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6 April 2023
Billings man sentenced to five years in prison for attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor in undercover investigationRead the Press Release
BILLNGS — A Billings man who admitted having sexual conversations through social media with an undercover agent posing as a minor girl and was arrested when he showed up to meet the girl, was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Kyle Jason Swindler, 42, pleaded guilty in October 2022 to attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The court also ordered $2,000 restitution.
The government alleged in court documents that in October 2021, law enforcement conducted an undercover operation in Billings to identify and arrest individuals who were attempting to have sex with children. Swindler responded to a social media post by an undercover agent who was posing as a 13-year-old girl. When the undercover agent identified herself as 13 years old, Swindler responded, “Ouch you’re a young one.” The conversation became sexual in nature. Swindler and the undercover agent arranged to meet in a public park for a sexual encounter. Swindler drove to the park, where he was arrested. Law enforcement searched Swindler’s vehicle and found sex-related items. Officers also searched Swindler’s cell phone and recovered the original social media conversation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin D. Hargrove prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Billings Police Department, Yellowstone County Attorney’s Office and Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office.
This case was initiated under the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative, which was launched in 2006 to combat the proliferation of technology-facilitated crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children. Through a network of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and advocacy organizations, Project Safe Childhood attempts to protect children by investigating and prosecuting offenders involved in child sexual exploitation. It is implemented through partnerships including the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The ICAC Task Force Program was created to assist state and local law enforcement agencies by enhancing their investigative response to technology facilitated crimes against children.
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Assault with hammer sends Browning man to prison for 20 monthsRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Browning man who admitted beating a man in the head with a claw hammer was sentenced today to 20 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Calvin Lame Bull Juneau, 37, pleaded guilty in November 2022 to assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on Nov. 19, 2021, Juneau and co-defendant, Dale Ray Racine, entered a residence in Browning, on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, and assaulted the victim, identified as John Doe, who was sleeping in a bedroom. Doe awoke and saw Juneau and Racine rushing toward him. Juneau had a claw hammer in his hands. The victim received multiple strikes in the head, one to his hand and one to his leg. The victim was treated for head injuries at the Indian Health Service in Browning. Racine was sentenced previously to two years in prison for his conviction in the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services.
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Arizona man pleads guilty to travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conductRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Jonathan John James pleaded guilty to travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. James, 58, of Tsaile, Arizona, will remain on conditions of release pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
According to the plea agreement and other court documents, on April 20, 2022, James followed a child as she shopped with a grandparent at a Home Depot in Gallup, New Mexico. James approached the minor, told her she was attractive and gave her his telephone number, written on a wet wipe package, in hopes they would communicate. On April 27, James received a text message from a person he believed to be the minor he had contacted and began exchanging sexually explicit messages with them. On May 5, James traveled from Arizona to a park in Gallup to meet the victim. He was detained by the FBI upon arrival.
Under the terms of his agreement, James can be sentenced to up to 30 years in prison and must register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the FBI Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.
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23-70
Ansonia Man Admits Stealing and Selling Catalytic ConvertersRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that FRANCISCO AYALA, 22, of Ansonia, has pleaded in Hartford federal court to offenses related to his participation in a stolen catalytic converter trafficking ring.
According to court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement has been investigating the theft of catalytic converters from motor vehicles across Connecticut. A catalytic converter contains precious metals, can easily be removed from its vehicle, and is difficult to trace, making it a desirable target for thieves. The average scrap price for catalytic converters currently varies between $300 and $1,500, depending on the model and type of precious metal component.
The investigation revealed that Ayala engaged in numerous catalytic converter thefts throughout Connecticut, and he was caught on surveillance video stealing converters from two vans at a business in Stratford on March 9, 2022. Between December 2021 and May 2022, Ayala and an associate sold approximately $150,000 worth of stolen catalytic converters to a co-conspirator who transported the converters to other businesses, including businesses in New York and New Jersey, for further resale and profit.
On April 4, 2023, Ayala pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, and one count of interstate transportation of stolen property, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala on July 13, 2023.
Ayala is detained pending sentencing.
This investigation is being led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), and the East Hartford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and A. Reed Durham.
Alleged Firearm Traffickers Arrested in ATF BustRead the Press Release
Three men accused of selling guns illegally were arrested in an ATF takedown on Wednesday, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Michael Smith, 36, Khalid Amill, 27, and Rondell Jones, 27, were arrested in Fort Worth on Tuesday, charged via criminal complaint with conspiracy to deal in firearms without a license and felon in possession of a firearm.
Smith and Amil were also charged with drug offenses, as were three other men arrested during the bust: William Davis, 42, and Dwayne Purnell, 54, both charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and Jaquan Thomas, 23, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
All six defendants made their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey L. Cureton in Fort Worth on Thursday.
According to court documents, Smith, Amill, Jones, and their co-conspirators sold more than two dozen firearms to undercover agents over the course of a month and a half. On multiple occasions, co-conspirators were informed that the guns they sold would be trafficked across the border into Mexico, where they would be resold illegally.
Court documents allege they repeatedly bragged that they could obtain fully automatic AK- and AR-style rifles, referred to as “choppers.” On one occasion, Smith and a coconspirator allegedly attempted to sell a Smith & Wesson pistol that they claimed was equipped with a custom firing pin that made it automatic. When an undercover agent expressed skepticism, they claimed the firing pin was “internal.” On another occasion, Smith allegedly acted as middleman for the sale of a short-barreled Seekins Precision rifle equipped with a selector switch that moved from safe, to single shot, to automatic.
Smith also allegedly brokered the sale of a privately manufactured firearm (PMF), commonly referred to as a “ghost gun,” that contained an extended magazine.
A complaint is merely an allegation of wrongdoing, not evidence. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, Smith and Amil face up to 35 years in federal prison, while Jones faces up to 15 years in prison. Davis faces up to 40 years in prison, and Thomas faces up to 20 years in prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation in partnership with the Fort Worth Police Department’s Gang Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Levi Thomas is prosecuting the case.
5 Individuals Charged in Superseding Indictment for Conspiracy to Import Cocaine into the United StatesRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned a 14-count superseding indictment charging three men and two women with trafficking cocaine in the District of Puerto Rico beginning in 2021. This is a joint investigation between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with collaboration from U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations (CBP), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB).
According to the charging document, the defendants conspired to import cocaine into the United States from the Dominican Republic from November 2021 through April 2023. The defendants and the counts in which they are charged are:
[1] Osvaldo Hernández-Camacho, a.k.a. “Shaq/Oso”: Counts 1 through 13
[2] Nelson Rivera-Suárez, a.k.a. “Papo”: Counts 1 through 9
[3] Edgardo Luis Matos-Santos, a.k.a. “Bebi”: Counts 1 through 12
[4] Xiomarie Marrero-Álvarez, a.k.a. “Xiomy”: Counts 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 14
[5] Yahaira Santos-Castillo, a.k.a. “Yaja”: Counts 1, 4, 7, 10
The counts charged are:
Count One - Conspiracy to Import a Controlled Substance into the United States – not later than November 2021
Count Two - Importation of a Controlled Substance into the United States – October 15, 2022
Count Three - Importation of a Controlled Substance into the United States – November 17, 2022
Count Four - Conspiracy to Distribute and to Possess with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance - not later than November 2021
Count Five - Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance – October 15, 2022
Count Six - Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance – November 17, 2022
Count Seven - Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance on Board a Vessel of the United States – November 2021
Count Eight - Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance on Board a Vessel of the United States – October 15, 2021
Count Nine - Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance on Board a Vessel of the United States – November 17, 2022
Count Ten - Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime – November 2021
Count Eleven - Firearm Related Murder in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime – November 17, 2022
Count Twelve - Murder of a Federal Law Enforcement Officer in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking – November 17, 2022
Count Thirteen - Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering – year 2022
Count Fourteen - Obstruction of Justice – November 17, 2022
The indictment includes controlled substances and money laundering forfeiture allegations regarding the following property:
- $10,000,000 in United States currency
- Two 1999 Boston Whaler vessels
- One 1974 Uniflite 42’ vessel
- Lot of land in the municipality of Lajas, Puerto Rico
- Two lots of land in the municipality of Carolina, Puerto Rico
- One 2014 black Toyota Tundra
- 2009 Ford Econoline E350 Super Duty Van White
- A 2007 white Dutchcraft Camp Trailer
- 2015 white Jayco Inc. Trailer
- White and black framed Star Stream trailer
- All United States currency in three different bank accounts
The indictment also includes firearms forfeiture allegations regarding the following items:
- Four Glock pistols
- One Sig Sauer pistol
- One Remington Shotgun
- One Springfield multicaliber rifle
- Seventy-Six 9mm caliber cartridges
- 239 5.56 caliber cartridges
- 226 .40 caliber cartridges
- 148 .45 caliber cartridges
The indictment alleges that the defendants made multiple trips between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic to transport narcotics. It also claims that on November 17, 2022, defendants Osvaldo Hernández-Camacho and Edgardo Luis Matos-Santos, aiding and abetting Joseamid Vázquez-Torres, a.k.a. “El Pana/El Capi/Jose”, not charged herein, did knowingly and intentionally kill, and counsel, command, induce and cause the intentional killing of Michel Maceda, a Federal Law Enforcement Officer engaged in the performance of his official duties.
“The conduct charged in this Superseding Indictment proves that firearms in the hands of drug traffickers pose a grave threat to our community and to our law enforcement partners,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “For that reason, the U.S. Attorney’s office remains committed to the investigation and prosecution of transnational drug traffickers. We will find them and bring them before the courts to face the consequences of their crimes.”
“One of the things we in the FBI take pride in is our expertise in investigating the big picture scheme. That is, doing the painstaking, technical, and often tedious work of playing the long game to understand criminal enterprises, and then taking them down. These arrests are the results of that process, and we are committed to continue to do this work, together with our partners, to bring all those responsible to justice,” said Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office. “Drug trafficking is the root of many of the evils that plague our society and sometimes, even the men and women sworn to serve and protect the people, become the victims of the violence that stems from it. This makes our work more important and more urgent. This is why we can’t and won’t ever tire of bringing our best to these cases, no matter how long they take to complete.”
“The responsibility of our law enforcement officers is to safeguard our borders, they leave their homes daily to enforce the federal laws and protect the United States, unfortunately that is a dangerous job,” stated HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Rebecca González-Ramos. “It is our duty to protect each other as Law Enforcement, any assaults or threats to the ones risking their lives to protect our borders is a direct attack to the United States and will not be tolerated.”
