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Thursday 9 February 2023
U.S. Attorney’s Office Staff use Readings to get Children Excited about LiteracyRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Reading is crucial to a child’s educational development and future success. This is why staff from the Law Enforcement Coordination and Community Outreach Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida hold weekly readings for pre-kindergarten children in at-risk South Florida schools.
“Good morning, everyone,” said Law Enforcement Coordination Specialist Mark McKinney to a group of pre-kindergarten students at Robert Ingram Elementary School in Opa-locka. “Are you all excited? We have to begin a new book to keep building your vocabularies.”
The children got quiet, sat down, and listened with great attention as McKinney read books predominately about animals. In between books he would stand the children up and play a quick game with them before grabbing the next one from his bag.
“He has such an impact on these kids,” said Adriana Ruiz, a pre-kindergarten teacher at Robert Ingram Elementary School. “He sparks a curiosity about books. After he leaves, we have playtime and the children choose a book even though they can’t read it yet—they pretend. There is a big difference between having to read and wanting to read. Mark motivates them.”
That is the reason for this program, to build a solid educational base by giving children a love for reading.
“We’ve been doing these readings for at least six years,” said Law Enforcement Coordination and Community Outreach Section Chief J.D. Smith. “We started this because research indicates that if children don’t read at grade level by the end of the fourth grade, they start to fall behind their peers academically. This can result in many of them eventually dropping out.”
Research suggests that poor readers are, in fact, four times as likely to drop out of school. Law Enforcement Coordination and Community Outreach Section staff organize these readings at schools in areas considered to be book deserts. These communities lack access to certain resources, books among them.
“Some of the most vulnerable pre-kindergarten kids don’t have access to a library so we bring books with us to help build up their home libraries and develop that love of reading,” said McKinney. “If they get that at an early age, it will help their odds of success in the future.”
Anyone interested in donating children’s books may do so by emailing U.S. Attorney’s Office staff at [email protected] or by calling (305) 961-9134.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Reaches Settlement with Ocean County Nail Salon to End Disability DiscriminationRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office has reached settlement with an Ocean County, New Jersey, nail salon to resolve allegations that the salon discriminates against individuals with mobility impairments in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Under the settlement, USA Nails Inc. of Point Pleasant, New Jersey, agrees to adopt and post in a conspicuous place a non-discrimination policy, to train current and future employees on the requirements of Title III of the ADA, and to pay $1,000 in damages to the individual complainant in this matter. Title III prohibits disability discrimination in places of public accommodation, like nail salons. The settlement resolves allegations that USA Nails discriminated against persons with mobility impairments by refusing nail services those using a wheelchair.
“Disability discrimination violates the ADA and cannot be tolerated,” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. “This agreement ensures that customers will not be turned away from receiving nail services simply because they happen to have a disability.”
The Department of Justice’s enforcement efforts under the ADA seek equal opportunity and dignity in all aspects of life, including access to public accommodations such as nail salons. This settlement agreement is the third agreement that the Department of Justice has reached with a nail salon through its U.S. Attorney Program for ADA Enforcement, and the first in the District of New Jersey. In June 2021, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina entered a settlement agreement resolving an allegation that a nail salon in Durham, North Carolina, refused to provide services to an individual with HIV. And in June 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana reached a settlement agreement with a nail salon in Harahan, Louisiana, to resolve an allegation that an individual was refused services because of the inability to transfer out of their wheelchair.
In 2022, U.S. Attorney Sellinger created a Civil Rights Division with the sole focus on enforcing federal civil rights laws, including the ADA, with the goal of protecting and upholding the civil rights of those in our community. Individuals who believe they may have been victims of discrimination may file a complaint with the U.S Attorney’s Office at http://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/civil-rights-enforcement/complaint. Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov, or by calling the Department of Justice’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 and (800) 514-0383 (TDD).
The government is represented by Senior Civil Rights Counsel Kelly Horan Florio of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Civil Rights Division in Newark.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Enters Settlements to Ensure Equal Access for Individuals with Disabilities at Seven Intercity Rail StationsRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan has reached five settlement agreements with the following cities to resolve findings of violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA):
- The City of Bangor
- The City of Dowagiac
- The City of Holland
- The City of Kalamazoo
- The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT)
Under these agreements, the intercity rail stations in Bangor, Dowagiac, Holland, Kalamazoo, and Albion will be made accessible to individuals with disabilities. In addition, the U.S. Attorney’s Office resolved ADA compliance issues at two other rail stations in Battle Creek and Grand Rapids through letters of resolution with the owners of those facilities.
Under the five settlement agreements, each city and MDOT committed to making their intercity rail stations accessible. Over the next three years, each will modify portions of its rail station and its access points, including parking lots, waiting areas, restrooms, and platforms. These agreements, along with the Justice Department's 2020 settlement with Amtrak, are a part of the Department of Justice’s ongoing effort to achieve the nation’s goal of equal opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for people with disabilities, through equal access to transportation.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is dedicated to enforcing federal civil rights laws, including the ADA, with the goal of protecting and upholding the civil rights of all people in our community. Individuals who believe they may have been victims of discrimination may call the U.S. Attorney’s Office Civil Rights Hotline at 616-808-2195. Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov or by calling the Department of Justice’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD).
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Concludes Investigation into Fatal Shooting in Fort Slocum ParkRead the Press Release
No Charges to Be Filed Against Metropolitan Police Sergeant
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced today that there is insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights or District of Columbia charges against a Sergeant from the Metropolitan Police Department who was involved in the fatal shooting, in July 2022, of Kevin Hargraves-Shird, at Fort Slocum Park in Northwest Washington.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) conducted a comprehensive review of the incident. This included a review of law enforcement and civilian eyewitness accounts, physical evidence, recorded body-worn camera (BWC) footage, recorded radio communications, forensic reports, the autopsy report, and reports from the Metropolitan Police Department.
According to the evidence, around 4 p.m., on Saturday, July 30, 2022, MPD Sergeant Reinaldo Otero-Camacho of the Fourth District responded to a radio dispatch for a shooting that had just occurred in the 900 block of Longfellow Street, near the MPD 4th District Police Station. According to radio broadcasts and information known to MPD, an individual involved in the shooting—during which two juveniles had been shot—had gotten into a white vehicle and fled. Sergeant Otero observed the fleeing vehicle and attempted to conduct a traffic stop. The fleeing vehicle refused to stop. After a brief chase, the vehicle struck a curb near the edge of Fort Slocum Park. At the time of the crash, a neighborhood resident was hosting a party and had set up an inflatable moon bound for several children attending the party.
When the car stopped, three males immediately fled. One male, Mr. Hargraves Shird, also started to flee, but appeared to return to the vehicle and rummage through it looking for something. When Sergeant Otero arrived, Mr. Shird immediately fled, as well. As Sergeant Otero exited his police cruiser, he screamed “Gun, gun, gun!” and discharged one round from his service pistol, striking Mr. Shird in the right ear. Although on-scene officers provided emergency medical assistance, Mr. Hargraves-Shird was transported to MedStar Hospital where he was pronounced dead later that evening.
A gun with Mr. Hargraves-Shird’s DNA was recovered a few feet from where he fell to the ground. Although many civilians at the party observed some aspects of the incident, the inflatable moon-bounce blocked the view. Based on the entry wound of the bullet, as well as Sergeant Otero’s and Mr. Hargraves-Shird’s positioning, Mr. Hargraves-Shird was likely facing Sergeant Otero at the time he fired his weapon.
After a careful, thorough, and independent review of the evidence, federal prosecutors have found insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the Sergeant Otero used excessive force under the circumstances.
Use-of-force investigations generally
The U.S. Attorney’s Office reviews all police-involved fatalities to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to conclude that any officers violated either federal criminal civil rights laws or District of Columbia law. To prove civil rights violations, prosecutors must typically be able to prove that the involved officers willfully used more force than was reasonably necessary. Proving “willfulness” is a heavy burden. Prosecutors must not only prove that the force used was excessive, but must also prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the officer acted with the deliberate and specific intent to do something the law forbids.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to investigating allegations of excessive force by law enforcement officers and will continue to devote the resources necessary to ensure that all allegations of serious civil rights violations are investigated fully and completely. The Metropolitan Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division investigates all police-involved fatalities in the District of Columbia.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects $3,418,522.70 in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2022Read the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson announced today that the Southern District of West Virginia collected $3,418,522.70 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2022. Of this amount, $1,771,403.30 was collected in criminal actions and $1,647,119.40 was collected in civil actions.
Additionally, the Southern District of West Virginia worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $2,698,400.58 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $2,372.47 was collected in criminal actions and $2,696,028.11 was collected in civil actions.
In 2022, the Southern District of West Virginia recovered $907,074.64 from Dr. Craig M. Morgan and Eye Consultants of Huntington Inc. to resolve allegations that they submitted false claims to Medicare and Medicaid. In late 2021, the District recovered $500,000 from Henry Schien, Inc., (“HSI”) a wholesale medical distributor based in Long Island, New York, as part of a settlement agreement with the United States to resolve civil penalty claims arising from its improper distribution of opioids and other controlled substances to medical and dental practitioners in five states in violation of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s office in the Southern District of West Virginia, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $2,255,269 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2022. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
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Two Men Sentenced for Shipping Methamphetamine from Los Angeles to Greater MinnesotaRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Two men have been sentenced to prison for trafficking methamphetamine that was shipped through mail from Los Angeles to Bemidji, Minnesota, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on July 20, 2021, Molandas Johnson, 26, brought five pounds of methamphetamine to a Post Office in Los Angeles and shipped it to an address in Bemidji, Minnesota. After federal agents from Minnesota observed Johnson ship the package, the agents obtained a search warrant to seize the packaged methamphetamine. Days later, U.S. Postal Investigators and other officers conducted a controlled delivery of the package in Bemidji, and observed co-conspirator Luis Francisco Hernandez, 24, picking up the package.
