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Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Monday 3 April 2023
Department of Justice Applies More Than Five Million Dollars from Forfeited Property to Reimburse Fraud Loss of the North Carolina Medicaid ProgramRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO, N.C. - The Department of Justice recently secured $5,245,640.02 in restitution to the North Carolina Medicaid system, which provides access to health care services for millions of North Carolina, United States Attorney Sandra Hairston announced today. The restitution resulted from a 2018 case involving a Greensboro medical transportation provider convicted of defrauding Medicaid.
According to court records, the Greensboro-based medical transport company Gate City Transportation, Inc., misrepresented their services on reimbursement applications from November 2010 until February 2015, stealing over five million dollars from the Medicaid program. The investigation revealed that Gate City Transportation deliberately submitted false claims in order to receive higher reimbursements than were appropriate by coding their services as if they were an ambulance provider despite not being authorized to do so.
Gate City Transportation pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud in September 2018, and was sentenced on August 15, 2019, and ordered to pay restitution. A total of $5,553,486.62 will be paid to the victim which includes principal of $5,245,640.02 plus interest of $307,846.60. The funds were obtained through seizure and forfeiture of Gate City Transportation assets.
“Securing this restitution means that millions across the state of North Carolina will be able to get the healthcare they need,” said U.S. Attorney Sandra Hairston. “I am very happy that we are able to return the money that was stolen and thankful to the agencies that worked so hard to secure justice in this case.”
The 2018 criminal case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the North Carolina Attorney General’s Medicaid Investigations Unit.
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Deceased female leads to hostage taking investigation and subsequent sentenceRead the Press Release
VICTORIA, Texas – A 32-year-old non-U.S. citizen illegally residing in Houston has been sent to prison for conspiracy commit hostage taking, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Urbino Garcia-Bahena pleaded guilty Aug. 22, 2022.
Today, Senior U.S. District Judge John D. Rainey ordered Garcia-Bahena to serve 151 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence of how he and his co-conspirators operated the stash house in Houston using threats, intimidation and starvation to hold people there.
The investigation began when authorities found a young woman discarded and deceased on the side of the road in Victoria County. In a search for those responsible for her death, law enforcement learned of Garcia-Bahena and his co-conspirators. They were holding and mistreating another undocumented person who they had illegally transported into the country.
The man’s family had already paid $10,000. However, Garcia-Bahena and others were demanding and additional $3,500 for the victim’s release.
The investigation revealed the group had discarded the young woman after she died in their care. Law enforcement had rescued the second victim after he had been held for five days without food and been mistreated.
Garcia-Bahena has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Victoria Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation along with the Victoria County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patti Hubert Booth prosecuted the case.
Council Bluffs Man Sentenced for a Child Sexual Exploitation OffenseRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – A Council Bluffs man was sentenced on March 16, 2023, to 295 months in prison following his plea of guilty to sexual exploitation of a child.
The investigation into Brandon Scott Holmes, 43, started in 2021 after law enforcement found evidence that an IP address linked to Holmes was receiving child pornography from a peer-to-peer program. In October 2021, FBI executed a search warrant at Holmes’ residence. Forensic analysis of several seized devices identified thousands of images and videos of child pornography. Holmes also produced images and videos of child pornography. Holmes must serve a 10-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa as part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Childhood” initiative, which was started in 2006 as a nationwide effort to combine law enforcement investigations and prosecutions, community action, and public awareness in order to reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation of children. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc and click on the resources tab.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to 120 Months in Federal Prison for Multiple Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Dionseus Wilkins, age 29, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 120 months in federal prison following his convictions for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The Court further sentenced Wilkins to five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered that the firearm involved be forfeited.
According to admissions made as a part of his guilty plea, between February 22, 2018 and February 13, 2019, Wilkins sold a total of seventy (70) grams of methamphetamine to confidential informants in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, during controlled purchases monitored by law enforcement agents.
On September 24, 2019, Louisiana State Police narcotics detectives executed a search warrant on Wilkins’ residence as well as on his vehicles. Prior to the warrants' execution, detectives observed Wilkins enter the complex's parking garage where he was then detained. During the search of the residence, detectives located nitrile gloves, protective masks, a bag of powdered sugar, strainers, and a small electric blender inside the dishwasher. Detectives also located fifty-one (51) dosage units of alprazolam in a dresser drawer in the Wilkins’ bedroom.
Prior to executing the search of one of Wilkins’ vehicles, an LSP trooper utilized a K-9 detection dog around the perimeter of the vehicle, at which time the K-9 alerted to the presence of drugs. Detectives located $10,000 in U.S. Currency (100 $100 dollar bills) located in a black bag inside of the vehicle's glove compartment and a backpack located in the vehicle's trunk. A search of the backpack revealed a Glock Model 27, .40 cal. handgun with an extended magazine containing 25 rounds of ammunition, approximately 297 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 237 grams of heroin, approximately 847 grams of marijuana, and two digital scales.
In 2015, prior to possessing the firearm, Wilkins was convicted of simple burglary in East Baton Rouge Parish.
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Louisiana State Police, with assistance from the Zachary Police Department and the Tangipahoa Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eli J. Abad.
Convicted Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 30 Years for Trafficking Nearly 150 Pounds of Drugs, Including Heroin, Fentanyl, and MarijuanaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Linwood Douglas Thorne, 51, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his role in a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy that resulted in one of the largest seizures of heroin in the District of Columbia’s history. The sentence, handed down March 31, 2023, by U.S. District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell, was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Divisions, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Weddel, of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
On March 25, 2022, a jury found Thorne guilty of conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and a firearms charge.
“This sentence should send a clear message to all those who would even consider operating a large-scale drug network: doing so will result in you possibly spending the rest of your life in jail,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “We have zero tolerance for those looking to poison our communities with massive amounts of drugs—particularly when the drug trafficking involves firearms.”
“This joint investigation, which resulted in one of the largest seizures of heroin in our city's history, is a testament to the strength of our federal and local partnerships,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Jacobs. “The Washington Field Office's Safe Streets Task Force remains committed to pursuing criminals who traffic in drugs and guns. Let the defendant's sentence serve as a reminder of the consequences traffickers face for putting people's lives in danger.”
“Today’s announcement sends an accountability message not only to those who traffic deadly drugs and illegal firearms, but to the families of victims as well. ATF stands with our law enforcement partners to say, violent acts will cost and will be addressed accordingly,” said ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge Weddel. “We reaffirm our commitment to holding those that attempt to destroy our communities responsible for their illegal and dangerous actions.”
In 2018, the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force began investigating Thorne, as a major heroin supplier. On Dec. 19, 2018, the FBI and ATF executed simultaneous search warrants on Thorne’s Maryland business and D.C. residence, finding 44 kilograms of heroin laced with fentanyl; 55 pounds of marijuana; five firearms; and significant drug paraphernalia. In addition to the search warrants, the task force’s investigation—which began in July of 2018—has led to the recovery of eight additional firearms, approximately 1.5 additional kilograms of marijuana, 260 additional grams of heroin, and several firearms magazines and accessories.
During trial, the government presented over a dozen civilian and law enforcement witnesses, along with digital and business records establishing and corroborating the defendant’s guilt.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Weddel commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI and ATF, as well as those from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) who were on the Safe Streets Task Force, and the United States Marshals Service. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by joint law enforcement and prosecution partners, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who handled the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Rosen, as well as Paralegal Specialist Alexis Spencer-Anderson of the Capitol Siege and Federal Major Crimes Section, and former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon Regan, Samuel Frey, and Andrea Duvall.
Committing a Drug Crime While on Supervised Release Results in Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
A man who was found in possession of cocaine in 2022 while he was federal supervised release from a 2002 drug offense was sentenced today to more than six years in federal prison.
Vachon Robertson, age 48, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 3, 2022 guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance after having been previously convicted of a felony drug offense.
At the guilty plea and during the sentencing hearing, Robertson admitted he was in possession of 364 grams of cocaine and 28 grams of cocaine base, commonly called crack cocaine, on April 25, 2022, when he was stopped by Cedar Rapids police officers. At that time, Robertson was still on supervised release from his 2002 federal drug conviction for possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine within 1000 feet of a public playground in Cedar Rapids.
Robertson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Robertson was sentenced to a total sentence of 74 months’ imprisonment comprised of 46 months’ imprisonment for the new crime and a consecutive sentence of 28 months imprisonment for the supervised release violation. He must also serve a 6-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Robertson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until {he; she} can be transported to a federal prison.
These cases were prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Adam Vander Stoep and Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Reinert and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff's Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number are 02-CR-00029 and 22-CR-00057.
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Collin County Woman Guilty in Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas– A Melissa woman has pleaded guilty to federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Nnenna Mary Jones, 39, pleaded guilty to wire fraud today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christine A. Nowak.
According to information presented in court, the Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity in Plano, Texas, serves Muslim women and their families who are survivors of domestic and family violence. The Foundation offers its clients in-house legal assistance with the immigration process, among other services. The Foundation advertises that it offers its services—including immigration legal assistance—free of charge. Jones worked for the Foundation as a paralegal and was a Department of Justice Accredited Representative, which allowed her to represent clients in court in immigration matters with the Department of Homeland Security. She was also a licensed attorney in Nigeria before moving to the United States.
The Foundation’s legal team routinely requests waivers of certain fees its clients incur during the immigration process, and most of its clients qualify for these waivers. If the Foundation’s clients do not qualify for a waiver of the immigration fees, then at times the Foundation pays the fee. However, Jones represented to clients of the Foundation that they were required to pay certain fees to the government in relation to their immigration proceedings. In reality, the clients’ fees had either been waived by the government or paid by the Foundation. Clients wrote checks and obtained money orders in the amounts of the fees Jones told them they owed to the government. However, Jones instructed the clients to leave the “pay to” line on the checks and money orders blank. Jones photocopied the clients’ checks and money orders, wrote “U.S. Department of Homeland Security” on the “pay to” line of the photocopied checks and money orders, and placed the photocopies in the clients’ files. Jones then wrote her own name in the “pay to” line of the clients’ original checks and money orders and cashed them or deposit them into her own accounts.
Jones stole approximately $17,000 from at least nine of the Foundation’s clients.
Jones was indicted by a federal grand jury on Oct. 19, 2022. She faces up to 20 years in federal prison. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean J. Taylor.
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Clinton Man Sentenced to Serve 24 Years in Federal Prison for Bank Robbery and Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Last week, a federal judge sentenced RONALD DEYOUNG ALLEN, 44, of Clinton, Oklahoma, to serve a total of 288 months in federal prison for bank robbery and illegally possessing a firearm after a prior felony conviction, announced United States Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On June 15, 2021, a federal grand jury sitting in the Western District of Oklahoma returned a one-count Indictment against Allen, charging him with being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Federal law prohibits convicted felons from possessing a firearm. Then, on March 9, 2022, a separate one-count Information filed against Allen charged him with robbing the Security State Bank in Hammon, Oklahoma, on July 22, 2020.
According to public records, on July 22, 2020, Allen walked into the Security State Bank in Hammon, Oklahoma, wielding a firearm and disguised as a woman. During the robbery, Allen dropped a Kleenex-type tissue, and law enforcement collected it for DNA testing. More than six months later, on February 7, 2021, in Snyder, Oklahoma, Allen was involved in a vehicle collision where law enforcement found Allen, a convicted felon, in possession of a firearm. After the vehicle collision, the FBI collected a sample of Allen’s DNA and sent it to the FBI laboratory. The examination confirmed Allen’s DNA was on the tissue recovered in the Security State Bank robbery.
