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Wednesday 8 February 2023
Enfield Man Sentenced to 72 Months for Methamphetamine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. –United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced that Gary Sewell, 41, previously of Enfield, was sentenced to 72 months in prison for participating in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the defendants were involved in a conspiracy to ship methamphetamine from Arizona to New Hampshire. In May of 2019, Drug Enforcement Administration agents were alerted to suspicious parcels sent from Sewell and co-defendant Heather Dubeau in Arizona to two different addresses in New Hampshire. Investigators obtained a warrant to open the packages and found that one contained over 336 grams of methamphetamine and the other contained over 665 grams of methamphetamine. The methamphetamine was intended for further distribution.
All of Sewell’s co-defendants previously pleaded guilty. Andrew Hutchins pleaded guilty on May 5, 2022, and was sentenced on August 30, 2022. Dubeau pleaded guilty on May 4, 2022, and is scheduled to be sentenced on February 16, 2023. Eli Margolis pleaded guilty on May 27, 2022, and is scheduled to be sentenced on February 16, 2023. Chad Rombow pleaded guilty on January 26, 2022, and is scheduled to be sentenced on February 21, 2023. Dylan Miles pleaded guilty on February 15, 2022, and is scheduled to be sentenced on February 27, 2023.
“The distribution of methamphetamine is a major concern in the Granite State,” said U.S. Attorney Young. “We will be aggressive in our efforts to address the public safety issues presented by this dangerous drug.”
U.S. Attorney Jane Young stated after the conviction: “The defendant actively engaged in a conspiracy to ship methamphetamine from Arizona to New Hampshire, such conduct will be vigorously investigated and prosecuted.”
This matter was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anna Krasinski.
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Drug Dealer Sentenced to 130 Months in Prison for Selling the Fentanyl that Resulted in Death of Young WomanRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Jaimee Ashley Koryn was sentenced in federal court today to 130 months in prison for selling the fentanyl pills that resulted in the fatal overdose of 23-year-old Sherie Gil on September 30, 2021. Koryn pleaded guilty in October 2022, admitting that she sold Gil the fentanyl pills that caused her death.
According to the government’s sentencing memo, on the morning of September 30, 2021, law enforcement officials and paramedics responded to a 911 call from a commercial office building in San Diego, California. Law enforcement found Gil deceased in a bathroom along with drug paraphernalia, Gil’s cell phone, and “blues,” or counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl. The Medical Examiner’s Office later determined that Gil had died as the result of the “toxic effects of fentanyl, cocaine, and alprazolam.”
During a search of Gil’s cell phone, agents discovered that Gil had exchanged text messages with another phone number asking if she could “pick up” blues on a number of occasions in the days leading up to Gil’s death. During the investigation that followed, law enforcement discovered that the other phone number was registered to Koryn. The text messages also indicated that, on September 29, 2021, Gil again messaged Koryn requesting blues; Koryn sent Gil her address and Gil then responded that she was seven minutes away.
On October 8, 2021, during the execution of a search warrant at Koryn’s residence, law enforcement located and arrested Koryn.
Per the plea agreement, Koryn and the government stipulated that the Sentencing Guidelines for distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death and/or serious bodily injury would apply.
“The loss of yet another young life serves as a reminder of the ongoing devastation inflicted by fentanyl counterfeit pills,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “This office remains dedicated to pursuing individuals who seek to profit from the trade of fentanyl in all its deadly forms. Those who contribute to the tragic loss of life caused by overdose will held accountable to the full extent of federal prosecution.” Grossman thanked the federal prosecutors and Overdose Response Team agents who diligently pursued this case.
“Fentanyl continues to destroy lives in San Diego,” said Special Agent in Charge Shelly Howe. “The DEA and its partners will continue to vigorously pursue the people that deal this poison and bring them to justice.”
“Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to prioritize our efforts and resources toward combatting this fentanyl crisis,” said Special Agent in Charge, Chad Plantz, HSI San Diego. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates that those who deliberately push deadly fentanyl into our communities will be held responsible.”
Special Agents and Task Force Officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Overdose Response Team (formerly known as Team 10) led the investigation into Gil’s death. This case is the result of ongoing efforts by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the San Diego Police Department, and the California Department of Health Care Services to investigate and prosecute the distribution of dangerous illegal drugs—fentanyl in particular—that result in overdose deaths. In 2018, the Drug Enforcement Administration created the Overdose Response Team as a response to the increase in overdose deaths in San Diego County.
For those who suffer from addiction, please know there is help. Call the Crisis line at 888-724-7240; it’s always open.
