Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Friday 17 February 2023
Jackson Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson man pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
According to court documents, Deonta Miller, 36, was found in possession of a 9mm pistol by a Richland Police officer on March 3, 2020, during a traffic stop. Miller has prior felony convictions for carjacking and felon in possession of a firearm. As a convicted felon, it is contrary to federal law for Miller to possess any firearm.
Miller is scheduled to be sentenced on May 17, 2023 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Richland Police Department and the ATF investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam T. Stuart and Charles W. Kirkham are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Irvine Man Sentenced to 4½ Years in Federal Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining $5 Million in COVID Loans He Spent on Sports CarsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – An Orange County man was sentenced today to 54 months in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining $5 million in COVID-relief loans for his sham businesses, then used the money on himself, including purchasing Ferrari, Bentley and Lamborghini cars.
Mustafa Qadiri, 42, of Irvine, was sentenced by United States District Judge Josephine L. Staton, who also fined him $20,000 and ordered him to pay $2,861,050 in restitution.
Qadiri pleaded guilty in July 2021 to one count of bank fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, and one count of money laundering.
According to court documents, Qadiri claimed to have operated four Newport Beach-based companies, none of which were in operation: All American Lending Inc., All American Capital Holdings Inc., RadMediaLab Inc., and Ad Blot Inc.
In May and June of 2020, Qadiri submitted false and fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications to three banks on behalf of those companies. The false information Qadiri submitted included the number of employees to whom the companies paid wages, altered bank account records with inflated balances, and fictitious quarterly federal tax return forms. Qadiri also used someone else’s name, Social Security number and signature to fraudulently apply for one of the loans.
PPP loans were intended by Congress to provided financial support to businesses suffering under the weight of the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic fallout.
Relying on this false information, the banks funded the PPP loan applications and transferred approximately $5 million to accounts Qadiri controlled. Qadiri used the fraudulently obtained PPP loan proceeds for his own personal benefit, including for expenses prohibited under the requirements of the PPP program, such as the purchase of luxury vehicles, lavish vacations, and the payment of his personal expenses.
Federal agents seized the Ferrari, Bentley and Lamborghini cars that Qadiri purchased with the fraudulently obtained PPP loans, along with $2 million in ill-gotten gains from his bank account.
Homeland Security Investigations, the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter as part of the El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Waier of the Santa Ana Branch Office prosecuted this case.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Investiture Remarks by Kevin G. RitzRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Good afternoon. Thank you so much for being here.
As you might expect, I’d like to start by thanking some people. I want to express my deepest
gratitude to the following.• Congressman Cohen for recommending me for this position.
• Senators Blackburn and Hagerty for their endorsement.
• President Biden for nominating me, and the Senate for confirming me.
• My past and present colleagues at the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Each and every one of you has made
me the attorney and person I am today. I especially want to thank those who helped put this event
together. Special thanks to the Stax Music Academy, which features the son of our First Assistant
U.S. Attorney Reagan Fondren.• Thank you to the judges, defense attorneys, clerk’s office, pretrial and probation officers, and
everyone else who makes up the legal ecosystem of the Western District of Tennessee. I feel very
lucky to have built my career as a federal lawyer in this district.• Thank you to previous U.S. Attorneys, and all my previous supervisors, who have helped shape my
skills and career. There are too many to name, but I have to single out two: Judge Gibbons and Ed
Stanton. Both gave me tremendous opportunities along the way, and both have served as mentors and
role models.• Thank you to Associate Attorney General Gupta for her kind words, for traveling to Memphis, and
for sharing insight into the good work that the Department is doing.
• It is overwhelming to see so many good friends, many of whom have traveled from out of state.
Special shout out to high school classmates, friends from undergraduate years, friends from
graduate school, and friends from my first-year small section in law school. I also see several
valued DOJ colleagues from other districts. I am so thankful for all of you and humbled by your
presence. Special thanks to Courtnay, Ted, and Michael, who are part of the program today.• There are also many members of my extended family here who mean so much me, including aunts and
uncles, my wife’s family, and my sister and her family. Thanks to my nephew for leading us in the
pledge.• I want to thank my parents, to whom I owe so much, but especially for instilling in me a
commitment to public service in this city.• Finally I want to thank my wife and best friend Anna, who was kind enough to give her blessing
to this endeavor. Thank you for your love and support.It’s the honor of my life to accept this appointment. Some of you know me very well. Some of you
know me pretty well. Some of you don’t know me well at all.So allow me to reintroduce myself. I am a Memphian. I grew up in this city. I’m a product of
Memphis City Schools. In fact, 33 years ago, in ninth grade, I came down to this very room. The
City Council was trying to pass an ordinance banning “harmful material” at concerts. This was
after a particularly colorful performance by Motley Crue at the Coliseum.I wasn’t at that concert, but I liked concerts and thought this was a bad idea. So, I rounded up a
couple of friends, and my mom drove the three of us down here in her minivan. She dropped us off
over here on Adams. I came in here and addressed the council. I remember the Councilman who was
sponsoring the ordinance ignored me.There are a couple of lessons there. One, elected officials might want to at least act like they
are listening to constituents. You never know when the kid you ignored is going to grow up to be
the U.S. Attorney.The bigger lesson for me was that maybe Memphis could use some more good public servants. So, after
I went away for college, graduate school, and law school, I chose to come home to Memphis and start
my legal career here. I’ve chosen to stay every day for almost two decades. I’ve also chosen public
service as a career.Public service—in particular federal public service—defines me. For my whole adult life, even
before law school, I’ve worked for the United States government. And I’m proud to say that the
United States is the only client I’ve ever had.Before I talk about what it means to me to represent the United States every day, I first want to
step back and take stock of this particular moment. Over the past few years we’ve experienced a
lot. A pandemic that has killed more than a million Americans. A violent attack, perpetrated by
fellow citizens, on our seat of government. An unacceptable increase in gun violence. The longest
federal government shutdown in history. A long-overdue reckoning with racism in the criminal justice system. And finally, just
recently, the tragic death of a young man in Memphis – a tragedy that is leading to an even deeper
reckoning, here and elsewhere.That’s a lot to navigate for someone who takes on this type of role. But, no excuses. I’m ready to go.
I’m going to talk about three things. What we do, how we go about it, and my priorities.
First, what we do. In the U.S. Attorney’s Office, my colleagues and I uphold the rule of law,
protect civil rights, and keep Americans safe.A key principle underlying our work is there is only one rule of law. There can’t be one for the
powerful and another for the powerless. There can’t be one for the rich and another for the poor.
And there can’t be one for people who look like me and another for people of color.Justice, for me, is about upholding that one rule of law. In criminal cases, it can mean sending
someone to prison, sometimes for a long time.But you should know that justice, for me, is about more than putting people in prison. For me, it’s
also about who votes and how hard it is to cast that vote. It’s about where pipelines or bus routes
go. Justice is about whether people in all zip codes can get a loan. Whether women have access to
health care. Whether citizens have affordable housing or clean drinking water.Sometimes those are Department of Justice issues. Sometimes they’re not. But for me, they are all
“justice” issues.That being said, much of my office’s day-to-day work involves criminal cases. Seeking just
punishment for those who have broken the law. A few principles guide us in this work.We make decisions based on the law and the facts.
We treat people equally and fairly, while still making an individualized assessment of each case.
We focus our efforts on the most serious cases that implicate substantial federal interests.
Along those lines, what we do is qualitatively and quantitatively different than what state
prosecutors do. And the number of prosecutions is not an end in and of itself. Making the community
safer is the goal.These principles are easy to articulate but hard to put into practice. My faith tradition makes
room for both accountability and redemption. I agree with Bryan Stevenson that every person is more
than the worst thing he has done. However, sometimes people deserve severe punishment for the
worst thing they’ve done. We don’t apologize for seeking significant punishment where warranted.
The point is if you’re doing this job right, it can be hard to sort all that out and decide on the
right way to proceed in any particular case.Which brings me to the second thing I want to talk about: how we go about our work.
I bring some relevant experience to this job. Almost 18 years in this office, and a lifetime of
being a rule-follower. That’s why this career has suited me. I like rules, I like following them,
and it turns out I’m good at enforcing rules. After 12 years as Appellate Chief, I know the
relevant rules pretty well.The bad news for anyone who isn’t following those rules is I don’t care who you are. You can be
behind a computer, on a street corner, or in a boardroom. It doesn’t matter to me. You break
federal law and we will come after you and pull no punches.But I can’t do it alone. There are two groups of people I am already relying on heavily. The first
are our partners in federal, state, and local law enforcement. These folks face risks every day
that most of us can’t fathom. I am proud to work with these public servants. When officers do their
job the right way, it is right to call them heroes. I’ll also say that backing the blue, for me,
includes backing not only state and local partners, but also all the federal agencies that are
working hard to enforce federal laws.The second group of people I rely on heavily are the dedicated federal public servants in the U.S.
Attorney’s Office. I want every current employee of my office to stand up and be recognized.[APPLAUSE]
It’s a privilege to work with you all. One reason I agreed to be a candidate for this job was I
already knew my team. We’re one of the biggest law firms in West Tennessee. I think we’re the best.
We have two offices, covering 22 counties. We don’t just prosecute criminal cases. We represent
the United States in all types of civil litigation. We collect debts for the U.S. Treasury. We
handle our own appellate and post- conviction dockets. It’s a lot.The Assistant U.S. Attorneys and support staff who carry out these responsibilities are
hardworking. They are experienced. They are smart. I’ve worked with these folks for almost 18
years. As long as I am in charge I will listen to them, rely on them, and stick up for them.Ida B. Wells said—just after being forcibly exiled from this city—that “The way to right wrongs is
to turn the light of truth upon them.” My team works hard to right wrongs by seeking the light of
truth. By seeking justice. Whenever you hear someone complain about the federal government for
whatever reason—just know that every day your life is better, and your family is safer, because of
federal employees like my colleagues in the U.S. Attorney’s Office.The last thing I want to talk about are my priorities. We have a lot on our plate.
In Memphis, Jackson, and all of West Tennessee, communities are reeling from violent crime.
Addressing this violence is a top priority. We are continuing our robust efforts prosecuting
federal carjacking, robbery, and firearm cases. We focus our efforts on the most significant
drivers of violence. We also are taking a hard look at the supply side of the gun violence problem:
where these crime guns are coming from, and how they are getting into the wrong hands. And we are
coupling enforcement of these laws with prevention and intervention efforts.We spend a lot of time prosecuting drug trafficking organizations. Unfortunately, West Tennessee is
a distribution center not only for legal goods, but illegal goods too. Our law enforcement partners
are seizing large amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin, among other lethal drugs. These
drugs—especially fentanyl—are affecting every cross-section of our community. For us it’s a fight to save lives.We are doubling down on our efforts in prosecuting fraud and economic crimes. We’ve brought several
new cases in this area in the last few months, including cases involving fraud on pandemic relief
programs.Finally, even before the events of last month, I had asked my team how we could better protect
national security and civil rights in West Tennessee. This is a top priority of mine. We are
vigorously enforcing civil rights and hate crimes statutes.A related issue is the rise in domestic terrorism and political violence in this country. From
Charleston to Charlottesville to Pittsburgh to El Paso to Buffalo—the threat of hate-based and
extremist violence is real. My oath commands me to protect our country from threats foreign and
domestic. I’m going to do that.This is a mission that dates to the Department’s founding. A hundred and fifty years ago there were
people in this area of the country who were seeking to deny the promises of the Second Founding and
the Reconstruction Amendments to Black Americans.The Department was created to counter those violent extremists and protect civil rights for all.
Attorney General Garland has said it’s in the Department’s DNA. I agree, and we will pursue
accountability for anyone who tramples on other people’s civil rights or uses violence to achieve
political ends.Those are just some of the areas where we’re directing our efforts. It’s a non-exhaustive list.
Upholding the rule of law necessarily means that we don’t focus only on one set of crimes. We carry
a diverse portfolio, and we will not hesitate to use the full scope of the tools Congress has given us.So that is what we do, how we do it, and a little about our priorities. Through it all, the only
thing that will motivate me every hour of every day is what is best for my client, the United
States of America.I’ll end where I started, both today and in life: the City of Memphis. Our office serves one and a
half million people in 22 counties, and I take that responsibility seriously. I’ll be visiting many
of those counties in the near future.