At the sentencing hearing on March 29, 2023, U.S. District Court Judge Jodi W. Dishman sentenced Allen to serve 100 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and 188 months in federal prison for the bank robbery. Judge Dishman ordered those sentences to run consecutively to each other. Additionally, those sentences were ordered to run consecutively to a separate, unrelated federal Armed Robbery conviction from 2021 in Oklahoma County District Court case CF-2019-3970, for which Allen is serving a 12-year sentence in state prison.
In support of Allen’s federal sentence, Judge Dishman cited, among other things, the serious nature of the offense, Allen’s lengthy criminal history involving armed robberies, and the significant impact the robbery had on the three tellers involving in the bank robbery. Judge Dishman also ordered Allen to serve three years of supervised release when released from federal prison. The Court ordered Allen to pay $194,500 in restitution to the victim bank. Allen has been detained in federal custody since August 10, 2021.
These cases were the result of investigations by the Oklahoma City FBI Field Office, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and Snyder Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wilson D. McGarry prosecuted the cases.
Reference is made to public filings for more information.
Clinton Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Being a Convicted Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Clinton man was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearm and Explosives (ATF).
According to court documents, Stanley Cavett Jr., 35, was found in possession of a firearm by officers of the Clinton Police Department on November 4, 2019. Cavett has several prior felony convictions. As a convicted felon, it is contrary to federal law for Cavett to possess a firearm.
Cavett pled guilty on January 6, 2023 to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The ATF and the Clinton Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica S. Terrill prosecuted the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Charles City Man Sentenced to More than 11 Years Prison for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
A man who distributed methamphetamine in the Charles City and Mason City areas was sentenced on March 31, 2022, to more than 11 years in federal prison.
Brandon Glaser, age 43, from Charles City, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 7, 2022, guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
Glaser was getting pound quantities of methamphetamine in Missouri and redistributing it in and around North Central Iowa. On November 21, 2021, Glaser’s car was stopped in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, and he was found in possession of approximately 2 pounds of pure methamphetamine and over $3500 in cash.
Glaser was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Glaser was sentenced to 134 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Glaser is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jack Lammers and investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Cerro Gordo Sheriff’s Department, Mason City Police, Charles City Police, Clear Lake Police, and the Iowa State Patrol.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 22-CR-3009.
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California Man Charged in $23 Million Fraudulent Investment SchemeRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A California man has been charged with wire fraud in federal court in Chicago for defrauding multiple investors out of more than $23 million dollars as part of a fake investment scheme.
Per the information, from February 2021 through December 2022, SEAN GRUSD, 31, of California, is alleged to have devised and carried out a scheme to defraud investors in Dylan Ventures LLC, November Acquisitions SPV LLC, and December Acquisitions SPV LLC (collectively, "the Grusd Entities") out of more than $23 million dollars. Grusd falsely represented that the victims’ money would be used to make investments in privately owned businesses. Instead of making those investments, Grusd misappropriated the victims’ funds, using the money to pay personal expenses and purchase luxury items, including expensive cars, vacations, and real estate.
As part of his scheme, Grusd provided victims with false and forged documents, including fraudulent stock certificates that showed November Acquisitions had paid $50 million for shares in Company A; and that December Acquisitions had paid $100 million for shares in Company B; when, in fact, neither of those Grusd Entities purchased shares in either of those companies. Additionally, Grusd provided one victim with a fabricated bank statement for December Acquisitions that he knew falsely reflected a balance of $133 million, when, in fact, the balance in that account was zero.
The charge is announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois and Robert W. Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey B. Rubenstein.
The public is reminded that an information contains only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The charge of wire fraud carries a possible sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Boston Man Convicted of Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A federal jury convicted a Boston man on March 30, 2023 for his role in a money laundering conspiracy.
Mark Anthony Figueroa, 49, was convicted following a three-day trial of one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for Aug. 16, 2023. Figueroa was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2021.
Evidence at trial established that Figueroa used clandestine deliveries of cash to currency couriers to launder the proceeds of drug trafficking on behalf of Mexican drug cartels. Between February 2019 and May 2020, Figueroa conducted or attempted to conduct six money laundering transactions totaling more than $580,000 in cash. Once the couriers received the laundered cash from Figueroa, the organization Figueroa was working with transferred the funds via the U.S. banking system to Mexican accounts and exchange it for pesos which could be used by cartels to pay for narcotics sold in the United States.
The charging statute provides a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $500,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leah B. Foley, Deputy Chief of Rollins’ Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit and Evan D. Panich of Rollins’ Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.
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 https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Billings man admits armed robbery charges in carjackingRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Billings man admitted to robbery and firearms crimes today after he was accused of stealing a car at gunpoint in Billings and leading law enforcement on a chase into Big Horn County, where he was arrested, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Joseph Wayne Cantrell, 29, pleaded guilty to a superseding information charging him with Hobbs Act Robbery and with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Cantrell faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and at least three years of supervised release on the robbery charge and a mandatory minimum seven years to life in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release on the firearm charge.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Aug. 2. Cantrell was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that on Jan. 8, 2022, the victim was sitting in his 2017 Subaru Outback in a parking lot in Billings when Cantrell approached his driver’s side door. The victim told Cantrell to go away. Cantrell then pulled out a black handgun, and the victim immediately surrendered his car to Cantrell, who drove off in it. Less than an hour later, law enforcement found Cantrell with the car. Cantrell fled and led law enforcement on a chase from Yellowstone County into Big Horn County. Law enforcement deployed spike strips to stop Cantrell and could hear gunshots coming from the car. The car wrecked a short time later and Cantrell fled with the firearm into a nearby field. The car’s passenger side window had been shot out. After a standoff lasting several hours, Cantrell threw the firearm away and was arrested. The firearm was a 9mm semi-automatic pistol.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas K. Godfrey and Lori Harper Suek are prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Billings Police Department, Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office, Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office and Montana Probation and Parole.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Baltimore County Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Accepting Bribes in Exchange for Firearms Training CertificationsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – William R. Johnson, Jr., age 33, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to a federal charge of honest services wire fraud, for seeking and accepting bribes and kickbacks, totaling at least $16,804, to falsely certify that applicants for Maryland handgun qualifying licenses (HQL) and wear and carry permits (CCW) had completed the required training.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Baltimore Field Office; and Interim Chief Dennis J. Delp of the Baltimore County Police Department (“BCPD”).
“We’re taking a hardline on any and all firearms-related violations,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron. “These requirements are in place for good reasons and we’re trusting law enforcement officials to ensure compliance.”
As detailed in court documents, Johnson joined the Baltimore County Police Department in August 2008, and obtained a qualified handgun instructor certificate (QHIC) from the Maryland State Police on April 29, 2019. In order to purchase, rent, or receive a handgun in Maryland, residents must have a handgun qualification license (HQL), which requires, among other things, that an applicant complete four hours of instruction by a qualified handgun instructor, including classroom training, a firearms orientation, and a “live fire” exercise in which the applicant safely shoots the weapon. Similarly, to obtain a license to wear and carry a firearm (referred to as a wear and carry permit or “CCW”) residents must undergo a minimum of 16 hours of instruction for an initial CCW application, and a minimum of eight hours of instruction for a renewal CCW application which is administered by a qualified handgun instructor. Part of the training course for obtaining a CCW is a firearms qualification exercise in which the applicant must shoot a specific course, scoring at least 70 percent accuracy, to demonstrate their proficiency and use of the firearm.
According to his guilty plea, from May 2019 through September 2021, Johnson solicited and accepted bribes and kickbacks, paid through interstate electronic funds transfer services like Venmo, CashApp and Zelle, from applicants seeking HQLs and CCWs in exchange for Johnson falsely certifying to the Maryland State Police that the applicant had completed the training required by law. Johnson communicated with applicants and arranged the payments using a messaging application. Johnson charged approximately $100 for an HQL certification and between $150 and $200 for a CCW certification. In conversations with the applicants, Johnson made clear that once they paid the money, Johnson would send them the required documentation and they did not need to attend the required classes. After receiving payment from the applicants, Johnson sent the applicants a “Certified Qualification Score Sheet” falsely certifying that the applicant completed the required training. The applicants then submitted those falsified forms as part of their application. Based on the falsified documentation provided by Johnson and submitted by the applicants, the applicants received an HQL and/or CCW from MSP.
Johnson further admitted that in January 2021, he provided information to A.F. regarding a BCPD investigation into A.F. during a text message conversation about Johnson signing off on A.F.’s required HQL training. The information Johnson provided included details which led A.F. to determine the probable identity of the individual who provided the confidential information, the fact that the individual stopped providing information to the Narcotics Unit, and that the Narcotics Unit closed out the investigation.
Johnson faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for honest services wire fraud. As part of his plea agreement, Johnson will be required to pay a money judgment of at least $16,804, representing the proceeds he obtained from the scheme. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for Johnson on July 13, 2023.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked Homeland Security Investigations Baltimore, the Maryland State Police, and the Food and Drug Administration - Office of Investigations for their assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Goo and Leo J. Wise, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Friday 31 March 2023
York County Man Charged with Assaulting Federal Air MarshalRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Zachary William Easterly, 38, of Etters, Pennsylvania, was charged by Information with misdemeanor assault of a federal officer. Specifically, the Information alleges that on August 30, 2022, Easterly assaulted a Special Agent of the Federal Air Marshal Service who was engaged in the performance of his official duties.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of one year in prison, one year of supervised release, and a $100,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the Federal Air Marshal Service, an agency of the Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Adminstration.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Worcester Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Worcester man pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Lawrence Rutherford, 37, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for July 7, 2023. Rutherford was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2019.
On June 5, 2019, two guns and more than 600 rounds of ammunition were found in Rutherford’s home while executing a federal search warrant. Rutherford is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to prior convictions punishable by more than one year in person.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Greg A. Friedholm and John T. Mulcahy of Rollins’ Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
West Virginia Woman Sentenced for Role in Beckley-to-Philadelphia Firearms Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. –Stephanie Cohernour, 33, of Fayetteville, West Virginia, was sentenced today to five years of federal probation for making false statements in acquisition of firearms. Cohernour admitted to a role in a conspiracy to traffic over 140 firearms from the Beckley area to Philadelphia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, conspiracy ringleader Bisheem Jones, also known as “Bosh,” and other co-defendants traveled from Philadelphia to Beckley to oversee the purchase of firearms at Beckley-area stores. The conspirators took the firearms back to Philadelphia to sell for profit. Cohernour was one of several straw purchasers who bought firearms for the conspirators in exchange for money or drugs. Jones or an intermediary would tell the straw purchasers which firearms to buy, and provide the money for the purchases.
Cohernour admitted to straw purchasing a Glock Model 19 Gen 5, 9mm pistol and a Glock, Model 19X, 9mm pistol for Jones on April 12, 2021. Cohernour further admitted that she falsely certified on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Federal Firearms Transaction Record Form 4473 that she was the buyer of the firearms when she knew she was purchasing the firearms for Jones and his trafficking conspiracy.
Of the over 140 firearms trafficked by the conspirators between early 2020 and mid-2021, approximately 45 were recovered at crime scenes primarily in Philadelphia and have been connected to two homicides, crimes of domestic violence, and other violent offenses. Cohernour straw purchased at least five firearms for the conspirators, including three recovered at crime scenes in Philadelphia.