DEFENDANT Case Number 22-CR-0214-LL
Jaimee Ashley Koryn Age: 34 San Diego
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Distribution of Fentanyl – Title 21, U.S.C., Section 841(a)(1)
Maximum penalty: Life in Prison
AGENCY
Drug Enforcement Administration
Federal Bureau of Investigation
San Diego Police Department
Homeland Security Investigations
California Department of Health Care Services
San Diego County District Attorney’s Office
Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Lying to Probation OfficerRead 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 Joseph Stevens, 58, of Olean, NY, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford to making a materially false statement to a probation officer, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that Stevens was convicted in Federal Court of bank fraud and tax evasion and sentenced to serve 33 months in prison in August 2018. In April 2020, Stevens began a period of supervised release, during which he was required to meet monthly with a U.S. Probation Officer and complete a monthly supervision report. Making a false statement on the monthly supervision report can result in the revocation of supervised release as well as additional prison time. In December 2020, and January and February 2021, Stevens failed to disclose the existence of a Wells Fargo checking account that he had opened in his name in October 2020. This account was subsequently used to receive fraudulently obtain unemployment insurance benefits.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John Pias and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations – Labor Racketeering and Fraud, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Jonathan Mellone, New York Region.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 27, 2023, at 11:30 a.m. before Judge Wolford.
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Columbia Couple Sentenced for Selling Counterfeit Disney Movies on eBayRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Columbia, Mo., couple was sentenced in federal court today for a scheme to smuggle counterfeit Disney DVDs into the United States and sell them on eBay.
Tabitha Nicole Rodgers, 43, and her husband, Clint Travis Rodgers, 49, were sentenced in separate appearances before U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark. Tabitha Rodgers was sentenced to four years in federal prison without parole. Clint Rodgers was sentenced to one year in federal prison without parole.
The court also ordered Tabitha Rodgers to pay $26,573 in restitution to the government for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits she was not entitled to receive. The court ordered Clint Rodgers to pay a $10,000 fine.
On Oct. 12, 2021, Tabitha Rodgers pleaded guilty to one felony count of criminal copyright infringement for profit. Clint Rodgers pleaded guilty the same day to a misdemeanor count of criminal infringement of a copyright.
In July 2014, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) received information from the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center indicating that Clint Rodgers had received more than 443 shipments of counterfeit DVDs from companies in Hong Kong known to sell and export counterfeit goods. HSI agents identified two shipments that had been seized prior to delivery to the Rodgers’ home in Columbia. One shipment contained 200 counterfeit “Beauty and the Beast” DVDs and another shipment contained 260 counterfeit “Aladdin” DVDs. On Feb. 4, 2015, Customs and Border Protection agents seized a parcel addressed to Clint Rodgers that contained 200 counterfeit Disney DVDs.
Undercover federal agents purchased several counterfeit Disney DVDs from the Rodgers on eBay in February and March 2015. The Rodgers represented that the DVDs were genuine and authentic Disney products, when in reality, they were aware the products were counterfeit. During the investigation, agents contacted two persons who assisted the Rodgers in selling counterfeit DVDs on eBay. They told agents they were aware of numerous complaints from customers, including complaints that the DVDs didn’t work.
On Aug. 25, 2015, HSI agents executed a search warrant at the Rodgers’ residence. Agents seized an assortment of counterfeit goods, including numerous counterfeit Disney DVDs. Tabitha Rodgers admitted that she conducted the day-to-day operation of the business. She corresponded via email with the counterfeit DVD supplier in Hong Kong and placed orders for the DVDs. She also packaged and sent the DVDs to customers and processed customer complaints when DVDs were inoperable. Clint Rodgers assisted by helping recruit third parties to use their eBay accounts to sell the DVDs for them.
According to court documents, the majority, if not all, of the Rodgers’ income was derived from this criminal activity. They had been notified by Beachbody and Otter Products to cease and desist from selling counterfeit products yet continued to sell counterfeit goods. eBay cancelled a number of the Rodgers’s accounts due to counterfeit merchandise being sold, but they recruited others to sell the products.
Although they derived substantial income from selling counterfeit goods, Tabitha Rodgers sought and obtained SNAP benefits from the government to which she was not entitled. Her fraudulent conduct in obtaining benefits was considered by the court in determining an appropriate sentence and in ordering restitution.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Lynn. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Christian County Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Federal Prison for Possession of a Firearm After Having Been Convicted of Felony OffensesRead the Press Release
Paducah, KY – A Christian County, Kentucky man was sentenced today to 33 months in federal prison, followed by a 3-year term of supervised release, for possessing a firearm after having previously been convicted of felony offenses.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Maynard of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Chief Clayton Summers of the Hopkinsville Police Department made the announcement.
According to court documents, on September 23, 2020, Zachary Dean Evans, 28, possessed a pistol after having been previously convicted of multiple felony offenses. These felony offenses include fraudulent use of a credit card over $10,000, receiving stolen property over $500, receiving stolen property – firearm, second degree escape, first degree fleeing or evading police, theft by unlawful taking over $500, and second degree unlawful imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the ATF Paducah Satellite Office and the Hopkinsville Police Department, with the assistance of the Christian County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Leigh Ann Dycus, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, prosecuted the case.