But this city, where we are today, is not just where I live, it’s my home. My wife and I love it
here. As I said recently, I want the City of Memphis to be a place where justice is done. That’s
the animating principle of my career.One of my heroes sings about “a promised land.” For me, the work that we do to uphold the rule of
law, protect civil rights, and keep Americans safe in Memphis and West Tennessee, is my own way of
seeking a piece of that “promised land.”
I promise I’ll give it everything I have. Thank you again for being here today.
###For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at (901) 544-4231 or [email protected]. Follow @WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.
Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty:
Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on Feb. 16 was:
Harvey Alvin Hugs, 59, of Hardin, on charges of felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. If convicted of the most serious crime, Hugs faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Hugs was released pending further proceedings. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-06.
Appearing on Feb. 13 was:
Andrew Jason Post, 35, of Sidney, on charges of possession of unregistered firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Post faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Post was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-09.
Appearing in Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and pleading not guilty on Feb. 13 was:
Arnold Galo Garay IV, 46, of Helena, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition. If convicted of the most serious crime, Garay faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Garay was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Montana Probation and Parole investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-05.
Daniel Phillip Horn, 36, of Harlem, on charges of assault resulting in substantial bodily injury to an intimate and dating partner. If convicted of the most serious crime, Horn faces a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Horn was released pending further proceedings. The FBI and Fort Belknap Police Department investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-11.
Javon Cortez Crosby, 26, of Southfield, Michigan, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. If convicted of the most serious crime, Crosby faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and three years of supervised release. Crosby was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI, Tri-Agency Task Force, Russell Country High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-72.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
XXX
Individual Sentenced to 293 Months in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of Minors via the Internet and Social Media ApplicationsRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Today, United States District Court Senior Judge Francisco A. Besosa sentenced Wilberto Ramos-Candelaria to 24 years and 5 months in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release for production of child pornography and for soliciting and receiving the child exploitation material via the internet and social media applications. Ramos-Candelaria was charged in a federal Superseding Indictment on August 14, 2020 and plead guilty on September 30, 2022.
According to court documents, from May 2017 to August 2019, Wilberto Ramos-Candelaria, used, induced, enticed, and coerced 12 identified female minors, ranging from 12 to 16 years of age, to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct. The defendant communicated in a sexually explicit manner with the female minors via a profile in Instagram and solicited and received the sexually explicit images from the female victims via chats. Defendant used those images to further demand and coerce the male minors to send more explicit images under the threat of publicizing the images in social media if the minors did not comply.
Enticing and coercing minors to send sexually explicit images of themselves is a serious federal offense. The production of child pornography material has a statutory minimum sentence of 15 years of imprisonment and the coercion and enticement of minors via the internet and social media applications to engage in illegal sexual conduct, which includes the production of the sexually explicit images, carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years of imprisonment up to life.
The Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force investigated the case.
“Our children, who are the most vulnerable and innocent in our society, deserve every measure of protection we can give them,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “As this prosecution shows, we will use every tool we have to investigate and prosecute all child exploitation criminals.”
“This sentencing highlights the hard work of Law Enforcement Officers assigned to the Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Rebecca C. González-Ramos “We are vigilant and will bring to justice those that harm one of the most vulnerable section of our society.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity by contacting HSI at 787-729-6969; through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE; or by completing its online tip form.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenifer Hernández-Vega, Chief of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit, prosecuted the case.
###
Indictment Unsealed Alleging That Ex-Norman Car Dealership Executive Tampered with Court ProceedingsRead the Press Release
Witness Also Charged with Lying to Federal Grand Jury
OKLAHOMA CITY – United States Attorney Robert J. Troester announced that a federal grand jury indictment was unsealed today charging BOBBY CHRIS MAYES, 50, of Norman, with three counts of tampering with official proceedings. The indictment also charged ERIN ALLEGRE, 36, of Norman, with lying in testimony before a federal grand jury.
Mayes appeared for arraignment this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Shon T. Erwin. Mayes has been in federal custody since October 25, 2022, and he was ordered today to remain in custody pending further proceedings.
Public records reflect that Mayes was the former owner of the Big Red Dealerships (Big Red Sports/Imports, Big Red Kia, Norman Yamaha, Norman Mitsubishi, and Mayes Kia). On November 19, 2021, Mayes was convicted along with two co-defendants by a jury in Western District of Oklahoma Case Number CR-20-240-F. After nearly a three-week trial, Mayes was convicted of conspiring to commit wire fraud, 12 counts of wire fraud, six counts of uttering forged securities, and aggravated identity theft. Mayes is awaiting sentencing in that case, where he faces a mandatory term of imprisonment of two years for aggravated identity theft to run consecutive to any other term of imprisonment.
Today’s unsealed indictment alleges that from April through October of 2022, Mayes tampered with official proceedings in Case Number CR-20-240-F. More specifically, the indictment alleges Mayes orchestrated and helped to secure the unavailability of a key participant in the proceeding, fabricated e-mails and other evidence in an effort to secure a new trial in that prior case, and sent an anonymous e-mail to the Court as part of an effort to obtain a new trial in Case Number CR-20-240-F.
Today’s indictment also alleges that Allegre lied to the federal grand jury when she appeared as a witness on May 3, 2022, and testified regarding the investigation of the whereabouts of one of Mayes’ co-defendants in Case Number CR-20-240-F.
If found guilty on the indictment announced today, Mayes faces a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each of the three counts of tampering. If convicted, Allegre faces a maximum of 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for lying to the grand jury.
This case is the result of an investigation by FBI’s Oklahoma City Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Snyder and Jacquelyn Hutzell are prosecuting the case.
The public is reminded that these charges announced today are merely allegations, and Mayes and Allegre are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Reference is made to court filings for further information.
Indian Brotherhood Gang Member Sentenced for MurderRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – An enrolled member of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma and member of the Indian Brotherhood (IBH), a prison-based gang active in Oklahoma, was sentenced today to 210 months imprisonment for his role in a homicide that took place in 2015 within Indian country in Oklahoma.
On March 9, 2022, John Douglas Knight, 43, of Seminole, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to Second Degree Murder in Indian Country for the 2015 murder of Scotty Candler. According to court documents, in May 2015, Knight and another man received orders from the IBH to question Scotty Candler about a prior homicide. Candler actually had no involvement with the prior homicide. Knight and another individual went to Candler’s residence carrying firearms with the purpose of questioning and assaulting Candler. Knight knocked on Candler’s door. Candler opened the door to his residence and his two dogs ran out. According to the other man and a third man who drove the getaway car but did not observe the killing, John Knight then went into the residence and shot Candler once in the head, killing him. After killing Candler, John Knight and the other man ran from the location and disposed of the firearms before they were picked up.
Knight was sentenced by District Judge John F. Heil, III of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma to 210 months imprisonment.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson of the Eastern District of Oklahoma, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Investigative Division, and Special Agent in Charge Edward Gray of the FBI’s Oklahoma City Field Office made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Rami Badawy and Brian Morgan of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Zach Parsons of the Eastern District of Oklahoma prosecuted the case.
Haverhill Fentanyl Pill Distributor Arrested for Trafficking Tens of Thousands of Counterfeit PillsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Haverhill man has been arrested and charged for allegedly manufacturing and distributing tens of thousands of counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl in the Lawrence and Boston areas.
Angel Joel Diaz, a/k/a “Guero,” 34, was charged by criminal complaint with distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. Diaz was detained following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston yesterday.
“Swallowing a lethal drug can have the exact same deadly outcome as injecting one. With the rise in counterfeit pill distribution, the health and safety of our communities are put at greater risk,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “We believe Mr. Diaz allegedly conspired to sell tens of thousands of these deadly counterfeit pills to areas in our Commonwealth and beyond. During the investigation, approximately 50,000 counterfeit pills were seized along with two pill presses. Each of those pills could result in a fatal overdose and we commend our law enforcement partners for this investigation and arrest which improves public safety.”
“The state of Massachusetts is faced with an opioid crisis unlike ever before,” said Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division. “Those responsible for distributing lethal drugs like counterfeit pills containing fentanyl to the citizens of Massachusetts need to be held accountable for their actions. DEA will aggressively pursue Drug Trafficking Organizations and individuals who are distributing this poison. This investigation demonstrates the strength and continued commitment of our local, state and federal law enforcement partners. It is our mission to target those who seek to profit from the sale of deadly substances.”
According to the charging documents, in January 2023, an investigation began into Diaz’s fentanyl pill manufacturing and distribution operation. On Jan. 10, 2023, an undercover officer contacted Diaz posing as a potential drug customer seeking to purchase counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl. It is alleged that Diaz agreed to meet the following day, on Jan. 11, 2023, and provided the undercover officer with 208 fentanyl pills weighing approximately 26 grams. Half of the pills allegedly contained methamphetamine in addition to fentanyl. During the meeting, it is alleged that Diaz told the officer that he manufactures his own fentanyl pills, which he distributes in Lawrence and Boston as well as in New York via mail shipments. Following the meeting, Diaz allegedly maintained communication with the undercover officer about purchasing additional fentanyl pills. During the communications, it is alleged Diaz sent several photos depicting his manufacturing process including images of a blue substance in tin pans, wrapped bricks of suspected fentanyl and blue pills with “M/30” stamped.
It is further alleged that on two subsequent occasions, Jan. 27, 2023 and Feb. 7, 2023, Diaz distributed 5,150 and 8,500 counterfeit prescription pills containing suspected fentanyl to the undercover officer, respectively. On Feb. 14, 2023, Diaz allegedly sent a photo of suspected fentanyl pills to the undercover officer saying that, “even making it with a mask makes you want to vomit and everything.”
On Feb. 15, 2023, Diaz was arrested while carrying a shopping bag of approximately 31,800 fentanyl pills separated into seven plastic bags. According to court documents, during a subsequent search of Diaz’s Haverhill residence, law enforcement found: a pill press with powder residue on it, thousands of pills, pill stamps, several masks and loose powder of various colors; approximately 5,000 suspected fentanyl pills in a heat-sealed bag; suspected fentanyl powder and chemicals used in manufacturing pills; and in the garage a second pill press. In total, approximately 37,000-40,000 fentanyl pills were seized during execution of the search warrant along with the two pill presses, suspected fentanyl powder and various pill-manufacturing paraphernalia.
The charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
U.S. Attorney Rollins and DEA SAC Boyle made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Haverhill Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel R. Feldman of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Green Bay Man Sentenced to 10 years’ Imprisonment for Trafficking Fentanyl disguised as PercocetRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that on February 6, 2023, U.S. District Judge William C. Griesbach sentenced Bahron Berkley-Dolphin (age: 26) to a total sentence of ten years’ imprisonment and seven years’ supervised release after Berkley-Dolphin pled guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846, and Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c).
In May 2022, investigators with the Brown County Drug Task Force stopped and arrested Berkley-Dolphin after he sold fentanyl pills to an informant. The fentanyl was in the form of counterfeit “Percocet” pills that Berkley-Dolphin obtained from illicit sources in Arizona. In all, the Arizona source shipped 4,000 fake Percocet pills to Berkley-Dolphin in Wisconsin. At the time Berkley-Dolphin delivered fentanyl, he was a convicted felon and possessed a loaded 9mm pistol with an obliterated serial number.
In sentencing Berkley-Dolphin, Judge Griesbach stressed that dealing fentanyl is dealing poison. The judge cited a recent report from the Drug Enforcement Administration that 6 in 10 pills tested at DEA Crime Labs contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl. In 2021, DEA determined that 40% of pills were potentially lethal, but by 2022 the fatal dosage increased to 60% of tested pills.
This case was investigated by the Brown County Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Funnell.
# # #
For Additional Information Contact:
Public Information Officer
414-297-1700
Follow us on Twitter
Grand Haven Industrial Polluters Sentenced to Custody for Clean Water Act CrimesRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten announced that on Tuesday ASP Plating Company of Grand Haven, Gary Stephen Rowe, 70, of Grand Haven, and Stephen Frederick Rowe, 39, formerly of Grand Haven and currently of Oklahoma, were sentenced for violating the Clean Water Act and collectively ordered to pay more than $50,000 in financial penalties.
“The success of the Clean Water Act depends in part on industrial permit holders diligently complying with the law to ensure public health and safety measures are upheld,” said U.S. Attorney Totten. “If you can’t afford to follow environmental laws, you shouldn’t be in business. And if you commit environmental crimes in this district, all sentencing options are on the table, including jail time and substantial fines.”
