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25 April 2023
Former Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Corrections Officer Indicted for COVID Relief Fraud Involving Fraudulently Obtained Paycheck Protection Program LoanRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Deconna Burke (34, Jacksonville) with one count of wire fraud involving COVID Relief Fraud through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). If convicted, Burke faces up to 20 years in federal prison and payment of restitution to the United States government.
According to the indictment, in April 2021, Burke submitted a PPP loan application to a lender authorized by the Small Business Administration to lend funds for approved PPP loan applications. The PPP loan application falsely claimed that Burke operated his own babysitting business with a gross income of $98,000. Throughout the loan application Burke made multiple false statements regarding his purported payroll and operating expenses. In support of his PPP loan application, Burke submitted a false IRS Form 1040 “Profit or Loss From Business.” It contained false statements about operating expenses, gross income, and wage expenditures for his purported business. In reliance on the false statements in his PPP loan application and supporting documentation, Burke received a PPP loan for $20,415. After receiving the PPP loan proceeds into his bank account, Burke began making withdrawals and spending it on personal expenses to include paying off a loan for a motorcycle. In November 2021, Burke filed a PPP Loan Forgiveness Application, falsely stating that he had spent the $20,415 on payroll. In reliance on his false statements the Small Business Administration forgave the entire loan amount. Burke’s case is set for trial in July 2023.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the United States Secret Service – Jacksonville Field Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein. The asset forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.
Former Interiorscapes Bookkeeper Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement SchemeRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The former bookkeeper for Interiorscapes, a small Birmingham-based business that offers plant services to a range of companies, has pleaded guilty to running a multi-year embezzlement scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.
Tammi Spangenberg Turner, 60, of Morris, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Court Judge Karon O. Bowdre to wire fraud.
According to the plea agreement, Turner served as the bookkeeper at Interiorscapes from about 2015 until late 2021. Her duties included overseeing accounts payable and receivable, payroll, and entries in the company’s QuickBooks accounting software. During her tenure, Turner used a company credit card to pay tens of thousands of dollars of personal expenses. Turner hid her conduct by creating false entries in QuickBooks, writing personal checks to the company purportedly as reimbursement for the charges, keeping copies of those checks in the company records, but never depositing the checks in the company’s operating accounts. These unauthorized and unreimbursed charges totaled more than $94,000.
The maximum penalty for wire fraud is twenty years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and supervised release of up to three years.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney J.B. Ward is prosecuting the case.
Former Air Force Civilian Employee Sentenced to More than 15 Years in Prison for FraudRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio Monday to 188 months in prison for wire fraud and tax fraud.
According to court documents, Keith Alan Seguin, 57, was a civilian government employee authorized by the Air Force to solicit and accept orders for flight simulator technology and support, and to promote and manage related contracts. As part of a scheme that spanned more than 10 years, Seguin conspired with others who paid him more than $2.3 million in cash and bribes for $100 million in work on Air Force projects.
Senior United States District Judge David Ezra sentenced Seguin to 36 months confinement with one year of supervised release for the charge of making a false income tax return, and 188 months confinement followed by three years of supervised release for the charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Those sentences will run concurrently. The judge also ordered Seguin to pay $736,618 in restitution to the IRS and, $38,733,720.65 in restitution to the Air Force, Army and General Services Administration and to forfeit $2,342,095 that he received in bribe money.
“Government employees who collude with dishonest contractors to defraud the integrity of a government contracting system for personal gain will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas. “It removes legitimate businesses from competition and harms the American taxpayer. It harms our nation’s warfighters by inflating the cost to the Government, thereby reducing the materials and training available to our service members. This office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to bring those offenders to justice.”
“The GSA OIG is committed to holding accountable those who abuse their government positions of trust for personal gain,” said the Honorable Carol Fortine Ochoa, Inspector General for the U.S. General Services Administration. "The outcome in this complex procurement fraud case is due to the dedicated efforts of GSA OIG special agents and our law enforcement partners."
"These results are a testament to the commitment of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), together with our investigative partners to protect the integrity of the DoD contracting process,” said The Honorable Robert P. Storch, Inspector General, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General. "DCIS stands vigilant to combat corruption within the DoD and will tirelessly pursue those who seek to fraudulently enrich themselves at the American taxpayer's expense."
"Today's sentencing should serve as a stark reminder that our agents, and those of our partner law enforcement agencies, are relentless in their pursuit of those who choose to defraud the government," said Special Agent in Charge Larry S. Moreland, of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s, Major Procurement Fraud Field Office.
"The sentences reflect the results of the skilled and hard work put forth by all agencies involved," said Special Agent in Charge Blair Holmstrand, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Procurement Fraud Detachment 3, San Antonio, Texas.
“Keith Seguin’s decade of millions of dollars of bribes and fraudulent contracts is insidious, infecting the trust placed in our government to serve the needs of its citizens. Now, he can dwell on his crimes while sitting in prison,” said Special Agent in Charge Ramsey E. Covington of IRS Criminal Investigation’s IRS-CI Houston Field Office. “IRS-CI and our law enforcement partners are here to help restore the trust that was lost and protect the interests of this nation and its people.”
The GSA OIG; DCIS; AFOSI; Army CID; and IRS-CI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Lewis, Kelly Stephenson and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Porier prosecuted the case.
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Foreign Military Intelligence Official Sentenced for Role in International Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A former Colombian military intelligence official was sentenced today to 12 years in prison for his participation in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine for importation into the United States.
According to court documents, from August 2017 through April 2018, Fabian Humberto Tovar Caicedo, 41, a sergeant in the Colombian Army Intelligence, assisted a drug trafficking organization (DTO) and conspired to send multi-thousand-kilogram shipments of cocaine from Colombia to Mexico for eventual importation into the United States. Tovar Caicedo offered various corrupt services to the DTO, including providing police in the Port of Santa Marta willing to facilitate the export of cocaine in exchange for payment, suggesting the use of the same phones that the DEA uses for security, offering his military training to encrypt those phones for additional security, and attempting to sell a list of DEA cooperators to the DTO.
Tovar Caicedo organized multiple meetings in furtherance of the cocaine distribution scheme. He and his co-conspirators plotted to send multiple shipments, starting at 1,000 kilograms of cocaine and moving up to as many as 10,000 kilograms of cocaine per shipment. According to the statement of facts, a member of the DTO traveled to Mexico to negotiate the receipt of the cocaine with a high-ranking Mexican military official.
One of Tovar Caicedo’s co-conspirators, Fabian Andres Leyton Vargas, used his position as a Colombian Air Force officer in the Colombian Ministry of Defense to identify and contact security and law enforcement officials in the Port of Santa Marta for bribes. Once these officials received their corrupt payments, they would ensure that cocaine-laden cargo containers passed uninspected through the port. Using this method, Leyton Vargas, along with co-conspirators Antonio Aldemar Avila Acevedo and Jose Mauricio Castaneda Garzon, attempted to ship 1,773 kilograms of cocaine from Colombia to Guatemala en route to the United States in July 2017, as well as 2,081 kilograms of cocaine from Colombia to Mexico en route to the United States in March 2018. Colombian law enforcement seized both shipments before they could depart the port.
A related defendant, Jose Maria Fragoso D’Acunti, used his former position in the Colombian National Police, along with personal connections, to identify and bribe security and law enforcement officials in the port of Cartagena in Columbia to aid his organization’s cocaine trafficking. Fragoso D’Acunti and his co-conspirators planned to traffic multi-hundred-kilogram quantities of cocaine, valued at millions of United States dollars, to Europe by causing such cocaine to be secreted aboard commercial shipping containers. In November 2018, in the port of Savannah, Georgia, U.S. law enforcement seized 516 kilograms of cocaine sent by Fragoso D’Acunti’s DTO from Cartagena that were destined for Antwerp, Belgium. The cocaine was comingled with pineapples in a shipping container. In December 2018, again in the port of Savannah, Georgia, U.S. law enforcement seized an additional 205 kilograms of cocaine sent by Fragoso D’Acunti’s DTO from Cartagena, that were also destined for Belgium. The cocaine was comingled with limes in a shipping container. In support of the conspiracy, Fragoso D’Acunti paid 1 billion Colombian pesos, equivalent to more than $300,000 U.S., in bribe money to a port security officer.
Fragoso D’Acunti, Fabian Andres Leyton Vargas, and Antonio Aldemar Avila Acevedo were sentenced to 12 years in prison. Co-conspirator José Mauricio Castaneda Garzon was sentenced to seven years and four months in prison.
The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) supported these cases. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, and multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Special Agent in Charge J. Todd Scott of the DEA Louisville Division made the announcement.
The DEA Louisville Division and Cartagena Resident Office investigated the case, with substantial assistance from the DEA’s Office of Special Intelligence’s Document and Media Exploitation Unit and Special Operations Division’s Bilateral Investigations Unit, as well as the DEA’s offices in Bogota, Panama, Guatemala City, San Jose (Costa Rica), Brussels, Mexico City, Madrid, Frankfurt, London, Paris, Rome, The Hague, Vienna, Hong Kong, Islamabad, Savannah, Detroit, Tampa – PANEX, and New Orleans. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) National Targeting Center also provided substantial assistance. The Colombian National Police, the Belgian Federal Police, the German Zolfahndungsamt, the National Police of the Netherlands, and the Italian Guardia di Finanza also provided critical support.
Trial Attorneys Douglas Meisel and Janet Turnbull of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section (NDDS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony T. Aminoff for the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case.
NDDS Trial Attorneys Meisel and Teresita Mutton and Assistant U.S. Attorney Aminoff for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case against Fragoso D’Acunti.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aminoff (then with NDDS), Katie Rumbaugh, and Dave Peters for the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case against Leyton Vargas, Avila Acevedo, and Castaneda Garzon.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Judicial Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of the defendants.
Florida Man Faces 5-40 Years for Trafficking Methamphetamine in Bangor and Houlton AreasRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Florida man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Bangor today to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court records, between May 2018 and July 2018, Jared Fogg, 32, was obtaining large quantities of methamphetamine from Florida and distributing it in locations around Bangor and Houlton through a group of co-conspirators. On July 12, 2018, a truck driven by a co-conspirator and in which Fogg was a passenger was stopped by law enforcement in Lincoln. A search of the vehicle revealed multiple grams of methamphetamine and nearly $20,000 in cash in Fogg’s bag.
Fogg faces a minimum of five years and maximum of 40 years in prison, and a fine of up to $5 million. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated this case.
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Final Defendant in Bowling Green Methamphetamine Distribution Conspiracy Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Bowling Green, KY – The final member of a three-man methamphetamine distribution conspiracy was sentenced today for his role in the drug trafficking conspiracy. These men were also convicted of possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge J. Todd Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division, and Director Tommy Loving of the Bowling Green/Warren County Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AHIDTA) Drug Task Force made the announcement.