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California Man Sentenced to Prison for Child PornRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A California man was sentenced today to 210 months in prison for child pornography distribution.
According to court documents, in August 2022, Bradley Wiley, 29, of Chico, California, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography.
In August 2021, while Wiley was a member of U.S. Air Force stationed at McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas, he used a Whatsapp account to send another user images of prepubescent children made to engage in sexual acts.
The Department of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart prosecuted the case.
Project Safe Childhood
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 https://www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
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California Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine Trafficking in California and New HampshireRead the Press Release
CONCORD –Robert Perez, Jr., 33, of Perris, California pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine in California and New Hampshire, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in late-2020 or early 2021, Perez conspired with individuals in California and New Hampshire to ship a total of approximately 30 pounds of methamphetamine through the U.S. Postal Service from California to several individuals in New Hampshire for distribution. In August 2022, United States Drug Enforcement agents from New Hampshire travelled to Riverside, California, and arrested Perez, Jr. Thereafter, Perez, Jr. appeared before a federal magistrate judge in the Central District of California and was ordered detained pending his transfer to New Hampshire.
Perez, Jr. is scheduled to be sentenced on May 24, 2023.
This matter was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the New Hampshire State Police, and the Nashua, New Hampshire Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Davis.
This operation 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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Brother and Sister Plead Guilty to Drug Conspiracy Involving Fentanyl SalesRead the Press Release
Government Alleges Fake Oxycodone (M-30) Pills Containing Fentanyl Caused Overdose and Death to 20-year old Woman
WASHINGTON – Larry Jerome Eastman, 22, of Temple Hills, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute Fentanyl. His sister, Justice Michelle Eastman, 26, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty on January 31st. The pleas were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget, of the Washington Division Office of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Chief Robert J. Contee III, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Sentencing hearings for both defendants are scheduled for June 15, 2023.
The defendants were arrested approximately one year ago, on January 26, 2022, following an investigation into the April 6, 2021 Fentanyl overdose death of a woman in Southeast Washington, D.C.
According to the government’s evidence, the 20-year-old Southeast Washington, D.C. woman survived an earlier overdose in November of 2020, and was revived when paramedics administered Narcan. At the time of her fatal overdose in April 2021, white powder was discovered on a coffee table at the woman’s apartment. The DEA analyzed the powder and determined it to be Fentanyl. An autopsy determined the Victim’s cause of death was acute Fentanyl intoxication.
A review of the female victim’s phone found text messages from the previous evening with Larry Eastman where the victim asked for “jammers” (a street term that often refers to counterfeit blue Oxycodone pills that contain Fentanyl). Eastman directed the victim to his address in Washington D.C., and requested that she make payment to a Cashapp account registered to Justice Eastman. Additional communications between the Defendant and the victim went as far back as September 2020, the start of the conspiracy. When the two defendants were arrested in January 2022, law enforcement seized additional fake Oxycodone (M30) pills, which contained Fentanyl, and match the pills that the defendants were working together to sell.
As noted by the DEA, because of its potency and low cost, Fentanyl is increasingly being mixed with other drugs including heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine, increasing the likelihood of a fatal interaction. Particularly dangerous are fake prescription pills like the fake oxycodone M30 tablets seized in this case, which contain Fentanyl. The DEA Laboratory has found that, of the Fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills analyzed in 2022, six out of ten now contain a potentially lethal dose of Fentanyl (see One Pill Can Kill).
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute Fentanyl carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the Washington Division Office of the DEA and the Metropolitan Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David T. Henek, Andy T. Wang, and Matthew W. Kinskey, of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Billings man sentenced to 70 months in prison for trafficking methRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Billings man who admitted to trafficking methamphetamine after he was arrested in Rosebud County was sentenced today to 70 months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Stefan Shane Hickel, 34, pleaded guilty on August 11, 2022, to possession with intent to distribute meth.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that in September 2021, a drug task force in Billings was investigating Hickel for drug trafficking. Hickel had absconded from state supervision on a distribution charge. Law enforcement received information that Hickel was at a motel in Forsyth. Officers executed a search warrant and found Hickel with meth and drug paraphernalia in the room. Hickel admitted to being both a user and distributor of meth.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas K. Godfrey prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Baltimore Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for a Carjacking and Armed Robbery Conspiracy During Which Two People Were Shot and KilledRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher sentenced David Banks, age 29, of Baltimore, Maryland, yesterday to 25 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for a carjacking and armed robbery conspiracy, including six armed robberies and a carjacking, during which three people were shot and two were killed.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Acting Chief Dennis J. Delp of the Baltimore County Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, Banks personally participated in a conspiracy to commit a series of carjackings and armed robberies. In each of the robberies and carjackings a member of the conspiracy brandished a gun to threaten and intimidate the victims. Two victims were shot and killed during a carjacking and robbery, respectively. The conspirators would often use the stolen vehicles to commit additional criminal acts and they shared the proceeds of their exploits, with certain conspirators responsible for pawning any items recovered from the victims and the stolen vehicles.
