Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Friday 24 February 2023
Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to Twelve Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew has sentenced Martin Felder, Jr. (43, Orlando) to 12 years in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. The court also ordered Felder to forfeit assets, which are traceable to proceeds of the offense. Felder had pleaded guilty on October 20, 2022.
According to court documents, Felder, a previously convicted felon, was under investigation for narcotics distribution in the Tampa Bay area. On two subsequent occasions, Felder sold methamphetamine and heroin to a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) confidential source. A forensic laboratory test of the narcotics seized indicated that the methamphetamine was “ICE” – which is very high purity methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Callan Albritton and Maria Guzman.
Meridian Man Sentenced to over Three Years in Prison for Possession of a Firearm by Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Meridian, Mississippi man was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
According to court documents, Delontay Preston Scott, 31, was found in possession of a firearm by East Mississippi Drug Task Force agents on December 30, 2021, during a traffic stop. Scott has prior felony convictions for Armed Robbery and Burglary of a Dwelling and was under the supervision of the Mississippi Department of Corrections at the time. As a convicted felon, it is contrary to federal law for Scott to possess any firearm
The Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office and the ATF investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam T. Stuart and Charles W. Kirkham is prosecuted the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Man Sentenced for Shooting Farmville Auto Dealership Owner during Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A New York man was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for committing an armed robbery in Farmville, during which he shot the victim in the leg.
According to court documents, on July 16, 2020, Herbert Young III, 54, committed an armed robbery of the Farmville auto dealership, Auto Connection. During the robbery, Young physically restrained the victim-owner’s hands using an electrical extension cord and a phone charging cord. When a customer entered the store, the victim attempted to free himself and flee. Before the victim could do so, Young shot at him and struck the calf area of the victim’s right leg.
Young then stole a 2000 BMW, which belonged to the Auto Connection and fled the scene. In addition to the 2000 BMW, Young took the victim’s cell phone as well as other property that belonged to the Auto Connection. DNA evidence obtained from the extension cord later tied Young to the armed robbery. Prior to his conviction in this case, Young had been previously convicted of three separate armed robberies and an aggravated assault where he shot the victim.
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 Colonel Gary T. Settle, Superintendent of Virginia State Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth R. Simon, Jr. and Michael R. Gill 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-77.
Las Vegas Woman Pleads Guilty to Committing COVID Relief Fraud While on Federal ProbationRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas woman pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Cristina D. Silva to filing fraudulent applications seeking thousands of dollars in loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.
According to court documents, Mikaela Marie Cuevas (24) — while on probation for assaulting a federal law enforcement officer — submitted at least two fraudulent loan applications and received thousands of dollars of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funding she was not eligible to receive. As part of the scheme, Cuevas submitted PPP loan applications in the name of a fake management consulting business, falsely claiming gross annual revenues of $106,000 from the non-existent business. Shortly after receiving the PPP funds, she filed fraudulent loan forgiveness applications, seeking to have her responsibility to re-pay the stolen loans absolved. In total, Cuevas caused a loss of about $47,000.
Cuevas pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. She is scheduled to be sentenced on May 25, 2023, and faces a maximum statutory sentence of up to 20 years in prison. In addition to time in prison, Cuevas faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada; Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI; Special Agent in Charge Weston King for the Small Business Administration Office of the Inspector General’s (SBA OIG) Western Region Office; Special Agent in Charge Albert Childress for the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS CI); Acting Special Agent in Charge Cory Nootnagel for the Western Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (FRB-OIG) made the announcement.
The FBI, SBA OIG, IRS CI, FRB-OIG, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Frayn prosecuted the case.
In May 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
###
Lake County Man Convicted of Distributing Fentanyl Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Jermaine Lamar Harvard (41, Lake County) guilty of distributing fentanyl resulting in the death of another. Harvard faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 20 years, and up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 15, 2023.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, in October 2019, Harvard distributed a quantity of fentanyl to the victim, M.R. An analysis of the victim’s cellphone revealed that Harvard had set up multiple drug transactions with the victim. These drugs led directly to the victim’s death. Harvard represented that the substance was heroin. A medical examiner subsequently determined that the victim had died of acute fentanyl toxicity.
Harvard has prior state convictions for the sale of cocaine in 2013.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton and Hannah J. Nowalk.
Laconia Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine Distribution Conspiracy and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. –United States Attorney Jane E. Young announces that Dylan Miles, 29, previously of Laconia, was sentenced to 60 months of imprisonment today following his sentencing for participating in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy and for his unlawful possession of firearms.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the defendant and others were involved in a conspiracy to ship methamphetamine from Arizona to New Hampshire. In May of 2019, Drug Enforcement Administration agents were alerted to suspicious parcels sent from co-defendants Heather Dubeau and Gary Sewell in Arizona to two different addresses in New Hampshire. Investigators obtained a warrant to open the packages and found that one contained over 336 grams of methamphetamine and the other contained over 665 grams of methamphetamine. The methamphetamine was intended for further distribution. Investigators learned that the package containing 665 grams of methamphetamine was intended for Miles. Law enforcement searched Miles’s home pursuant to a warrant and seized drug distribution paraphernalia and multiple firearms. Miles was legally prohibited from possessing firearms by virtue of a prior felony conviction.
All of Miles’s co-defendants previously pleaded guilty. Andrew Hutchins pleaded guilty on May 5, 2022, and was sentenced on August 30, 2022 to time served and 3 years supervised release. Sewell pleaded guilty on May 5, 2022, and was sentenced on February 7, 2023 to 72 months in prison. Dubeau pleaded guilty on May 4, 2022, and was sentenced on February 16, 2023 to 40 months in prison. Chad Rombow pleaded guilty on January 26, 2022 and was sentenced on February 21, 2023 to 72 months in prison. Eli Margolis pleaded guilty on May 27, 2022, and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 6, 2023.
After completion of his prison sentence, Miles will be under four years of supervised release.
After the sentencing, USA Young said “Mr. Miles was another conspirator in a scheme to obtain methamphetamine from Arizona for distribution into our communities. In addition to his drug trafficking, he unlawfully possessed firearms as he was a convicted felon. As evidenced from the sentences imposed in this investigation, such brazen criminal conduct will vigorously be prosecuted so that dangerous criminals like the defendant will be removed from our communities for significant periods of time.”
“As methamphetamine seizures are on the rise, DEA stands committed to keeping this highly addictive drug out of New Hampshire,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle. “Drugs and guns are a deadly combination. Today’s sentence not only holds Mr. Miles accountable for his crimes but serves as a warning to those who attempt to bring this poison to the Granite State. This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative law enforcement efforts in New Hampshire.”
This matter was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anna Krasinski.
###
Labor Union Treasurer Convicted After Embezzling More Than $91,000 over Six YearsRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Matthew Archer, 59, of McCordsville, Indiana, has been convicted of wire fraud.
According to court documents, from 2006 to December of 2019, Matthew Archer served as the treasurer for an industrial union (the Union) located in Indianapolis, Indiana. As part of his employment, Archer was responsible for maintaining the Union’s bank accounts and records.
On multiple occasions between 2013 and 2019, Archer illegally transferred funds from the Union’s bank account into his personal bank accounts. Between 2017 and 2019, Archer also electronically transferred funds from the Union’s bank account into his own to pay his personal car loan.
Additionally, in 2018 and 2019, Archer submitted fraudulent Labor Organization Annual Reports to the Department of Labor. On these forms, Archer falsely reported the Union’s assets and overstated how much money was in its bank account. On both occasions, Archer reported that the Union had $151,000 available when it actually had less than $11,000.
To conceal his scheme, Archer created fraudulent bank statements that overstated how much money was in the Union’s accounts and forged the signatures of the Union’s auditors on internal reports.
In total, Archer embezzled $91,951.86 from the Union, and has been ordered to repay the stolen funds as restitution.
“For years, this defendant lied and abused his position of trust to line his own pockets at the expense of the union and members he was supposed to serve,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “This prosecution demonstrates that the Department of Labor and the U.S. Attorney’s Office are watching, and those who embezzle funds will be held accountable.”
“Safeguarding financial integrity and combating fraud in labor unions is a high priority for the U.S. Department of Labor,” said Megan Ireland, District Director, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards. “Most union officials do their work with great care, but Matthew Archer betrayed the trust placed in him by the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) and embezzled over $91,000 from LIUNA Local 1325, at the expense of LIUNA and its members. OLMS continuously works to identify criminal violations and pursue legal action when individuals unlawfully exploit their union positions without regard to the best interests of the union and its members.”
The U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards, investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Jane Magnus Stinson. Archer has been ordered to pay $82,462.02 in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Adam Eakman, who prosecuted this case.
###
Kalispell man charged with making threats to kill U.S. Senator Jon TesterRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Kalispell man accused of threatening to injure and murder Montana U.S. Senator Jon Tester was arraigned on Feb. 23 on an indictment, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said today.
Kevin Patrick Smith, 45, pleaded not guilty to an indictment filed on Feb. 22 charging him with two counts of threats to injure and murder a United States Senator. If convicted of the most serious crime, Smith faces 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. Smith was detained pending further proceedings.
According to court documents, on Jan. 30, Smith allegedly made numerous threatening calls to Sen. Tester by phone, leaving voicemails at Sen. Tester’s office in Kalispell. In one instance, Smith stated:
“There is nothing I want more than to have you stand toe to toe with me. You stand toe to toe with me. I rip your head off. You die. You stand in a situation where it is physical between you and me. You die.
“I will never stop.…And I would love to destroy you and rip your (obscenity) head from your shoulders. That is no problem. Call that a threat. Send the FBI.
“I would love to (obscenity) kill you. I would love to see your FBI at my door. I would love to see something in the news”
According to court documents, Smith allegedly acknowledged in the recording that he threatened Sen. Tester and such threats were “on purpose.”
Court documents further allege that on Feb. 1, the FBI contacted Smith and instructed him not to threaten physical violence toward Sen. Tester. On Feb. 10, Smith again called Sen. Tester, stating in one voice message, “I want you to understand. If I ever pull my trigger, I know what dies.”
As further alleged in the indictment, Smith stated in another voicemail, “It is important for you to understand that I won’t live under your rule.…If it becomes time that I die, I’d take a significant number with me.”
An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan G. Weldon is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI and U.S. Capitol Police.
PACER case reference. 23-15.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl
XXX
KC Man Sentenced to 45 Years for Conspiracy to Commit Armed Robberies of Local BusinessesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for his role in a conspiracy to commit nine armed robberies of local businesses in the summer of 2018, as well as an armed robbery in which a convenience store employee was beaten and then fatally shot.
Joe Lee Nichols, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark on Thursday, Feb. 22, to 45 years in federal prison without parole.
On March 11, 2022, Nichols pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit robbery, three counts of robbery, and three counts of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Additionally, federal prosecutors used evidence of Nichols’s involvement in a tenth, uncharged armed robbery in which a person was killed as relevant conduct for determining his sentence.
Nichols admitted that he was part of a conspiracy to rob nine businesses at gunpoint between June 1 and July 18, 2018. Nichols also admitted that he was directly involved in the armed robbery of Boost Mobile, 5218 E. Truman Road, on June 12, 2018; the armed robbery of Arrowhead Inn, 6006 E. 31st Street, on July 2, 2018; and the armed robbery of Wood Springs Suites, 11301 Colorado Avenue, on July 14, 2018.
The government presented evidence at Nichols’s sentencing hearing that he was also involved in a tenth, uncharged, armed robbery of Inner-City Oil convenience store, 5901 Swope Parkway, on July 16, 2018. The court determined there was sufficient evidence of Nichols’s involvement to consider the robbery as relevant conduct, which impacted the court’s sentencing decision.