According to court documents, Leon Allen, 34, of Bowling Green, Kentucky, conspired with Antonio Billups, 34, of Columbus, Georgia, and Timothy Barnett, 47, of Bowling Green, Kentucky, to possess with the intent to distribute 6,597 grams of methamphetamine. All three defendants were convicted of this conspiracy. Allen and Billups were also convicted of possessing with the intent to distribute 5,729 grams of methamphetamine and for aiding and abetting Barnett in the possession with the intent to distribute 848 grams of methamphetamine. Barnett was convicted of possessing with the intent to distribute 848 grams of methamphetamine.
Today, Allen was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Billups was previously sentenced on February 2, 2023, to 12 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Barnett was previously sentenced on September 16, 2022, to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the DEA and the Bowling Green/Warren County Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AHIDTA) Drug Task.
Assistant United States Attorney Mark J. Yurchisin II, of the United States Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, prosecuted the case.
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Federal Inmate Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder of CellmateRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Romeo Lopez-Hernandez (37, Coleman) to life in federal prison. A federal jury had found Lopez-Hernandez guilty of first degree, premeditated murder on January 19, 2023.
According to evidence presented during the three-day trial, on February 1, 2021, Lopez-Hernandez strangled his cellmate to death using a torn bed sheet he had made with an improvised knife. After the victim lost consciousness, Lopez-Hernandez watched for guards and continued to strangle the victim until he was sure that the victim had died. Lopez-Hernandez later confessed to the murder and bragged about it to prison personnel. At trial, however, Lopez-Hernandez changed his story and claimed the victim had committed suicide.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tyrie K. Boyer and Belkis H. Crockett.
Federal Charges Filed After Weekend Traffic Stop Nets 86 Pounds of Powdered Fentanyl and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A suspected drug trafficker faces federal charges after he was caught transporting dozens of pounds of powdered fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other illegal drugs on Interstate 5 near Salem, Oregon.
Miguel Cruz-Barrales, 22, whose place of residence is unknown, has been charged by criminal complaint with possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine.
According to court documents, on April 23, 2023, an Oregon State Police (OSP) trooper initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Barrales on Interstate 5 south of Salem. The trooper’s canine alerted to two duffle bags located in the trunk of the vehicle that contained numerous packages suspected to contain powdered fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other illegal drugs. The packages were later confirmed to contain 15 kilograms of powdered fentanyl, 24.4 kilograms of methamphetamine, .6 kilograms of heroin, and 4.6 kilograms of cocaine.
On April 24, 2023, Cruz-Barrales made his first appearance in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stacie F. Beckerman. He was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
This case is being investigated jointly by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and OSP. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Fayetteville Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—A Fayetteville man was sentenced to serve 30 years in federal prison for production of child pornography. Steven Luckett, 38, was sentenced earlier today by United States District Court Judge Lee P. Rudofsky.
In October 2020, the Fayetteville, Arkansas, Police Department began investigating allegations that five minor children were being sexually assaulted by Steven Luckett while they lived in Little Rock. A number of the minor victims were interviewed and disclosed that Luckett sexually assaulted them over the course of several years and, on some occasions, had taken videos of them performing sex acts or had taken nude photos of them. One of the minor victims told investigators that the abuse began when she was six years old and continued until she was 13.
Based on the allegations made by the victims, investigators interviewed Luckett and seized his cell phone. Luckett admitted filming a video of him having sexual contact with a 14-year-old girl and admitted sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl. Later, a search warrant was obtained for Luckett’s cell phone, which revealed numerous pictures and videos of child pornography. The images of child pornography had been both downloaded from the internet and produced by Luckett.
Luckett was indicted in November 2020 and pleaded guilty in December 2022. In addition to the 30-year prison term, Luckett was sentenced to life of supervised release following his imprisonment. The case was investigated by the Fayetteville Police Department, the Little Rock Police Department, and the Department of Homeland Security. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Bryant.
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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Fayetteville Career Criminal Who Shot Pawn Shop Owner Convicted by a Federal JuryRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal jury convicted Mario Whitted, 28, today on charges arising from his shooting of a Fayetteville pawn shop owner as he closed up for the night on November 30, 2019. The owner, who survived the attack, was struck twice in the leg and returned fire with his own handgun. Whitted fled the scene and flagged down a Good Samaritan who offered to take him to a local Emergency Room. Whitted instead insisted that he be taken home. He was later apprehended in South Carolina after having a bullet extracted from his foot which ballistics examiners matched to the victim’s gun. DNA evidence also linked Whitted to the scene after he bled in the Good Samaritan’s car. Whitted was found guilty of being a felon in possession of ammunition, deemed an armed career criminal, and now faces 15 years to life in prison when he is sentenced later this year. Whitted has three prior state convictions for common law robbery.
“Today’s verdict puts a career criminal behind bars and makes the Fayetteville community safer,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Our office will continue to partner with law enforcement to investigate and prosecute those driving gun violence around our homes and businesses.”
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III accepted the verdict. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Fayetteville Police Department, and the Cumberland and Robeson County Sheriffs’ Offices investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chad Rhoades and Phil Aubart prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. 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.5:20-CR-353-D.
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Erie Man Sentenced to Prison for Possessing Child Sex Assault MaterialsRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 48 months in jail and 10 years supervised release on his conviction of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of children, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter imposed the sentence on Robert Mark Dyer IV, 32, of Erie, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, from November 2020 to April 2022, Dyer possessed and accessed with intent to view visual images and videos in individual computer files depicting prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Lower Makefield Police Department located in Bucks County, Pennsylvania for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Dyer.
Eastern District of Louisiana Commemorates 2023 National Crime Victims' Rights WeekRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans joins the United States Department of Justice, the Office for Victims of Crime, the Eastern District of Louisiana’s (EDLA) state and local law enforcement as well as communities nationwide in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW), a celebration of victims’ rights, protections and services . This year’s NCVRW observance takes place April 23-27 and features the theme, “Survivor Voices: Elevate. Engage. Effect Change.”
According to a Bureau of Justice Statistics report , in 2021, the latest year for which such information is available, there were more than 4.6 million violent victimizations and 11.7 million property crimes.
“Each year, National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, allows law enforcement, judicial agencies, and direct service providers the opportunity to reassert their commitment to assist and empower crime victims,” said U.S. Attorney Evans. “Crime victims may rest assured that both law enforcement and direct service partners will continue to diligently investigate , prosecute and seek justice for those harmed by criminal wrongdoing .”
The federal Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) leads communities nationwide in their annual observances of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week both by raising awareness of victims' rights and by honoring crime victims and their advocates. This year’s theme is “Survivor Voices: Elevate. Engage. Effect Change.” Partner organizations are committed to engaging with crime victims; learning from their experiences; amplifying their voices; and fostering an environment of safety, support and sympathy.
In the Eastern District of Louisiana, the U.S. Attorney’s Office joins federal and local law enforcement, , judicial agencies and non-profit organizations to commemorate NCVRW, through a series of activities.
For events in those parishes comprising the Eastern District of Louisiana, please refer to the local law enforcement agencies websites for details. Please refer to the EDLA website for a listing of EDLA parishes https://www.justice.gov/usao-edla. We encourage participation in NCVRW’s victim recognition events.
For more information on creating your own public campaigns to raise awareness about crime victims’ rights online and at events throughout the year, please visit OVC’s website at ovc.ojp.gov.
Drug Dealer Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Selling the Fentanyl that Resulted in Death of Young WomanRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – April 25, 2023
SAN DIEGO – Jonathan Miguel Lopez was sentenced in federal court to 120 months in prison for selling the fentanyl pills that resulted in the fatal overdose of 23-year-old Sherie Gil on September 30, 2021.
Lopez pleaded guilty in October 2022. According to the government’s sentencing memo, on the morning of September 30, 2021, law enforcement officials and paramedics responded to a 911 call from a commercial office building in San Diego. Law enforcement found Gil deceased in a bathroom along with drug paraphernalia, Gil’s cell phone, and “blues,” or counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl. The Medical Examiner’s Office later determined that Gil had died as the result of the “toxic effects of fentanyl, cocaine, and alprazolam.”
During a search of Gil’s cell phone, agents discovered that Gil had exchanged text messages with another phone number asking if she could “pick up” blues in the days leading up to Gil’s death. During the investigation that followed, law enforcement discovered that the other phone number was registered to Lopez’s co-defendant, Jamie Ashley Koryn. The text messages also indicated that, on September 29, 2021, Gil again messaged Koryn requesting blues; Koryn sent Gil. her address and Gil then responded that she was seven minutes away.
On October 8, 2021, during the execution of a search warrant at the residence Lopez shared with his co-defendant, Koryn, law enforcement located and arrested Koryn and Lopez and seized their cellular phones. Agents found text messages on Lopez’s and Koryn’s phones showing that they entered into an agreement to distribute fentanyl. Lopez’s plea agreement described some of the text messages in which Lopez was negotiated the price of the fentanyl he would charge their customers. During that search agents also found a loaded pistol under Lopez’s mattress. In his plea agreement Lopez admitted that he used that pistol to protect the drugs that he and Koryn stored at their residence.
Per the plea agreement, Lopez and the government stipulated that the Sentencing Guidelines for distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death and/or serious bodily injury would apply.
“This young woman’s death serves as another terrible reminder of the ongoing devastation inflicted by counterfeit fentanyl pills,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “This office remains dedicated to pursuing individuals who seek to profit from the deadly fentanyl market. Those who cause such tragic loss of life will be held accountable.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team and investigating agencies who diligently pursued this case.
“San Diego has lost another life to the devastating effects of fentanyl,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Shelly Howe. “The DEA and its partners will continue to pursue justice for those who fall victim to this poison.”
“Faced with a decade in federal prison, Lopez will no longer be able to contribute to the opioid epidemic terrorizing not only San Diego, but our entire country,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Houtan Moshrefi of the FBI’s San Diego Field Office. “It is horrible that Lopez’s actions destroyed one life, but I am confident that his removal from society will save many more. Today’s sentence should put drug dealers on notice that the FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to identify, disrupt, and remove anyone who peddles this poison from our communities.”
“Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is dedicated to working with our law enforcement partners to prioritize our efforts and resources toward combatting this fentanyl crisis and will continue to relentlessly pursue those responsible for the smuggling and distribution of this deadly drug within our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge, Chad Plantz, HSI San Diego. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates that those who deliberately engage in these dangerous activities will be held accountable.”
Special Agents and Task Force Officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Overdose Response Team (formerly known as Team 10) led the investigation into Gil’s death. This case is the result of ongoing efforts by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the San Diego Police Department, and the California Department of Health Care Services to investigate and prosecute the distribution of dangerous illegal drugs—fentanyl in particular—that result in overdose deaths. In 2018, the Drug Enforcement Administration created the Overdose Response Team as a response to the increase in overdose deaths in San Diego County.
For those who suffer from addiction, please know there is help. Call the Crisis line at 888-724-7240; it’s always open.
