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Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
13 April 2023
Minnesota Man Sentenced for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Ossie Bradley, 52, of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, was sentenced today by Senior United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard to a term of 30 months’ imprisonment following his conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. After he completes his prison sentence, Bradley will also serve three years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
On August 17, 2021, Bradley was stopped for a traffic violation by a Lincoln Police officer as Bradley was traveling on Interstate 80 in Lancaster County. The officer could smell the odor of burnt marijuana as he approached the car. The officer asked Bradley to come back to his patrol car to receive a traffic warning. Before Bradley entered the patrol car, the officer performed a pat-down search. During the pat-down, the officer located a handgun tucked in a small holster around Bradley’s waist. The firearm, a Ruger LCP II .380 caliber pistol, had six rounds in the magazine and came back as stolen out of Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. Bradley was prohibited from possessing firearms because of multiple prior felony convictions, the last of which was for being a felon in possession of a firearm in Minnesota.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln Police Department. 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.
Milwaukee Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Bank Robberies, Illegal Firearm Possession, and Conspiracy to Retaliate Against an Informant.Read the Press Release
United States Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that on April 13, 2023, United States District Court Judge Lynn Adelman sentenced Antoine L. Jackson (age 30) to 16 years in federal prison after Jackson was convicted by a jury of conspiracy to commit bank robbery, three bank robberies, possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and conspiracy to retaliate against an informant.
The evidence presented at trial showed that between September 15, 2021, and December 23, 2021, the defendant was part of a robbery crew that committed multiple bank robberies in Milwaukee. The defendant was directly involved in three bank robberies, all at the Wells Fargo Bank located at 7600 West Hampton Avenue. During the robberies, the defendant and his co-actors passed notes to the bank tellers, threatening that unless they were given money, they would blow up the building or kill everyone inside the bank. Among other evidence, the government presented forensic evidence recovered from two of the crime scenes tying the defendant to the robberies.
The evidence also showed that the defendant possessed a firearm—and left his DNA on three parts of the firearm—when he was not legally allowed to possess a firearm due to having previously been convicted of a felony crime.
Finally, the evidence also showed that after the defendant was arrested on January 26, 2022, he made calls from jail in which he provided instructions to have a suspected informant seriously injured.
At sentencing, Judge Adelman discussed the defendant’s extensive criminal history, which includes prior convictions for bank robbery. The judge also noted the seriousness of the defendant’s conduct in this case, the trauma he brought upon the employees of the banks he victimized, and the concerning nature of the defendant’s role in recruiting and training younger men to conduct bank robberies. The judge acknowledged that the defendant’s prior sentences failed to deter him from committing further crimes, and he indicated that the 16-year sentence in this case is an effort to justly punish Antoine Jackson and deter him and others from committing violent offenses in the future.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Milwaukee Area Violent Crimes Task Force and the Milwaukee Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Deputy Criminal Chief Margaret B. Honrath and Assistant United States Attorney Kate M. Biebel.
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For Additional Information Contact:
Public Information Officer
414-297-1700
Milton Man Charged with Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Robert A. Kohl, age 48, of Northumberland County, PA, was indicted on charges of production of child pornography.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Kohl produced child pornography four separate times between August 2021 to September 2022.
The case was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Alisan V. Martin is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law for each charge is 30 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. The maximum penalty under federal law for the charge of receipt of child pornography is twenty years, with a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Middlessex County Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Child Pornography, ObstructionRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 15 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release. Charles F. Browne, 55, of South River, New Jersey, convicted at trial on June 27, 2023, of receiving child pornography, soliciting child pornography, possessing prepubescent child pornography, and concealing objects to impede the FBI’s investigation.
Middleburg Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Cody Mack McCormick (35, Middleburg) today pleaded guilty to possession of ammunition as a convicted felon. McCormick faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.
According to court documents, on December 12, 2022, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida issued a search warrant authorizing the search of McCormick’s home. The next day, McCormick agreed to be interviewed by a Special Agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. During the interview, McCormick told the agent that there were no firearms in his home, but that there was ammunition. McCormick admitted that he was a convicted felon and confirmed that he knew that he could not legally possess firearms.
After interviewing McCormick, law enforcement searched his home, during which they located 317 rounds of ammunition on shelves in McCormick’s bedroom. When asked, McCormick provided the combination to a safe, which was also in his bedroom. Inside the safe, agents found 43 additional rounds of ammunition and the registration to McCormick’s car. As a previously convicted felon, McCormick is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.
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.
Middle District of Florida Task Force Continues to Combat COVID-19 FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the results achieved by the Middle District of Florida’s efforts to combat fraud related to COVID-19. Those efforts have included complementary actions by the United States Attorney’s Office’s (USAO-MDFL) Criminal, Asset Recovery, and Civil Divisions, along with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
“The Middle District of Florida United States Attorney’s Office remains committed to protecting the integrity of government programs established to provide relief for those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg. “These cases should serve as a warning to those who might have engaged in similar fraudulent activity that holding those accountable for these crimes remains a high priority for federal authorities.”
The USAO-MDFL’s Civil Division, in conjunction with the Fraud Section of the Department of Justice Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, recently announced a $325,000 settlement with Florida companies Kingwood Orlando Reunion Resort LLC and Kingwood Crystal River Resort Corp. (“Crystal River”) regarding allegations that they violated the False Claims Act and the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act by knowingly providing false information in support of a Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan forgiveness application submitted by Crystal River.
On the criminal enforcement front, the USAO-MDFL and federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies combined resources in March 2020 to form the Middle District of Florida COVID-19 Fraud Task Force to identify, investigate, and prosecute fraud related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Since its inception, the Task Force has prosecuted 57 defendants for fraud schemes designed to exploit federal programs including the PPP, Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDL”), Unemployment Insurance (“UI”), the Main Street Lending Program (“MSLP”), and the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (“ERAP”). Collectively, these defendants sought to defraud the United States of over $65 million. 43 of those defendants have already been found guilty, while prosecution remains pending against 14 defendants.
(See chart for criminal case details.)
For example, in February 2023, Keith Ingersoll (46, Orlando) was sentenced to nine years and one month in federal prison for a variety of fraud schemes, including a real estate scam and a fraudulent EIDL application.
Also in February 2023, Daniel Joseph Tisone (35, Naples) was sentenced to seven years and three months in federal prison for a variety of COVID-19 fraud offenses. As part of his sentence, he was ordered to forfeit properties, an engagement ring, ammunition, and cash seized from bank accounts and must pay more than $2.6 million in restitution. Tisone, a convicted felon, submitted false and fraudulent EIDL, MSLP, and PPP loan applications containing false representations, including about his criminal history, average monthly payroll, number of employees, and gross revenues.
Further, the USAO-MDFL’s Asset Recovery Division and federal seizing agencies have completed the forfeiture of more than $16.8 million of EIDL, UI, and PPP funds that were fraudulently obtained, depriving the fraudsters of their ill-gotten gains and recovering the proceeds for the victims. More than $9.8 million in additional pandemic fraud proceeds have been seized and are pending civil or criminal forfeiture.
The U.S. Attorney General has established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Through the PPP, the federal government authorized over $600 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP. The EIDL program provides economic relief to small businesses that are currently experiencing a temporary loss of revenue. The MSLP provided support to small and medium-sized businesses and their employees across the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. UI programs provided unemployment benefits to eligible workers who became unemployed through no fault of their own.
The criminal cases charged by the Middle District of Florida COVID-19 Fraud Task Force have been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Secret Service, Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation, the Department of Labor—Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Postal Service, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the Small Business Administration, the Small Business Administration – Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation—Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery, Federal Reserve Board – Office of Inspector General, the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, the Orlando Police Department, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, the Winter Park Police Department, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys throughout the Middle District of Florida.
The Department of Justice needs the public’s assistance in remaining vigilant and reporting suspected fraudulent activity. To report suspected fraud, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) at (866) 720-5721 or file an online complaint at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/webform/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. Complaints filed will be reviewed at the NCDF and referred to federal, state, local, or international law enforcement or regulatory agencies for investigation.
Charged Cases
Defendant(s) (Age)
Charge(s)
Max. Imprisonment
Type of Fraud*
Intended Loss
Amount
Tampa Division
Joseph Abdo
Wire fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
Illegal monetary transactions
Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years
PPP
$500k
Alexander Leszczynski
Wire fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
Bank fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 30 Years
Illegal monetary transactions
Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years
PPP
$200k
Charles Cunningham
Bank fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 30 years
PPP
$800k
Ellyn Pinkney
Wire fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
EIDL
$14M
Kieanna Garrett
Wire fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
EIDL
$40k
Nicole Bramble-King
Wire fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
PPP
$40k
These COVID Fraud cases from the Tampa Division are being handled by AUSAs Rachel Jones, Greg Pizzo, Candace Rich, and Jennifer Peresie
Orlando Division
Evan Edwards
Joshua Edwards
Conspiracy to commit bank fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 30 years
Bank fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 30 years
Visa fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
False statements
Maximum Prison Term: 30 years
PPP
$8M
Emmet Bowens
Wire fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
Illegal monetary transactions
Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years
PPP
$740k
These COVID Fraud cases from the Orlando Division are being handled by AUSAs Kara Wick, Chauncy Bratt, Shannon Laurie, and Amanda Daniels
Jacksonville Division
Jacob Byrd
Wire fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
PPP
$20k
These COVID Fraud cases from the Jacksonville Division are being handled by AUSA Kevin Frein
Fort Myers Division
Venera Price
Mail fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
ERAP
$82k
Ismaelle Manuel
Bank Fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 30 Years
Wire Fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
PPP
$280k
Denis Casseus
Bank Fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 30 Years
Wire Fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
PPP
$298k
These COVID Fraud cases from the Fort Myers Division are being handled by AUSA Yolande Viacava
Ocala Division
Henry Wade
Wire Fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
EIDL
$500k
These COVID Fraud cases from the Ocala Division are being handled by AUSA Hannah Nowalk
Adjudicated Cases
Tampa Division
Keaujay Hornsby
Racketeering conspiracy
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
Aggravated identity theft
Maximum Prison Term: Two Years Consecutive
Access device fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years
UI
$3M
Kareem Spann
Racketeering conspiracy
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
Aggravated identity theft
Maximum Prison Term: Two Years Consecutive
Access device fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years
UI
$3M
Richard Simpkins
Conspiracy to commit bank fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 30 Years
Illegal monetary transactions
Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years
PPP
$1.9M
Steve Moodie
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 5 Years
Wire fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
Aggravated identity theft
Maximum: Prison Term: Two Years Consecutive
UI
$1.5M
Marqus Willard Johnson
Bank fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 30 Years
Money laundering
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
PPP
$500k
Omar Esquivel Bello
Wire fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
EIDL
$242k
These COVID Fraud cases from the Tampa Division are being handled by AUSAs Rachel Jones, Diego Novaes, Tiffany Fields, Jennifer Peresie, and Greg Pizzo, and DOJ Trial Attorney John Scanlon
Orlando Division
Brian Blake
Possession of device-making equipment
Maximum Prison Term: 15 Years
Access device fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years
Aggravated identity theft
Maximum: Prison Term: Two Years Consecutive
PPP/UI
$832k
Daniel Johnson
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
Aggravated identity theft
Maximum Prison Term: Two Years Consecutive
Unlawful transfer of firearm
Maximum Prison Term: 5 Years
UI
$2.3M
Teresa McIntyre
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud and other offenses
Maximum Prison Term: 5 Years
EIDL
$730k
Jaheim Davis
Access device fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years
Aggravated identity theft
Maximum: Prison Term: Two Years Consecutive
UI
$219k
These COVID Fraud cases from the Orlando Division are being handled by AUSAs Chauncey Bratt, Amanda Daniels, Jennifer Harrington, Shannon Laurie, and Dana Hill, and U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg
Jacksonville Division
Desmond Williams
Wire fraud conspiracy
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
Wire fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
PPP
$40k
Kenneth Landers
Wire Fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
Money Laundering
Maximum Prison Term: 30 Years
PPP
$1.4M
These COVID Fraud cases from the Jacksonville Division are being handled by AUSA Kevin Frein and Michael Coolican
Fort Myers Division
Al Clint LaRoche
Bank Fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 30 Years
PPP
$1M
This COVID Fraud case from the Fort Myers Division is being handled by AUSA Trent Reichling
Sentenced Cases
Tampa Division
Louis Thornton, III
Wire Fraud
Sentence Imposed: 42 months in federal prison
EIDL/PPP
$815k
Kary Stevenson
Corey Quinn
Conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft
Sentence Imposed: 5 years, 10 months in federal prison (Stevenson)
Sentence Imposed:7 years in federal prison (Quinn)
UI
$1M
Bridgitte Keim
Bank fraud
Sentence Imposed: 2 years in federal prison
PPP
$588k
Wayne Ganaway
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud
Sentence Imposed: 4 years in federal prison
EIDL
$300k
Eriaius Bentley
Racketeering conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, access device fraud
Sentence Imposed: One year in federal prison
UI
$3M
Rolanda Wingfield
Access device fraud, Aggravated identity theft
Sentenced Imposed: 3 years in federal prison
UI
$135k
Tywon Spann
Racketeering conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, access device fraud
Sentence Imposed: 6 years and 9 months in federal prison
UI
$3M
Randy Jones
Wire fraud, aggravated identity theft
Sentence Imposed: 5 years and 1 month in federal prison
EIDL/UI
$250k
Julio Lugo
Conspiracy to commit money laundering
Sentence Imposed: 7 years and 6 months in federal prison
EIDL/PPP
$4.4M
Keith Nicoletta
Conspiracy to commit money laundering
Sentence Imposed: 24 months in federal prison
PPP
$1.9M
Rosenide Venant
Conspiracy to commit money laundering
Sentence Imposed: 5 years in federal prison
EIDL/PPP
$413k
Melinda Hernandez
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud
Wire fraud and aggravated identity theft
Sentence imposed: Three years and six months in federal prison
UI
$1.5M
Bri’antina Mills
Wire fraud and theft of government funds
Sentence imposed: 15 months in federal prison
$10K
Jorge Gutierrez Echeverria
Wire fraud
Sentence imposed: Two years and six months in federal prison
EIDL
$150k
These COVID Fraud cases from the Tampa Division were handled by AUSAs Rachel Jones, Greg Pizzo, Tiffany Fields, Diego Novaes, Jennifer Peresie, and SAUSA Chris Poor
Orlando Division
Jacquavius Smith
Possession of short-barreled rifle; felon in possession of firearm; and aggravated identity theft
Sentence Imposed: 7 years, 1 month in federal prison
PPP
$10k
Johnson Eustache
Wire fraud
Sentence Imposed: 5 years in federal prison
EIDL/PPP
$2.2M
Joseph Harrison
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud
Sentence Imposed: 12 months in federal prison
UI
$2.1M
Tomas Ziupsnys
Conspiracy to commit bank fraud; bank fraud; aggravated identity theft
Sentence Imposed: 5 years in federal prison
PPP
$2M
Holly Urban
Conspiracy to commit bank fraud
Sentence Imposed: 30 months in federal prison
PPP
$1.5M
Joel Greenberg
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud and other offenses while on pretrial release
Sentence Imposed: 11 years in federal prison
EIDL
$430k
Don Cisternino
Wire fraud, illegal monetary transactions, and aggravated identity theft
Sentence Imposed: 8 years and 6 months in federal prison
PPP
$7.2M
Keith Ingersoll
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft
Sentence imposed: 9 years, 1 month in federal prison.