Cohernour is among 18 defendants who pleaded guilty in connection with the firearms trafficking. After five days of trial, a federal jury found Jones, 37, of Philadelphia, guilty on December 16, 2022, of conspiracy to travel interstate with the intent to deal in firearms without a license, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and interstate travel with the intent to deal in firearms without a license. Jones is scheduled to be sentenced on April 28, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 35 years in prison.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Philadelphia Police Department.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Negar M. Kordestani and Steve Loew prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-46.
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Vashon Island, Washington resident indicted for labor trafficking offensesRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 44-year-old Vashon Island, Washington resident was arrested yesterday on a superseding indictment charging him with ten federal felonies related to human trafficking in the form of forced labor, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Jesus Ruiz-Hernandez, aka Christo Jesus Escobar Solares, was originally indicted in November 2022 for transporting, harboring, and bringing an alien to the United States for financial gain. The superseding indictment, returned this week, adds seven federal counts including two counts of forced labor and additional counts of transporting, harboring, and bringing an alien to the U.S. for financial gain.
“Undocumented people are particularly vulnerable to forced labor schemes because they believe they do not have the same basic rights as U.S. citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. “In this case the grand jury found that Mr. Ruiz-Hernandez sought to enrich himself by forcing undocumented workers to labor for him, and that he benefitted financially by bringing undocumented workers to Western Washington.”
Specifically, the indictment states that in the spring of 2017, Ruiz-Hernandez used force, threats of force, and physical violence to force an adult victim to work for him (count 1). That count also alleges the victim suffered aggravated sexual abuse. Ruiz-Hernandez is charged with transporting that victim for financial gain (count 2), harboring that victim for financial gain (count 3), and bringing that victim to the United States for financial gain (count 4).
The superseding indictment also charges that in July 2018, and continuing until August 2021, a second victim was forced to work for Ruiz-Hernandez and was threatened with harm (count 5). That victim was also transported for financial gain (Count 6). The indictment also charges that the victim was harbored for financial gain (count 7) and was brought to the U.S. for financial gain (count 8).
Finally, Ruiz-Hernandez is charged with transporting and harboring a third victim for financial gain between May 2020 and August 2021(counts 9 and 10).
When Ruiz-Hernandez was arrested on the first indictment in November 2022, the Magistrate Judge determined there were conditions under which he could safely be released, and he had been out of custody until yesterday.
Following his arrest yesterday, law enforcement determined that he was harboring five additional workers who do not appear to have status in the United States. The investigation into how those non-citizens came to be employed by Ruiz-Hernandez is under investigation. After hearing argument, Magistrate Judge Mary Alice Theiler determined there are no conditions under which Ruiz-Hernandez can be safely released in the community, and that he poses a risk of flight.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Trial in this matter is set for May 15, 2023, in front of U.S. District Judge James L. Robart.
Forced labor is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, and up to life imprisonment if the jury determines that the offense involved aggravated sexual abuse. Transporting an alien for financial gain and harboring an alien for financial gain are each punishable by up to ten years in prison. Bringing an alien to the United States for financial gain is punishable by a mandatory minimum three years in prison and up to ten years in prison.
The case is being investigated by the Seattle Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kate Crisham. Ms. Crisham is the Western District of Washington coordinator of our efforts to stop human trafficking.
United States Files Forfeiture Action Against over One Million Rounds of Ammunition Enroute from Iran to YemenRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced the filing of a forfeiture complaint against over one million rounds of ammunition, thousands of proximity fuses for rocket-propelled grenades, and thousands of pounds of propellant for rocket-propelled grenades that the U.S. Navy seized in transit from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to militant groups in Yemen.
“The United States disrupted a major operation by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to smuggle weapons of war into the hands of a militant group in Yemen. The Justice Department is now seeking the forfeiture of those weapons, including over one million rounds of ammunition and thousands of proximity fuses for rocket-propelled grenades,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will be relentless in holding accountable those who break our laws and threaten our national security.”
“This forfeiture action prevents ammunition and dangerous weapons from falling into the wrong hands and highlights the importance of our investigative work to deny criminal and terrorist networks their instruments of violence and destruction,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “I am extremely proud of the critical investigative role played by Homeland Security Investigations alongside our law enforcement and Department of Defense partners in a collaborative whole-of-government effort.”
“This forfeiture action aims to stop in its tracks yet another attempt by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its proxies to fuel violence and conflict around the globe,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia will use all our tools, including our jurisdiction to seize and forfeit assets, located abroad, to disrupt the IRGC’s efforts to sow discord.”
“Today’s outcome should serve as a stark reminder to individuals and entities seeking to illicitly traffic in armaments that could potentially be used in a manner that is contrary to our nation’s interests,” said Principal Deputy Director James R. Ives of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the investigative arm of the Department of Defense’s Office of Inspector General. “DCIS and our law enforcement partners will work tirelessly to bring to justice those who engage in unlawful weapons proliferation that serves to destabilize communities and countries, and contributes to a range of nefarious activities, including terrorism, organized crime, and violent conflicts.”
According to court documents, on or about Dec. 1, 2022, U.S. Central Command forces seized the weapons from a flagless vessel in the Arabian Sea. The seizure included 1.063 million rounds of 7.62mmx54mm ammunition; 24,000 rounds of 12.7mmx99mm ammunition; 6,960 proximity fuses for rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), and 2,000 kg of propellant for rocket-propelled grenades.
The government’s forfeiture action is part of a larger investigation of an Iranian weapons-smuggling network. The network was involved in the illicit trafficking of advanced conventional weapons systems and components by sanctioned Iranian entities that directly support military action by the Houthi movement in Yemen and the Iranian regime’s campaign of terrorist activities throughout the region. The forfeiture complaint alleges a sophisticated scheme by the IRGC to clandestinely ship weapons to entities that pose grave threats to U.S. national security.
This forfeiture action is a product of the U.S. government’s coordinated effort to enforce U.S. sanctions against the IRGC and the Iranian regime and are merely allegations.
The HSI Washington Field Office and the DCIS Mid-Atlantic Field Office are leading the larger investigation of the Iranian weapons-smuggling network, with substantial assistance from the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command in conducting the seizure.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stuart D. Allen, Brian P. Hudak, Rajbir S. Datta, and Anna D. Walker for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney S. Derek Shugert of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are litigating the case, with support from Paralegal Specialists Brian Rickers and Angela De Falco.
The burden to prove forfeitability in a forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.
United States Files Forfeiture Action Against More Than One Million Rounds of Ammunition Enroute from Iran to YemenRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - The Justice Department today announced the filing of a forfeiture complaint against more than one million rounds of ammunition, thousands of proximity fuses for rocket-propelled grenades, and thousands of pounds of propellant for rocket-propelled grenades that the U.S. Navy seized in transit from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to militant groups in Yemen.
“The United States disrupted a major operation by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to smuggle weapons of war into the hands of a militant group in Yemen. The Justice Department is now seeking the forfeiture of those weapons, including over one million rounds of ammunition and thousands of proximity fuses for rocket-propelled grenades,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will be relentless in holding accountable those who break our laws and threaten our national security.”
“This forfeiture action aims to stop in its tracks yet another attempt by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its proxies to fuel violence and conflict around the globe,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves of the District of Columbia. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia will use all our tools, including our jurisdiction to seize and forfeit assets, located abroad, to disrupt the IRGC’s efforts to sow discord.”
“This forfeiture action prevents ammunition and dangerous weapons from falling into the wrong hands and highlights the importance of our investigative work to deny criminal and terrorist networks their instruments of violence and destruction,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “I am extremely proud of the critical investigative role played by Homeland Security Investigations alongside our law enforcement and Department of Defense partners in a collaborative whole-of-government effort.”
According to court documents, on or about December 1, 2022, U.S. Central Command forces seized the weapons from a flagless vessel in the Arabian Sea. The seizure included 1.063 million rounds of 7.62mmx54mm ammunition, 24,000 rounds of 12.7mmx99mm ammunition, 6,960 proximity fuses for rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), and 2,000 kg of propellant for rocket-propelled grenades.
“Today’s outcome should serve as a stark reminder to individuals and entities seeking to illicitly traffic in armaments that could potentially be used in a manner that is contrary to our nation’s interests,” said Principal Deputy Director James R. Ives of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the investigative arm of the Department of Defense’s Office of Inspector General. “DCIS and our law enforcement partners will work tirelessly to bring to justice those who engage in unlawful weapons proliferation that serves to destabilize communities and countries, and contributes to a range of nefarious activities, including terrorism, organized crime, and violent conflicts.”
The government’s forfeiture action is part of a larger investigation of an Iranian weapons- smuggling network. The network was involved in the illicit trafficking of advanced conventional weapons systems and components by sanctioned Iranian entities that directly support military action by the Houthi movement in Yemen and the Iranian regime’s campaign of terrorist activities throughout the region. The forfeiture complaint alleges a sophisticated scheme by the IRGC to clandestinely ship weapons to entities that pose grave threats to U.S. national security.
This forfeiture action is a product of the U.S. government’s coordinated effort to enforce U.S. sanctions against the IRGC and the Iranian regime and are merely allegations.
HSI’s Washington Field Office and DCIS’s Mid-Atlantic Field Office are leading the larger investigation of the Iranian weapons-smuggling network, with substantial assistance from the U.S. Central Command Forces in conducting the seizure.
The case is being litigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the National Security Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stuart D. Allen, Brian P. Hudak, Rajbir S. Datta, and Anna D. Walker and National Security Division Trial Attorney S. Derek Shugert are litigating the case, with support from Paralegal Specialist Brian Rickers and Angela DeFalco.
On December 1, 2022, U.S. authorities seized:
Alt. text: Picture displays large amount of ammo subject to forfeiture spread across a gray surface. 1.063 million rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition: 24,000 rounds of 12.7 mm ammunition; 6,960 proximity fuses for rocket-propelled grenades; and 2,000 kg (800 boxes/2,500 g) of propellant used to launch rocket-propelled grenades.
1.063 million rounds of 7.62mm ammunition
24,000 rounds of 12.7mm ammunition
6,960 proximity fuses for rocket-propelled grenades (see pdf)
2,000kg (800 boxes/2,500g) of propellant used to launch rocket propelled grenades (see pdf).
U.S. Attorney Releases Recorded Statement in Celebration of Transgender Day of Visibility TodayRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: Today, March 31, is Transgender Day of Visibility, a day of recognition and celebration that will be marked by events across the country, including here in Maine. The U.S. Attorney joins in the marking of the occasion with the release of a recorded statement and wishes all of today’s celebrants a safe and joyful day.
Ensuring that all Mainers are treated fairly and with respect, and in accordance with federal law, is among the highest priorities for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine. The U.S. Attorney is committed to engaging in a meaningful dialogue with the transgender community in Maine to show support and to increase public safety, with an aim to build trust in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Department of Justice, and in law enforcement to foster an environment where the reporting of hate crimes feels safe and meaningful.