DEFENDANT Case Number 22-CR-0214-LL
Jonathan Miguel Lopez Age: 35 San Diego
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Distribution of Fentanyl – Title 21, U.S.C., Section 841(a)(1)
Maximum penalty: Life in Prison
AGENCY
Drug Enforcement Administration
Federal Bureau of Investigation
San Diego Police Department
Homeland Security Investigations
California Department of Health Care Services
San Diego County District Attorney’s Office
Disputanta Tax Return Preparer Pleads Guilty to Tax and COVID-19 FraudRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Disputanta woman pleaded guilty today to filing a false individual tax return, preparing false returns for her taxpayer customers, and defrauding two COVID-19 relief programs.
According to court documents, Sherika T. Carter, 40, was the owner and operator of Binn’s Tax Service LLC (Binn’s Tax) which has been in operation since at least the 2016 tax return filing season. Carter routinely prepared and submitted to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) individual income tax returns for Binn’s Tax’s customers. Between 2016 and continuing through 2021, she filed over 2,000 returns. Certain returns Carter prepared for her customers were fraudulent, as she added false items on the Schedules A, Schedules C, and residential energy credit forms accompanying the returns without the knowledge and consent of her customers. This resulted in her customers either receiving inflated refunds from the IRS or paying less taxes than were owed. Likewise, for tax year 2019, Carter prepared a false and misleading individual income tax return for herself, thereby fraudulently reducing her tax liability. In total, Carter’s crimes caused a tax loss to the IRS of at least $376,248.
Separately, Carter devised and repeatedly executed a scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program of finite funds intended for businesses and workers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of this scheme, she submitted PPP applications to financial institutions that contained false supporting documentation, such as a false Schedule C that had never been filed with the IRS and which contained materially false information. Despite fraudulently obtaining three separate PPP loans for Binn’s Tax and herself, Carter further filed a fraudulent unemployment insurance/PUA application with the Virginia Employment Commission that contained false information about her employment status. Through this scheme, the defendant unlawfully recieved approximately $100,000 intended for businesses and workers suffering the effects of the pandemic.
Carter is scheduled to be sentenced on September 19, 2023. She faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kareem A. Carter, IRS Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Washington D.C. Field Office; and Troy W. Springer, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney, Jr. accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kashan K. Pathan and Mike Gill are prosecuting 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. 3:23-cr-45.
Department of Justice and United States Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa Commemorate National Crime Victims’ Rights WeekRead the Press Release
CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – The Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime (“OVC”) and the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa will join communities nationwide in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week and celebrating victims’ rights, protections, and services. This year’s observance takes place April 23-29 and features the theme, “Survivor Voices: Elevate. Engage. Effect Change.”
In the Northern District of Iowa, United States Attorney Timothy T. Duax announced winners for the following awards based on their service to victims in Iowa:
- The Law Enforcement Victim Services Award is presented to Sargent Investigator Brent Ostrander from the Clayton County Sheriff’s Department. This award is presented to law enforcement officers in Iowa who go beyond the call of duty to help crime victims. It is the highest federal honor in Iowa for victim services by a law enforcement officer. Sgt. Ostrander is recognized for his leadership skills when working with other law enforcement agencies and his compassion and survivor-centered approach when working with crime victims.
Sgt. Ostrander took the initiative to attend college courses on trauma-informed services for victims of sexual assault and was then assigned to investigate all sexual assault allegations in Clayton County. During these investigations, Sgt. Ostrander consistently showed victims great respect and empathy. Sgt. Ostrander took his experience, knowledge and skills and began to train law enforcement in rural areas on how to interview, investigate, and present cases for prosecution. He collaborated with the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy to implement a Sexual Assault training course. He assisted in creating the Clayton County Sexual Assault Response Team (SART), a team comprised of numerous law enforcement agencies, the Clayton County Attorney and Clayton County Victim Witness Coordinator. Sgt. Ostrander is a leader, educator and outstanding advocate for men, women, and children devastated by sexual violence.
- The Award for Excellence in Victim Services is presented to Victim Specialist Sherrie Schweder from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Law Enforcement Victim Services Award is presented to Detective Nathan West from the Sioux City Police Department, Special Agent Bradley Colligan from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Deputy Jared Junge from the Dakota County Nebraska Sheriff’s Department. These four individuals were nominated for their outstanding investigative and advocacy work that led to the successful prosecution of Arjune Ahmed.
Arjune Ahmed was convicted of kidnapping and sexually assaulting two women in Sioux City Iowa. While investigating these crimes, SA Colligan, Investigator West and Dep. Junge discovered five additional victims of attempted kidnapping and sexual assault by this defendant stemming back to 2014. Each of these victims were afraid of the defendant, distrustful of law enforcement, and keen to forget the worst day of their lives. But for the caring, comforting strong and inspirational conduct of Victim Specialist Schweder, the victims would not have cooperated with the government. Ms. Schweder provided varying levels of assistance to each victim, including crisis counseling, court accompaniment, and transportation. This incredible team effort made it possible to remove a serial kidnapper and rapist from the Siouxland area.
Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first Victims’ Rights Week in 1981, putting crime victims' rights, needs, and concerns in a prominent spot on the American agenda. He also established the President's Task Force on Victims of Crime, which laid the groundwork for a national network of services and legal safeguards for crime victims.
For more information on how to create your own public campaigns to raise awareness about crime victims’ rights online and at events throughout the year, please visit: https://ovc.ojp.gov/ncvrw2023/overview.
D.C. Man Gets Seven Years for Using a Gun in a Crime of ViolenceRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Nicco Young, 26, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 84 months in prison for using, carrying, and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Robert J. Contee III, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Nicco Young pleaded guilty in January 2023, in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. U.S. District Court Judge Dabney Friedrich also ordered 36 months of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, the defendant entered the 7-Eleven, at 1700 17th Street, NW, at 10:30 a.m., on February 23, 2022, armed with a firearm. He approached and pointed the handgun at a store employee. The defendant then forced the employee to empty the cash register and had the employee lay down on the ground. The defendant took the money from the cash register and fled the store.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from both the Metropolitan Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Karla Nunez.
Finally, they commended the efforts of former Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel Frey who indicted and prosecuted the case as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to More than Six Years in Prison on Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
ANNISTON, Ala. – A federal judge on Friday sentenced a convicted felon on gun and drug charges, 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 Demarious Dupree Kirksey, 40, of Anniston, to 74 months in prison. Kirksey pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm in October 2022.
According to the plea agreement, on April 13, 2019, an officer from the Anniston Police Department Street Crimes Unit was patrolling Glen Addie Homes due to recent complaints regarding drug activity. The officer observed Kirksey pull a clear plastic bag from his front left pocket and begin to make a marijuana cigarette in his lap. When the officer approached Kirksey, he attempted to flee. The officer grabbed the back of Kirksey’s shirt to stop him from getting away. The officer recovered a stolen Springfield 9mm pistol loaded with 17 rounds of ammunition from Kirksey’s front waistband. In Kirksey’s pocket, the officer recovered eleven individually wrapped bags containing “crack” cocaine, a plastic bag containing methamphetamine, and a plastic bag containing one acetaminophen pill and one oxycodone pill. Near where Kirksey had been seated, the officer found a clear plastic baggie containing marijuana.
ATF investigated the case along with assistance from the Anniston Police Department, and the 7th Judicial Major Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristy Peoples and John Camp prosecuted the case.
Convicted Felon Sentenced for Armed Robberies in Maryland and VirginiaRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Upper Marlboro, Maryland, man who had previously been convicted of a felony offense was sentenced today to over five years in prison for committing two armed robberies and one attempted armed robbery across Northern Virginia and Maryland.
According to court documents, in February 2021, Francis Ford, 53, robbed a Subway restaurant in Largo, Maryland, and a Papa John’s restaurant in Falls Church, and attempted to rob a Marathon gas station in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. On February 21, 2021, Ford and his co-conspirator, Jon Fleet, 62, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, drove to the Subway restaurant. Fleet entered the Subway and brandished a firearm at employees while Ford waited in the getaway vehicle. Once Fleet had completed the robbery, he fled the restaurant and Ford drove himself and Fleet away from the crime scene. On February 23, 2021, Ford and Fleet both walked into the Papa John’s restaurant together. Fleet pointed a firearm at an employee and demanded that the cash register be opened; Ford made employees believe that he was carrying a firearm by keeping his hand on his waistband as though a firearm was there. After the employee eventually produced a bag containing cash, Ford and Fleet fled the store. Finally, on March 7, 2021, Ford entered the Marathon gas station with a sawed-off shotgun and demanded that the store clerk produce cash from the register. The store clerk refused to give Ford any money and called the police, thwarting Ford’s efforts.
At the time of the robberies, Ford and Fleet were convicted felons and thus prohibited from possessing firearms.
In February of 2022, Fleet was sentenced to 17 years in prison in connection with these and other robberies across Virginia and Maryland.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division; Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Chief of Police; and Malik Aziz, Chief of Prince George’s County Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cristina Stam and Bibeane Metsch prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-10.
Connecticut Woman Sentenced for Social Security Benefit Fraud Scheme in Stockton, East Bakersfield, Delano, and ElsewhereRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sashana James, 32, of New London, Connecticut, was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison and ordered to pay $490,485 in restitution for her participation in a conspiracy to steal from the Social Security Administration, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between October 2016 and June 2021, James participated in a conspiracy to steal Social Security benefits intended for beneficiaries. The conspirators stole personally identifiable information (PII) of numerous Social Security beneficiaries living throughout the United States. The PII included the beneficiaries’ names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, addresses, phone numbers, bank account numbers, and family information. Using the PII, they contacted the Social Security Administration (SSA) customer service representatives and posed as beneficiaries. They then instructed the customer service representatives to change the direct deposit account number associated with the beneficiary’s account to drop accounts, i.e., expendable accounts used to funnel or transfer proceeds of a crime. The customer service representatives – believing that the caller was the true beneficiary – changed the direct deposit account number to one of the drop account numbers supplied.
The debit cards connected to the drop accounts would be mailed to James and other conspirators. On several occasions, James withdrew the stolen Social Security benefit payments from the drop accounts and deposited at least a portion of the money into one or more bank accounts that were accessible to her co-conspirators. The loss to the SSA and the United States resulting from the conspirators’ offenses exceeds $490,000.
This case was the product of an investigation by the SSA’s Office of the Inspector General and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dhruv Sharma prosecuted the case.
Colombian Military Intelligence Official Sentenced for Role in International Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A former Colombian military intelligence official was sentenced today to 12 years in prison for his participation in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine for importation into the United States. This defendant was the fifth to be sentenced in a multi-year investigation that lead to three indictments charging officials in the Colombian Army, Air Force, and National Police.