“I am proud of the work of CBP Air and Marine Operations Agents, along with our federal partners, for their relentless work to bring the defendants to justice,” stated Troy Miller, Acting Commissioner for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. “Marine Interdiction Agent Maceda’s sacrifice is a testament to CBP’s unwavering commitment to protecting our nation.”
“CBP Air and Marine Operations agents remain committed to interdict and deter transnational criminal organizations that continue to smuggle their contraband into our shores,” indicated Augusto Reyes, Director of Air and Marine Operations for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
If convicted, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, and a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Transnational Organized Crime Section Max J. Pérez-Bouret; Deputy Chief of the Transnational Organized Crime Section, AUSA María L. Montañez-Concepción; and AUSA Ryan R. McCabe are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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5 April 2023
Zuni man charged with assault and firearms offensesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Ian Channing Lasiloo was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Lasiloo, 30, of Zuni, and an enrolled member of the Zuni Tribe, appeared in federal court today for a detention hearing and will remain in the custody of a halfway house pending trial, which has not been scheduled.
According to an indictment, on Aug. 15, 2022, Lasiloo assaulted a victim, identified as John Doe, with a .22 caliber revolver with the intent to cause bodily harm.
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Lasiloo faces up to life in prison.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Robert James Booth II is prosecuting the case.
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23-64
West Hartford Man Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Prison for Fentanyl Distribution and Gun Possession OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JAYVIAN RODRIGUEZ, 25, of West Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 126 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for fentanyl distribution and firearm possession offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the summer of 2021, West Hartford Police developed information that Rodriguez was distributing narcotics. Rodriguez was arrested on state charges on September 3, 2021, after a court authorized search of his Prospect Avenue residence revealed nearly 600 grams of fentanyl, approximately 18 grams of crack cocaine, and items used to process and package narcotics for street sale. The search also revealed a 9mm Glock-style privately manufactured firearm (“ghost gun”) with an attached laser sight and a “Glock switch” auto sear device, a handgun magazine containing 28 rounds ammunition, and approximately 200 rounds of additional ammunition. The Glock switch enabled the handgun to fire fully automatically as a machinegun.
Rodriguez was on state probation for prior gun and drug convictions at the time of the search.
Rodriguez, who was released on bond after his state arrest, has been detained since his federal arrest on December 15, 2021. On November 2, 2022, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, the West Hartford Police Department, and the Connecticut State Police, with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The FBI Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ruff through the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. PSN is 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. In May 2021, the Justice 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.
Walthill Man Sentenced to 110 Months for Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Collin Parker, 29, of Walthill, Nebraska, was sentenced in federal court today in Omaha, Nebraska, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Parker to 110 months of imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After completing his term of imprisonment, Parker will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
On August 20, 2021, officers stopped a vehicle in Macy, Nebraska, containing four people, including Parker and co-defendant Terrence Sherman. Officers located approximately 123.18 grams of methamphetamine, scales, baggies, and a 12-gauge shotgun. Parker and Sherman had conspired to distribute methamphetamine and they possessed the shotgun in furtherance of that conspiracy. Sherman pled guilty on February 23, 2023, and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 24, 2023.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Nation Law Enforcement Services, the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Virginia Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
Defendant Coerced and Sexually Exploited Three Women in Northwest Washington
WASHINGTON – Michael Jabaar Wilkins, 39, of Norfolk, Virginia, was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for a federal sex trafficking conviction stemming from his sexual exploitation of three women, announced United States Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Robert J. Contee III, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras ordered 10 years of supervised release.
Wilkins pleaded guilty on July 21, 2021, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to a charge of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion.
According to the government’s evidence, between 2011 and 2019, Wilkins separately induced and coerced women to travel from Virginia to the District of Columbia to engage in commercial sex acts for his financial benefit. He took sexually explicit photographs of these women that he used in online advertisements for commercial sex. The activities took place in the Logan Circle neighborhood of Northwest Washington. According to the evidence, Wilkins repeatedly physically assaulted two of the women, knocking one of them unconscious in one instance, and causing a severe injury to the woman’s eye. One of these assaults was captured on a home security camera. Wilkins also used verbal abuse, threats to harm, and emotional manipulation in order to entice and coerce these women into commercial sex work for his financial gain. and
Wilkins was arrested on Nov. 5, 2019, following an investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which is composed of FBI agents and local, state, and federal partners. He has been detained ever since. He pleaded guilty less than a week before his trial was scheduled to begin.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI and MPD.. They acknowledged the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Alexis Spencer-Anderson, Victim Witness Program Specialist Yvonne Bryant, Victim Witness Service Coordinator Tonya Jones, and Witness Security Specialist Lesley Slade. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy E. Larson and Trial Attorney Jessica Arco, from the Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit of the Department of Justice, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Two Detroit Men Sentenced to Prison for Spree of Three CarjackingsRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Two Detroit men were sentenced to multiple years in federal prison after having pleaded guilty to a series of three carjackings occurring in a three-day period, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Ison was joined in the announcement by James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Damario Howell, 21, was sentenced today to 14 years in federal prison. Seandre Braxton, 24, was sentenced in February of this year to 15 years in federal prison. Both were sentenced before United States District Judge Judith Levy.
According to court records, Braxton and Howell committed the first carjacking on September 29, 2021, and the second and third carjackings on October 1, 2021, all in Detroit. In the first carjacking, Braxton and Howell pointed handguns at the victim seated in his car and removed the victim from the vehicle before Howell drove off. In the second carjacking, Braxton and Howell, while armed with handguns, confronted a victim outside his car and demanded the keys before Braxton drove off in the victim’s car. In the third carjacking, Braxton and Howell seized a third car after confronting the victims at gunpoint, with Braxton driving off with their car.
Minutes after the third carjacking, Howell fled from police by smashing the car from the second carjacking into a police car, driving off in a highspeed chase, exiting the car, and entering the car from the third carjacking driven by Braxton. Braxton drove off in another highspeed chase that ended when Braxton crashed the car into two other vehicles. Following a short foot chase, both Braxton and Howell were arrested.
Braxton and Howell both pleaded guilty to three counts of carjacking, one count of carrying a firearm while committing a carjacking, and one count of brandishing a firearm while committing a carjacking. Braxton and Howell’s sentencing guidelines were increased for reckless endangerment during flight because of the highspeed chases.
“Carjacking is one of the most brazen crimes. These defendant’s carjacking spree not only endangered their victims, but their reckless indifference also created a significant risk of harm across the community,” said U.S. Attorney Ison. “We will seek significant federal penalties against those who prey on motorists in our communities.”
Armed carjacking poses an unacceptable danger to public safety and creates a climate of fear for residents in our community," said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Detroit Field Office. "The FBI remains committed to working alongside the Detroit Police Department and Michigan State Police to curb these violent offenses and bring the perpetrators to justice."
This case was investigated by the FBI Violent Crime Task Force, Detroit Police Department, and Michigan State Police, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul Kuebler.
Two Companies Agree to Pay $1.24 Million to Resolve Allegations of Fraud in Whittier Bridge/I-95 Improvement ProjectRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Walsh Construction Company (Walsh) and Melo’s Rodbusters, Inc. (Melo’s) have agreed to pay $1.24 million collectively to resolve False Claims Act allegations that they participated in a fraudulent scheme designed to take advantage of the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program in connection with their work on the federally funded Whittier Bridge/I-95 Improvement Project.
Walsh, an Illinois corporation, is a general contracting and construction management firm. Melo’s is a Massachusetts corporation and a certified DBE that subcontracted with Walsh on the project to perform furnishing and installation of steel rebar.
The DBE program provides opportunities for businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals to work on projects financed by the federal government. The program requires contractors to award, or make good faith efforts to award, a percentage of subcontracts on a given project to DBEs that serve a “commercially useful function.” A DBE does not serve a commercially useful function if it acts as a mere pass-through—that is, a DBE through which funds are passed to create the appearance that historically disadvantaged persons did the work, when they did not. Companies regularly certify their compliance with the DBE regulations when making claims for payment on federally funded contracts.
In February 2013, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) selected Walsh, along with its joint venture partner, to be the prime contractor for a federally funded MassDOT project known as the Whittier Bridge/I-95 Improvement Project. Walsh, in turn, subcontracted with DBEs, including Melo’s, for portions of the work. The project was completed in 2018.
As part of the settlement agreement, Walsh admitted that it assisted with certain work functions for Melo’s, and for another DBE on the project that is not a party to the settlement, including assistance in the selection of suppliers and participation in price discussion and negotiation. As part of its own settlement agreement, Melo’s admitted that Walsh performed these functions even though they should have been performed by Melo’s. Melo’s also admitted to providing inaccurate information in response to a MassDOT inquiry regarding Melo’s price negotiation with suppliers. Melo’s has agreed to pay $146,102 to resolve the government’s investigation and Walsh has agreed to pay $1,099,000.
First Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General’s Special Agent-in-Charge Christopher A. Scharf made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Brazier of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum of the Major Crimes Unit handled the matter.
Two California Men Sentenced for Trafficking Large Quantities of Methamphetamine and FentanylRead the Press Release
Eric Roberto Nechochea, age 24, and Steve Heriberto Ordonez, age 21, of San Bernadino, California, were recently sentenced for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Nechochea was sentenced on March 21, 2023, to 80 months’ imprisonment with three years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment. Ordonez was sentenced on February 24, 2023, to 80 months’ imprisonment with five years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment. Chief United States District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed both sentences. Neither man had a previous criminal history.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the Wyoming Highway Patrol pulled over a truck on July 16, 2022, for speeding outside of Casper. Nechochea was driving and Ordonez was the passenger. Suspicious, the trooper asked for consent to search the vehicle and they agreed. During the search, the trooper noticed that the truck’s interior had mismatched parts and tool marks. A Casper Police Department canine officer and his canine partner responded to aid with the search. The drug dog alerted to the presence of controlled substances, which led to a thorough search of the truck.
Inside a hidden compartment in the truck, investigators found 10 vacuum sealed bags of controlled substances. Six of the bags contained nearly 5 kilograms of methamphetamine and three of the bags had a combined total of over 10,000 fentanyl pills, weighing approximately 1.5 kilograms. The last bag contained approximately 1 kilogram of what officers initially thought was cocaine but later tested as fentanyl.
This crime was investigated by the Casper Police Department, Natrona County Sheriff’s Department, Wyoming Highway Patrol, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Christyne M. Martens prosecuted the case.
Case No. 21-cr-00100-SWS
Troy Felon Sentenced for Ammunition PossessionRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Adam Middleton, age 40, of Troy, New York, was sentenced today to 12 months and a day in prison for the unlawful possession of ammunition. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Ketty Larco-Ward, Postal Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), made the announcement.