View and/or download the U.S. Attorney’s recorded statement: https://youtu.be/Fq5eEcimLCM
Text of the recorded statement: “As U.S. Attorney, I have had the privilege of meeting several transgender Mainers. I want to thank you all for sharing your stories and challenges with me. I am hopeful that I can use my position to spread awareness on transgender issues throughout Maine in order to help remove barriers and address matters that are important to you. I want to affirm my commitment to doing what I can to ensure that you feel seen, heard, and respected when you interact with law enforcement, including with my office and the Department of Justice. I hope you will continue to work with me to develop trust. Today, as we celebrate Transgender Day of Visibility, please know that I see you. I celebrate you. And I am committed to making Maine a safer place for you.”
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U.S. Attorney Dena J. King to Host Meeting of Attorney General's Advisory Committee's Subcommittee on Native American Issues in Cherokee, N.C.Read the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – United States Attorney Dena J. King will host a meeting of the U.S Attorney General’s Advisory Committee’s Subcommittee on Native American Issues from April 4 to April 6, 2023, in Cherokee, North Carolina.
U.S. Attorney King serves as Chair of the NAIS, the longest standing subcommittee of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC). The NAIS consists of 18 U.S. Attorneys from across the United States, serving in districts that include Indian Country or one or more federally recognized Tribes within their jurisdiction.
The NAIS focuses exclusively on Indian Country matters, and it is tasked with advising the AGAC and Department of Justice leadership and components with developing and implementing comprehensive federal efforts and initiatives related to Indian Country and making policy recommendations on issues affecting American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
“As Chair of the NAIS, I am honored to host our subcommittee meeting in the Western District of North Carolina,” said U.S. Attorney King. “The NAIS meeting is an important opportunity for United States Attorneys, Justice Department officials, Tribal liaisons, law enforcement, and representatives of federal agencies to discuss a range of topics that are critical to the health and safety of American Indian and Alaska Native communities, share best practices, and hold important discussions on enhancing our partnerships with our Tribal counterparts.”
The agenda for the NAIS meeting includes multiple panel discussions with experts on Indian Country matters, on the topics of crime deterrence and intervention, criminal legal and legislative updates, federal response to missing or murdered indigenous people, drug enforcement and substance use disorder prevention efforts, reentry courts, assistance and provision of services to victims of crime, outreach and education initiatives, and implementation or enhancement of programs related to community safety and public health and wellness.
Participants will travel to the Museum of the Cherokee Indian for a guided tour on Cherokee Indian history, culture, and artifacts, followed by a visit to Cherokee High School for a panel discussion with student leaders and school administrators on topics of concern to young people, including juvenile crime prevention, bullying, mental health, equity in the criminal justice system, and building trust with law enforcement.
The meeting will conclude with an in-depth discussion of NAIS members centered on existing and emerging public safety issues in Tribal communities, policy recommendations to the AGAC, and federal funding opportunities to support the Justice Department’s initiatives in Indian Country.
“U.S. Attorneys’ Offices play an integral role in implementing the Justice Department’s policies and strategies to address the public safety concerns of Tribal communities,” said U.S. Attorney King. “The NAIS meeting is an opportunity for U.S. Attorneys to discuss ongoing efforts in our respective districts to combat crime in Indian Country, share best practice, identify areas of improvement, and advance engagement and collaboration with Tribal leadership to achieve these goals.”
In addition to U.S. Attorney King, the U.S. Attorneys of the following districts are attending the NAIS meeting: District of Alaska, District of Arizona, District of Connecticut, District of Maine, District of Massachusetts, District of Montana, District of Nevada, District of North Dakota, District of South Dakota, District of Utah, District of Wyoming, Northern District of California, Northern District of Indiana, Northern District of Oklahoma, Eastern District of Michigan, Eastern District of Oklahoma, Eastern District of Washington, Southern District of Mississippi, Western District of Louisiana, Western District of Oklahoma, and Western District of Washington. Other Department of Justice leaders and component agencies will be attending the NAIS meeting as well.
U.S. Attorney Dena J. King Joins Panel Discussion on “Diversifying the Criminal Justice Landscape ” at Johnson C. Smith UniversityRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Today, U.S. Attorney Dena J. King joined professionals in the criminal justice field for a panel discussion at Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU) on the topic of “Diversifying the Criminal Justice Landscape.”
The event was organized by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), in collaboration with JCSU’s Criminology Program and the College of Arts, as part of ATF’s “Law Enforcement Leaders of America,” or LELA initiative, which aims to advance diversity in the criminal justice profession.
U.S. Attorney King has supported the LELA initiative from its inception and has participated on multiple LELA events held on college campuses of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in North Carolina, including at Livingstone College, Winston Salem State University, and at North Carolina Central University, U.S. Attorney King’s alma mater.
“I am pleased and honored to be a part of this important initiative, centered on promoting diversity in the criminal justice field. These events are a remarkable opportunity to engage directly with undergraduate students and spark their interest in careers they may not have explored up to this point,” said U.S. Attorney King. “Looking back to when I was in college, there were limited opportunities for minority students to be exposed to and learn about professional opportunities in this field. I am excited be a part of the LELA program and I am looking forward to participating in future events.”
U.S. Attorney King was joined in this panel discussion by criminal justice professionals representing federal, state and local government agencies, who shared valuable perspectives on career paths, job preparation, obstacles, and lessons learned. College students who attended the event also received information on a broad range of topics related to career options, internship opportunities, and practical tips, such as preparing for a job interview. Following the panel discussion, students had an opportunity to ask questions and network with the panelists.
Three Men Indicted for Multimillion-Dollar Accounting Fraud Scheme at U.S. Navy ShipbuilderRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging three Alabama men with orchestrating an accounting fraud scheme at Austal USA LLC, a Mobile-based shipbuilder that constructs vessels for the U.S. Navy, including the Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS). Austal USA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Austal Limited, an Australian company that is traded over-the-counter in the United States via American Depositary Receipts, as well as on the Australian Securities Exchange.
According to court documents, from at least in or around 2013 through at least in or around July 2016, Craig Perciavalle, 52, Joseph Runkel, 54, and William Adams, 63, all of Mobile, and their co-conspirators allegedly conspired to mislead Austal Limited’s shareholders and the investing public about Austal USA’s financial condition. Specifically, the defendants are alleged to have artificially reduced and suppressed an accounting metric known as “estimate at completion” (EAC) in relation to multiple LCS ships that Austal USA was building for the U.S. Navy. Suppressing the EACs allegedly falsely overstated Austal Limited’s reported earnings in its public financial statements.
The defendants and their co-conspirators allegedly manipulated the EAC figures in part by using so-called “program challenges” – ostensibly cost-savings goals – but which in reality were “plug” numbers and fraudulent devices to hide growing costs that should have been incorporated into Austal USA’s financial statements, and ultimately reflected in Austal Limited’s reported earnings. The defendants allegedly did this, among other reasons, to maintain and increase the share price of Austal Limited’s stock. When the higher costs were eventually disclosed to the market, the stock price was significantly negatively impacted and Austal Limited wrote down over $100 million.
Perciavalle, Adams, and Runkel are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud affecting a financial institution, five counts of wire fraud, and two counts of wire fraud affecting a financial institution. If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison for the conspiracy count and each count of wire fraud affecting a financial institution, and 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Sean Costello for the Southern District of Alabama, Special Agent in Charge Darrin K. Jones of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Southeast Field Office, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael D. Butler II of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Economic Crimes Field Office made the announcement.
DCIS and NCIS are investigating the case.
Assistant Chief Kyle Hankey, Acting Assistant Chief Christopher Jackson, and Trial Attorney Laura Connelly of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Bodnar for the Southern District of Alabama are prosecuting the case.
If you believe you are a victim in this case, please contact the Fraud Section’s Victim Witness Unit toll-free at (888) 549-3945 or by email at [email protected]. Victims can find case updates and additional information at www.justice.gov/criminal-vns/case/united-states-v-craig-d-perciavalle-et-al.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Three Men Indicted for Multimillion-Dollar Accounting Fraud Scheme at U.S. Navy ShipbuilderRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging three Alabama men with orchestrating an accounting fraud scheme at Austal USA LLC, a Mobile-based shipbuilder that constructs vessels for the U.S. Navy, including the Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS). Austal USA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Austal Limited, an Australian company that is traded over-the-counter in the United States via American Depositary Receipts, as well as on the Australian Securities Exchange.
According to court documents, from at least in or around 2013 through at least in or around July 2016, Craig Perciavalle, 52, Joseph Runkel, 54, and William Adams, 63, all of Mobile, and their co-conspirators allegedly conspired to mislead Austal Limited’s shareholders and the investing public about Austal USA’s financial condition. Specifically, the defendants are alleged to have artificially reduced and suppressed an accounting metric known as “estimate at completion” (EAC) in relation to multiple LCS ships that Austal USA was building for the U.S. Navy. Suppressing the EACs allegedly falsely overstated Austal Limited’s reported earnings in its public financial statements.
The defendants and their co-conspirators allegedly manipulated the EAC figures in part by using so-called “program challenges” – ostensibly cost-savings goals – but which in reality were “plug” numbers and fraudulent devices to hide growing costs that should have been incorporated into Austal USA’s financial statements, and ultimately reflected in Austal Limited’s reported earnings. The defendants allegedly did this, among other reasons, to maintain and increase the share price of Austal Limited’s stock. When the higher costs were eventually disclosed to the market, the stock price was significantly negatively impacted and Austal Limited wrote down over $100 million.
Perciavalle, Adams, and Runkel are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud affecting a financial institution, five counts of wire fraud, and two counts of wire fraud affecting a financial institution. If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison for the conspiracy count and each count of wire fraud affecting a financial institution, and 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Sean Costello for the Southern District of Alabama, Special Agent in Charge Darrin K. Jones of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Southeast Field Office, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael D. Butler II of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Economic Crimes Field Office made the announcement.
DCIS and NCIS are investigating the case.
Assistant Chief Kyle Hankey, Acting Assistant Chief Christopher Jackson, and Trial Attorney Laura Connelly of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Bodnar for the Southern District of Alabama are prosecuting the case.
If you believe you are a victim in this case, please contact the Fraud Section’s Victim Witness Unit toll-free at (888) 549-3945 or by email at [email protected]. Victims can find case updates and additional information at www.justice.gov/criminal-vns/case/united-states-v-craig-d-perciavalle-et-al.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Texas Man Sentenced in Nationwide Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A commercial truck driver from Texas was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for transporting large amounts of cocaine and drug proceeds to and from Massachusetts on behalf of a drug trafficking organization based in Mexico and Texas.
Carlos Alfredo Longoria, 33, of Laredo, Texas, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 34 months in prison and two years of supervised release. In September 2022, Longoria pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
In November 2021, Longoria was charged in a five-count superseding indictment along with co-defendants Javier Robledo Perez, Vicente Castro III and Francis Jose Perez-Baez. Longoria was a commercial truck driver who transported kilograms of cocaine, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds across state lines on behalf of a drug trafficking organization based in Mexico and Texas. In July 2020, Longoria collected nearly $280,000 in drug proceeds in Massachusetts and transported that money back to Texas to be sent back to the drug suppliers in Mexico. In September and October 2020, Longoria traveled to Massachusetts to deliver and/or pick up vehicles that had hidden compartments installed in them for the drug trafficking organization to use to hide drugs and drug proceeds. In January 2021, Longoria delivered nearly eight kilograms of cocaine to a cooperating witness in Massachusetts. In February 2021, Longoria’s co-conspirators made arrangements for Longoria and his co-defendant Castro to deliver an additional 10 kilograms of cocaine to Massachusetts. On Feb. 8, 2021, agents stopped Longoria and Castro and seized nearly 10 kilograms of cocaine from the truck they were driving.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and John E. Mawn, Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Dallas and Laredo (Texas) Divisions provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea Porter of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the complaint are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Texas Man Sentenced for Multi-State Drug Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Houston, Texas, man was sentenced today to 10.5 years in prison for distributing more than five kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride.