EIDL
$66k
These COVID Fraud cases from the Orlando Division were handled by AUSAs John Gardella, Amanda Daniels, Chauncey Bratt, Emily Chang, and Jennifer Harrington, and U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg
Fort Myers Division
Casey Crowther
Bank fraud, false statement to a financial institution, illegal monetary transaction
Sentence Imposed: 3 years, 1 month in federal prison
PPP
$2.7M
Anthony Bruey
Amber Bruey
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud
Wire fraud
Conspiracy to commit money laundering
Illegal monetary transactions
Sentence Imposed:
Anthony Bruey: 4 years, 3 months in federal prison
Amber Bruey: 4 years in federal prison
PPP/EIDL
$881k
Edrica Leann Watson
False statement to a lending institution
Sentence Imposed: 15 months in federal prison
PPP
$392k
Daniel Joseph Tisone
Wire fraud, bank fraud, money laundering, aggravated identity theft, possession of ammunition by a prohibited person
Sentence Imposed: 7 years in federal prison
PPP/EIDL/MSLP
$10.7M
Liliana Gonzalez
Wire fraud
Sentence Imposed: 5 years of probation with 18 months of home confinement
PPP
$169k
These COVID Fraud cases from the Fort Myers Division were handled by AUSA Trent Reichling and AUSA Jesus M. Casas
Ocala Division
Lavelle Harris
Wire Fraud
Sentence Imposed: 27 months in federal prison
PPP
$1.2M
This COVID Fraud case from the Ocala Division was handled by AUSA Hannah Nowalk
Types of Fraud*
Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL)
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)
Unemployment Insurance (UI)
Main Street Lending Program (MSLP)
Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP)
Middle District of Florida Second Quarter 2023 Prosecutions Include 63 Firearms and Violent Crime Indictments as Part of Project Safe Neighborhoods StrategyRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced today the results of the second quarter of fiscal year 2023 Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) strategy. During the second quarter, ending on March 31, 2023, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida has charged 63 defendants for federal firearms and violent crime offenses, removing 87 firearms from our streets in the process. In addition, law enforcement seized several silencers and machine gun conversion devises. (See chart for case details)
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has also engaged in community outreach efforts aimed at violent crime prevention throughout the year. Those efforts in the second quarter involved approximately 313 citizens. These community outreach efforts included presentations to elementary, middle, and high school students, meetings with community leaders, and re-entry programs.
“Our office is committed to reducing violent crime throughout the Middle District of Florida,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg. “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners and community stakeholders as part of our joint effort to make our communities safer.”
PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. This evidence-based program has proven to be effective at reducing violent crime by engaging a broad spectrum of stakeholders working together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in communities and developing comprehensive solutions that reduce crime. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses on prevention and intervention efforts through community engagement and problem-solving partnerships, strategic enforcement of the most violent offenders, and locally based re-entry programs to reduce recidivism.
Q2 PSN case highlights:
United States v. Ronald Dale Perkins (Ft. Myers)
On January 17, 2023, Ronald Dale Perkins was sentenced to four years and nine months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and for distributing methamphetamine. According to court documents, on April 5, 2022, Perkins, a nine-time convicted felon, sold a sawed-off .410 caliber shotgun gun and methamphetamine to an undercover ATF special agent.
United States v. Brandon Corey Skeith (Jacksonville)
In February 2023, Brandon Corey Skeith was sentenced to seven years and eight months in federal prison for possessing fentanyl and cocaine base with the intent to distribute it and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to court documents, in April 2022, after officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit observed Skeith selling fentanyl from a motel in Jacksonville, a search warrant was obtained for his room. Officers seized fentanyl packaged for sale, cocaine base, scales, beakers and a loaded Smith and Wesson 9mm pistol. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement analyzed the pistol and found Skeith’s DNA on the firearm.
United States v. Aaron Haa (Ocala)
On February 9, 2023, Aaron Haa was sentenced to 17 years and 7 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to court records, on December 9, 2020, Haa was arrested by state authorities after being found with a firearm during a traffic stop. After being released from state custody, Haa was arrested again a few weeks later. During the second incident, Haa led police on a high-speed chase on U.S. 441 in Marion County. A deputy had to force Haa’s vehicle to stop when Haa started fleeing into opposite lanes of traffic. After Haa flipped his vehicle, deputies took him into custody. Deputies recovered another firearm and 70 grams of methamphetamine intended for distribution from Haa’s vehicle. At the time, Haa had at least 20 prior state felony convictions, including trafficking in a controlled substance, fleeing and eluding, and sale of a controlled substance.
United States v. LaTravis Deyonta Mackroy (Orlando)
LaTavis Deyonta Mackroy was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for three bank robberies and an attempted bank robbery. According to court documents and evidence presented during trial, Mackroy was a federal prisoner residing at a halfway house in Orlando. After staying at the halfway house for more than a month, Mackroy was given a home pass which allowed him to spend the weekend with his family. On April 16, 2022, while on his home pass, Mackroy robbed a credit union by passing a demand note and threatening the teller. He left the credit union with $3,231 and returned to the halfway house the following day. The next weekend, Mackroy was again given a home pass. He robbed one bank on Friday, one bank on Saturday, and attempted to rob another bank on Saturday, which was not successful. During the final robbery, the teller walked away from his station after reading the demand note, which caused Mackroy to flee the bank empty-handed, leaving behind the demand note. That note contained four prints matching Mackroy’s fingerprints which were on file with the FBI. At the time of the robbery spree, Mackroy was still serving a federal sentence for a robbery of a pawn shop in Apopka in 2014.
U.S. v. Francisco Cabrera (Tampa)
In January 2023, Francisco Cabrera (28, Dover) was charged with armed robbery, armed carjacking, and attempting to murder federal agents. According to court documents, in January 2022, Cabrera robbed two smoke shops and a gas station. During each robbery, he showed victims a loaded magazine, inserted it into his pistol, and pointed the gun at the victims. Cabrera also approached a victim at a gas station and carjacked him at gunpoint. When law enforcement tried to conduct a traffic stop on Cabrera, he fled at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour in heavy midday traffic, firing multiple shots at the agents and officers pursuing him. ATF agents returned fire, striking Cabrera, which ended the pursuit. No one else was struck by the gunfire. If convicted on all counts, Cabrera faces a mandatory minimum mandatory sentence of 28 years, up to life, in federal prison. The case is currently set for trial in June 2023. An indictment or criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has violated one or more federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
These cases are being prosecuted by the Assistant United States Attorneys in all five divisions throughout the Middle District of Florida. For additional information on Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit our website: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/project-safe-neighborhoods-0.
Charged Cases
Defendant(s)
(Age)
Charges
Minimum/Maximum Terms of Imprisonment
Firearms Seized
Ft. Myers Division
2nd Quarter
Zachary Pegg (27)
Carjacking
Max. penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment
Brandishing a firearm during commission of a crime of violence
Min. 7 years to max. of up to life imprisonment
1
Jimmy Diggs (57)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Min. penalty 15 years up to max. penalty of life imprisonment
1
These PSN cases from the Fort Myers Division are being handled by AUSA Simon R. Eth.
Jacksonville Division
2nd Quarter
Byron Keith Jones, Jr. (34)
Making a false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer during the attempted purchase of a firearm
Max. penalty of up to 5 years’ imprisonment
1
Antoine Danielle Pearson, Jr. (28)
Possession of a machine gun and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Max. penalty of up to 15 years imprisonment
1
Bronquell Aurion Hutchinson (23)
Misrepresentation to firearms dealer during purchase of firearm
Max. penalty of up to 10 years’ imprisonment
0
Cody Mack McCormick (35)
Possession of ammunition by a convicted felon
Max. penalty of up to 15 years’ imprisonment
0
Day’Jon Ma’Ki Major (19)
Possession of a machine gun and a stolen firearm
Max. penalty of up to 15 years’ imprisonment per charge
2
Donnell Bernard Demps, Jr. (26)
Possession of ammunition by a convicted felon
Max. penalty of up to 15 years’ imprisonment
1
Maisha K. Daniels (47)
Stealing contents of postal package as postal employee and possessing, selling, and disposing of a stolen firearm
Max. penalty of up to 5 years’ imprisonment for postal crime and up to 10 years’ imprisonment for firearm charge
1
Samuel Arthur Thompson (52)
Possession, receipt, and production of child sex abuse material, intrusion of protected computer causing damage; production of child sex abuse material by registered sex offender; failure to register as a sex offender; possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Max. penalty of minimum 10 years’ imprisonment and maximum of 50 years’ imprisonment on child abuse charges and up to 15 years’ imprisonment for firearm charge
1
Tony Kenneth Paul, Jr. (22)
Possession of a machinegun and possessing with the intent to distribute marijuana
Max. penalty of up to 10 years’ imprisonment for firearm charge and up to 5 years’ imprisonment for drug charge
0
David Wayne Riddle, Jr. (29)
Possession of ammunition by a convicted felon
Max. penalty of up to 15 years’ imprisonment
1
Pocols Lashawn Jackson (38)
Distribution of a controlled substance and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Max. penalty of up to 20 years’ imprisonment for drug charge and up to 15 years imprisonment for firearm charge
1
Trevor Jonathan Wright (31)
Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Max. penalty of up to 20 years’ imprisonment for Hobbs Act and mandatory min. of 7 years up to life imprisonment for firearm charge
0
Avery Fuller (28)
Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Max. penalty of up to 20 years’ imprisonment for Hobbs Act and mandatory min. of 7 years up to life imprisonment for firearm charge
0
Antonio Saquan Tate (19)
Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Max. penalty of up to 20 years’ imprisonment for Hobbs Act and mandatory min. of 7 years up to life imprisonment for firearm charge
0
Jameise Vaughn Christian (32)
Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Max. penalty of up to 20 years’ imprisonment for Hobbs Act and mandatory min. of 7 years to life imprisonment for firearm charge
0
Delonte Antonio Martin (33)
Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Max. penalty of up to 20 years’ imprisonment for Hobbs Act and mandatory min. of 7 years up to life imprisonment for firearm charge
0
Jaylaun Brown (20)
Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Max. penalty of up to 20 years’ imprisonment for Hobbs Act and mandatory min. of 7 years up to life imprisonment for firearm charge
0
Lucas Shirley (27)
Possession of unregistered short-barreled rifles and transferring unregistered short-barreled rifles
Max. penalty of up to 10 years’ imprisonment for each firearm charge
10 firearms
5 silencers
Lenwall Watts (43)
Possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon and distribution a controlled substance.
Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment up to life for firearm charge and up to 20 years’ imprisonment for drug charge
1
These PSN cases from the Jacksonville Division are being handled by AUSAs Frank Talbot, John Cannizzaro, Laura Taylor, Michael Coolican, Aakash Singh, Kirwinn Mike, and David Mesrobian.
Ocala Division
2nd Quarter
Luis Alicea (29)
Possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon
Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment
1
Brandon Jamal Alex Grant (22)
Possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon
Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment
1
Christopher Worlds (36)
Possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon
Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment
1
Brady Williams (27)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment
1
These PSN cases from the Ocala Division are being handled by AUSAs Sarah J. Swartzberg, William Hamilton, and Tyrie K. Boyer.
Orlando Division
2nd Quarter
Bernard Rogers (35)
Hobbs Act robbery (2 counts), bank robbery, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence (3 counts)
Max. penalty of up to 20 years’ imprisonment for Hobbs Act and bank robbery and mandatory min. of 7 years up to life imprisonment for each firearm charge
1
Michael Jerome Virgil (28)
Bank robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Max. penalty of up to 20 years’ imprisonment for bank robbery and mandatory min. of 7 years up to life imprisonment for firearm charge
1
Carlos Aquino (41)
Possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl
Min. mandatory of 10 years up to life imprisonment
Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
Min. mandatory consecutive 5 years up to life imprisonment
2
Edward Charlesalton Chappell (40)
Possession with intent to distribute cocaine and 10 grams or more of fentanyl analogue
Min. mandatory of 5 years up to 40 years’ imprisonment
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and Armed Career Criminal
Min. mandatory of 15 years’ imprisonment
2
Rany Jonathan Parrales (35)
Making a false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer during the purchase of a firearm
Max. penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment
7
Robert Potocnak (48)
Possession of a firearm and ammunition by convicted felon
Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment
Possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
Min. mandatory of 10 years up to life imprisonment
Possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes
Min. mandatory of 5 years consecutive up to life imprisonment
2
Alvarez Caprio Cosby (25) and Desmond Nyshon Smith (18)
Possession of firearm as a convicted felon
Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment
3
Jeremy Deion Middleton (24)
Receiving stolen firearms and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number
Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment
13
Geoffrey Gaston (38)
Hobbs Act robbery (5 counts), and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence (4 counts)
Max. penalty of up to 20 years’ imprisonment for each Hobbs Act robbery and mandatory min. of 7 years up to life imprisonment for each firearm charge
0
Rico Allen Gandy (44)
Possession of firearm as a convicted felon
Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment
1
Antione Oshea Ladson (28)
Possession of a firearm and ammunition by convicted felon (2 counts)
Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment
Possession with intent to distribute cocaine
Max. penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment
Possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes
Min. mandatory of 5 years consecutive up to life imprisonment
1
Jahroy Elijah Sackey (43)
Possession of a firearm and ammunition by convicted felon
Max. penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment
Possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin
Min. mandatory of 5 years up to 40 years’ imprisonment
1
Terrell Anthony Robinson (36)
Possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, and MDMA
Max. penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and Armed Career Criminal
Min. mandatory of 15 years up to life imprisonment
1
Antavious Anton Gray, Jr. (22)
Possession of a firearm and ammunition by convicted felon
Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment
1
Allen Lee Glover (24)
Possession of a firearm and ammunition by convicted felon (2 counts)
Max. penalty of 25 years’ imprisonment
2
Leo Lamar Massey, III (47)
Possession of a firearm and ammunition by convicted felon
Max. penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment
1
Jatariuis Nyquan Horne (26)
Possession of ammunition by convicted felon
Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment
1
Michael Joseph Hathaway (37)
Possession of a firearm and ammunition by convicted felon
Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment
1
These PSN cases from the Orlando Division are being handled by AUSAs Dana Hill, Megan Testerman, Kara Wick, Michael Felicetta, Terry Livanos, Ranganath Manthripragada, John Gardella, Aakash Singh, David Pardo, Stephanie McNeff, Beatriz Gonzalez, and Ashley Washington.