Middleton admitted that on December 7, 2021, he possessed a Glock magazine loaded with 17 rounds of 9 mm ammunition, in addition to numerous additional rounds of ammunition, at his residence in Troy. At the time, Middleton had a felony conviction for criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree. Under federal law, that conviction prevented Middleton from lawfully possessing the ammunition.
Senior United States District Judge Gary L. Sharpe also ordered Middleton to serve a 1-year term of supervised release when he is released from prison.
This case was investigated by the USPIS and its Capital Region Task Force, led by the USPIS and including the Albany Police Department, the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, and the Schenectady Police Department, as well as the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin S. Clark.
Three Former Executives for Magellan Diagnostics Charged with Conspiracy, Wire Fraud and FDA ViolationsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former CEO, COO, and Director of Quality Assurance and Regulatory Affairs for Magellan Diagnostics, Inc. (Magellan), a medical device company headquartered in Billerica, Mass., have been charged in connection with concealing a device malfunction that allegedly produced inaccurately low lead test results for tens of thousands of children and other patients.
Amy Winslow, 51, of Needham Heights, Mass.; Hossein Maleknia, 64, of Bonita Springs, Fla.; and Reba Daoust, 66, of Amesbury, Mass., were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud; wire fraud; conspiracy to defraud an agency of the United States; and introduction of misbranded medical devices into interstate commerce with intent to defraud and mislead. Winslow and Daoust will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston later today. Maleknia is expected to make an initial appearance in federal court in Tampa later today.
Magellan’s devices – LeadCare Ultra, LeadCare II and LeadCare Plus – detected lead levels and lead poisoning in the blood of children and adults using either venous (i.e., blood draws through the arm) or fingerstick samples. LeadCare II, which was predominantly used to test fingerstick samples, accounted for more than half of all blood lead tests conducted in the United States from 2013 through 2017. LeadCare Plus and LeadCare Ultra were predominantly used to test venous samples.
According to the indictment, Winslow, Maleknia and Daoust – Magellan’s former CEO, COO, and Director of Quality Assurance and Regulatory Affairs, respectively – repeatedly misled Magellan customers and the FDA about a serious malfunction that affected Magellan’s LeadCare devices when they were used to test venous blood samples. By allegedly hiding the malfunction and later deceiving customers and the FDA about when they discovered the malfunction, the nature, extent and frequency of the malfunction, and the risks associated with the malfunction, the defendants caused an estimated tens of thousands of children and other patients to receive inaccurately low lead test results.
“According to the CDC, there is no safe level of lead in the blood. Additionally, young children and pregnant mothers from low-income households living in public housing are the most vulnerable to lead exposure. We allege that these defendants deceived customers and the FDA about the reliability of medical tests that detected lead levels. By doing so, we assert that they endangered the health and lives of incredibly vulnerable victims,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “This office, along with our other law enforcement partners, will vigorously investigate and prosecute those who put corporate profits before patient health. Here, we allege the personal gain is at the expense of poor people, children, and individuals who are pregnant. We pledge to advocate on these victims’ behalf and hold bad corporate actors accountable.”
“Individuals and companies whose lead testing devices provide inaccurate results can put the health of all patients, and especially vulnerable children, at significant risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Fernando P. McMillan, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations New York Field Office. “We will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who jeopardize the health of patients and the public.”
“Today, we arrested three former senior executives at Magellan Diagnostics for hiding a serious flaw in the lead testing devices the company produced, resulting in inaccurate test results for tens of thousands of children and other patients. We believe these executives knew about this malfunction for years, but failed to come clean to their customers and the FDA about it in order to boost their company’s bottom line,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “The last thing sick children and their parents should have to worry about is whether diagnostic tests and devices live up to their manufacturer’s claims. This case should make it crystal clear to all companies that do business in Massachusetts, healthcare or otherwise, that they will be brought to justice for misleading consumers with false promises about their products.”
“Concealing the fact that a device is producing inaccurate lead test results to boost profits while knowing that there is no safe level of lead in the blood, as alleged in this case, is a brazen disregard to the health and safety of our program beneficiaries,” said Phillip M. Coyne, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “Today’s arrests should serve as strong reminder that we will never tolerate such behavior that puts patients at risk.”
It is alleged that the defendants first learned that a malfunction in their LeadCare Ultra device could cause inaccurate lead test results –specifically, lead test results that were falsely low – during the FDA clearance process in or around June 2013. The defendants, however, allegedly released LeadCare Ultra to the market in December 2013 without informing customers or the FDA of the malfunction. Several months after the release, LeadCare Ultra customers independently discovered the malfunction and complained about inaccurate results. It is further alleged that the defendants drafted and caused Magellan to provide false and misleading statements to customers that they “recently identified cases” of the malfunction and they did not observe the malfunction “in our clinical trials prior to the product release.” According to court documents, the defendants, in fact, had known about the malfunction for over a year, including before the product release.
Magellan’s testing in 2013 also indicated that the same malfunction affected the LeadCare II device, which was by far Magellan’s highest-revenue product. Winslow and Maleknia, however, were positioning Magellan for sale, which could have been put in jeopardy if there was a malfunction affecting LeadCare II. It is alleged that Winslow told a Magellan employee to stop studying the malfunction in LeadCare II devices because Magellan needed to maintain “plausible deniability.” Only after Magellan was acquired by Meridian Bioscience, Inc. for $66 million in March 2016, did the defendants notify customers and the FDA about the LeadCare II malfunction. Magellan’s report to the FDA about LeadCare II allegedly made materially false and misleading statements and concealed material facts about Magellan’s discovery of the malfunction in LeadCare II (after Meridian acquired Magellan, Winslow received a bonus of approximately $2 million and Maleknia received a bonus of approximately $448,000).
According to court documents, the defendants delayed notifying the FDA and then misled the FDA about the malfunction. The defendants only filed an FDA report for LeadCare Ultra after an outside consultant told Magellan that if they did not notify the FDA about the malfunction, the consultant would. In 2017, the FDA contacted Magellan and asked when the company first discovered the malfunction. It is alleged that, at Daoust and Maleknia’s instruction, Magellan’s representative falsely told the FDA that Magellan first discovered the problem after receiving customer complaints in late 2014 and shortly before Magellan notified the FDA in 2015 – even though Magellan actually discovered the malfunction almost four years earlier, in 2013. Winslow also caused Magellan to send a false timeline to the FDA, which omitted the company’s internal 2013 studies about the malfunction.
The FDA ultimately found that the LeadCare Devices could not accurately test venous samples, leading to a recall of all LeadCare Devices using venous samples and a warning to the public not to use LeadCare Ultra, LeadCare II and LeadCare Plus for venous blood samples because of the malfunction.
According to court documents, as referenced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is no safe level of lead in the blood. Lead exposure may cause irreversible lifelong physical and mental health problems. Young children and pregnant women are most vulnerable to lead exposure, especially those from low-income households and those who live in housing built before 1978 because those homes are more likely to contain lead-based paint and have fixtures containing lead.
If you or a family member believe you received an inaccurate blood lead test result from a LeadCare device between 2013-2017, please complete the questionnaire located on the FBI’s website at https://www.fbi.gov/MagellanCaseInquiry. Information about the status of the case is located on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/press-highlights.
The charges of wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy as alleged in the indictment provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to defraud an agency of the United States provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of introduction of misbranded medical devices provide for a sentence of up to three years in prison, up to 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; Fernando McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, New York Field Office; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Phillip M. Coyne, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elysa Wan, David Derusha, and James Herbert of Rollins’ Criminal Division and Kelly Lawrence, Chief of Rollins’ Healthcare Fraud Unit, are prosecuting the case.
Statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office Regarding the Police-Involved Shooting on March 18, 2023Read the Press Release
The loss of a life is always tragic but is especially heartbreaking when it involves a child. On Saturday, March 18th, 17-year-old Dalaneo Martin tragically died after a shooting involving the U.S. Park Police, and we recognize that the body-worn camera footage just released of his death is extremely upsetting. We extend our condolences to Mr. Martin’s family and friends. In coordination with the FBI Washington Field Office, the United States Attorney’s Office has opened a civil rights investigation into the circumstances leading to Mr. Martin’s death. That investigation—which we are committed to conducting diligently and thoroughly—is ongoing. As this is an open matter, we are not able to provide additional comment or release further information at this time.
Springfield Man Involved in Drive-By Shootings Sentenced for Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for illegally possessing firearms following his involvement in two drive-by shootings.
Cartevion Marquis Chapman, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark on Tuesday, April 4, to nine years and seven months in federal prison without parole.
On March 24, 2022, Chapman pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms. Chapman admitted he was in possession of a Smith & Wesson 9mm semi-automatic pistol and a Kel-Tec pistol with an extended 30-round magazine on Dec. 6, 2020.
According to court documents, Chapman was involved in a shooting and retaliatory shooting that occurred on Dec. 5 and 6, 2020, over allegations of stolen drugs.
Chapman’s vehicle was damaged in a drive-by shooting at a nightclub in downtown Springfield on Dec. 5, 2020. After leaving the nightclub, Chapman met with co-defendant Darris Lamar Mull, 38, of Springfield. Mull received a phone call from his girlfriend, who said there were people with guns inside their house looking for Mull. Mull was upset because they went to his house when his kids were present. They went to check on Mull’s girlfriend and children, then co-defendant Nicholas David Caligone, 44, of Springfield, drove Chapman and Mull to find the people who had been at his house, who were at an address on Kerr Street in Springfield.
When they arrived at the Kerr Street residence at about 6 a.m. on Dec. 6, 2020, Chapman told investigators, they got out of the car and “bullets went flying.”
Chapman, Mull and others fired multiple rounds; police officers recovered 40 spent shell casings from the area of the shooting. Shell casing were found in front of at least eight separate residences, indicating that Chapman and Mull sprayed the neighborhood with bullets. At least two of the homes had damage consistent with being struck by gunfire.
Chapman and Mull got into Caligone’s Volkswagen immediately after the shooting and left the area. Chapman hid his Kel-Tec firearm under the front passenger seat, and put Mull’s Smith & Wesson pistol, which was stolen, in the glovebox. Springfield police officers who heard the gunshots saw Caligone’s vehicle at the intersection of East Kearney and North Delaware and conducted a felony stop. Caligone, who was driving, Chapman, who was in the front passenger seat, and Mull, who was in the back passenger seat, were arrested.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Chapman has two prior felony convictions for burglaries at businesses and prior felony convictions for aggravated assault and being a felon in possession of a firearm for pointing a gun at the victim and her boyfriend and threatening them. Chapman, who was on probation for that firearm offense at the time of his arrest in this case, also has 20 misdemeanor criminal convictions and multiple arrests that did not result in charges.