According to court documents, Elvis Elias Lopez, 28, along with his co-defendant Jamane Arvis Greene, 45, of Farmville, conspired to operate a multi-state drug trafficking operation to distribute large amounts of cocaine hydrochloride into the Richmond community.
As a result of this investigation, officers seized 18.9 kilograms of cocaine that were intended for distribution into the community, three firearms, and $1,127,835. Lopez and Greene forfeited the following items, either judicially or administratively: three firearms, all accompanying magazines and ammunition, $1,127,835 in U.S. Currency, 18kt yellow gold and stainless-steel Rolex wristwatch, 14kt yellow gold “Success Addictz” pendant, and a yellow gold large pave diamond “We Paid L*O Success Addictz" necklace.
On February 24, Greene was sentenced to 17 years in prison for his role in the conspiracy.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division; and Colonel Jeffrey S. Katz, Chesterfield County Police Department, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Janet Jin Ah Lee and Stephen E. Anthony prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-118.
Tennessee Man Sentenced to Life Plus 10 Years in Prison for First-Degree Murder in the Death of His U.S. Army Soldier Wife at Fort CampbellRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A Clarksville, Tennessee man, formerly of Jacksonville, Florida, was sentenced yesterday to life, plus 10 years, in prison for the October 14, 2018, murder of his wife and shooting of another man at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
Victor E. Silvers, 33, was sentenced in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, to life in prison, plus an additional consecutive 10 years in prison, for first-degree murder, attempted murder, domestic violence resulting in death, violation of a protective order resulting in death, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and two counts of discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Louisville Field Office, Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Maynard of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Special Agent in Charge Ronald Yeatts of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID), Midcentral Field Office, made the announcement.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Silvers drove from his Clarksville, Tennessee, residence to the Fort Campbell, Kentucky military installation on October 14, 2018. Silvers then shot his estranged wife, Brittney Silvers, three times, killing her. Silvers also shot another man, James Keating. Five days before the murder, Brittney Silvers had been granted a Domestic Violence Order of Protection that prohibited Silvers from being within 300 feet of her or committing violent acts against her. Due to the Domestic Violence Order of Protection entered against him, Silvers was prohibited from possessing a firearm. Brittney Silvers was a U.S. Army Soldier assigned to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, at the time of her murder.
“I commend the work of the FBI, ATF, and Army CID during the investigation of this matter as well as the prosecution team for their outstanding presentation of the case at trial,” stated U.S. Attorney Bennett. “Fort Campbell is home to numerous military units and organizations to include, the 101st Airborne Division, the 5th Special Forces Group, and the 160th Special Aviation Operations Regiment. The Soldiers assigned to Fort Campbell, their family members, and those who live and work on the installation were accustomed to feeling safe and secure within its boundaries. Silvers shattered the sense of security when he violently murdered his wife and shot another victim in October 2018. As a result of his brutal actions, he will justifiably spend the remainder of his life in a federal prison cell.”
“Domestic violence oftentimes cripples extended families and even entire communities,” stated FBI Special Agent in Charge Cohen. “Brittney’s family, friends, and the Fort Campbell community will never be rid of the pain from this senseless murder, but hopefully this sentence gives everyone some sense of resolve knowing Silvers will spend the remainder of his life in a cell.”
“I commend the efforts of the ATF agents, our law enforcement partners, and the prosecution team who worked diligently on this investigation to bring this killer to justice,” said ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge A.J. Gibes of the Louisville Division. “We hope this sentence brings some sense of healing to the victims’ families and sends a very clear message that ATF and our law enforcement partners will not stand by and allow these acts of violence."
This case was investigated by the FBI, ATF, and U.S. Army CID.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth Hancock, Leigh Ann Dycus, and Raymond McGee of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office prosecuted the case with the assistance of paralegal Christy Crockett.
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Sussex County Man Charged with Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Sussex County, New Jersey, man was arrested and charged with distributing videos and images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Gaetano Lapegna, 64, of Franklin, New Jersey is charged by complaint with one count of distribution of child pornography. He appeared on March 30, 2023, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor in Newark federal court and was released on $100,000 unsecured bond.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From December 2022 to March 2023, Lapegna distributed videos and images of child sexual abuse via a publicly available online peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing program. An undercover law enforcement officer conducted online sessions using the P2P program, during which a user shared hundreds of videos and images of child sexual abuse from an IP address traced to Lapegna’s address.
Subsequent to a lawful search of his residence on March 30, 2023, law enforcement officers recovered at least two videos and 100 images depicting child sexual abuse on Lapegna’s thumb drive. Law enforcement also found that Lapegna’s computer was running the same version of the P2P program from which law enforcement downloaded child pornography from Lapegna.
The count of distribution of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, New Jersey Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office, and Franklin Borough Police Department for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Farhana C. Melo of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
lapegna.complaint.pdfSt. Clair Shores Physician Convicted of Causing Patient’s Drug Overdose Death and Prescription Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Former St. Clair Shores physician Bernard Shelton, 66, was convicted today by a federal jury in Detroit on twenty-one charges related to the unlawful distribution of prescription drugs. He was also convicted of a patient’s overdose death that resulted from his unlawful prescribing, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene, Drug Enforcement Administration, Detroit Field Division.
The trial began on February 28, 2023 and was conducted before United States District Judge Denise Page Hood.
The evidence demonstrated that Shelton prescribed over 5.5 million doses of controlled substances between April 2013 and December 2016. Shelton prescribed over 2.7 million doses of Schedule II controlled substances such as oxycodone and hydrocodone, usually prescribing the types and strengths of drugs most valuable on the street market. When an undercover patient made an initial visit to Dr. Shelton complaining of back stiffness, Dr. Shelton did not examine the patient’s back, but instead asked “What can I give you today” before prescribing the requested narcotics. The jury found that Dr. Shelton issued twenty-one prescriptions to seven different patients outside the usual course of professional practice and for no legitimate medical purpose so he could charge for office visits and tests. Shelton received over $1.4 million from Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan during the same time period.
Shelton began prescribing opioid pain relievers in 2010 to a patient whose pain was previously treated by prescription strength Motrin. Shelton prescribed increasingly stronger controlled substances over the next six years, and the patient became addicted to the drugs. On January 14, 2016, Shelton unlawfully prescribed an increased dosage of oxycodone to the 54-year-old patient. The patient filled the prescription on January 18, 2016. The patient suffered an overdose two days later, but received Narcan and survived. A second oxycodone overdose four days later, on January 24, 2016, was fatal.
Based on the jury’s verdict, Shelton will be sentenced to a mandatory minimum sentence of twenty years in prison, with a maximum sentence of life. Shelton will be sentenced in July, 2023.
Due to licensure actions, Shelton has been unable to prescribe controlled substances since January 2017.
“Doctors who dangerously prescribe opiates for their own profit endanger the community just like other drug dealers. When a doctor causes an overdose death with an illegitimate prescription, we will not hesitate to hold the doctor accountable,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison. “My office is committed to keeping highly addictive opioids off the street, and we will aggressively investigate and prosecute medical professionals or anyone else who illegally distribute controlled substances.”
“The DEA, through regulation and enforcement, will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement and regulatory partners to investigate and eventually prosecute medical professionals who use their position to conceal the unlawful diversion and distribution of prescription drugs,” said Special Agent in Charge Greene.
The case was investigated by agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the St. Clair Shores police department and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. The trial was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Wayne F. Pratt and Lisandra Fernandez-Silber.
Social Media Influencer Douglass Mackey Convicted of Election Interference in 2016 Presidential RaceRead the Press Release
Douglass Mackey, also known as “Ricky Vaughn,” was convicted today by a federal jury in Brooklyn of the charge of Conspiracy Against Rights stemming from his scheme to deprive individuals of their constitutional right to vote. The verdict followed a one-week trial before United States District Judge Ann M. Donnelly. When sentenced, Mackey faces a maximum of 10 years in prison.
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 verdict.
“Mackey has been found guilty by a jury of his peers of attempting to deprive individuals from exercising their sacred right to vote for the candidate of their choice in the 2016 Presidential Election,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Today’s verdict proves that the defendant’s fraudulent actions crossed a line into criminality and flatly rejects his cynical attempt to use the constitutional right of free speech as a shield for his scheme to subvert the ballot box and suppress the vote.”
In 2016, Mackey established an audience on Twitter with approximately 58,000 followers. A February 2016 analysis by the MIT Media Lab ranked Mackey as the 107th most important influencer of the then-upcoming Presidential Election.
As proven at trial, between September 2016 and November 2016, Mackey conspired with other influential Twitter users and with members of private online groups to use social media platforms, including Twitter, to disseminate fraudulent messages that encouraged supporters of presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to “vote” via text message or social media which, in reality, was legally invalid. For example, on November 1, 2016, in or around the same time that Mackey was sending tweets suggesting the importance of limiting “black turnout,” the defendant tweeted an image depicting an African American woman standing in front of an “African Americans for Hillary” sign. The ad stated: “Avoid the Line. Vote from Home,” “Text ‘Hillary’ to 59925,” and “Vote for Hillary and be a part of history.” The fine print at the bottom of the deceptive image stated: “Must be 18 or older to vote. One vote per person. Must be a legal citizen of the United States. Voting by text not available in Guam, Puerto Rico, Alaska or Hawaii. Paid for by Hillary For President 2016.” The tweet included the typed hashtag “#ImWithHer,” a slogan frequently used by Hillary Clinton. On or about and before Election Day 2016, at least 4,900 unique telephone numbers texted “Hillary” or some derivative to the 59925 text number, which had been used in multiple deceptive campaign images tweeted by Mackey and his co-conspirators.
Several hours after tweeting the first image, Mackey tweeted an image depicting a woman seated at a conference room typing a message on her cell phone. This deceptive image was written in Spanish and mimicked a font used by the Clinton campaign in authentic ads. The image also included a copy of the Clinton campaign’s logo and the “ImWithHer” hashtag.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Erik D. Paulsen and F. Turner Buford of the Office’s Public Integrity Section, and Trial Attorney William J. Gullotta of the Department of Justice’s Public Integrity Section are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Shivani Parshad.
The Defendant:
DOUGLASS MACKEY
Age: 33
West Palm Beach, FloridaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-CR-80 (AMD)
Smyrna resident sentenced for $3.3 million multi-state covid-19 Unemployment Insurance fraud schemeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Rowlando Hatter, Jr. has been sentenced for conspiring to submit false claims for COVID-related Unemployment Insurance benefits using the personal identifying information of more than 100 victims and causing state workforce agencies in five states to pay a combined $3,300,000 in fraudulently obtained benefits.
“The CARES Act provided vital assistance to unemployed Americans at the height of the pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Hatter diverted funds from this federal program and removed potential assistance crucial for citizens fighting to survive and to support their families.”
"Rowlando Hatter Jr. engaged in a scheme with his co-defendant, Clyde Parker Jr., to defraud multiple state workforce agencies, including the California Employment Development Department, by filing Unemployment Insurance (UI) claims in the names of unwitting individuals to fraudulently obtain UI benefits. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to safeguard the UI system from those who exploit these benefit programs,” said Mathew Broadhurst, Special Agent-in-Charge, Southeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.