Video surveillance evidence introduced during yesterday’s sentencing hearing indicated that Nichols pointed a handgun at an employee of Inner-City Oil, who resisted and engaged in a struggle for Nichols’s firearm. Nichols fired his gun multiple times before the employee fell to the floor. The employee then retrieved a handgun and began to fire back at Nichols. Nichols began to stomp and kick at the head and body of the employee, who was still lying on the floor. The employee lost his firearm, which was recovered by Nichols’s accomplice, who then used it to also shoot the store clerk. When they were unable to access the cash register, Nichols and his accomplice left the store. The employee can be seen on the surveillance video, still moving while lying on the floor, until eventually becoming motionless when he died from his injuries. A witness who saw their car leaving the area and discovered the body of the employee immediately called 911.
The surveillance video depicts Nichols leaning on an ice cream freezer with his left hand while assaulting the employee on the floor. Investigators determined that a palm print found on the ice cream freezer belonged to Nichols. Nichols was also identified by his appearance in other robbery videos and by several witnesses who viewed the Inner-City Oil video.
Nichols is the third defendant to be sentenced in this case. One additional co-defendant has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing and two other defendants remain set for trial in May 2023.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bruce Rhoades and Maureen Brackett. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, and agents and task force officers of the FBI.
Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty:
Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on Feb. 24 was:
Moises Zamora, 38, of Greely, Colorado, on charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted of the most serious crime, Zamora faces a mandatory minimum 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Zamora was detained pending further proceedings. The Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office, Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and FBI investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-20.
Appearing on Feb. 23 was:
Edwin Ivan Don’tMix, 59, of Crow Agency, on charges of abusive sexual contact. If convicted of the most serious crime, Don’tMix faces a maximum of life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release. Don’tMix was released pending further proceedings. The FBI investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-147.
Appearing in Missoula before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto and pleading not guilty on Feb. 22 was:
Bo Jordan Bradley, 31, of Bozeman, on charges of felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. If convicted of the most serious crime, Bradley faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Bradley was released pending further proceedings. The Montana Probation and Parole and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-01.
Appearing on Feb. 21 was:
Joseph Anthony Schrantz, 35, of Missoula, on charges of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, prohibited person in possession of a firearm and unlawful taking of firearm form a licensed firearm dealer. If convicted of the most serious crime, Schrantz faces a mandatory minimum 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Schrantz was detained pending further proceedings. The Missoula Police Department, Montana Probation and Parole, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-6.
Darcel Portra Saunders, 65, of Bozeman, on charges of wire fraud and money laundering. If convicted of the most serious crime, Saunders faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Saunders was released pending further proceedings. The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-02.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
XXX
Honduran National Indicted for Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – CHRISTIAN PENA-OCHOA, age 29, a citizen of Honduras, was charged on February 24, 2023, in a one-count indictment for illegal reentry of a removed alien in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
According to the indictment, PENA-OCHOA reentered the United States after he was previously removed on September 7, 2018.
If convicted, PENA-OCHOA faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two years, a maximum fine of $250,000, a maximum term of supervised release of one year, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating this matter. Assistant U. S. Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Greenbrier County Man Pleads Guilty to Violating Federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification ActRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Justin Charles Baker, 35, of Smoot, pleaded guilty today to failure to provide information related to interstate travel as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
According to court documents and statements made in court, Baker was required to comply with the provisions of SORNA because of his conviction for sexual battery in North Carolina on July 19, 2021. Baker traveled from Covington, Virginia, to the area of Smoot, West Virginia, where he resided and worked from August 2022 until November 29, 2022, and failed to register as a sex offender in West Virginia in violation of the requirements of SORNA.
Baker is scheduled to be sentenced on June 9, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Marshals Service (USMS).
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is prosecuting the case.
SORNA is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 and provides a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States. SORNA seeks to strengthen the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs, in part by requiring registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-226.
###
Granbury Man Convicted at Trial Following Child Porn Tip by SonRead the Press Release
A Granbury man whose son reported him to law enforcement was convicted at trial of child sexual exploitation, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
After three days of trial and just 45 minutes of deliberation, a federal jury found David Earl Boyd, 64, guilty of two counts of producing child pornography, one count of possession of child pornography, and one count of penalties for registered sex offenders.
According to evidence presented at trial, in the spring of 2022, Mr. Boyd, already a registered sex offender, took sexually explicit images of two young children, aged 6 and 3.
Mr. Boyd’s son discovered nude images of the children in his father’s trash folder. He took a screenshot of the trash gallery and submitted a report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which forwarded the tip to law enforcement.
Shortly thereafter, officers arrested Mr. Boyd and seized his Samsung smartphone.
During an extraction of the phone, forensic examiners discovered thousands of child pornography images in a directory associated with the application “Hide it Pro,” an application designed to conceal images and videos. (Although Mr. Boyd had previously deleted the app, the directory retained the images and videos.)
“We are grateful to the defendant’s son for reaching out to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. It cannot have been easy to report his father’s crimes, but in so doing, he likely saved two children from further victimization. We are proud to hold this predator to account,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton.
Mr. Boyd now faces a minimum of 45 years in federal prison. He is slated to be sentenced on June 27.
Previously, Mr. Boyd was convicted of possession of child pornography in Taylor County. In 2003, the state sentenced him to three years and required to register as a sex offender.
Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas Field Office, the Hood County District Attorney’s Office, and the Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aisha Saleem prosecuted the case with the help of Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Lewis. U.S. District Judge Terry Means oversaw the trial.
Former San Quentin Prison Guard Sentenced to 20 Months in Prison for Accepting Bribes to Smuggle Contraband into Death RowRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Former Corrections Officer Keith Christopher was sentenced today to 20 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to smuggle contraband into San Quentin State Prison (SQP), announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp. The sentence was handed down by the Hon. Susan Illston, United States Senior District Judge.
Christopher, 38, of Pittsburg, Calif., pleaded guilty to crimes related to the conspiracy on September 16, 2022. Christopher was employed as a Correctional Officer at SQP and, as described in the indictment, worked in SQP’s East Block, known as Death Row. He admitted in his plea agreement that he accepted payments as bribes in exchange for smuggling at least 25 contraband cell phones into SQP. Cell phones are deemed contraband for prisoners in all parts of the prison as they create safety and security risks for prison employees, other inmates, and the public at large when used by inmates to direct criminal activity outside the prison. The California Code of Regulations accordingly prohibits prisoners from possessing cell phones.
Christopher admitted in his plea agreement that he delivered cell phones and accessories, such as chargers, to a condemned inmate who then sold many of the phones to other inmates. Christopher acknowledged that as early as 2019, he orchestrated a conspiracy involving an inmate; co-conspirators Isaiah Wells, 32, of Tracy, Calif., Tanisa Smith-Symes, 46, of Las Vegas, NV, and Dustin Albini, 37, of Pittsburg, CA; and others. Christopher’s plea agreement includes descriptions of two instances in which he arranged to receive bribes in exchange for smuggling cell phones into the prison. In the first instance, the prison inmate working with Christopher arranged for 10 cell phones to be shipped to the Nevada residence of an associate. That associate was Smith-Symes. According to Christopher, in December 2019, the inmate arranged for a package containing 10 cell phones to be delivered to Smith-Symes’ residence in Nevada. Christopher acknowledged that he directed Smith-Symes to send the phones to Albini who delivered the phones to Christopher. Christopher further admitted that he sent a text message to Smith-Symes establishing that he would smuggle the cell phones into the prison for $5,000 and that the money should be sent using Venmo and Walmart money transfers—some of the money through Albini and some through Wells. The second incident described in Christopher’s plea agreement involves an agreement in May of 2020, in which Christopher arranged to smuggle an additional 15 cell phones into SQP for a payment of $7,500. The cell phones again were delivered first to Smith-Symes, but this time were routed through Wells who then delivered them to Christopher. Christopher agreed with the inmate to reduce his fee for this second smuggling transaction and, ultimately, Christopher delivered the phones to the inmate for a $6,500, a small portion of which went to Wells in exchange for his participation in the conspiracy.
On September 29, 2021, federal grand jury indicted Christopher, Wells, Albini, and Smith-Symes charging each with conspiracy to commit honest services fraud (bribery), in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1341, 1343, 1346, and 1349, and various other crimes in accordance with their particular role in the scheme. Christopher pleaded guilty to the count alleging conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and to two counts of accepting bribes, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 666(a)(1)(B).
In addition to Christopher’s prison term, Judge Illston ordered Christopher to serve three years of supervised release that will begin after the conclusion of his prison term. Judge Illston ordered Christopher to surrender on or before May 25, 2023, to begin serving his prison term.
The case is being prosecuted by the Special Prosecutions Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Office of Internal Affairs.
Former Nurse Indicted for Drug Diversion from Boston-Area HospitalRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former nurse has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for allegedly diverting opioids from a Boston-area hospital.
Andrea Falzano, 38, of Winchester, was indicted on three counts of unlawfully obtaining controlled substances by fraud, deception and subterfuge. Falzano was arrested this morning and will appear in federal court in Boston today at 1:30 p.m. before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge M. Page Kelley.
According to the indictment, while working as a registered nurse at a hospital in the Boston-area, Falzano acquired hydromorphone and morphine both of which are opioids and Schedule II controlled substances.
The charge of unlawfully obtaining controlled substances by fraud provides a sentence of up to four years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Office; and Margret R. Cooke, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Panich of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former New Jersey Resident Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Fentanyl AnalogueRead the Press Release
A former New Jersey resident was sentenced on Feb. 23, 2023, to two years in prison for conspiring to distribute a fentanyl analogue. Darryl Hinkson, 47, formerly of Jersey City, New Jersey, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi on July 20, 2021, to an information charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue.
Former Insurance Executive Indicted for $2B Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Charlotte returned an indictment yesterday charging a North Carolina man with masterminding and directing a massive scheme to deceive state insurance regulators and defraud thousands of policyholders and others in connection with insurance companies he controlled.
According to court documents, from no later than 2016 through at least 2019, Greg E. Lindberg, 53, of Durham, and others allegedly agreed to defraud various insurance companies, other third parties, and ultimately, thousands of insurance policyholders. Lindberg allegedly deceived the North Carolina Department of Insurance and other regulators, evaded regulatory requirements meant to protect policyholders, concealed the true financial condition of his insurance companies, and improperly used insurance company funds for his personal benefit. In particular, the indictment alleges that Lindberg personally benefitted from the fraud in part by using insurance company funds to finance his lavish lifestyle, including the purchase and refinancing of personal real estate and “forgiving” more than $125 million in loans from his affiliated companies to himself.
“Policyholders rely on insurance company owners to follow the rules so that the benefits they deserve and depend on will be available when needed,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “In this alleged $2 billion scheme, the defendant defrauded regulators and policyholders alike, causing substantial financial harm to thousands of victims. As this prosecution demonstrates, no matter how complex the scheme, the department will hold accountable corporate executives whose crimes leave policyholders holding the bag while lining their own pockets.”
The charged conduct allegedly caused substantial financial hardship to the victims. Lindberg allegedly caused the insurance companies to engage in investments of nearly $2 billion as part of his scheme, most of which remained outstanding as of September 2022. Since 2019, multiple insurance companies controlled by Lindberg have been placed into rehabilitation or liquidation.
“The indictment reveals a carefully orchestrated scheme that relied on a web of complex financial investments and transactions designed to evade regulators, disguise the financial health of Lindberg’s insurance companies, and conceal the alleged purpose of the scheme: Lindberg’s personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Dena J. King for the Western District of North Carolina. “My office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute financial wrongdoing and hold perpetrators accountable for their actions.”