Johnson pleaded guilty on July 6, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. He was sentenced on January 25, 2023, in U.S. District Court by Judge Nancy E. Brasel to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised released.
Hernandez also pleaded guilty on July 6, 2022, to distribution of controlled substances. He was sentenced on February 9, 2023, by Judge Nancy E. Brasel to nine years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley M. Endicott and Drew R. Winter prosecuted the case.
Twice Convicted Federal Felon Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud as Federal Trial Was About to BeginRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Steven D. Blumhagen, 71, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to wire fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan P. Cantil and John D. Fabian, who are handling the case, stated that between April 2016, and January 2020, Blumhagen defrauded three investors out of $400,000, by soliciting the victims to purchase interests in entities he claimed to own, manage, or control. Blumhagen told victims that their investments would enable those entities to finance legal marijuana operations, real estate developments, and an investment technology, and that they could expect significant returns on their investments. Instead of using the money as promised, Blumhagen used some or all of the money for personal expenses. He also used the investment of one victim to pay back previous victims. Part of the scheme involved a limited liability company allegedly owned by Blumhagen’s children, which they knew nothing about.
As a result of the scheme, at least one victim experienced a substantial financial hardship, withdrawing funds from a retirement account, resulting in substantial penalties.
Blumhagen has two prior federal convictions in the Western District of New York. In 2006, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud for bilking investors out of more than $10,000,000 related to his sale of shares in the golf course project Tee-to-Green, and was sentenced to serve 57 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $10,000,000 in restitution. In 2018, Blumhagen pleaded guilty to bank theft for his involvement in a bond scheme, which raised more than $1,400,000 from potential investors. Blumhagen was sentenced to time served and ordered to pay more than $1,200,000 in restitution. Blumhagen was on pre-trial release for the bank theft charge when he committed the wire fraud.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Darren Cox.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 9, 2023, before Judge Sinatra.
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Tulsa Man Pleads Guilty to Second Degree MurderRead the Press Release
A defendant pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court for shooting and killing a man who attempted to drive away after a brief verbal altercation, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Dillon Charles Wilson, 26, of Tulsa, pleaded guilty to second degree murder in Indian Country.
Wilson admitted that on Jan. 19, 2022, he shot victim Jamitric Landrum, killing him.
Tulsa Police officers were dispatched to the 5900 block of Charles Page Boulevard in Tulsa just after 1 am in reference to the shooting. The victim was located in a wrecked vehicle with a gunshot wound to the back and was transported to the hospital where was later pronounced dead.
According to court documents, a witness told responding officers that she and the victim were driving around looking for an unknown individual they thought had try to force his way into her apartment. The victim was driving the vehicle and pulled into a parking lot near the apartment complex. She stated that she saw two men and a woman in the parking lot talking to a tow truck driver. At one point, Landrum unrolled the window and made a remark to one of the men, who considered it disrespectful. The man, later identified as Wilson, then pulled out a firearm. The witness stated that the victim attempted to drive away when Wilson started shooting at the vehicle. The victim was struck, grabbed his chest, attempted to continue driving, then crashed into a pole. The witness relayed that she saw the shooter get into a gray SUV that sped away.
The FBI and Tulsa Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John E. Brasher is prosecuting the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and 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.
Tallahassee Man Indicted for Six Armed Robberies Spanning One WeekRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – A federal grand jury has returned a thirteen-count indictment charging Keshawn Jarmarlin Robinson, 21, of Tallahassee, Florida, with six counts of Hobbs Act Robbery, six counts of brandishing a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The indictment was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
The indictment alleges on or about November 15, 2022, Robinson robbed a Subway restaurant, on or about November 19, 2022, Robinson robbed a business known as the Tobacco Outlet, on or about November 20, 2022, Robinson robbed a Dollar General store, and on or about November 22, 2022, Robinson robbed an Advanced Auto Parts store, a Firehouse Subs restaurant, and the Lemon Pepper restaurant. Each of the robbery locations are in the city of Tallahassee. During each of the robberies, Robinson brandished a firearm. As a previously convicted felon, Robinson is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
If convicted, Robinson faces: 20 years in prison for each Hobbs Act robbery; a mandatory consecutive term of not less than 7 years in prison up to life for each count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; and up to 15 years imprisonment for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
This case resulted from an investigation by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tallahassee Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Eric K. Mountin is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
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.
As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Stockton Man Indicted for Using a Firearm to Rob Fire Wings RestaurantRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against Douglas Sharron Piggee Jr., 51, of Stockton, charging him with Hobbs Act Robbery, brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of ammunition, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on July 21, 2022, Piggee robbed employees of the Fire Wings restaurant in Stockton while brandishing a loaded Polymer 80 Glock 19-style, privately manufactured handgun. Piggee is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he has previously been convicted of seven felonies, including armed bank robbery and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
This case is the product of an investigation by the San Joaquin County Sheriff Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily G. Sauvageau is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Piggee faces a minimum statutory penalty of seven years in prison, a maximum penalty of life in prison, and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
St. John the Baptist Man Sentenced to 97 Months Imprisonment for Violations of Federal Firearms and Narcotics LawsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that ALFRED STEWART, age 34, of St. John the Baptist Parish, was sentenced on February 7, 2023 by United States District Court Judge Wendy B. Vitter to serve a total of 97 months in federal prison for violations of federal firearms and narcotics laws.
STEWART previously pled guilty on August 30, 2022, to several counts of an indictment charging him with conspiring to distribute cocaine, possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, cocaine base, and methamphetamine, being a felon in possession of a firearm, possesing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
STEWART was sentenced to 37 months in prison for the narcotics offenses and for being a felon in possession of a firearm and to 60 consecutive months for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime for a total sentence of 97 months in federal prison. He was also sentenced to serve 5 years of supervised release following his release from custody and was ordered to pay a mandatory special assessment fee totaling $400.
This case was investigated by agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maurice E. Landrieu, Jr. of the Narcotics Unit.
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St. Clair County Felon Admits Machine Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A convicted felon from Cahokia Heights, Illinois on Thursday admitted being caught with a machine gun at a St. Louis, Missouri hotel.
Henry Miller, 33, pleaded guilty in front of Stephen R. Clark to a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a machine gun.
St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers were summoned to the hotel on Dec. 9, 2021 after Miller rented a room using a stranger’s credit card information and a mobile phone app, Miller’s plea says. Later in the day, police found Miller in the lobby with a blue satchel next to him that contained a 9mm Glock pistol that had been modified with a device, sometimes referred to as a Glock “switch,” that converted it into a fully automatic weapon. The Glock had a 29-round extended magazine. A 17-round magazine was also in the satchel. A backpack contained 300 grams of marijuana, a digital scale, $2,889 in cash and another conversion device. The conversion device alone, even if not attached to a weapon, is a machine gun under federal law.
Miller later admitted knowing that the Glock had been modified and admitted testing it to see if it worked.
Miller is scheduled to be sentenced June 8. Each charge carries a potential penalty of up to ten years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski is prosecuting the case.
Springdale Woman Sentenced to over 11 Years in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
FAYETTEVILLE – A Springdale woman was sentenced today to 137 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of Distribution of Methamphetamine. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court documents, In March of 2021, local law enforcement began investigating a drug trafficking organization operating within the Western District of Arkansas, Fayetteville Division. Through source reporting, investigators learned that, Krystle Marie Owen, age 36, was a member of the organization.
In January of 2022, detectives with the Rogers police department conducted a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from Owen. The suspected methamphetamine was subsequently sent to the Department of Homeland Security Laboratory and tested positive. In February of 2022, investigators with the Fourth Judicial District Drug Task Force arrested Owen after she fled from detectives. Owen had just received a package containing over 1,600 fentanyl pills, which she intended to distribute. Owen was also held accountable for her role in a large-scale drug trafficking organization operating in Northwest Arkansas, which included defendants Antonio Hernandez, Michael Southerland, Troy Franklin and Skylar Houston. All were previously sentenced in Federal Court.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The Fourth Judicial District Drug Task Force investigated the case, assisted by the Rogers Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Harris prosecuted the case.
This effort is also 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.
Six Genovese Organized Crime Family Defendants Plead Guilty to RacketeeringRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the guilty pleas of four members and two associates of the Genovese Organized Crime Family to racketeering conspiracy. Genovese Family associate THOMAS POLI pled guilty before United States District Judge John G. Koeltl on September 29, 2022, and is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Koeltl on April 13, 2023. Genovese Family Captain NICHOLAS CALISI, Solider JOHN CAMPANELLA, and associate MICHAEL POLI pled guilty before Judge Koeltl on February 8, 2023, and are scheduled to be sentenced by him on June 27, 2023. Genovese Family Captain RALPH BALSAMO and Soldier MICHAEL MESSINA pled guilty before Judge Koeltl earlier today and are scheduled to be sentenced by him on June 28, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “We remain committed to protecting the people of the Southern District of New York from being preyed on by organized crime. Today’s pleas demonstrate that those who swear a lifetime allegiance to criminal organizations will be prosecuted, no matter their efforts to insulate themselves.”
According to the Superseding Indictment, the defendants’ statements when pleading guilty, and statements made in related court filings and proceedings:
The Genovese Organized Crime Family is part of a nationwide criminal organization known by various names, including “La Cosa Nostra” (“LCN”) and the “Mafia,” which operates through entities known as “Families.”
Like other LCN Families, the Genovese Organized Crime Family operates through groups of individuals known as “crews.” Each “crew” has as its leader a person known as a “Captain” and consists of “made” members, known as “Soldiers.” Soldiers are aided in their criminal endeavors by other trusted individuals, known as “associates,” who sometimes are referred to as “connected” or identified as “with” a Soldier or other member of the Family. Associates participate in the various activities of the crew and its members. In order for an associate to become a made member of the Family, the associate typically needs to demonstrate the ability to generate income for the Family and/or that the associate is capable of committing acts of violence.