Mull pleaded guilty to four counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and awaits sentencing. Caligone pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and awaits sentencing.
Chapman is also charged in a separate case in Greene County Circuit Court with unlawful use of a weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm related to this incident.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
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.
Six Individuals Indicted by Federal Grand Jury for perpetrating a Multimillion Dollar Fraudulent Scheme to obtain COVID recovery assistance funds under the Federal CARES ActRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – W. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, announced the indictment of six individuals for a multi-million-dollar fraudulent scheme to illegally obtain federal recovery funds under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The Grand Jury charged the defendants with multiple counts of wire fraud, money laundering, Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) fraud, and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) fraud. The charging documents claim that from April 2020 through April 2023, the defendants and their co-conspirators caused the submission of at least 272 EIDL and PPP loan applications seeking the illegal disbursement of at least $9,020,590.33 in federal recovery funds from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and Bank 1.
“This case demonstrates the brazenness with which the defendants took advantage of federal programs meant to help businesses that were severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work together with our law enforcement partners to find and prosecute those who have fraudulently stolen taxpayer money that was meant to help our citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow.
The United States Secret Service, Small Business Administration Office of the Inspector General, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Treasury Department, Puerto Rico Bureau of Special Investigations, Puerto Rico Police Bureau, and Guaynabo Municipal Police.
According to court documents, Manfred A. Pentzke Lemus, a.k.a. “Man/Contable/El Gestor”; Rodolpho R. Pagesy Roussel, a.k.a. “El Banquero”; Augusto A. Lemus Berríos, a.k.a. “Primo”; Jonatan Ben David Prieto Ruiz De Val, a.k.a. “Johnny Millones”; Ligia María Lemus De Pentzke, a.k.a. “Ligia Lemus Lanuza”; and Carlos Manfredo Pentzke Chamorro, a.k.a. “El Doctor”, knowingly devised a scheme to defraud the SBA and Bank 1 to obtain federal money and property by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises submitted through applications for EIDL and PPP loans made available to help small businesses recover from the impact of the pandemic through the CARES Act.
The CARES Act authorized federal assistance through the issuance of SBA loans to small businesses and non-profit entities that experienced revenue loss due to the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic. The EIDL program was one such loan assistance program for small businesses. To procure the loan, applicants had to fill out an online application detailing operational information for the 12‑month period prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the number of employees in the business, the gross business revenues realized, and the cost of goods sold. The applicant also had to certify that the information provided in the application was true and correct under penalty of perjury and applicable criminal statutes. The information submitted by the applicant was then used by the SBA to calculate the amount of money to be made available to the applicant for economic relief.
Non-profit applicants and non-agricultural for-profit applicants were both generally eligible to receive an EIDL loan of up to $150,000, with a 30-year scheduled repayment, deferred for 12 months. Some applicants were also eligible for advance funds of up to $15,000. Pursuant to the provisions governing the EIDL program, loan proceeds could only be used by the affected business receiving EIDL loans to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills that could have been paid had the COVID-19 disaster not occurred.
Another form of assistance provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of United States taxpayer funds in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, such as interest on mortgages, rent and utilities, through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). To procure a PPP loan, the small business was required to submit an application, through its authorized representative, where it provided, among other things, its average monthly payroll expenses, and number of employees. These figures were used to calculate the amount of money the small business was eligible to receive under a PPP loan. The PPP allowed the interest and principal on the PPP loan to be entirely forgiven if the business spent a certain percentage of the PPP loan proceeds to satisfy payroll expenses and the remainder of the loan proceeds on allowable expenses within a designated period.
The indictment alleges that the defendants and their co-conspirators submitted at least 272 fraudulent EIDL and PPP loan applications containing materially false and fraudulent information and false documents, including false and fictitious tax documents, payroll records, bank records, and identification documents, to procure the disbursement of EIDL and PPP assistance loans by Bank 1. The indictment further alleges that the defendants and their co-conspirators directed the recipients of the fraudulently obtained PPP and EIDL loans to remit a portion of the proceeds of the loans to the defendants and their co-conspirators and used the loan proceeds to benefit themselves and others, and to pay for expenses prohibited under the requirements of the EIDL and PPP programs.
The court documents claim that defendant Manfred A. Pentzke Lemus was the principal organizer of the fraudulent scheme to obtain the federally subsidized loans and the efforts to launder the proceeds; defendant Rodolpho R. Pagesy Roussel worked at Bank 1 in San Juan, Puerto Rico and used his position to obtain the approval of fraudulent PPP applications by Bank 1; defendant Augusto A. Lemus Berríos assisted in the preparation of fraudulent PPP applications by, amongst other things, preparing false documents to submit to the bank; defendant Jonatan Ben David Prieto Ruiz De Val acted as a money courier and coordinated the delivery of “kickback” payments to further the fraudulent scheme to obtain PPP and EIDL loans; defendant Ligia María Lemus De Pentzke received “kickback” payments from proceeds of the fraudulent scheme and forwarded them to her co‑conspirators; and defendant Carlos Manfredo Pentzke Chamorro received fraudulent PPP and EIDL loans in furtherance of the conspiracy. The defendants are also alleged to have recruited other un-indicted co-conspirators to obtain the EIDL and PPP loans under false pretenses.
The United States seized approximately $848,957.96 in proceeds of this scheme from Bank 1, which are currently subject to forfeiture.
If convicted, the defendants are facing up to 30 years in prison for the wire fraud counts; and up to 20 years of imprisonment for the money laundering count.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy R. Henwood, Daniel J. Olinghouse and María L. Montañez Concepción.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Shrewsbury Bookkeeper Admits Embezzling $849,000Read the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A bookkeeper from Shrewsbury, Missouri on Wednesday admitted embezzling $849,000 from a client.
Cora G. Willard, 47, waived her right to an indictment by a grand jury and pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey to one felony count of wire fraud. Willard ran a bookkeeping, payroll, and money-management assistance company called Red Hen Business Services. In May of 2019, Willard was hired to do the bookkeeping for a man who operated a money management business. The victim provided Willard with access to his bank accounts and financial records to enable her to perform her duties, including paying his bills.
Willard admitted that from at least Nov. 29, 2019 through June 10, 2022, she stole $849,000 from that client.
Willard made nearly 100 unauthorized wire transfers to herself from the victim’s bank account. Many of the wire transfers occurred after the victim asked Willard to close the account. In addition, instead of making tax and bill payments authorized by the victim, Willard sent those payments into bank accounts that she controlled, then sent false balance sheets to her client.
After the client discovered that he was missing large amounts of money, Willard blamed one of her employees, her plea says.
Willard is scheduled to be sentenced in July. The crime carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. Willard will also be ordered to repay the money and has agreed in the plea to do so.
The case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is prosecuting the case.
Riverton Man Charged with Murder on the Wind River Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
Francis James Acebo Jr, age 33, of Riverton, Wyoming, was charged by complaint with first degree murder and using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The defendant made an initial appearance on March 29, 2023, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Teresa M. McKee.
If convicted, Acebo faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment with 10 years to life of supervised release following any prison sentence. Defendant also may be fined up to $500,000 and be required to pay a $200 special assessment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Special agents with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are investigating this crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kerry Jacobsen is prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Case No. 23-MJ-19-ABJ
Ringleader of Mail Theft Conspiracy Sentenced to 9 Years for Using Credit Cards Stolen from the MailRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal judge in Chicago has sentenced the ringleader of a mail and identity theft conspiracy to nine years in federal prison for stealing U.S. Postal Service (USPS) customer’s credit cards out of the mail and using their personal identifying information to make unauthorized purchases with the stolen cards.
DAVEY HINES, 30, of Naperville was indicted by a federal grand jury on 1 count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, 1 count of theft or receipt of stolen mail, 4 counts of unauthorized access device fraud, and 4 counts of aggravated identity theft in February 2021 for events which occurred between June 2018 and December 2019. Hines was indicted alongside 10 other individuals involved in the scheme as the result of a multi-agency investigation dubbed “Operation Cash on Delivery.” The investigation identified USPS employees who stole credit cards and other financial instruments and provided them to Hines and others in exchange for cash or other items of value. Hines, who also recruited most of the USPS employees, then worked with his co-defendants to unlawfully obtain the USPS customers’ personal identifying information, including dates of birth and Social Security numbers, and fraudulently activate the stolen cards. Over the course of the 19-month conspiracy, Hines and his co-conspirators stole more than 657 credit cards and made more than $462,719 in fraudulent purchases.
Hines plead guilty to 4 counts charging conspiracy, receipt of stolen mail, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft on July 8, 2022. On April 3, 2023, U.S. District Court Judge Edmond E. Chang sentenced Hines to 108 months in federal prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, and ordered Hines pay restitution to the victim financial institutions that issued the stolen credit cards. Hines committed the offenses while on court-supervised release following a prior federal conviction for bank fraud in 2015.
The sentence is announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Ruth M. Mendonça, Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Scott Pierce, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, Central Area Field Office; and Sean Fitzgerald, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of Homeland Security Investigations. The government was represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Madriñan and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paige Nutini and Kirsten Moran.
Repeat Sex Offender Sentenced to More Than 27 Years in Prison for Attempted Enticement of A MinorRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—A repeat and dangerous sex offender against children was sentenced this afternoon for attempted enticement of a minor. United States District Court Judge Jay Moody sentenced Joe Newman, 64, of Star City to more than 27 years in federal prison and, should he survive his prison sentence, supervised release for the rest of his life.
In early 2020, Star City Police Department began investigating Newman after the mother of a 10-year-old girl reported sexually explicit messages that were being sent to her daughter by Newman on Instagram. Law enforcement initiated a ruse using the child’s Instagram account and agreed to meet Newman. Newman then sent law enforcement a nude picture of himself, believing law enforcement was the child victim. Newman was traffic-stopped on his way to meet the victim, and his telephone was seized.
Investigation of Newman’s Instagram account revealed conversations between himself and numerous other minors, to whom he sent nude pictures of himself. In an interview with law enforcement, Newman admitted to messaging 20 to 30 underage girls in the Lincoln County, Arkansas, area. In addition, Newman admitted performing oral sex on and receiving oral sex from nine victims, ages eight to 13.