Tampa Division
2nd Quarter
Evan Ingram (42)
Distribution of controlled substance, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon
Max. penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment, and mandatory min. of 15 years up to life imprisonment for each possession of firearm and ammunition charge
1
Nicholas Quinton Hanson (32)
Marcus Dewonn Mobley, Jr. (22)
Possession of ammunition as a convicted felon
Max. penalty of 15 years imprisonment
Possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon
Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment
2
Terrance Paul Snow (22)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment
1
Martez Manning (26)
Possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon
Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment
1
Meccos Donta Allen (38)
Unlawfully possessing a firearm
Mandatory min. of 15 years up to life imprisonment
1
Clinton Justesen (48)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute
Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment and 20 years’ imprisonment for the drug offense
3
Francisco Cabrera (28)
Armed robbery, armed carjacking, and attempting to murder federal agents
Mandatory minimum 28 years up to life imprisonment
0
Dempsey Gilmore (32)
Conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana, carrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon
Maximum penalty of life imprisonment
1
Jojuan Lindsey (27)
Possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon
Maximum penalty of up to 15 years’ imprisonment
1
Dartis Cobb (35)
Possession of ammunition by a convicted felon
Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment
0
Demetrius Sanchez Mitchell (38)
Possession of a firearm as a convicted felon
Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment
1
Shawn Lanier Lowman (23)
Possession of a firearm as a convicted felon
Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment
2
Leonon Ricky Davis (37)
Felon in possession of a firearm
Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment
1
Michelle Denise Herds (44)
Possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance
Max. penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment
Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
Mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years up to life imprisonment
1
Rodrick Quinelle Dallas (35)
Felon in possession of a firearm
Mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years up to life imprisonment
1
De’Antez Morgan (28)
Felon in possession of a firearm
Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment
1
Lennard Rashard Monroe (30)
Possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance
Mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years up to life imprisonment
Felon in possession of a firearm
Mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years up to life imprisonment
1
Milton Anthony Bradshaw (42)
Possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon
Mandatory min. of 15 years up to life imprisonment
1
These PSN cases from the Tampa Division are being handled by AUSAs Samantha Newman, Christopher Murray, David P. Sullivan, David W. A. Chee, Diego Novaes, Samantha Beckman, and Michael Kenneth.
Defendant(s)
(Age)
Charges
Minimum/Maximum Terms of Imprisonment
Firearms Seized
Fort Myers Division
2nd Quarter
Giovanni Francois (23)
Possession of a firearm and ammunition by convicted felon
Max. penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment
Possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and MDMA
Max. penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment
Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crimes
Min. mandatory of 5 years up to life imprisonment
1
Shaborn Washington
Possession of a firearm
Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment
1
Alphonso James (29)
Possession of a firearm
Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment
1
Jontavious Griffin (34)
Possession of a firearm
Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment
1
These PSN cases from the Fort Myers Division are being handled by AUSAs Mark Morgan and Simon R. Eth.
Jacksonville Division
2nd Quarter
Gregory Austin Eward (25)
Conspiracy to possess and transfer unregistered firearm silencers
Max. penalty of 5 years’ imprisonment
0
Ronald Bernard Thomas, Jr. (46)
Selling fentanyl and high-purity methamphetamine while armed and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon
Max. penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment for each of the three counts of selling fentanyl, minimum mandatory of 10 years up to life imprisonment per count of selling methamphetamine, and
minimum of 5 years up to life imprisonment consecutive for each of two counts of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, max. penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
2
Cory Lee Kelly (34)
Possession of a firearm as a convicted felon
Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment
0
Sonja Leigh Quinn (50)
Possession of a firearm as a convicted felon
Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment
0
These PSN cases from the Jacksonville Division are being handled by AUSAs Kirwinn Mike, Michael J. Coolican, Cherie Krigsman, Laura C. Taylor, and Michael Coolican.
Ocala Division
2nd Quarter
Antonio Eugene Brutton (35)
Possession of a firearm affecting commerce by a previously convicted felon
Minimum of 15 years, maximum of life imprisonment
2
Christopher Richard Munroe (55)
Possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon
Maximum of 15 years’ imprisonment
3
These PSN cases from the Ocala Division are being handled by AUSAs Tyrie K. Boyer, and Belkis Crockett.
Orlando Division
2nd Quarter
Nacoe Ray Brown (54)
Bank robbery and violating the term of supervised release
Max. penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment for bank robbery and max. penalty of 3 years’ imprisonment for violating term of supervised release
1
Darius Rodney Capers (18)
Conspiracy to rob a postal carrier and attempted robbery of postal carrier
Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment
2
Jesus Rojas (21)
Conspiracy to rob a postal carrier, armed postal robbery,
theft of Arrow Key and receipt of stolen property
Max. penalty of 25 years’ imprisonment
0
Elsie Marie Crespo (27)
Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances (3 counts); possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
Min. of 10 years up to life imprisonment for drug offenses; min. penalty of 5 years’ up to life imprisonment for firearm offense
1
Bengie Emannual Silva-Ramos (31)
Unlawfully engaging in the business of dealing in firearms, transferring and possession of machine guns, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances, possession of firearms in furtherance of the drug conspiracy
Mandatory min. of 10 years and
up to life imprisonment
4
These PSN cases from the Orlando Division are being handled by AUSAs Michael P. Felicetta, Kara Wick, and Dana Hill.
Tampa Division
2nd Quarter
Christopher Alvarez (19)
Four robberies, conspiracy to commit those robberies, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Max. penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment for each robbery count, and a mandatory min. of 7 years up to life imprisonment, served consecutive to any other sentence
1
Patraic Setzer (28)
Possession of a firearm as a convicted felon
Max. penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment
1
James Junior Williams (44)
Bank robbery
Max. penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment
0
Jamaal Black (22)
Robberies and discharging a firearm during and in relation to one of the robberies.
Max. penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment for each robbery count, and min. mandatory of 10 years up to life imprisonment for firearm offense
1
Omar Rochester Miller, Jr. (23)
Robbery of a postal carrier, theft of postal keys, and brandishing a firearm during the robbery
Max. penalty of 25 years’ imprisonment for armed robbery; 10 years’ imprisonment for theft of postal keys; mandatory min. of 7 years’ imprisonment for brandishing the firearm
1
Thomas Bellere (40)
Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon
Mandatory min. penalty of 10 years up to life imprisonment
1
Reginald Roberts a/k/a “Rudy” (22)
Nathaniel Keith Carr a/k/a “Nate”(28)
Chrishawn De’Earl Butler a/k/a “Baby” (22)
Conspiracy to commit robbery, Hobbs Act robbery, and brandishing and discharging firearms in the commission of crimes of violence
Mandatory min. of 14 years up to life imprisonment
0
Demetrius Sanchez Mitchell (38)
Possession of a firearm as a convicted felon
Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment
1
Meccos Donta Allen (38)
Unlawfully possessing a firearm
Mandatory min. of 15 years up to life imprisonment
1
Yasin Carnegie (32)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment.
1
These PSN cases from the Tampa Division are being handled by AUSAs Samantha Newman, Samantha Beckman, Charlie Connally, Ilyssa M Spergel, Stacie B. Harris, Diego Novaes, Michael Sinacore, and David P. Sullivan.
Sentenced Cases
Defendant(s)
(Age)
Charges
Sentence Imposed
Firearms Seized
Fort Myers Division
2nd Quarter
Ronald Dale Perkins (45)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and distributing methamphetamine
Sentence imposed: four years and nine months’ imprisonment
1
Cambrel Jamal Smart (29)
Possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon
Sentence imposed: 5 years’ imprisonment
1
These PSN cases from the Fort Myers Division were handled by AUSAs Mark Morgan, and Trent Reichling.
Jacksonville Division
2nd Quarter
Brandon Corey Skeith (40)
Possession of fentanyl and cocaine base with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
Sentence imposed: 7 years and 8 months’ imprisonment
1
John Nathan Hemingway (52)
Possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine and cocaine base, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
Sentence imposed: 9 years’ imprisonment
1
Frederick Lamont Sams (41)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Sentence imposed: 7 years’ imprisonment
1
Cornelius Dewyane Moore (30)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Sentence imposed: 2 years’ imprisonment
1
Raekwon Cannon (26)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Sentence imposed: 4 years’ imprisonment
2
Terry Lenard Shipman (48)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Sentence imposed: 5 years of imprisonment
1
These PSN cases from the Jacksonville Division were handled by AUSAs Frank Talbot, Michael J. Coolican, and John Cannizzaro.
Ocala Division
2nd Quarter
Jaedyn Tiryse Presley
(23)
Possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon
Sentence Imposed: Time Served: (4 months)
1
Michael Tyrone Young (32)
Possession of a firearm by a felon
Sentence imposed:
33 months’ imprisonment
1
Aaron Haa (42)
Possession of a firearm by a felon; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense
Sentence imposed: 17 years and 7 months’ imprisonment
3
Troy Nix (29)
Possession of a firearm by a felon; possession with intent to distribute heroin
Sentence imposed: 5 years and 8 months’ imprisonment
1
Rey Daniel Facio-Garcia (29)
Possession of a firearm by an illegal alien
Sentence imposed: 2 years and 6 months’ imprisonment
1
Ricky Darnell Franklin, Jr. (30)
Possession of a firearm/ammunition by a convicted felon.
Sentence imposed: 3 years and 4 months’ imprisonment
1
These PSN cases from the Ocala Division were handled by AUSAs Robert E. Bodnar, Jr., Tyrie K. Boyer, William S. Hamilton, and Hannah Nowalk.
Orlando Division
2nd Quarter
Kevin Deane Jones (30)
Unlawfully possessing ricin, a biological toxin, and for possession of two firearms as a convicted felon
Sentence imposed: 10 years’ imprisonment
2
Nathan Joel Arledge (29)
Possession of machine guns, an unregistered short-barrel rifle, unregistered silencers, and child abuse material
Sentence imposed: 6 years’ imprisonment
3
Carlos Tawan Reed, Jr. (23)
Bank burglary and bank theft in connection with the destruction of an ATM
Sentence imposed: 4 years and 3 months’ imprisonment
0
Daniel Stephen King (28)
Possession of firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon
Sentence imposed: 10 years’ imprisonment
9
Carlos Alberto Roman (56)
Possession of controlled substances and possessing a firearm equipped with a silencer in furtherance of drug crime
Sentence imposed: 40 years’ imprisonment
19 firearms,
6 silencers,
3 grenades
These PSN cases from the Orlando Division were handled by AUSAs Jennifer M. Harrington, Courtney D. Richardson-Jones, Michael P. Felicetta, John M. Gardella, and Dana Hill.
Tampa Division
2nd Quarter
Edwin Hill a/k/a “Z” (51)
Conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and heroin, distribution of fentanyl and cocaine, and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking
Sentence imposed: 21 years and 10 months’ imprisonment
1
Damien Boatwright (23)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Sentence imposed: 6 years and 5 months’ imprisonment
1
Terry Augusta Newsome (34)
Unlawful possession of a firearm
Sentence imposed: 7 years’ imprisonment
1
Robert Humberston (39)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Sentence imposed: 6 years’ imprisonment
3
Thaddeus Timeaus Howard (30)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Sentence imposed: 10 years’ imprisonment
1
Raequin Smith (27)
Possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking
Sentence imposed: 6 years and 3 months’ imprisonment
1
Demetrius Haynes (32)
Conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine
Sentence imposed: 14 years’ imprisonment
1
Marques Howard (31)
Hobbs Act robbery, conspiracy to commit that robbery, discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Sentence imposed: 17 years and 3 months’ imprisonment
1
Cedric Durham Jr. (22)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Sentence imposed: 4 years’ imprisonment
1
Dallas Robinson, Jr. (22)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Sentence imposed: 6 years and 6 months’ imprisonment
1
These PSN cases from the Tampa Division were handled by AUSAs Dan Baeza, Samantha Beckman, Charlie Connally, David P. Sullivan, Maria Guzman, Shauna S. Hale, Samantha Newman, and David W. A. Chee.
Mexican man sentenced for smuggling over 8 kilos of narcotics in candy boxRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 35-year-old U.S. citizen residing in Monterrey, Mexico, has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of smuggling two kilograms of cocaine and six kilograms of meth, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
A federal jury deliberated for approximately 45 minutes before convicting, Nestor Alan Garcia before returning a guilty verdict Sept. 22, 2022, on all six counts as charged following a four-day trial.
Today, U.S. District Judge Randy Crane ordered Garcia to serve 144 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard arguments on whether Garcia had a larger role in the conspiracy beyond his participation as a transporter. The court heard that Garcia should receive an appropriate sentence based on the amount and purity of the drugs he and others smuggled into the country.
According to the testimony, Garcia attempted to enter the Hidalgo Port of Entry in a taxi on May 13, 2022. He claimed he was going to a party in McAllen and had a box of “pulparindo” candy, puppies and various meat products. Authorities referred Garcia to secondary inspection. There, a search of the box of candy revealed approximately 6.2 kilograms of meth and 2.08 kilograms of cocaine.
Law enforcement testified Garcia had attempted to hide the narcotics in a box of candy and later lied when he claimed he did not know how the drugs had been placed in the box or came into his custody. He coordinated the smuggling of the narcotics with his mother for days ahead of the smuggling event at the Hidalgo Port of Entry.
The defense attempted to convince the jury Garcia had no knowledge of the drugs and was simply doing a favor for his mother. The jury did not believe those claims and found him guilty as charged.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eliza Carmen Rodriguez and Lee Fry prosecuted the case.
Memphis Man Charged with Committing Sex Trafficking Offenses Against Two Minors and Two AdultsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – Today, a federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment charging MACEO ROBERTS, age 24, from Memphis, Tennessee, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
In Count One of the indictment, ROBERTS was charged with conspiring with Jeremy Talbert and Dominique Peeples to traffic an adult victim and a 14-year-old victim for commercial sex purposes between at least August 2020 and January 2021, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1594(c).
In Counts Two and Five, ROBERTS was charged with trafficking two different adult victims for commercial sex purposes by means of force, fraud, or coercion, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1591. Count Three of the indictment charged ROBERTS with Coercion and Enticement of an Individual to Travel to Engage in Prostitution from the Eastern District of Louisiana to Texas, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2422(a). Count Four charged ROBERTS with transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity from the Eastern District of Louisiana to Texas, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2423(a).
If convicted, ROBERTS faces up to life imprisonment as to Count One. Counts Two and Five carry a mandatory minimum of fifteen years up to a maximum of life in prison. As to Count Three, ROBERTS faces up to twenty years in prison. Count Four carries a mandatory minimum of ten years up to a maximum of life in prison.
As to each count, the defendant also faces supervised release for a term of five years up to life, a fine of up to $250,000, a requirement that the defendant participate in the sex offender registration and notification program, and a mandatory $100.00 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Memphis Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Maria Carboni of the Financial Crimes Unit and Jordan Ginsberg, Supervisor of the Public Corruption Unit, are in charge of the prosecution.
Member and Associate of Newark Street Gang Charged with Unlawful Possession of Machinegun used in Shooting of Three PeopleRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A member of a Newark street gang made his initial court appearance today on firearms charges related to the shooting of multiple victims, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger announced.