"It is disgraceful that unscrupulous individuals used a public health emergency and global pandemic for their own financial gain,” said HSI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Katrina Berger. “HSI and our partners will continue to work diligently to prevent these crimes and hold the criminals accountable.”
“The defendant took advantage of a federal program designed to provide relief to those who were in need of economic assistance,” said Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “The sentencing demonstrates our commitment to investigate and bring to justice individuals that choose to defraud others for their own financial gain.”According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was signed into law on March 27, 2020. The CARES Act was designed to mitigate the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in a variety of ways. One way was the inclusion of a provision that provided temporary benefits for individuals who had exhausted their entitlement to regular Unemployment Insurance (“UI”) benefits. The Act also aided those who were ineligible for regular UI payments and were self-employed or had limited recent work history. Individuals applied for regular and pandemic-related UI benefits by submitting an online application to their state workforce agency.
Rowlando Hatter obtained the personal identifying information (“PII”) of unwitting victims. He used that information on applications that fraudulently requested COVID-related UI benefits. Hatter electronically submitted those applications to several states, including Georgia, California, Arizona, Maryland, and Michigan.
The state workforce agencies paid approved claims by issuing debit cards that were mailed to addresses in the metro-Atlanta area and in Michigan, and that were controlled by Hatter and co-conspirator Clyde Parker. Some of those addresses included UPS mailboxes opened by Hatter and Parker. Hatter and Parker used the debit cards at various ATMs to withdraw cash. Hatter kept the proceeds after paying Parker a fee.
As a result of the scheme, more than 200 claims were submitted to the various state workforce agencies between May 2020 and October 2020 using the PII of approximately 124 individuals who had no knowledge of the fraud. In total, the state workforce agencies paid approximately $3,300,000 on the bogus claims submitted in this fraud scheme.
Rowlando Hatter Jr., 32, of Smyrna, Georgia, has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones to five years, nine months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Jones also ordered Hatter to pay restitution in the amount of $2,930,410.50. Hatter was convicted of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft, after pleading guilty to those charges on December 13, 2022.
Clyde Parker, 32, of Troy, Michigan, was sentenced on January 20, 2023, to four years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $596,348.50.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Special assistance was provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Sacramento, California and the Georgia Department of Labor.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tracia M. King and Thomas J. Krepp prosecuted the case.
This case was sponsored by the Georgia Unemployment Insurance Task Force. The Task Force is comprised of federal and state agencies throughout Georgia that are dedicated to combat COVID-related Unemployment Insurance Benefits Fraud.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Rocky Mount Blood Gang Leader Sentenced for Drug Trafficking and COVID-19 FraudRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Rocky Mount leader of the G-Shine Bloods gang, a subset of the United Blood Nation gang, was sentenced today in connection with his leadership role in a violent drug trafficking organization. Tyrone Foreman, also known as “Ty Nitty,”
was sentenced to 360 months in prison after having pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and marijuana, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Additionally, he was ordered to make restitution in the amount of $220,211.27 to the Federal Government.The case was part of Operation Caught Cold, which led to the conviction of 17 defendants, including Foreman, the seizure of 6,601 dosage units of a mixture containing fentanyl 4,389 dosage units of heroin, and over 20 guns. In total, Foreman was personally responsible for trafficking more than 14,000 doses of a fentanyl mixture, and more than 60,940 doses of heroin.
“Tyrone Foreman used threats and intimidation to run his criminal drug trafficking enterprise while his organization raked in over a quarter million dollars in COVID-19 unemployment fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Through this operation we seized at least 20 firearms, some in the hands of felons and purchased through straw buyers. Let this 30-year sentence be a warning. Armed drug traffickers pushing fentanyl in North Carolina will pay a heavy price. Operation Caught Cold is yet another example of what can be accomplished when local law enforcement agencies partner to deliver justice.”
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Foreman, 35, was identified as a high-ranking member of the G-Shine Bloods gang in the Rocky Mount area. The investigation revealed that Foreman obtained thousands of dosage units of mixtures containing heroin and fentanyl from various suppliers spanning from Wake Forest to New York. The heroin/fentanyl mixtures would then be distributed throughout Nash and Edgecombe Counties by lower ranking gang members and other drug dealers working at Foreman’s direction.
“ATF and our law enforcement partners will continue to apply every resource available to combat the violent gun crime associated with gangs and drug trafficking networks,” said Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims. “Bringing the leaders of these violent groups to justice is a critical move towards disbanding these criminal networks and taking illegal firearms off our streets.”
“I would like to thank the men and woman in local and state agencies involved. I appreciate the long hours away from their families and the necessary paperwork needed to build strong cases,” said Edgecombe County Sheriff Cleveland Atkinson. “I especially want to thank our federal partners for their continued hard work to help us keep our citizens safe. And lastly, I want to thank all of our concerned citizens for notifying law enforcement of gang activity & drug dealing and wanting a safer community.”
“This conviction is further evidence that those who decide to lead and or participate in illegal organizations will become prime targets of federal investigations,” stated Rocky Mount Police Chief Robert Hassell. “Organizations like the one that Tyrone Foreman was leading led to multiple crimes being committed in and around our community. Today is a day that the communities that he once disrupted with his criminal activity will now be a little safer with his conviction and sentencing. We value our law enforcement partners and will take cases federally whenever possible to ensure these offenders are taken off our streets.”
On October 9, 2019, investigators with the Nash County Sheriff’s Office conducted a surveillance operation on Foreman as he travelled from Nash County to Wake Forest to meet with a drug supplier. Investigators conducted a traffic stop of Foreman as he returned to Nash County and recovered approximately 2,000 dosage units of heroin/fentanyl mixture from his vehicle.
The investigation continued throughout the fall of 2019 and into 2020, as members of local law enforcement agencies collaborated to conduct over twenty controlled purchases of heroin or heroin/fentanyl mixture from members of Foreman’s drug trafficking organization. Through controlled purchases, surveillance, search warrants, traffic stops, and interviews of witnesses, investigators learned that members of the Foreman Drug Trafficking Organization routinely carried firearms while they sold heroin/fentanyl and utilized threats of violence to ensure that the organization’s drug sales continued. During the course of the investigation, over twenty firearms were seized from Foreman, members of his gang, members of his drug trafficking organization, and females that were straw purchasing firearms on their behalf. One of Foreman’s co-conspirators, Vernisha Suggs, made numerous straw purchases on behalf of Bloods gang members from federally licensed firearm dealers in Rocky Mount. Suggs pled guilty and was sentenced to 71 months in prison.
In October 2020, the investigative team identified a New York based heroin/fentanyl supplier who was travelling to Rocky Mount to provide Foreman with thousands of dosage units at a time. Through surveillance and hotel records, investigators confirmed four meetings between Foreman and the supplier during October and November 2020 alone.
The drug investigation culminated in a December 2020 traffic stop of Foreman and another member of his gang on I-95 in Maryland as they returned from meeting with the New York based supplier. Over 3,500 dosage units of heroin/fentanyl mixture were seized during that stop.
After Foreman’s Maryland arrest, law enforcement continued to learn that he was involved in other criminal activity. Foreman placed various recorded jail calls from Maryland to women in North Carolina where it was apparent that he was directing them to handle money for him. Investigators learned that Foreman and these women were committing a wire fraud conspiracy in which they were collecting thousands of dollars’ worth of COVID-19 related unemployment benefits based on claims they fraudulently filed using personal information of other individuals, some of whom were in prison and ineligible to receive benefits. They filed at least 26 false claims, and the conspiracy netted over $250,000 in cash that was distributed to Foreman’s associates.
This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. This investigation spanned three years. In total, 17 defendants have been convicted, and eight have been sentenced.
The agencies involved in the investigation include Nash County Sheriff’s Office, Rocky Mount Police Department, Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office, Nashville Police Department, Halifax County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the North Carolina Department of Commerce - Division of Employment Security, and the Office of the 8th Prosecutorial District of North Carolina.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caroline Webb and Charity Wilson, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney J.D. Koesters prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-CR-289-D-1.
Readout of Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco’s Trip to CaliforniaRead the Press Release
Deputy Attorney General (Deputy AG) Lisa Monaco traveled to Northern California this week to advance the Justice Department’s efforts to combat emerging threats posed by autocratic regimes and malign cyber actors, further partnerships with state and local law enforcement, and root out sexual abuse at the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP).
The Deputy AG delivered the opening keynote address at the 2023 Verify Conference, an annual gathering that brings together leading journalists, national security officials, and leaders in the technology industry and civil society for a discourse on emerging issues in cybersecurity and technology policy. She highlighted the Justice Department’s cybersecurity pivot over the last two years, to a strategy that puts victims first and prioritizes prevention and disruption, and she discussed how the newly created Disruptive Technology Strike Force is using 21st century tools and techniques to target illicit actors, harden supply chains, and protect critical technologies. While in the Bay Area, she also engaged in a planning session with local Strike Force members.
Deputy AG Monaco also visited the Federal Corrections Institute at Dublin as part the Department’s ongoing efforts, led out of her office, to address sexual misconduct within the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). She was joined by BOP Director Colette Peters; U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California, Ismail Ramsey; and her Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General (PADAG) Marshall Miller. PADAG Miller chaired a group of senior Justice Department officials, which issued more than 50 recommendations in November 2022 to strengthen the Department’s response to sexual misconduct perpetrated by BOP personnel. The Deputy Attorney General has directed implementation of each recommendation and created a standing Advisory Group to address the problem.
The Deputy AG, Director Peters, U.S. Attorney Ramsey, and PADAG Miller reviewed the facility’s conditions, medical and mental health services, reentry programming, and processes for individuals to report sexual abuse and to access counsel. They also spoke directly with women in custody. Prior to her visit, Deputy AG Monaco met with local community advocates who work directly with individuals in custody and are pursuing reforms at FCI Dublin.
Her trip ended at the National Association of Former U.S. Attorneys’ annual conference, where she delivered the closing keynote address on upholding the Justice Department’s norms and traditions and defending the rule of law, including by combating corporate crime.
While in California, the Deputy AG visited the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California, where she met with U.S. Attorney Ramsey and his leadership team, as well as the prosecutors, professional staff, and leaders of federal and local law enforcement agencies to reinforce the strength of partnerships and thank them for their dedication to public safety, including tackling violent crime and the threat posed by illicit drugs, like opioids and fentanyl.
Raleigh Man Sentenced to 16 Years for Seeking Child Pornography in Online Chat RoomsRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – William Robert Jeffery of Wake County was sentenced today to 192 months in prison for accessing the internet with intent to view child pornography. A federal jury found Jeffery, 61, guilty of the charge on December 22, 2022, following a two-day trial.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, in spring of 2020, the Raleigh Police Department received reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding illegal internet activity at Jeffery’s Raleigh home. NCMEC reported that on five occasions from October 2019, to January 2020, a user at that address had submitted images of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM, often referred to as child pornography) into the Microsoft Bing reverse image search, seeking similar images.
On March 17, 2020, FBI and the Raleigh Police Department executed a search warrant at Jeffery’s home. He admitted to using a pornographic chat website and viewing clothed images of children, but he denied possessing CSAM material. A forensic examination of his laptop showed extensive activity on the chat website and multiple CSAM images that had been deleted from the internet history. The forensic analyst also recovered deleted images of CSAM material on an older computer that Jeffery had used in 2006-2009, along with earlier activity on the same chat website.