Newman is a registered sex offender with several prior convictions for violent sex offenses against children under the age of 16. Newman was originally indicted by a grand jury on December 1, 2020, and charged with four counts related to child pornography, as well as the attempted enticement charge. On Wednesday, Judge Moody sentenced Newman to 327 months’ imprisonment, plus lifetime supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
The investigation was conducted by the Star City Police Department and the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Bryant.
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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A repeat sex offender was sentenced today to 25 years in federal prison for sexual exploitation of children, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Ison was joined in her announcement by Angie M. Salazar, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations Detroit Field Office.
Charles Robert Taylor, Jr., 35, of Detroit, had been convicted of causing a 10 year old minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct with an adult female so that he could create a video on his cellular phone. Taylor then distributed the video to at least one other person.
Taylor committed this offense while on parole as a registered sex offender. This incident was the second time Taylor’s parole was revoked for this type of conduct, and Taylor was out of prison for less than one year when he committed this offense. Taylor was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Victoria A. Roberts.
“This offender committed a horrific act, an offense made even more serious because he did so while on supervision for another sex offense. This sentence will protect the public and demonstrates our commitment to keep children safe,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison.
“Taylor’s heinous actions and the fact that he committed them while on parole for other sex crimes is evidence of the danger he poses to our communities,” said HSI Detroit Special Agent in Charge Angie M. Salazar. “We will continue to prioritize the innocence and well-being of children by diligently investigating sexual offenses involving minors.”
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Rawsthorne.
Readout of Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke’s Trip to MemphisRead the Press Release
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division traveled to Memphis, Tennessee, on April 3 and 4 to continue the Civil Rights Division’s tour to engage with stakeholders in underserved communities and reaffirm the department’s commitment to protecting the civil rights of all Americans.
On Monday, Assistant Attorney General Clarke participated in a fireside chat with the Student Bar Association at the University of Memphis Law School. She discussed the Civil Rights Division’s efforts enforce federal civil and criminal civil rights laws and encouraged law students to consider careers in government service.
In the evening, Assistant Attorney General Clarke participated in a community conversation hosted by the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change at the University of Memphis. Attendees included faith, community and student leaders, and local residents. She discussed the department’s recent efforts to address modern day redlining in Memphis, implement policing reform, and protect people from housing discrimination. She thanked attendees for their steadfast commitment to civil rights and pushing for change in their community.
On Tuesday, she participated in a fireside chat for several hundred 11th and 12th grade students at the Whitehaven High School in the Memphis-Shelby County School District. She discussed her journey as a civil rights attorney, encouraged the students to pursue careers in public service and addressed questions concerning the civil rights challenges facing young people today.
That afternoon, she visited the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee where she met with U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz, his leadership team and the attorneys and professional staff of the office. She thanked all staff members for their dedicated service and partnership in protecting civil rights.
During her trip, Assistant Attorney General Clarke also had several meetings with local Memphis officials, including State Representative G.A. Hardaway, Mayor Jim Strickland, Memphis Police Chief C.J. Davis and Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy. In those discussions, she reinforced the Justice Department’s commitment to working with our local partners on civil rights issues.
To close her trip, Assistant Attorney General Clarke delivered remarks at the National Civil Rights Museum’s program commemorating the 55th Anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The museum is located at the former Lorraine Motel, the location where Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968. The event was attended by several civil rights leaders, including Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III, community leaders and elected officials from across the country. Read her full remarks here.
In the upcoming weeks, Assistant Attorney General Clarke will travel to Arkansas, Mississippi and South Carolina to continue meeting with stakeholders in underserved communities.
Photo Credit: Hooks Institute Assistant Attorney General Clarke (middle) with U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz (left) and Hooks Institute Executive Director Daphene McFerren (right). Assistant Attorney General Clarke speaking at the National Civil Rights Museum. Assistant Attorney General Clarke (front middle) with U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz (front left) and staff from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee.Raceland Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking CrimeRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that DAMER SMITH, age 46, of Raceland, Louisiana, pled guilty on April 4, 2023 to Count Three (3) of the indictment, charging him with Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 924(c)(1)(A) and 924(c)(1)(A)(i). In exchange, the government dismissed Counts 1 and 2, that charged him with Possession of a Firearm After a Domestic Violence Conviction, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(9) and 924(a)(2), and Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C), respectively.
In pleading guilty to Count Three, the defendant faces a minimum term of imprisonment of five (5) years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life imprisonment, a term of supervised release of up to five (5) years, and a fine of up to $250,000. A mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00 also applies. United States District Court Judge Greg G. Guidry set the sentencing hearing in this matter for July 1, 2023.
According to court documents, on or about November 17, 2018, deputies with the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office responded to SMITH’s residence after he threatened to kill his minor children. Upon the arrival of deputies, SMITH opened the door of his residence and fired a shot into the yard. Subsequently, SMITH surrendered, and deputies escorted the children from the residence. Deputies executed search warrants on the residence and located three firearms, ammunition, and approximately 3,898 grams of prepackaged marijuana.
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.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Department of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office in this investigation. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Carboni of the Financial Crimes Unit.
Plaquemines Parish Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – LESLIE PARKER, age 42, a resident of Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, pled guilty on April 4, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846; use of a communication facility in causing or facilitating the commission of felonies under the Controlled Substances Act, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 843(b) and Title 18, United States Code, Section 2; and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, a DEA investigation revealed that PARKER was involved in a narcotics distribution conspiracy with several other co-conspirators. As part of the conspiracy, PARKER regularly distributed amounts of methamphetamine. On October 19, 2021, officers conducted surveillance on PARKER, that ultimately led to the seizure of a bag containing 98.7 grams of crystal methamphetamine from PARKER.
For the drug conspiracy charge, PARKER faces up to twenty years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and at least three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. For use of a communication facility in causing or facilitating the commission of felonies under the Controlled Substances Act, PARKER faces up to 4 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to one year of supervised release. For possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, PARKER faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment, up to life, a fine of up to $10,000,000, and at least five years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. For each count, PARKER faces payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers of the Narcotics Unit.
Pittsburgh Felon Sentenced to 33 Months for Illegally Possessing a Loaded HandgunRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA -- A former resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has been sentenced in federal court to 33 months’ imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release on his conviction for violating federal firearm laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Christy Criswell Wiegand imposed the sentence on Cameo Witherspoon, age 33, formerly of the City’s Larimer neighborhood.
In connection with the earlier guilty plea, the Court was advised that on July 6, 2021, an officer with the Monroeville Police Department initiated a traffic stop of a vehicle due to an expired registration in Monroeville, PA. The driver, who was the sole occupant of the vehicle, failed to immediately stop, and when he did, he quickly exited the vehicle to dispute the stop. While interacting with law enforcement, the driver lied about his identity, misrepresented where the vehicle’s registration was located, locked and unlocked the vehicle three times, and dumped the contents of the glovebox onto a fanny pack within the vehicle. The officer then requested a K-9 unit, and the drug dog alerted to the presence of narcotics. Subsequently, law enforcement had the vehicle towed and applied for a search warrant. During the resulting search, law enforcement recovered a loaded handgun from the fanny pack in the vehicle.
Following the driver’s arrest, law enforcement determined that the driver was the defendant, Cameo Witherspoon, and that Witherspoon had an active warrant for a parole violation. As described in the Indictment, Witherspoon has multiple prior felony convictions in the Court of Common Pleas, County of Allegheny, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. For example, on May 31, 2013, Witherspoon pled guilty to robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery. He was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 90-180 months. Under federal law, convicted felons are prohibited from the possession of firearms and ammunition.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Monroeville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Witherspoon.
Picayune Woman Pleads Guilty to Collecting Benefits Under Two Social Security NumbersRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Picayune woman pled guilty to theft of public money by collecting benefits using two Social Security numbers, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jason Albers of the Social Security Administration (SSA), Office of the Inspector General, Dallas-Kansas City Field Division.
According to court records, Zenda Marie Bryan, 69, admitted receiving Disability Insurance Benefits and Supplemental Security Income benefits using one Social Security number while simultaneously using another Social Security number to obtain and maintain employment. This conduct occurred in the Western District of Oklahoma, where she was charged in a federal indictment. The charges have since been transferred to the Southern District of Mississippi, where Bryan is now living.
“Ms. Zenda Bryan misused SSA programs and numbers for her own gain; her actions not only defrauded the Disability Insurance Benefit program but also the Supplemental Security Income program, a critical safety net for those in need. This plea will hold her accountable for the fraud she committed against SSA and taxpayers,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason Albers. “I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Southern District of Mississippi and the Western District of Oklahoma for their work in prosecuting this case.”
Bryan will be sentenced on July 17, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gaines Cleveland of the Southern District of Mississippi and Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth Joynes of the Western District of Oklahoma.
Pharmacist Pleads Guilty to Medicare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A California man pleaded guilty today to submitting fraudulent claims to Medicare for prescription drugs that were never dispensed to patients.
According to court documents, Paul Mansour, 55, of Sierra Madre, was a pharmacist at a Sierra Madre-based pharmacy, Mansour Partners Inc., doing business as Best Buy Drugs, which he also co-owned. Mansour created fake patient profiles in the pharmacy’s digital filing system and added fraudulent prescription medication entries to these fictitious patient files that duplicated prescriptions for medications provided to real patients of the pharmacy. Mansour then submitted false and fraudulent claims for the drugs added in the fictitious patient files that had never been dispensed, billing Medicare for the fraudulent prescriptions in the names of real patients of the pharmacy. Between January 2017 and June 2022, Mansour caused Medicare to pay the pharmacy between approximately $600,000 and over $1 million as a result of the submission of false and fraudulent claims.
Mansour pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 28 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, Assistant Director in Charge Donald Alway of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office, and Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.
The FBI Los Angeles Field Office and HHS-OIG investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Helen H. Lee of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, comprised of 15 strike forces operating in 25 federal districts, has charged more than 5,000 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $24 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Passaic County Man Sentenced to 150 Months in Prison for Distributing Fentanyl that Led to Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 150 months in prison for distributing fentanyl that caused the death of another person, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Wyzier Peterson, 25, of Paterson, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti to an information charging him with one count of distribution of fentanyl relating to the overdose death of an individual. Judge Martinotti imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On June 30, 2019, Peterson sold heroin and fentanyl, which was later ingested by the victim, resulting in the victim’s death.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Martinotti sentenced Peterson to three years of supervised release.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents and task force officers with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller; special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Daniel J. Kafafian in Newark; officers of the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; officers of the Paterson Police Department, under the direction of the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety; and detectives of the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Camelia Valdes, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bergen County Sheriff's Office, the Passaic County Sheriff's Office and the Belleville and Livingston police departments for their assistance with the case.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francesca Liquori, Special Prosecutions Division.