Munir Muhammad, aka “Mu,” 18, of Newark, is charged by complaint with one count of possession of a machinegun and possession of an unregistered firearm. He appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge José R. Almonte and was detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Since 2021, law enforcement officers have been investigating a series of retaliatory shootings between rival neighborhoods in Newark involving individuals in the area of Clinton Place and Weequahic Avenue, which is known on the street as “Cake Block.” These individuals are aligned with others who operate in the area of Vorhees Street and individuals who operate around the Bradley Court Housing Complex. Muhammad is a member and associate of this neighborhood street gang. He and his fellow gang members have committed numerous shootings that targeted individuals who operate in the area of the Oscar Miles Housing Complex and Goodwin Avenue.
On April 8, 2023, law enforcement officers responded to a shooting in the area of the Oscar Miles Housing Complex and discovered three shooting victims, one of whom remains in critical condition.
On April 12, 2023, after the investigation identified Muhammad as a primary suspect in the shooting, law enforcement arrested Muhammad while he was in possession of a 9mm handgun equipped with a machinegun conversion device and loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition in an extended magazine. A subsequent ballistics analysis of the machinegun confirmed that the machinegun fired 28 rounds during the April 8, 2023, shooting at the Oscar Miles Housing Complex.
The charge of possession of a machinegun carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The charge of possession of an unregistered firearm carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited the Newark Department of Public Safety, under the direction of Fritz Fragé; special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller; and special agents of the Secret Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Patrick Freaney, New York Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Jose Riera, Newark Field Office, with the investigations leading to the charges.
This case is part of the Violent Crime Initiative (VCI) in Newark. The VCI was formed in August 2017 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Newark’s Department of Public Safety to combat violent crime in and around Newark. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the DEA New Jersey Division, the U.S. Marshals, the Newark Department of Public Safety, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, N.J. State Board of Parole, Union County Jail, N.J. State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, N.J. Department of Corrections, the East Orange Police Department, and the Irvington Police Department.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Desiree Grace, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, in Newark.
The charges and allegations in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
muhammad.complaint.pdfMassachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Steal Firearms from Second Amendment Outdoors in DerryRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Lawrence, Massachusetts man pleaded guilty today in federal court to conspiring to steal firearms from a federal firearms licensee, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Jaythean Diaz, 19, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to steal firearms from a federal firearms licensee. U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Laplante scheduled sentencing for July 25, 2023. Diaz was indicted on July 11, 2022.
On December 8, 2021, the Diaz and his co-conspirators broke into Second Amendment Outdoors in Derry, New Hampshire and stole 12 firearms—11 pistols and one rifle. Videos recovered from the phone of a co-conspirator show Diaz holding the stolen firearms, and messages recovered in another search show attempts by Diaz to sell at least one of the stolen firearms.
The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 5 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, a maximum fine of $250,000 and restitution in an amount to be determined at sentencing. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lawrence Police Department, Methuen Police Department, Massachusetts State Police, Derry Police Department, Atkinson Police Department, Plaistow Police Department, Kingston Police Department, Windham Police Department, Hooksett Police Department, and Salem Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Kennedy 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.
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Man Pleads Guilty to Making Threats to Maricopa County Election Official and to Official with Office of Arizona Attorney GeneralRead the Press Release
An Iowa man pleaded guilty today to sending a threatening communication to an election official on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and to sending a threatening communication to an official with the Office of the Arizona Attorney General.
According to court documents, on or about Sept. 27, 2021, Mark A. Rissi, 64, of Hiawatha, said the following in a voicemail message he left for Clint Hickman, an election official with the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors: “Hello Mr. Hickman, I am glad that you are standing up for democracy and want to place your hand on the Bible and say that the election was honest and fair. I really appreciate that. When we come to lynch your stupid lying Commie [expletive], you’ll remember that you lied on the [expletive] Bible, you piece of [expletive]. You’re gonna die, you piece of [expletive]. We’re going to hang you. We’re going to hang you.”
Additionally, on or about Dec. 8, 2021, Rissi said the following in a voicemail message he left for then-Attorney General of Arizona Mark Brnovich: “This message is for Attorney General Mark Brnovich . . . . I’m a victim of a crime. My family is a victim of a crime. My extended family is a victim of a crime. That crime was the theft of the 2020 election. The election that was fraudulent across the state of Arizona, that the Attorney General knows was fraudulent, that the Attorney General has images of the conspirators deleting election fraud data from the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors computer system. Do your job, Brnovich, or you will hang with those [expletive] in the end. We will see to it. Torches and pitchforks. That’s your future, [expletive]. Do your job.”
“Public officials who administer the most fundamental aspect of our democracy – elections – must be able to do their jobs free from illegal threats,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “As today’s guilty plea demonstrates, our Election Threats Task Force, working with partners across the nation, will continue to hold accountable those who unlawfully threaten election workers.”
“I’m proud of Arizona’s public servants who administer elections with integrity,” said U.S. Attorney Gary M. Restaino for the District of Arizona. “When the people speak at the ballot box, all Americans should respect their voices.”
“As part of the FBI’s mission to defend the democratic process, we are equipped with the expertise to respond to allegations of election interference – whether by fraud, cyber intrusion, or in this case, intimidation,” said Special Agent in Charge Akil Davis of the FBI Phoenix Field Office. “Election security is and will continue to be one of the FBI’s highest national security priorities.”
Rissi pleaded guilty to two counts of making a threatening interstate communication. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 26 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Phoenix Field Office investigated the case, with the assistance of the FBI Cedar Rapids Field Office.
Trial Attorney Tanya Senanayake of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean K. Lokey for the District of Arizona are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco in June 2021, the Task Force has led the department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed, or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The Task Force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and United States Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. A year after its formation, the Task Force is continuing this work and supporting the United States Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they carry on the critical work that the Task Force has begun.
Under the leadership of Deputy Attorney General Monaco, the Task Force is led by the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and includes several other entities within the Department of Justice, including the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Criminal Division, the Civil Rights Division, the National Security Division, and the FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General’s memo.
To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found here: https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at: tips.fbi.gov. Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.
Lewiston Man Pleads Guilty to Straw Purchasing Conspiracy Involving over 30 HandgunsRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Lewiston man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Bangor today to an illegal straw purchasing conspiracy and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court records, between December 2021 and July 2022, Abdullahi Issak, 26, conspired to have 36 firearms straw purchased for him at federal firearms dealers throughout central and southern Maine. Issak directed the straw purchasers where to buy the firearms and what firearms to buy, and provided them cash or drugs in return for engaging in the illegal transactions. Issak took possession of the firearms from the straw purchasers following each sale. He also pleaded guilty to knowingly possessing one of the firearms, which was purchased for him at a federal firearms dealer in Jay. A 2019 New York felony conviction precluded Issak from possessing firearms.
Straw purchasing typically involves a buyer who can lawfully purchase firearms but who then provides them to another person who is legally prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms, therefore allowing the prohibited person to illegally obtain firearms and avoid the national background check system.
Issak faces up to 10 years in prison on the felon in possession charge and five years in prison on the conspiracy charge. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000 on each count. Following any sentence of imprisonment he faces up to three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
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Leader of Multistate Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA – On April 11, 2023, Judge Ralph Beistline of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska sentenced a Mexican national to 14 years imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release for his role as the head of a drug trafficking organization that spanned multiple states. Judge Beistline also sentenced a lower-level coconspirator based in Alaska to a term of seven years of imprisonment on April 12, 2023.
According to court documents, Rene Alejandro Pompa-Villa pleaded guilty to continuing criminal enterprise and money laundering conspiracy for his role in a drug trafficking and distribution enterprise that stretched from Alaska to Arizona, California, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania. From 2016 through October 2020, Pompa-Villa, the leader of the organization, regularly mailed large amounts of drugs to distributors throughout the country, including mailing parcels to drug dealers in Anchorage, and deposited hundreds of thousands of dollars of drug proceeds into various bank accounts. During the nearly three-year investigation, law enforcement officers seized about six kilograms of heroin, four kilograms of methamphetamine and four kilograms of fentanyl sent through the mail. The Alaska drug distributor, Kyle Redpath, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances for receiving drugs through the mail from the drug trafficking organization. Redpath also deposited thousands of dollars into bank accounts owned by the organization.
The continuing criminal enterprise statute that Pompa-Villa was convicted of violating applies to high-level leaders of large and organized criminal organizations.
Pompa-Villa and Redpath were indicted in April 2021 along with 8 other members of the enterprise located in Anchorage, San Diego, and Tucson. Dustin Noonan was sentenced to 21 years imprisonment on March 23, 2023. Tyler Landroche was sentenced to 70 months imprisonment on February 23, 2023. Kimberly Renee Mackey was sentenced to 48 months imprisonment on February 22, 2023. Jessica Twigg was sentenced to time served on May 16, 2022. Carlos Camacho, Christopher Pompa-Villa, and Heydimar Marrero are awaiting sentencing. Victor Pompa-Villa remains at large.
“Today’s sentence disrupts a continuing criminal enterprise that spanned coast-to-coast and border-to-border,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker. “The United States Attorney’s Office, in concert with our law enforcement partners, will continue to aggressively prosecute and seek justice against traffickers of fentanyl and other illegal drugs that are poisoning our communities.”
“The sentence imposed today underscores the commitment of the DEA to tirelessly pursue, and go wherever an investigation leads, to ensure those who traffic poison into our communities are held accountable,” said Jacob D. Galvan, Acting Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division.
“The US Postal Inspection Service will continue to aggressively investigate individuals like Pompa-Villa who use the US Mail in support of their criminal activities.” said Inspector in Charge Anthony Galetti, “This should also serve as a reminder to those who abuse our community by peddling dangerous narcotics; law enforcement will find you and bring you to justice. Cases like these don’t come together without teamwork and we thank all agencies involved.”
“A rockstar once said ‘I’ve never had a problem with drugs. I’ve had problems with the police.’ Though not a rock star, Mr. Pompa-Villa, because of his drug trafficking, also has problems with the police,” said Special Agent in Charge Bret Kressin, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS:CI), Seattle Field Office. “Illegal drugs are a tremendous plague on our communities. Because of that, IRS:CI will continue to work with our partners in the community and in law enforcement to stop the flow of drugs and cause as many problems for drug traffickers as possible, rockstar or not.”
U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska made the announcement.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); U.S. Department of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); the Internal Revenue Service (IRS); Alaska State Troopers and the Anchorage Police Department are investigating the case. The U.S. Marshals had a significant role in making the arrests and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in Tucson and San Diego played a critical role in the indictment of this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher D. Schroeder and Karen Vandergaw prosecuted the case.
This investigation and prosecution are part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”), which 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.
Beware of pills bought on the street: One Pill Can Kill. Fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, is a highly potent opiate that can be diluted with cutting agents to create counterfeit pills that purport to mimic the effects of Oxycodone, Percocet, and other drugs, but can be obtained at a lower cost. However, very small variations in the amount or quality of fentanyl create huge effects on the potency of the counterfeit pills and can easily cause death. Fentanyl has now become the leading cause of drug overdose deaths in the United States. Counterfeit, fentanyl-laced pills are usually shaped and colored to resemble pills that are sold legitimately at pharmacies. For example, the counterfeit pills involved in this case, known as M30s, mimic Oxycodone, but when sold on the street they routinely contain fentanyl. These tablets are round and often light blue in color, though they may be made in many colors, and have “M” and “30” imprinted on opposite sides of the pill.
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Leader of Hillsborough Drug Trafficking Organization and His Wife Sentenced to Federal Prison for Conspiracy and Distribution of Heroin and FentanylRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced William Franqui (37, Tampa) to 14 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl. Franqui’s wife, Marie Rodriguez (41, Tampa), was sentenced to 3 years and 4 months in federal prison for distribution of heroin and fentanyl. Franqui and Rodriguez had both pleaded guilty on May 31, 2022.
According to court documents, beginning no later than September 1, 2017, and continuing through August 27, 2020, Franqui and others, including his wife and codefendants Kevin Darnell Diaz Tirado, Edgardo Colon Rosado, and Orlando Muniz Escalera, conspired to distribute heroin and fentanyl in in the Middle District of Florida. Franqui, who was the leader of his drug trafficking organization, used “runners” to field calls from customers and fulfill orders. The runners distributed the heroin to users in plastic baggies for $10 per bag. Well over a kilogram of heroin was distributed through the runner network alone. Franqui also distributed larger quantities of heroin and fentanyl to other drug dealers.
On three occasions between June 17 and August 14, 2020, Franqui and Rodriguez arranged transactions and sold heroin to a confidential source (CS). Franqui and Rodriguez provided the CS with more than 83 grams of heroin. In one of the distributions, fentanyl was mixed with the heroin.
Kevin Darnell Diaz Tirado, Edgardo Colon Rosado, and Orlando Muniz Escalera, who were all part of Franqui’s runner network, pleaded guilty to the conspiracy and were sentenced in previous hearings. Diaz Tirado was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment, Muniz Escalera was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, and Colon Rosado was sentenced to six years and six months in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Sinacore.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Last Defendant in Methamphetamine Trafficking Ring Is Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Rebecca Lynn Barker, 50, of Sylva, N.C., was sentenced today to 188 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release on drug conspiracy charges, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
According to filed documents and today’s sentencing hearing, between April 2019 and August 2021, federal, state, and local law enforcement determined that Barker was part of a drug conspiracy that trafficked methamphetamine in Haywood, Buncombe, and Jackson Counties as well as Georgia. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement used controlled buys, seizures, and the execution of search warrants to determine that the drug conspirators were responsible for trafficking more than 36 kilograms of methampehetamine in Western North Carolina. Law enforcement also seized thousands of dollars in drug proceeds and nine firearms. Court records show that Barker was responsible for distributing more than 230 grams of actual methamphatamine and over 3,100 grams of methamphetamine mixture. Law enforcement also seized from Barker a handgun and a shotgun, and more than $7,200 in cash.
On August 4, 2022, Barker pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of a mixture containig methamphetamine. She is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
Barker’s co-defendants were previously sentenced as follows:
Robert Allan Burnette was sentenced to 120 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
Angela Vance Carver was sentenced to 70 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
Derek Michal Cluff was sentenced to 30 months in prison and four years of supervised release.
Marcus Brandon Cobaugh was sentenced to 60 months in prison and four years of supervised release.
Lindsay Nicole Cobb was sentenced to 135 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
David Hunter Creson was sentenced to 70 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
William Joseph Craig was sentenced to 179 months in prison and ten years of supervised release.
Arthur Shane Douville, was sentenced to 188 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
Jaime Gamez, was sentenced to 151 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
Justin Caroll Gibson was sentenced to 151 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
Jane Ivison Gill was sentenced to 78 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
Roberty Illerma Ibarra was sentenced to 70 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
Elizabeth Gabrielle Mann was sentenced to 84 months in prison and four years of supervised release.
Jose Andress Martinez was sentenced to 130 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
Keith Allen McMahan was sentenced to 120 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
Nicholas Ray Miller was sentenced to 188 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
Ryan Warren Muster was sentenced to 132 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
Kelly Woodrow Ross was sentenced to time served and three years of supervised release.
Richard Anthony Swanger was sentenced to 63 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
Christy Helen Trull was sentenced to 57 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
Michael Kevin Vanlandingham was sentenced to 12 months of probation.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King credited an investigation led by the Western District’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), and thanked United States Drug Enforcement Administration, the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office, the Buncombe County Anti-Crime Task Force, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, the Waynesville Police Department, the Canton Police Department, the Maggie Valley Police Department, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for their investigative efforts.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles criminal organizations using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf.
Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Kent, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
Jury Finds District Man Guilty of Assault with Intent to Kill While ArmedRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Anthony Braxton, 47, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury, of assault with intent to kill while armed and other charges in a mid-morning stabbing that took place in November 2017, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Braxton also was found guilty of aggravated assault while armed, stalking, and other offenses. The verdict was returned on April 12, 2023, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Maribeth Raffinan scheduled sentencing for June 23, 2023.
According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 4, 2017, Braxton went to the home of his former romantic partner in violation of a court ordered stay away. He then approached the woman in broad daylight and stabbed her nearly 30 times with a pair of needle nose pliers in front of their child in common.
Braxton had been ordered by a District of Columbia Superior Court Judge on Oct. 16, 2017, to stay away and have no contact with the victim. Evidence showed that he violated that order over 500 times between Oct. 16, 2017 and Nov. 4, 2017.
The victim received medical treatment for her stab wounds at Howard University Hospital. She ultimately required surgery to save her right hand.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina Wolf, Appellate Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nick Coleman and Daniel Lenerz, Pretrial Mental Health Coordinator Jennifer Mika, Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Fogle, Victim/Witness Advocate Shawn Slade and Tracy Owusu, and interns Jessica Wasserman, Julianne Saunders, Molly Patrick, and Kate Dougherty.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dana Joseph and Brian Yang, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Judge Sends Convicted Mercer County Drug Dealer to Prison for 15 YearsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – Joshua Peters was sentenced to 180 months in prison for committing firearm and drug trafficking crimes in Mercer County, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Peters, age 37, of Greenville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab. Judge Schwab ordered Peters to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Peters was convicted at the conclusion of a jury trial in December 2022 of committing the following crimes on March 15, 2022: (1) possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, (2) possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and (3) possession of a firearm and ammunition after a prior felony conviction.
The trial evidence demonstrated, among other things, that Peters was distributing cocaine and fentanyl from a house in Greenville, Pennsylvania, in 2022. The house was searched by the Mercer County Drug Task Force on March 15, 2022. Thirty-four grams of cocaine, six guns, and over $2,500 in cash were found inside the house on that date.
The investigation established that Peters was responsible for the distribution of over 500 grams of cocaine and over 80 grams of fentanyl as part of a continuing course of conduct in 2021 and 2022. The investigation also revealed that he, at times, distributed cocaine and fentanyl in return for guns and sexual acts.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
The Mercer County Drug Task Force, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the convictions and sentence in this case.
This case was prosecuted as 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 of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Iowa Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Assaulting an Intimate PartnerRead the Press Release
A man who punched the mother of his children in the face twice was sentenced today to over a year in federal prison.
Dawson Davenport, age 42, from Tama, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 21, 2022 guilty plea to assault of an intimate partner resulting in substantial bodily injury.
Information from the case showed that on January 24, 2022, Davenport was intoxicated and involved in a fight with another man. The victim, who was the mother of three of Davenport’s children, tried to separate the two men. She then retreated into a nearby house and sat on the couch. Davenport entered the home and punched the victim in the face twice, striking near her left eye each time. He attempted to punch her a third time but missed and fell onto the victim. Davenport has previously been convicted of domestic assault five times in state court.
Davenport was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Davenport was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Davenport is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Meskwaki Nation Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-cr-66.
Harrison County man guilty of firearms and witness tampering chargesRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Shinnston, West Virginia, man was found guilty this week of illegally having an assault rifle and tampering with a witness to cover up the crime.
Charles Raymond Wable, 62, was found guilty by a federal jury after a two-day trial. Wable, a person prohibited from having firearms because of prior drug convictions, was under supervision by the U.S. Probation Office. During a home check, officers found a loaded assault rifle hidden under his bed. During a hearing in federal court to revoke his probation, Wable had someone falsely testify about the ownership of the firearm.
Wable will be sentenced on August 2, 2023. He faces up to 10 years in prison for the firearms charge and faces up to 20 years for witness tampering. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Probation Office investigated.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon Flower and Andrew Cogar prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
Chief U.S. District Court Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Harborer linked to deceased migrant sent to prisonRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 39-year-old Mexican woman illegally residing in Edinburg has been sentenced for her role in harboring aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Sanjuana Yurit Garcia-Salazar pleaded guilty Nov. 2, 2022.
Today, Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane sentenced her to a total of 24 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, Garcia-Salazar is expected to face removal proceedings following her imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Garcia was an indispensable link in the chain of events that led to the death of a migrant. In handing down the sentence, the court noted alien smuggling is an inherently dangerous crime, and the harborers, transporters and money launderers in the conspiracy all understand the risks migrants face as they must walk through the South Texas brush in sweltering heat.
“Leaving a migrant’s dead body on the side of the road is a growing and common tragedy along the southern border and shows the callousness of human smugglers,” said Hamdani. “Today’s sentence is a message that our office will aggressively prosecute those who smuggle migrants and harbor migrants, treating them as chattel and endangering their lives solely for profit.”
Law enforcement had discovered the body of a deceased Guatemalan citizen in Edna near FM 234.
The investigation revealed the victim had been harbored at a residence in Edinburg before transportation further into the United States.
Authorities went to a residence believed related to the crime residence Sept. 13, 2022, where they encountered Garcia-Salazar. A subsequent search led to the discovery of 21 individuals illegally present in the United States. Garcia-Salazar admitted she harbored 50 to 60 individuals per week for two years for financial gain.
She further acknowledged knowing about the Guatemalan male whom she had harbored at her residence. She noted he had a really bad cough before being transported away from her residence.
Garcia-Salazar has been in custody since her arrest where she will remain pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Border Patrol conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jongwoo Chung prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of the Missing Migrant Program (MMP). Established in 2021, MMP’s objective is to review migrant smuggling fatalities and determine if there is the possibility of further investigation and prosecution.
Hawaiian Man Sentenced to 12 Years Imprisonment on Possession of Methamphetamine ConvictionRead the Press Release
St. Croix, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Jason Lee Current, 45, was sentenced as a career offender to 12 years imprisonment by District Judge Wilma A. Lewis on his conviction of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. Judge Lewis also sentenced Current to five years of supervised release, a fine of $2,500.00 and a $100.00 special assessment.
According to court documents, on November 5, 2020, Custom and Border Protection in San Juan, PR, intercepted a package that was shipped from California and addressed to Current. The package contained 112 grams of methamphetamine and 341 grams of marijuana. The contraband was removed and replaced with sham drugs and outfitted with a tracking device. On November 10, 2020, Current picked up the package from the Sunny Isle Post Office in St. Croix. Current attempted to eluded capture after he detected the tracking device but was subsequently taken into custody. In July 2020, Current absconded from Hawaii to avoid sentencing on his felony robbery and assault convictions.
The case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel H. Huston prosecuted the case.
Greece Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Jason Lane, 28, of Greece, NY, pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography, before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. The charge carries a minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that in July and August 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received tips from Yahoo that a user uploaded approximately 260 files of possible child pornography to a Yahoo email account. NCMEC forwarded the information to the New York State Police and a subsequent investigation traced the files to an IP address belonging to Lane, a former Town of Greece police recruit, who was terminated following a probationary period. The files include an image of a partially nude preschool-aged child, which appears to have been taken at a childcare facility in the Rochester, NY, area. The files also include sexually explicit images of two minor victims (Victim 1 and Victim 2), that appear to have been taken by Lane.
On August 9, 2022, the NYSP executed a search warrant at a residence in Brighton, NY, and seized a cellular phone belonging to Lane. A second search warrant was executed at a residence in Greece, NY. A forensic analysis of the phone recovered child pornography. A search warrant was also executed on Lane’s Yahoo account. That search recovered additional images of child pornography that were produced by Lane, in images that Lane obtained via the internet, and images of students at Spencerport High School that appear to have been take surreptitiously by Lane when he worked as a security guard at the school.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Brian J. Ratajczak, and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 11, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. before Judge Geraci.
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Grant County residents sentenced to a combined 50 years for child pornRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Two Petersburg, West Virginia, residents have been sentenced for creating and distributing sexual images of a minor under the age of 12.
Christine Shook, age 34, was sentenced today to 240 months in prison. Jasper E. Shook, age 35, was sentenced in February to 365 months. Both defendants pleaded guilty in 2022 to child pornography charges.
Jasper Shook messaged an undercover FBI agent using the KIK app, bragging about sexual contact with a minor and sending sexually explicit images of the child. A search warrant was later executed at the Shook home, where officers seized electronic devices that contained child pornography, with some of the images also identifying Jasper Shook and Christine Shook.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the West Virginia State Police investigated.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley D. Crockett prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Gang Leader Sentenced for Possessing Ammunition While on Federal Supervised Release Less Than a Year After Serving More Than Fifteen Years in Prison for Trafficking DrugsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Providence man identified by law enforcement as a leader of the Trinitarios street gang, has been sentenced to thirty months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Juan Guerrero, 42, was found to be in possession of 9 mm cartridges in October 2019, ten months after he completed serving a fifteen-and-a-half-year federal prison sentence for trafficking drugs. The October 2019 arrest occurred while Guerrero was subject to a five-year term of supervised release that followed his term of incarceration.
Minutes after Providence Police saw a vehicle driven by Guerrero speed away from an area where they were investigating reports of shots fired, a traffic stop resulted in the discovery of a knapsack containing 9 mm ammunition in Guerrero’s vehicle. The investigation later determined that ten spent shell casings recovered by police from the shooting location carried the same marking as did live 9 mm cartridges retrieved from the knapsack.
“Gang violence and gun crimes sow fear on our streets and rob Rhode Islanders of the safety that every one of us deserves in all of our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Cunha. “Rather than learning from the consequences of his past crimes, this Defendant chose to reoffend and put lives at risk. Thanks to superb investigative work by the Providence Police, however, he has been held accountable yet again, and our streets are safer for it.”
“I commend the outstanding work conducted by our officers to assist in removing this dangerous career criminal from our streets,” said Providence Police Colonel Oscar L. Perez. “The continued partnership amongst our law enforcement partners has been an invaluable resource in the reduction of drug and gun violence and in this case the defendant is more than deserving of the sentence he was given. We will continue to utilize every resource available to us to make our streets safe and I thank the Office of the United States Attorney for their commitment to public safety.”
According to a government Sentencing Memorandum filed with the court, on October 21, 2019, at approximately 1:20 am, Providence Police received reports of shots fired. As they were responding, they saw a vehicle speed away from the general area. Providence Police followed the vehicle and attempted to stop it. At first, the driver refused to stop. When it did, the driver, Juan Guerrero, was uncooperative with police and refused officers’ commands. Guerrero was removed from the vehicle at gunpoint and handcuffed. Police later determined that the 16-year-old was, at the time, in the custody of the Rhode Island Training School, but was allowed home under the supervision of his mother. A knapsack containing the ammunition was discovered in the vehicle.
As detailed in court filings, a subsequent investigation by Providence Police revealed surveillance video showing several shots being fired into the air by a person that matched a physical description of Guerrero and the clothing he was wearing at the time of his arrest. The individual is seen in the video firing the gun into the air, and nine or ten muzzle flashes can be seen as shots are fired. The shell casings retrieved from the scene of the shooting and the ammunition contained in the knapsack retrieved from Guerrero’s car carried the same markings.
As a result of his arrest related to this incident, Guerrero was found to have violated the conditions of his federal supervised release and was sentenced to 24 months of incarceration.
On March 23, 2023, Guerrero pleaded guilty to a separate charge of being a felon in possession of ammunition. He was sentenced on Wednesday by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith to 30 months of incarceration to be followed by three years of federal supervised release. The Court ordered Guerrero to serve the additional 30-month sentence imposed today consecutive to the term of incarceration he is currently serving for violating his supervised release conditions.
The matter was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey A. Erickson.
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Fredericksburg Man Sentenced for Production and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Fredericksburg man was sentenced today to 19 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for production and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
According to court documents, from at least December 11, 2018, through April 8, 2019, Chad Michael Lehofer, 37, repeatedly engaged in sexually explicit discussions with a minor online and enticed and coerced the minor to produce sexually explicit pictures and videos and send them to Lehofer. After the minor tried to break off contact with him, Lehofer pretended to be a different person and continued to communicate with the minor online. Lehofer sent threatening messages to the minor, telling the minor that if the minor did not send him sexually explicit videos, he would expose the minor to others, including the minor’s mother and friends. Lehofer claimed to be watching the minor’s house and would send the minor messages indicating he knew the minor’s location and he would be waiting at the minor’s home. In response to these threats, the minor produced a sexually explicit video and sent it to Lehofer.
After obtaining a warrant to search Lehofer’s cell phone, law enforcement discovered that his phone contained numerous images and videos of child sexual abuse material involving prepubescent minors. Lehofer was previously convicted in Connecticut in 2006 for state offenses involving his sexual abuse of two minors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., the Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division; and Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Nachmanoff.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zoe Bedell and Lauren Halper, as well as Trial Attorney Eduardo Palomo from the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, prosecuted the case.
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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
In 2021, EDVA launched “UnMasked,” a community-based educational outreach and prevention program in Virginia dedicated to raising awareness and educating the community about the prevalence of online sexual exploitation involving children and young adults. UnMasked is a multi-disciplinary partnership of local, state, federal, and non-profit stakeholders. The core curriculum is provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) NetSmartz program. To report an incident involving online sexual exploitation, call 1-800-843-5678 or submit a report at report.cybertip.org. To request an UnMasked event at your school or organization, please contact EDVA’s Community Outreach Coordinator at [email protected].
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. 1:22-cr-82.
Four People Indicted for Roles in Romance and Internet Frauds, Illegal Money TransmittingRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A husband and wife formerly of Burlington County, New Jersey, and a Nigerian national were indicted for their roles in an online romance fraud and other internet frauds, resulting in the loss of $4.5 million to over 100 victims, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Martins Inalegwu, 34, of Philadelphia, Phildelphia, Steincy Mathieu, 26 of Brooklyn, New York, and Moses Chukwuebuka Alexander of Nigeria, were indicted on April 6, 2023, for various charges of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, money laundering, transacting in criminal proceeds, and tax evasion.
A fourth defendant, Oluwaseyi Fatolu, of Springfield, New Jersey, was indicted for conducting an unlawful money transmitting business. Fatolu was arraigned on April 12, 2023, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sharon A. King in Camden federal court. Inalegwu and Mathieu are scheduled to be arraigned before Judge King on April 20, 2023. Alexander remains at large.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Between April 2016 and May 2020, Inalegwu, Mathieu, Alexander and their conspirators, several of whom reside in Nigeria, allegedly participated in an online romance scheme, defrauding more than 100 victims throughout the country. The conspirators made initial contact with victims through online dating and social media websites, then corresponded with victims via email and phone, pretended to strike up a romantic relationship with victims, wooed them with words of love, and then requested the victims send money to them, or their associates, for fictitious emergency needs. In all instances, the individuals whom the victims believed they were speaking to did not exist, and instead they were speaking to the conspirators of this scheme. Inalegwu, Mathieu and their conspirators engaged in apartment rental scams wherein they advertised the rental of a property, not owned or controlled by them, for the purpose of collecting money from the victims in the form of application fees and security deposits. After Inalegwu, Mathieu and conspirators collected the money, the victims never heard from them again.