Jeffery has a prior conviction in federal court for traveling in interstate commerce for the purpose of engaging in a sex act with a minor in 2020, and in 2021, he was convicted in Dare County Superior Court of two counts of indecent liberties with a minor.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Raleigh Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake D. Pugh prosecuted.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.2:20-CR-0464-D.
Raleigh County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Zachary Ryan Allen, 29, of Beckley, was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for using and carrying a firearm in relation to drug trafficking activity.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 22, 2020, a law enforcement officer stopped a vehicle driven by Allen on Robert C. Byrd Drive in Beckley. During the traffic stop, Allen admitted to the officer that he had a quantity of heroin and a firearm in his car. The officer recovered a quantity of heroin and fentanyl, a set of digital scales frequently used during drug trafficking, a small amount of money, and a Springfield Armory, model 911, 9mm semi-automatic pistol. Allen admitted that he intended to distribute the drugs and that the money was proceeds of drug trafficking activity.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit. The Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-cr-209.
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Raceland Man Pleads Guilty to Violating the Federal Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – TERRANCE STEWART, age 32, of Raceland, pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge Carl J. Barbier to a one-count indictment for possession with intent to distribute forty (40) grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of N-phenyl-N-[1-(2-phenylethyl)-4-piperidinyl] propanamide (fentanyl), in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B), announced United States Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to filed document, during the investigation, law enforcement seized 226.7 grams of fentanyl pills, 203.96 grams of methamphetamine pills, 72.9 grams of white powdery fentanyl, and approximately $181,000.00, from STEWART’s residence.
At sentencing, STEWART faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years and up to 40 years imprisonment, up to a $5,000,000 fine, at least 4 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. Sentencing before Judge Barbier has been scheduled for July 6, 2023.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, New Orleans Division and the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office Drug Task Force. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Rachal Cassagne and Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit.
Previously Convicted Charles County Felon Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Sean Donnelle Hawkins, age 48, of Marbury, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday federal charges related to his distribution of cocaine, crack cocaine, and firearms in Charles County, Maryland. During the investigation, Hawkins sold eight firearms to a law enforcement source, including four privately made semi-automatic firearms, known as “ghost guns.”
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) Baltimore Field Division; and Charles County Sheriff Troy Berry.
As detailed in his guilty plea, Hawkins admitted that on 10 separate occasions from October 2021 to May 2022, he sold cocaine, crack cocaine and/or firearms to law enforcement sources. Between February 18, 2022 and May 24, 2022, Hawkins sold a law enforcement source eight firearms, including four privately made firearms, often referred to as “ghost guns.” One of the privately made firearms was a semi-automatic pistol and came with a high-capacity magazine capable of receiving 33 rounds of 9mm ammunition and was loaded with 31 rounds of ammunition.
In total, Hawkins sold the law enforcement sources 85.493 grams of crack cocaine, 111.528 grams of cocaine, eight firearms and 468 rounds of ammunition. Hawkins knew that he had a previous felony conviction and was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. Hawkins also had reason to believe that the law enforcement source could not lawfully possess firearms and intended to use or dispose of the firearms unlawfully.
On August 3, 2022, a search warrant was executed at Hawkins’ residence. Hawkins was inside the residence and informed law enforcement that he had drugs and firearms inside a cooler in the home. The cooler was located and contained: a .38 special caliber revolver, loaded with five rounds of .38 caliber ammunition; a 9mm semi-automatic pistol; two empty firearm magazines; three bags containing a total of 411.84 grams of marijuana; one knot-sealed bag containing 5.52 grams of a mixture of powder and crack cocaine; one baggie holding 20 round green tablets of a mixture of cocaine and oxycodone; one container of white tablets of a mixture of cocaine and oxycodone; and one green tablet of oxycodone. Law enforcement also recovered two shotguns from the residence and more than 1,000 rounds of assorted caliber ammunition, as well as $1,264 in cash that Hawkins intended to use to commit or facilitate the distribution of controlled substances. Hawkins admitted to possessing the firearms, ammunition, and magazines recovered in the cooler in furtherance of his drug trafficking.
Hawkins and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Hawkins will be sentenced to between 10 and 13 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow has scheduled sentencing for August 1, 2023. As part of his plea agreement, Hawkins will forfeit the firearms recovered from his home on August 3, 2022, and waives any right or interest in the ammunition and magazines seized during the searches related to the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF and the Charles County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bijon A. Mostoufi and Timothy F. Hagan, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Poplar Bluff Man Sentenced to Serve 10 Years in Federal Prison on Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. on Friday sentenced Daniel K. Hendrickson, 31, of Poplar Bluff, Missouri, to serve a total of 10 years in federal prison for the offenses of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, being an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of firearms and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, on Sept. 16, 2021, officers with the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force and the Butler County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Hendrickson's Poplar Bluff home. Hendrickson was present during the execution of the search warrant. Officers seized from his residence and a shop building located on the property approximately 80 grams of methamphetamine, 64 grams of marijuana, drug paraphernalia and three firearms. Hendrickson admitted to law enforcement officers that he sold methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force and the Butler County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter handled the prosecution for the government.
Oral Surgeon Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Fentanyl TamperingRead the Press Release
Des Moines, IA – An Iowa City man was sentenced yesterday to two years in prison for tampering with his dental practice’s fentanyl supply by removing the medication from vials for his own personal use.
Dr. Andrew Charles Hartwig, 55, previously worked as an oral surgeon in Iowa City and Mt. Pleasant. According to court documents, Hartwig diverted fentanyl from his previous employer, Oral Surgery Associates of Iowa City, also known as Oral Surgery and Dental Implant Center of Iowa City, beginning at least as early as April 2019 and until at least July 10, 2019. Hartwig admitted that his actions resulted in the dilution and contamination of the fentanyl supply. Hartwig admitted he acted with reckless disregard that dental patients would be placed in danger of death and bodily injury and manifested extreme indifference to such risk. In October 2022, Hartwig pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with consumer products, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1365(a)(4).
The Court imposed a term of supervised release of two years, a fine of $50,000, and a $100 special assessment.
“Patients rely on receiving the proper FDA-approved medications from those entrusted with their medical care,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Brian G. McClune, Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, Kansas City Field Office. “We must hold medical personnel accountable when they take advantage of their unique position and tamper with medications their patients need.”
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case.
Oquawka, Illinois, Man Sentenced to 180 Months in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a Child and Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – An Oquawka, Illinois, man, Gale Hurt, 73, of the 1000 block of Grant Street, was sentenced on March 30, 2023, to 180 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for sexual exploitation of a child and receipt of child pornography.
At the sentencing hearing, the government presented evidence that Hurt communicated with a fourteen-year-old girl in February 2022, using an online chatting application and his phone. During the initial conversations he pretended to be a fifteen-year-old girl, and then asked to text with the child. When the conversation moved to text messaging, he told the child he was a fifty-year-old man, sent the child nude images of himself and other pornography, and requested and received sexually explicit images of the child. Moreover, during those conversations Hurt discussed the two meeting to engage in a sexual relationship.
Also at the hearing, Senior United States District Judge Sue E. Myerscough found that Hurt had tricked the child into producing and sending the images to him, and that by his own admission he had received child pornography from other minors in the past.
Hurt was indicted in April 2022 and pleaded guilty in September 2022. He has been in the custody of the U.S. Marshals since his arrest in March 2022, after he was charged by way of a federal complaint. The statutory penalties for sexual exploitation of a child are not less than fifteen years and up to thirty years in prison, not more than a $250,000 fine, and up to a life term of supervised release. The statutory penalties for receipt of child pornography are not less than five years and up to twenty years in prison, not more than a $250,000 fine, and up to a life term of supervised release.
The United States Secret Service investigated the case with the assistance of the Illinois State Police and Springfield Police Department Task Force Officers. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanner K. Jacobs represented the government in the prosecution.
The Hurt case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
New Orleans Woman Sentenced in Staged Automobile Collision SchemeRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that, on March 29, 2023, U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance sentenced TROYLYNN BROWN (“BROWN”), age 35, after she pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. Judge Vance sentenced BROWN to 24 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Judge Vance also imposed a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
According to court documents, BROWN admitted to conspiring to commit mail fraud in connection with a staged automobile collision. In the scheme, BROWN falsely claimed that her codefendant, Herbert Allen (“Allen”), was the driver of a car that was struck by a tractor-trailer on June 28, 2017. In reality, the defendants conspired with Damien Labeaud (“Labeaud”), Roderick Hickman (“Hickman”), and others to intentionally collide Allen’s 2007 Chevrolet Impala with a tractor-trailer in the area of Tchoupitoulas Street and Calliope Street in New Orleans. BROWN subsequently lied in a civil deposition, falsely claiming that Allen was driving the car that collided with the tractor-trailer when, in fact, Hickman was driving the car and intentionally hit the tractor-trailer. Through her false statements and deception, BROWN secured a $70,000 monetary settlement from the owner and insurer of the tractor-trailer.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would like to acknowledge the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Louisiana State Police, and the Metropolitan Crime Commission with this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon S. Long, Maria M. Carboni, and Edward Rivera, members all of the Financial Crimes Unit and Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Violating the Federal Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MARVIN SIMS, age 34, of New Orleans, Louisiana, pleaded on March 30, 2023 before the Honorable Eldon E. Fallon to charges of violating the Federal Controlled Substances Act, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to the court records, SIMS conspired to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute heroin.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 6, 2023. SIMS faces a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1,000,000, at least three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
This case was investigated by Special Agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney David Haller of the Violent Crimes Unit.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that ORONDE GABRIEL, age 38, of New Orleans, Louisiana, pleaded guilty on March 30, 2023 to a single count indictment charging him with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, in violation of the Federal Gun Control Act, Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2).
According to court documents, GABRIEL was in an automobile accident on September 27, 2021. A police officer observed the crash, approached the scene and found GABRIEL in possession of a Taurus Model G2C, nine-millimeter caliber handgun. GABRIEL had been previously convicted of conspiracy to make false and fictitious statements in connection with the acquisition of a firearm, in United States District Court, (Eastern District of Louisiana).
GABRIEL faces a maximum term of ten (10) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Orleans Levee District Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Strauss of the Violent Crimes Unit.
Mississippi Resident Sentenced to Twelve Years in Prison for Armed CarjackingRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge today sentenced a Mississippi resident for a carjacking that occurred in Moody, Alabama, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson.
U.S. District Court Judge Corey L. Maze sentenced Eric Lamar White, 25, of Jackson, Mississippi, to 144 months in prison. White was convicted by a federal jury in December 2022 of carjacking and carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a violent crime.