“People buy insurance products to provide comfort and security. However, this indictment alleges this was a sophisticated and intricate scheme designed for one reason, to benefit Lindberg,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael C. Scherck of the FBI Charlotte Field Office. “The FBI is unwavering in our efforts to hold those accountable who commit federal financial crimes.”
Lindberg is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit crimes in connection with insurance business, wire fraud, and investment adviser fraud; one count of wire fraud; four counts of false insurance business statements presented to regulators; six counts of false entries about the financial condition or solvency of an insurance business; and one count of money laundering conspiracy. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each of the top counts.
In December 2022, one of Lindberg’s top executives, Christopher Herwig, pleaded guilty in a related case to conspiring with Lindberg and others to commit wire fraud, investment advisor fraud, and money laundering, as well as to the making of false statements in the business of insurance.
Separately, Lindberg remains under indictment and is awaiting retrial in a case in which he faces several charges stemming from alleged attempts to bribe the Commissioner of the North Carolina Department of Insurance.
The FBI Charlotte Field Office is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Ryan for the Western District of North Carolina and Trial Attorney Lyndie Freeman of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
If you believe you are a victim in this case, please contact the Fraud Section’s Victim Witness Unit toll-free at (888) 549-3945 or by email at [email protected]. You are also encouraged to visit our webpage for this case at https://www.justice.gov/criminal-vns/case/united-states-v-greg-e-lindberg.
Former Insurance Executive Indicted for $2B Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal grand jury in Charlotte returned an indictment charging a North Carolina man with masterminding and directing a massive scheme to deceive state insurance regulators and defraud thousands of policyholders and others in connection with insurance companies he controlled.
According to court documents, from no later than 2016 through at least 2019, Greg E. Lindberg, 53, of Durham, and others allegedly agreed to defraud various insurance companies, other third parties, and ultimately, thousands of insurance policyholders. Lindberg allegedly deceived the North Carolina Department of Insurance and other regulators, evaded regulatory requirements meant to protect policyholders, concealed the true financial condition of his insurance companies, and improperly used insurance company funds for his personal benefit. In particular, the indictment alleges that Lindberg personally benefitted from the fraud in part by using insurance company funds to finance his lavish lifestyle, including the purchase and refinancing of personal real estate and “forgiving” more than $125 million in loans from his affiliated companies to himself.
“Policyholders rely on insurance company owners to follow the rules so that the benefits they deserve and depend on will be available when needed,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “In this alleged $2 billion scheme, the defendant defrauded regulators and policyholders alike, causing substantial financial harm to thousands of victims. As this prosecution demonstrates, no matter how complex the scheme, the department will hold accountable corporate executives whose crimes leave policyholders holding the bag while lining their own pockets.”
“The indictment reveals a carefully orchestrated scheme that relied on a web of complex financial investments and transactions designed to evade regulators, disguise the financial health of Lindberg’s insurance companies, and conceal the alleged purpose of the scheme: Lindberg’s personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Dena J. King for the Western District of North Carolina. “My office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute financial wrongdoing and hold perpetrators accountable for their actions.”
“People buy insurance products to provide comfort and security. However, this indictment alleges this was a sophisticated and intricate scheme designed for one reason, to benefit Lindberg,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael C. Scherck of the FBI Charlotte Field Office. “The FBI is unwavering in our efforts to hold those accountable who commit federal financial crimes.”
The charged conduct allegedly caused substantial financial hardship to the victims. Lindberg allegedly caused the insurance companies to engage in investments of nearly $2 billion as part of his scheme, most of which remained outstanding as of September 2022. Since 2019, multiple insurance companies controlled by Lindberg have been placed into rehabilitation or liquidation.
Lindberg is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit crimes in connection with insurance business, wire fraud, and investment adviser fraud; one count of wire fraud; four counts of false insurance business statements presented to regulators; six counts of false entries about the financial condition or solvency of an insurance business; and one count of money laundering conspiracy. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each of the top counts.
In December 2022, one of Lindberg’s top executives, Christopher Herwig, pleaded guilty in a related case to conspiring with Lindberg and others to commit wire fraud, investment advisor fraud, and money laundering, as well as to the making of false statements in the business of insurance.
Separately, Lindberg remains under indictment and is awaiting retrial in a case in which he faces several charges stemming from alleged attempts to bribe the Commissioner of the North Carolina Department of Insurance.
The FBI Charlotte Field Office is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Ryan for the Western District of North Carolina and Trial Attorney Lyndie Freeman of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
If you believe you are a victim in this case, please contact the Fraud Section’s Victim Witness Unit toll-free at (888) 549-3945 or by email at [email protected]. You are also encouraged to visit our webpage for this case at www.justice.gov/criminal-vns/case/united-states-v-greg-lindberg.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Detroit Resident Sentenced to Prison for $27 Million Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A former Detroit resident was sentenced to 4 ½ years in prison for a tax fraud scheme where she sought to cheat the Internal Revenue Service and the state treasuries of six states of over $27 million in fraudulent tax refunds, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Charles Miller, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of IRS Criminal Investigations.
Sameerah Marrell, aka “Sameerah Anderson,” aka “Sameerah Pickett,” aka “Crème,” aka “Loren Boyd,” age 42, received the sentence from the Honorable Linda V. Parker, United States District Judge, in Detroit, Michigan. Judge Parker also ordered that the defendant serve three years on supervised release after her release from federal custody and pay the remaining restitution owed totaling $7,979,041.71. During the course of the scheme, Marrell had successfully stolen $8.5 million, and the amount owed in restitution has been reduced by money, cars, and jewelry seized by the federal government and the states from Marrell during the course of this investigation.
Marrell pleaded guilty on January 11, 2023 to Mail Fraud, Wire Fraud, and Committing an Offense While On Bond. According to court records, the scheme began in 2014 and continued through April 2022. During that time, Marrell and other accomplices defrauded the Internal Revenue Service and the State Treasury Departments of Minnesota, Georgia, Maryland, Arizona, Connecticut, and Colorado, by filing 122 false and fictitious Income Tax Returns for Estates and Trusts and numerous state income tax returns, seeking over $13,690,341 from the IRS and $14,730,365 from the six states, by claiming bogus “refunds,” to which neither she nor her accomplices were entitled.
These federal and state income tax returns contained various false and material assertions of fact, most notably that the IRS and state taxing agencies had withheld large amounts of income tax from the trusts purportedly filing the returns, and that those trusts were therefore entitled to large refunds. In truth, however, the IRS and the state taxing agencies had withheld nothing from these trusts, and Marrell and her accomplices were entitled to no refund of any kind. Before discovering the fraud, the IRS paid out over $5,539,049 and the state agencies paid out a total of $2,972,588.93, all based on Marrell’s spurious claims. Altogether, Marrell and her accomplices successfully caused the issuance of approximately $8,511,637.93 in fraudulent tax refunds.
Marrell committed some of these offenses after she was arrested on a criminal complaint charging her with, among other things, making false claims to the IRS based on some of the conduct described above. Thus, even while Marrell was on bond, she continued to execute her scheme to defraud.
“Ms. Marrell committed an astonishing amount of fraud against federal and state agencies. She also proved herself incorrigible, continuing her scams even after her initial arrest. We hope that today’s sentence will deter both Ms. Marrell and anyone else who seeks to steal public funds for private gain.”
"Today's sentencing again emphasizes that the Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Attorney’s office will continue their aggressive pursuit of those who use fraudulent methods in an attempt to corrupt our nation's tax system," said Charles Miller, Acting Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation, Detroit Field Office. "Honest taxpayers have been reassured today that no one is above the law, especially when the integrity of tax administration is at stake.”
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by AUSAs Craig Weier and Adriana Dydell of the United States Attorney’s Office.Former Correctional Officer Sentenced to More than Six Years for Smuggling Greeting Cards Laced with Drugs into PrisonRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. –Leann Little, 37, of Lumberton was sentenced yesterday to 75 months in prison for drug and money laundering crimes for providing contraband to inmates in North Carolina prisons. Little previously pled guilty to the charges.
In December of 2019, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the North Carolina Department of Public Safety (NCDPS) initiated an investigation involving the distribution of illicit contraband in prisons throughout North Carolina. The evidence revealed that Little, a former correctional officer and postal contractor, conspired with inmates to send them 45-MDMB-BINACA, a synthetic cannabinoid that is smoked for psychoactive effects. The inmates would place the orders over the phone and use CashApp to pay Little. Little would obtain greeting cards or paper, spray them with liquid 45-MDMB-BINACA and mail them to inmates in state corrections facilities. The cards were then cut into dosage units and consumed or used for currency.
Little pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of 4F-MDMB-BINACA, distributing a quantity of a mixture and sub substance containing a detectable amount of 4F-MDMB-BINACA and money laundering conspiracy.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety and the United States Postal Inspection Service Office of Inspector General investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chad Rhoades prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:20-CR-199-FL.
###
Former City of Atlanta official sentenced for accepting bribesRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Former City of Atlanta Commissioner of Watershed Management Jo Ann Macrina has been sentenced to four years and six months in prison for accepting bribes from an Atlanta contractor in exchange for steering city business worth millions of dollars to the contractor’s company.
“Jo Ann Macrina was entrusted to safeguard the water supply for millions of Atlanta residents but instead resorted to corruption by steering work to a city contractor in exchange for cash, luxury items, and a lucrative job offer,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “We are committed to working closely with our partners to rid local government of those who allow personal greed to lead to the abuse of positions of trust.”
“Macrina exploited her position to feed her own greed,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This case is especially disturbing because she was the head of a department. This conviction reflects our continuing commitment to root out corruption and bring to justice those who abuse positions of power.”
“By enriching herself through bribes, Jo Ann Macrina abused her public trust,” said James E. Dorsey, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “The sentence she received serves notice to public officials that they are not above the law and will be held accountable for using public funds for their own use.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Macrina served as the Commissioner of Atlanta’s Department of Watershed Management from 2011 through May 2016. During Macrina’s tenure, the City of Atlanta awarded millions of dollars in contracts to an architectural, design, and construction management and services firm based in Atlanta. Macrina took multiple steps to steer lucrative contracts toward the firm’s joint venture. Those actions included casting aside prior final scores ranking potential vendors where the joint venture ranked near the bottom, replacing two evaluators who previously represented the Department of Watershed Management with herself and Macrina’s employee, and scoring the joint venture higher than all other evaluators during a reevaluation.
In exchange for providing the firm’s executive vice president with access to confidential information and preferential treatment on City of Atlanta projects, Macrina was offered a job and accepted things of value. For instance, Macrina accepted $10,000 in cash, a diamond ring, a room at a luxury hotel in Dubai, and landscaping work at her home from the firm’s executive vice president either directly or through another employee of the firm. Shortly after Macrina’s employment with the City of Atlanta ended, she began working for the firm. Between June 2016 and September 2016, the firm and its executive vice president paid Macrina $30,000 in four separate payments.
Jo Ann Macrina, 66, of Daytona Beach, Florida, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones to four years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and $40,000 in restitution. Macrina was convicted of conspiracy and federal program bribery on October 14, 2022, following a jury trial.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and IRS Criminal Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan P. Kitchens for the Northern District of Georgia and Trial Attorney Jolee Porter of the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Former City of Atlanta Official Sentenced for Accepting BribesRead the Press Release
A former City of Atlanta Commissioner of Watershed Management was sentenced today to four and a half years in prison for accepting bribes from an Atlanta contractor in exchange for steering city business worth millions of dollars to the contractor’s company.