Banks admitted that he personally participated in a carjacking on June 12, 2019, in which a victim was shot and killed, and that he intended to cause death or serious bodily injury to the victim. Banks also participated in five armed robberies and an attempted robbery committed from July 7, 2019 to August 12, 2019. As detailed in the plea agreement, a victim was shot during the attempted robbery on July 24, 2019, and another victim was shot and killed during an armed robbery committed four days later.
This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ (ATF) National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.
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.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia C. McLane and Brandon K. Moore, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Armed Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 144 Months in Prison After Investigation Spurred by Community ComplaintsRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Joseph Bernard White, 46, of Jacksonville, NC, was sentenced today to 144 months in prison for distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. On October 4, 2022, White pled guilty to the charges.
“Residents of Jacksonville were courageous in reporting suspected drug trafficking to law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Thanks to their tips, an armed drug trafficker is off the streets and behind bars for the next twelve years.”
"The arrest and prosecution of White was a direct result of the cooperation between the community, law enforcement and prosecutors,” commented Onslow County Sheriff Chris Thomas. “Cooperation with community and our fellow law enforcement partners along with education are key to combating the drug epidemic."
According to court documents and other information presented in court, community complaints about suspected drug trafficking at a home in Jacksonville led to an investigation resulting in the seizure of drugs, drug proceeds, and multiple firearms. Between November 2020 and March 2021, White repeatedly distributed fentanyl and methamphetamine from his home. On March 5, 2021, officers searched the home and found methamphetamine, fentanyl, six guns, and nearly $4,000 in cash.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Onslow County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caroline Webb and Nicholas Hartigan prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:22-CR-73.
American Citizen Convicted of Providing Material Support to ISIS that Resulted in Death and Related OffensesRead the Press Release
A federal jury yesterday convicted Ruslan Maratovich Asainov, 46, a U.S. citizen and former resident of Bay Ridge, New York, of all five counts of an indictment charging him with conspiracy to provide material support to ISIS; providing material support to ISIS in the form of personnel, training, expert advice and assistance; receipt of military-type training from ISIS; and obstruction of justice. The jury also found that the defendant’s provision of material support to ISIS resulted in the death of one or more persons. The verdict followed a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis.
“Mr. Asainov, a US citizen, traveled abroad to kill and train others to kill on behalf of ISIS. Now, he is being held accountable,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen. “Part of the National Security Division’s core mission is to protect Americans from terrorist organizations who would do them harm and we will bring to justice all those who would try.”
“As proven at trial, Asainov was a member of ISIS who was so committed to the terrorist organization’s evil cause that he abandoned his young family here in Brooklyn, New York, to make an extraordinary journey to the battlefield in Syria where he became a lethal sniper and trained many others to kill their adversaries, and even after being captured still pledged his allegiance to ISIS’ murderous path,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “There is no place in a civilized world for the defendant’s bloody campaign of death and destruction. Today’s verdict in an American courtroom is a victory for our system of justice, and against ISIS and those like the defendant who are committed to murdering innocent people here in the United States and abroad.”
“The defendant in this case fought for ISIS and also trained many others how to kill for that terrorist organization,” said Assistant Director Robert R. Wells of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “This verdict demonstrates the FBI and our partners will use all of our legally available tools to hold accountable anyone who assists ISIS or other terrorist groups.”
As proven at trial, between December 2013 and March 2019, Asainov provided and conspired to provide material support and resources in the form of personnel, including himself and others, training, and expert advice and assistance, to a foreign terrorist organization, namely ISIS, knowing that ISIS was a designated foreign terrorist organization that had engaged in terrorist activity and terrorism. Asainov also received military-type training from ISIS, in violation of federal law.
Asainov converted to Islam in 2009 and subsequently became increasingly interested in Islamic extremism. By the fall of 2013, he was consuming radical Islamic content online. He abruptly dropped out of classes at the Borough of Manhattan Community College in September 2013 and began making preparations to travel to Syria to wage violent jihad.
On Dec. 24, 2013, Asainov abandoned his wife and daughter in Brooklyn, and traveled on a one-way ticket from New York to Istanbul, Turkey, to obtain entry into Syria.
Over the course of approximately five years fighting on behalf of ISIS, Asainov fought in numerous battles against ISIS enemies, including engagements at Kobani; Tabqa; Raqqa; Dayr Az Zawr; up to and including ISIS’s last stand in Syria at Baghouz in March 2019. Asainov received training in how to use automatic rifles, machine guns and rocket propelled grenades. In Tabqa, in mid-2014, he volunteered to train as a sniper. Over time, Asainov became a sniper trainer or “emir” on behalf of ISIS, estimating that he taught nearly 100 students. A former U.S. Navy SEAL scout sniper testified that the defendant’s self-described sniper training course was consistent with what the former SEAL would expect to be taught in a sniper training program.