- Gary Rowe, president of the company, pleaded guilty to a felony violation. The Honorable Paul L. Maloney, United States District Judge, sentenced Gary Rowe to three months and one day in custody, to be followed by nine months of location monitoring as a part of a one-year term of supervised release. Gary Rowe was also ordered to pay a $20,000 fine, $13,500 due to the Grand Haven-Spring Lake Sewer Authority under an administrative consent order, $4,212.54 in restitution to the City of Grand Haven, and a $100 special assessment.
- ASP Plating Company pleaded guilty to a felony violation. Judge Maloney sentenced the company, which filed for bankruptcy in October 2022, to three years of probation, a $5,000 fine, a $400 special assessment, and the restitution amounts Gary Rowe was ordered to pay.
- Stephen Rowe, vice president of the company pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor violation. The Honorable Sally J. Berens, United States Magistrate Judge, sentenced Stephen Rowe to 14 days in jail, one year of supervised release, a $10,000 fine, $4,212.54 in restitution, and a $25 special assessment. The restitution obligations are joint and several.
According to public records filed in the case, the individual defendants operated the corporate defendant, an electroplating company that held an industrial pretreatment permit issued by the Sewer Authority. At least between 2015 and 2021, the company routinely violated the permit by discharging zinc in excess of the daily and monthly limitations, by releasing zinc in batches without notice, and by bypassing the mandatory pretreatment system entirely. The Sewer Authority periodically monitored the company’s discharges, but Gary and Stephen Rowe instructed employees to make sure the monitor was absent before discharging wastewater containing excessive amounts of zinc.
“The Defendants negatively impacted the public waste treatment program work by illegally causing improperly treated waste to enter the Grand Haven-Spring Lake Sewer Authority municipal sewer system,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Richard Conrad of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division (“EPA-CID”). “Those companies who knowingly violate environmental laws will be held accountable for their actions.”
The Clean Water Act is the primary law governing pollution of the Nation’s surface waters. Congress first passed the law in 1948, totally revised it in 1972, and subsequently amended the law several times thereafter. In passing the law, Congress declared that its purpose was “to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters.” 33 U.S.C. § 1251(a). Among other provisions, the Act regulates industrial and municipal discharges. To achieve its goal of preserving clean water, parts of the Act are based on the concept that all discharges into the Nation’s waters by industrial and municipal users are illegal unless specifically authorized by a permit. The law has civil, criminal, and administrative enforcement provisions.
EPA-CID conducted the investigation with assistance from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources-Environmental Investigation Section. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin M. Presant.
###
Former Springside Chestnut Hill Academy Teacher Sentenced to over 38 Years on Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Andrew Wolf, age 42, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced today before United States District Court Judge Mark A. Kearney to 38 years and 10 months in prison, 5 years supervised release, $800 special assessment, $40,000 special assessment under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, $150,000 in assessments under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act, and a $50,000 in fines for multiple child exploitation offenses in connection with his scheme to manipulate and catfish children online, including his own middle school students.
In February 2022, the defendant and an accomplice were indicted on charges of conspiracy to manufacture child pornography, along with several counts of manufacturing and attempted manufacturing of child pornography. These charges, to which Wolf pleaded guilty in June 2022, stem from conduct which occurred over a period of one year. Between May 2020 and October 2021, Wolf and his accomplice developed and carried out an elaborate online child exploitation catfishing scheme, in which they impersonated minor girls to entice their child victims to self-produce and send them sexually explicit images. As part of their scheme, Wolf provided identifying information for his own middle school students to his accomplice so that the accomplice could target them online.
“Our Office and our law enforcement partners are committed to holding child sexual predators accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Today’s sentencing will never make the victims whole; however, it should serve as a reminder to all of us that an open line of communication and discussion with our youth about the ever-evolving dangers on the internet are another key component to keeping our youth safe”.
“Over several years, Timothy Gritman collected hundreds of thousands of dollars to which he knew he wasn’t entitled,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Needless to say, defrauding the government is a criminally bad idea and the FBI and our partners will continue to pursue anyone bold enough, and foolish enough, to do so.”
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 Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly Harrell.
Former NBA Players Keyon Dooling and Alan Anderson Sentenced to 30 and 24 Months in Prison for Defrauding NBA Players’ Health and Welfare Benefit PlanRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that KEYON DOOLING and ALAN ANDERSON were sentenced to 30 months and 24 months in prison, respectively, for their roles in a scheme to defraud the National Basketball Association (“NBA”) Players’ Health and Welfare Benefit Plan (the “Plan”). U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni sentenced DOOLING today and previously sentenced ANDERSON on February 10, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “These former players recruited others to take part in this widespread fraud scheme and went to great lengths to keep the scheme running smoothly, facilitating hundreds of thousands of dollars of fraudulent claims. This Office will continue to aggressively prosecute those engaged in health care fraud schemes, no matter what their profession. Those considering submitting false claims to health care plans should recognize that they will be subject to serious penalties.”
According to the Indictments, public court filings, and statements made in court:
The Plan is a health care plan providing benefits to eligible active and former players of the NBA. DOOLING and ANDERSON both played in the NBA and were eligible to receive reimbursements from the Plan for legitimate, qualifying medical expenses.
Co-defendant TERRENCE WILLIAMS orchestrated the scheme to defraud the Plan.[1] DOOLING and ANDERSON also occupied managerial roles in the scheme.
WILLIAMS, DOOLING, and ANDERSON recruited other former NBA players to defraud the Plan, including by offering to provide them with false invoices to support their fraudulent claims.
WILLIAMS provided the other former NBA players fake invoices from a particular chiropractic office in California, run by co-defendant PATRICK KHAZIRAN,[2] which were created by individuals working with WILLIAMS. In addition, WILLIAMS obtained fraudulent invoices from a dentist affiliated with dental offices in Beverly Hills, California, run by co-defendant AAMIR WAHAB, and from a doctor at a wellness office in Washington State. The fraudulent invoices purported to document that ANDERSON, other co-defendants, and, in some cases, members of their families, had been recipients of expensive medical and dental services, but the defendants had not received the medical or dental services described in the invoices WILLIAMS provided them. In many instances, the defendants were not even located in the vicinity of the service providers on the dates the invoices stated they received medical or dental services. In particular, GPS location information and documentary evidence, such as flight records, show that the defendants were in locations other than the vicinity of the medical or dental offices falsely claimed as the providers of services.
DOOLING participated in the scheme from at least in or about 2017 through in or about 2019. DOOLING traded on his reputation among current and former NBA players to refer other former NBA players to co-defendant KHAZIRAN and WAHAB. DOOLING also recruited and attempted to recruit additional Plan-participants and medical professionals into the fraud scheme. DOOLING himself submitted fraudulent invoices to the Plan, relating to services purportedly performed by co-defendants KHAZIRAN and WAHAB. DOOLING received approximately $363,000 in fraudulent reimbursements, and he is responsible for facilitating the fraudulent claims filed by other defendants, who received approximately $194,295 in fraudulent proceeds from the plan.
ANDERSON also recruited multiple former NBA players to the fraud scheme. When co-conspirators encountered difficulties in obtaining reimbursements for fraudulent claims, ANDERSON encouraged them to submit forged letters of medical necessity to substantiate those claims. When those letters were unsuccessful, ANDERSON arranged for the co-conspirators to visit a Las Vegas doctor, after-hours, to further attempt to justify the fraudulent claims. ANDERSON himself submitted approximately $121,000 in fraudulent claims to the Plan. ANDERSON is also responsible for recruiting and facilitating the fraud of additional defendants who sought approximately $710,000 in fraudulent claims.
* * *
In addition to their prison terms, DOOLING, 42, of Orlando, Florida, was ordered to forfeit $449,250.50 and pay restitution of $547,495; and ANDERSON, 40, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was ordered to forfeit $121,000 and pay restitution of $121,000.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan B. Finkel and Daniel G. Nessim are in charge of the prosecution.
[1] WILLIAMS has pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire and health care fraud and aggravated identity theft and is awaiting sentencing.
[2] On February 7, 2023, Judge Caproni sentenced KHAZIRAN to 30 months in prison.
Former Go Cedar Rapids Executives Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Two men who made false representations to a bank to obtain more money for Newbo Evolve, a three-day music and cultural event held in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in August 2018, were each sentenced on February 16, 2023, to more than one year in federal prison.
Doug Hargrave, age 56, from Puyallup, Washington, and Aaron McCreight, age 48, from Dothan, Alabama, received the prison terms after they each pled guilty on January 26, 2022, to one count of bank fraud.
Information from the plea and sentencing hearings showed that the two men previously held executive positions in Go Cedar Rapids (“GoCR”), the nonprofit organization that planned and executed Newbo Evolve. McCreight was President and Chief Executive Officer, and, in the summer of 2018, Hargrave was GoCR’s Finance Director. Newbo Evolve featured, in addition to other attractions, concerts by singer Kelly Clarkson and the band Maroon 5. As the Newbo Evolve event dates approached, GoCR did not have enough money to, among other things, pay Kelly Clarkson and buy the alcohol that was to be sold at the concert venue.
Hargrave and McCreight then defrauded the financial institution that extended a loan to GoCR to finance Newbo Evolve by making misrepresentations about Newbo Evolve’s actual ticket sales, projected revenue, projected expenses, and the true amount of loss they were projecting and expecting Newbo Evolve to generate. Those misrepresentations fraudulently induced the bank to loan GoCR additional money for Newbo Evolve. In July 2018, McCreight and Hargrave sent a false and fraudulent Newbo Evolve 2018 Budget to the bank in support of GoCR’s request for an increase in its loan. In a meeting with representatives of the bank, McCreight fraudulently misrepresented the number of tickets that had been sold for Maroon 5 and Kelly Clarkson’s performances. The bank subsequently increased the loan to GoCR from $1.5 million to $2.2 million.
Newbo Evolve occurred on August 3-5, 2018. The event lost more than $2 million. After receiving income that Newbo Evolve produced, the lending bank lost $1,442,231.25 on GoCR’s defaulted $2.2 million promissory note. Heavily in debt with no cash or assets, GoCR ceased operations in October 2018. Approximately 97 vendors that provided services for Newbo Evolve did not receive full payment, losing approximately $800,000 in the aggregate. United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams noted in sentencing Hargrave and McCreight, they committed the offense to save face and, while they did not line their own pockets, they gambled with the bank’s money.
McCreight and Hargrave were sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. McCreight was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment. Hargrave was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment. Both men were ordered to make $1,442,231.25 in restitution to the lending bank joint and several with each other. Both men must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
McCreight and Hargrave were released on bonds previously set and are to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on dates yet to be set.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by former United States Attorney Sean R. Berry, Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. Cole, and Assistant United States Attorney Kyndra Lundquist.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file numbers are 22-CR-0001 and 22-CR-0002.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Former Dodge County Attorney Sentenced for Civil Rights ViolationRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Oliver J. Glass, 47, of Fremont, Nebraska, was sentenced today by Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. to 9 months’ incarceration for Conspiracy to Commit Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release, Glass will serve a 1-year term of supervised release. Glass was also ordered to pay a $3,000 fine as part of his sentence.
Glass was appointed as the Dodge County Attorney in 2011 and was subsequently elected in 2014 and in 2018. In 2020, Glass’s wife filed for divorce. On March 6, 2020, Glass learned that his wife had been dating an individual identified in the Information as Victim 1.
Between March 6, 2020, through on or about December 22, 2020, Glass conspired with other individuals who are unnamed in the Information to deprive Victim 1 of his rights protected by the Constitution, specifically, his right against unreasonable search and seizure protected by the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution by conspiring to unlawfully stop or arrest Victim 1. Glass and others utilized their restricted access to the Nebraska Criminal Justice Information System (NCJIS) to obtain information about Victim 1. A supervisor in the Fremont Police Department advised other officers that Victim 1 was dating Glass’s wife and to be on the lookout for Victim 1 and provided other officers with Victim 1’s information, vehicle description, and license plate number. An officer within the Dodge County law enforcement community, while acting as a private investigator, used his law enforcement credentials to obtain access about Victim 1’s criminal history that was not publicly available. Members of law enforcement in Dodge County would drive by Victim 1’s apartment looking for Victim 1 without a legal justification or criminal predicate.
Chief Judge Rossiter in imposing the sentence noted Glass’s breach of his ethical professional obligations and the public trust stating, “You were an attorney; you took an oath. You were a prosecutor; you took an oath. You were the elected County Attorney; you took an oath. You broke those oaths. You breached the public trust.”