According to court documents, Jo Ann Macrina, 66, of Daytona Beach, Florida, served as the Commissioner of Atlanta’s Department of Watershed Management from 2011 through May 2016. During Macrina’s tenure, the City of Atlanta awarded millions of dollars in contracts to an architectural, design, and construction management and services firm based in Atlanta. Macrina took multiple steps to steer lucrative contracts toward the firm’s joint venture. Those actions included casting aside prior final scores ranking potential vendors where the joint venture ranked near the bottom, replacing two evaluators who previously represented the Department of Watershed Management with herself and Macrina’s employee, and scoring the joint venture higher than all other evaluators during a reevaluation.
In exchange for providing the firm’s executive vice president with access to confidential information and preferential treatment on City of Atlanta projects, Macrina was offered a job and accepted things of value. For instance, Macrina accepted $10,000 in cash, a diamond ring, a room at a luxury hotel in Dubai, and landscaping work at her home from the firm’s executive vice president either directly or through another employee of the firm. Shortly after Macrina’s employment with the City of Atlanta ended, she began working for the firm. Between June 2016 and September 2016, the firm and its executive vice president paid Macrina $30,000 in four separate payments.
In October 2022, Macrina was convicted at trial of conspiracy and federal program bribery.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, Special Agent in Charge Keri Farley of the FBI Atlanta Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge James Dorsey of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Atlanta Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Atlanta Field Office and IRS-CI investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Jolee Porter of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan P. Kitchens for the Northern District of Georgia prosecuted the case.
Former Birmingham-Area Bank Insiders Charged in Connection with Account Takeover SchemeRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A grand jury yesterday indicted two former bank employees for their role in a conspiracy to steal customer account information, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and United States Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick M. Davis
A six-count indictment filed in the U.S. District Court charges Chimere Shanta Mitchell, 31, and Jamila Afhtan Davis, 31, both of Birmingham, with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
According to the indictment, Mitchell was previously employed by Wells Fargo Bank as a Fraud and Claims Operations Specialist responsible for working with bank customers who suspected fraudulent activity in their accounts. Davis was previously employed by Regions Bank as a teller responsible for processing transactions and providing customer service.
The indictment alleges that between October 2020 and October 2021, Mitchell and Davis used their positions as bank employees to obtain financial account information from accountholders at Wells Fargo and Regions banks. They would then provide that information to another individual who would either use it in connection with account takeover schemes or market it on Telegram, an encrypted mobile messaging application favored by cybercriminals.
The maximum penalty for wire fraud affecting a financial institution is 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit wire fraud is the same.
The U.S. Secret Service Cyber Fraud Task Force investigated the case with assistance from the Vestavia Hills Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Canter is prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Federal Witness Sentenced to Federal Prison for Soliciting a Bribe from a DefendantRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel today sentenced Jolen Michael Ghorbani, a/k/a “Jay,” age 28, formerly of Fairfax, Virginia, to 18 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for bribery of a witness related to a federal criminal trial in which Ghorbani was a witness.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Washington Field Office Criminal Division; and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
According to his plea agreement, on February 3, 2021, Ghorbani was the victim of a kidnapping, assault, and robbery committed by Tray David Sherman and Sherman’s co-conspirators. During the kidnapping, Ghorbani was transported from Maryland to Washington, D.C. where Sherman and his co-conspirators assaulted and robbed Ghorbani. Sherman was indicted and arrested on March 31, 2021, for conspiracy to commit kidnapping. On April 15, 2022, Ghorbani was served with a subpoena requiring his testimony at Sherman’s trial, which was initially scheduled to begin on July 11, 2022.
As detailed in the statement of facts, beginning on June 5, 2022, Ghorbani used a social media account to send a series of threatening and intimidating direct messages to Sherman, including a message where Ghorbani sent his telephone number to Sherman and said “[C]all me If you want to finesse trial.” Approximately three weeks before the scheduled start of Sherman’s trial, Ghorbani sent another series of messages to Sherman through his social media account, this time soliciting a payment of $5,000 from Sherman in exchange for Ghorbani’s agreement to testify falsely or to refuse to testify at all at Sherman’s trial. Ghorbani shared the messages he sent to Sherman with another individual, bragging that he (Ghorbani) was “[d]ancing with the devil,” and referring to Sherman, stating, “I’m auctioning off his freedom.”
On January 20, 2023, Tray Sherman, age 28, of Washington, D.C., the final member of the five-defendant kidnapping conspiracy, was sentenced to 126 months’ imprisonment. Sherman and his coconspirators pleaded guilty to luring Ghorbani from a casino in Maryland to a building in Southeast Washington, D.C., where they threatened Ghorbani’s life, took his personal items, and held him hostage at gunpoint while Sherman and another co-conspirator returned to the casino to steal items from the victim’s hotel room. The other four defendants all pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy and were sentenced to between 10 and 14 years in federal prison.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI Washington Field Office and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the FBI Miami Field Office for its assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey J. Izant who prosecuted the case and thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah B. Grossi for her assistance.
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.
# # #
Federal Jury Convicts Tulsa Man for Assaulting St. Francis Hospital Security OfficersRead the Press Release
A federal jury found a Tulsa man guilty this week for assaulting two security officers with his vehicle, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Leeroy Wendell McQueary II, 40, was convicted of two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm in Indian Country.
“Two security officers tried to calm Leeroy McQueary II down inside St. Francis Hospital, and when that failed, they escorted him out of the facility to protect employees and patients,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Then McQueary aimed his vehicle at the officers, accelerated, and attempted to run them down. He’s now learned there were consequences for his criminal behavior.”
On Nov. 4, 2022, McQueary entered the St. Francis Hospital lobby, acting agitated and stating that he was trying to locate a friend, whom he couldn’t name. Concerned about his erratic and angry behavior, front desk employees asked him to step to another area of the lobby while they tried to gather more information. They then contacted security for assistance.
When two security officers arrived and calmly requested more information about the “patient,” McQueary again could not provide the patient’s name nor a valid hospital room number. He continued to act erratic. McQueary’s behavior further escalated when security asked him to leave and eventually escorted him from the facility using verbal commands.
McQueary continued yelling expletives at the security team and repeatedly threatened to hunt them down and kill them. Security provided the defendant space and a clear path to exit the parking area.
McQueary entered his vehicle and backed out of his parking spot, then accelerated his car, aimed at, and rammed a parked security vehicle occupied by a third officer. He then accelerated down the parking lane.
Officers ran across the parking lot to see where McQueary was headed. At one point, McQueary made a deliberate U-turn and accelerated toward both security officers at a dangerous pace. He then aimed more deliberately toward them. Officers drew their firearms to no effect and eventually fired at the defendant’s car. Before being struck, both security officers jumped away from the vehicle, which almost hit them.
The defendant then sped up, drove over a parking lot curb, attempted to drive away, and crashed into an electric box. He exited the vehicle and fled the scene on foot.
Hospital surveillance video verified the front desk employees’ and officers’ accounts about what happened in the lobby. Surveillance and several witnesses further verified the incident that occurred outside the hospital.
The Tulsa Police Department located and arrested McQueary on Nov. 30, 2022.
The Tulsa Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Niko A. Boulieris and Adam C. Bailey are prosecuting the case.
Federal Jury Convicts McAlester Couple of Committing Child Abuse and Child Neglect in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced today that McAlester residents, Billy James Menees, age 29, and Ashley Dawn Marie Schardein, age 27, were both found guilty by a federal jury of one count of Child Abuse in Indian Country and one count of Child Neglect in Indian Country.
The jury trial began with testimony on Tuesday, February 14, 2023 and concluded on Thursday, February 23, 2023 with the guilty verdicts.
During the trial, the United States presented evidence that beginning in January of 2019 Billy Menees and his live-in girlfriend, Ashley Schardein, began the systematic abuse and neglect of a child victim in their care.
The guilty verdicts were the result of an investigation by the McAlester Police Department, the District Attorney’s Office for District 18, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma prosecuted the case because the victim in this case is a member of a federally recognized Indian tribe and the crimes occurred in Pittsburg County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, and within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Timothy D. DeGiusti, U.S. Chief District Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, in Oklahoma City, presided over the trial and ordered the completion of the presentence reports. The sentencings will be scheduled following completion of the reports and the Defendants will remain in custody of the United States Marshal until then.
Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Paladino and Caila M. Cleary represented the United States.
February 2023 Grand Jury for the District of NebraskaRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced the federal Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska has returned 26 unsealed Indictments charging 28 defendants. Indictments are charging documents that contain one or more individual counts that are merely accusations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
* Sergio Ambriz, age 37, of Paramount, California, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges Ambriz with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) on or about December 29, 2022. The penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Ambriz with possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime on or about December 29, 2022. The penalty if convicted is not less than 5 years’ and up to life imprisonment consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine, not less than five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Contact Drug Enforcement Unit Chief Susan Lehr at 402-661-3700 for further information.
* Juan Andres-Pedro, age 29, is charged with illegal reentry of a removed alien after a felony conviction on or about January 24, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Contact Criminal Chief Michael Norris at 402-661-3700 for further information.
* Justin Wayne Burney, age 41, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) on or about August 15, 2022. The penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than eight years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Contact Drug Enforcement Unit Chief Susan Lehr at 402-661-3700 for further information.
* Taft Burtton, age 50, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of fentanyl analogue on or about February 15, 2023. The penalty if convicted is not less than 15 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $20,000,000 fine, not less than ten years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Contact Drug Enforcement Unit Chief Susan Lehr at 402-661-3700 for further information.
* Jesus Camarillo-Soria, age 44, of Omaha, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges Camarillo-Soria with possession with intent to distribute cocaine on or about August 14, 2022. The penalty if convicted is 20 years’ imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Camarillo-Soria with possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime on or about August 14, 2022. The penalty if convicted is not less than 5 years’ and up to life imprisonment consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine, a five-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Contact Drug Enforcement Unit Chief Susan Lehr at 402-661-3700 for further information.
* Baudilio Coronado-Ramirez, of Columbus, Nebraska, is charged with knowingly possessing with the intent to use unlawfully or transfer unlawfully five or more false identification documents beginning on or about September 28, 2022 and continuing to on or about November 14, 2022. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Contact Criminal Chief Michael Norris at 402-661-3700 for further information.
* Amy Duncan, age 51, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of fentanyl analogue on or about February 15, 2023. The penalty if convicted is not less than 15 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Contact Drug Enforcement Unit Chief Susan Lehr at 402-661-3700 for further information.
* Dragen Flores Cortes, age 28, is charged with illegal reentry of a removed alien after a felony conviction on or about January 25, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Contact Criminal Chief Michael Norris at 402-661-3700 for further information.
* David Garcia, age 29, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged with escape from custody on or about October 15, 2022. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Contact Criminal Chief Michael Norris at 402-661-3700 for further information.
Alejandro Garcia Perez a/k/a Alejandro Garcia, age 36, is charged with illegal reentry of a removed alien after a felony conviction on or about December 2, 2022. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Contact Criminal Chief Michael Norris at 402-661-3700 for further information.
* William L Gienger, age 57, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) on or about February 27, 2021. The penalty if convicted is not less than 15 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $20,000,000 fine, not less than ten years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Contact Drug Enforcement Unit Chief Susan Lehr at 402-661-3700 for further information.
* Amy Michelle Holmdohl, age 45, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine on or about December 2, 2022. The penalty if convicted is not less than 15 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $20,000,000 fine, not less than ten years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Contact Drug Enforcement Unit Chief Susan Lehr at 402-661-3700 for further information.