A Captain is responsible for supervising the criminal activities of his crew, resolving disputes between and among members of the Family, resolving disputes between members of the Family and members of other Families and other criminal organizations, and providing Soldiers and associates with support and protection. In return, the Captain typically receives a share of the illegal earnings of each of his crew’s Soldiers and associates.
At times relevant to the charges in the Superseding Indictment, NICHOLAS CALISI and RALPH BALSAMO were Captains in the Genovese Family, MICHAEL MESSINA and JOHN CAMPANELLA were Soldiers in the Genovese Family, and MICHAEL POLI and THOMAS POLI were associates of the Genovese Family.
Members of the Genovese Family, including CALISI, BALSAMO, MESSINA, and CAMPANELLA, and associates MICHAEL POLI and THOMAS POLI, engaged in extortionate extensions of credit, financing extortionate extensions of credit, collecting extensions of credit by extortion, extortion, operating illegal gambling businesses, and the transmission of gambling information.
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A chart containing the ages, residency information, and the charges to which the defendants pled guilty, as well as the maximum penalties they face, is attached.
The maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as the sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Office of the New York Attorney General’s Organized Crime Task Force and the Kings County District Attorney’s Office and thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation for its assistance in this investigation.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Celia V. Cohen, Rushmi Bhaskaran, and Justin Rodriguez, as well as Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Pamela Murray, are in charge of the prosecution.
Defendant
Age
City Of Residence
Charges
Max Penalties
MICHAEL MESSINA
69
New Fairfield, CT
Racketeering conspiracy
20 years
NICHOLAS CALISI
63
Boca Raton, FL
Racketeering conspiracy
20 years
RALPH BALSAMO
51
Bronx, NY
Racketeering conspiracy
20 years
JOHN CAMPANELLA
47
Bronx, NY
Racketeering conspiracy
20 years
MICHAEL POLI
37
Hawthorne, NY
Racketeering conspiracy
20 years
THOMAS POLI
64
Bronx, NY
Racketeering conspiracy
20 years
Sioux Falls Woman Sentenced for False StatementRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. Circuit Judge Jonathan A. Kobes, sitting in federal district court, has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, woman convicted of False Statement to a Federal Officer. The sentencing took place on February 1, 2023.
Darla Thompson, 48, was sentenced to two years of probation, ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, and $5,000 in restitution.
Thompson was indicted for False Statement to a Federal Officer by a federal grand jury in March of 2021. She pleaded guilty on October 7, 2022.
The conviction stems from Thompson, while employed as the Custer Branch Manager of Sentinel Federal Credit Union from January of 2018 until August of 2020, using her position at the bank to apply for and receive a loan in a friend’s name. Thompson altered the serial number on the collateral for the loan in order to conceal matters from the bank. The loan was ultimately discovered when the friend became delinquent on the loan. The friend did not know about the loan and Thompson had no permission to use the friend’s name or identity. When questioned about the loan and other matters, Thompson provided false information to a Special Agent with the FBI.
This case was investigated by the Custer County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.
Serial Fraudster Sentenced to Prison for Lead Role in $2.2 Million Unemployment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A Detroit man was sentenced today to 8 years in federal prison on charges of conspiring to defraud multiple government agencies out of more than $2.2 million in Covid-19 pandemic assistance funds and also to defraud the United States Postal Service (USPS) of more than $200,000, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Irene Lindow, Special Agent in Charge, Chicago Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Andre Martin, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General.
Chaz Duane Shields, 35, of Detroit, was sentenced this afternoon by United States District Judge Robert H. Cleland in the United States District Court in Port Huron. Judge Cleland also ordered Shields to pay over $2 million in restitution to the States of California, Michigan, Nevada, and Louisiana, the Small Business Administration, and the USPS.
According to court records, beginning as early as May 2020 and continuing through at least July 2021, Shields and his co-conspirators agreed to submit more than 240 fraudulent unemployment insurance claims to over 20 states, in order to fraudulently obtain more than $2.2 million in unemployment insurance benefits. Shields also successfully obtained a fraudulent $20,833 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan.
Separately, Shields defrauded the U.S. Postal Service of over $200,000 through a scheme in which he conspired to submit more than 1,000 fraudulent Domestic Indemnity Insurance claims, in the names of more than 40 separate individuals to the USPS. Shields and others used USPS Self-Service Kiosks to mail a number of packages. For each of the packages, the conspirators subsequently filed a fraudulent Domestic Indemnity Insurance claim by attesting that the package contained an item of significant value. In reality, the packages typically contained empty plastic picture frames with little to no value. The USPS mailed a check for each successful claim, which Chaz and his co-conspirators cashed, knowing that they were not entitled to the postal indemnity insurance payments.
Shields has an extensive history of fraud and deceit, having accumulated six separate state fraud convictions – five in Michigan and one in Maryland – since 2016.
“We remain committed to working with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute thefts from a multitude of federal programs, especially those aimed at pandemic relief. Individuals who steal money from the government should know that they will be held accountable. Today’s sentence sends a strong message that financial crime does not pay,” U.S. Attorney Ison said.
“Shields and his co-conspirators submitted fraudulent unemployment insurance claims that siphoned off more than $2 million intended to assist individuals who lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “The FBI remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to identify fraudsters like this defendant and hold them fully accountable for their crimes."
"Chaz Shields and his co-conspirators submitted more than 240 fraudulent unemployment insurance claims to multiple state workforce agencies, resulting in the payment of more than $2.2 million in fraudulent benefits. Their scheme diverted money away from American workers in need of relief from the financial effects of unemployment. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to safeguard the unemployment insurance system from those who exploit these benefit programs,” said Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
Co-conspirators Cortney Shaquan Shields, 31, and Daeshawn Tamar Posey, 27, both of Detroit were previously sentenced to 41 months and 63 months in prison, respectively, in connection with this case. Co-conspirator Brittany Levett Witherspoon, 26, of Warren has also pleaded guilty and will be sentenced on May 1, 2023.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the USPS Office of the Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan A. Particka, and Timothy J. Wyse, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Corinne M. Lambert.
Russian National Charged with Bank Fraud Related to Hacking CampaignRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Russian national was charged in an indictment unsealed today in connection with a series of computer system intrusions that occurred in 2009 and 2010, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Vitaly Kovalev, aka “Bentley,” “Bergen,” and “Alex Konor,” is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and eight counts of bank fraud.
According to the indictment:
From as early as September 2010, Kovalev participated in a conspiracy to obtain unauthorized access to bank accounts held at United States-based financial institutions and transfer funds from those accounts to accounts controlled by Kovalev and his conspirators. Kovalev and his conspirators gained unauthorized access to accounts and made unauthorized transfers of funds into other bank accounts established by, and at the direction of, Kovalev, solely for the purpose of receiving the stolen funds. At the direction of Kovalev, the funds would then be withdrawn or transferred out of these accounts. Kovalev and his conspirators were able to transfer without authorization nearly $1 million from the victim bank accounts, at least $720,000 of which was transferred overseas.
The substantive and conspiracy charges of bank fraud are punishable by a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1 million.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Secret Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jose Riera, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony P. Torntore, Chief of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Rochester Man Pleads Guilty to Selling FentanylRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Robert Colon, 32, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassie M. Kocher, who is handling the case, stated that between January 2022, and March 9, 2022, Colon sold quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, and/or para-fluorofentanyl to an undercover law enforcement officer on different occasions, which resulted in an arrest warrant being issued on March 23, 2022. Colon was taken into custody on May 30, 2022. At that time, he possessed approximately 189 baggies containing fentanyl, approximately 16 baggies of cocaine, and $1,748 in cash, which represented drug proceeds.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith, the Greater Rochester Area Narcotics Enforcement Team, and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 15, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. before Judge Geraci.
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Rapid City Man Sentenced for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Viken has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on February 3, 2023.
Zahkim Vela, 23, was sentenced to three years in federal prison, follow by five years of supervised release. Vela was ordered to pay a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100 and $8,000 in restitution. Vela will be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
Vela was indicted for Receipt of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography by a federal grand jury in December of 2021. He pleaded guilty on October 12, 2022.
Vela was federally indicted following a Cybertip from the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children regarding the download of child pornography using the application Kik Messenger. A search of Vela’s Kik Messenger account contained videos and images of child pornography including of infants and toddlers. The Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce executed a search warrant on Vela’s home and located multiple devices. Vela admitted to receiving, saving, and distributing images of child pornography on Kik Messenger.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Rapid City Police Department, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins prosecuted the case.
Vela was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Sentenced for Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Viken has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on February 3, 2023.
Michael Wilson, 37, was sentenced to four years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Wilson was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in April 2022. He pleaded guilty on October 21, 2022.
In February 2020, in Rapid City, Wilson, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms, knowingly possessed a Taurus, 9mm caliber, semi-automatic pistol, which was found after Wilson came into contact with law enforcement.
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, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.
Wilson was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Sentenced for Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. Circuit Judge Jonathan A. Kobes has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on February 1, 2023.
Bullman, 25, was sentenced to three years and one month in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Bullman was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in July 2022. He pleaded guilty on October 14, 2022.
In April 2022, in Rapid City, Bullman, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms, was knowingly in possession of an Iberia Firearms Incorporated, model JS40, .40 caliber, semi-automatic pistol, which was found after Bullman came into contact with law enforcement.
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 the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.
Bullman was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Prolific Wadesboro Methamphetamine Trafficker and Co-Conspirator Are Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Cormelius Smith, 32, a prolific methamphetamine trafficker in Wadesboro, N.C., was sentenced to 151 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release today, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Smith’s co-conspirator, Jack Kelly Leak, 49, also of Wadesboro, was ordered to serve 121 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for his role in the drug distribution ring.
Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which oversees the Charlotte District Office, and Chief Thedis Spencer of the Wadesboro Police Department join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to information contained in court documents and court proceedings, between September 2021 and April 2022, the DEA began an investigation into Smith’s methamphetamine trafficking activities in and around Wadesboro. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement determined that Smith was a prolific drug trafficker responsible for supplying methamphetamine to a network of local dealers in Anson County, including Leak. Court records also show that Smith’s trafficking activities extended beyond Anson County, to include Union, Richmond, Stanly, and Mecklenburg Counties.
According to documents filed with the court, over the course of the investigation Smith engaged in multiple drug transactions with confidential sources cooperating with law enforcement. On December 8, 2021, law enforcement executed an arrest warrant at Smith’s residence, from which they seized methamphetamine, digital scales, firearms and more than $23,000 in drug proceeds. At today’s sentencing hearing, the Court determined that Smith, assisted by Leak and others, was responsible for trafficking more than two kilograms of methamphetamine.
Smith and Leak pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and distribution of methamphetamine. The defendants are currently in federal custody. They will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King commended the DEA and the Wadesboro Police Department for their investigation of the case, and thanked the Anson County Sheriff’s Office, the Union County Sheriff’s Office, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, and the Marshville Police Department for their assistance.
U.S. Attorney King also thanked the District Attorney’s Office in Prosecutorial District 21 which encompasses the counties of Anson and Richmond, the District Attorney’s Office in Prosecutorial District 30 which has jurisdiction over Union County, and the District Attorney’s Office in Prosecutorial District 28, which includes Stanly County.
Assistant United States Attorneys Regina Pack and Christopher Hess of the U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Portland Gang Affiliate Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland resident and affiliate of the Rollin’ 60s Crips gang was sentenced to federal prison today for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
Kneko Tyray Moore, 34, was sentenced to 77 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, on the evening of April 17, 2020, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) received numerous calls from neighbors about an unruly gathering taking place at the Lone Fir Cemetery in southeast Portland during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Callers reported that approximately 20 people were having a barbeque and playing loud music in the cemetery. The gathering was a memorial party for Patrick Kimmons, a deceased Rollin’ 60s Crips gang member buried at the cemetery.
An undercover officer reported seeing known members or associates of the Rollin’ 60s Crips gang, including Moore, at the gathering. Six of the attendees, also including Moore, were on state or federal supervision following felony weapons convictions. When marked police cars arrived on scene, Moore quickly left the group and walked toward a black sedan. He entered the vehicle and sped away, nearly hitting a tree and an unmarked police vehicle.
Two officers then assigned to PPB’s Gun Violence Reduction Team followed Moore as he left the cemetery and pulled him over after he almost struck another car. Both officers recognized Moore as a Rollin’ 60s affiliate and convicted felon and reported he was visibly nervous and trembling. Moore became agitated when the officers impounded his vehicle and placed him under arrest for interfering with an officer. When officers searched Moore’s vehicle, they found a loaded .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol with a chambered round on the front passenger floorboard.
On October 6, 2020, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment charging Moore with illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. On December 10, 2021, he was found guilty after a four-day trial.
This case was investigated by PPB and the FBI with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). It was prosecuted by Gary Sussman and Leah Bolstad, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Port St. Lucie Man Sentenced to Prison for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Nicholas James Sorgenfrey, 38, of Port St. Lucie, Fla., who previously had been convicted of a sex offense, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for possessing child sexual abuse material on his cell phone and cloud storage account.
According to the affidavit, Sorgenfrey uploaded child sexual abuse material to his cell phone service provider’s cloud storage system. A review of this content revealed material of prepubescent minors. After a search of his residence, Sorgenfrey admitted to using social media apps to obtain sexually explicit images and videos. A search of his phone revealed several videos depicting sexually explicit conduct of children, including preteen children.
United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe and acting Special Agent in Charge Maged Behnam, FBI Miami, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon who sits in Ft. Pierce, Fla.
FBI and the Martin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hudock prosecuted it.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC’s initiative and information regarding internet safety, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing and Possessing Child Sex Abuse Materials, Immediately Sentenced to 8 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Pittsburgh to distributing and possessing material depicting the sexual exploitation of minors, and upon conviction, was sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment and 10 years’ supervised release, United States Attorney Cindy Chung announced today.
U.S. District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan imposed the sentence on Cody Green, age 25.
According to information presented to the court during the guilty plea hearing, Green was communicating with other individuals using private communication applications, to include Wickr and Tumbler, and distributed on July 16, 2021, and Aug. 30, 2021, images and videos to those individuals which depicted the sexual exploitation of prepubescent minors. A search warrant was executed at his residence on Sept. 1, 2021, by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other members of the Western Pennsylvania Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force. Green’s cellular telephone was seized and found to contain 19 still images and 248 videos containing child sex abuse material, some of which depicted sex acts with children younger than 2 years old.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Ranjan emphasized the egregious nature of Green’s conduct and communications, and stated that he hoped that he would take advantage of sex offender and mental health treatment while incarcerated. Judge Ranjan further ordered Green to pay a total of $15,300 in special assessments, as well as restitution to ten child victims totaling $32,000. The court revoked Green’s bond and he was taken into custody.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other members of the Western Pennsylvania Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Green.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Philadelphia Man Pleads Guilty His Role in a Robbery Spree Targeting Latino Businesses in North Philadelphia One Year AgoRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Acia Moore, 20, of Philadelphia, PA, pleaded guilty today to two counts of attempted Hobbs Act robbery, one count of Hobbs Act robbery, and one count of carrying and using a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence. Moore and co-defendant, Omar White-Davis, 29, of Philadelphia, were charged by Indictment with these offenses in connection with multiple armed robberies of businesses in the Feltonville and Juniata sections of North Philadelphia, including Café Tinto restaurant on Wyoming Avenue, which was targeted twice in two days.
According to the Indictment, the defendants attempted to rob and did rob a variety of small businesses, both together and separately, stealing approximately $3,100 dollars total between November 21 and December 6, 2021. The incidents detailed are as follows:
- On November 21, 2021, White-Davis attempted to rob the Ariel Grocery, 2000 block of E. Pacific Street;
- On December 1, 2021, Moore robbed the Al-Molhem Store, 400 block of E. Wyoming Avenue;
- On December 2, 2021, White-Davis and Moore robbed Café Tinto, 100 block of E. Wyoming Avenue;
- On December 4, 2021, Moore returned to Café Tinto approximately 48 hours later and robbed it again;
- On December 6, 2021, Moore robbed the Leslie Mini Market, 4200 block of Bodine Street; and,
- Also on December 6, 2021, approximately an hour later, Moore and White-Davis attempted to rob the Hernandez Food and Deli Market, 4500 block of D Street.
“These defendants robbed small local businesses in the Feltonville and Juniata neighborhoods," said U.S. Attorney Romero. "They were so brazen that they targeted the same business twice in two days. We will remain dedicated to making our neighborhoods safer, and to working with our local, state and federal partners to identify, investigate, apprehend, and prosecute violent individuals like these defendants."
“Moore and his co-defendant went on a crime spree, targeting neighborhood businesses six times in just over two weeks and threatening their victims at gunpoint to terrify them into compliance,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Now that they’ve admitted to their crimes, they'll be off the street and not able to menace innocent people who are just trying to make a living.”
After pleading guilty, Moore is set to be sentenced in April 10, 2023 before the Honorable Gerald A. McHugh.
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 Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Eckert.
Philadelphia Auto-Mechanic Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Hazardous Automobile Airbags from ChinaRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline Romero announced that Emiliano Rodriguez, 45, a citizen of the Dominican Republic residing in Philadelphia, PA pleaded guilty to one count of trafficking in counterfeit goods, and two counts of causing the delivery of hazardous materials by air carrier in connection with a scheme to utilize counterfeit goods in used vehicles, which he then resold to unsuspecting customers.
From at least in or about January 2017 through on or about October 30, 2019, defendant Rodriguez, an auto mechanic, fraudulently imported airbags from China and installed these defective parts in salvaged autos which were then reintroduced to the consumer market. China has been identified as the largest exporter of counterfeit commodities, including counterfeit airbags. Persons involved in the trade of counterfeit airbags engage in this practice in an effort to increase profits from their sales by decreasing the costs of the parts used to replace the original items. Unsuspecting motorists purchase remanufactured vehicles unaware of the history or the substandard/defective part(s) used in the vehicle reconstruction. Once purchased and driven on public roads, the vehicles expose the driver, passengers and general public to the hazards associated with vehicle malfunctions due to the use of substandard parts. Some of these malfunctions may include tires prone to blow-outs, brakes unable to withstand the high temperatures associated with highway driving speeds, and airbags incapable of timely inflation or over-inflation that result in the death or serious injury of the driver or others exposed to the defective airbag. In this case, federal agents recovered more than 450 counterfeit airbags and parts from Rodriguez’s residence and business.
"Counterfeit airbags are playing Russian roulette with the lives of unsuspecting consumers," said U.S. Attorney Romero. "The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration notes that counterfeits have consistently been shown to malfunction. Emiliano Rodriguez peddled these airbags for profit, knowing lives would be at risk. Consumers must also be aware of the threat. Our office will continue to work with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to keep these dangerous counterfeit products from being imported."
“Emiliano Rodriguez’s plea should serve as a potent warning that disreputable actors could circumvent our laws and safety protocols by using international commerce to obtain and install faulty, unsafe, and counterfeit equipment in order to make a profit,” said Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations Philadelphia William S. Walker. “In all commercial transactions, we urge consumers to conduct their own research and only purchase from reputable dealers who have a verifiable track record of legal performance. The consequences of not doing so can be dire, including monetary losses or even the loss of life or limb.”