As one of the victims wrote to the Court in their impact statement, “It's impossible to communicate the mental anguish and constant state of fear I felt when Mr. Glass was illegally monitoring my actions and using his close connections to stalk me. No one should have to endure that kind of terror. Of not knowing whether the ‘good guys’ are really ‘good’ just because they wear the uniform. Or, wondering if today is the day you will be framed or falsely arrested just to demonstrate the reach Mr. Glass had.”
In reflecting upon the sentencing, United States Attorney Steven Russell echoed the words spoken by then Attorney General and eventual Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson in 1940, “While the prosecutor at his best is one of the most beneficent forces in our society, when he acts from malice or other base motives, he is one of the worst.” United States Attorney Russell went on to say, “Oliver Glass, in this matter, did act with malice and from base motives while abusing his office. This type of behavior undermines the public’s trust in the criminal justice system, and I hope that this sentence helps restore that trust.”
After the sentencing, FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel said, “Oliver Glass used the power of his elected office to carry out a personal vendetta. Over and over again, he abused his authority by violating the rights of his victim. His sentencing today is a reminder that the FBI will always hold government officials accountable when they willfully deprive someone of their Constitutional rights.”
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean Lynch. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Former BOP Correctional Officer Sentenced for Committing COVID-Relief FraudRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Flora, Mississippi woman was sentenced to three years of federal probation and ordered to pay $15,086 in restitution for devising a scheme to defraud the COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge James F. Boyersmith with the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ-OIG) Miami Field Office.
According to court documents, Tarshauna Thomas, 34, fraudulently applied for two PPP loans. Thomas claimed to be the sole proprietor of a dog breeding and sitting service. From those fraudulently obtained funds, Thomas received $12,586, which she spent on personal, non-business related expenses. Thomas was employed as a Correctional Officer with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Federal Correctional Complex (FCC) Yazoo City when she applied for the loans.
The Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie prosecuted the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866‑720‑5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Fentanyl Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to More Than 50 Years Combined in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
FAYETTEVILLE – The final member of a Northwest Arkansas drug trafficking organization was sentenced yesterday to federal prison for crimes related to the Distribution of Fentanyl. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearings for the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court documents, beginning in August of 2021, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) initiated an investigation into a drug trafficking organization operating out of the Fayetteville Division responsible for distributing fentanyl pills. During the course of their investigation, investigators identified Martin Platero as the leader of this local group. The pills distributed by the Platero group contained fentanyl and were made or pressed to look like M 30 Oxycontin prescription pills.
Those members of the drug trafficking organization indicted federally have been sentenced as follows:
Martin Platero: age 21, Rogers, Arkansas – Possession of a Mixture or Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute – 210 months imprisonment and 3-year term of supervised release.
Ulises Valenzuela- Hernandez: age 25, Anaheim, California - Aiding and Abetting in the Possession of a Mixture or Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute - 135 months imprisonment and 3-year term of supervised release.
Walker Bradley Michael: age 21, Rogers, Arkansas - Possession of a Mixture or Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute -151 months imprisonment and 3-year term of supervised release.
Jaden Leeteril McCoy: age 20, Bentonville, Arkansas – Distribution of a Mixture or Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Fentanyl – 87 months imprisonment and 3-year term of supervised release.
Macy Renee Patterson: age 19, Centerton, Arkansas – Maintaining a Drug Involved Premises – 18 months imprisonment and 3-year term of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The Drug Enforcement Administration Fayetteville investigated the case, and were assisted by the following agencies: ATF, Rogers Police Department, Benton County Drug Unit, Bentonville Police Department, Benton County Sheriff’s Office, and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. This investigation was part of the DEA’s “One Pill Can Kill” initiative, for more information visit DEA’s website: https://www.dea.gov/onepill.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Harris prosecuted the case for the United States.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Felon Sentenced to 70 Months for Drug Trafficking and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that DESEAN CHRISTY, age 38, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced yesterday for violating the Federal Gun Control Act, Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1), 924(a)(2), and 924(c)(1)(A), and the Federal Drug Control Act, Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C). CHRISTY was sentenced to 70 months of imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and $300 total in mandatory special assessment fees.
The sentence is pursuant to CHRISTY’s federal conviction for possession with intent to distribute cocaine base in New Orleans. The sentence also covers his convictions for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime because he had a Glock Model 22 semi-automatic handgun at the time of his arrest. CHRISTY was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to his criminal history. According to court documents, CHRISTY was previously convicted of attempted possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of heroin, and possession of cocaine.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Dustin Strauss of the Violent Crimes Unit.
Federal Prosecutors File Hate Crime Charges Against Man Who Allegedly Shot and Wounded Two Victims Leaving SynagoguesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Federal prosecutors today charged a former Riverside resident with two counts of committing hate crimes for allegedly targeting and shooting two Jewish men as they departed religious services outside two Los Angeles synagogues over the past two days.
Jaime Tran, 28, is expected to make his first court appearance this afternoon after being arrested Thursday evening and charged this morning.
The complaint alleges that Tran targeted the two victims because they were Jewish or he believed them to be Jewish. Because the complaint contains allegations that Tran attempted to murder the two victims, the maximum statutory penalty for each of the two hate crimes is life without parole in federal prison.
“Over the past two days, our community experienced two horrific acts we believe were motivated by antisemitic ideology that caused him to target the Jewish community,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “It is important, especially in one of the most diverse areas in the world, that we celebrate our differences, and stand together to oppose acts of hate.”
“In addition to targeting innocent people with violent physical attacks, these crimes instill fear in the community. There is no place in Los Angeles and, indeed, the United States of America, for fear to control communities and to intimidate people of faith,” said Donald Alway, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office. “Law enforcement will work together to prevent hate crimes, whether they be civil liberties violations or acts of terror. On behalf of the FBI, I wish a full recovery to the victims who were senselessly attacked for their faith, as well as peace to the Jewish community.”
“I am proud of the outstanding work by our investigators in the identification and apprehension of the individual responsible for these hate-inspired attacks,” said LAPD Chief Michel Moore. “Additionally, I applaud the actions of our officers to quickly bolster our visibility in the impacted communities that were terrorized.”
The complaint alleges that Tran committed two hate-motivated attacks this week. Both shooting incidents took place in the Pico-Robertson district of Los Angeles.
In the first incident, which took place on Wednesday at approximately 9:45 a.m., Tran allegedly shot a victim at close range as the victim was leaving religious services at a synagogue. This victim survived the shooting, but he suffered a gunshot wound to the lower back.
In the second incident on Thursday at approximately 8 a.m., Tran allegedly shot a second victim at close range soon after he left religious services at a different synagogue in the same neighborhood. This second victim survived, but he sustained a gunshot wound to his upper arm.
Both shootings occurred in the same predominantly Jewish neighborhood of Los Angeles and both victims were dressed in clothing that visibly identified their Jewish faith, including black jackets and head coverings.
The evidence uncovered during the investigation indicates that Tran located the Jewish neighborhood after searching a popular business-review app for a kosher market in the Pico-Robertson district. After locating the market, Tran allegedly drove to the area, where the first shooting occurred. According to the complaint, Tran returned to the area the following day when the second shooting occurred.
Investigators acted quickly to identify Tran’s vehicle, to collect witness statements, and to obtain background information on Tran that are outlined in the criminal complaint.
A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The FBI and the Los Angeles Police Department are investigating this matter. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, the Cathedral City Police Department and the Fountain Valley Police Department provided substantial assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kathrynne Seiden and Maria Jhai of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section and Frances Lewis of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section are prosecuting this case.
Federal Jury Convicts Two Green Bay Men of Trafficking Fentanyl disguised as PercocetRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that February 16, 2023, a federal jury in Green Bay convicted Don A.K. James, Jr. (age: 24) and Frederick L. Brewer (age: 34) of Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl, Possessing Fentanyl With Intent to Distribute, and Distributing Fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841 and 846.
The evidence presented at trial showed that in January and February 2022, Brewer sold fentanyl pills to an informant working with the Brown County Drug Task Force. The potentially lethal pills had been illicitly manufactured to resemble Percocet. After DTF arrested Brewer, they learned that James—Brewer’s brother—had negotiated with an Arizona-based source to buy thousands of counterfeit Percocet pills containing fentanyl. James flew to Arizona in early January 2022 to buy at least 15,000 pills. While there, he sent a video to a large-scale buyer in the Green Bay area—the video showed that James had at least 19,000 pills to distribute.
The evidence also showed that James flew back to Wisconsin and boasted to the buyer that James now had 30,000 fentanyl pills and was ready to do business. Brewer conspired with and assisted James in the fentanyl-trafficking operation, including when James returned from Arizona with the “load” of pills. When James was arrested, he attempted to swallow a bag of 58 fentanyl pills. After a several-minute struggle, during which DTF investigators administered Narcan to protect James against a potential overdose, they forced James to spit out the still-intact bag. James feared that he had swallowed two pills and pleaded for additional medical help.
Investigators quickly summoned an ambulance, which transported James to the hospital for medical clearance. James later posted bail and was released, only to be re-arrested in June 2022 when he was found in possession of over 750 fentanyl pills with the intent to distribute.
“Across the country – including in the Eastern District of Wisconsin – fentanyl is cutting a deadly swath through families and communities,” stated U.S. Attorney Haanstad. “The fact that traffickers like those convicted by the jury in this case are willing to increase the risk of overdoses by disguising this deadly substance as something less lethal is particularly disturbing. We are committed to working with all of our federal, state, local, and tribal partners to hold drug traffickers accountable for their actions.”
“I am appreciative of the ongoing collaboration between the Brown County Drug Task Force and our federal partners, specifically the United States Drug Enforcement Administration and the United States Attorney’s Office – Eastern District of Wisconsin, to disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking organizations who poison our community by the distribution of fentanyl. We remain committed to keeping our community safe and holding drug dealers accountable for their illegal activities.“ Brown County Sheriff Todd J. Delain
Both defendants will be sentenced by Judge William C. Griesbach in May 2023.
James faces at least ten years in prison and a maximum of life in prison. James has multiple prior convictions, including a felony cocaine conviction that resulted in probation.
Brewer faces up to 30 years in prison. He has been previously convicted of multiple drug felonies, including possessing cocaine with intent to deliver in 2006, resulting in probation that was later revoked; two counts of delivering cocaine, one count of delivering fentanyl, and one count of possessing cocaine with intent to deliver, all in 2018, resulting in a four-year prison term. After Brewer was released early from prison in 2020, he committed the new offenses, resulting in another revocation and prison term that he is currently serving.
This case was investigated by the Brown County Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tim Funnell and Alex Duros.
# # #
For Additional Information Contact:
Public Information Officer
414-297-1700
Follow us on Twitter
Federal Jury Convicts Felon of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm in West PhiladelphiaRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Ramoine White, 39, of Upper Darby, PA, was convicted at trial of a single count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
On February 11, 2021, officers stopped White during a narcotics surveillance operation in the area of 5100 Arch Street in Philadelphia. Philadelphia Police Officers retrieved a Smith and Wesson, M&P, .40 caliber handgun loaded with 14 live rounds from White’s waistband. The defendant, who did not have a permit to carry that firearm, was also prohibited from possessing it due to his prior felony convictions which include possession with intent to distribute narcotics, aggravated assault, and firearms violations.
“This trial conviction exemplifies the ongoing commitment of the U.S. Attorney’s office to keep weapons out of the hands of people who are not permitted to possess them,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “It is the partnerships and the hard work of our law enforcement partners that are critical in keeping our communities safe.”
“I want to congratulate our ICE ERO officers for their skill and dedication in tracking down this dangerous criminal,” said Enforcement and Removal Operations Philadelphia Field Office Director Cammilla Wamsley. “The interagency cooperation and professionalism of the officers and prosecutors led to the arrest of another person who threatens the safety of the American public.”
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security - Enforcement and Removal Operations and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney MaryTeresa Soltis.
District Man Sentenced to 82 Months for Offensively Touching 14-Year Old ChildRead the Press Release
Defendant Assaulted Girl in Laundry Room in an Apartment Building
WASHINGTON – Eric Darrell “Butch” Smith, 52, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 82 months in prison for sexually assaulting a girl in the laundry room of a Northwest apartment building in which they were both living, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Smith pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree child sexual abuse on December 8, 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Milton Lee, Jr., who took Smith’s guilty plea, sentenced Smith today. In addition to the prison time, Smith was ordered, once released from prison, to 10 years of supervised release, and to register as a sex offender for 10 years. Judge Lee ordered that today’s sentence run consecutive to any other sentence that Smith might serve.