Omaha Man Sentenced to 57 Months for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Pablo Inda, 33, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for being a felon in possession of a firearm. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Inda to 57 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a three-year term of supervised release.
On November 9, 2020, Inda sold an Aero Precision Model X15 .223 rifle to a confidential witness working with law enforcement. The transaction, which occurred at Inda’s residence in Omaha, was audio and video recorded. Inda also sold the confidential witness three 30-round magazines, one 40-round magazine, and 99 rounds of ammunition. The rifle had been reported stolen from a home burglary in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on September 7, 2020.
A second gun sale by Inda on October 19, 2020, of an Intratec Model TecDC9 9mm handgun, to the same cooperating witness was also considered by the court as relevant conduct at sentencing.
Inda is prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law because of a prior felony conviction for unlawful/intentional discharge of a firearm.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was investigated by Omaha Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Threatening Bank EmployeesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced today that Jason Charles Fink, 43, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for transmitting an interstate communication containing a threat. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Fink to 12 months and 1 day of imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Fink will begin a three-year term of supervised release.
On May 26, 2021, Fink, using his cellphone in Omaha left a voicemail with Community State Bank at their Ankeny, Iowa branch. In the voicemail Fink threatened to harm Community State Bank employees. Fink’s voicemail was eventually received by employees of Community State Bank who reported the voicemail to law enforcement.
This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. The United States Attorney’s Office has prosecuted this case with support from the following Project Guardian partner: the Federal Bureau of Investigation. For more information about Project Guardian, please see www.justice.gov/archives/ag/about-project-guardian.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven A. Russell announced that Michael Dickmeyer, 24, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for distribution and receipt of child pornography. The Honorable Brian C. Buescher sentenced Dickmeyer to 96 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal prison system. After his release from prison, Dickmeyer will serve 5 years of supervised release. Dickmeyer was also ordered to pay $21,000 in restitution.
In October 2021, law enforcement began investigating after receiving a Cybertip from Twitter stating that a user had uploaded child pornography. Investigators contacted Dickmeyer who admitted to accessing, viewing, and trading images and videos of child pornography online. Investigators searched Dickmeyer’s cell phone and observed more than 700 images and videos of child pornography on the device.
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 United States Attorney’s 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.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.
Nurse Practitioner Sentenced in Twelve Million Dollar Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A registered nurse and nurse practitioner, who defrauded commercial health insurers and Medicare of nearly $12 million by devising and executing fraudulent billing schemes in three states seeking payment for patient services that were never performed, has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Alexander A. Istomin, 57, pleaded guilty in October 2022 to an eleven-count Information charging him with health care fraud, mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, and causing the introduction of misbranded drugs into interstate commerce. Istomin admitted that he routinely submitted fraudulent claims for in-person patient services that he did not perform, including supposed patient visits at a “ghost office” in Rhode Island and at offices in Florida and New York. Istomin used seven different tax identification numbers while defrauding eight insurers out of a total of $11,923,686.30.
The “ghost office” was an address that Istomin maintained in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, that he claimed was part of his medical practice when, in fact, he used the location solely for the purpose of receiving mail, including fraudulently obtained insurance payments.
“By billing for services that he never performed, including at a Rhode Island location that was little more than a mail drop, Alexander Istomin thought he could make off with millions in taxpayer and insurance dollars that were meant to fund real medical care, for real people, all without consequence,” remarked U.S. Attorney Zachary Cunha. “He was very much mistaken. The sentence imposed reflects both this Office’s commitment to bring to justice individuals who perpetrate this kind of brazen fraud and abuse of our health care system, and should serve notice of the consequences for those who seek to enrich themselves through schemes like these.”
"The Office of Inspector General will continue to fervently pursue those who defraud the Medicare system. Greed, at the expense of our most vulnerable citizens, will not be tolerated," said Phillip M. Coyne, Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Today’s sentencing is a strong reminder that we will spare no resource to bring to justice those that undermine the integrity of our federal health care system and those served by it.”
“Alexander Istomin went to great lengths to conceal his multi-state, multi-million-dollar health care fraud scheme, billing for services he never provided and patients he never saw. With the proceeds of his illegally gotten gains, he bought a million-dollar home in Florida and expensive cars. This sentence is more than just, given that this is not the first time Mr. Istomin has been accused of health care fraud, nor is it his first brush with the law,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “The unscrupulous tactics he used to steal from taxpayers is what drives our investigators to combat healthcare fraud. After all, these taxpayer-funded programs are designed to provide essential medical services to the elderly and disadvantaged, not to enrich corrupt health care professionals and other fraudsters.”
According to documents and information provided to the court, in many instances, patients that Istomin claimed he met with in person were, in fact, out of the country at the time of the supposed visits. On other occasions that Istomin claimed to have been seeing patients, he himself was either in a different state or another country, often visiting his native Russia.
As part of his schemes, Istomin waived copayments for some Medicare patients, despite being aware that waiving copayments is prohibited. He did so to induce his patients not to report his fraudulent billing to Medicare. Additionally, Istomin used patient names and information to get prescriptions filled at various pharmacies and be returned to him. Istomin then distributed those drugs to individuals other than those in whose names the prescriptions were filled.
On Tuesday, U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., sentenced Istomin to 84 months of incarceration to be followed by three years of federal supervised release; to pay a fine of $30,000; and to pay restitution to Medicare and private insurers totaling $11,923,686.30.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dulce Donovan, with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Milind M. Shah and Mary Rogers.
The matter was investigated the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; Federal Bureau of Investigation; and the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations.
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North Carolina Men Sentenced to Prison for Transporting Fraudulently Obtained Phones Out of StateRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Two North Carolina family members, Lal H. Mahtani, 58, of Statesville and Vivek Ramesh Mahtani, 41, of Cornelius were sentenced yesterday in federal court before Judge Kenneth D. Bell for conspiring to transport fraudulently obtained and stolen new Apple iPhones and other electronic devices to buyers in other states and overseas, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Lal Mahtani received a sentence of 36 months followed by three years of supervised release. His nephew, Vivek Mahtani, received a sentence of 18 months, also followed by three years of supervised release.
Jason Byrnes, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service (USSS), Charlotte Field Office, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to documents filed in the case, from 2018 through February 2020, the defendants worked together in a scheme to purchase new iPhones and other electronic devices from individuals who had obtained the devices through fraudulent means, often from wireless stores. The defendants purchased the new iPhones, which were frequently in their sealed packaging at prices substantially below their retail value. Many of the fraudulently obtained devices were purchased by Lal Mahtani at New York Styles, his retail store in Statesville.
The defendants transported the fraudulently obtained devices using a shipping company to other states, including California, Texas, New York, and Georgia, as well as overseas destinations, such as Hong Kong. Vivek Mahtani also sold many of the devices to Cellport, a Charlotte-based business owned and operated by Hamzeh Alasfar and Tayseer Alkhayyat. Alasfar and Alkhayyat pleaded guilty in Charlotte last month to related charges before Judge Bell.
According to filed documents, the defendants shipped more than 1,700 pounds of fraudulently obtained devices, resulting in financial losses that exceeded $1.5 million.
This case was the result of the investigative efforts of CMPD and the Secret Service, which have established a fully integrated partnership to combat the most significant organized criminal groups operating in Charlotte. Through this partnership, this unit has successfully leveraged local and federal resources, personnel, expertise and authorities to identify and combat the criminals and criminal organizations that have the largest negative impact on the community.
Assistant U.S. Attorney William T. Bozin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
Nonprofit owner charged with misappropriating funds as the fiduciary to a veteranRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Michael J. Missal, Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs, announced that Faye Janzad made an initial appearance in federal court on April 5 on an indictment charging her with two counts of fiduciary misappropriation and two counts of making false statements. Janzad, 63, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not been scheduled.
A federal grand jury indicted Janzad on March 21. According to the indictment, Janzad was the owner and director of Veterans Independent Living of Albuquerque (VILA), a nonprofit company that provides housing and services to veterans at various levels of care. In January 2018, Janzad was appointed to serve as the fiduciary to a disabled veteran under VILAs care. At that time, two cashier’s checks in the amount of $20,360.26 and $143,002.77 were dispersed from the veteran’s prior fiduciary to Janzad. Rather than deposit the checks into the veteran’s beneficiary account, Janzad deposited both checks into VILA’s corporate bank account.
In Oct. and Nov. of 2018, the VA asked Janzad to provide bank statements showing the disposition of the veteran’s money. Instead, Janzad led the VA to believe that she had invested the veteran’s money in a mortgage on a VILA property, earning 5% interest. In Dec. 2018, Janzad recorded a mortgage with Bernalillo County which purported to grant the veteran an interest in a property, though the mortgage erroneously referred to a property that was not owned by VILA but had been owned by one of VILA’s other clients. Shortly after, the VA removed Janzad as fiduciary for the veteran and demanded that she forward all monies to the successor fiduciary. Janzad never fixed the faulty mortgage, never made any payments on the mortgage, and never forwarded the veteran’s funds to his successor fiduciary.
During the investigation, Janzad provided the Department of Veterans Affairs with a Fiduciary Statement of Account that omitted any mention of the veteran’s $163,363, and she knowingly made false, fictitious, and fraudulent statements to VA personnel.
“The charges announced today are an important step in seeking justice for a veteran who was allegedly defrauded by their VA-appointed fiduciary,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebeccalynn Staples with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Western Field Office. “The VA OIG appreciates the support of the US Attorney’s Office for their efforts in prosecuting this case.”
“We honor our nation’s veterans not just with words but with action,” said United States Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez. “A disabled veteran is not a mortgage loan bank, and should not be treated as such. My office will fight to protect those who fought to protect us.”
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Janzad faces up to 5 years in prison as to each count in the indictment.
The Criminal Investigators Division of the US Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy Peña is prosecuting the case.
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New Orleans Woman Pleads Guilty to Theft of Government FundsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – DEDRA BRIGHT (“BRIGHT”), age 64, of New Orleans, Louisiana, pled guilty today to theft of government funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641, announced United States Attorney Duane A. Evans
According to court documents, from November 2008 to November 2020, BRIGHT knowingly accessed and converted approximately $194,127.80 in Social Security Administration and $1,200 in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES ACT”) funds.
U.S. District Court Judge Ivan L. R. Lemelle set sentencing for July 5, 2023. At sentencing, BRIGHT faces up to ten years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gain to the defendant or loss to any person, a term of supervised release of up to three years following any term of imprisonment, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, with this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Moses, Health Care Fraud Coordinator and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit.