Conspirators used myriad email accounts and phone numbers to communicate with the victims and instruct them on where to wire the money, including recipient names, addresses, financial institutions and account numbers. Victims wired money to bank accounts held by Inalegwu and Mathieu in the United States, and also mailed checks directly to Inalegwu and Mathieu. Some victims transferred money to the conspirators via money transfer services, such as Western Union or MoneyGram, and others wired money to bank accounts held by conspirators overseas.
Federal law enforcement agents have identified more than 100 victims who sent a total of $4.5 million directly to Inalegwu and Mathieu, who spent the money on personal expenses, withdrew money in cash, transferred money to other bank accounts they personally controlled, and transferred money to bank accounts held by Alexander and other conspirators in Nigeria and Turkey. Inalegwu also used the unlicensed money transmitting business run by Fatolu to send money to Nigeria. Fatolu operated a “hawala system,” wherein she directed Inalegwu and other customers to deposit money into her bank accounts and the accounts of her associates in the United States, and thereafter facilitated the movement of corresponding money into the destination bank account overseas, as directed by the customer. Fatolu charged a fee for this service. Inalegwu and Mathieu failed to report the income derived from the victims, and evaded the payment of tax on the entirety of this victim money.
The counts of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering are each punishable by a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The count of transacting in criminal proceeds is punishable by a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The counts of tax evasion are each punishable by a maximum of five years in prison and a $100,000 fine. The count of unlicensed money transmitting is punishable by a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, Newark Division, Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy; special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel in Newark; special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins; postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division; and special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Martha K. Nye of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Trenton office.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
inalegwu.indictment.pdfFour Indicted in Scheme to Deliver Drugs into State Prisons by DroneRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — An indictment, brought on Feb. 16, 2023, has been unsealed, charging four defendants in a scheme to use drones to deliver drugs and other contraband into state prisons, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
Michael Ray Acosta, 48, an inmate at Pleasant Valley State Prison, is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana, conspiracy to own and operate an unregistered drone and serving or attempting to serve as an airman without an airman’s certificate, and using a cellphone in aid of racketeering.
Jose Enrique Oropeza, 34, of Colton in San Bernardino County, is charged with conspiracy to own and operate an unregistered drone and serving or attempting to serve as an airman without an airman’s certificate, possessing with intent to distribute heroin and marijuana, owning and operating a drone that is not registered, and serving or attempting to serve as an airman without an airman’s certificate.
Rosendo Rene Ramirez, 34, of Sacramento, is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana, conspiracy to own and operate an unregistered drone and serving or attempting to serve as an airman without an airman’s certificate, distributing and possessing with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine, serving and attempting to serve as an airman without an airman’s certificate, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
David Ramirez Jr., 34, of Sacramento, is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana, conspiracy to own and operate an unregistered drone and serving or attempting to serve as an airman without an airman’s certificate, and owning or operating a drone that is not registered.
According to court documents, between Jan. 1, and Dec. 10, 2021, Acosta used a contraband cellphone to coordinate multiple drone deliveries of contraband into Pleasant Valley State Prison and other prisons across the state. Oropeza, Rosendo Ramirez, and David Ramirez Jr. flew drones over the prisons and dropped packages of contraband into the prisons. Acosta and his associates would then recover the contraband for further distribution throughout the prison population. The packages that Acosta helped to smuggle into the prisons included methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, marijuana, cellphones, cellphone accessories, butane oil, and various other items.
Acosta’s conspirators took various steps to prevent corrections officers from detecting and intercepting the contraband. They planned drone drops when it was night and the drones were less likely to be seen. Rosendo Ramirez flew the drones from concealed positions in the fields surrounding the prison. The incursions included the following facilities: Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison, Corcoran; Salinas Valley State Prison, High Desert State Prison, Pleasant Valley State Prison, California State Prison, Sacramento; and California State Prison, Corcoran.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the Federal Aviation Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonio J. Pataca is prosecuting the case.
If convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years to life in prison and a fine of up to $10 million. If convicted of possessing with intent to distribute heroin and marijuana or distributing and possessing with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine, the defendants face a statutory penalty of five to 40 years in prison and a fine of up to $5 million. If convicted of conspiracy to own and operate an unregistered drone, serving, owning or operating a drone that is not registered, attempting to serve as an airman without an airman’s certificate, or using a cellphone in aid of racketeering, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. If convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm, Ramirez faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Fort Myers Roofing Contractors Plead Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
Two Florida businessmen pleaded guilty yesterday to tax evasion.
According to court documents, David Aaron and Russell Ultes were co-owners of Marlin Construction Group LLC (Marlin), a Fort Myers-based residential and commercial roofing company. In 2018 and 2019, Aaron and Ultes diverted millions of dollars of customer checks made payable to Marlin, by cashing them at check-cashing businesses in nearby counties. Aaron and Ultes used the cash to pay personal expenses and caused Marlin’s books and records to falsely underreport the business’s gross receipts and income for those years. Aaron and Ultes provided false information to Marlin’s tax return preparers, resulting in the preparation of false 2018 and 2019 corporate income tax returns (Forms 1120S) that did not report all of the gross receipts and income. Because the income from the false corporate returns flowed through to Aaron and Ultes’s personal returns, their 2018 and 2019 personal income tax returns (Forms 1040) were similarly false. In total, Aaron and Ultes caused a tax loss to the IRS of over $1.4 million.
Aaron and Ultes each face a maximum of five years in prison, a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Roger Handby for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Senior Litigation Counsel Stanley J. Okula, Jr., and Trial Attorney Richard J. Hagerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
Former Nurse Pleads Guilty to Tampering with a Consumer ProductRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Catherine Shannon Dunton, 54, has pled guilty in federal district court in Fort Pierce to tampering with a consumer product.
From approximately February 28 to April 18, 2022, Dunton, a Florida licensed Registered Nurse (RN), worked at an outpatient surgical center in Jensen Beach, Martin County, Fla. as a circulating nurse. While working at the center, Dunton took vials of fentanyl, a narcotic painkiller in liquid form, and self-administered it by injection. To avoid detection, she replaced the fentanyl from nearly 450 vials with saline solution, and then returned the adulterated vials to the center for use during outpatient surgical procedures.
At sentencing, Dunton faces up to 10 years in prison, followed by up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is set for June 27, at 10:30 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Justin C. Fielder of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI), Miami Field Office, announced the guilty plea.
FDA-OCI Miami investigated the case, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Diana M. Acosta is prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-14073.
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Former Correctional Officer at the Metropolitan Transition Center in Baltimore Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison for a Racketeering Conspiracy Related to a Smuggling SchemeRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III today sentenced Shanese Butler, age 35, of Baltimore, a former Correctional Officer at the Metropolitan Transition Center (“MTC”) in Baltimore, to two years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for a racketeering conspiracy related to a scheme to smuggle contraband the MTC.
The sentence 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; and Secretary Carolyn J. Scruggs of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.
According to court documents and her guilty plea, from June 2020 to November 2020, Butler engaged in a romantic relationship with Christopher Mann while he was a detainee at the Metropolitan Transition Center, and conspired with Mann, other employees, detainees, and associates of MTC to participate in a pattern of racketeering activity, including drug distribution and bribery.
Specifically, Butler, Mann and at least two other conspirators, including outside facilitator, Cania Jefferson, age 35, and Correctional Officer Thomas Green, worked together to smuggle contraband into MTC in exchange for bribe payments. At Mann’s direction, Butler sent $1,000 bribe payments to Green on multiple occasions. In exchange for these bribe payments, Green smuggled contraband into MTC and delivered it to Mann. For example, in July 2020, after receiving a bribe payment from Mann, Green smuggled two cell phones, suboxone, and K2 into MTC but was apprehended by law enforcement on their way to MTC.
The evidence showed that Butler controlled Mann’s Cash App account, through which multiple payments were made to Green and facilitator Cania Jefferson; and multiple payments from and on behalf of Mann’s customer’s inside MTC were received. The government presented evidence that, not only did Butler assist in managing the day-to-day financial aspects of Mann’s contraband smuggling organization, she assisted in liquidating the operation’s proceeds. Cash App records confirm that between September 16 and October 3, 2020, Butler withdrew approximately $33,000 from the account. The FBI recovered approximately 10 percent of that amount, $3,020, while searching Butler’s home on October 2, 2020. The balance of the proceeds is unaccounted for.
According to court documents, in September 2020, law enforcement intercepted a series of phone calls in which Butler and Mann devised a scheme to spray liquid K2 onto a piece of paper, and to smuggle the paper into MTC through the United States mail service. Butler sent the piece of paper to another detainee as a “trial.” The mailing was seized by jail administrators, tested by a chemist, and found to have been soaked in synthetic marijuana. When the FBI raided Butler’s home in October 2020, they recovered a spray bottle containing liquid K2, as well as multiple pieces of paper that had been soaked in liquid K2.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Co-defendants Christopher Mann, age 40, of Baltimore; Thomas Green, age 34, of Pikesville, Maryland; and Cania Jefferson, age 36, of Lansdowne, Maryland previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme and were sentenced to between a year and a day and three years in federal prison.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and DPSCS Intelligence and Investigative Division for their work in this joint investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter J. Martinez and Aaron S.J. Zelinsky who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Florida Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Assaulting Two Military Police Officers with His CarRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Florida man was sentenced today to 33 months in prison and three years of supervised release for assaulting two U.S. Air Force military police officers with his car. Hal Wander, 26, of Port Charlotte, Florida, pleaded guilty by teleconference on Feb. 8, 2022, before U.S. District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez, to an information charging him with assault on two federal officers using a deadly and dangerous weapon, namely, a motor vehicle.
Fentanyl Trafficker Sentenced to 12+ Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
A drug trafficker who left Dallas’ Galleria Mall laden with more than 2,000 fentanyl-laced pills was sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Jesus Alexander Perez Fuentes, 27, pleaded guilty to in October 2022 to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. He was sentenced Wednesday to 145 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade, who also ordered him to forfeit more than $13,000.
According to the criminal complaint, the investigation began when a confidential informant tipped off law enforcement that Mr. Fuentes was distributing fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone tablets marked M/30.
On March 30, 2022, agents received information that Mr. Fuentes would be at the Galleria Dallas Mall with well over a thousand counterfeit pills. A surveillance team observed Mr. Fuentes and an unknown female exit the mall and enter Mr. Fuentes’ pickup.
Troopers followed the pair towards Interstate 635, then pulled over the pickup for traffic infractions. A Dallas Police Department canine alerted to narcotics in the vehicle.
In the center console, law enforcement found a loaded Glock 30, which Mr. Fuentes later admitted he used in furtherance of drug trafficking. Under the driver’s seat, they found a black backpack containing two clear plastic baggies stuffed with 2,072 fentanyl-laced pills. Also inside the backpack was $13,821, which Mr. Fuentes later admitted was proceeds from drug trafficking.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Group 3 (Dallas Field Division), the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Dallas Police Department, the Frisco Police Department, and the Colony Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division.
Falls Church Man Sentenced for Possessing Unregistered SilencersRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Falls Church man was sentenced today to 3 years in prison for unlawful possession of unregistered silencers.
According to court documents, Hatchet Speed, 41, began panic buying firearms in early 2021. From February to May 2021, Speed purchased at least twelve firearms and spent more than $40,000 at stores that sold firearms, firearm accessories, and ammunition. According to court documents, the defendant began stockpiling weapons after participating in the incursion at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, a time when he anticipated civil war and spoke of the need for political violence.
In March 2021, during the midst of his firearm purchases, Speed purchased three silencers from a company in Georgia. While the silencers were marketed as “solvent traps” ostensibly to be used in cleaning the barrel of a firearm, they were actually designed to serve as silencers. The silencers were not registered to Speed in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required by law. By circumventing the registration requirements for silencers, Speed was able to take possession of the silencers within a week of purchasing them.
In early 2022, Speed met with an undercover employee of the FBI. During these meetings, Speed discussed his anti-Semitic, anti-government ideologies with the FBI undercover employee. Speed also discussed taking violent action in furtherance of his ideologies. Speed praised the approach of jihadists and suggested that their approach would be an effective way to “wipe out” the opposition, referring to Jewish people. Speed discussed his efforts to identify targets who were “reachable” by someone like him, stating that he thought about using a “mock trial” to decide which people to add to “the list.” During this discussion, Speed confirmed to the FBI undercover employee that he believed his “solvent traps,” meaning his unregistered silencers, would come in handy for this purpose.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Michael H. Glasheen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Counterterrorism Division; and Michael T. Weddel, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Traxler and Amanda Lowe 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. 1:22-cr-165.
FBI Arrests Canutillo Woman for Making False StatementsRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – A Canutillo woman was arrested Tuesday on criminal charges related to her alleged false statements made to an FBI Task Force Officer.
Court documents allege that, Veronica Gutierrez, 41, claimed that a police officer inappropriately touched her while executing a search warrant at her residence on or about Dec. 15, 2022. The April 5 indictment adds that she also claimed the police officer told her, this is what happens when she does not send pictures of herself to the officer.
Gutierrez is charged with one count of false statement. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey R. Downey of the FBI El Paso Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI’s West Texas Border Corruption Task Force is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Skillern is 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.
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Erie Drug Dealer Gets Federal Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A former resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 70 months in prison on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter imposed the sentence on Peter Daniel Gambill, Jr., 25.
According to information presented to the court, Gambill and others engaged in a conspiracy to distribute multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine, approximately 1.7 kilograms of blue fentanyl pills (an estimated 15,000 pills), and methamphetamine within the Western District of Pennsylvania from in and around February 2022 and continuing thereafter to in or around May 2022.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul S. Sellers prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Erie Area Gang Law Enforcement (EAGLE), Safe Streets Task Force, which is comprised of investigators from the FBI, the Erie Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Oil City Police Department, the Titusville Police Department, the Franklin Police Department, and the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, in coordination with the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Internal Revenue Service, the Erie County Detectives, and the Millcreek Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Gambill.
The investigation was also conducted in association with the Northwest Pennsylvania Drug Initiative which was formed following Erie County’s designation as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) in 2021. The HIDTA program was created by Congress in 1988 to coordinate and assist Federal, State, and Local law enforcement agencies in addressing regional drug threats with the purpose of reducing drug trafficking and drug production in the United States. The Northwest Pennsylvania Drug Initiative coordinates personnel and resources between multiple agencies including the Pennsylvania State Police, Federal Burau of Investigation, Erie Police Department, Erie County District Attorney’s office, Erie County Detectives, United States Postal Inspection Service, the EAGLE Task Force, and other participating agencies.
Elmira Man with Prior Child Sex Conviction Arrested on Federal Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Eugene R. Criss, Jr., 55, of Elmira, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession of child pornography by an individual with a prior sex offense conviction, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of 20 years.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on March 23, 2023, Criss shared suspected child pornography on a peer to peer sharing network with an undercover law enforcement employee. On April 5, 2023, a search warrant was executed at Criss’ residence, during which investigators seized multiple electronic devices to include a cellular telephone, laptop computer, USB thumb drive and a tablet. A review of the thumb drive recovered more than 1,000 files in more than 700 folders of suspected child pornography.