According to court documents, from August 2017 through April 2018, Fabian Humberto Tovar Caicedo, 41, a sergeant in Colombian Army Intelligence, helped organize a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that conspired to send multi-thousand-kilogram shipments of cocaine from Colombia to Mexico for eventual importation into the United States. Tovar Caicedo also offered various corrupt services to the DTO. He found a corrupt member of the police in the Port of Santa Marta willing to facilitate the export of cocaine in exchange for payment; he suggested buying the same phones that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) uses for security; he offered to use his military training to encrypt those phones for additional security; and he attempted to sell a list of DEA cooperators to the DTO.
Tovar Caicedo and his co-conspirators plotted to send multiple shipments, starting at 1,000 kilograms of cocaine, but moving up to as many as 10,000 kilograms of cocaine per shipment. A member of the DTO traveled to Mexico to negotiate the receipt of the cocaine with a corrupt, high-ranking Mexican military official.
One of the defendant’s co-conspirators was Fabian Andres Leyton Vargas, a Colombian Air Force officer, whom the defendant met at a military training in the United States. Leyton Vargas used his position in the Colombian Ministry of Defense to identify and contact security and law enforcement officials in the Port of Santa Marta to be targeted for bribes. Once these officials received their corrupt payments, they would ensure that cocaine-laden cargo containers passed uninspected through the port. Using this method, on July 27, 2017, Leyton Vargas, along with co-defendants Antonio Aldemar Avila Acevedo and Jose Mauricio Castaneda Garzon, attempted to ship 1,773 kilograms of cocaine from Colombia to Guatemala en route to the United States. Additionally, on March 27, 2018, the same defendants conspired to ship 2,081 kilograms of cocaine from Colombia to Mexico en route to the United States. Colombian law enforcement seized both shipments before they could depart the port.
As part of this multi-year investigation targeting corruption in Colombia’s ports, a fifth defendant, Jose Maria Fragoso D’Acunti, admitted to using his former position in the Colombian National Police, along with familial and other connections, to identify and bribe security and law enforcement officials in the port of Cartagena, Colombia, to aid his organization’s cocaine trafficking. The defendant and his co-conspirators planned to traffic multi-hundred kilogram quantities of cocaine, valued at millions of United States dollars, to Europe by causing such cocaine to be secreted aboard commercial shipping containers. On November 29, 2018, in the port of Savannah, Georgia, U.S. law enforcement seized 516 kilograms of cocaine sent by Fragoso D’Acunti’s DTO from Colombia, that were destined for Belgium. The cocaine was comingled with pineapples in a shipping container. On December 15, 2018, again in the port of Savannah, Georgia, U.S. law enforcement seized an additional 205 kilograms of cocaine sent by Fragoso D’Acunti’s DTO from Colombia that were also destined for Belgium. The cocaine was comingled with limes in a shipping container. In support of the conspiracy, Fragoso D’Acunti paid 1 billion Colombian Pesos, equivalent to more than $300,000 US Dollars, in bribe money to a port security officer.
Defendants Fragoso D’Acunti, Fabian Andres Leyton Vargas, and Antonio Aldemar Avila Acevedo were sentenced to 12 years in prison. Co-conspirator José Mauricio Castaneda Garzon was sentenced to seven years and four months in prison.
These prosecutions are part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia, Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Special Agent in Charge J. Todd Scott of the DEA Louisville Division made the announcement.
The DEA’s Louisville Field Division and Cartagena Resident Office investigated this case, with substantial assistance from the DEA’s Office of Special Intelligence, Document and Media Exploitation Unit, the DEA’s Special Operations Division and Special Operations Division – Bilateral Investigations Unit, as well as DEA’s offices in Cartagena, Bogota, Panama, Guatemala City, San Jose (Costa Rica), Brussels, Mexico City, Madrid, Frankfurt, London, Paris, Rome, The Hague, Vienna, Hong Kong, Islamabad, Savannah, Detroit, Tampa – PANEX, and New Orleans. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) - National Targeting Center also provided substantial assistance. The Colombian National Police, the Belgian Federal Police, the German Zolfahndungsamt, the National Police of the Netherlands, and the Italian Guardia di Finanza also provided critical support.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony T. Aminoff and Trial Attorneys Douglas Meisel and Janet Turnbull of the Department of Justice’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section prosecuted case 1:20-cr-181.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony T. Aminoff and Trial Attorney Teresita Mutton of the Department of Justice’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section prosecuted case 1:19-cr-282.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony T. Aminoff (then with the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section), Katherine Rumbaugh, and David Peters prosecuted case 1:18-cr-74.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Judicial Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of the defendants listed above.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:20-cr-181, 1:19-cr-282, and 1:18-cr-74.
Cohoes Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug and Obstruction of Justice ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Andrew O’Connor, age 36, of Cohoes, New York pled guilty today to distributing methamphetamine in Cohoes, New York, and conspiracy to tamper with records.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and, Ketty Larco-Ward, Postal Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), made the announcement.
As part of his guilty plea today, Andrew O’Connor admitted that he distributed ounce-quantities of methamphetamine in Cohoes in March, April, and June 2022, and had a shipment of over one pound of methamphetamine sent to him around June 15, 2022. Investigators with USPIS and FBI intercepted the package and seized the methamphetamine. O’Connor also admitted that, after his arrest, he contacted a co-conspirator to make arrangements to have the co-conspirator factory reset and remote wipe several of O’Connor’s cell phones.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 23, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Anne M. Nardacci. At sentencing, O’Connor faces a minimum sentence of ten years and maximum sentence of life in prison, a fine of up to $10 million dollars, and a post-imprisonment term of supervised release of at least five years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case was investigated by USPIS, and the FBI’s Capital District Safe Streets Gang Task Force, which includes FBI Special Agents and members of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin C. Segovia is prosecuting the case.
Chalmette Resident Pleaded Guilty in Federal Court to Theft of Stolen Mail and Unlawful Possession of a Postal KeyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – KELAN PERRY GENNINGS, age 21, pleaded guilty on April 13, 2023, to a two-count superseding indictment charging him with theft or receipt of stolen mail matter, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1708 and unlawful possession of a postal key, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1704, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, GENNINGS stole U.S. Mail from a post office mailbox located at the Covington Post Office. GENNINGS also used a postal arrow key to access said mailbox. At sentencing, which is set for August 17, 2023, GENNINGS faces a maximum prison term of five years for the theft of mail and ten years for possession of the arrow key. Each count carries additional penalties of up to three (3) years supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Cecil County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges Related to His Repeated Sexual Abuse of a Child from the Age of Approximately Four Months to Two Years OldRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Lawrence Aquilla Colby, IV, a/k/a “Buddy,” age 34, of Elkton, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to federal charges related to his participation in a conspiracy to sexually abuse a child, from the age of approximately four months to two years old, to producing and receiving images documenting the sexual abuse of the child, and to possession of child pornography.
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, Baltimore Field Office; Cecil County State’s Attorney James Dellmyer; and Cecil County Sheriff Scott Adams.
At today’s plea hearing, Colby admitted that he and his co-conspirator, Summer McCroskey, sexually abused a child, starting at the time the victim was approximately four months of age through at least October 2021, when the victim was two years old, and produced videos and images of the abuse. Both Colby and McCroskey participated in the abuse. Additionally, Colby received files documenting the sexual abuse of the child, which were sent to him by McCroskey.
Colby faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison for conspiracy to sexually exploit a child and for each of five counts of sexual exploitation of a child; a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for each of three counts of receipt of child pornography; and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for possession of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for Colby on July 27, 2023.
Co-defendant Summer McCroskey, age 25, also of Elkton, previously pleaded guilty to her role in the conspiracy and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 18, 2023, at 11:00 a.m.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, the Cecil County State’s Attorney’s Office and the Cecil County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation and thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul E. Budlow and Colleen E. McGuinn 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/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Canadian Man Charged with Stolen Valor and Forging Military Discharge PaperworkRead the Press Release
PLATTSBURGH, NEW YORK – Randall J. Montour, age 44, a resident of Cornwall, Ontario, was arrested and charged today for violating the Stolen Valor Act of 2013 and for falsifying his military discharge certificate. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and United States Marshal David L. McNulty made the announcement.
Montour was charged by complaint and made his initial appearance in Plattsburgh, before United States Magistrate Judge Gary L. Favro. Montour was released pending a further court appearance.
The complaint alleges that Montour falsely altered his Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, Form DD-214, to reflect he received an honorable discharge from the United States Air Force and that he earned numerous decorations, medals, badges, citations or campaign ribbons, including the Purple Heart. The complaint further alleges that on three occasions, Montour used his altered Form DD-214 to purchase Purple Heart recipient license plates from the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, which he then affixed to his vehicle.
Military records show, however, that Montour served in the United States Air Force from 1999 until he was court-martialed in 2000 for impersonating an officer and making threats. Montour received a bad-conduct discharge and was separated from the Air Force on June 18, 2001. He is not a Purple Heart recipient.
The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The charges filed against Montour carry up to 1 year in jail, a fine of up to $100,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 1 year. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
The United States Marshals Service is investigating the case with assistance from the United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas G. Collyer is prosecuting the case.
British American Tobacco to Pay $629 Million in Fines for N. Korean Tobacco Sales; Charges Unsealed Against Tobacco FacilitatorsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – British American Tobacco (BAT) and its subsidiary, BAT Marketing Singapore (BATMS), one of the world’s largest manufacturer of tobacco products, has agreed to pay penalties totaling more than $629 million to resolve bank fraud and sanctions violations charges with U.S. authorities, arising out of the companies’ scheme to do business in North Korea through a third-party company in Singapore, in violation of the bank fraud statute and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). In addition, charges were unsealed in the District of Columbia against a North Korean banker and Chinese facilitators for their roles in facilitating the illicit sale of tobacco products in North Korea.
According to court documents, BATMS pleaded guilty to, and BAT entered into a deferred prosecution agreement in connection with, a criminal information charging BAT and BATMS with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and conspiracy to violate IEEPA. Specifically, in 2007, BAT spun off its North Korea sales to a third-party company, issuing a press statement that it was no longer involved in North Korea tobacco sales. In reality, BAT continued to do business in North Korea through the third-party company and maintained control over all relevant aspects of the North Korean business. BAT ran the payments for the tobacco sold to North Korean entities through the third-party company, resulting in approximately $415 million of U.S. dollar banking transactions from North Korea to the third-party company in Singapore – money that was then passed on to BATMS and BAT. To make these payments, North Korean purchasers used front companies so that U.S. banks, which processed the transactions, would not know about the connection to North Korea.
“The United States is steadfast in its commitment to enforcing sanctions and withholding revenue for dictator Kim Jong-un,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves. “The charges unsealed today illustrate that the Department of Justice will hold North Korean facilitators accountable for their illegal efforts to prop up the North Korean regime, and assist it in obtaining funds to develop nuclear weapons.”
“British American Tobacco and its subsidiary engaged in an elaborate scheme to circumvent U.S. sanctions and sell tobacco products to North Korea in violation of U.S. law,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “With today’s action, which involves the largest settlement payment in the Department’s history, these entities have been held to account.”