From Syria, the defendant attempted to recruit another individual to travel from the United States to Syria to fight for ISIS, and sought to obtain funds to purchase a scope for his rifle from the same person. The defendant also told his estranged spouse that he was fighting on behalf of ISIS, described by him in a recorded January 2015 voicemail as “the most atrocious terrorist organization in the world that ever existed.” Asainov’s wife testified that he sent her a photograph of three dead fighters, one of whom was wearing a patch that stated “Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham,” i.e., ISIS, in Arabic script.
Asainov was captured in Syria after ISIS’s last stand at Baghouz, near the Syria-Iraq border. Just before his capture, Asainov discarded his rifle and destroyed his cell phone.
Asainov admitted to agents from the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force that he had fought in numerous battles on behalf of ISIS as a warrior and sniper, serving in several different katibas or ISIS fighting brigades. In recorded phone calls to his mother from facilities operated by the Bureau of Prisons (BOP), the defendant told her that he was carrying out Allah’s orders when he waged jihad and killed for ISIS, that he intended to return to waging jihad if released and that he would fight until he “meet[s] Allah,” i.e., until his death. In September 2020, staff at a BOP facility confiscated a makeshift ISIS flag affixed to Asainov’s cell wall. The defendant had filled in an 8.5” x 11” sheet of paper with black ink and Arabic writing in the design of the ISIS flag.
When sentenced, Asainov faces up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the FBI’s Legal Attachés abroad and foreign authorities in multiple countries on multiple continents provided critical assistance in this case. The Bosnian and Herzegovinian authorities, and the FBI Legal Attaché Office in Sarajevo provided extraordinary assistance in the investigation and prosecution. The Ministry of Justice for the Republic of Finland, the Stuttgart Police Department and Federal Office of Justice in the Federal Republic of Germany, the Department of Justice & Constitutional Development in the Republic of South Africa, and the Prosecutor General’s Office in Ukraine, and the FBI’s Legal Attaché Offices in or responsible for those countries provided valuable assistance in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Douglas M. Pravda, Saritha Komatireddy, J. Matthew Haggans, Nicholas J. Moscow and Nina C. Gupta for the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case, with assistance provided by Trial Attorney Jennifer Levy of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and Paralegal Specialists Mary Clare McMahon and Wayne Colon.
Albany Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution of Heroin and FentanylRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Carlos Hernandez, age 53, of Albany, pled guilty today to two counts of distribution of a controlled substance, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division.
Hernandez admitted that between April and May 2021, he sold a total of 68 grams of fentanyl and 71 grams of heroin in Albany.
Hernandez is scheduled to be sentenced on June 21, 2023 before Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, and a term of supervised release between 3 years and life.
The DEA investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin S. Clark is prosecuting this case.
Albany Felon Indicted for Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Charles E. Williams, age 34, of Albany, was arraigned today on an indictment charging him with possessing a firearm while a prohibited person.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and United States Marshal David L. McNulty made the announcement.
The indictment alleges Williams possessed a Smith & Wesson .357 caliber revolver in Albany County on November 18, 2021. Federal law prohibits Williams from possessing the firearm as a result of a prior felony conviction. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of post-release supervision of up to 3 years. A judge imposes a defendant’s sentence based on the particular statute a defendant violated, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart arraigned Williams arraigned today in Albany, and ordered Williams detained pending trial.
The U.S. Marshals Service is investigating the case, with assistance from the North Greenbush Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner is prosecuting the case.
Tuesday 7 February 2023
Woman Sentenced to 6+ Years in Prison for Embezzling $800,000 from IT CompanyRead the Press Release
An Irving woman was sentenced Tuesday to more than six years in federal prison for embezzling more than $800,000 from her employer, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
She-Daria Latisha Owens-Sharp, 42, pleaded guilty in April 2022 to one count of wire fraud. She was sentenced Tuesday to 77 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay, who ordered her to pay $1.1 million in restitution – the amount she embezzled from the company plus the amount of extra payroll taxes the company incurred as a result of her fraud.
According to court documents, Ms. Owens-Sharp, who served as operations manager for an IT staffing service company from April 2012 to March 2019, admitted that she requested paper paychecks for employees in addition to those employees’ direct deposit checks. She then altered the paper checks, removing the employees’ names and replacing them with her own, and deposited the checks into her own bank account.
She further admitted that she informed the company’s payroll vendor that her salary had been increased from $17 to $25 per hour (a nearly 50 percent increase), causing the company to increase her direct deposit, without authorization. She concealed her lie from the company by making false entries in their records reflecting payroll and expenses for employees that had left the company.
Ms. Owens-Sharp admitted that she deposited approximately 376 altered checks totaling more than $818,000. The company paid an additional $224,000 in payroll taxes on the fraudulently obtained checks, resulting in a loss to the company of more than $1 million.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Brasher prosecuted the case.