Criss made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark W. Pederson and was held pending a detention hearing on April 14, 2023.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Ellensburg Man Sentenced to 132 Months in Federal Prison for Fentanyl Distribution that Resulted in the Deaths of Two Young PeopleRead the Press Release
Yakima, Washington – Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian sentenced Jonathan Rivera-Venegas, age 21, of Ellensburg, Washington, to 132 months in federal prison after Rivera-Venegas had pleaded guilty on December 7, 2022 to Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl. Rivera-Venegas will also serve five years of supervised release after his release from confinement.
According to court documents, Rivera-Venegas began distributing “blues” – which are counterfeit prescription medication containing fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid – in Ellensburg, Washington beginning in at least June 2021. Over a nine day span in August 2021, Rivera-Venegas distributed fentanyl-laced pills to a twenty-one year old male and a sixteen year old male. Both young men were poisoned by the fentanyl distributed by Rivera-Venegas and died. Rivera-Venegas then relocated to Hawaii where he was located by law enforcement and returned to the Eastern District of Washington.
United States Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref stated, “Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat facing this country, and this case in particular presents egregious consequences stemming from this dangerous poison. Mr. Rivera-Venegas knew these drugs were deadly and yet continued to distribute fentanyl in our communities. Two families are devastated as a result of Rivera-Venegas’s crimes. Our community is safer and stronger today as a result of the incredible work of several law enforcement agencies, who came together to investigate and prosecute this tragic case.”
Ken Wade, Chief of the City of Ellensburg Police Department, stated, “I appreciate the hard work and commitment to public safety that went into the investigation and prosecution of Jonathan Rivera-Venegas. We realize this conviction will not lesson the pain felt by our community and the families of those we lost. I want to thank our federal partners for their assistance in bringing Rivera-Venegas back to Washington and holding him accountable for his actions that led to these tragedies.”
“This investigation demonstrates the determination of the DEA, and our law enforcement partners, to tirelessly pursue those who bring poison into our communities,” said Jacob D. Galvan, Acting Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “This sentence should serve as a warning to those who distribute fake pills laced with fentanyl that we will find you and hold you accountable.” The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Ellensburg Police Department, the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Washington State Patrol. This case was prosecuted by Michael J. Ellis, Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
1:22-cr-02034-SAB
Eight Crips Gang Members and Associates Indicted for Racketeering and Numerous Violent Crimes on Long IslandRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, a 59-count indictment was unsealed charging eight members and associates of a violent subset of the Crips street gang known as the Insane Crip Gang or “ICG,” with various offenses including racketeering, conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, and firearms offenses, as well as fraud schemes.
The indictment charges seven defendants with racketeering and conspiracy to commit murder; six defendants are charged with multiple attempted murders, assaults, and related firearms offenses; four defendants are charged in connection with their respective roles in three murders committed in Nassau County between 2016 and 2021. Six defendants were taken into custody this morning in New York and will be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Arlene R. Lindsay. A seventh defendant, Jonathan Gonzalez, was arrested in North Carolina and will be arraigned in federal court in Winston-Salem this afternoon. One additional defendant remains at large.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Anne T. Donnelly, District Attorney, Nassau County District Attorney’s Office (NCDA); Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and Patrick J. Ryder, Commissioner, Nassau County Police Department (NCPD), announced the arrests and indictment.
“As alleged, the defendants participated in a staggering amount of extreme violence that shattered lives, maimed rivals and endangered countless innocent bystanders on Long Island. As of today, after three brutal murders, over a dozen shootings, hundreds of thousands of dollars of fraud, their chokehold of fear and violence over our community is finally over,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “This Office and our law enforcement partners will continue working tirelessly to protect our communities from gang violence and fraud.”
Mr. Peace expressed his appreciation to the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force and the Nassau County Police Department’s Homicide Squad and Gang Investigation Squad for their tireless efforts to bring these violent offenders to justice. Mr. Peace also thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the United States Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General for their efforts in assisting the investigation.
NCDA Donnelly stated: “This Crips faction has wreaked havoc in the Hempstead area for nearly a decade, killing perceived rivals and innocent bystanders alike. In just two years, Akeem Chambers allegedly participated in two homicides and more than a dozen shootings. This gang celebrated its violence on social media, using that same social media as a recruiting tool, and financed its activities by systematically stealing from government benefit programs designed to aid the unemployed and those adversely impacted by COVID. Dismantling gang networks is incredibly difficult work and I thank my staff and our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI and NCPD for the collaborative spirit used during this year-long investigation.”
“The defendants allegedly engaged in multiple acts of gang violence, bringing undue fear and harm to the streets of our neighborhoods,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll. “Gang violence menacing communities is something no one should have to endure; people have the right to feel safe where they live. Today’s indictment serves as a reminder that the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force is persistent in its efforts to keep the neighborhoods of Long Island safe and free of violent crime.”
“This multi-agency law enforcement investigation has led to the arrest of numerous Crips gang members for homicides, shootings and racketeering. These defendants have terrorized our communities in Nassau County and now our residents can show a sign of relief that these criminals will no longer be able to inflict harm in our neighborhoods. I would like to congratulate all of the dedicated law enforcement professionals for their hard work and diligence during the course of this investigation. A job well done by all,” stated NCPD Commissioner Ryder.
As alleged in the indictment and court filings, the defendants engaged in a pattern of gang violence which resulted in dozens of gang-related shootings, as well as multiple murders in Nassau County between 2015 and the present. The defendants, as part of their membership and association with the ICG, together with others, committed dozens of violent crimes in and around Hempstead, New York, including shootings, assaults, murders, robberies, and kidnappings.
Akeem Chambers is charged with participating in over a dozen shootings and two homicides between 2020 and 2022, including the August 1, 2020, murder of 28-year-old Thiasia Williams in Hempstead, New York. In that incident, Chambers, along with Rob Pardo and another associate of the ICG learned of a party on Martin Luther King Drive in Hempstead that was going to be attended by members of the rival D Block Bloods. Chambers and the others decided to commit a drive-by shooting of the party. Jonathan Gonzalez was enlisted to be the driver for the shooting. Chambers and the other associate, each armed with a 9mm firearm, planned to shoot the rivals, while Rob Pardo remained in the area to assist their flight from the scene of the crime. As Chambers and the others drove down Martin Luther King Drive shortly after midnight on August 1, 2020, they fired at least eight times at party goers, striking and killing Thiasia Williams, an innocent bystander who was sitting in her car outside the party to pick up a friend. Another innocent female bystander was also struck by gunfire and suffered a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to her leg.
Chambers was also charged with his role in the 2021 robbery and murder of James Diamond in Freeport, New York. In that incident, Chambers, together with others, planned to rob Diamond of a large sum of cash. Chambers and another individual, both armed with firearms, approached the victim and another man, and attempted to rob them at gunpoint. During the course of the robbery, Chambers’ coconspirator shot and killed Diamond. Chambers and several accomplices were indicted and arrested for this murder by Nassau County authorities.
Notably, Jalen Rogers, who is charged with over a half-dozen violent crimes ranging from attempted murder and assault to attempted kidnapping, committed at least three of those violent crimes while he was wearing a court-ordered GPS ankle monitor imposed as a condition of supervision. In each of those shootings, records for Rogers’ ankle monitor place him at the scene of the crime at the time of the shootings.
Jonathan Vazquez is charged with the November 19, 2016 murder of 19 year-old Joecephus Vanable in Hempstead, New York. Vanable, an individual who was repeatedly targeted by the ICG in Hempstead, was shot and killed on a Hempstead street by Vazquez. In the wake of Vanable’s murder, members and associates of the ICG took to social media to brag about the killing. In addition, the gang boasted about the killing in rap videos and graffiti around Hempstead. In addition to violence directed at rivals, Vazquez is also charged with attempted murder for opening fire on two Nassau County Police Officers who were attempting to conduct a stop of his vehicle. Vazquez is also charged with the gunpoint robbery of a woman in Levittown, New York and several other gang-related shootings.
To finance their criminal conduct and enrich themselves, the defendants and other ICG members and associates engaged in a wide array of fraud schemes, including defrauding state unemployment systems, the federal Covid-19 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), various forms of identity theft and bank fraud. The frauds perpetrated by ICG members and associates netted the gang’s members and associates hundreds of thousands of dollars since early 2020. For example, the ICG stole approximately $200,000 from the State of California by submitting fraudulent unemployment benefits applications. In addition to their fraud schemes, the defendants regularly purchased, maintained and sold a wide array of firearms. The investigation linked a total of 26 guns to the defendants and their associates; 14 of the 26 guns were linked to multiple shootings committed by the defendants or other ICG members.
Law enforcement executed multiple search warrants this morning and recovered a 9mm, fully-loaded semiautomatic pistol and a .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol with an extended magazine and additional ammunition.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Chambers, Dindyal, Gonzalez, Lesly Pardo, Rogers, and Vazquez face up to a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Pardo faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment.
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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Boeckmann, Michael Maffei and Samantha Alessi are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Kerry Ucci and Automated Litigation Specialist Michael Compitello.
This prosecution is the product of investigations led by the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force, which is comprised of agents and officers of the FBI, Suffolk County Police Department, NCPD, Nassau County Sheriff’s Department, Suffolk County Probation Office, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, New York State Police, Hempstead Police Department, Rockville Centre Police Department, and the NCDA.
The Defendants:
Akeem Chambers, also known as “Luca”
Age: 21
Uniondale, New YorkJAHZIAH DINDYAL, also known as “JZ” and “Nine”
Age: 19
Hempstead, New YorkJonathan Gonzalez, also known as “Grizz”
Age: 23
Greensboro, North CarolinaLESLY PARDO, also known as “Chop” and “Chopavelli”
Age: 26
Mount Sinai, New YorkROB PARDO, also known as “Static”
Age: 25
Mount Sinai, New YorkJALEN ROGERS, also known as “Drama” and “Moonie”
Age: 20
Hempstead, New YorkJONATHAN VAZQUEZ, also known as “Chulo” and “Clutch”
Age: 21
Hempstead, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-157 (JMA)
East Rochester Man Sentenced for Defrauding Elderly Family MemberRead the Press Release
CONCORD – An East Rochester man was sentenced in federal court for defrauding a 79-year old family member of almost $84,000, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Craig Corriveau, 51, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Samantha D. Elliott to 12 months in prison. Corriveau was also ordered to pay $83,629.69 in restitution to the victim. On December 21, 2022, Corriveau pleaded guilty to wire fraud.
“The defendant targeted an elderly family member, which is particularly insidious,” said U.S. Attorney Young. “The victim and their family placed their trust in Corriveau, and he abused that trust over the course of two years. I thank the Rochester Police Department and FBI for their excellent investigative work in bringing the defendant to justice. Our office will continue to work to protect the elderly population in our communities.”
Between March 2019 and late 2021, the defendant stole approximately $84,000 from the victim and left them with almost $20,000 in credit card debt. He spent more than $31,000 of the stolen funds at a Rochester gun store to purchase ammunition, a knife throwing set, and 32 firearms. He only stopped stealing after he breached the credit limit on the victim’s credit cards and emptied their bank accounts. The defendant lied to the Rochester Police Department by claiming the victim had authorized him to spend the stolen money.
Corriveau used his knowledge of the victim’s personal identifying information to gain access to their bank accounts and credit cards. The defendant set up paperless bank and credit card statements, so the victim was unable to detect the fraud.
The Rochester Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen prosecuted the case.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available.
More information about the Department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at https://www.ovc.gov.
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Dubuque Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a FelonRead the Press Release
A man who possessed a firearm as a felon was sentenced today to ten years in federal prison.
Daniel Arsenio Rodgers, age 34, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 31, 2022, jury verdict finding him guilty on one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
The evidence at trial showed that Rodgers knowingly possessed a Beretta 9mm handgun on June 25, 2021. On that date, Rodgers shot at a residence on West Locust in Dubuque before ditching the car he was driving. Later that day, Rodgers shot at a residence on W. 11th Street as a passenger in a different vehicle. Dubuque police officers were able to track that vehicle using traffic cameras from W. 11th Street to a local restaurant where Rodgers was arrested on an outstanding warrant a short time later. The Beretta used in both shootings was found in the vehicle in which Rodgers traveled to the restaurant.
Rodgers was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Rodgers was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Rodgers is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and was investigated by the Dubuque Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-1013.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Dominican National Sentenced to 70 Months in Federal Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl AnalogueRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that WILLIAM VALERIO-PALERMO, also known as “Willy,” 37, a citizen of the Dominican Republic last residing in East Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 70 months of imprisonment for trafficking acetylfentanyl, a fentanyl analogue.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2018, law enforcement received information that Valerio was trafficking kilogram-quantities of fentanyl and was using his Hartford auto-repair business to launder drug proceeds. On July 12, 2018, a court-authorized search of a West Hartford apartment that Valerio rented revealed approximately six kilograms of acetylfentanyl, items used to process and package narcotics, and approximately $49,000 in cash.
Valerio has been detained since his arrest on July 12, 2018. He pleaded guilty on July 6, 2021.
Valerio faces immigration proceedings when he completes his prison term.
This investigation was conducted by the DEA’s Hartford Task Force and the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Windsor Locks and Willimantic Police Departments. The FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force includes the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Narcotics Trafficking and Possession of a MachinegunRead the Press Release
Defendant Faces Ten Year Mandatory Minimum Sentence
WASHINGTON – Daniel Jahleel Thomas, also known as “dandue,” 22, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to conspiring to distribute marijuana and oxycodone, illegal possession of a machinegun, and carrying a handgun during or in relation to drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Robert J. Contee, III, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
U.S. District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell scheduled sentencing for August 4, 2023. The crimes to which Thomas pleaded guilty carry a combined mandatory-minimum of ten years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison.
According to court documents, Thomas advertised on Instagram that he had marijuana for sale. On February 25, 2022, MPD officers learned of the advertisement and responded to the location – outside the Fort Chaplin Park Apartments – knowing that Thomas had a court-ordered stay-away from the complex as a condition of a prior gun arrest. The officers saw Thomas standing outside the apartments and approached him. When Thomas saw the officers, he jumped into the back seat of a vehicle operated by a ride share service. As the officers attempted to speak with Thomas about the stay-away order, he resisted and pulled away. During the subsequent struggle, officers discovered a firearm in Thomas’ waistband. The firearm was later determined to be a Glock, Model 19, 9mm handgun loaded with one round in the chamber and 14 rounds in the magazine. The handgun was also fitted with a “giggle switch,” which made the handgun capable of fully automatic fire.
Thomas was arrested that afternoon outside the Fort Chaplin Park Apartments in the 4200 block of Blaine Street, Northeast. During a search of the duffel bag he was carrying, officers found four large bags of marijuana, each containing approximately one-pound, as well as 81 pills, each of which contained 30mg of oxycodone.
At the time of his arrest, Thomas was under investigation by the FBI for his role in a variety of federal offenses related to firearms and narcotic trafficking. Coordination between the FBI and MPD led to an indictment charging Thomas and two of his co-conspirators with numerous federal offenses.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case, including FBI and MPD. Finally, they cited the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys James B. Nelson and Meredith Mayer-Dempsey and Paralegal Specialist Genevieve de Guzman.