At his earlier plea hearing, Smith admitted that, on the afternoon of July 16, 2022, he followed the victim into the laundry room on the floor they were both living at the time. He engaged her in conversation, told the victim how pretty she was and asked her for a hug. She complied, hoping that by doing so Smith would leave her alone. As Smith hugged the girl, he intentionally touched her buttocks with his hand. This act was captured by the security camera located inside the laundry room.
The victim immediately reported to her brother and her mother that the defendant had touched her inappropriately. The police were notified, arrived at the apartment building and arrested the defendant, who was still on the scene. He has been in custody since his arrest.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Lezlie Richardson; paralegal Garcia Clarke; former paralegal Brenda Williams; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter V. Taylor, who prosecuted the matter.
Department of Justice Announces Joint Efforts for the Inspection of Animals at the Dr. Juan A. Rivero ZooRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces the coordination of efforts between the United States Department of Justice and the Puerto Rico Department of Environment and Natural Resources with respect to the health and welfare of the animals housed at the Dr. Juan A. Rivero Zoo and the holding facility known as the Centro de Detención en Cambalache (collectively the “Zoo”).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico and the Department of Justice’s Environmental and Natural Resources Division have arranged, with the assistance and collaboration of the Puerto Rico Department of Environment and Natural Resources, for an inspection and evaluation process with respect to the Zoo animals. The inspection and evaluation will be conducted by a team of veterinarians and specialists from The Wild Animal Sanctuary. The Wild Animal Sanctuary operates four wildlife sanctuaries in Colorado and Texas encompassing more than 33,000 acres.
The United States Department of Justice, together with our agency partners in the United States Fish & Wildlife Service and the United States Department of Agriculture, remain committed to working with the Puerto Rico Department of Environment and Natural Resources and other Commonwealth officials towards a comprehensive resolution with respect to the health and safety of the Zoo animals.
“We greatly appreciate the cooperation of Secretary Anais Rodríguez Vega and her efforts with respect to the health and welfare of the Zoo animals,” said United States Attorney Muldrow. “Working expeditiously together with Secretary Rodríguez Vega and other Commonwealth officials towards our common goal of ensuring the safe and humane care for all Zoo animals is a top priority of the Justice Department.”
###
Cuban Man Pleads Guilty to Access Device FraudRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. -- A man of Cuban citizenship pled guilty to possession of fifteen or more counterfeit or unauthorized access devices with the intent to defraud, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge David L. Denton of Homeland Security Investigations.
According to court documents, on March 20, 2019, Henry Herrera Garcia a/k/a Alex Rodriguez Perez, 31, was encountered by a Harrison County Sheriff’s Deputy at a traffic stop on I-10 in Harrison County. Agents with Homeland Security Investigations also participated at the scene of the stop. Various items recovered from the vehicle included a credit card scanner, thumb drives, credit card skimmers, a computer, a hard drive, fraudulent credit cards, and gas pump skimming devices, as well as accessories used for downloading credit cards. Subsequent forensic evaluations recovered from the electronic devices hundreds of “TXT” files which contained compromised credit numbers with card holder information.
Garcia is scheduled to be sentenced on May 19, 2023, at 9:30 a.m. and faces a maximum penalty of 10 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 Homeland Security Investigations and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones.
Couple from Lafayette Sentenced for Possession of Illegal Drugs and FirearmRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced the sentencing of two defendants in federal court. United States District Judge David C. Joseph sentenced Brian Broussard and Shalla Adams, both of Lafayette, for possession of illegal drugs and a firearm. Broussard and Adams were both charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Lafayette in June 2021.
Broussard, 34, was sentenced to 162 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, to include fentanyl. Shalla Adams, 35, was sentenced to 24 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for possession of an unregistered silencer.
These charges were the result of an investigation by agents into information they received about drug trafficking activities in the Lafayette area. With the assistance of local law enforcement, multiple search warrants were executed on May 12, 2021 on properties connected to Broussard and his co-defendant, Adams. Agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and other local law enforcement agencies, executed search warrants on properties and vehicles connected to Broussard and Adams. During the search of the residences, agents discovered a Romarm AK-47 style semi-automatic rifle, a Glock 9mm pistol, a Taurus pistol, a silencer, fentanyl, and other drug paraphernalia associated with the distribution of narcotics. Broussard was stopped by law enforcement officers after leaving one of the residences being searched and was found to have a Glock pistol in his vehicle with a mechanical modification switch that allowed the firearm to be fully automatic. Broussard pleaded guilty on November 21, 2022.
During the search of Adams’ residence on that same day, agents located a Glock 9mm pistol with a fully loaded 31 round magazine and another fully loaded magazine which contained 11 rounds of ammunition. In addition, agents located a firearm silencer which they learned was not registered as required pursuant to the National Firearms Act. Adams pleaded guilty on November 10, 2022.
This case was investigated by the DEA, FBI, ATF, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office Combined Anti-Drug Task Force and Lafayette Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Vermaelen.
# # #
Chillicothe, Illinois, Man Pleads Guilty to Setting Fire to Planned ParenthoodRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A Chillicothe, Illinois, man, Tyler W. Massengill, 32, of the 1000 block of North Santa Fe Avenue, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty on February 16, 2023, to an information charging him with malicious use of fire and an explosive to damage, and attempt to damage, the Planned Parenthood Peoria Health Center (PHC) building in Peoria, Illinois.
In court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan E. Hawley, Massengill admitted that he maliciously set fire to the PHC on January 15, 2023.
Since being arrested on January 24, 2023, Massengill has remained in the custody of the United States Marshals. His sentencing is scheduled for July 6, 2023, at the U.S. Courthouse in Peoria before U.S. District Court Judge James E. Shadid.
Massengill faces a mandatory minimum sentence of imprisonment of at least five years and could receive up to 20 years in prison. The charges also carry up to three years of supervised release and a possible fine of up to $250,000.
Massengill’s arrest followed investigation by multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office; the Peoria Police Department; and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The Peoria Fire Department is also participating in the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Hanna and Trial Attorney Erin Monju of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section at the U.S. Department of Justice.
Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to Twenty-Five Years in Prison for Attempted Carjacking and Trying to Have Witness KilledRead the Press Release
A man who attempted to carjack two cars in Cedar Rapids and later tried to have a witness to those crimes killed was sentenced on February 15, 2023, to twenty-five years in federal prison.
Christopher Daniel Taylor, age 40, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 6, 2022 guilty plea to attempted carjacking and attempted witness tampering.
Information from sentencing showed that on December 3, 2020, Taylor was wanted for parole violations. After parole officers located him driving a car in Cedar Rapids, he led them and other law enforcement officers on two high-speed chases, reaching speeds of 97 miles per hour. After abandoning the car he was initially driving, Taylor stole a truck containing a firearm from the garage of a residence in Marion. Officers tried to pull Taylor over, but he fled at high speeds, moving in the direction of Collins Road NE and into high traffic.
Taylor stopped the stolen truck near Lindale Mall on the wrong side of the road. Taylor ran up to an oncoming car and tried to pull open the driver’s side door. When the car reversed away from him, Taylor shot at the car, using the firearm from the stolen truck. Taylor then attempted to carjack a truck in the Lindale Mall parking lot, pointing the firearm at the driver, and threatening to shoot. The driver used his door to push Taylor off the truck. A police officer took Taylor into custody after chasing him on foot across Collins Road NE.
After Taylor was arrested, he was detained in the Linn County Correctional Center. Between April 12, 2021, and December 2021, he repeatedly asked someone to kill a witness to his attempted carjackings. He wanted his potential accomplice to give the witness a “hot shot,” meaning a lethal dose of contaminated drugs.
Taylor has prior convictions for extortion, burglary, sexual abuse, and assault causing injury.
Taylor was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. In sentencing Taylor, Judge Williams noted that on December 3, 2020, Taylor had gone on “a crime spree” and that Taylor’s criminal history showed “an unceasing pattern of violence.” Taylor was sentenced to 300 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Taylor 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 Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by the Marion Police Department, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, and the Cedar Rapids Safe Streets Task Force. The task force is composed of representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cedar Rapids Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-CR-0016.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Career criminal sentenced to 20 years in federal prisonRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – An Ohio man was sentenced to 20 years in prison after being convicted of felony charges for the third time.
Dallas Michael Acoff, age 34, was convicted in October 2022 of five federal drug distribution counts. These new convictions were in addition to Acoff’s prior convictions for wanton endangerment with a firearm and attempted murder in connection with a homicide in Wheeling in 2015.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey heard evidence of Acoff’s prior criminal history during yesterday’s sentencing hearing as well as the facts of his most recent convictions. According to court records, Acoff sold cocaine near Fulton Playground in August 2021. Then, in February 2022, Wheeling Police attempted a traffic stop on Acoff’s vehicle on Wheeling Island. Acoff fled, first by car and then on foot, before being apprehended with possession of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine.
After considering the evidence presented, Judge Bailey imposed a sentence of 240 months.
“The residents of Ohio County are safer now that a violent, career criminal is going away for the next two decades,” said United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld. “The Ohio Valley Drug Task Force and the Wheeling Police Department deserve praise for their excellent work in this matter.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn M. Adkins prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
Camp Hill Man Sentenced to 210 Months in Prison for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Ryan Coggins, age 37, of Camp Hill and Spring City, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on February 9, 2023 by United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner to 17 ½ years in federal prison after pleading guilty to distributing and conspiring to distribute multiple pounds of methamphetamine.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the charges against Coggins were the result of several-years long investigation into methamphetamine trafficking throughout multiple counties in southcentral and eastern Pennsylvania. Coggins admitted to using his home in Camp Hill as the hub for his methamphetamine trafficking. At least 22 other individuals were indicted for conspiring with Coggins and actually distributing approximately 16 pounds of methamphetamine from June of 2017 until December 19, 2020 in Dauphin, Cumberland, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lancaster, Bucks, Montgomery, Chester, and Philadelphia counties.
The following co-defendants have already been sentenced by Judge Conner as follows:
- Nicholas Eastman, 140 months’ imprisonment;
- Ryan Eastman, 120 months’ imprisonment, and
- Tyrone Smith, 235 month’s imprisonment.
The remaining co-defendants have either pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing or are awaiting trial in September 2023.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police, as well as many law enforcement agencies in the counties where the distribution activities were occurring. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William A. Behe and Christian Haugsby prosecuted the case.
All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
# # #
California Man Convicted of Drug Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal jury on Wednesday convicted a California man on a drug trafficking charge, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Drug Enforcement Administration Assistant Special Agent in Charge Towanda Thorne-James.
The jury returned its guilty verdict against Esteban Roberto Ortiz, 43, after three days of testimony before U.S. District Court Judge Sharon L. Blackburn. Ortiz was convicted on the sole count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana. The jury also returned a special verdict that the offense involved more than 500 grams of methamphetamine, for which Ortiz will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years.
“This conviction sends a message to those who traffic illegal drugs across state lines to distribute in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Escalona. “I commend the exemplary work of our law enforcement partners in identifying, infiltrating, and dismantling this multi-jurisdiction drug trafficking operation.”
“Methamphetamine is a destructive poison that can cause terrible harm to the quality of life in any community,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Towanda Thorne-James. The successful conviction of Esteban Roberto Ortiz should put on notice those who engage in trafficking meth. “Side by side with our local and federal law enforcement partners, DEA is holding meth dealers accountable. We are seizing their profits, shutting down their distribution networks, and putting dealers where they belong- behind bars.”
Evidence at trial proved that Ortiz conspired with others to transport approximately 11 pounds of methamphetamine and 4 pounds of marijuana from California to Alabama. Ortiz coordinated couriers to travel to Alabama in a vehicle containing an after-market hidden compartment where the methamphetamine and marijuana were stored. Agents from DEA Oklahoma City and DEA Birmingham coordinated a controlled delivery of this car to Alabaster, Alabama, to meet Ortiz where he was taken into custody. Evidence at trial further showed that, ahead of the vehicle’s arrival, Ortiz was planning for the distribution of these drugs to a network of drug associates in Alabama.
The maximum penalty for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana is life in prison.
The DEA investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allison Garnett and Ryan Rummage are prosecuting the case.
California Man Charged with Federal Hate Crimes for Allegedly Shooting and Wounding Two Victims Leaving SynagoguesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today charges against a former Riverside resident with two counts of hate crimes for allegedly targeting and shooting two Jewish men as they departed religious services outside two Los Angeles synagogues over the past two days.