Wilmington ‘Gangster Disciple’ Felon with Stolen Guns and High-Capacity Magazines Receives 54 Months for Gun OffenseRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Wilmington man was sentenced today to 54 months in prison for felon in possession of a firearm. On October 31, 2022, Michael Tyron Bridges, age 27, pled guilty to the charge.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, on July 28, 2020, Michael Bridges was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by the Wilmington Police Department. During a search of the vehicle, officers located a Glock 45 with a 24-round magazine in a cupholder, a .380 pistol in the other cupholder, and a stolen Sig Sauer rifle in the backseat with Mr. Bridges. Mr. Bridges was arrested and charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and was released on bond on July 29, 2020.
On March 16, 2021, while out on bond for the July 28, 2020 arrest, the Wilmington Police Department conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle Mr. Bridges was driving. After Mr. Bridges told officer he had marijuana on his person, officers conducted a search and located a Smith and Wesson .357 Magnum pistol in his pocket. Mr. Bridges was arrested and charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and was released on bond on March 18, 2021.
August 16, 2021, while out on bond for the July 28, 2020 arrest and the March 16, 2021 arrest, officers with the Wilmington Police Department became aware that Mr. Bridges had an outstanding warrant for his arrest and conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle to serve him with the process. When Mr. Bridges stepped out of the vehicle, a 9mm live round of ammunition fell from his lap and, in a subsequent search of the vehicle, officers located a stolen 9mm Taurus G2 pistol. Mr. Bridges was arrested and charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and was released on bond on September 3, 2021.
On March 23, 2022, officers with the Wilmington Police Department received a call from a store clerk regarding a firearm that was found in the parking lot of the business. When officers arrived, they located a Smith and Wesson handgun with a high-capacity magazine in the parking lot. Subsequent testing of the firearm revealed the presence of Mr. Bridges DNA on the firearm.
On August 31, 2022, Mr. Bridges was arrested on federal charges and was ordered to be detained pending the resolution of his case.
During sentencing, the Court found Mr. Bridges, a convicted felon, responsible for possessing at leave five firearms and ammunition between July 28, 2020, and March 23, 2022. Additionally, multiple firearms were reported stolen and had large capacity magazines.
Mr. Bridges was a named defendant in the 2018 New Hanover County Permanent Injunction declaring the 720 Gangster Disciple street gang a public nuisance in New Hanover County.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Wilmington Police Department’s Gun Crime Task Force, the Wilmington Police Department, and the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Special Assistant United States Attorney William Van Trigt prosecuted the case.
The conviction is a result of the ongoing Violent Crime Action Plan (VCAP) initiative which is collaborative effort with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, working with the community, to identify and address the most significant drivers of violent crime. VCAP involves focused and strategic enforcement, and interagency coordination and intelligence-led policing.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:22-cr-00080-BO.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Resolves ADA Complaint with WalMart, Inc.Read the Press Release
DETROIT – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan settled a complaint regarding an allegation that a Walmart store located in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan failed to make reasonable modifications to its policies so that an individual with a mobility disorder had an equal opportunity to access the goods or services that Walmart offered for sale. The settlement agreement resolves the Office’s investigation, prompted by the complaint of an individual with quadriplegia that he was not allowed to purchase alcohol at the Mt. Pleasant Walmart because his aide who was assisting him with shopping was not over 21 years old.
Civil rights enforcement is a priority of my office, which includes ensuring that all public accommodations are fully available to all of our residents.” U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison said. “I commend Walmart for agreeing to take these steps to make its stores more accessible to everyone in the Eastern District of Michigan and across the United States.”
Walmart has fully cooperated with the investigation and has agreed to update its corporate ADA policies to clarify its ongoing responsibilities to make reasonable modifications provide live training on its updated ADA policies for store management and Front End Associates at the Mt. Pleasant Walmart store, assign training on its updated ADA policies for store management and front end associate across the United States, and pay damages to the complainant.
The investigation was led by Executive Assistant United States Attorney Luttrell Levingston. The full and fair enforcement of the ADA is a priority of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. The Civil Rights Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan was established in 2010 with the mission of prioritizing federal civil rights enforcement. For more information on the Office’s civil rights efforts, including a copy of the agreement, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmi/programs/civil-rights.
Individuals who believe they have been subjected to discrimination or experienced a civil rights violation can submit a complaint with the U.S. Attorney’s Office by email at [email protected] or by phone at (313) 226-9151. Complaints can also be submitted to the Civil Rights Division through its complaint portal.
