cash for the purchase of a 2018 BMW Alpina.
“Honest, hardworking citizens should be appalled by the conduct of the defendant in this case,” said United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston. “Tax evasion hurts all of us, and we will aggressively prosecute anyone who willfully files false tax returns or fails to pay their fair share of taxes, especially in egregious cases like this.”
“The license to run a business is not a license to avoid paying taxes,” said Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Charlotte Field Office, SAC Donald “Trey” Eakins. "The defendant’s misconduct, hiding income, and having his business pay his personal expenses, cheated all Americans who pay their fair share for the government services and protections that we enjoy.”
Sandra J. Hairston, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge William Osteen, Jr. sentenced Michalak. The Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Clifton T. Barrett prosecuted the case.
Justice Department Obtains Agreement with Liberty County Sheriff’s Office Resolving Race Discrimination Complaint Filed by Delaware State UniversityRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today an agreement with the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) to resolve a race discrimination civil rights complaint under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In response to the complaint, LCSO worked cooperatively with the Justice Department to reach a resolution agreement that will modernize its policing operations and further its ongoing efforts to prevent and address discriminatory law enforcement practices.
In May 2022, the Justice Department received a complaint from Delaware State University (DSU), a historically Black university, alleging that LCSO discriminated against its student athletes, athletic coach, and driver when it conducted a racially discriminatory traffic stop in Georgia of a bus charted by DSU. Following the traffic stop, the University alleged that the subsequent questioning and search of the personal belongings of the primarily Black passengers, including through the use of a drug-sniffing dog, constituted unlawful race discrimination in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act (Title VI). Title VI prohibits recipients of federal financial assistance from discriminating on the basis of race, color, or national origin. LCSO is a recipient of federal funding from the Justice Department.
“Fairness and racial equity are fundamental principles for effective law enforcement, especially for those agencies that receive federal funding,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The students and staff at Delaware State University deserve policing that is racially equitable and bias-free. The agreement that we have secured with the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office will help ensure that its policing practices are free from racial bias and discrimination going forward. We will continue working to ensure that federally funded law enforcement agencies comply with our federal civil rights laws.”
“Law enforcement is most effective when it is supported by public confidence,” said U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg for the Southern District of Georgia. “The agreement announced today is a step toward ensuring that policing occurs in an evenhanded manner.”
Under the agreement, LCSO will review its bias-free policing policies, make necessary updates to its policies on traffic enforcement and searches, and develop and implement data collection procedures, among other provisions.
The enforcement of Title VI is a top priority of the Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt. Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at https://civilrights.justice.gov/report/.