“The FBI remains steadfast in its commitment to investigate North Korea’s evasion of sanctions placed on its government,” said Assistant Director Suzanne Turner of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “This illegal conduct and the levied penalties show how serious of an offense it is to assist the North Korean regime to the detriment of the international community. To those contemplating similar actions, be forewarned: the full force of the FBI and its federal law enforcement partners will find you.”
Separately, on April 25, 2023, a federal judge in the District of Columbia unsealed charges against a North Korean banker, Sim Hyon-Sop, 50, and Chinese facilitators Qin Guoming, 60, and Han Linlin, 41, both of Liaoning Province, in connection with a multi-year scheme to facilitate the sale of tobacco to North Korea.
Between 2009 and 2019, the defendants engaged in a scheme to purchase leaf tobacco for North Korean-owned entities, and used front companies and false documentation to cause U.S. financial institutions to process at least 310 transactions worth approximately $74 million that they otherwise would have frozen, blocked, investigated, or declined, had they known that the transactions connected to trade with North Korea. The transactions resulted in an estimated nearly $700 million in revenue for North Korean entities, and ultimately, for the government of North Korea.
In conjunction with today’s announcement, the U.S. Department of State is announcing a reward of $5 million for defendant Sim, and a reward of $500,000 for defendants Qin and Han, for information leading to the capture of these three charged defendants.
Additionally, today, the Department of the Treasury also announced a civil enforcement action against BAT and BATMS.
This case is part of a larger Department of Justice response to the ongoing efforts of North Korea to evade sanctions and use the U.S. financial system to engage in illicit trafficking. As alleged in the indictment, trafficking in tobacco products generates revenue for advancing North Korea’s Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) programs. North Korea has been developing nuclear weapons since at least 2006 and financed these activities through illicit trade, including trafficking of tobacco and counterfeit cigarettes, which North Korea has engaged in since at least 1992. North Korea counterfeit cigarette production capacity is estimated to exceed two billion packs a year. Counterfeit cigarettes are a major source of income to the North Korean regime and may be the single most lucrative item in the North Korean portfolio, as smuggled tobacco is estimated to garner revenue as much as $20 on every $1 spent in cost. North Korean tobacco sales are alleged to flow back to the North Korean government, including to slush funds designed to sustain the loyalty of a core of party elite and to underwrite weapons development programs.
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years’ imprisonment for the lead charge, bank fraud. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The cases are being investigated by the FBI Phoenix Field Office. HSI Colorado partnered in the investigation on the individuals, with valuable assistance provided by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen P. Seifert, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Wasserman, Paralegal Specialists Brian Rickers, and Paralegal Specialist Jorge Casillas for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case. Trial Attorneys Beau Barnes and Emma Ellenrieder of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section partnered on these matters. Trial Attorney David Recker, former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zia Faruqui and Michael Grady.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Boston Man Sentenced for Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced in federal court in Boston yesterday for conspiring to distribute fentanyl and cocaine.
Josiah Watkins, 26, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 51 months in prison and four years of supervised release. Watkins previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, fentanyl and cocaine.
In February 2021, an investigation into the drug trafficking activities conducted by Watkins and co-defendant London Lee revealed that Watkins and his co-defendant were actively selling cocaine, crack cocaine and fentanyl in the Boston area. Between February and April 2021, Watkins and Lee sold, or arranged the sale of, crack cocaine and fentanyl in at least 10 separate controlled purchases.
On April 7, 2023, Lee pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 13, 2023.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Dawley, Jr. of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Barren County Felon Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Possessing with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
Bowling Green, KY – A Barren County, Kentucky, man was sentenced today to 15 years in federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Ron Lafferty of the Barren River Drug Task Force made the announcement.
According to court documents, on November 12, 2020, Eric R. Sturgeon, 42, of Barren County, Kentucky, possessed with the intent to distribute 424.4 grams of methamphetamine. Sturgeon also possessed a SCCY CPX-1, nine-millimeter semiautomatic pistol, and a Taurus 85 Ultralite, .38 special caliber revolver. Sturgeon was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses. On December 3, 2018, in Barren Circuit Court, Sturgeon was convicted of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, second offense and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon. On February 3, 2015, in Barren Circuit Court, Sturgeon was convicted of first-degree possession of a controlled substance, second offense. On February 3, 2015, in Barren Circuit Court, Sturgeon was convicted of manufacturing methamphetamine, first offense and first-degree possession of a controlled substance, second offense.
Additionally, on May 6, 2021, Sturgeon possessed with the intent to distribute 172 grams of methamphetamine, and he possessed a Beretta APX, nine-millimeter semiautomatic pistol. Sturgeon was prohibited from possessing this firearm because he had previously been convicted of the above stated felony offenses.
After the 15-year prison sentence, the Court ordered Sturgeon to serve 4 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the ATF Bowling Green Field Office and the Barren River Drug Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Yurchisin II, of the United States Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, 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.
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Baltimore Man Convicted After a Four-Day Trial for Three Robberies Committed at GunpointRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal jury convicted Keith Poynter, Jr., age 29, of Baltimore, Maryland, yesterday on federal charges related to a series of armed commercial robberies, all committed in one day, and for discharging his weapon during one of the robberies.
The conviction was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Chief Robert McCullough of the Baltimore County Police Department.
According to court documents and evidence presented during his four-day trial, Poynter conspired with others, including Benjamin Bunn, Jr. and Tiffany Gardner, to rob businesses in Baltimore City and Baltimore County. Specifically, on December 6, 2019, Poynter and another man robbed a jewelry store in the 200 block of N. Howard Street. The evidence showed that the other robber placed a machete in the door to prevent it from locking. Poynter brandished a weapon and struck a glass countertop, causing the gun to fire. Poynter then fired two more shots into another glass case and removed jewelry and other merchandise, all in the presence of store employees. Poynter and the other man then got into a silver Acura TL, which was occupied and operated by Bunn and Gardner and left the area.
According to trial testimony, a short time later, Poynter entered a jewelry store in the Security Square Mall in Baltimore County. Poynter approached a store employee, brandished a handgun and demanded jewelry. After taking the jewelry, Poynter left the store and got back into the silver Acura TL, where Bunn and Gardner waited. The group then left the area. Approximately two hours later, Poynter entered a pawn shop in the 6600 block of Reisterstown Road, brandished a firearm, demanded jewelry and threatened to shoot a customer. Poynter took jewelry and other merchandise and left the store, again entering the silver Acura TL where Bunn and Gardner waited.
Poynter faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the robbery conspiracy, for each count of three counts of commercial robbery and for conspiracy to use a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Poynter faces a mandatory minimum of seven years and up to life in prison for each of two counts of using and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence; and a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison for discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher has not yet scheduled sentencing for Poynter.
Benjamin Bunn, Jr., age 37, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty to his role in the robberies a few days before trial began and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 13, 2023. Tiffany Gardner, age 27, of Baltimore, also pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years in federal prison.
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 FBI, the Baltimore Police Department and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Sippel, Jr. and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Meehan, 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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Arizona Man Faces Federal Charges After Eastern Oregon Traffic Stop Yields 100,000 Fentanyl Pills, Two Pounds of Powdered FentanylRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—An Arizona man is facing federal charges after he was caught transporting 100,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, two pounds of powdered fentanyl, and six pounds of cocaine on Interstate 84 in La Grande, Oregon.
Moises Rojo Velazquez, 36, of Phoenix, Arizona, has been charged by criminal complaint with possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents, on April 21, 2023, an Oregon State Police (OSP) trooper initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Rojo Velazquez on Interstate 84 westbound in La Grande. The vehicle was occupied by Rojo Velazquez, a passenger, and the passenger’s 17-year-old daughter. A second trooper located a large camo bag on the rear floorboard of the vehicle. The bag was found to contain more than 100,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, two pounds of powdered fentanyl, and six pounds of cocaine.
On April 24, 2023, Rojo Velazquez made his first appearance in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stacie F. Beckerman. He was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
This case is being investigated jointly by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and OSP. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Defraud the United StatesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Albert Childress, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, announced today that David Wellington pled guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States. Wellington, 64, of Albuquerque, will remain on conditions of release pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
According to the plea agreement and other court documents, in 2005, Wellington and his business partner, Stacy Underwood, 52, of Albuquerque, established National Business Services, LLC, a business that was involved in the promotion, sale, and creation of Limited Liability Companies under New Mexico state law. Through the LLC, Wellington and Underwood created LLCs in New Mexico for their clients, obtained Employer Identification Number (“EIN”) from the IRS, and opened bank accounts in the names of the LLCs, allowing their clients to remain anonymous. Between 2005 and 2015, Wellington and Underwood organized at least 192 LLCs in New Mexico and opened at least 114 bank accounts.
In 2006, Wellington and Underwood created three LLCs in New Mexico for Jerry Shrock, 48, of Meadowview, Virginia. Underwood was listed as the “Organizer” and National Business Services, LLC as the initial registered agent for all three. In 2011, Underwood opened a bank account for one of the LLCs and provided Shrock with online access to the bank account and a book of pre-signed checks with her signature. Between 2011 and 2015, $4,875,940 was deposited into and withdrawn from the bank account. At the time of the deposits and withdrawals, Shrock had an outstanding IRS assessment for unpaid taxes, penalties, and interest in the amount of about $1 million. Shrock never filed personal or business tax returns with the IRS reporting the income in the LLCs bank account, allowing Shrock to generate and deposit income while evading the outstanding assessment and personal and business taxes on the income.
Under the terms of his agreement, Wellington faces up to 5 years in prison followed by up to 3 years of supervised release.
Stacy Underwood pled guilty to conspiracy on Oct. 21, 2022, and remains on conditions of release pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. Under the terms of her agreement, Underwood faces 5 years in prison followed by up to 3 years of supervised release.
Jerry Shrock pled guilty to conspiracy on Nov. 28, 2022, and remains on conditions of release pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. Under the terms of his agreement, Shrock faces up to 5 years in prison followed by up to 3 years of supervised release.
The IRS Criminal Investigation Phoenix Field Office investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy Peña is prosecuting the case.
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23-85
24 April 2023
West Chester Woman Sentenced to 92 Months in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
A woman who was trafficking ice methamphetamine was sentenced today to more than seven years in federal prison.
Mary Lavone Linnell, age 62, from West Chester, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 18, 2022 guilty plea to possession of ice methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it.
Evidence disclosed at the sentencing hearing showed that law enforcement stopped Linnell in a vehicle with approximately a quarter pound of ice methamphetamine in November 2021. Other evidence showed that, in total, she bought over two pounds of ice methamphetamine for redistribution throughout 2021. Linnell has multiple prior convictions for operating vehicles while under the influence and for possessing controlled substances. She also has convictions for distributing methamphetamine and possessing cocaine with intent to deliver it.
Linnell was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. She was sentenced to 92 months’ imprisonment and must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Linnell is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Johnson County Drug Task Force, Cedar Rapids Police Department, and the Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 22-CR-61.
Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking TurtlesRead the Press Release
Stanlee Fazi, 41, of Louisa, Virginia, pleaded guilty in federal court in Alexandria to trafficking turtles in violation of the Lacey Act. Sentencing is scheduled for July 26.
Fazi admitted that between July 31, 2017, and June 29, 2020, he illegally collected eastern box turtles from the wild and sold them on at least 27 occasions to buyers in California, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Texas and Wisconsin. Fazi received approximately $12,700 using Facebook Marketplace for these sales. Many of Fazi’s purchasers, in turn, smuggled the turtles from the United States to Hong Kong and China for the illegal pet trade. Fazi acknowledged binding the turtles in socks and shipping them by FedEx from Fredericksburg.
The federal Lacey Act is the nation’s oldest wildlife trafficking statute and prohibits, among other things, transporting or selling wildlife in interstate commerce if the wildlife were illegally taken or possessed under state laws. The Commonwealth of Virginia also prohibits taking turtles from the wild or selling them. The maximum sentence under the Lacey Act is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina) is a subspecies of the common box turtle (Terrapene carolina). The eastern box turtle is native to forested regions of the eastern United States, including Virginia, with some isolated populations in the Midwest. The turtles typically reach a length of up to six inches and can live more than 100 years. The turtles have a domed carapace, which can display radiated lines or spots. Turtles with colorful markings are particularly prized in the domestic and foreign pet trade market.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Offices of Law Enforcement in Baltimore and Vero Beach, Florida, conducted the investigation as part of Operation Middleman. The operation focused on the trafficking of reptiles from the United States to China.
The government is represented by Senior Trial Attorney Ryan Connors of the Environment and Natural Resource Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gordon Kromberg for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Veterans Affairs Medical Center Employee Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Royalston man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Springfield to child pornography charges.
Kevin A. Divoll, 51 pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for July 19, 2023. Divoll was arrested and charged in August 2022.
Divoll, a former employee of the Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Leeds, was identified as the owner and user of a device distributing child pornography over the VA Medical Center’s public Wi-Fi from May 2022 through July 2022. During a search of his residence on Aug. 4, 2022, Divoll was found to be in possession of child pornography that involved a prepubescent minor and a minor who had not attained 12 years of age.
The charge of distribution of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography involving an image of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor or a minor who had not attained 12 years of age provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael Rollins and Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office, made the announcement. Significant assistance was provided by the Leeds VA Medical Center Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine G. Curley of Rollins’ Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
Unlicensed Vancouver, Washington, tax preparer pleads guilty to aiding and assisting with preparing false tax returnsRead the Press Release
Seattle – The owner of a Vancouver, Washington business that sought to assist immigrants with a variety of services has pleaded guilty to tax fraud charges, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Saul Valdez was an unlicensed tax preparer who led his immigrant customers to believe he was filling out their tax forms correctly. Instead, from 2016 through 2018, Valdez inserted a variety of false deductions and expenses on tax returns, lowering the customers’ tax obligations. Valdez faces up to three years in prison when sentenced by U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle on August 28, 2023.
“Mr. Valdez operated a business providing services to primarily non-English speaking clients, who had little understanding of the U.S. tax system,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. “Rather than truly assist them, his false deductions, expenses and credits put them at risk of owing back taxes and penalties, not to mention the stress of contact from the IRS.”
According to the plea agreement, Valdez operated Conexion Latina, and used programs such as TaxAct and TurboTax to prepare clients’ taxes. For tax year 2017, Valdez admits claiming false and fraudulent expenses, donations, and credits on 36 different tax returns. The tax loss on those 36 returns is $54,045. That is the amount of restitution Valdez has agreed to pay.
Using statistical sampling of 50 of some 2000 returns prepared by Valdez from 2016 through 2018, Valdez admits that the total tax loss for his fraud is $1,293,921.
Aiding and Assisting in the Preparation and Presentation of a False and Fraudulent Return is punishable by up to three years in prison.
Prosecutors have agreed to cap their sentencing recommendation at 30 months in prison.
The case is being investigated by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristine Foerster.
United States Settles Claims for Improper Inpatient Rehabilitation Admissions for over $1.7 MillionRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Lafayette Physical Rehabilitation Hospital and its management company, Acadiana Management Group, LLC have agreed to pay $1.2 million, and Dr. Carolyn Smith agreed to pay $575,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary inpatient rehabilitation services.
“This settlement demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that those who participate in federal healthcare programs follow the rules,” said U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “Billing for non-covered rehabilitation hospital stays results in a misuse of federal dollars. The financial viability of our Medicare program must be protected for current and future generations.”
The United States alleged that from January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2016, Dr. Smith admitted certain patients to Lafayette Physical Rehabilitation Hospital for whom inpatient rehabilitation treatment was not medically reasonable or necessary. Dr. Smith repeatedly admitted these patients, often by putting improper pressure on the patients, and falsely certified that the patients met the applicable criteria for inpatient admission. However, the patients did not satisfy the criteria and did not need impatient rehabilitation services.
“The Department Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) will continue to aggressively investigate health care providers who submit Medicare claims for medically unnecessary services,” said HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Jason Meadows. “Inpatient rehabilitation services are expensive, and Medicare dollars should be reserved for patients who need those services - not hospitals and physicians seeking to make easy money through improper billing.”
This civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistle blower provisions of the False Claims Act. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The whistleblowers, Tamara Boyd and Nancy Morrill, former employees of LPRH, will receive over 20% of the settlement amount.
The settlement was the result of a coordinated effort by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana and HHS-OIG. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Theriot and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerry Edwards handled the litigation, along with HHS-OIG Special Agent Rita Bergeron. Special Agent Bergeron and Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen King handled the investigation.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office, Joined by State and Local Agencies, to Host One-Stop Reentry Resource Fair at the War Memorial in Baltimore on Wednesday, April 26, 2023Read the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – April is Second Chance Awareness Month. To recognize the importance of second chances, on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, the U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Office, the Maryland Division of Parole and Probation, and the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE), will sponsor a one-stop reentry resource fair that will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Baltimore War Memorial, 101 N. Gay Street, Baltimore, MD. More than 40 organizations, including at least 20 employers, will be on-site offering support, assistance and resources to returning citizens and justice-involved persons, including in the areas of employment, job training, educational opportunities, health services, transitional housing and more.
This reentry resource and job fair is a component of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s violent crime reduction strategy. In addition to the office’s enforcement efforts to remove violent criminals with guns from our communities, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has initiated a number of outreach, intervention and prevention efforts to support and invest in communities plagued by violence, such as this reentry resource fair.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Two now face life for drug trafficking in local parking lotRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – Two Mission men have pleaded guilty for their roles in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
In October 2022, Eddie Perez, 29, was supposed to deliver narcotics to another individual on behalf of his friend Juan Alberto Mendez Jr., 28.
Authorities were conducting surveillance at a Best Buy parking lot in McAllen They saw vehicles approach, after which Perez removed bags containing bricks of cocaine from the trunk of his vehicle.
Mendez was parked in another vehicle observing the transaction.
Law enforcement approached and arrested Perez and Mendez immediately. They seized a total of 20 kilograms of cocaine.
Both admitted to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 20 kilograms of cocaine.
U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo accepted the pleas and set sentencing for July 24. At that time, both face a minimum of 1o years and up to life in prison as well as a possible $10 million maximum fine.
Mendez was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing and Perez has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Garcia prosecuted the case.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana Commemorates National Crime Victims’ Rights Week April 23–29, 2023Read the Press Release
INDIANA- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana is commemorating National Crime Victims’ Rights Week from April 23–29, 2023.
According to a report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, in 2021, there were more than 4.6 million violent victimizations and 11.7 million property crimes, the latest year for which such information is available.
“Survivors’ voices must be heard. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana is committed to listening to victims and supporting them at every step of the criminal justice process and beyond,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is an opportunity for all of us involved in law enforcement to reaffirm our dedication to providing resources, connections, and support to victims of all crimes.”
The federal Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) leads communities throughout the country in their annual observances of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week by raising awareness of victims’ rights and honoring crime victims and those who advocate on their behalf. This year’s theme is “Survivor Voices: Elevate. Engage. Effect Change.”
During NCVRW 2023, the USAO SDIN will share information about victims’ rights and resources and underscore the importance of listening to survivors’ voices in every space where decisions are made that could impact them by holding a roundtable with Domestic Violence Service Providers in the district. The USAO SDIN is also honoring agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department for their tireless advocacy on behalf of communities that have been affected by crime.
On October 21, 2022, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland released revised Attorney General Guidelines for Victim and Witness Assistance. The revised guidelines updated, for the first time in a decade, when and how Department of Justice employees work with victims and witnesses of crime to ensure that their voices are heard and that they are protected during criminal justice proceedings. The guidelines apply to all department employees engaged in the investigative, prosecutorial, correctional, and parole functions within the criminal justice system.
For more information about how to support all victims of crime, visit OVC’s website at ovc.ojp.gov.
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The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana Commemorates National Crime Victims’ Rights Week April 23–29, 2023Read the Press Release
INDIANA- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana is commemorating National Crime Victims’ Rights Week from April 23–29, 2023.
According to a report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, in 2021, there were more than 4.6 million violent victimizations and 11.7 million property crimes, the latest year for which such information is available.
“Survivors’ voices must be heard. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana is committed to listening to victims and supporting them at every step of the criminal justice process and beyond,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is an opportunity for all of us involved in law enforcement to reaffirm our dedication to providing resources, connections, and support to victims of all crimes.”
The federal Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) leads communities throughout the country in their annual observances of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week by raising awareness of victims’ rights and honoring crime victims and those who advocate on their behalf. This year’s theme is “Survivor Voices: Elevate. Engage. Effect Change.”
During NCVRW 2023, the USAO SDIN will share information about victims’ rights and resources and underscore the importance of listening to survivors’ voices in every space where decisions are made that could impact them by holding a roundtable with Domestic Violence Service Providers in the district. The USAO SDIN is also honoring agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department for their tireless advocacy on behalf of communities that have been affected by crime.
On October 21, 2022, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland released revised Attorney General Guidelines for Victim and Witness Assistance. The revised guidelines updated, for the first time in a decade, when and how Department of Justice employees work with victims and witnesses of crime to ensure that their voices are heard and that they are protected during criminal justice proceedings. The guidelines apply to all department employees engaged in the investigative, prosecutorial, correctional, and parole functions within the criminal justice system.
For more information about how to support all victims of crime, visit OVC’s website at ovc.ojp.gov.