U.S. Attorney Announces $1 Million Settlement of Civil Fraud Lawsuit Against Trading Company for Underpaying Customs Duties on Imported FootwearRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, AnnMarie R. Highsmith, the Executive Assistant Commissioner for U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (“CBP”) Office of Trade, Francis J. Russo, the Director of CBP Field Operations New York, and Ivan J. Arvelo, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), announced that the United States has filed and settled a civil lawsuit against Samsung C&T America, Inc. (“SCTA”), a global trading and investment company that is a U.S. subsidiary of the Korean conglomerate Samsung C&T Corporation. Among other things, SCTA imports and sells footwear manufactured overseas in partnership with other companies. SCTA performs services in connection with the importation and sale of footwear, including financing, transportation, warehousing, and distribution. The settlement resolves claims brought by the United States that between May 2016 and December 2018, SCTA violated the False Claims Act by misclassifying imported footwear under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (“HTS”) and by not paying the full amount of customs duties owed.
Under the settlement agreement approved by U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe, SCTA will pay a total of $1 million to the United States. As a part of the settlement agreement, SCTA also made admissions regarding certain conduct alleged in the Government’s Complaint. Specifically, SCTA admitted that it misclassified certain imported footwear on entry documents filed with CBP and, in some instances, underpaid customs duties on the footwear. SCTA further admitted that it had reason to know that certain documents provided to its customs brokers inaccurately described the construction and materials of the imported footwear and that SCTA failed to verify the accuracy of this information before providing it to its customs brokers.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “SCTA improperly avoided paying the full customs duties owed to the United States by misclassifying certain footwear that it imported and thereby reducing the duty rate applied. This Office is committed to combatting customs fraud by holding companies accountable when they misclassify goods and evade paying their legally required duties.”
CBP Executive Assistant Commissioner AnnMarie R. Highsmith said: “Misclassification and avoiding the payment of lawful duties on imported goods is a serious matter. This practice allows entities to import goods without paying the U.S. Government the lawful amount of duties owed, creating an unfair advantage over law-abiding American businesses. I am glad that we were able to work with our federal partners to reach a satisfactory settlement to recover these funds.”
CBP Director of Field Operations Francis J. Russo said: “U.S. Customs and Border Protection demonstrated its tenacity once again in preventing the circumvention of the payment of proper duties. This was a total team effort by CBP import specialists and regulatory auditors, HSI investigators, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York to uncover SCTA’s misclassification of goods, which shortchanged the United States government of the proper amount of customs duties owed.”
HSI Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo said: “For two and a half years, Samsung C&T America, Inc. submitted false information to the United States Government, misclassified imported goods, and underpaid customs duties. As this settlement proves, HSI, along with our law enforcement partners, will hold accountable organizations that engage in improper trade practices and deny our government of vital revenues.”
As alleged in the Complaint filed in Manhattan federal court:
From May 2016 through December 2018 (the “Relevant Period”), SCTA, in conjunction with a business partner, imported footwear manufactured overseas, including from manufacturers in China and Vietnam, into the United States. The tariff classifications for footwear depend on the characteristics of the footwear, including the footwear’s materials, its construction, and its intended use. Depending on the classification of the footwear, the duties owed vary significantly.
During the Relevant Period, SCTA, as the importer of record for certain customs entries referenced in the Government’s Complaint, violated the False Claims Act by misclassifying certain footwear under the HTS and by causing entry summary forms to be presented to CBP that SCTA knew or had reason to know contained false classifications. SCTA provided its customs brokers with documentation and information, including invoices, that (i) misclassified the footwear under the HTS, and/or (ii) contained inaccurate information concerning the materials and construction of the footwear. Accordingly, in many instances, the footwear was entered at a lower duty rate than would have been applicable had the footwear been properly classified. As a result of the misclassifications, SCTA avoided paying the full amount of the customs duties owed.
In the settlement agreement, SCTA admitted, acknowledged, and accepted responsibility for the following conduct:
- As the United States importer of record, SCTA was responsible for paying the customs duties owed on the footwear at issue and providing accurate documents to CBP to allow CBP to assess customs duties applicable to the footwear.
- SCTA and its business partner provided SCTA’s customs brokers with invoices and other documents and information that purportedly reflected the tariff classification of the footwear under the HTS, as well as the corresponding materials and construction of the footwear. SCTA knew that its customs brokers would rely on the documents and information to prepare the entry summaries submitted to CBP, which required classifying the footwear under the HTS, determining the applicable duty rates, and calculating the amount of the customs duties owed on the footwear.
- SCTA had reason to know that certain documents provided to its customs brokers, including invoices, inaccurately stated the materials and construction of the footwear at issue. SCTA failed to verify the accuracy of this information before providing it to its customs brokers. As a result, SCTA materially misreported the classification of the footwear under the HTS and misrepresented the true materials and construction of the footwear.
- SCTA, through its customs brokers, misclassified the footwear at issue on the associated entry documents filed with CBP and, in many instances, underpaid customs duties on the footwear.
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In connection with the filing of the lawsuit and settlement, the Government intervened in a whistleblower lawsuit that had been previously filed under seal pursuant to the False Claims Act.
Mr. Williams thanked CBP and HSI for their assistance and support with the case.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Frauds Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel Dolinger is in charge of the case.