According to evidence presented at trial, on January 7, 2021, White and his codefendant, Kendarian Toran, were traveling from Jackson, Mississippi, to Atlanta, Georgia, in a stolen vehicle with a switched tag. The stolen vehicle began to overheat so White and Toran decided to carjack the victim in this case while carrying a firearm. At the time of the carjacking, the victim was in her 2008 Acura TL, pumping gas with her two small children in the vehicle. White and Toran waited for the perfect opportunity to take her car. White repositioned the overheating stolen car so that Toran could easily jump out and get into the driver’s seat of the Acura with ease. Once Toran got into the driver’s seat of the victim’s vehicle, the victim attempted to stop him from taking her car by jumping into the driver’s seat on top of Toran. She did not want him to take her children and fought for them. Toran put the firearm to the victim’s pregnant belly, told her to get her kids out of the car, and quickly drove off with her 2008 Acura TL, just as the last child got out. White and Toran met at a nearby business parking lot where White abandoned the original stolen vehicle and got into the 2008 Acura TL with Toran. Hours later, White was driving the Acura back to Jackson, Mississippi, with Toran, when Mississippi law enforcement spotted them. A vehicle pursuit ensued for 29 miles on I-20 at speeds over 120 mph with multiple law enforcement officers. Officers had to spike and force the vehicle into the median on I-20. When White was arrested, he had his Glock .45 caliber pistol and an Alabama driver’s license belonging to a person matching the description of the victim. The evidence showed that the Glock .45 caliber pistol was purchased by White in October 2020.
On August 25, 2022, U.S. District Court Judge Corey L. Maze sentenced Kendarian Lamonte Toran, 18, of Ridgeland, Mississippi, to 90 months in prison for carjacking and carrying and brandishing a firearm during and relation to a violent crime. Toran pleaded guilty to the charges in March.
The ATF investigated the case along with assistance from the FBI Birmingham Division, Moody Police Department, and multiple Mississippi law enforcement agencies, to include Rankin County Sherriff’s Office, Scott County Sheriff’s Office, and Madison Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittney Plyler and Kristy Peoples are prosecuting the case.
Miami Business Owner Sentenced to Prison for Employment Tax CrimeRead the Press Release
MIAMI — Miami resident Ari P. Weingrad, 51, has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for willfully failing to pay over employment taxes to the IRS.
Weingrad owned and operated two car rental companies, Rent Max Miami Inc., and Rent Max North Inc., both of which had locations throughout Florida. As the sole owner and chief executive officer of Rent Max Miami and as the co-owner and president of Rent Max North, Weingrad knew he was responsible for collecting, accounting for, and paying over payroll taxes withheld from his employees’ wages to the IRS. Between 2011 and 2016, however, he withheld employment taxes from his employees’ wages, and he failed to pay them over to the IRS. These employment taxes included income taxes as well as Medicare and Social Security taxes.
In total, Weingrad failed to pay approximately $850,000 in employment taxes owed to the IRS, including both the employer’s and employee’s share of employment taxes. Instead, he caused Rent Max Miami to spend corporate funds to pay discretionary expenses, including a $50,000 cashier’s check to himself, $45,000 in cashier’s checks payable to his wife, and expenses related to a 55-foot yacht.
Weingrad had also failed to pay employment taxes for a previous business. In imposing a sentence at the high end of the guideline range, the Court stated that Weingrad’s failure to pay employment taxes was a serious offense that impacts employees as well. The Court stated that the sentence needed to promote respect for the law and provide deterrence to employers. The Court immediately remanded the defendant into custody.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg, Tax Division, U.S. Department of Justice; and Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. Line, IRS, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore.
IRS-CI, Miami Field Office, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ana Maria Martinez for the Southern District of Florida, and Trial Attorney Patrick Elwell of the Tax Division, U.S. Department of Justice, prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-20342.
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Mexican National Indicted for Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – PAULINA AVILA-TALAVERA, age 40, was charged today in a one-count indictment for illegal reentry of a removed alien in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to the indictment, PAULINA AVILA-TALAVERA, (“AVILA-TALAVERA”) reentered the United States after being previously deported on October 24, 2019. If convicted, AVILA-TALAVERA faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two years, a maximum fine of up to $250,000, a maximum term of supervised release of up to one year, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Methamphetamine Supplier to South Georgia Sentenced to 25 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ALBANY, Ga. – A Tifton, Georgia, resident identified as the lead supplier to an 18-defendant armed drug trafficking ring responsible for distributing between 1.5 and 4.5 kilograms of methamphetamine into the community was sentenced to prison for his crime resulting from an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation.
Rafon Carithers, aka “Tweed,” 34, was sentenced to serve 310 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release on March 30, after he previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine on May 19, 2022. In addition, two co-defendants were sentenced to prison this week: McKevor Mulkey aka “Chevy,” 32, of Tifton, was sentenced to serve 190 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release on March 29, after he previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances on April 19, 2022; and Damarius Williams, 26, of Tifton, was sentenced to serve 25 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on March 30, after he pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute on Oct. 18, 2022. U.S. District Judge Louis Sands handed down the sentences. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Nearly a dozen law enforcement agencies had a hand in helping shut down a significant methamphetamine supplier and his distributors pushing this highly addictive drug into the Tifton community,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “This case illustrates law enforcement’s relentless dedication to holding organized criminal groups accountable for their unlawful dealings and from causing further harm in our region.”
“The lengthy sentences handed down to these defendants send a clear message that drug dealing in our communities will not be tolerated. Georgians deserve to work, live and play in a safe environment. We will never stop protecting our neighborhoods from dangerous and illegal drugs,” said GBI Director Michael Register.
“We removed more methamphetamine traffickers from the streets,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “These offenders can no longer distribute this dangerous drug as they now face serious time behind bars for both their drug crimes and violent criminal conduct. This investigation was a success because of the great working relationship between DEA and its law enforcement partners.”
“There is no initiative more critical to ATF than increasing the safety of our communities. Cases which result in the arrests and prosecution of armed drug traffickers are fundamental to continuing this initiative while simultaneously showing criminals that ATF and its law enforcement partners will not falter in this mission,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka. “We will pursue violent drug traffickers such as these wherever they may operate, and they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Our fight against drug traffickers and this armed trafficking ring is yet another step in stemming the flow of meth into Tifton and Tift County. With the help of our community and our law enforcement allies, we will continue to make this a safer place to work and live,” said Tift County Sheriff Gene Scarbrough.
“It’s great to have these defendants, the drugs and the firearms off the streets of Tifton. We are appreciative of the coordination between agencies involved in this investigation,” said Tifton Police Department Chief Steve Hyman. “Their work in this case makes a difference in the lives of our citizens who fall victim to drugs in our community.”
The following co-defendants have pleaded guilty and been sentenced:
Tevin Parker, aka “Tay,” 28, of Tifton, pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine on July 26, 2022, and was sentenced to serve 262 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release on Nov. 3, 2022;
Juanjava Boggerty, aka “Jay,” 49, of Tifton, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances on Oct. 12, 2022, and was sentenced to serve 235 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release on Feb. 2;
Courtney Taylor, 39, of Tifton, pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute on Oct. 4, 2022, and was sentenced to serve 235 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release on Jan. 25.;
Rishaun Richardson, 26, of Tifton, pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute on Aug. 23, 2022, and was sentenced to serve 170 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on March 16;
Brian Foster, aka “Joe,” aka “FOS,” 30, of Tifton, pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute on Sept. 27, 2022, and was sentenced to serve 136 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release on Dec. 30, 2022;
Bradrick Boston aka “Big Baby,” 34, of Tifton, pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine on July 20, 2022, and was sentenced to serve 108 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release on Nov. 3, 2022;
Clenton Davis, 33, of Ashburn, Georgia, pleaded guilty to managing drug premises on Aug. 2, 2022, and was sentenced to serve 96 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on Nov. 20, 2022;
Darrell Mack, 33, of Tifton, pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine on Oct. 13, 2022, and was sentenced to serve 78 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release on Feb. 2;
Keyuntran Taylor, 23, of Ashburn, pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute on Oct. 5, 2022, and was sentenced to serve 70 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release on Jan. 26.;
Dmya Norris, 25, of Tifton, pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute on Oct. 5, 2022, and was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release on Jan. 26.;
Dante Hille, 29, of Ashburn, pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine on June 14, 2022, and was sentenced to serve 51 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on Sept. 15, 2022;
Vontesha Dixon, 32, of Tifton, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine on Oct. 4, 2022, and was sentenced to serve 36 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on Jan. 19.;
Keilaysha Dixon, 23, of Tifton, pleaded guilty to use of a communication facility in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on Sept. 22, 2022, and was sentenced to serve 30 months in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release on Dec. 30, 2022; and
Jala Taylor, 24, of Tifton, pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine on Oct. 11, 2022, and was sentenced to serve 24 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on Jan. 27.
The following co-defendant has pleaded guilty in this case and is awaiting sentencing:
Jehmeil Carmichael, 35, of Tifton, pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and faces a maximum sentence of 20 years of imprisonment to be followed by at least three years of supervised release and a $1,000,000 fine. His sentencing is scheduled for May 4.
According to court documents, in May 2019, GBI agents began an investigation into a drug trafficking organization operating in the Tifton area. As part of their investigation, agents utilized a confidential informant (CI) to make controlled buys of drugs from other defendants, including Mulkey and Tevin Parker. Between Sept. 5, 2019, and Oct. 25, 2019, agents made six controlled buys of methamphetamine from Mulkey and a controlled buy from Parker; the substance was a mixture of fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine. During the course of the wiretap investigation, agents discovered Carithers was supplying the drugs to Parker. On July 9, 2020, agents conducted numerous residential search warrants as part of their investigation into this drug trafficking organization. Agents recovered two .45 caliber pistols belonging to Carithers and numerous bags of methamphetamine mixed with other substances. Carithers is being held accountable for distributing between 1.5 kilograms and 4.5 kilograms of methamphetamine.
More information about this case can be found at https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdga/pr/defendants-connected-southwest-georgia-armed-drug-trafficking-ring-sentenced-prison and https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdga/pr/45-count-indictment-unsealed-charging-18-individuals-drug-gun-crimes.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The case was investigated by DEA, ATF, GBI, Mid-South Narcotics Task Force, Tifton Police Department, Tift County Sheriff’s Office, Turner County Sheriff’s Office, Crisp County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia Department of Corrections, Georgia State Patrol and Georgia Department of Community Supervision.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melody Ellis and Criminal Chief Leah McEwen.
Memphis Man Sentenced to over 11 Years for Drug Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Davione Smith, 21, of Memphis, has been sentenced to 135 months in federal prison for distributing approximately 2 kilograms of fentanyl. United States Attorney Kevin Ritz announced the sentence today.
According to United States Attorney Ritz and information presented in court, Smith distributed fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine around Memphis. Investigators identified at least eight individuals who purchased narcotics from Smith for the purpose of re-distribution.
In May 2022, Smith along with the co-defendants were indicted.
Smith pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl.
Today, United States District Judge Thomas L. Parker sentenced Smith to 135 months imprisonment to be followed by five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
This prosecution is part of an investigation conducted by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking organizations and organized criminal enterprises, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
This case was investigated by the DEA, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Bartlett Police Department.
United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Kimbril-Parks who prosecuted this case, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated the case.
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For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at (901) 544-4231 or [email protected]. Follow @ WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.
Mechanicsburg Business Owner Sentenced to A Year and A Day in Prison for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Travis Stelzer, age 45, of Pelham, Massachusetts, was sentenced on March 28, 2023, to one year and one day in prison by United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner for tax evasion.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Stelzer filed tax forms with the IRS on January 29, 2016, where he under-reported his gross receipts in his tax returns that he filed on behalf of his staffing business, Top Gun Staffing, Inc., that he operated in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. He also misrepresented the income he received from his company. Seltzer entered a guilty plea to tax evasion on October 3, 2022 and agreed to pay the IRS $255,353 in restitution owed.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Consiglio is prosecuting the case.
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