Covington Man Charged with Wire FraudRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS - United States Attorney Duane A. Evans, announced that MARC QUIROZ (“QUIROZ”), resident of Covington, Louisiana, was charged by bill of information on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, with one count of wire fraud.
According to the charging document, QUIROZ co-owned and operated a company called VetAttend of Jackson where he purported to provide services to Veterans for home aid and assistance.
QUIROZ’s co-conspirators, James Thomas Sinyard, Jr., a/k/a Jay Sinyard, and Mary Gigi Sinyard, a/k/a Gigi Sinyard, were charged by bill of information on February 14, 2023.
According to the bill of information, QUIROZ submitted fraudulent affidavits for home aid services provided when he knew that those services were not actually provided. As part of the scheme to defraud, beginning in or about April 2013 and continuing until at least July 2018, QUIROZ did knowingly devise and intend to devise a scheme to defraud the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (Veterans Affairs). The purpose of the scheme was to obtain money and property by submitting false affidavits and applications to Veterans Affairs on behalf of veterans and their spouses, claiming that VetAttend had provided home services to the veterans, when in fact, it had not. During the scheme, Veterans Affairs issued funds to over 300 veterans and/or their surviving spouses from whom QUIROZ fraudulently appropriated monies, without the knowledge of the veterans, totaling approximately $4,065,969.18.
If convicted, QUIROZ faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, up to five years of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee per count.
“These charges were brought as a result of the hard work of VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) Special Agents who remain vigilant in investigating all who seek to benefit improperly from programs meant to assist deserving veterans,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Patrick Roche of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s South-Central Field Office. “The VA OIG thanks the US Attorney’s Office for their efforts in this joint investigation.”
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans stated that a bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case is being investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General. The prosecution of the case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Kathryn McHugh, Financial Crimes Unit.
Convicted Felon Sentenced for Role in Two Richmond Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to 12 years in prison for his role in two armed robberies.
According to court documents, Ricardo Horne, 41, and his co-defendants Michael Brown, 40, and Rashanda Booker, 38, both also from Richmond, robbed a Family Dollar on April 17, 2022 and a Dollar General on April 28, 2022.
On April 17, 2022, Horne and Brown forcefully grabbed a Family Dollar employee as he sought to empty trash prior to the store opening. Brown, holding a semiautomatic pistol that belonged to his sister, guided the employee to a safe inside the store and held him at gunpoint near the safe while emptying it. Horne stood watch and maintained control over a customer as well as another terrified Family Dollar employee. Altogether, they obtained approximately $10,000 from Family Dollar—money they used to buy high-end shoes at a boutique shoe store.
Between the two robberies in this case, Horne and Brown directed Booker to purchase new pistol for the second robbery. She did so on April 22, 2022. Six days later, Horne and Brown committed another armed robbery of a Dollar General. Brown entered the store carrying the semiautomatic pistol purchased by Booker alongside Horne. After Horne grabbed control of one of the employees, the two men took her to find the Dollar General manager who could open the safe. Brown held the manager at gunpoint near the safe while Horne maintained control of the other employee. Notably, several customers, including a woman and her young son, were shopping in the store at the time of the robbery.
A GPS tracker was installed inside some of the money taken from the Dollar General. Brown and Horne exited the store with the United States currency, entered Booker’s car, and then drove off. As Booker drove, Brown and Horne changed their clothing. Law enforcement began to follow the GPS tracker and discovered, Booker, Brown, and Horne in Booker’s Blue Toyota sedan. Among the items recovered by law enforcement were the clothing worn during the armed robbery of the Dollar General by Brown and Horne of the Dollar General, the Taurus, Model G3C, 9mm, semi-automatic pistol used during that robbery, and a Family Dollar bag.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; and Rick Edwards, Acting Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth R. Simon, Jr. and Jessica Wright prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-122.
Contractor Pleads Guilty to Bribing Former School Board President of Madison District Public SchoolsRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A school contractor pleaded guilty today to bribing and conspiring with Albert Morrison, the former School Board President of Madison District Public Schools, in a half-million dollar pay to play scheme, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced.
Ison was joined in the announcement by James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Michigan Division; Sarah Kull, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division; and John Woolley, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Education, Office of Inspector General.
John David, age 65, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Laurie Michelson to conspiracy to commit federal program bribery from 2014 through 2018 and bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds. Morrison was the elected President of the Madison District Public Schools Board of Education from 2012 through 2018. While Morrison was President, David was one of the owners of a building maintenance and reconstruction company, Emergency Restoration (a/k/a Emergency Reconstruction), that was awarded over $3.1 million in maintenance and construction projects in the Madison District Public Schools.
According to court records, David, who was a long-time friend of Morrison, wrote over $550,000 in checks from his company to Morrison’s company, Comfort Consulting, from 2014 through 2018. Morrison deposited the checks from David into his own bank account. The investigation uncovered $561,667 in payments from David to Morrison. David admitted he had to “pay to play” in the school district, and David’s companies received approximately $3,167,275 from the Madison District during the bribery conspiracy. Morrison spent the money from David on personal luxuries such as vacations in Florida and a boat slip.
To keep the payments secret from the school board and the community in the Madison Schools, Morrison, when publicly confronted at a Madison District school board meeting, denied having any financial ties to David or Emergency Restoration. Morrison and David also failed to disclose to State of Michigan auditors the payments Morrison received from David.
“Our community deserves school systems free of corruption,” said U.S. Attorney Ison. “This prosecution demonstrates our commitment to ensure that public officials in our educational systems put the interests of our children first.”
“Mr. David guaranteed he would receive work funded by Madison District Public Schools not by participating in a fair and transparent process, but by bribing those in positions of power,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “Public corruption is one of the FBI’s top investigative priorities because of the negative impact corruption has on the public’s faith in government agencies. The FBI, IRS, and Department of Education Office of Inspector General will continue to work cooperatively to hold those who engage in corrupt practices in our education system accountable for their crimes.”
Sentencing is set for August 14, 2023 at 1 PM.
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, and the Department of Education. It is prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Resnick Cohen, Karen Reynolds, and Gjon Juncaj.
Connecticut Man Pleads Guilty to Human Smuggling ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Connecticut man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Worcester to conspiring to commit human smuggling.
Fagner Chaves De Lima, 41, of East Hartford, Conn., pleaded guilty to one count of attempted human smuggling. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for July 13, 2023. De Lima was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in June 2022 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2022.
“Mr. De Lima’s human smuggling operation exploited and endangered vulnerable individuals who sought his services to come to the United States for a better life. He exploited these vulnerable individuals in order to reap tens of thousands of dollars in profit,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “This case should serve as a reminder that our office will identify and prosecute those whose actions cause danger to human life and threaten our nation’s security.”
“Fagner Chaves De Lima admitted today to taking advantage of those seeking a new life in America by conspiring to exploit, endanger, and extort them,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “No human being should ever be treated as a commodity but that is exactly what this man did. He lied to his victims to make hundreds of thousands of dollars for himself, and the FBI and our law enforcement partners will not sit idly by and let that happen. We will leverage the full force of the federal government to ensure those who engage in human smuggling are held accountable for their crimes.”
De Lima conspired with others to illegally smuggle individuals from Brazil into the United States for money and profit. In exchange for payments of thousands of dollars, De Lima and conspirators made travel arrangements for clients to illegally enter the United States from Brazil by plane or bus, and arranged lodging accommodations for clients during their travel. In addition, De Lima extorted clients while their journey to the United States was underway by threatening to harm them and/or their family if they did not pay additional money. De Lima and his conspirators also created and transmitted false documents that were used as part of the illegal smuggling operation.
In May and June 2022, an undercover agent-initiated communications with De Lima over WhatsApp under the guise that the agent sought to have his sister and niece smuggled into the United States. The undercover agent offered to pay $15,000 for De Lima’s services, and De Lima agreed to the arrangement. De Lima stated during these communications (translated from Portuguese) that he had been engaged in human smuggling “for 20 years,” and that he will smuggle individuals “whether you have a visa, no visa, or if . . .[they] are wanted by the police.” De Lima also acknowledged in later messages that human smuggling is “dangerous.” On June 16, 2022, De Lima traveled to Worcester to meet with the undercover agent, during which De Lima accepted two checks for the agreed upon total of $15,000 in exchange for his smuggling services and requested the sister’s passport and Social Security number.
The charge of conspiracy to commit human smuggling provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
U.S. Attorney Rollins and FBI Boston SAC Bonavolonta made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Yuma Field Office; Homeland Security Investigations in Yuma; U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and the Marlborough, Worcester, Hartford (Conn.) and East Hartford (Conn.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of Rollins’ Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
If you believe that you or someone you know may be a victim of human smuggling/trafficking, please contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, or Text 233733.
Community Engagement Efforts Surge as U.S. Attorney’s Office Hosts Multiple Events within a WeekRead the Press Release
MIAMI – It was a busy week for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida’s Law Enforcement Coordination and Community Outreach Section, which held three significant events over a four-day period in early April.
“This is something you just don’t see very often,” said LEC/COS Chief J.D. Smith. “We’ll usually host one big event per week, with other smaller ones interspersed throughout. But to host this many large events and to be spread out over our agency’s footprint was a real challenge.”
Smith and crew first hosted a Farm Share Drive-Thru Food Distribution at Wells Recreational Center in Riviera Beach, Fla. Groceries and resource materials were given to nearly 500 families. These food drives—held each Tuesday—have gone on for years and helped thousands of South Florida residents.
Next up was a Re-Entry Simulation also held at Wells Recreational Center on April 5. More than 100 community stakeholders attended the event to get a better perspective on what former inmates face when attempting to re-enter society.
“This will be unlike any training you’ve experienced,” Smith told participants. “I went through it twice and it was physically and mentally challenging both times. You’re going to get various types of customer service. Not everyone is going to be helpful.”
Stations had been set up prior to the participants’ arrival and were labeled bank, employer, transportation, and counselor, among others. Each participant had a folder with bio, background situation, education level, and limited resources to navigate the course. They had to find housing, pay rent, pass drug tests, acquire health care, and try not to end up back in “jail,” which was located in a corner of the gymnasium.
“You have to be able to play the game,” said Re-entry and Community Outreach Specialist Keisha Bazile. “This training is a unique way to bring light to the hardships of re-entering society. Hopefully, it will spark compassion in those who come in contact with returning citizens.”
Most participants had no clue what they were in for as the event unfolded. It was intended to be frustrating to navigate, exactly how it is for returning citizens. Several threw up their hands in disgust because customer service wasn’t as helpful as they thought it should be. The point of the training was to open the minds of the community stakeholders in hopes that the system can change … that the path for returning citizens can be made easier, which benefits everyone.
“Most attendees are apprehensive at the beginning of the training because it’s set up to be difficult,” said Bazile. “But once it was over, several people expressed how much they enjoyed it. For me, that’s a success.”
The week culminated with the 3rd Spring Classic Youth & Cops Basketball Tournament at the Betty T. Ferguson Recreational Complex in Miami Gardens, Fla. Ten teams participated and were comprised of law enforcement personnel and local kids who had been recruited via community outreach efforts.
“Each year I’m amazed at the talent we see from both the adult players and the kids,” said Smith. “The games are very entertaining to watch but for me the most special thing to see is how the adults and kids interact and work together as teammates.”
Miramar Police Department took the title with a win over North Miami Police Department. The basketball was great, but in the end, it was about creating and fostering relationships.
“The main goal of this tournament is to develop a level of togetherness between youth and law enforcement,” said Bazile. “Usually, law enforcement interacts with youth when they are in trouble. However, this gives them an opportunity to meet under different circumstances. It’s about building trust.
Law Enforcement Coordination Specialist Mark McKinney unpacks frozen chickens in preparation for a recent Farm Share Drive-Thru Food Distribution where more than 500 families were served.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida gives closing remarks following a Re-Entry Simulation held at Wells Recreational Center in Riviera Beach, Fla. The simulation gave community stakeholders a view into what former inmates face when trying to re-integrate into society.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida takes a moment to pose with the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s basketball team during the recent 3rd Spring Classic Youth & Cops Basketball Tournament at the Betty T. Ferguson Recreational Complex in Miami Gardens, Fla.
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Chicago man who illegally possessed firearm during home burglary in Cincinnati sentenced to more than 7 years in prisonRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Chicago man who committed a home burglary in Cincinnati while illegally possessing two firearms before leading law enforcement on a high-speed pursuit was sentenced in federal court to 87 months in prison.
Terrance Lorenzo White, 28, pleaded guilty in October 2021 to illegally possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony crime.
According to court documents, on Aug. 21, 2020, deputies with the Warren County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call about an attempted robbery at a residence. When deputies responded to the residence, witnesses said White was armed and threatened to shoot up the house. He had stolen marijuana and cash and was driving a white Jeep.
As deputies were assessing the crime scene, White drove past in the white Jeep and law enforcement pursued him. White led the deputies on a high-speed vehicle pursuit and crashed his Jeep before attempting to flee on foot.
White had two loaded firearms, a black ski mask and marijuana in his vehicle.
While he was out on bond in this case, White was convicted in Chicago of aggravated battery against a victim 60 years or older. He was sentenced in December 2022 to six months in prison.
Congress sets the minimum and maximum statutory sentences. Sentencing of the defendant is determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Warren County Sheriff Larry L. Sims announced the sentence imposed on April 11 by U.S. District Court Judge Matthew W. McFarland. Assistant United States Attorney Ashley N. Brucato is representing the United States in this case.
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Champaign, Illinois, Gun Offender Sentenced to 36 Months in Prison for Violating Supervised Release ConditionsRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A Champaign man, Prentiss Jackson, 40, of the 3300 block of Stoneway Court, was sentenced today to 36 months’ imprisonment for violating his conditions of supervised release by possessing a firearm as a felon, along with narcotics. At the time law enforcement agents discovered Jackson with the firearm, he was on supervised release for a 2010 federal narcotics case. The revocation sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid.
At the hearing on the petition to revoke supervised release, the government presented evidence that Jackson illegally possessed the firearm, as well as MDMA (ecstasy) and marijuana. Those actions violated his supervised release conditions, which mandated that he not commit any new crimes. Those who fail to abide by the conditions of supervised release risk penalties for violations, including additional penalties for the commission of new crimes.
Along with the supervised release violation, Jackson was previously charged with possessing a firearm as a felon in a new criminal case. Earlier this week and following Jackson’s guilty plea, U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce sentenced Jackson to 72 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, in that case.
Judge Shadid ordered that 12 months of the 36-month revocation sentence be served consecutively to that 72-month sentence of imprisonment, with the remainder to be served concurrently.
In imposing that sentence, Judge Shadid noted certain mitigating factors but also pointed out that Jackson had only been on supervised release for a short time before his violations.
Jackson faced up to three additional years of imprisonment for violating his supervised release.
The violations in this case were brought to light by the investigative efforts of the Urbana Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Lynch represented the government in the prosecution in cooperation with the Champaign County State’s Attorney’s Office.