New Braunfels Men Plead Guilty to Selling Misbranded DrugsRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Two New Braunfels men pleaded guilty in a federal court in San Antonio to selling non-controlled but dangerous substances through the mail.
According to court documents, Evan Asher Field, 42, and Michael Dominic Diaz, 30, purchased bulk quantities of various drugs, including synthetic opioids and benzodiazepines, and re-sold them through a website Field created in September 2019. The drugs, most of which originated in China and were not regulated or approved for any use by the FDA, can potentially cause toxic and fatal overdoses if consumed by humans. The two defendants, assisted by employee co-conspirators, repackaged the drugs into consumer-size containers and shipped them to various locations throughout the United States. The initial website remained online until September 2021, when Diaz launched a second website offering a nearly identical service. Despite disclaimers on the website and product packaging stating “for research purposes only,” and “not for human consumption,” the two defendants were aware that customers were purchasing the substances for personal use and consuming the drugs.
Field pleaded guilty on March 28 to conspiracy to defraud the United States and traffic in misbranded drugs. Diaz pleaded guilty on April 4 to the same charge. They each face a maximum penalty of five years in prison and are scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 8, 2023. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas; Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs Judy McMeekin, Pharm.D., for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; and Special Agent in Charge Daniel Comeaux for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Houston Field Office made the announcement.
The FDA and DEA are investigating the case. This case was prosecuted utilizing resources from the Dark Market and Digital Currency Crimes (DMDCC) Task Force. The DMDCC Task Force is a joint effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office, HSI – Baltimore, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the Food and Drug Administration, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Baltimore County Police Department, targeting the use of dark net marketplaces and digital currencies to facilitate criminal activities.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin Chung and Amy Hail are prosecuting the case.
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National Police Agency of Japan visits INTERPOL WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Yesterday, a delegation from the National Police Agency (NPA) of Japan met with INTERPOL Washington Director Michael A. Hughes to expand partnership opportunities between the two law enforcement agencies.
“This historic visit is a reflection of the strength of our relationship with our Japanese counterparts," said Dir. Hughes. "By working together, we can leverage our collective expertise, resources, and networks to better identify, prevent, and respond to global threats. We look forward to continuing our work together to protect our communities and prevent crime, anywhere it may occur."
During the meeting, the delegation from Japan and Dir. Hughes discussed issues of mutual interest, including collaborative strategies against transnational organized crime and cybercrime. They also explored ways to strengthen information sharing and global law enforcement cooperation.
A component of the U.S. Department of Justice co-managed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, INTERPOL Washington—the U.S. National Central Bureau (USNCB)—is the designated U.S. representative to INTERPOL. It serves as the national point of contact and coordination for all INTERPOL matters, coordinating international investigative efforts among member countries and the more than 18,000 local, state, federal, tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies.
Nampa Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOISE – Troy Groene, 48, of Nampa, Idaho, was sentenced to 300 months in federal prison for sexual exploitation of a child, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today. Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill described Groene as a sexual predator. Many of Groene’s victims appeared in court. Judge Winmill praised them as “heroes” and “brave young women” for their courage in coming forward and holding Groene accountable for his crimes.
According to court records, the investigation began when the Nampa Police Department (Nampa PD) received information that Groene had committed a sexual assault. During the course of that investigation, Nampa PD learned that Groene also had sexual contact with a 16-year-old female. Nampa PD obtained a state search warrant for Groene’s cellphone and cloud storage account and located explicit videos that Groene had produced of the 16-year-old victim. During a search of Groene’s cloud storage account, Nampa PD also located explicit videos that Groene had produced of a 17-year‑old female. During the investigation, two additional 17-year-old females disclosed that Groene had engaged them in sexual contact and produced explicit videos of them.
Judge Winmill also sentenced Groene to a lifetime of supervised release. As part of the plea agreement entered earlier in the case, Groene was ordered to forfeit a truck he used to meet with some of the victims and $660,787.84 in proceeds from the sale of his house where he had met with some of the victims. Groene alo was ordered to pay $200,000 in restitution to the victims and will be required to register as a sex offender as a result of the conviction
“I agree with the Court that the victims in this case are heroes,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “As we observe Sexual Assault Awareness Month this month, we should recognize the importance of creating spaces where victims—like the brave young women in this case—feel safe to report any form of sexual abuse or sexual exploitation. And we must rededicate ourselves to supporting the victims of these reprehensible crimes.”
U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the cooperative efforts of the Nampa Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which led to the charges in this 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. As part of Project Safe Childhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office partner to marshal 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.
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Morris County Man Admits Posing as Woman to Induce Dozens of Minors to Send Sexually Explicit Pictures and VideosRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Morris County, New Jersey, man who was employed by a New Jersey elementary school and helped run a youth soccer club today admitted producing and possessing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Steven Brooks, 36, of Morristown, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez to an information charging him with one count of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In January 2021, law enforcement officers were notified about possible child pornography on an external hard drive belonging to Brooks. Pursuant to judicially authorized search warrants, law enforcement officers searched Brooks’ external hard drive, electronic devices and social media accounts. Brooks utilized a fake online persona on social media platforms to solicit photos and videos from dozens of minors that depicted the minors engaging in sexual activity. Brooks acknowledged, as relevant conduct, the attempted online enticement, production and possession of child pornography involving at least 70 victims.
The production of child pornography charge carries a statutory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years in prison; the possession of child pornography charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Each charge also includes a maximum fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 21, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents and members of the Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force of the Newark field office of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy, as well as special agents from the FBI’s San Francisco field office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Levin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office National Security Unit in Newark.
brooks.information.pdfMississippi Landman Pleads Guilty to Submitting False Corporate Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
A Jackson, Mississippi, landman pleaded guilty today to submitting a false tax return on behalf of his business, Gulf States Royalty, Ltd.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Jeffrey Randall owned and operated an oil and gas lease company, Gulf States Royalty, Ltd. After informing his return preparer that he was unwilling to pay the tax he owed on the $3 million dollars earned by Gulf States in 2008, Randall and his preparer reported more than $2 million dollars in false business expenses on Gulf States’s 2008 corporate income tax return (Form 1120). Randall then signed the false return and directed his tax return preparer to submit it to the IRS. In total, Randall caused a tax loss to the IRS of $824,036.72.
Randall is scheduled to be sentenced on July 26 and faces a statutory maximum of three years in prison. He also 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.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Richard (R.J.) Hagerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Kirkham for the Southern District of Mississippi are prosecuting the case.
Middle Georgia Meth Trafficking Leader Sentenced to 35 Years ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – The leader of an armed drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing approximately 16 kilograms of methamphetamine into Middle Georgia was sentenced to 35 years in prison.
Ontarrio Veal aka “Torrie,” 33, of Warner Robins, was sentenced to serve 420 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Tilman E. “Tripp” Self, III on April 4, after he previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine on Nov. 15, 2022. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Ontarrio Veal brazenly ran an armed criminal organization that pushed a significant amount of methamphetamine into Warner Robins and surrounding communities,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “He is now held to account through the hard work of our prosecutors, working alongside our Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force partners.”
“This investigation deals a fatal blow to a once-thriving ‘meth’ ring,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “With the leader now behind bars for a long time, the citizens of Warner Robins and elsewhere can rest assured that their communities are much safer today thanks to the outstanding case work by DEA and our local law enforcement partners.”
“ATF considers the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force a critical partner in its long-term mission of removing armed gangs, criminals and narcotics traffickers from our communities,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Atlanta Field Division.
“The Warner Robins Police Department is honored to have worked in conjunction with our federal partners through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force which resulted in the outcome of this case,” said Assistant Chief Wayne Fisher, Warner Robins Police Department. “It is through such local, state and federal partnerships that impacts such as these can be realized. It was with great work and effort from the men and women of this task force which resulted in these arrests that will have an immeasurable impact for the good of our shared communities.”
According to documents and other evidence admitted into court, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents and Warner Robins Police Department officers investigated Veal’s Warner Robins-based drug trafficking organization from Jan. to June 2020. Law enforcement obtained court orders to intercept the phone calls and text messages from Veal’s and co-defendant Tamara Hall’s cell phones. Agents learned that Veal was a multi-kilogram methamphetamine dealer and surveilled Veal and various co-defendants conducting methamphetamine transactions and traveling to Atlanta to purchase large quantities of methamphetamine.
Veal was taken into custody in June 2020, on a return trip from Atlanta in possession of three kilograms of methamphetamine and a Glock .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol with a 50-round drum magazine. Agents executed search warrants at various locations in Middle Georgia, seizing multiple firearms and ammunition, methamphetamine and more than $100,000 cash. The organization is responsible for distributing more than 16 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Nine additional co-defendants have pleaded guilty and/or been sentenced as a result of this case:
Matthew Kay, 36, of Warner Robins, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine on Sept. 6, 2022, and was sentenced to serve 235 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release to run consecutively to three sentences he is currently serving in Houston County, Georgia, on Jan. 19.;
Reginald Lowe, 41, of Warner Robins, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine on Aug. 30, 2022, and was sentenced to serve 240 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release to run consecutively to a state sentence he is currently serving in Houston County, Georgia, for an aggravated assault conviction on Dec. 6, 2022;
Milton Simmons aka Mann, 41, of Macon, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on Aug. 1, 2022, and was sentenced to serve 120 months on Jan. 10;
Donna Ussery, 31, of Warner Robins, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine on April 19, 2022, and was sentenced to serve 100 months in prison on Oct. 4, 2022;
Parsa Ervin, 45, of Warner Robins, pleaded guilty to two counts of use of a communication facility to conspire to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine on Aug. 30, 2022, and was sentenced to serve 57 months in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release to run consecutively to any term of imprisonment that may be imposed in three separate cases in Houston County on Jan. 19.;
Marquell Gaines aka Paris, 38, of Warner Robins, pleaded guilty to use of a communication facility to conspire to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine on July 19, 2022, and was sentenced to serve 48 months in prison on Oct. 11, 2022;
Tamara Hall, 40, of Warner Robins, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine on April 19, 2022, and sentencing is scheduled for May 2;
Victor Mendoza, 34, of Warner Robins, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to drugs on Dec. 1, 2022, via a global plea agreement in the Southern District of Alabama and sentencing is scheduled for June 2; and
Eddie Linkhorn, 42, of Warner Robins, pleaded guilty to two counts of use of a communication facility to conspire to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine on Oct. 20, 2022, and sentencing is scheduled for June 6.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Warner Robins Police Department.
The case was prosecuted by Deputy Criminal Chief Will Keyes.