“Today’s announcement is a sober reminder that the safety of the public is put at grave risk when counterfeit airbags are illegally transported by air and later introduced into the market and cars traveling on our roads,” said Christopher A. Scharf, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Northeastern Region. “As we continue working with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, we also encourage the public to review resources available at https://www.nhtsa.gov/equipment/air-bags#the-topic-fake-air-bags.”
The defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, fines of $50,000, and a $200 special assessment. As a non-U.S. citizen, he also faces deportation.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of Transportation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney M. Beth Leahy.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Pharmacist Convicted for $1M Prescription Drug FraudRead the Press Release
A federal jury in the Middle District of Florida convicted a Virginia man today for his role in a scheme to defraud Medicare of over $1 million in prescription drug benefits.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Ronald A. Beasley II, 33, of Portsmouth, was the pharmacist in charge at NH Pharma, a pharmacy located in Lake Mary, Florida. Through NH Pharma, Beasley and his co-conspirators billed Medicare for expensive compound drug creams that they never actually purchased or dispensed, and instead provided Medicare patients an inexpensive compound drug cream not covered by Medicare. Inventory records showed that NH Pharma did not buy enough of the expensive prescription drugs to fill all the prescriptions NH Pharma billed to Medicare. In total, Beasley and his co-conspirators received more than $1 million in fraudulent proceeds from Medicare.
Beasley was convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and three counts of health care fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 25 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; Special Agent in Charge David Walker of the FBI Tampa Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Miami Regional Office made the announcement.
The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Reginald Cuyler Jr. and Darren C. Halverson of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, comprised of 15 strike forces operating in 25 federal districts, has charged more than 5,000 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $24 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Passaic County Lawyer Charged with Fraud in Connection with COVID-19 Relief FundsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey, attorney was arrested today for fraudulent acts he committed in connection with COVID-19 relief funds, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Morton Chirnomas, 60, of Clifton, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of wire fraud. He is scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre in Newark federal court.
According to the complaint:
From May 2020 to September 2020 Chirnomas fraudulently obtained a $150,000 loan through the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loans program. He also falsely obtained $200,000 in unemployment insurance benefits using the names of other people.
The charge of wire fraud is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, twice the gross profits, or twice the gross loss suffered by the victims of the offense, whichever is greatest.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited postal inspectors with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division; special agents of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, New York Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone; and special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s arrest.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Kogan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Cybercrime Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Orrington Man Faces up to 20 Years Following Guilty Plea to Drug Trafficking and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: An Orrington man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine and fentanyl in Penobscot County as well as conspiring to make false statements to federal firearms licensee.
According to court records, between January 2018 and December 2021, Joshua Jerrell, 27, conspired to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, a substance containing methamphetamine and fentanyl. Jerrell regularly arranged to obtain quantities from a source through phone calls, texts and social media using coded language. He would then distribute these drugs to his customers in Penobscot County. In June 2021, Jerrell made false statements to a federal firearms licensee in Holden in an attempt to obtain firearms for his drug supplier.
Jerrell faces a maximum term of 20 years imprisonment on the drug charge and up to five years on the firearms conspiracy charge. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistance was provided by the Orono, Bangor, Brewer, Caribou, Presque Isle and Houlton police departments. U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee also recognized the cooperation and coordination provided by the Maine State Attorney General’s Office.
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces: This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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Omaha Man Sentenced for Firearm and Drug Trafficking CrimesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Zaire Robinson, 28, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on February 8, 2023, in federal court in Omaha for possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Robinson to 120 months’ imprisonment on the drug charge and 60 months on the gun charge, consecutive, for a total sentence of 180 months. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a five-year term of supervised release for each charge, to run concurrently.
On September 18, 2020, a source working with law enforcement purchased a Keltec .380 handgun and $80 worth of marijuana from Robinson. On October 15, 2020, the source bought 3.5 grams of marijuana and a Ruger 9mm handgun from Robinson. On January 27, 2021, the source bought an AR15 rifle with high-capacity magazine, various calibers of ammunition, and additional firearm companion items. On March 22, 2022, the source went to Robinson’s apartment to purchase 10 fentanyl pills. Law enforcement searched the apartment on March 28, 2022, and seized hundreds of fentanyl pills, a small quantity of cocaine, and a Glock 22, .40 caliber firearm.
This evidence led officers to a second location where six pounds of methamphetamine and two ounces of powder cocaine were seized. Robinson admitted to possessing the narcotics and firearms.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives.
North Carolina Man with a Violent Criminal Past is Convicted of Armed Heroin Trafficking in Athens, GeorgiaRead the Press Release
ATHENS, Ga. – A North Carolina man with a violent criminal history was convicted by a federal jury today on charges related to armed heroin trafficking in the Athens community.
Nathaniel Hilliard III, 37, of Raleigh, North Carolina, was found guilty of one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, three counts of distribution of heroin and one count of failure to appear today following a three-day trial that began on Feb. 7 before U.S. District Judge C. Ashley Royal. Hilliard faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of distribution of heroin and a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine for both possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and failure to appear.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, local and federal agents were investigating armed drug trafficking in the Athens community in May 2016. Hilliard sold an FBI confidential informant (CI) a .38 special revolver and several small quantities of heroin between May 23-25, 2016, at the Rolling Ridge Apartments in Athens. All of the buys were audio and video recorded, and one occurred in the presence of what appeared to be a preschool-aged child. Hilliard has prior convictions for conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon and assault by strangulation out of North Carolina.
While on pretrial release, Hilliard was living in North Carolina and being supervised by a U.S. Probation Officer (P.O.) in the Western District of North Carolina. On April 7, 2022, Hilliard’s P.O. advised him to make sure he appeared in court for his pretrial conference in Athens on April 13, 2022, but Hilliard was uncooperative and did not show up to a requested meeting with his P.O. the next day. He also failed to appear at his pretrial conference in Athens. A bench warrant was issued for his arrest and Hilliard was located on July 8, 2022, after he was arrested in Charlotte, North Carolina, on domestic violence charges.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The case was investigated by the FBI Athens Middle Georgia Safe Streets Gang Task Force, Northeast Georgia Regional Drug Task Force and the Athens Clarke County Police Department Gang Unit.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mike Morrison and Tamara Jarrett.
Ninth Defendant Sentenced in Case Against Organized Fraud, Money Laundering SchemesRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – A dual Nigerian and Canadian citizen was sentenced today in federal court in Austin to 87 months imprisonment, ordered to pay more than $1.67 million in restitution, and forfeited a $2 million money judgment for his role in a conspiracy to commit fraud.
According to court documents, Ejiro Efevwerha aka Festus Akpobonme, 47, facilitated laundering the proceeds of fraud by connecting launderers in the U.S. to fraudsters located overseas. The conspiracy used a network of individuals in the U.S. to receive victim money in U.S. bank accounts, often opened under fraudulent names, and transferred those funds to co-conspirators inside and outside of the U.S.
The types of fraud used against the victims over more than three years included grandchildren-in-jail scams, romance scams, inheritance scams, lottery scams and investment scams, among others. Investigators identified a total victim loss of more than $3.9 million in fraud proceeds from hundreds of victims laundered by the conspiracy. Efevwerha was extradited from Canada to the Western District of Texas in July 2021. He pleaded guilty on Oct. 19, 2022.
“This case is another example of our dedication to bring fraudsters to justice, whether they are inside the United States or attempting to hide overseas,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas. “The scams perpetrated and facilitated by this conspiracy prey on our most vulnerable citizens. I commend the work of our law enforcement partners who help hold accountable both those who commit fraud and those that help fraudsters hide their profits.”
“This judgment shows HSI’s success in protecting our nation’s seniors and communities from fraud by malicious actors overseas,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of the Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Division. “Fraudulent schemes of any kind are disgraceful, especially when they target vulnerable populations. HSI will continue to work with our international partners and other law enforcement agencies to put an end to these transnational criminal organizations.”
“Efevwerha provided a pivotal role in facilitating the movement of victim funds from the U.S. to other countries. The scheme targeted innocent people, many elderly, for millions of dollars. These are kind hearted people, but now they will never forget how their kindness was taken advantage of,” said Special Agent in Charge Ramsey E. Covington of IRS Criminal Investigation’s (IRS-CI) sHouston Field Office. “We can’t heal the damage he and the other criminals did to the victims and their families, but we helped bring justice, and hopefully some peace of mind. This is what our special agents and the prosecutors they partner with do, and I hope it sends a message to anyone thinking about committing fraud in the future.”
Co-defendant Ochuko Sylvester Eruotor pleaded guilty after being extradited to the Western District of Texas from Germany and was sentenced in July 2018 to 168 months in federal prison for his role in the multi-million-dollar fraud and money laundering schemes. The other seven co-defendants sentenced received a combined 446 months in prison and were ordered to pay restitution.
Law enforcement is continuing its search for a co-conspirator who remains a fugitive of this case. If you know the whereabouts of Ejovwoke Mark Egorho, please contact the HSI Tip Line at 866-347-2423.
HSI and IRS-CI investigated the case with the help of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Toronto Police Service and Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Galdo prosecuted the case.
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NYCHA Superintendents Sentenced to Prison for Accepting BribesRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that LEROY GIBBS was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon to 33 months in prison, and JULIO FIGUEROA was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote to 15 months in prison, for accepting bribes in exchange for awarding no-bid contracts at the New York City Housing Authority (“NYCHA”) facilities where they worked. GIBBS also obstructed justice in the weeks before his sentencing. GIBBS and FIGUEROA each previously pled guilty to one count of solicitation and receipt of a bribe.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Leroy Gibbs and Julio Figueroa betrayed the trust of NYCHA and harmed the residents of Douglass Houses and Ft. Independence Houses, taxpayers, and the contractors who were forced to pay them bribes in order to receive work – all so that they could line their pockets. By accepting bribes, they put greed above their duty to the public.”