* Archollis Larmor Johnson, age 36, of Monrovia, California, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual), 500 grams or more of methamphetamine (mixture) and 500 grams or more of cocaine on or about August 4, 2022. The penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Contact Drug Enforcement Unit Chief Susan Lehr at 402-661-3700 for further information.
* Gregory Scott Jones, age 49, of Roseland, Nebraska, is charged in a nine-count Indictment. Counts I-IX charge Jones with theft of a mail matter on or about April 14, 2021, and continuing to on or about December 17, 2021. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment for each count.
Contact Criminal Chief Mike Norris at 402-661-3700 for further information.
* Robert E. Kaczmarek, age 54, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges Kaczmarek with sexual exploitation of a minor beginning on or about July 6, 2021 and continuing to on or about August 22, 2022. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 15 years’ and up to 30 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, not less than five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment, $55,000 additional special assessment. Count II charges Kaczmarek with sex trafficking of a minor by force beginning on or about July 6, 2021 and continuing to on or about August 22, 2022. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 15 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, not less than five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment, $5,000 additional special assessment.
Contact Criminal Chief Michael Norris at 402-661-3700 for further information.
* Lucas J. Lacy, age 37, is charged with accessing with intent to view visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct under the age of 12 beginning on or about November 15, 2021 and continuing to on or about November 22, 2021. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, not less than five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment, $17,000 additional special assessment.
Contact Criminal Chief Michael Norris at 402-661-3700 for further information.
* Charees Loftin, age 18, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged with unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance in possession of a firearm on or about January 5, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Contact Drug Enforcement Unit Chief Susan Lehr at 402-661-3700 for further information.
* Jose Mendes Hernandez a/k/a Jose F. Mejia-Guiterrez, age 27, is charged with illegal reentry of a removed alien after an aggravated conviction on or about February 1, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Contact Criminal Chief Michael Norris at 402-661-3700 for further information.
* Richard Gedion Parent a/k/a Richard Gideon Parent, age 54, of Lincoln, Nebraska, and Jon Gregory Hillman, Jr., age 48, of Lincoln, Nebraska, are charged with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual), and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (mixture) on or about August 5, 2022. The penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
There is also an allegation to forfeit United States currency and property seized on or about August 5, 2022.
Contact Drug Enforcement Unit Chief Susan Lehr at 402-661-3700 for further information.
* Tony Torres Perez, age 34, of Hastings, Nebraska, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) on or about May 17, 2022. The penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $8,000,000 fine, not less than eight years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Contact Drug Enforcement Unit Chief Susan Lehr at 402-661-3700 for further information.
* Carey Dean Phillips, Jr., age 29, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged with failure to register as a sex offender on or about October 1, 2022. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, not less than five years’ and up to life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Contact Criminal Chief Michael Norris at 402-661-3700 for further information.
* Christopher Ramos-Rivas, age 27, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) on or about December 30, 2022. The penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
There is also an allegation to forfeit $9,159.00 in United States currency and property seized on or about December 30, 2022.
Contact Drug Enforcement Unit Chief Susan Lehr at 402-661-3700 for further information.
* Juan Rodriguez-Rios, age 37, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) on or about September 6, 2022. The penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Contact Drug Enforcement Unit Chief Susan Lehr at 402-661-3700 for further information.
* Kenneth M. Sedlak, age 55, of Lincoln, Nebraska, is charged with theft of mail matter from a post office or other authorized depository on or about June 1, 2022. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Contact Criminal Chief Mike Norris at 402-661-3700 for further information.
* Taliaferro Thompson, age 26, and Andrew Kincaid, age 28, both of Omaha, Nebraska, are charged in a two count Indictment. Count I charges Thompson and Kincaid with bank robbery on or about January 26, 2022. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Thompson and Kincaid with brandishing/using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence on or about January 26, 2022. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 7 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a five-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Contact Criminal Chief Michael Norris at 402-661-3700 for further information.
* Anthony Unocic, age 53, is charged with influencing and retaliating against a federal official by threat on or about January 1, 2022 and continuing through on or about April 12, 2022. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Contact Criminal Chief Michael Norris at 402-661-3700 for further information.
Eleventh Defendant from Cedar Rapids Ice Methamphetamine Wiretap Case Found Guilty After TrialRead the Press Release
A man who was intercepted in a wiretap conspiring to distribute large quantities of ice methamphetamine was convicted by a jury today after a three-day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Elmer Mims, age 68, from Cedar Rapids, was convicted of one count of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. The verdict was returned this afternoon following about four hours of jury deliberations.
The evidence at trial showed that the Cedar Rapids Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) conducted a wiretap investigation in late 2021 and early 2022 targeting a group of individuals who were shipping large quantities of ice methamphetamine from Los Angeles, California, to Cedar Rapids. The DEA intercepted calls over phones used by David Belton (a/k/a “Blood”) and Derek Mims (a/k/a “D Mo”) in which they orchestrated the shipment of loads of thirty to sixty pounds of ice methamphetamine. Elmer Mims was intercepted in a call in early December 2021 discussing a prior occasion during which Elmer Mims had obtained 14 pounds of ice methamphetamine for $26,000. During an intercepted call in early February, Belton and Derek Mims discussed how they were going to obtain 60 pounds of ice methamphetamine, 20 pounds for each of them and 20 pounds for “Unc,” a nickname for Elmer Mims.
Less than two weeks after that call, DEA contacted local authorities in York County, Nebraska, to assist in stopping a truck that was believed to be transporting the 60 pounds of ice methamphetamine. The Nebraska officers stopped the truck and seized a tote that contained sixty, one‑pound packages of 99% pure methamphetamine. During an intercepted call on February 28, 2022, Elmer Mims and Belton discussed the seizure of the 60 pounds in Nebraska, believing that Derek Mims may have been stealing from them.
In March 2022, investigators searched Elmer Mims’s Cedar Rapids residence, seizing nearly $19,000 in cash drug proceeds, a box for a Glock handgun, ammunition, a holster, a tactical vest, and over four pounds of marijuana. Elmer Mims had previously been convicted in federal court in 1985 for a heroin conspiracy that involved smuggling large quantities of heroin using drug couriers and sending drug money to Hong Kong and Nepal.
The following ten co‑defendants charged in the same indictment had previously pled guilty in federal court:
David Poitier Belton
Derek Michael Mims
Phillip Lanell Rogers
Robert Lee Michael Bates
Anton Tarrice Whitney, Jr.
Christopher Eric Curley
Calub Joseph Storlie
Timothy Michael Webber
Kiyonte Levell Sowell
Jesus Vera
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Mims remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Mims faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and a lifetime of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the DEA Task Force in Cedar Rapids and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The DEA Task Force in Cedar Rapids consists of the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff's Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Dan Chatham and Kraig Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22‑CR‑39‑CJW‑MAR.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Dothan Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Tax Evasion, Mail Fraud, and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – Today, Kenneth Cherden Glasgow, also known as “Kenneth Sharpton Glasgow,” 57, from Dothan, Alabama, pleaded guilty to tax evasion, mail fraud, and drug conspiracy charges, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Stewart.
According to the plea agreement and other court documents, Glasgow founded the Ordinary Peoples Society and the Prodigal Child Project, both 501(c)(4) nonprofit organizations. Glasgow solicited donations for these two organizations from other nonprofits and foundations, representing that he would use those donations for charitable purposes. Instead, as Glasgow admitted in his plea agreement, during the 2018 calendar year alone, he withdrew $407,450.00 in cash from the bank accounts of one of his nonprofit organizations and used the money for his own benefit. Because he used the money for personal expenses, he was legally required to report the funds as income on his tax return. However, Glasgow failed to even file a return for that year. Glasgow also attempted to conceal this activity by causing his tax preparer to complete inaccurate IRS 990 forms for Glasgow’s nonprofit organizations that vastly understated the income of the organizations and omitted the financial benefits Glasgow received from them. In his plea agreement, Glasgow specifically acknowledged committing this fraudulent conduct during the 2018 tax year. He also agreed to pay the IRS $376,720.00 in restitution for tax years 2016 through 2019.
During today’s plea hearing, Glasgow also admitted to mailing documents containing false statements to the Social Security Administration (SSA) so that he could continue receiving SSA disability benefits and related health benefits under the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Glasgow made written statements on various SSA forms describing his physical abilities and daily activities as being very limited, despite reporting on IRS 990 forms for his nonprofits that he worked 50 to 60 hours per week. In some SSA forms, Glasgow claimed that, due to physical limitations, he had difficulty driving and had to ride with someone. These statements were not true. In his plea agreement, Glasgow admitted that he leased a vehicle using funds from one of his nonprofits and listed himself as the sole authorized driver. In addition, between February 5, 2015, and August 11, 2020, Glasgow received traffic citations relating to approximately 27 different traffic stops, all of which indicated that Glasgow was the driver.
Glasgow also pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute. According to the plea agreement, the drug conspiracy started with others at an unknown date and continued through August 2020.
Glasgow was indicted for the drug conspiracy charge in October 2021. The additional charges of tax evasion and mail fraud were recently filed on February 13, 2023. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled in the coming months. At that hearing, Glasgow will face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, along with substantial fines and restitution.
“Mr. Glasgow caused immeasurable harm,” stated United States Attorney Stewart. “Through his drug dealing, he released dangerous, addictive substances to the streets of his own community. By failing to pay his taxes and then fraudulently obtaining government benefits, he took from every American taxpayer. I am grateful to each agency involved in this investigation. Their combined effort ensures that the Dothan community is safer and that public funds will be put to the public’s benefit—instead of being put into Mr. Glasgow’s pocket.”
“Kenneth Glasgow's actions not only endangered the community, but defrauded the American taxpayers,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge for the FBI. “His guilty plea should help to dissuade others from following this same path."
“The guilty plea today serves as a notice to those who believe committing crimes comes with no consequences, it is only a matter of time before they are held accountable,” said James E. Dorsey, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “IRS-Criminal Investigation is committed to bringing justice to those who try to avoid their federal income tax responsibilities.”
"Defrauding federal health care programs not only wastes valuable taxpayer dollars, but it also diverts resources meant to pay for medically necessary care for eligible enrollees," said Tamala E. Miles, Special Agent in Charge with the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). "HHS-OIG is proud to work with our law enforcement partners to hold fraudsters who exploit these programs accountable."
“For several years, Mr. Glasgow managed his non-profit organizations while pretending he had a qualifying disability with the Social Security Administration; he concocted this scheme to receive SSA benefits that he was not entitled to receive,” said Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General for SSA. “His guilty plea holds him accountable for theft and demonstrates that my office will continue to work to protect SSA benefits and taxpayer funds. I thank our law enforcement partners for their outstanding work in this investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s office for prosecuting this case.”
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, IRS - Criminal Investigation, the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the Dothan Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Megan A. Kirkpatrick, Stephen K. Moulton, and Brandon W. Bates are prosecuting the case.
Dominican Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Felix Bienvenido Gonzalez-Arias, a/k/a “Victor Manuel Trinidad-Lugo,” 38, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for May 17, 2023. Gonzalez-Arias was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2022.
At an unknown time, Gonzales-Arias illegally entered the United States. In November 2014, he was arrested in Essex County on state charges of heroin trafficking. Gonzales-Arias was convicted of the offense, sentenced to three and a half to five years in state prison and upon completion of his sentence, he was removed from the United States in April 2018. Some point thereafter, Gonzales-Arias illegally reentered the United States.