According to the complaint, Jaime Tran, 28, targeted the two victims because they were Jewish or he believed them to be Jewish. Because the complaint contains allegations that Tran attempted to murder the two victims, the maximum statutory penalty for each of the two hate crimes is life without parole in federal prison. Tran made his first court appearance this afternoon after being arrested Thursday evening and charged this morning.
The complaint alleges that Tran committed the two hate-motivated attacks this week. Both shooting incidents took place in the Pico-Robertson district of Los Angeles.
In the first incident, which took place on Wednesday at approximately 9:45 a.m., Tran allegedly shot a victim at close range as the victim was leaving religious services at a synagogue. This victim survived the shooting, but he suffered a gunshot wound to the lower back.
In the second incident on Thursday at approximately 8 a.m., Tran allegedly shot a second victim at close range soon after he left religious services at a different synagogue in the same neighborhood. This second victim survived, but he sustained a gunshot wound to his upper arm.
Both shootings occurred in the same predominantly Jewish neighborhood of Los Angeles and both victims were dressed in clothing that visibly identified their Jewish faith, including black jackets and head coverings.
The evidence uncovered during the investigation indicates that Tran located the Jewish neighborhood after searching a popular business-review app for a kosher market in the Pico-Robertson district. After locating the market, Tran allegedly drove to the area, where the first shooting occurred. According to the complaint, Tran returned to the area the following day when the second shooting occurred.
Investigators acted quickly to identify Tran’s vehicle, to collect witness statements, and to obtain background information on Tran that is outlined in the criminal complaint.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division and Assistant Director in Charge Donald Alway of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Los Angeles Field Office and the Los Angeles Police Department are investigating the case. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, the Cathedral City Police Department and the Fountain Valley Police Department provided substantial assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathrynne Seiden and Maria Jhai of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section and Frances Lewis of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section for the Central District of California and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting this case.
A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Brandon Woman Pleads Guilty to COVID Relief FraudRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Brandon woman pled guilty to theft of unemployment insurance benefits related to the COVID-19 pandemic, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca, Mississippi State Auditor Shad White, and Special Agent in Charge Mathew Broadhurst of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Aubrey D. Martinez, 36, assisted another individual, who was not entitled to receive unemployment insurance benefits, in applying for benefits with the Mississippi Department of Employment Security. The unemployment insurance benefits were federally subsidized through the CARES Act in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Martinez is scheduled to be sentenced on May 16, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 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 U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General and the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie is prosecuting the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s National Unemployment Insurance Fraud Task Force (NUIFTF). In response to the unprecedented scope of Unemployment Insurance (UI) fraud, the Department of Justice established the NUIFTF. The NUIFTF is a prosecutor-led multi-agency task force with representatives from FBI, DOL-OIG, IRS-CI, HSI, DHS-OIG, USPIS, USSS, SSA-OIG, FDIC-OIG, and other agencies. Members of the NUIFTF are working with state workforce agencies, financial institutions, and other law enforcement partners across the country to fight UI fraud, and consumers should be vigilant in light of these threats and take the appropriate steps to safeguard themselves.
The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act is the authorization that expands states’ ability to provide unemployment insurance for many workers impacted by COVID-19, including for workers who are not ordinarily eligible for unemployment insurance benefits.
Anyone with information about attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866‑720‑5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Boston Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lynn man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston on narcotics and firearm charges arising from a traffic stop in Dorchester.
Rahiym Mervin, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release. In September 2022, Mervin pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine.
On the evening of Dec. 15, 2021, Mervin was observed speeding on Blue Hill Avenue in Dorchester and was subsequently pulled over by local police. A search of Mervin’s rented vehicle resulted in the recovery of a handgun, two high-capacity firearm magazines, 380 grams of cocaine, 96 grams of a fentanyl analog – an extremely potent opioid, substantially more powerful than heroin – and 135 grams of a mixture of methamphetamine, cocaine and caffeine. Most of the narcotics and one of the firearms were concealed in a hide within the vehicle dashboard. Mervin was arrested on scene and has been in custody since.
“A lethal dose of fentanyl is just two milligrams. Every gram of pure fentanyl has 500 lethal doses. A tiny amount of this deadly substance can kill, whether it is pure or mixed with other illegal substances,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Mr. Mervin was selling thousands of lethal doses of this poison. That he was out on bail for state criminal drug and gun charges adds insult to injury. Now he will be removed from our community so he can no longer cause harm.”
“Working side by side with the Boston Police Department to get repeat offenders off the streets helps to ensure the safety of everyone in our community; ATF continues our focus on keeping guns out of the hands of those who cannot legally possess them”, said James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division.
At the time of his arrest, Mervin was on bail on gun and narcotics charges pending in Norfolk County arising from an incident in Quincy in May 2019. In addition, Mervin was previously convicted in June 2016 in Plymouth County of possessing a firearm without a license, for which he was sentenced to three years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Rollins; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and ATF SAC Ferguson made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. McNeil of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Booneville Man Sentenced in Drug Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
Oxford, MS – A Booneville man was sentenced today to nine years in prison for distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Willie Nichols, 39, of Booneville, Mississippi, pled guilty in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Nichols was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Glen Davidson to 110 months for the conspiracy. He was further sentenced to 3 years of supervised release following his release from prison. Nichols is currently in custody.
Nichols was involved in a drug trafficking organization responsible for transporting large quantities of methamphetamine from Texas and distributing it throughout the Northern District of Mississippi. Nichols participated in the conspiracy by making multiple purchases of eight ounces of methamphetamine from the head of the drug trafficking organization for distribution throughout the Northern District of Mississippi. The investigation of this drug trafficking organization and its participants spanned over a year and is still ongoing. Nichols was indicted along with sixteen (16) other individuals.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics investigated the case as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program in partnership with state and local law enforcement. Agencies assisting with the investigation included the United States Marshal’s Service, the United States Postal Inspector’s Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly M. Hampton and Feleica L. Wilson prosecuted the case
Bennington Man Sentenced for Firearm and Drug Trafficking CrimesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Matthew Culliver, 36, of Bennington, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for distributing marijuana and possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Culliver to 24 months’ imprisonment on the distribution count and 60 months for the firearms offense, consecutive, for a total sentence of 84 months. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Culliver will begin a 4-year term of supervised release for each charge, to run concurrently.
On January 16, 2020, during a controlled buy at an Omaha gas station, a confidential informant, equipped with audio and visual recording equipment purchased 117 grams of marijuana and a Charter Arms .44 revolver from Culliver. This event was monitored by law enforcement. The marijuana was confirmed via laboratory analysis as to substance and weight.
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 the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Omaha Police Department.
Attempted Child Sex Trafficker Convicted by Federal JuryRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Keenon Green was convicted by a federal jury on Wednesday of Attempted Sex Trafficking of Children and Attempted Enticement of a Minor.
The jury trial began on Monday, and the jury received the case on Wednesday. The jury deliberated for an hour and fifteen minutes before announcing they had reached a verdict, finding Green guilty of both charges.
According to the evidence presented at trial, which included social media evidence, cell phone evidence, body-worn camera surveillance, and witness testimony, Green relentlessly sent direct messages to a social media user he knew as “Lexi” on Instagram, attempting to recruit her into prostitution despite responses from Lexi stating that she was in high school, that she was delayed responding to his messages because she was doing her biology homework, and then explicitly telling Green that she was 16 years old. Green continued to try to recruit Lexi to provide commercial sex services, advising her that he could provide protection on “the blade,” a dangerous destination for commercial sex activity that Green referred to as a “hoe stroll,” and that she would have to “only work the blade for a week max.” After that, Green’s messages indicated that he would provide her with false identification, post her advertisements on commercial sex websites, and then she could “charge 350 a hour and only be in there 30 mins max.” Because he believed her to be only 16 years old, he also offered to teach her how to drive. In exchange for his protection as a pimp, Lexi would be expected to earn $500 a night as a prostitute, and $1000 a night if they were out of town.
Ultimately, after working to recruit online Lexi for almost a month, Green arranged to meet her in person and bring her to Orange County, where business was “hella good.” Green told Lexi to bring “provocative stuff” and “heels” for the trip. The evidence presented showed that Green planned to have Lexi engage in commercial sex dates until she earned $1,000 for him before returning her to San Diego on Monday to attend high school. Unfortunately for Green, “Lexi” was an undercover deputy with the San Diego Sheriff’s Department. When Green arrived at the meeting point with feminine care items in his trunk, including hair products and Vagisil, he was greeted by law enforcement instead.
Post-arrest, Green acknowledged that he was “chasing money” and that as a pimp, he “ran” seven to nine other women. The evidence presented at trial reflected that Green’s recruitment and enticement efforts extended beyond “Lexi”; he reached out to other Instagram users simultaneously, describing what he could offer as a pimp and telling them their “anatomy is the most valuable thing on this earth” and he could help them “use it wisely.”
“Trafficking children for commercial sex is a scourge on our community,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “This case demonstrates that proactive law enforcement efforts can stop these crimes before they happen, as well as holding offenders accountable. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with law enforcement partners to prevent trafficking and deliver justice for victims.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team, the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, and the San Diego Sheriff’s Department for their excellent work on this case.
“Human trafficking is a highly predatory crime and can be violent. Offenders prey upon youth and the most vulnerable in our community. The Sheriff's Department will continue to work with our local, state, federal and tribal partners to rescue and protect victims of this terrible crime."
“This conviction closes the door on this human trafficker responsible for wreaking havoc on the lives of young women,” said Chad Plantz, special agent in charge, HSI San Diego. “Unfortunately, we know there are still traffickers out there looking to exploit the most vulnerable among us. Cases like this one serve to strengthen our resolve to protect and defend the victims.”
DEFENDANTS Case Number 22-cr-187-CAB
Keenon Green Age: 35SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Attempted Sex Trafficking of Children – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1591(a)
Minimum Penalty: 10 years
Maximum penalty: Life Imprisonment and $250,000 fineAttempted Enticement of a Minor – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 2422(b)
Minimum Penalty: 10 years
Maximum Penalty: Life Imprisonment and $250,000 fineAGENCIES
San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force
Homeland Security Investigations
San Diego Sheriff’s DepartmentThis case is the result of the ongoing efforts of the Violent Crime and Human Trafficking (VCHT) Section. Formed in 2019, the VCHT is tasked with leading collaborations between federal and local law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution of cases involving violent crimes, firearms and gang cases; sex trafficking and child exploitation; civil rights, and labor trafficking. The VCHT Section oversees the Southern District of California Coordinators for Project Safe Neighborhoods, Human Trafficking, and Project Safe Childhood. The VCHT Section also provides federal prosecutors to the downtown San Diego Violent Crimes Task Force-Gang Group, the North County Gang Task Force, and the East County Gang Task Force.
Asheboro Man Pleads Guilty to Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO, N.C. - An Asheboro man on probation pleaded guilty on February 16, 2023, to a felony firearm offense.
Montrese Antwan Snuggs, age 35, pleaded guilty to felon in possession of a firearm, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(a)(g)(A) and 924(a)(2).
According to court-filed documents, Snuggs was on supervised probation after pleading guilty in 2021 to state charges for attempted trafficking heroin, possession with intent to sell or deliver a schedule II controlled substance, felony possession with intent to sell or deliver cocaine, and felony possession with intent to sell or deliver heroin.
Sentencing is scheduled to take place on May 30, 2023, at 9:30 am in Greensboro Courtroom Number Three before the Honorable Catherine C. Eagles. At sentencing, Snuggs faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a period of supervised release of up to three years, and monetary penalties.
Sandra J. Hairston, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina, made the announcement. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, North Carolina Department of Public Safety, Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, and Asheboro Police Department investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Ann Courtney.
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.
###
Armed Drug Dealer Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DAVON THOMAS, 29, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 26, 2020, Hartford Police stopped a car Thomas was operating for motor vehicle violations. A search of the car revealed a loaded 9mm handgun and approximately 18 grams of crack cocaine packaged for distribution. Thomas was arrested on state charges at that time.
Prior to July 2020, Thomas was convicted in Connecticut and Georgia state courts of robbery offenses. In December 2020, while he was released on bond in his state case, Thomas was arrested in Massachusetts for possessing with intent to distribute narcotics. He was subsequently convicted and sentenced for that offense.
Thomas has been detained since his federal arrest on June 9, 2021. On September 14, 2022, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack”).
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Violent Crimes Task Force and the Hartford Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret M. Donovan through the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program.