According to the Complaints, Informations, and statements made in court proceedings and filings:
In February 2020, GIBBS, who was then employed as the Resident Buildings Superintendent at Douglass Houses in New York, New York, solicited and accepted approximately $2,000 in bribes from a confidential informant (the “CI”) in exchange for awarding no-bid contracts to the CI worth a total of approximately $9,950 from NYCHA for work at that NYCHA facility.
These were not the only bribes GIBBS solicited and received; between at least 2019 and 2022, GIBBS demanded bribes from numerous other contractors who sought to do work for NYCHA at Douglass Houses. For example, in one text message exchange in February 2020, GIBBS wrote to a contractor, “so there isn’t anything confusion like before. What is my $ from this? I have to ask because you guys were trying to be funny last time.” The contractor replied, “Good evening sir[,] 50k yours 50k us.” If contractors were too explicit about the bribery scheme in their messages to GIBBS, he admonished them; for example, when a contractor asked GIBBS, “Did [my associate] gave you 4k last week?”, GIBBS replied, “Don’t ever text something like that. Ever are you crazy.” GIBBS also referred to his practice of receiving a $1,000 bribe for each awarded job as his “side hustle,” and wrote that he had previously “put hands on” a contractor who had threatened to report his corruption.
In January 2023, just weeks before he was due to be sentenced, GIBBS took several steps to obstruct justice, including by deleting text messages and obtaining a new phone number to communicate with a co-conspirator.
Between July 2021 and August 2022, FIGUEROA, who was then employed as the Assistant Resident Buildings Superintendent at the Ft. Independence St.-Heath Ave. Houses in the Bronx, New York, solicited and accepted approximately $6,000 in bribes from the CI in exchange for awarding no-bid contracts to the CI worth a total of approximately $46,622 from NYCHA for work at that NYCHA facility. FIGUEROA continued to solicit bribes even after learning about the arrests of nine NYCHA contractors in September 2021 for paying bribes, telling the CI that he hoped he would not be the subject of an undercover investigation and that he would probably only deal with the CI from then on because the news of the arrests scared him.
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In addition to his prison sentence, GIBBS, 58, of Bay Shore, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release, including 120 hours of community service per year, and was ordered to pay a $100,000 fine, forfeit $2,000, and pay $2,000 in restitution.
In addition to his prison sentence, FIGUEROA, 45, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and was ordered to forfeit $6,000 and pay $6,000 in restitution.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Department of Investigation, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General, and the Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Catherine Ghosh and Robert B. Sobelman are in charge of the prosecution.
Movie Producer Sentenced for Conspiring to Operate A Prostitution BusinessRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that DILLON JORDAN, a/k/a “Daniel Jordan,” a/k/a “Daniel Maurice Hatton,” a/k/a “Daniel Bohler,” was sentenced today to five years in prison in connection with operating a prostitution business with national and international reach from 2010 through 2017. JORDAN pled guilty to conspiracy to violate the Mann Act on September 1, 2022, before U.S. District Judge John P. Cronan. Judge Cronan imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “For years, the defendant operated and profited from an extensive prostitution business that catered to wealthy men and was predicated on the exploitation of young women. This Office is committed to prosecuting the perpetrators of sex crimes, especially those who use physical and emotional abuse to make a profit.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment and statements made in Court:
From in or about 2010 through at least in or about May 2017, JORDAN operated a prostitution business throughout the United States and abroad. JORDAN maintained a roster of women who resided around the United States and who, in exchange for payment, performed sexual acts for JORDAN’s clients at locations throughout the United States, including the Southern District of New York, and abroad. JORDAN communicated with the clients of his prostitution business by email to coordinate the prostitution services, which included sending to clients photos of women who were available for hire for prostitution services, discussing the price of prostitution services, and overseeing travel logistics for women to travel to engage in prostitution. At times, JORDAN himself arranged the interstate travel for the women to engage in prostitution, and at other times, clients, at JORDAN’s direction, arranged the interstate travel for the women whom JORDAN directed to those clients. To facilitate his prostitution business, JORDAN also coordinated with a United Kingdom-based madam by sharing and referring customers and prostitutes.
JORDAN personally recruited women to work for him to engage in prostitution. JORDAN emotionally and sexually abused at least some of the women who engaged in paid sex work at his direction or whom he sought to recruit to engage in prostitution on his behalf. Prior to operating the prostitution business that is the basis of this conviction, JORDAN was in prison in Cuba for eight years for sex crimes. JORDAN began operating the prostitution business that is the basis of this conviction immediately upon his return to the United States from Cuban prison in 2010.
JORDAN primarily managed the finances of the prostitution business through two front companies – a purported party and event planning company and a movie production company – incorporated in California. JORDAN opened multiple bank accounts for these companies, which he used to accept cash, wire, and check payments for prostitution services from clients and to pay for the expenses of the prostitution business, including paying the women for their prostitution services by cash and check. By using the two front companies to receive deposits from the prostitution business, JORDAN ensured that transactions involving those proceeds from the prostitution business would disguise the nature, source, and origin of those proceeds.
In imposing today’s sentence, Judge Cronan emphasized that JORDAN’s “whole business was based on the exploitation of women… Each of whom has endured permanent physical and emotional scars… I may have well gone beyond five years, if I had the authority to do so.”
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In addition to the prison term, JORDAN, 50, of Lake Arrowhead, California, was sentenced to three years of supervised release. JORDAN was further ordered to pay a forfeiture of $1,429,717.
Mr. Williams praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cecilia E. Vogel is in charge of the prosecution.
Minnesota Attorney Charged with Employment Tax and False Return CrimesRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in St. Paul returned an indictment today charging a Hennepin County attorney with employment tax violations and aiding the filing of false individual income tax returns.
According to the indictment, from 2016 through 2019, Kassius Orlando Benson owned and operated a law practice, at times known as Kassius Benson Law, P.A. or Office of Kassius O. Benson, P.A. The indictment alleges that Benson did not file the required Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Returns (Forms 941) for his law practice or pay over to the IRS the employment taxes withheld from his employees’ wages.
The indictment further alleges that, for 2017 through 2019, Benson knowingly aided in the preparation of his own false individual income tax returns (Forms 1040) by claiming that his law practice withheld federal income taxes from his wages and had paid those withholdings over to the IRS. According to the indictment, as owner and sole shareholder of his law practice, Benson allegedly knew his law practice had not paid over to the IRS any of the federal income taxes he claimed had been withheld from his wages.
Benson is charged with fourteen counts of failing to account for and pay over employment taxes, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7202, and three counts of aiding the preparation of a false tax return, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7206(2). If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each employment tax offense and three years in prison for each false tax return offense. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Assistant Chief Matthew J. Kluge of the Justice Department’s Tax Division is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Mexican Man Involved in Mexico Based Drug Trafficking Organization Found Guilty in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
A Mexican man involved in a Mexico‑based drug trafficking organization that was distributing significant amounts of methamphetamine in the Waterloo, Iowa, area was convicted by a jury today after a three‑day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Luis Carlos Corral Lopez, age 31, from Caborca, Sonora, Mexico, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. The verdict was returned this afternoon following about five hours of jury deliberations.
The evidence at trial showed that, in late November or early December 2020, Corral Lopez was sent by a Mexico‑based drug trafficking organization to Waterloo to oversee the organization’s distribution of methamphetamine in the Waterloo area. After he arrived, Corral Lopez acquired approximately twenty‑two pounds of methamphetamine. Corral Lopez then distributed all of the methamphetamine to street‑level distributors in the Waterloo area.
The evidence at trial also showed that, between January 2020 and January 2022, law enforcement had seized almost two hundred pounds of methamphetamine and twenty‑three pounds of fentanyl from the Mexico‑based organization.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Corral Lopez remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Corral Lopez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and a lifetime term of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Dillan Edwards and Ashley Corkery, and it was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force consisting of the Waterloo Police Department, Cedar Falls Police Department, Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Department, Evansdale Police Department, Waverly Police Department, Hudson Police Department, La Porte City Police Department, and the Bremer County Sheriff’s Department; the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the United States Postal Inspection Service; and Homeland Security Investigations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-02039-CJW.
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Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, FL – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Shawn Curtis Robinson, Jr. (33, Jacksonville) to 10 years in federal prison for distributing over 50 grams of pure methamphetamine. Robinson had pleaded guilty on December 28, 2021.
According to court documents, Robinson started selling methamphetamine to an undercover detective in March 2021. The methamphetamine purity level was very high, with one laboratory testing placing its purity level at 100%. Robinson was ultimately held responsible for the distribution of almost one-fourth kilogram of pure methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Laura Taylor and Frank Talbot.
Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to More Than 13 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Felipe Kearley (28, Jacksonville) to 13 years and 9 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and distribution of 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine. Kearley had pleaded on October 20, 2022. In June 2022, Kearley’s co-defendant, George Walters (32, Jacksonville), was sentenced to 11 years and 8 months in federal prison. Walters was convicted of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine.
According to court documents, on February 4, 2021, Kearley met with a cooperating individual who made contact with the methamphetamine supplier, Walters, and received a pound of methamphetamine in exchange for $5,500. On February 19, 2021, Kearley arranged another transaction with Walters in a public parking lot. Walters fled from law enforcement on foot and threw two packages, one containing over two kilograms of methamphetamine with a purity level of 98.9%, and the second containing cocaine weighing 27.9 grams.
“Methamphetamine is a poison that erodes our communities and our culture,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “This 13-plus-year sentence is a direct result of outstanding law enforcement partnerships between HSI, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Florida Highway Patrol, and serves as a strong notice that we will continue to seek out and prosecute those who introduce illicit narcotics into our communities.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julie Hackenberry. The asset forfeiture was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.
Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Traffick FirearmsRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Julius Clemente, 25, of Brockton, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to commit firearms trafficking, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Clemente and another individual agreed to purchase firearms from federal firearms licensees in New Hampshire and sell them to persons who lived outside of New Hampshire or were otherwise ineligible to purchase firearms. Clemente and the other person texted to coordinate the purchase of particular firearms and discuss estimated profits, pricing for resale, and method of payment. Over 20 firearms were purchased over the course of the conspiracy in New Hampshire, and some of the firearms were later recovered by law enforcement in Massachusetts. Clemente also solicited a third individual to purchase additional firearms on his behalf to work off a drug debt.
Clemente is scheduled to be sentenced on May 18, 2023.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander S. Chen and Seth R. Aframe.
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Man Who Possessed Stolen Gun and Participated in Catalytic Converter Theft Ring Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that THEODORE ROOSEVELT OWENS, 22, of Hartford, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to offenses related to his possession of a stolen firearm and his role in a catalytic converter theft ring.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 21, 2021, Vernon Police arrested Owens in a hotel parking lot on outstanding warrants. An investigation revealed that, shortly before his arrest, Owens possessed a loaded Zigana, Model PX-9 G2, 9mm pistol, which he had cause to believe was stolen, and approximately five grams of crack cocaine. The firearm was part of a shipment of 50 Zigana PX-9G2 pistols that was stolen from an R&L Carriers warehouse in South Windsor in August 2021.
The investigation further revealed that Owens had conspired with others in the theft and sale of catalytic converters. Between September 24 and October 17, 2021, Owens sold a co-conspirator $26,320 worth of catalytic converters, including converters that Owens knew were stolen. Owens’ co-conspirator transported the converters to other businesses, including businesses in New York and New Jersey, for further resale and profit.
Owens pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful possession of a stolen firearm, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and one count of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. A sentencing date is not scheduled.
Owens has been detained since his arrest.
The firearm theft investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the South Windsor Police Department and East Hartford Police Department. The catalytic converter investigation is being led by the ATF, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), and the East Hartford Police Department. These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and A. Reed Durham.
Man Sentenced for Scheme Involving U.S.-Funded Military ContractsRead the Press Release
A Massachusetts man was sentenced today to 33 months in prison for his role in a scheme in which he accepted bribes from an Afghan company in exchange for helping it deceive the U.S. military into awarding at least 10 contracts at inflated values.
According to court documents, Todd Coleman, 48, of South Deerfield, was an analyst at a U.S. company who was deployed to Afghanistan in 2011 and 2012 to evaluate bids for U.S.-funded reconstruction contracts awarded by the U.S. military. At that time, Coleman and Orlando Clark, a manager of reconstruction projects at a different U.S. company who was also deployed to Afghanistan, received approximately $400,000 in bribes from an Afghan company. In return, Coleman and Clark assisted the company in obtaining millions of dollars in contracts that involved the construction of an Afghan police station and a security checkpoint for U.S. forces.
To conceal their conduct, Coleman and Clark registered fictitious companies in the State of Georgia and opened bank accounts to which bribes were sent via wire transfers from Afghanistan. Coleman and Clark also created false invoices to make it appear as though they were involved in a car-exporting business in the United Arab Emirates. In reality, Coleman and Clark used the bribe payments to enrich themselves by purchasing personal items, such as a BMW. During the scheme, Coleman and Clark also travelled to the United Arab Emirates to receive cash bribes, which they smuggled into the United States without declaring the currency.
On Jan. 4, Clark pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official and (in an unrelated scheme) conspiracy to commit visa fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 12 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia; Inspector General John F. Sopko of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR); Special Agent in Charge Stanley A. Newell of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Transnational Operations Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Peter Tolentino of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), Economic Crimes Field Office made the announcement.
SIGAR, DCIS, and NCIS investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Matt Kahn of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell Phillips for the Northern District of Georgia prosecuted the case.
Man Charged with Impersonating an Officer Detained Following Initial AppearanceRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ga. – A federal criminal complaint charging a Columbus resident with impersonating a federal agent was unsealed today.
Robert Earhart, Jr., 38, of Columbus, Georgia, had his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Court Judge Stephen Hyles at the U.S. Courthouse in Columbus today and was ordered detained by the Court. Earhart, Jr. is charged by criminal complaint with one count of false personation of an officer or employee of the United States. If convicted, Earhart, Jr. faces a maximum sentence of three years imprisonment to be followed by one year of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
According to court proceedings and the criminal complaint, Earhart, Jr. allegedly left a voicemail with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Columbus on Jan. 11, identifying himself as a CIA Agent with the “protective operations division” with top security clearance and requesting a meeting with U.S. Attorney Peter Leary. Earhart, Jr. is also alleged to have represented himself as a Homeland Security agent. Earhart, Jr. has a history of impersonating law enforcement officers, including previously identifying himself as a DEA agent, when he attempted to free three inmates from the Muscogee County, Georgia, jail in May 2019. Earhart, Jr. was taken into custody by local law enforcement at the U.S. Courthouse in Columbus, on Feb. 8.
The case was investigated by the FBI, with valuable assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service and the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Helmick is prosecuting the case.
A complaint is only an allegation of criminal conduct, and all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt.
Madison Heights Pharmacist Sentenced for Diverting over 25,000 Opioid PillsRead the Press Release
DETROIT - A Madison Heights pharmacist was sentenced today to 84 months in federal prison based on his convictions for conspiring to distribute over 25,000 opioid pills and for money laundering, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, Detroit Division and Acting Special Agent in Charge Charles Miller, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, Detroit Division.
Yousef Kosho, 44, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Cleland. According to court records, Kosho operated Great Health Pharmacy, in Madison Heights, Michigan. He used the pharmacy to engage in a scheme and pattern of illegal conduct involving the unlawful distribution of prescription drugs. Specifically, Kosho distributed prescription drugs from the pharmacy illegally, outside the course of usual professional pharmacy practice and for no legitimate medical purpose.
Kosho would unlawfully dispense controlled substances by filling prescriptions for patient recruiters, including co-defendant Omar Madison, upon accepting cash payments. At times, these prescriptions would be dispensed in the names of patients who never frequented the pharmacy. Co-defendant patient recruiter Madison would simply provide prescriptions to Kosho for dispensing without ever bringing the patient to the pharmacy. At other times, Kosho would sell entire pharmacy stock bottles of controlled substances to co-defendant Madison, and others without any medical prescriptions.
Kosho pled guilty to unlawfully dispensing 25,253 dosage units of Schedule II controlled substances including Oxycodone HCl, Oxymorphone HCl, Oxycodone-Acetaminophen, Hydrocodone-Acetaminophen, and more than 200,000 milliliters of Schedule V controlled substance Promethazine with Codeine.
As part of the court’s sentence, Kohso was also ordered to forfeit approximately $1.2 million in cash that was seized by federal agents during the investigation. His co-defendant, Omar Madison, pleaded guilty to the drug trafficking conspiracy charge and was sentenced on February 7, 2023, to 72 months in federal prison.
“This pharmacist was spreading poison in our community instead of dispensing medicine and providing sound medical advice,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison. “My office will continue to investigate and prosecute medical professionals who abuse their licenses by selling drugs to satisfy their greed.”
“Irresponsible and criminal behavior by trusted medical professionals will absolutely not be tolerated. Mr. Kosho will now face the consequences of his unlawful acts. This case is a perfect example of what can be achieved when DEA and our law enforcement partners work collaboratively,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene.
“Our communities rely on our pharmacies to relieve suffering and not contribute to harmful addictions. Today’s sentence highlights the seriousness of Kohso’s conduct” said Charles Miller, Acting Special Agent in Charge Detroit Field Office, Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. “IRS-CI will remain vigilant in working with our law enforcement partners to identify and investigate those seeking to intensify opioid addiction in our society.”
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alison Furtaw and Regina McCullough, as part of the district’s efforts to address the nation’s opioid crisis. The Eastern District of Michigan is one of twelve districts included in the Attorney General’s Opioid Fraud Abuse and Detection initiative. The case was investigated by special agents of the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations.
Lynn CPA Sentenced for Mortgage and Tax Offenses in Decade-Long Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) from Lynn was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for creating fraudulent tax returns and submitting fraudulent letters to lenders in a multi-year mortgage fraud scheme.
David Plunkett, 57 was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to time served (approximately one day in prison) and three years of supervised release. Plunkett was also ordered to pay $147,500 in restitution to victims and $64,284 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. In February 2019, Plunkett pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of aiding in the submission of false tax returns.
Plunkett was charged in September 2018 along with co-defendants Joseph Bates III and George Kritopoulos. In October 2022, Kritopoulos was sentenced to four years in prison and two years of supervised release after being convicted by a federal jury of one count of conspiracy, two counts of wire fraud, six counts of bank fraud, one count of aiding the preparation of a false income tax return and one count of obstruction of justice. Kritopoulos was also ordered to pay restitution to lender victims in the amount of $2,238,354 and forfeiture of $700,000. On Jan. 25, 2023, Bates was sentenced to 18 months in prison and three years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy, three counts of wire fraud affecting a financial institution and two counts of bank fraud. Bates was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,238,354 and forfeiture of $700,000.
From 2006 through 2015, Bates, Kritopoulos and Plunkett engaged in a scheme to defraud banks and other financial institutions by causing false information to be submitted to those institutions on behalf of borrowers – people recruited to purchase properties – located primarily in Salem, Mass. The properties were usually multi-family buildings with two-to-four units, which Kritopoulos and Bates then converted into condominiums. Kritopoulos recruited new borrowers to purchase the individual condominium units. Kritopoulos also recruited Plunkett to prepare false tax returns in the names of the buyers to support the fraud scheme. Together, Kritopoulos and Bates created other false documents and provided them to lenders to obtain fraudulent mortgages for financing the purchases.