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Thai Woman Sentenced for Her Role in International Sex Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Sumalee Intarathong also known as Alice Spencer Warren has been sentenced for her role in a large-scale international Thai sex trafficking organization, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, the criminal organization conspired to make money by compelling hundreds of women from Bangkok, Thailand, to engage in commercial sex acts in various cities across the United States. Before her arrest in Belgium on August 5, 2016, Intarathong, 62, served as a visa broker for the sex trafficking organization. Each trafficked victim was “owned” by Intarathong and her co-conspirators, until the victim could repay an exorbitant “bondage debt” of between $40,000 and $60,000. Intarathong and other co-conspirators arranged for victims to travel from Thailand to the United States and placed the victims in a house of prostitution somewhere in the United States.
According to court documents, Intarathong and other co-conspirators in the organization engaged in widespread visa fraud to facilitate the international transportation of the victims. Members of the criminal organization assisted the victims in obtaining fraudulent visitor visas and travel documents. As a part of obtaining visa documents, members of the criminal conspiracy gathered personal information from the victims, including the location of the victims’ families in Thailand. This information was later used to threaten victims who became non-compliant or tried to flee the organization in the United States.
One of Intarathong’s victims wrote to the Court: “I am a victim of human trafficking and suffered psychologically because I was afraid that I would be arrested or the traffickers would come hurt or kill me. I was so scared even after the defendants in my case were arrested because I knew them directly. I did not dare go outside and was not able to sleep for a long time.” That victim had to engaged in commercial sex acts with “about seven to eleven customers per day” until she paid off her bondage debt.
According to court documents, the organization dealt primarily in cash and engaged in rampant and sophisticated money laundering in order to promote and conceal illegal profits. Throughout the course of the conspiracy the criminal organization has moved tens of millions of dollars in illegal proceeds from the United States to Thailand and elsewhere.
Intarathong was arrested in Belgium in August 2016 and remained in custody there until she was extradited to the United States in February 2021. On November 29, 2022, she pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and one count of conspiracy to engage in money laundering. Intarathong, the last of the 38 defendants sentenced in the trafficking scheme, was sentenced today before Senior Judge Donovan W. Frank to time served since her arrest in 2016 and $500,000 in restitution to the victims. In addition, Intarathong agreed to be removed from the United States to Belgium or Thailand and will be turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement to carry out the Court’s order.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, Criminal Investigation Division of the IRS, Diplomatic Security Service, St. Paul Police Department, Anoka County Sheriff’s Office, and Cook County (Illinois) Sheriff’s Office, with the support of the International Organized Crime Intelligence and Operations Center (IOC-2). The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided critical assistance in securing the defendant’s extradition from Belgium.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melinda A. Williams and Laura M. Provinzino prosecuted the case with the assistance of the DOJ Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit and the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section.
Ten charged with conspiring to make straw purchases of firearms allegedly bought with stolen credit card informationRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Federal agents arrested nine individuals for crimes relating to a conspiracy to buy firearms online and have them shipped to Cincinnati-area federal firearms licensees (FFLs). It is alleged that more than 70 firearms were bought with stolen credit card information and picked up, or attempted to be picked up, at local FFLs via straw purchases that hid the identity of the true buyer. Several of the defendants are also charged with COVID-relief crimes totaling more than $120,000 in alleged loss.
A total of 10 defendants were charged in two related indictments returned on April 12. The indictments were unsealed on April 21.
One defendant, Roderico Allen, 26, of Cincinnati, remains a fugitive. Law enforcement authorities ask anyone with information related to Allen’s whereabouts to call the ATF at 513-684-3354.
“These cases allege conspiracies that endangered our communities through straw firearms purchases, and several defendants are also alleged to have exploited pandemic relief,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will not waver in our determination to prosecute those who illegally purchase firearms and those who defrauded relief programs meant to help struggling Americans during the pandemic. Straw purchasers are as much a part of the problem of violence we are seeing on our streets as those who pull the trigger.”
Jones et al.
In one indictment, six individuals are charged with conspiring to make false statements during the purchase of a firearm from an FFL.
According to the indictment, from April 2022 through at least July 2022, the six conspired to make false statements to an FFL about the identity of the true buyer of the firearms, including on ATF Form 4473, which a buyer must fill out when purchasing a firearm.
Members of the conspiracy allegedly used stolen credit card information to buy firearms online from out-of-state FFLs, including Guns.com. The firearms were then shipped to Cincinnati-area FFLs for pickup. Members of the conspiracy allegedly bought the firearms in the names of other members of the conspiracy, who then falsely represented to local FFLs that they were the true buyers of the firearms and were not obtaining the firearms for anyone else.
It is alleged that the conspirators had 60 firearms shipped to the Southern District of Ohio and succeeded in obtaining at least 38 of those firearms.
The 23-count indictment charges:
Name
Age
City of Residence
Zephaniah Jones
20
Cincinnati
Nehemiah Jones
23
Atlanta, GA
Jerin Johnson, Sr.
35
Cincinnati
Cedric Conyers
34
Cincinnati
Aneesah Williams
27
Cincinnati
Mykia Melton
25
Cincinnati
Zephaniah Jones is also charged with three counts of unauthorized use of an access device and three counts of aggravated identity theft relating to his alleged use of stolen credit card numbers to buy firearms.
Four defendants – Zephaniah Jones, Nehemiah Jones, Mykia Melton and Jerin Johnson, Sr. – are also accused of fraudulently obtaining a total of five Small Business Administration Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans during the COVID-19 pandemic:
- It is alleged that Zephaniah Jones fraudulently applied for and obtained more than $20,000 in PPP loans. Zephaniah Jones allegedly falsely stated he was the sole owner of Jones Lawncare LLC, a business he allegedly falsely claimed was in operation in February 2020 and had $99,000 in gross income in 2020.
- Co-defendant Nehemiah Jones allegedly obtained two fraudulent PPP loans by falsely claiming to own a business called “massage on air” and falsely representing that the business earned $98,000 in gross income in 2020. Nehemiah Jones received two PPP loans totaling more than $40,000.
- Mykia Melton allegedly received nearly $21,000 in PPP loans by falsely claiming she owned a clothing and accessories wholesaler called “Kia’s Drip.” It is alleged she falsely claimed the business had $100,000 in gross income in 2020.
- Jerin Johnson, Sr. allegedly falsely claimed his handyman and contracting business grossed nearly $98,000 in income in 2020. He allegedly received a $20,000 PPP loan.
Allen et al.
The four defendants included in the second indictment are also charged with conspiring to make false statements during the purchase of a firearm from an FFL.
According to that indictment, from May 2022 through at least June 2022, the four defendants engaged in a conspiracy using the same fraud scheme as the Jones defendants. These defendants allegedly caused 14 firearms to be shipped to the Southern District of Ohio and obtained nine of them.
The individuals charged in this 10-count indictment include:
Name
Age
City of Residence
*Roderico Allen
26
Cincinnati
Tyler Sneed
25
Cincinnati
Kazyra Robertson
24
Cincinnati
Jaidah Jones
22
Columbus
*Fugitive
Roderico Allen is also charged with aggravated identity theft and unauthorized use of an access device relating to his alleged use of a stolen credit card number in May 2022.
Jaidah Jones is also charged with PPP fraud. She allegedly received approximately $20,000 after falsely claiming to own a shoe store, stating the shoe store earned $200,000 in gross income in 2020.
Conspiring to make false statements during the purchase of a firearm is a crime punishable by up to five years’ imprisonment, and making such false statements is punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment. Unauthorized use of an access device is a crime punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment. A conviction for aggravated identity theft requires a mandatory two-year prison term in addition to any other sentences imposed. Making false statements to an agency of the United States is punishable by up to five years in prison.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); Angie Salazar, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit Field Office; Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa A. Theetge; and Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Julie D. Garcia is representing the United States in this case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Tax Preparation Company Operator Sentenced to Prison for FraudRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A tax preparer has been sentenced in federal court to 30 months’ imprisonment and one year of supervised release on his conviction of tax fraud, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Brian A. VanDusen, age 52, of Youngstown, Ohio.
According to information presented to the court, VanDusen operated a tax preparation company called “Easy Tax Refund” located in the Warner Center, in downtown Pittsburgh. Between 2014 and 2018, VanDusen and tax preparers employed at his company prepared and transmitted hundreds of false federal income tax returns which falsified Schedule C profit and loss income from a business, resulting in illegal tax refunds. Losses to the IRS totaled $994,824.00.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation Division for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of VanDusen.
Tangipahoa Parish Man Sentenced in Jungle Life Mafia Street Gang Federal ProsecutionRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – TERRELL HAYNES. a/k/a "Redman," age 44, was sentenced on April 18, 2023, to 145 months imprisonment, 5 years of supervised release, and a $300 mandatory special assessment fee by U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. HAYNES previously pled guilty to conspiring to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and 1 kilogram or more of heroin. He also pled guilty to distribution of methamphetamine and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
According to court documents, Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) agents began investigating the drug trafficking activities of the Jungle Life Mafia street gang in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana in 2019. The investigation spanned two years and included surveillance and six controlled buys of narcotics, including fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine, from HAYNES. The execution of a search warrant at HAYNES’s residence led to the seizure of a Taurus Model Millennium PT111 G2, nine-millimeter pistol and $8,146 in U.S. currency.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, Hammond Police Department, Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, 21st Judicial District Attorney’s Office, St. Tammany Parish District Attorney’s Office, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Marshals Service. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers of the Narcotics Unit.
St. Mary’s Man Charged with Illegal Moose Guiding and Wire FraudRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE – A federal Grand Jury in Anchorage, Alaska returned an indictment on Friday, April 21, 2023, charging Michael Mikhail Beans of Saint Mary's Alaska with two (2) felony counts for violations of the Lacey Act and nineteen (19) felony counts for wire fraud in connection with the sale of the illegal moose hunts.
From October of 2021 to the present Beans collected over $59,000 from hunting parties, over thirty hunters in total, for moose hunts to be conducted in Alaska in September of 2022 and September of 2023.
According to court documents, Beans, 34, was charged by the grand jury for Lacey Act violations for guiding two hunters for bull moose when not licensed as a Big Game Guide or Transporter by the State of Alaska. The Lacey Act makes it illegal to transport and illegally sold wildlife in interstate commerce.
Beans was also charged with wire fraud in connection with booking guided moose hunts, receiving over $59,000 in electronic payments from clients, and then canceling the hunts without providing a refund.
If convicted Beans faces up to five (5) year imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.
An arraignment date has not been set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska and Special Agent In-Charge Jeff Mihan made the announcement.
The investigation is being handled by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Alaska Wildlife Troopers Investigations Unit.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ainsley McNerney and Steve Skrocki are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
St. Louis Woman Sentenced to Prison for Loan FraudRead the Press Release
BENTON, Ill. – A U.S. District judge sentenced a St. Louis woman to 12 months and one day in prison after she admitted to visiting Metro East credit unions and using fake identification documents to take out loans.
Toneka D. Prince, 20, pled guilty to one count of falsely obtaining property owned by a financial institution and one count of aggravated identity theft. Prince was ordered to pay $9,800 in restitution, and after completing her prison sentence, she will serve two years of supervised release.