Marketing Firm Owner Charged with Tax Crimes and Bank FraudRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Greenbelt, Maryland, returned an indictment unsealed today charging a Maryland businessman with filing false income tax returns, theft of government funds, tax evasion, willful failure to file income tax returns and bank fraud.
According to the indictment, Orin Wayne Solomon of Glenn Dale, filed at least 15 false income tax returns between 2017 and 2022 on behalf of himself, his business and two trusts that he controlled. On these returns, Solomon allegedly sought nearly $65 million in refunds that he and his entities were not entitled to receive. After receiving one allegedly false trust tax return, the IRS issued a tax refund check for more than $10 million. Solomon allegedly used those funds to pay for cars, a house, silver coins and insurance policies.
The indictment further alleges that Solomon attempted to evade his income tax liabilities for numerous years between 2009 and 2021 by, among other means, using funds from a business bank account to pay personal expenses for himself, his wife and his children, registering a vehicle in the name of a trust and transferring his personal residence to another trust. The personal expenses that Solomon allegedly paid from his business bank account included tuition for his children, personal training sessions, medical and dental expenses and expenses relating to his personal residence and a property that his wife owned. From 2017 through 2021, Solomon also allegedly failed to file individual income tax returns and pay taxes on income generated by his business, Anjacor Marketing Inc. (Anjacor).
The indictment also charges that in 2020, Solomon applied for a loan on behalf of Anjacor under the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), an initiative authorized by Congress to provide financial assistance to businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of that application, Solomon allegedly provided a bank with false information about his company’s payroll, fraudulently causing the bank to extend a $229,012 PPP loan.
If convicted, Solomon faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison on the bank fraud charge, 10 years in prison on the theft of government funds charge, five years in prison on each of the tax evasion charges, three years in prison on each of the false return charges, and one year in prison on each of the failure to file charges. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Melissa S. Siskind and Jeffrey A. McLellan of the Justice Department’s Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Man Who Possessed Child Pornography Sentenced to over Five Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who possessed over 3,500 photographs and 25 videos of child pornography was sentenced today to more than 5 years in federal prison.
Jeff Gruber, age 60, from Sumner, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 13, 2022 guilty plea to possession of child pornography.
At the guilty plea, Gruber admitted he possessed child pornography on his computer between November 2016 and March 2017.
Gruber was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Gruber was sentenced to 63 months’ imprisonment. He was also ordered to make restitution. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Gruber is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Liz Dupuich and investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Sumner Police Department..
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-cr-2054.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
MS-13 Member Sentenced to Life in Prison for Kidnapping and MurderRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Israel Alberto Rivas Gomez, 28, a citizen of El Salvador residing in Mendota, was sentenced today to life in prison for kidnapping and murder in aid of racketeering, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
“Excellent law enforcement work led to the arrest of 25 individuals associated with the MS-13 gang for criminal activity in California’s Central Valley,” said U.S. Attorney Talbert. “Rivas Gomez participated in the brutal murder of a 19-year old man. The murder was preplanned, carefully orchestrated, driven by allegiance to MS-13, and deserving of a life sentence. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to dismantling criminal enterprises like MS-13 and to vindicating the rights of victims and seeking justice for their family members and loved ones.”
“The gruesome homicides that were committed to intimidate the community and further the efforts of MS-13 to exploit the community in Mendota exemplify why the FBI is deeply committed to working with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to disrupt the grip gangs attempt to have on our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan of the FBI Sacramento Field Office. “Law enforcement and the community must stand together against violent gangs to offer residents and their children a brighter future and today’s sentence demonstrates the success we can have when we work together to investigate and disrupt organizations determined to exploit our communities.”
“While nothing can erase the pain that family members experience when their loved one is kidnapped and murdered in cold blood, this investigation, prosecution, and sentencing goes a long way in obtaining justice,” said Homeland Security Investigations San Francisco (NorCal) Special Agent in Charge Tatum King. “HSI San Francisco is proud of our agents and professional staff who worked together on this multi-year criminal investigation into this MS-13 clique in Mendota, which yielded dozens of arrests and prevented additional acts of violence.”
According to court documents, Rivas Gomez was a member of La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), a violent criminal street gang that engages in racketeering activity, including murder, kidnapping, extortion, and drug trafficking. On Dec. 18, 2017, Rivas Gomez and his fellow MS-13 members kidnapped the 19-year-old victim in Mendota, drove him to a remote location approximately 30 minutes away, and used a knife and machete to murder him, all in furtherance of MS-13’s criminal gang enterprise. A jury convicted Rivas Gomez in September 2022 of kidnaping and murder in aid of racketeering.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the California Department of Justice and the California Highway Patrol Special Operations Unit, the Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC), the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Special Services Unit (SSU). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ross Pearson and Kimberly Sanchez prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Local Driving School Owner Pleads Guilty to Driver's License Bribery Scheme at Brockton RMVRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brockton man pleaded guilty today to bribing a road test examiner to issue driver’s licenses to individuals who did not pass, or even take road tests at the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) in Brockton.
Estevao Semedo, 61, of Brockton, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit honest services mail fraud before U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani who scheduled sentencing for Aug. 1, 2023. Semedo was charged on March 2, 2023.
Semedo, the owner of a driving school, conspired to defraud the RMV into issuing driver’s licenses to applicants who did not pass the road test. Specifically, Semedo paid a road test examiner at the Brockton RMV service center to misrepresent to the RMV that certain driver’s license applicants had passed their road test when, in fact, they had not. Some of the applicants did not even show up to take the test. As a result of the fraud, the RMV mailed driver’s licenses to unqualified applicants. In total, Semedo paid the road test examiner no less than $17,000 in bribes in exchange for fraudulent passing scores on road tests.
The charge of conspiracy to commit honest services mail fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The charging document also seeks a $17,000 forfeiture money judgment against Semedo. 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; Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General’s Special Agent-in-Charge Christopher A. Scharf made the announcement today. The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF). Valuable assistance was provided by the Mattapoisett Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Wichers and Adam Deitch of Rollins’s Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie Duane of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia M. Carris, Deputy Chief of Rollins’ Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit also assisted with the case.
Last Conspirator Sentenced in Methamphetamine Drug RingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven A. Russell announced that Dustin Charles Vogel, 36, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for his participation in a methamphetamine drug conspiracy. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Vogel to 140 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a five-year term of supervised release.
On October 6, 2021, deputies from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and the Metro Fugitive Task Force were attempting to locate co-defendant Haley Coffman, who had an outstanding felony warrant for violating her bond conditions on a charge of possessing methamphetamine in Douglas County Court.
Responding to a tip, law enforcement located Coffman at an Omaha area motel. Law enforcement set up surveillance and observed Coffman, Vogel, and Jonathan Miller leaving the hotel and getting into a vehicle, which law enforcement then approached.
The driver of the vehicle, Miller, put the car in reverse and backed up toward law enforcement, striking the front of one of their vehicles with the back of the Impala. An officer was seated in the vehicle when it was hit. Miller then drove his vehicle from the area at a high rate of speed before crashing in a construction area. Miller, Vogel, and Coffman fled on foot before being apprehended a short time later by law enforcement.
During an inventory search of the vehicle, a large amount of suspected methamphetamine was found in a bag on the floorboard. The bag was accessible to all three occupants. A forensic laboratory analyzed the suspected narcotics and determined it to be methamphetamine having a purity of 86.9%, resulting in an actual weight of 255.1 grams.
Haley M. Coffman was sentenced on November 16, 2022, to 170 months’ imprisonment and 5 years’ supervised release for her participation in the drug conspiracy.
Jonathan Miller was sentenced on August 24, 2022, to 205 months’ imprisonment for his participation in the drug conspiracy and for assault, resisting or impeding an officer with a dangerous or deadly weapon. He was sentenced to 5 years total of supervised release on both charges.
This case was investigated by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Metro Fugitive Task Force, and Drug Enforcement Administration.
Las Vegas Man Sentenced for Use of A Firearm in A CarjackingRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Richard F. Boulware II to seven years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for carjacking two people at gunpoint.
Steve Francis Pitchford Jr., 39, pleaded guilty on March 24, 2022, to use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
According to court documents, on June 17, 2019, Pitchford approached two people sitting in a car in the parking lot of a Las Vegas dentist’s office and pointed a firearm at them. Pitchford told them to get out of the car, then drove off in the car. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers arrested Pitchford on June 28, 2019.
United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Former Special Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas Portz and Assistant United States Attorney Dan Cowhig prosecuted the case.
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La Crosse Man Sentenced to 172 Months for Methamphetamine Trafficking & Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Jade Deeny, 26, La Crosse, Wisconsin, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 172 months in prison for possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possessing a firearm as a felon. This prison term will be followed by an eight-year period of supervised release.
On June 6, 2022, a confidential informant (CI) worked with investigators from the La Crosse Police Department (LCPD) and purchased cocaine and prescription pills from Deeny. During the drug transaction, investigators overheard Deeny and the CI discuss an assault rifle and a 9 mm pistol.
Shortly after the CI left Deeny’s residence, surveillance officers watched Deeny and a female drive away from the house. Officers stopped the car and arrested Deeny.
Following Deeny’s arrest, an investigator from the LCPD obtained a search warrant for his house. During the search, investigators found three firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, high-capacity magazines, and a taser. Investigators also located pounds of counterfeit prescription pills, a scale, empty vegetable capsules, a vacuum sealer, U.S. Postal Service (USPS) shipping boxes, cash, and a lease to self-storage unit.
Investigators eventually obtained a search warrant for Deeny’s storage unit and found that it contained a motorized pill press with a mixer and ventilation unit, tablet presses, 350 pounds of different colored cutting agents, gallons of acetone and ethyl alcohol, 135 pounds of counterfeit prescription pills in various colors, two firearms, ammunition, a high-capacity magazine, and thousands of additional USPS shipping boxes.
Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation assisted with the review of Deeny’s computer and discovered evidence that showed he shipped hundreds of packages to people in 46 different states, as well as Puerto Rico.
Testing by the Drug Enforcement Administration determined that pills located in Deeny’s residence and storage unit contained methamphetamine, bromazolam, and other substances.
In sentencing Deeny, Judge Conley focused on the danger that Deeny posed to the community. Judge Conly noted that some of the prescription pills Deeny manufactured contained substances not yet scheduled in the United States. Judge Conley also highlighted Deeny’s continued possession of firearms, despite his prior felony convictions.
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach involves collaboration by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and communities to prevent and deter gun violence.
The charges against Deeny were the result of an investigation conducted by the La Crosse Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chadwick Elgersma prosecuted this case.