The false information submitted to lenders included, among other things, representations concerning the borrowers’ employment, income, assets and intent to occupy the property. Specifically, the false employment information included representations that borrowers were employed by entities that were, in fact, shell companies “owned” by Kritopoulos and were used to advance the fraudulent scheme. The employment information also included false representations about the income that the borrowers received from the entities, when the borrowers actually received little or no income from them. Furthermore, the income asserted on the borrowers’ loan applications substantially overstated their true income. The false information also included representations that the recruited borrowers intended to live in the properties that they were purchasing, when they did not intend to do so.
Plunkett assisted the scheme by preparing tax returns for some of the borrowers that contained false and inflated income. Some of those tax returns were submitted to lenders in support of the fraudulent loan applications. Plunkett also signed letters falsely representing that his CPA firm had prepared corporate tax returns for one of the shell entities, when in fact no such returns had ever been prepared or filed.
The borrowers did not have the financial ability to repay the loans, therefore in all but two instances among 21 properties, they defaulted on their loan payments, resulting in foreclosures and losses to the lenders.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Christina Scaringi, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, Northeastern Regional Office; and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Victor A. Wild, of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit and Brian M. LaMacchia, of Rollins’ Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit prosecuted the case.
La Crosse Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Marcelle Davis, 22, La Crosse, Wisconsin was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to five years in prison for being a felon in possession of firearms. The prison term will be followed by three years of supervised release. Davis pleaded guilty to this charge on October 7, 2022.
On March 8, 2022, La Crosse police officers responded to a call reporting a domestic dispute. Upon arriving to the area of the call, officers saw the victim holding a Ruger-57 firearm. She immediately dropped the gun and complied with officers’ commands. The victim was frantic, said that Davis was going to kill her, and had numerous injuries on her body. Officers recovered the handgun that the victim dropped, along with a .22 caliber handgun and a .357 revolver in the apartment that she said belonged to Davis. The victim reported that Davis hit her over the head with a handgun, pointed it at her face several times, and strangled her to unconsciousness. She then waited for a chance to escape and when that chance came, she got up, grabbed one of the handguns, and fled the apartment.
Officers eventually located Davis driving and after a short pursuit, he was arrested. They recovered a 9mm handgun that the defendant threw out of the car window.
The defendant’s DNA was found on the guns recovered from the victim and the apartment. Approximately two weeks before this offense, Davis was convicted of the felony crime of false imprisonment and placed on probation.
In choosing a five-year sentence, Judge Conley pointed to the brutal assault of the victim, which included Davis putting the muzzle of a gun on her face and threatening to kill her, calling the defendant’s behavior frightening. Judge Conley said that that the defendant’s history of explosive violence against women, and Davis’s statement describing this offense as a mistake versus a conscious choice, called for a significant sentence.
The charge against Davis was the result of an investigation conducted by the La Crosse Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan handled the prosecution.
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.
Jury Finds Pittsburgh Man Guilty of Attempting to Obtain Drug-Soaked Papers while IncarceratedRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - After deliberating for approximately 90 minutes, a federal jury yesterday found Omari Patton guilty of five counts related to attempting to provide to a federal inmate or obtain as a federal inmate a Schedule I synthetic cannabinoid controlled substance in federal prisons, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Omari Patton, 44, formerly of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was tried before United States District Judge William S. Stickman, IV in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The evidence presented at trial established that in September and October 2018, Patton, who was incarcerated at the Fort Dix, New Jersey, federal prison, directed his son, Dashawn Burley, who resided in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, to mail three envelopes to Patton at the Fort Dix prison and two envelopes to another federal inmate at the Ray Brook, New York, federal prison. All five of these envelopes, at Patton’s direction, were disguised by Burley to appear as if they were “legal” mail sent by a fake attorney. However, each envelope contained paper that had been saturated with a Schedule I synthetic cannabinoid controlled substance, commonly referred to as “K2 paper” or “deuce,” potent synthetic drugs, which law enforcement officers testified disrupts prison life and threatens the health and safety of inmates and staff members.
Mr. Burley, who was also charged for his involvement in the offenses, pled guilty prior to opening statements on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2023, to two counts of attempting to provide to a federal inmate a Schedule I synthetic cannabinoid controlled substance in federal prisons.
Judge Stickman scheduled sentencing for Patton on June 15, 2023. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 50 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,250,000. Under States Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based on the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Judge Stickman also scheduled sentencing for Burley on June 8, 2023. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000. Under States Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based on the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court ordered that Patton would remain detained and the court continued Burley’s bond.
Assistant United States Attorneys Craig W. Haller and Rebecca L. Silinski are prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, the federal Bureau of Prisons, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General led the multi-agency investigation that also included the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Beaver County District Attorney’s Office, the Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations, the Pittsburgh Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Munhall Police Department, the Robinson Township Police Department, the McKees Rocks Police Department, the Stowe Township Police Department, the Etna Police Department, and the Erie County District Attorney’s Office.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Jacksonville Convicted Murderer Pleads Guilty to Armed Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Ronald Bernard Thomas, Jr. (46, Jacksonville) today pleaded guilty to selling fentanyl and high-purity methamphetamine while armed and possessing firearms as a convicted felon. Thomas faces a maximum penalty of 20 years for each of the two counts of selling fentanyl, a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in prison for each of three counts of selling methamphetamine, a minimum of 5 years, up to life imprisonment, consecutive, for each of two counts of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and a maximum of 10 years in prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Thomas’s sentence for the methamphetamine sales was enhanced because of his prior conviction for second-degree murder. The government intends to forfeit the two recovered firearms, which were used in the offenses.
According to court documents, Thomas had been convicted of second-degree murder with a firearm in Florida (2002) and was in the custody of the Florida Department of Corrections from April 2002 through December 2017. In 2021, an individual who knew Thomas by the street name “Gorilla” informed the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) that they could purchase drugs from Thomas at a hotel in the area of the Jacksonville airport. On August 20, 2021, Thomas sold that individual a quantity of fentanyl.
In 2022, a second individual informed ATF that they could purchase drugs from “Gorilla,” who was then operating out of a hotel on Jacksonville’s southside. During the summer of 2022, at the direction of ATF, the individual purchased drugs from Thomas at that hotel, on several occasions. On two occasions, Thomas sold the individual approximately an ounce of methamphetamine that was up to 99% pure. During one of those drug sales, Thomas kept two firearms within his reach while measuring the drugs he was selling. On July 28, 2022, Thomas was arrested during a traffic stop on a federal arrest warrant. ATF agents searched Thomas and recovered a Glock 9mm pistol from his pants pocket, and a search of Thomas’s vehicle yielded an FN Herstal 5.7 x 28mm pistol, magazines loaded with ammunition, and drugs – including approximately a half ounce of fentanyl that was 95% pure.
As a convicted felon, Thomas is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor. The asset forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.
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.
Jacksonville Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing A Firearm While on Bond for Separate Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Cory Lee Kelly (34, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.
According to the plea agreement, on April 28, 2022, Kelly was pulled over by a Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) trooper for a seatbelt violation. The vehicle was occupied by Kelly and a two-year-old child. At Kelly’s driver’s side window, the trooper smelled marijuana. Kelly did not possess a valid driver license and the trooper also determined that Kelly had an outstanding arrest warrant for an unresolved charge of driving with a suspended license. Kelly was detained, and based on the smell of marijuana, his vehicle was searched. During the search, the trooper located remnants of marijuana and a Glock-type pistol, which once the driver’s side door was opened, was readily visible under the driver’s seat. The pistol had no serial number, was loaded with 26 rounds of ammunition, and had a so-called “Glock switch” – a device converting the pistol into a machine gun; allowing it to fire multiple rounds with the single pull of the trigger – visibly installed at the rear of the slide. A search of Kelly’s criminal history determined that he had previously been convicted of possession of a controlled substance while armed, a felony offense. The trooper arrested Kelly for, among other things, possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, a state offense. On May 3, 2022, while his state case was pending, Kelly was released from custody after posting bond.
On July 19, 2022, an officer from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office saw Kelly driving a car while speeding, with illegal window tint, and an expired registration. The officer signaled Kelly to pull over, which he did. As the officer approached the driver’s side window, Kelly rolled it down a minimal amount. When asked to roll it down further, Kelly complied, and the officer smelled marijuana. Kelly was alone in the car and visibly within his reach was an AR-style semi-automatic pistol on the passenger-side of the car. When asked, Kelly could not produce a driver license and confirmed that he was a convicted felon. Kelly was detained, and pursuant to a search, in addition to the semi-automatic pistol (loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition), officers located counterfeit currency, and bags of marijuana and crack cocaine. Kelly was arrested for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
On September 1, 2022, while his two state prosecutions were pending, Kelly was released from custody after posting bond. On September 15, 2022, a federal grand jury indicted Kelly for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He was arrested at his home on September 22, 2022, pursuant to that indictment. When officers entered the home, they located a loaded shotgun on the floor of a bathroom. As a convicted felon, Kelly is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Florida Highway Patrol, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Hoover Criminal Gang Member Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.— A Hoover Criminal Gang member and Portland resident was sentenced to federal prison today for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
Kahlani Hamilton Jones, 20, was sentenced to 25 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, as part of an ongoing federal racketeering investigation of the Hoover Criminal Gang, law enforcement obtained photos online of Jones, a convicted felon, possessing and offering to sell firearms.
On February 11, 2021, investigators executed a federal search warrant on Jones’ northeast Portland residence and located a loaded 40mm semiautomatic pistol with extended magazine in his bedroom. A search warrant was also executed at Jones’ girlfriend’s residence and on a vehicle the couple shared. Investigators found 1,000 suspected Xanax pills, two loaded magazines and assorted ammunition. They also found an empty box for the pistol located in Jones’ residence.
On April 13, 2021, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment charging Jones with one count of illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
On October 31, 2022, Jones pleaded guilty under a global plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon and the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, resolving his federal and state criminal cases.
This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Portland Police Bureau, Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This prosecution is the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the U.S. by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.