On Sept. 1, 2022, Gonzalez-Arias was arrested in Lawrence on drug trafficking charges. . Gonzalez-Arias’ fingerprints produced a positive match from those from his 2014 arrest and 2018 removal and he was identified as being illegally present in the United States after deportation.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Todd Lyons, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Defendant in Case that Led to the One of the Largest Fentanyl Seizures in the Northern District of Oklahoma Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
A man whose illicit drug operation resulted in one of the largest fentanyl seizures in the Northern District of Oklahoma pleaded guilty in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Raul Plata-Cibrian, 25, a Mexican National illegally residing in United States, pleaded guilty to possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute.
“In the last year, the illicit sale of deadly fentanyl has dramatically increased in the Northern District of Oklahoma,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Drug traffickers are pushing this poison in our communities without regard to the human toll it exacts. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to target individuals, from high-level fentanyl traffickers to street level dealers, and hold them accountable for spreading addiction and causing death throughout northeastern Oklahoma.”
“Fentanyl and other illicit drugs are not victimless crimes,” said Tulsa Police Chief Wendell Franklin. “They have always been an overwhelming contributor to today’s problems to include homelessness, property crimes, and violent crimes. Drugs are the one constant present in crime, and it is overlooked and accepted by many. The Tulsa Police Department, United States Attorney’s Office, and the DEA will continue to focus our efforts on the root cause of crime.”
“This guilty plea sends a message to drug traffickers that those who endanger innocent lives by pushing fentanyl will not be tolerated,” said Eduardo A. Chávez, Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Field Division, who oversees operations in Oklahoma. “Drugs and those who distribute these poisons have no place in our neighborhoods. The DEA will never waver in our resolve to identify and hold those responsible for their actions.”
Investigators with the Tula Police Department began tracking Plata-Cibrian in July 2022. They noted that Plata-Cibrain would drive to various parking lots throughout Tulsa in a matter of hours and that he would repeat the driving behavior daily. Investigators knew the defendant’s behavior to be indicative of drug trafficking and eventually executed a search warrant of the trafficker’s residence on Aug. 2, 2022.
During the search, officers located approximately 3,530 grams of fentanyl powder, 1,343 grams of fentanyl pills, 2,732 grams of methamphetamine, 498 grams of cocaine, and 146 grams of black tar heroin. They further located six cellphones, digital scales, a .380 caliber pistol, associated ammunition, and almost $7,000 in cash.
Plata-Cibrian is in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service and will be sentenced at a later date.
The Tulsa Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel-lyn A. McCormick is prosecuting the case.
D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services Employee Charged with Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
Kelvin Powell Arrested
WASHINGTON – Kelvin Powell, 61, an employee of the D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services, is charged by indictment, unsealed today in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, with sexual abuse of and abusive sexual contact with a minor in his care. FBI agents arrested Powell this morning. The indictment and arrest were announced by United States Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office David Sundberg.
The Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) is the government agency in the District of Columbia responsible for the supervision, custody, and care of young people detained while pending charges for a delinquent act. According to the eight-count indictment, between December 2021 and February 2022, while employed as a Youth Development Representative at DYRS, Kelvin Powell sexually abused a minor (“Person A”) who was detained and residing at the facility where Powell worked.
Powell is charged with four counts of sexual abuse of a ward and four counts of abusive sexual contact. Each count of sexual abuse of a ward carries a maximum possible penalty of 15 years in prison; each count of abusive sexual contact carries a maximum possible penalty of two years in prison. Powell was first arrested in March of 2022 on charges of sexual abuse of a minor filed in D.C. Superior Court.
This investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with additional information about similar conduct involving Kelvin Powell or others is encouraged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5342).
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy Visser and Cara Gardner of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to More Than 17 Years in Federal Prison for Receiving Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
FAYETTEVILLE – A Springdale man was sentenced today to 212 months in prison without the possibility of parole followed by 25 years of supervised release on two counts of Receipt of Child Pornography. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the U.S. District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court documents, in July 2016, the defendant, Richard Blane Gamblin, age 28, was convicted in the Western District of Arkansas, Fayetteville Division, of Receiving Child Pornography via the Internet. He was sentenced to 72 months imprisonment, followed by 10 years supervised release. On October 6, 2021, Gamblin was released from federal prison and began his 10-year term of Court ordered supervised release in the Western District of Arkansas.
On December 7, 2021, U.S. Probation officers did a compliance check on Gamblin’s Springdale residence and discovered he was in possession of a cellular phone. That phone was later turned over to the Department of Homeland Security, who forensically determined that it contained images of Child Sexual Abuse Material. Gamblin was subsequent indicted via Grand Jury on new charges of Receipt and Possession of Child Pornography. On or about August 11. 2022, Gamblin pleaded guilty to two (2) separate counts of Receipt of Child Pornography.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations Fayetteville, and the Northwest Arkansas Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Roberts prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to over 11 Years for Unlawfully Possessing a Firearm and Possession of Methamphetamine with the Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – Cassius Sinclair Jordan, 38, of Huntingdon, Tennessee has been sentenced to over 11
years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of
methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the
sentence today.According to the information presented in court, on May 28, 2020, at approximately 12:30 a.m., an
officer with the Huntingdon Police Department observed a vehicle parked with the rear of the
vehicle in the roadway. As the officer approached the vehicle, he observed the driver laying across
the steering wheel as if he was asleep. The officer awakened the driver and identified him as the
defendant, Cassius Sinclair Jordan.The officer observed a glass pipe and a cigarette lighter in Jordan’s hands and directed him to
exit the vehicle, at which time he was detained. A search of the vehicle revealed the following:• A Smith and Wesson .40 caliber handgun, which was loaded with nine rounds
• An additional 12 .40 caliber rounds of ammunition
• A bag containing approximately 93 grams of methamphetamine
• A bag containing 41 Xanax tablets
• A bag containing 14.2 grams of marijuana
• $7,285.75 in cash
• A box of baggies
• Digital scalesAccording to the laboratory report issued by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the
methamphetamine seized from Jordan's vehicle tested positive for methamphetamine
hydrochloride with a net weight of 93.89 grams and a purity level of
97%.A special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) examined
Jordan's firearm and ammunition and determined that the firearm and ammunition were manufactured
outside the state of Tennessee.On February 17, 2023, the Honorable S. Thomas Anderson sentenced Jordan to a total of 140 months'
imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Anderson also ordered
Jordan's federal sentence run consecutive to a state sentence that Jordan is presently serving
following his convictions for aggravated kidnapping and aggravated assault with a weapon in Carroll
County in 2019. While Jordan could be paroled from his current state sentence, there is no parole
in the federal system.This case was investigated by the Huntingdon Police Department, the ATF and DEA.
United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorney Josh Morrow, who
prosecuted this case, as well as law enforcement partners who investigated the case.###
For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at (901) 544-4231 or [email protected]. Follow @WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.
Convicted Felon Sentenced for Possession of Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – An Isle of Wight man was sentenced today to 81 months in prison for being a convicted felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.
According to court documents, on June 27, 2018, Ronald Devon Matthews, 36, was convicted of carrying a firearm without a license, a felony, in Pennsylvania. On Dec. 7, 2021, Matthews was arrested after law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence in Carrsville. During the search, deputies discovered a 12-gauge semi-automatic shotgun and ammunition under a sofa in the den of the residence. Law enforcement also discovered two 9mm pistols, magazines, ammunition, and a bulletproof vest in a gun safe in Matthews’ bedroom.
From jail, Matthews made phone calls instructing an accomplice to clean out his storage unit in Franklin. The following day, deputies executed a search warrant on Matthews’ storage unit and discovered four rifles, four pistols, one shotgun, over 2,000 rounds of ammunition, 2.2 kilograms of marijuana, and a digital scale bearing methamphetamine residue. Two of the firearms were affixed with devices subsequently determined to be illegal “firearm silencers” or “firearm mufflers” by the ATF Firearms Technology Branch.
Matthews was sentenced to 81 months in prison with 3 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to forfeit 14 firearms and over 2,000 rounds of ammunition.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Darrell Logwood, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division; Colonel Gary T. Settle, Superintendent of Virginia State Police; and Derek W. Gordon, Acting Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen.
Significant assistance was provided by the Isle of Wight Sherriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Darryl J. Mitchell prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which 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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-110.
Colorado Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Denver – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Jason Lee Henderson, age 36, formerly of Wray, Colorado, has been sentenced to 28 months in prison for conspiring to commit money laundering. Henderson was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release and pay $400,858.07 in restitution. The court also imposed a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $399,452.
According to the plea agreement, from March 2020, until October 2020, Henderson was part of a conspiracy to launder funds obtained from a government official impersonation scheme. Victims in the United States were contacted by telephone and coerced into believing they were under investigation by “Agents” of federal law enforcement agencies (the FBI, SSA, DHS, Treasury, or U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration). It was further part of the conspiracy that the conspirators told these victims that their identities had been connected to a criminal incident, that their imminent arrest and/or deportation from the United States had been ordered by law enforcement, and that the only way to avoid arrest and or deportation was to pay the “Government” large sums of money, as instructed. The victims were instructed to withdraw cash from their bank accounts and mail the cash to various addresses, which turned out to be Walgreens stores in northeastern Colorado.
Henderson was paid to use fake identification cards to pick up victims’ packages of cash mailed to the Walgreens stores in Colorado. The government has identified 57 victims who in total have lost over $7.5 million through this scheme. Of that $7.5 million, $1.6 million in cash was mailed to Colorado. Video surveillance from these stores and text messages from the defendant’s phone tied him to specific fake identification cards used to pick up the packages.
United States District Court Judge Raymond P. Moore sentenced Henderson on February 23, 2023.
This investigation is being conducted jointly with investigators from the Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of Inspector General (OIG), United States Postal Inspection Service, Department of Homeland Security-OIG, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Sterling, Colorado Police Department. The District Attorney for the 13th Judicial District has also provided assistance. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Martha A. Paluch and Laura B. Hurd.
Case number: 22-cr-202
Civil Forfeiture Complaint Filed Against Six Luxury Real Estate Properties Involved in Sanctions Evasion and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Andrew C. Adams, the Director of Task Force KleptoCapture, Ivan J. Arvelo, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), and Maged Behnam, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Miami Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the filing of a civil forfeiture complaint against six real properties located in New York, New York, Southampton, New York, and Fisher Island, Florida, worth approximately $75 million. The Complaint alleges that the properties, which are beneficially owned by Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg, are the proceeds of sanctions violations and were involved in international money laundering in promotion of sanctions violations committed by, among others, Vladimir Voronchenko, a/k/a “Vladimir Vorontchenko,” who was indicted on February 7, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Today’s action, filed on the anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, seeks forfeiture of six luxury properties owned by Viktor Vekselberg that his associate Vladimir Voronchenko maintained by funneling millions of dollars into the United States. With the filing of this complaint, the United States sends a strong message to those who violate sanctions and engage in money laundering that the United States will use every available tool to forfeit criminal proceeds and will use that money to help our allies in Ukraine under the newly enacted law.”
Director of Task Force KleptoCapture Andrew C. Adams said: “Strawmen, corrupt professionals, and shell companies may be the hallmarks of money laundering and sanctions evasion, but they are obstacles that diligent, dedicated investigators and prosecutors will surmount. Today’s filing marks yet another step that the Department of Justice and our partners at HSI and FBI have taken toward dislodging ill-gotten gains from those who would attempt to evade U.S. sanctions, and toward making the value of these properties available for aid to Ukraine.”