PSN, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts, is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Ardmore Resident Sentenced for Robbery and Firearm Related Offenses in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced today that Tyler Cheyenne Ned, age 27, of Ardmore, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 140 months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to two counts of Robbery in Indian Country, one count of Attempted Robbery in Indian Country, and one count of Use, Carry, Brandish and Discharge of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.
The evidence showed that on or about May 17, 2021, the defendant walked up to three people smoking on the front porch of a home. The defendant produced a handgun and demanded that they empty their pockets. Two of the three then turned over items to the defendant. Not satisfied, the defendant asked if that was all they had, fired the gun into the ground, and said that he could or would take them out. The defendant fled after someone opened the front door.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma prosecuted the offenses because the defendant in this case is a member of a federally-recognized Indian tribe and the crimes occurred in Ardmore, Oklahoma, within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation Reservation, and within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The case was the result of an investigation by the Ardmore Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the sentencing hearing. Ned was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal to await commitment to a United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve his non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Gross represented the United States.
Alabama Man Sentenced 17 years for Gun TraffickingRead the Press Release
OXFORD, Miss. – A Sheffield, Alabama man was sentenced on Thursday to more than 17 years in prison for burglarizing two gun stores, possessing stolen firearms, and transporting those firearms to Chicago and New Jersey.
According to court documents, Marquis Devon McCray, 34 years old, masterminded the February 17, 2019, burglary of Oxford Pawn Shop in which 35 firearms were stolen. McCray and his co-defendants then transported those guns to New Jersey where they were sold on the streets. Ten of those guns have been recovered by law enforcement in the Newark, New Jersey area after they were used in violent crimes. McCray also led a group in the August 1, 2019, burglary of TNT Pawn in Booneville, Mississippi. McCray and his co-defendants stole 49 firearms and transported those guns to Chicago. The group sold those guns on the streets in Chicago. A number of those guns have been involved in shootings in Chicago and recovered by Chicago Police.
During a sentencing hearing on Thursday, U.S. District Judge Michael P. Mills sentenced McCray to 210 months in prison and ordered him to pay restitution in the amount of $58,158.73 for the value of the stolen firearms and damage to the property.
“This defendant callously helped contribute to violence and misery in communities that were already struggling with extreme levels of gun violence,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “He deserves every day of his sentence, and we are proud to stand with ATF and our state and local partners to stem the illegal flow of firearms.”
“Bringing our expertise and resources to target individuals and organizations that plague our communities with gun trafficking and violence is a top priority of ATF,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn. “ATF will continue to work tirelessly to protect our communities and hold accountable those who threaten our safety.”
McCray’s co-defendant, Galvin Davis, was previously sentenced to 14 years for his role in the commission of one of the burglaries.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Oxford Resident Agency, Oxford Police Department, Booneville Police Department, Corinth Police Department, ATF Newark Resident Agency, and the Chicago Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Parker S. King prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Thursday 16 February 2023
Woodbridge Man Pleads Guilty to Pandemic Unemployment Insurance FraudRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Woodbridge man pleaded guilty today to illegally obtaining pandemic unemployment benefits from the state of California.
According to court documents, from August 2020 to on or about September 28, 2020, Osman Kanu, 26, executed a scheme to defraud the California Employment Development Department (California EDD) by filing at least 15 fraudulent unemployment insurance (UI) applications using the personal identifying information (PII) of victims. On each of these applications, the defendant knowingly made false statements and false certifications to mislead California EDD. These included falsely submitting applications with the PII of real individuals without their permission or consent; falsely certifying the real individuals’ employment history and unemployment status; falsely certifying that the real individuals would receive the UI benefits; and falsely certifying the real individuals’ home addresses. Kanu committed this fraud from Virginia. He did not live in California during the scheme or qualify for California EDD benefits.
During a lawful traffic stop on Kanu’s vehicle, law enforcement discovered 15 visa debit cards with different names on each of them. After further investigation, federal law enforcement determined that the debit cards provided access to UI funds provided by California EDD and Kanu was arrested.
In total, California EDD funded $308,400 to the prepaid debit cards. The total intended loss was $628,708. In total, Kanu withdrew $178,000 from the prepaid debit cards between late August and September 2020.
The California EDD funds loaded on the prepaid debit cards were derived from the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program, and from funds made available by the Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator to provide grants to participating states, territories, and the District of Columbia to administer delivery of lost wages assistance. All these programs were intended to help workers suffering economic consequences from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kanu is scheduled to be sentenced on June 1. He faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Troy Springer, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Michael E. Nachmanoff accepted the plea.
The Arlington County Police Department provided assistance in this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carina A. Cuellar is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-32.
Woman Who Lied About Romance Scam Sentenced to 2 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E, Pitlyk on Thursday sentenced a woman from Ohio who lied to U.S. Postal Inspectors to conceal her involvement with romance scammers to two years in prison.
On April 29, 2020, U.S. Postal Inspectors found $50,000 that had fallen from an Express Mail package sent by Linda Matson, now 62, of Xenia, Ohio to a post office box being used in a romance fraud scheme. They later found a second package containing the same amount.
The inspectors reached out to Matson, who acknowledged that she had been scammed by someone claiming to be a lieutenant general in the U.S. Army. On May 10, 2020, three days after admitting she had been duped in that romance scam, Matson began inducing her relatives to send her money on behalf of her fictitious military officer. In an effort to conceal her continued involvement in the romance fraud scam and to expedite the return of the seized funds, on May 18, 2020 she sent multiple text messages to a postal inspector falsely claiming that she needed the money to buy posters and T-shirts to help find her missing 18-year-old niece. Matson also sent links to news articles and Facebook stories about a missing Ohio teenager to deceive the inspector into acting quickly.
Believing Matson’s statements to be true, between June 1, 2020 and August 3, 2020 relatives gave Matson $590,000 that was to be used to help the fictitious military officer obtain an imaginary portfolio containing cash and diamonds valued at $20,000,000. Instead of providing the funds to the United States Customs Service as she promised, Matson mailed the money to post office boxes controlled by the romance scammers.
Matson pleaded guilty in August to a charge of making false statements to a federal agent and admitted she intended to use the money for reasons she was concealing from the postal inspector. She also admitted lying to the inspector and the FBI.
In a related case, Bonmene Sibe and Ovuoke Frank Ofikoro pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit a mail fraud and wire fraud scheme that used the same false claims about military officers to deceive women into mailing $844,070 to post office boxes in St. Louis. Judge Pitlyk sentenced Sibe, 43, to five years and three months in prison in May and Ofikoro, 43, to four years and two months in prison in June. Both men were also ordered to repay their victims.
The U.S. Postal Inspection service and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry is prosecuting the case.
Westwood Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges for Running Surety Bond Scam that Caused $5.2 Million in Investor LossesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Westwood man pleaded today to federal criminal charges for defrauding victims out of more than $5 million by purporting to sell bonds for large-scale construction and other projects, and for evading the payment of over $1.2 million in taxes.
Tommy Lester Watts, 63, a.k.a. “Michael Nesbeth,” “Michael Kent,” and “Alex Mason,” pleaded guilty to one count of transactional money laundering and one count of tax evasion.
According to his plea agreement, from September 2016 to September 2019, Watts falsely claimed to be experienced in and able to provide surety bonds and other financial guarantees for large-scale projects. Watts told victims that he would assist them in obtaining financing for their projects via his various companies, including the Sherman Oaks-based Source One Surety LLC. Watts misrepresented that any such bonds or guarantees were underwritten by well-known companies and banks, and that they were backed by assets in the millions or billions of dollars.
But Watts and his companies were not licensed to sell such bonds in California. And his claims about his experience, his clients – which purportedly included governments – his underwriting, and his supporting assets were not true. To make his scheme appear legitimate, Watts hijacked the corporate filings of other companies and created fake employees and accounts for underwriters and banks.
Watts caused victims to send his companies approximately $5,238,344, the majority of which he spent on personal items such as classic and luxury cars, rent for high-end apartments, and the purchase of luxury retail goods.
He also laundered victim payments through accounts held in the names of corporations that were not registered and used fake taxpayer identification numbers – and then used those accounts to spend victim funds as his own. He hid this income from the IRS in tax years 2017 through 2019, in which he failed to file any tax returns. Watts admitted in his plea agreement that he received a total of $4,683,430 in income that he failed to report to the IRS for those three tax years.
Watts has agreed to forfeit to the United States nearly $60,000 seized from two bank accounts he controlled, a Mercedes-Benz car and a Subaru SUV. He also has agreed to pay to the IRS a total amount of $4,226,535 in restitution, which includes at least $1,863,035 for his tax liabilities.
United States District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong scheduled a September 8 sentencing hearing, at which time Watts will face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for the transactional money laundering count and up to five years in federal prison for the tax evasion count.
The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the California Department of Insurance investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Kristen A. Williams of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case.
Westminster Woman Charged in Federal Indictment Alleging She Acted as ‘Money Mule’ Who Laundered Funds for CybercriminalsRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – An Orange County woman has been charged in a six-count federal grand jury indictment alleging she laundered money directly sent from fraud victims who were tricked into sending the funds to financial accounts she controlled rather than to the victims’ intended recipients, the Justice Department announced today.
Serena Lieu, 55, of Westminster, is charged with three counts of money laundering and three counts of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity. A federal grand jury returned the indictment on Tuesday.
Lieu was arrested without incident on Wednesday morning. She pleaded not guilty to the charges at her arraignment on Wednesday afternoon in United States District Court in Santa Ana and an April 11 trial date was scheduled in this matter. She was released from custody on $50,000 bond.
According to court documents, in 2019, law enforcement learned that a Lieu-controlled bank account received a wire transfer of $103,350 from a business email compromise (BEC) victim in the Dallas area. BEC is a scam that targets companies and individuals who perform legitimate transfer-of-funds requests. Cybercriminals using social engineering or malware impersonate one of the people involved in those money transfers to make the victim send the money to a criminal-controlled bank account. Once the fraud is detected, it frequently is too late to get the money back since the funds have been quickly moved to other bank accounts or used to buy cryptocurrency.
During a May 2019 interview, FBI agents advised Lieu – who has opened 11 bank accounts at seven separate financial institutions since 2017 – that she was moving fraud proceeds in and out of her various bank accounts. FBI agents then gave her a “money mule” warning letter, which she signed. A money mule is someone who transfers or moves illegally acquired money on behalf of someone else.
Despite the warning, Lieu allegedly continued trafficking fraud proceeds. Between July 2019 and April 2021, Lieu allegedly received more than $1.8 million into various bank accounts. These funds came directly from fraud victims who were deceived into sending the funds to Lieu-controlled bank accounts, rather than to the victims’ intended recipients, court documents state. After receiving this money, Lieu allegedly quickly withdrew or transferred it to various individuals or entities, including by converting the funds into cryptocurrency.
The indictment specifically alleges that Lieu transferred more than $560,000 from bank accounts she controlled to accounts at different banks and to Coinbase, a cryptocurrency exchange platform, from July 2020 to February 2021.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted on all counts, Lieu would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each money laundering count and up to 10 years in federal prison for each illegal monetary transactions count.
The FBI and the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Carolyn S. Small of the Major Frauds Section and David C. Lachman of the General Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.
Vicksburg Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — Mark Totten, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan, announced that on Tuesday Virgil Chandler Knowles III, 47, of Vicksburg, Michigan was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the sexual exploitation of children and distribution of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Robert J. Jonker also ordered Knowles to spend 10 years on supervised release after his confinement.
“My office is committed to protecting our most vulnerable and holding predators accountable for sexually exploiting our children,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “As soon as an undercover officer identified Mr. Knowles in a secret pedophile chat group, law enforcement moved swiftly to arrest him. To anyone exploiting children the message is clear: We know how to find you and we will hold you accountable.”
“Predators who create child pornography victimize children twice – first by sexually assaulting them and again by sharing it with others on the Internet,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “The message sent at sentencing should be clear: Protecting our children from predators is a top priority for the FBI and law enforcement agencies everywhere. We are committed to identifying those who exploit children and bringing them to justice.”
The investigation and prosecution of Mr. Knowles was made possible through Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a multi-agency, nationwide effort begun by the Department of Justice in 2006. The project facilitates information sharing and joint-agency investigations among local, state, and federal authorities in order to combat the sexual exploitation of children. In this case, a local Task Force Officer based near Washington D.C. was the first to identify Knowles as a likely producer of child pornography. The investigator was able to relay the information he uncovered in near real-time using Project Safe Childhood communication channels. This allowed members of the FBI who were stationed near Knowles to develop the investigation further and identify Knowles’s precise location. A prosecutor assigned to the Western District of Michigan’s PSC response team was able to work with the FBI and obtain local search and arrest warrants for Knowles within hours of receiving intelligence from agency partners.