“Stealing identities, taking out loans in someone else’s name and defrauding a financial institution are all serious crimes, and luckily, the defendant was apprehended,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “I appreciate our federal and local law enforcement partners for their efforts to bring Ms. Prince to justice.”
“This type of fraudulent activity can be devastating to hardworking citizens and their families, and we appreciate our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to hold individuals accountable for their actions,” said USSS Resident Agent in Charge Stephen Webster. “The U.S. Secret Service remains committed to identifying, investigating, and pursuing those who attempt to enrich themselves through fraudulent means.”
According to court documents, Prince engaged in a scheme to defraud a credit union using identification documents of two victims in her attempts to take out loans. The identity-theft victims’ information would first be used to fill out a loan application line. Once the loan was approved, Prince would enter the credit union and pretend to be the victim in order to collect the money.
One June 24, 2022, Prince visited the First Community Credit in Glen Carbon to collect the cash from the approved loan. She presented a fake Illinois driver’s license with a victim’s real identifiable information and successfully obtained a cash loan of $9,800. She was not authorized to use the individual’s identity.
On June 28, 2022, she went to the First Community Credit Union in Fairview Heights and signed one victim’s name on a loan application for $9,900. In the application, Prince used a fake temporary Illinois driver’s license and fake Spire gas bill with the victim’s real social security number and date of birth included. Once again, she was not authorized to use the victim’s identity.
Law enforcement officers apprehended Prince at the credit union in Fairview Heights.
U.S. Secret Service led the investigation with contributions from the Glen Carbon and O’Fallon police departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter T. Reed prosecuted the case.
Springfield, Vermont Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Robbing Two Banks and Three Convenience StoresRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Samuel Colby, 40, of Springfield, Vermont, was sentenced to serve 7 years in prison after pleading guilty to having committed two bank robberies and the robberies of three convenience stores in January of 2022. United States District Judge William K. Sessions III also ordered Colby to serve a three-year term of supervised release after his release from prison.
According to court records, during the early-morning hours of January 6, 2022, Colby robbed the Circle K convenience store in Springfield, Vermont of both cash and cigarettes by displaying what the clerk believed to be a black handgun, but which was actually a BB gun. On the evening of January 6, 2022, Colby robbed the Allen Brothers convenience store in Westminster, Vermont of both cash and cigarettes by displaying what the clerk believed to be a black handgun in his waistband, but which was actually a BB gun. On January 8, 2022, Colby robbed the 802 Credit Union in Springfield, Vermont of cash by presenting a demand note to the teller stating he had a gun and would shoot someone if he did not receive $2,000 in cash. Colby’s demand note was written on a torn piece of distinctive stationery. On January 10, 2022, Colby robbed the People’s United Bank in Springfield, Vermont of cash by displaying what the teller believed to be a black handgun, but which was actually a BB gun. On January 13, 2022, Springfield Police encountered Colby outside the 802 Credit Union in Springfield, where he was identified by witnesses as the robber during the robbery five days prior. Springfield Police approached Colby, spoke with him, seized Colby’s vehicle, and applied for a State of Vermont search warrant which was granted the next day. Inside the vehicle, officers located a black BB gun consistent in appearance with a functional semi-automatic pistol. The search of Colby’s vehicle was interrupted by reports of another robbery occurring at the Family Dollar store in Springfield. On the afternoon of January 14, 2022, Colby robbed the Family Dollar by demanding cash from the cashier and displaying a black baton-like object. Colby was located and arrested shortly after the robbery. Law enforcement thereafter obtained a State of Vermont search warrant for Colby’s residence, and during that search, located clothing items consistent with those worn during the robberies, cigarettes believed to have been stolen during the robberies, and the top portion of a torn piece of stationery that matched the demand note Colby had used.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Springfield Police Department, the Vermont State Police, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He also commended the assistance of the Vermont Forensic Laboratory, who provided crucial assistance analyzing evidence in the case.
U.S. Attorney Kerest stated: “Samuel Colby committed multiple bank robberies and convenience store robberies in southeastern Vermont over the course of eight days. In addition to traumatizing victims, these types of crime sprees are dangerous and disruptive for our communities. Thanks to the coordinated and diligent work of the Springfield Police Department, the Vermont State Police, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Colby was arrested and brought to justice. Our office will continue to work closely with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to protect the safety of Vermonters.”
Assistant United States Attorneys Wendy Fuller and Jonathan Ophardt handled the prosecution. Natasha Sen, Esq. represented Colby.
South Texan admits to importing crystal methRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 39-year-old Edinburg woman has pleaded guilty to importing 24 kilograms of crystal meth into the United States from Mexico, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
On April 17, 2022, Nelly Guerra attempted to make entry into the United States through the Donna Port of Entry. During inspection, authorities discovered 15 packages concealed within the side panels of the vehicle.
The investigation revealed the substance was meth with a purity level of 90%.
U.S. District Judge Hinojosa will impose sentencing July 26. At that time, Guerra faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison.
She has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration and Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Devin V. Walker is prosecuting the case.
South Los Angeles Woman Pleads Guilty to Scheming with Others to Use Stolen Identities to Fraudulently Obtain COVID Jobless BenefitsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The final defendant in a conspiracy – led by a woman serving a life sentence for murder – that used stolen identities of California prison inmates and others to fraudulently obtain at least $993,181 in state unemployment insurance (UI) benefits pleaded guilty today to a federal criminal charge.
Mykara Destiny Robinson, 24, of Los Angeles, who was charged under the incorrect name of “Mykara Destiny Robertson,” pleaded guilty today to one count of bank fraud.
Robinson is the 13th and final defendant to plead guilty in this case, whose lead defendants are Natalie Le Demola, 38, originally of Corona and who currently is serving a life prison sentence after she was convicted in 2005 of first-degree murder, and Carleisha Neosha Plummer, 33, of Los Angeles, a close prison associate of Demola’s until her parole in July 2020.
The case’s other defendants are:
- Khanshanda Eugenea King, 32, of Los Angeles;
- Cleshay Johnson, II, 29, of Los Angeles;
- James Antonio Johnson, 32, of Los Angeles;
- Felicite Aleisha King, 42, of Los Angeles;
- Shafequah Lynete Mitchell, 34, of Los Angeles;
- Loresha Shamone Davis, 32, of Moreno Valley;
- Porsha Latrice Johnson, 33, of Lynwood;
- Donisha Lashawn Pace, 39, of South Los Angeles;
- Dominique Charmone Martin, 38, of Yucaipa; and
- Amber Jane Wade, 35 of Palmdale.
Demola, Plummer, and other co-conspirators “would acquire the personal identifying information (PII), such as the names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers, of individuals, including identity theft victims, who were not eligible for UI benefits, including pandemic benefits, because they were employed, retired, or incarcerated,” according to a 39-count indictment returned in May 2022.
Members of the conspiracy then used the information to make fraudulent online applications for UI benefits from the California Employment Development Department (EDD). Once the applications were approved, members of the conspiracy received EDD-funded debit cards that allowed them to withdraw money from ATMs across Southern California.
According to Robinson’s plea agreement, the conspiracy began in June 2020 and Robinson joined it two months later. Robinson and other members of the conspiracy assumed the identities of California prison inmates and used EDD debit cards issued in their names to make fraudulent cash withdrawals of UI benefits, including pandemic benefits, from Bank of America ATMs in Los Angeles County.
As to Robinson specifically, from August 2020 to October 2020, Robinson and her co-conspirators used 10 debit cards to withdraw a total of approximately $68,742 in fraudulently obtained EDD funds from ATMs in Southern California. But, in total during the scheme, Robinson and other co-conspirators withdrew at least $993,181 in EDD funds from approximately 151 fraudulent accounts.
United States District Judge John F. Walter scheduled a July 3 sentencing hearing for Robinson, at which time she will face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison.
Demola pleaded guilty on March 7 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, three counts of bank fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft. She faces a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years on the conspiracy and bank fraud counts, and a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence for the aggravated identity theft count, at her July 10 sentencing hearing.
Plummer pleaded guilty on April 17 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft. She faces up to 32 years in federal prison at her July 14 sentencing hearing.
The case’s other defendants have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud, bank fraud, and/or aggravated identity theft based on their respective roles within the scheme. Most defendants will face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison.
The investigation into this scheme was conducted by the Los Angeles El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force, a multi-agency task force led by Homeland Security Investigations that includes federal and state investigators who are focused on financial crimes in Southern California. The California Employment Development Department, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the United States Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, the Inglewood Police Department, and the United States Marshals Service participated in this investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney David C. Lachman of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section and Assistant United States Attorney Nisha Chandran of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.
Anyone with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Sex Offender Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
TEXARKANA – A Hot Springs man was sentenced today to 300 months in prison without the possibility of parole on one count of Transportation of Child Pornography. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing, which was held in the U.S. District Court in Texarkana, Arkansas.
According to court documents, in early 2022, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an individual in Hot Springs had posted numerous images of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to the social media platform Snapchat. The subsequent investigation determined that all the CSAM posts were made by the same user, who was identified as Brandon Joshua Napier, age 33. At the time, Napier had previously been convicted of Possessing or Viewing Child Pornography and was consequently required to register as a Sex Offender while residing in Garland County.
Napier was indicted by a Grand Jury in the Western District of Arkansas in June 2022 and entered a plea of guilty in September 2022.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Arkansas Department of Community Corrections, and the Hot Springs Police Department participated in the investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Marshall and Assistant U.S. Attorney Devon Still prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Several convicted in family-run illegal gambling businessesRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A total of seven local residents have been convicted of conspiring to conduct illegal gambling in Webb and Zapata counties, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Hilda Diana Guerra-Villarrea, 74, Raul Rene Villarreal, 51, and Alma Urania Garcia, 33, all of Zapata, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to conduct and conducting illegal gambling at locations in Webb and Zapata counties.
Four others - Rodolfo Ricardo Villarreal Jr., 37, Juan Vasco, 52, and Ruben Samuel Villarreal, 28, all from Zapata and Maria Mendieta, 42, Bruni - entered their pleas to the same charges in 2022.
The investigation revealed a complex conspiracy which began in 2019. As part of the scheme, various members of the Villarreal family conspired to operate a family-run illegal gambling business at multiple establishments in Webb and Zapata Counties near the city of Laredo. This included the Lucky Spins (Red Barn) in Bruni, Desert Diamond in Falcon and Golden Amusement in Zapata.
Members of the family and their close associates owned and operated the establishments and illegally made cash payouts to customers.
As part of her plea today, Guerra-Villarreal agreed to the forfeiture of an estimated $2.6 million in the form of land, buildings and gambling machines.
U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana will impose sentencing for all at a later date. At those hearings, each faces up to five years in prison and a possible $250,000 fine.
All seven have been permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case with assistance from the Laredo Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety and Webb County District Attorney’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco J. Rodriguez, Mary Ellen Smyth, Gerard Cantu and Matthew Isaac are prosecuting the case.