HSI Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo said: “For years, Russia’s weaponization of corruption has relied on opaque legal structures – and Western enablers – to move, hide, and spend stolen wealth, enriching its oligarchs and ultimately resourcing the war in the Ukraine. Since the invasion, HSI New York and our partners have worked tirelessly to cut Russia’s corruptocrats and their assets out of the American financial system. Today we continue our active measures and remove jewels from the crown of yet another oligarch, stripping him of the luxury assets he so cherishes.”
FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Maged Behnam said: “The mission of the interagency Task Force KleptoCapture is to enforce sanctions, export restrictions, and economic countermeasures imposed by the United States in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine one year ago. This civil forfeiture complaint is an example of the Task Force’s ongoing work to fulfill this mission. I commend the hard work, dedication, and cooperation of this team of professionals.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint filed in Manhattan federal court today:[1]
On April 6, 2018, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) designated Vekselberg as a Specially Designated National (“SDN”) in connection with its finding that the actions of the Government of the Russian Federation in Ukraine constituted an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. On or about March 11, 2022, OFAC redesignated Vekselberg as an SDN and blocked Vekselberg’s yacht and private airplane.
Prior to his designation by OFAC, between in or about 2008 and in or about 2017, Vekselberg, through a series of shell companies, acquired six real properties in the United States, specifically, (i) two apartments on Park Avenue in New York, New York, (ii) an estate in Southampton, New York, (iii) two apartments on Fisher Island, Florida, and (iv) a penthouse apartment also on Fisher Island, Florida (collectively, “the Properties” or the “Defendants-in-rem”). As of the date of the Complaint, the Properties were worth approximately $75 million.
Voronchenko, Vekselberg’s close friend and business associate, retained an attorney (the “Attorney”), who practiced in New York, New York, in connection with the acquisition of the Properties. The Attorney also managed the finances of the Properties, including by paying common charges, property taxes, insurance premiums, and other fees associated with the Properties in U.S. dollar transactions from the Attorney’s interest on lawyer’s trust account (“IOLTA account”).
Prior to Vekselberg’s designation as an SDN, between approximately February 2009 and March 2018, companies owned by Vekselberg sent approximately 90 wire transfers totaling approximately $18.5 million to the IOLTA account. At the direction of Voronchenko and his family member who lived in Russia, the Attorney used these funds to make various U.S. dollar payments to maintain and service the Properties.
Immediately after Vekselberg’s designation as an SDN, the source of the funds used to maintain and service the Properties changed. The IOLTA Account began to receive wires from a bank account in the Bahamas held in the name of a shell company controlled by Voronchenko, Smile Holding Ltd., and from a Russian bank account held in the name of a Russian national who was related to Voronchenko. Between approximately June 2018 and March 2022, approximately 25 wire transfers totaling approximately $4 million were sent to the IOLTA account. Although the source of the payments changed, the management of the payments remained the same as before: Voronchenko and his family member directed the Attorney to use these funds to make various U.S. dollar payments to maintain and service the Properties. Additionally, after Vekselberg was sanctioned in 2018, Voronchenko and others tried to sell both the Park Avenue apartment and the Southampton estate. No licenses from OFAC were applied for or issued for any of these payments or attempted transfers.
On or about May 13, 2022, federal agents served Voronchenko on Fisher Island with a Grand Jury subpoena, which called for his personal appearance for testimony and his production of documents, including documents relating to the Properties. Approximately nine days later, on or about May 22, 2022, Voronchenko took a flight from Miami, Florida, to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and then went to Moscow, Russia. Voronchenko failed to appear before the Grand Jury and has not returned to the United States.
* * *
The Properties subject to the forfeiture action are as follows:
- 19 Duck Pond Lane, Southampton, New York 11968;
- 515 Park Avenue, Units 21 and 2I, New York, New York 10022;
- 7002 Fisher Island Drive, Unit 7002 PH2, Miami Beach, Florida 33109; and
- 7183 Fisher Island Drive, Units 7182 and 7183, Miami Beach, Florida 33109.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the New York and Miami field offices of HSI and the FBI. Mr. Williams further thanked the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and Office of International Affairs and OFAC for their assistance and cooperation in this investigation.
On March 2, 2022, the Attorney General announced the launch of Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions, and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed, along with allies and partners, in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. The Task Force will leverage all the Department’s tools and authorities against efforts to evade or undermine the economic actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Greenwood, Joshua A. Naftalis, and Sheb Swett are in charge of this action.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the Complaint, and the description of the Complaint set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Chicago Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Coercion and Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Chicago man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for threatening and coercing a Massachusetts minor to engage in sexual conduct.
Ernesto Herrera, 33, of Chicago, Ill., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 12 years in prison and five years of supervised release. In August 2022, Herrera pleaded guilty to one count of coercion and enticement of a minor.
“Mr. Herrera preyed on the vulnerability of a young, innocent child to manipulate and exploit her for his own sexual gratification. He threatened and blackmailed the victim into sending and giving him access to abusive sexual imagery of herself. Like many others, Mr. Herrera was wrong to think he could hide behind the anonymity of the internet. This case is another example that online predators will be identified and held accountable,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “I commend the victim for her bravery in providing information to law enforcement – her courage ensured that Mr. Herrera was held accountable and likely spared countless other minors from being victimized. My office remains unwavering in our commitment to protecting the safety, innocence and wellbeing of our children and removing individuals who seek them harm from our communities.”
“Ernesto Herrera is a sexual predator who went to great lengths to conceal his identity when he manipulated a 16-year-old girl into providing him with sexually explicit images of herself. No sentence can undo the devastating harm he inflicted on his victim, but this courageous teen stood up, came forward, and ensured this man will no longer be in a position to harm others for quite some time,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “We commend her for exhibiting great courage throughout our investigation and prosecution of this case, and rest assured, we will continue our aggressive pursuit to hold others like him accountable.”
In June 2020, Herrera reached out to the minor victim from an anonymous phone number using a messaging application. Herrera demanded that the victim send images and videos of herself engaged in sexual conduct, among other things. Herrera threatened the victim that if she did not comply with his requests, videos of the victim would be leaked to her friends and the internet. Herrera also accessed the victim’s Snapchat account and, from June 2020 through January 2021, sent over one thousand images and videos of the victim to his Snapchat account. Several of these files depicted child sexual abuse material.
In June 2021, during a search of Herrera’s residence in Chicago, he admitted to contacting the minor using a text messaging service and acknowledged that he knew the victim was being blackmailed by other people at the time that he communicated with her. Herrera confirmed that he received images of the victim engaged in sexual conduct, among other things. Herrera also admitted to creating various Snapchat usernames and email addresses to communicate with and request nude images from other minor females, and that he had threatened at least two other minors via Snapchat to send him explicit images.
U.S. Attorney Rollins, FBI SAC Bonavolonta and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Chicago Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Mackenzie Duane of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Chatsworth Man Sentenced to More Than 7 Years in Prison for Cyberstalking Campaigns Against Victims in California and GeorgiaRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Fernando Valley man was sentenced today to 85 months in federal prison for stalking two sisters in California by sending them text messages that threatened them with rape and murder and for threatening and harassing a teenage girl in Georgia.
Alex Scott Roberts, 27, of Chatsworth, was sentenced by United States District Judge André Birotte Jr., who at today’s hearing called Roberts’ conduct “egregious.”
Roberts pleaded guilty in August 2022 to two counts of stalking. He has been in federal custody since December 2020.
In the California case, in July and August 2020, Roberts used text messages and internet communications to place the two victims “in reasonable fear of death and serious bodily injury,” and that he intended to cause “substantial emotional distress,” according to court documents.
After being told by an individual identified in court papers as “Victim 1” and her family that the woman did not want to communicate with Roberts, he created a listing on Craigslist that offered a room for rent at Victim 1’s home and invited prospective renters to “Stop by anytime,” court papers state.
Roberts then sent anonymous text messages to a friend of Victim 1 that demanded Victim 1’s phone number, threatened to publish nude photographs of Victim 1, and threatened to send someone to rape Victim 1.
He also sent numerous anonymous messages to Victim 1, Victim 1’s sister, and at least one friend of Victim 1, demanding Victim 1’s telephone number, threatening to send nude photographs of Victim 1, threatening to send someone to rape Victim 1 and her sister, and threatening to kill Victim 1 and her family.
In the Georgia case, in June 2020, Roberts sent a series of threatening and harassing messages to a 15-year-old girl, identified in court papers as “Minor 1.”
Roberts claimed to possess nude images of Minor 1 and threatened to send the images to her parents as “payback” if she did not send Roberts additional nude images. He then sent harassing and threatening messages to Minor 1 via both text message and Instagram.
In response to his threats to send nude images of Minor 1 to her family, Minor 1 sent Roberts “selfie” photographs of herself. Roberts responded by continuing to send Minor 1 harassing messages, including several messages containing edited versions of the “selfie” photographs Minor 1 had sent to Roberts in response to his threats.
“Only a few months after being paroled on state prison sentences related to stalking and extorting young women online…Roberts…began tormenting new victims,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “His messages traumatized the victims, putting them in fear for their lives and the lives of their family.”
The FBI investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Restrepo of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section prosecuted this case.
Cape Coral Man Sentenced to Eight Years for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Images and VideosRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Karl Patrick Kluge (54, Fort Myers) to eight years and one month in federal prison for possession of images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. Kluge was also sentenced to a 15-year term of supervised release and ordered to register as a sex offender. Kluge was found guilty following a bench trial on October 31, 2022.
According to court documents, in May 2021, an FBI task force agent had connected to Kluge’s computer sharing files depicting a child being sexually abused. The FBI later executed a search warrant at Kluge’s residence and seized Kluge’s laptop computer, cellphones, and a thumb drive. Kluge admitted to agents that he looked at child sex abuse images. A subsequent forensic examination of Kluge’s devices revealed in excess of 300 images and more than 150 videos depicting the sexual abuse of children.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fort Myers Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which includes the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office that assisted with this investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.
This is another case 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.justice.gov/psc.
Bank and Identity Fraud Conspiracy Members Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced today the sentences of New York and Connecticut residents for their involvement in a bank and identity fraud conspiracy. The charged defendants worked together and with others to use stolen identities of actual Regions Bank customers to steal over $125,000 from branches in northwest Florida, southern Alabama, Iowa, and Missouri in December 2019.
Nicole Maguire was sentenced to 3 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft charges. Desmond Brannon, also known as Desmond Scott, was sentenced to 4 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank fraud charges. Brannon was on supervised release for a prior federal bank fraud conspiracy conviction at the time he committed these offenses and is also awaiting violation proceedings in the Southern District of New York. Steven Mussington was sentenced to 1 year and 1 day in prison following a two-day jury trial convicting him of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank fraud charges. Another co-defendant, Chelsie Worthen, of Arkansas, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft charges and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 22, 2023, at 1:00 p.m.
Alleged co-conspirators Darrell Wells and Georgia Ward, both New York residents, are being prosecuted in the Southern District of New York in a separate but related indictment. Ward pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and was sentenced to time served and an additional nine months of home confinement. Wells is awaiting trial on charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.
This case resulted from a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from Regions Bank Corporate Security Fraud Investigators, the Lynn Haven Police Department, the Cedar Falls (Iowa) Police Department, the Monticello (Iowa) Police Department, and the Jefferson City (Missouri) Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Forbes prosecuted the Northern District of Florida cases.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Bvi Man Pleads Guilty Transporting Illegal AlienRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced that Samuel Davies, of Tortola, BVI, pleaded guilty before United States Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller to bringing an alien to the United States for private financial gain.