###
Utah Woman Sentenced for Possessing Nearly Five Pounds of Cocaine at Omaha Bus StationRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Chaminque Porter, 35, of Utah, was sentenced in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, on February 15, 2023, for Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Porter to 12 months and 1 day imprisonment. She was also ordered to serve two years of supervised release after her release from prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
On December 21, 2021, Porter and her boyfriend, Elias Ramirez Jr., were traveling from Utah to Minnesota by bus. The bus had a scheduled stop in Omaha. Drug Enforcement Administration agents regularly patrol the bus station. On that day, they noticed a suspicious suitcase in Porter and Ramirez’s possession. Porter and Ramirez denied ownership of the bag and denied knowing each other. Agents searched the “abandoned” suitcase and located two packages containing nearly five pounds of cocaine. Video footage confirmed Porter and Ramirez loaded their bags, including the suitcase containing the cocaine, at an earlier bus stop.
Ramirez pled guilty and was sentenced on January 20, 2023, to 60 months’ imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
United States to Repatriate Nearly $1 Million to Federal Republic of NigeriaRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today that it is sharing approximately $954,807 with the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Nigeria) in accordance with an agreement between the governments to repatriate assets the United States forfeited that were traceable to the kleptocracy of former Governor of the State of Bayelsa in Nigeria, Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha.
“Today’s result would not have been possible without significant cooperation between the United States and its international partners in our common fight against corruption and the laundering of corruption proceeds,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Our repatriation of the forfeited funds is an illustration of the United States’ commitment – through its Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative – to making the victims of corruption whole.”
Alamieyeseigha, known as DSP, now deceased, served as the elected governor of the oil-producing Bayelsa State from 1999 until his impeachment in 2005. As alleged in the U.S. forfeiture complaints, DSP’s official salary for this entire period was approximately $81,000, and his declared income from all sources during the period was approximately $248,000. While he was governor, DSP accumulated property worth millions of dollars through corrupt and illegal activities, including property in Rockville, Maryland.
DSP acquired the Rockville property during his first term as governor of Bayelsa State with funds obtained through corruption, abuse of office, money laundering, and other violations of Nigerian and U.S. law. Title to the property was transferred to Solomon & Peters Ltd., a shell corporation controlled by DSP. The company, instead of DSP himself, pleaded guilty to money laundering in Nigeria in 2007.
In May 2013, U.S. District Court Judge Roger W. Titus of the District of Maryland granted a motion for a default judgment and issued a final decree of forfeiture following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations’ (HSI) Asset Identification and Removal Group in Baltimore. The order extinguished all prior title and authorized forfeiture of the private residence located in Rockville to the United States and the property was sold. In a related action in the District of Massachusetts, the Justice Department and HSI successfully forfeited approximately $400,000 from an investment account traceable to DSP.
Under the agreement announced today, the United States agrees to transfer 100% of the net forfeited assets to Nigeria to support improvements in health care centers across Bayelsa State in the form of rehabilitation, refurbishment, and equipping such centers as requested by the Bayelsa government. The agreement includes key measures to ensure transparency and accountability, including consultation with the governments of the United States and Bayelsa State, financial review by an independent auditor whose reports will be published periodically, and monitoring by an independent civil society organization with expertise in project management whose reports will also be published periodically. Specifically, the agreement requires consultation with the government of Bayelsa State and the United States in the recruitment and competitive selection of implementors and monitors, and their work plans and budgets. The agreement also precludes the expenditure of funds to benefit alleged perpetrators of the corruption. The agreement reflects the sound principles for ensuring transparency and accountability adopted at the Global Forum on Asset Recovery (GFAR) in December 2017 in Washington, D.C., which the United States and United Kingdom hosted with support from the Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative of the World Bank and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
The department appreciates the extensive assistance provided by the Federal Government of Nigeria in this case. The department also thanks the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and HSI as well as the U.S. Department of State for its assistance in negotiating and facilitating the return in this matter.
This case was brought under the Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative by a team of dedicated prosecutors in the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section working in partnership with the FBI. Through the Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative, the Department of Justice and federal law enforcement agencies seek to safeguard the U.S. financial system from criminal money laundering and to recover the proceeds of foreign official corruption. Where appropriate and possible, the department endeavors to use recovered corruption proceeds to benefit the people harmed by acts of corruption and abuse of public trust.
Individuals with information about possible proceeds of foreign corruption located in or laundered through the United States should contact federal law enforcement or send an email to [email protected].
Two Wake County Men Plead Guilty to COVID-19 Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Albert Eugene Miller, Jr., 58, and Jonathan Fleming, 60, both pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for fraudulently obtaining Paycheck Protection Act (“PPP”) COVID-19 loans. They each face up to 20 years in prison.
“These two defendants, along with their network of co-conspirators, took taxpayer money meant to help struggling small businesses during a global pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “We are investigating and prosecuting those who steal from public programs intended to keep legitimate businesses afloat.”
According to each charged criminal information, both defendants conspired with Edward Whitaker, Schunda Coleman, and others to obtain fraudulent PPP loans on behalf of their respective businesses. Whitaker and Coleman pled guilty on January 19, 2023 for their role in operating a nation-wide scheme to help people across the country commit millions of dollars of PPP fraud.
According to charging documents and information summarized in court, Whitaker and Coleman created fraudulent supporting documents and applications for PPP loans which they provided to Miller and Fleming in exchange for 25% of the total loan proceeds. The fraudulent applications falsified the number of employees and gross wages being paid prior to the COVID pandemic, in order to help qualify for PPP loans. Following the disbursement of the PPP loans, Whitaker allegedly instructed Miller and Fleming as to how to make it appear that the PPP loans were being paid out to employees, when in reality the money was transferred back to Miller and Fleming, respectively. The fraudulent payroll records were then allegedly submitted to the Small Business Administration (SBA) to obtain 100% loan forgiveness.
Late last year, Quentin Jackson pled guilty in the same conspiracy which included the recruitment of numerous individuals (such as Miller and Fleming) in the Eastern District of North Carolina to use Whitaker and Coleman to obtain fraudulent PPP funds.
“The Paycheck Protection Program was designed to help small businesses facing financial difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Donald “Trey” Eakins, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge in the Charlotte Field Office. “Through our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our federal law enforcement partners, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agents will continue to aggressively pursue individuals who try to exploit federal relief programs for their personal gain.”
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who were economically suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act and additional appropriations authorized up to $649 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Financial institutions issued the PPP loans, which were guaranteed by the SBA.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after United States Magistrate Judge Robert T. Numbers II accepted the pleas. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation is leading the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Beraka is prosecuting the cases.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 5:22-cr-00290-D and 5:22-cr-00337.
###
Two More Individuals Sentenced to 10 Months for Conspiring to Stage Automobile Accidents in Order to Defraud Insurance and Trucking CompaniesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JOHN DIGGS (“J. DIGGS”), age 62, of Thibodaux, Louisiana, and JAMES WILLIAMS (“WILLIAMS”), age 68, of Gibson, Louisiana, were both sentenced February 14, 2023 to 10 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Lance M. Africk after they pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, arising out of staged automobile accidents with tractor-trailers occurring in New Orleans.
According to court records, J. DIGGS and WILLIAMS conspired with passengers Lois Russell (“Russell”) and Tanya Givens (“Givens”) to stage an accident with a tractor-trailer at the intersection of Chef Menteur Highway and Downman Road. Damien Labeaud (“Labeaud”) and Roderick Hickman (“Hickman”), who have already pleaded guilty to staging other accidents, also participated in this accident. Hickman, while driving Russell’s car, intentionally struck the 18-wheeler and then fled the scene with Labeaud. Russell advised NOPD that she was the driver and she, along with Givens, J. DIGGS and WILLIAMS, made claims for personal injuries. In total, the victim trucking and insurance companies paid out $272,500.00 for these fraudulent claims.
In addition to prison, J. DIGGS and WILLIAMS were both sentenced to 3 years of supervised release and a restitution hearing was set for April 5, 2023. Judge Africk also imposed upon each a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Louisiana State Police, and the Metropolitan Crime Commission with this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera, Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Carboni, Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Long, and Unit Chief Brian M. Klebba, all the Financial Crimes Unit.
* * *
Two Members of Cape Cod Heroin Trafficking Ring Sentenced to Prison for Violent KidnappingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two members of a Cape Cod heroin trafficking ring have been sentenced to 10 years and nine years in prison for their roles in a violent kidnapping captured on video.
Albert Lee, also known as “Mook,” 32, of Pawtucket, R.I., was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to nine years in prison and three years of supervised release. In September 2022, Lee pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping. Cameron Cartier, 28, of Buzzards Bay, was sentenced on Feb. 14, 2023 by Judge Burroughs to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release. In October 2022, Cartier pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice by retaliating against a witness, victim or informant. Lee and Cartier were charged in a superseding indictment that included co-defendants Edwin Otero, Justin Joseph and Anthony Basilici in March 2020.
In 2018, law enforcement began investigating a Cape Cod drug trafficking organization led by Otero. The investigation revealed that Otero and other members of the crew distributed large quantities of heroin throughout Cape Cod, including in Hyannis, Mashpee, Centerville, Osterville and in Pawtucket, R.I. In April 2019, as part of the conspiracy, Otero lured a known victim from Massachusetts to Rhode Island, where Otero, Cartier, Lee, Joseph, and Basilici kidnapped and held him, stripped him naked, assaulted him and threatened to rape him. The purpose of this kidnapping and assault was to retaliate against the victim because the crew erroneously believed the victim was cooperating with law enforcement. Basilici filmed the kidnapping and assault on Otero’s cell phone. Otero’s phone was later recovered with the video on it.
On Jan. 18, 2023, Otero and Joseph each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin; possession of a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking crime; kidnapping conspiracy; and witness retaliation conspiracy. Otero also pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and witness intimidation. They are both scheduled to be sentenced on April 27, 2023.
On Jan. 26, 2023, after a week-long trial, Basilici was convicted by a federal jury of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin; possession and discharge of a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking crime; kidnapping conspiracy; witness intimidation; and witness retaliation conspiracy. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 26, 2023.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Barnstable Police Chief Matthew K. Sonnabend; and Barnstable County Sheriff James M. Cummings made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Pohl and Lauren Graber of Rollins’ Criminal Division 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 https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Two Defendants Sentenced for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine in Central Alabama PrisonRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – Today, United States Attorney Sandra J. Stewart announced that two defendants received prison sentences for conspiring to bring methamphetamine into an Alabama prison. On February 1, 2023, a judge sentenced Lamar Graves, Jr., 42, from Attala, Alabama, to 168 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Previously, on January 27, 2023, Derrick Antwon Traylor, 44, a resident of Gadsden, Alabama, received a sentence of 262 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Before their sentencing hearings, Graves and Traylor pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.
According to court records, sometime prior to 2019, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) began to suspect that Graves, then an inmate at Staton Correctional Facility in Elmore, was involved in an effort to bring drugs into the facility. Further investigation revealed that Graves was using friends and family members, including Traylor, who were not incarcerated to assist him in smuggling drugs into the prison. Two other co-defendants have federal cases that are still pending.
“The presence of drugs in a prison creates an immediate threat to the safety of prisoners and corrections officers alike,” stated United States Attorney Stewart. “Corrections officers have challenging jobs. Those challenges increase exponentially when inmates are using methamphetamine and other dangerous controlled substances. I am grateful for the work of the DEA and the Alabama Department of Corrections in identifying this drug trafficking organization and putting a stop to its activities.”
“The presence of illegal drugs is a challenge faced by correctional systems across the country,” said Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner John Hamm. “Criminals often go to significant lengths to bypass our security systems and seek to introduce drugs and other types of illegal contraband into our system. The ADOC is committed to enforcing our zero-tolerance policy on contraband and works very hard to eradicate it from our facilities, including referral for prosecution of those interdicted.”
“The successful prosecution and sentencing of members of this drug trafficking organization should put on notice those who engage in this type of illegal activity,” stated DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Towanda Thorne-James. “DEA will continue to collaborate with our state and local counterparts to ensure that those who attempt to flood the prison system with illicit substances face federal charges and a lengthy prison sentence.”
As noted, this case was investigated by the DEA and the Alabama Department of Corrections Law Enforcement Services Division. Assistant United States Attorney Mark E. Andreu is prosecuting the case.