According to court documents, on September 7, 2019, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations intercepted a vessel as it approached Coral Bay, St. John, with no navigational lights. Davies, the captain, and a Dominican Republic male were the occupants of the vessel. Neither occupant could produce legal documentation that allow their presence in the United States. Davies later told the agents that he met a man in Tortola known to him as “San Diego” who asked to take the Dominican National to Jost Van Dyke, BVI, but they accidentally ended up in Coral Bay. The passenger was later deported to the Dominican Republic and Davies will be sentenced by a federal judge at a hearing scheduled by the court.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Patrol Air and Marine Operations and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Payne.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Statement on the Anniversary of Russia’s Invasion of UkraineRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today issued the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on the Anniversary of Russia's Invasion of Ukraine:
“For the past year, the United States and the world have seen the horrific images and heard the heart-wrenching accounts of brutality and death resulting from Russia’s unjust and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
“Today, the Department of Justice reiterates its resolute commitment to standing with our Ukrainian partners in pursuit of justice.
“Prosecutors with the Department’s War Crimes Accountability Team are working closer than ever before with our Ukrainian counterparts to investigate specific crimes committed by Russian forces, including attacks on civilian targets. At the same time, Congress has expanded our authority to prosecute alleged war criminals who are found in the United States.
“Our Task Force KleptoCapture — a group of prosecutors, agents, analysts, translators, and other Department personnel and law enforcement partners — continues to bring prosecutions and effect seizures against sanctioned enablers of the Kremlin and Russian military.
“And we are also exercising new authority granted by Congress to transfer certain assets we have seized from Russian oligarchs for the rebuilding of Ukraine. Earlier this month, I authorized the first-ever transfer of such assets to the State Department to support the people of Ukraine. More will follow.
“I am proud of this work and of the many Department personnel supporting it.
“Over the past year, the Ukrainian people have shown the world what courage looks like. And for as long as it takes, the Department of Justice will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our Ukrainian and international partners in defense of justice and the rule of law.”
Ukrainian
Armed Waterbury Gang Member Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Distribution OffenseRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JERRELL JAMISON, also known as “Rell” and “Big Bro,” 30, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for distributing narcotics.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an ongoing investigation into gangs, drug trafficking and the illegal possession of firearms in Waterbury. On April 16, 2019, the Waterbury Police Department’s Vice and Intelligence Unit conducted a court-authorized search of Jamison’s residence and seized more than 1,400 individual dose bags of fentanyl/heroin; distribution quantities of cocaine, crack and marijuana; a loaded .40 caliber pistol, and more than 40 rounds of ammunition. Jamison fled his residence when investigators entered, but was apprehended in the rear yard.
Jamison has been identified as a member of the Paybacc Crips street gang. Subsequent analysis of the seized firearm via the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) connected it to shell casings recovered from five prior events, including an assault in December 2016.
After it was determined that Jamison was continuing to engage in criminal activity while released on bond in his state case, his case was adopted for federal prosecution. Jamison has been detained since his federal arrest on March 10, 2022. On September 22, 2022, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine, cocaine base (“crack”), and 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Waterbury Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha M. Freismuth and John T. Pierpont, Jr.
U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the State’s Attorney’s Office for the Judicial District of Waterbury for its close cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Armed Drug Trafficker Who Previously Shot a Wilmington Officer Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – Kenneth Brown, 41, of Wilmington North Carolina, was sentenced yesterday to 87 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribution of 28 grams or more of cocaine base, five counts of distribution of a quantity of cocaine base and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Brown, a validated member of the United Blood Nation gang, was convicted in 2003 on state charges for shooting at a law enforcement officer and received a sentence of more than 15 years in state prison.
According to court documents, evidence presented in court and other documents, on June 23, 2021, Brown sold 13 grams of cocaine base to an undercover Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agent in Brunswick County. During the deal, Brown indicated that he was involved in trafficking guns to New York. On June 30, 2021, Brown sold an additional 13 grams of cocaine base to the same ATF agent. Brown and the agent discussed the sale of a firearm. Brown pulled out a loaded Glock 9mm handgun. The agent attempted to purchase the gun, but Brown declined to sell it. Brown indicated that the gun was registered to his girlfriend. Brown, as a convicted felon, is prohibited from possessing a firearm. Brown sold the agent 26 grams of cocaine base on August 5 and 18. During the last deal, Brown did not produce the amount agreed initially so he retrieved some additional cocaine and cooked it into cocaine base. Brown’s girlfriend who was present during the deal said that Brown was a master crack cooker and she had seen him do on a number of occasions.
On October 9, 2021, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a car driven by Brown. During a search of the car, law enforcement found a loaded HK 9mm handgun.
On March 15, 2022, Brown was arrested on federal charges and found in possession of a revolver. On March 16, 2022, law enforcement served two search warrants at residences associated with Brown. During a search at an apartment in Wilmington, law enforcement found a loaded Glock 9mm handgun, a loaded rifle with a large capacity magazine and more than 100 rounds of additional ammunition. During a search of a different apartment in Wilmington, law enforcement found more than 65 grams of cocaine.
This is part of operation “Golfer” which is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the New Hanover and Brunswick County Sheriffs’ Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo and Gabe Diaz prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:22-CR-00011-FL.
###
Alleged Drug Trafficking Members Indicted on Multiple Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Marcus Jamar Fowler (32, Tarpon Springs) a/k/a “Drastic,” and Abelardo Torres (36, Tampa) with conspiracy to distribute narcotics and possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance. Pierre Marquise Fowler (34, Port Richey), a/k/a “Durk,” and Cyion Craig Kerr (45, New York), a/k/a “Bling,” are charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. If convicted, each faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. The indictment also notifies the defendants that the United States intends to forfeit nine pieces of real property, which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense.
According to the indictment, Marcus Jamar Fowler and Pierre Marquise Fowler conspired to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and a substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, 400 grams or more of a mixture containing a detectable amount fentanyl, and 5 kilograms or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine.
The indictment further alleges that Kerr conspired to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, and 400 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl. Torres is alleged to have conspired to possess with the intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha E. Beckman. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney James Muench.
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.
Alburgh Man Charged with Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont - The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Kenneth C. Bishop, 38, of Alburgh, Vermont appeared today before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle after his indictment and arrest for possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM). Bishop was ordered temporarily detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for Wednesday, March 1, 2023.
According to court records, on September 29, 2022, Bishop’s cellphone was confiscated after he violated the conditions of his furlough from the custody of the Vermont Department of Corrections. A search of that cellphone subsequently revealed that Bishop had saved CSAM videos and images in an encrypted vault application on the cellphone.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Bishop remains presumed innocent until and unless he is convicted of a crime. Bishop faces a maximum sentence of 10 years of imprisonment. The actual sentence would be determined with reference to the United States Sentencing Guidelines.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the detectives of the Vermont Attorney General’s Office’s Criminal Division, agents of Homeland Security Investigations, and members of the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt. Bishop is represented by Jordana Levine, Esq.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and Child Exploitation Obscenity Section, Criminal Division (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 .
Albuquerque man pleads guilty in armed robberies of letter carriersRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Melisa Llosa, Inspector in Charge of the Phoenix Division of U.S. Postal Inspection Service, announced that Cisco Casaus-Alires was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Casaus-Alires, 21, of Albuquerque, pleaded guilty on June 29 to robbery of mail, money and other property of the United States and brandishing a firearm during and in furtherance of a crime of violence.
On Nov. 7, 2020, Casaus-Alires robbed a United States Postal Service (USPS) letter carrier at gunpoint in southeast Albuquerque, demanding the letter carrier’s cell phone, USPS keys and mail. On Dec. 26, 2020, in southwest Albuquerque, Casaus-Alires robbed another letter carrier at gunpoint. Casaus-Alires demanded the letter carrier’s wallet, phone and USPS keys, and then demanded that the letter carrier load parcels into Casaus-Alires’ vehicle.
On Dec. 28, 2020, in south Albuquerque, Casaus-Alires robbed a third letter carrier at gunpoint, demanding the letter carrier’s wallet, phone and USPS keys. As Casaus-Alires took mail and parcels from the USPS vehicle, he asked the letter carrier where “the good stuff” is delivered, then fled the area.
“USPS Letter Carriers walk our streets on a daily basis to bring us everything from checks to medicine to gifts,” said United States Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez. “Delivering mail should not be a dangerous job. We will hold accountable anyone who threatens the safety of those who work tirelessly to serve our community.”
“The highest priority of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service is investigating acts of violence against USPS employees,” stated Melisa Llosa, Inspector in Charge of the Phoenix Division. “Through collaboration with our law enforcement partners, Casuas-Alires is no longer a threat to USPS Letter Carriers or the public. This substantial sentence is a message to all criminals. If you rob a USPS employee, Postal Inspectors will not stop until you are brought to justice. We thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office, U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, and the Albuquerque Police Department for their support on this investigation.”
The United States Postal Inspection Service investigated this case with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jaymie L. Roybal is prosecuting the case.
# # #
23-36
Alabama Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. -- A Grand Bay, Alabama man pled guilty to possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to court documents, Walton Stephen Vaughan, 67, was found to be in possession of hundreds of visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct when FBI agents and local law enforcement executed a search warrant at his Lucedale residence on February 27, 2019.
Vaughan is scheduled to be sentenced on June 15, 2023, at 11:00 a.m., in Gulfport. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. If Vaughan is determined to have a qualifying prior conviction under federal sexual exploitation statues, military law, or state law, to include abusive sexual conduct involving a minor, he would then face a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of 20 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Thursday 23 February 2023
Violent, Wanted Felon Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison After Firing Shot into Ceiling of Hotel Room in During Standoff with SWAT TeamRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Michael Dennis, 38, of Kokomo, Indiana, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison after pleading guilty to illegally possessing a firearm.
According to court documents, on April 20, 2021, investigators with the Howard County Sheriff’s Office attempted to arrest Dennis on several outstanding warrants while he was staying at a Baymont Hotel in Kokomo. Dennis refused to let officers into the room and informed them that he had a gun.
The Howard County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team responded to the scene and made several attempts to get Dennis to exit the room. Officers eventually emitted pepper spray under the door. Dennis told officers “if you spray that s**t one more time, I am going to shoot,” at which point, he fired a shot into the ceiling of the hotel room.
After several hours of negotiations, Dennis exited the room and was safely taken into custody. Officers located a 9mm pistol inside the room.
Dennis is prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law due to his multiple previous felony convictions including Criminal Recklessness, Strangulation, and Battery on a Child.
The sentence was announced by Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Columbus Field Division and Jerry Asher, Howard County Sheriff.
“Every day, law enforcement officers do their duty to protect their public, knowing they may encounter a violent offender with a gun,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “We have seen far too many tragedies in Indiana, and across the country when, law enforcement officers encounter criminals with a history of domestic violence and a gun in their hands. It is a testament to the skill, professionalism, and training of the responding Howard County Deputies that this defendant was arrested without injury to the public, law enforcement officers, or himself. The sentence imposed today demonstrates the commitment of our office, the ATF, and our law enforcement partners to protect the public from these dangerous offenders.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated this case with valuable assistance provided by the Howard County Sheriff’s Office. The sentence was imposed by Chief U.S. District Court Judge, Tanya Walton Pratt. Judge Pratt also ordered that Dennis be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 3 years following his release from federal prison and be subject to a $1,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Barry D. Glickman, who prosecuted this 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.
This case was brought as part of the LEATH Initiative (Law Enforcement Action to Halt Domestic Violence), named in honor of Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) Officer Breann Leath, who was killed in the line of duty while responding to a domestic disturbance call. A partnership among the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the IMPD, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana, the LEATH Initiative focuses federal, state, and local law enforcement resources on domestic violence offenders who illegally possess firearms.