Two Men Charged in Wire Fraud and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Department of the Interior (DOI) Office of Inspector General announced today that James I. Matison, 57, of Boulder, CO, and Jeffrey Ham, 46, of El Prado, NM, made initial appearances in federal court on a indictment charging them with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.
According to court documents, from February 2015 through April 2019, Matison and Ham conspired to inflate hours billed to Matison’s employer, WildEarth Guardians, by using the company Ham owned, Timberline Environmental, LLC. All told, Matison and Ham diverted more than $250,000 from WildEarth Guardians.
“The Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General is committed to providing strong oversight for grants and contracts,” said Special Agent in Charge Garrett J. Westfall of the EPA OIG’s Western Division. “With our law enforcement partners, we will hold recipients accountable for ensuring that they use taxpayer funds for their intended purposes in accordance with federal regulations.”
“The Department of the Interior (DOI) Office of Inspector General is committed to working with our law enforcement partners in protecting the integrity of taxpayer funds and aggressively investigating allegations of theft within DOI and other federal programs,” said Jamie DePaepe, Special Agent in Charge, Department of the Interior Office of Inspector General’s Western Region.
A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Matison and Ham both face 20 years in prison.
Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General investigated this case with assistance from Department of the Interior Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy Peña is prosecuting the case.
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Twenty-Three Individuals Charged in $61.5 Million Medicare Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
Court documents were unsealed this week charging 23 Michigan residents for their alleged involvement in two illegal schemes to defraud Medicare of more than $61.5 million by paying kickbacks and bribes and billing Medicare for unnecessary medical services that were never provided.
“As alleged, the defendants and their co-conspirators repeatedly paid illegal bribes and kickbacks so they could submit claims for medically unnecessary home health services throughout the Detroit metropolitan area, exposing patients to needless physician services and drug testing and costing Medicare tens of millions of dollars,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “As these actions demonstrate, we will work tirelessly to tackle complex, illegal schemes that take advantage of vulnerable populations and defraud federal programs of taxpayer dollars meant to provide health care to millions of Americans.”
United States v. Jamil, et al.
According to court documents, Walid Jamil, 62, and Jalal Jamil, 69, both of Oakland County, owned and operated several home health agencies in the Detroit metropolitan area. They allegedly concealed their ownership interest in these agencies using straw owners – including family members and other associates – and submitted approximately $50 million in fraudulent home health care claims to Medicare. Specifically, Walid and Jalal Jamil allegedly paid bribes to other co-conspirators to recruit patients in violation of the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute. These patients did not need home health care, did not qualify for home health care under Medicare rules, and in many instances were not actually provided the care for which Medicare was billed. Walid and Jalal Jamil allegedly entered into quid pro quo relationships with physician clinics to receive the necessary information to fraudulently bill Medicare. Based on their fraudulent claims, Walid and Jalal Jamil received more than $43 million from Medicare, which they misappropriated for their personal benefit.
“The alleged actions of these defendants is an astonishing abuse of our health care system,” said U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan. “By allegedly submitting fraudulent claims and paying illegal kickbacks, these defendants looted Medicare in order to line their own pockets at great cost to taxpayers. My office is grateful for the continued work of the Health Care Fraud Strike Force to root out corrupt medical professionals.”
Carol Ibrahim, 45, of Oakland County, and Delaine Jackson, 48, of Wayne County, were employed by one or more of the Jamil home health agencies and operated these agencies at the direction of Walid Jamil. They each allegedly made illegal payments to patient recruiters and submitted false claims to Medicare. Ibrahim was also allegedly a straw owner of one of the Jamil home health agencies.
Ibrahim Sammour, 62, of Wayne County, was a registered nurse employed by the Jamil home health agencies. Sammour is alleged to have fraudulently billed Medicare for home health services he never provided and falsely certified patients as “homebound.”
Mary Smelter-Bolton, 69, of Oakland County, and Cass Hawkins, 52, of Wayne County, were allegedly recruiters paid by various Jamil home health agencies to refer them Medicare beneficiaries for home health services that were then billed to Medicare, even though the claims were not eligible for reimbursement.
United States v. Malas, et al.
According to court documents, beginning in at least February 2015, Radwan Malas, 43, of Oakland County, operated Infinity Visiting Physician Services PLC (Infinity) as a home visiting physician company and allegedly ordered the physicians he employed to certify patients referred by Walid Jamil and Jalal Jamil for medically unnecessary home health services. He then allegedly billed Medicare for services that were never actually provided to these patients – including 60-minute complex patient visits – and for services that were not medically necessary – including B-12 and Toradol injections. Malas also allegedly demanded that physicians in his office order the highest-reimbursing urine drug test for patients, which was medically unnecessary, but for which Malas allegedly received a referral fee from the laboratory that processed the samples.
As part of this scheme, the defendants billed Medicare over $11.5 million in fraudulent claims for which they were paid nearly $4 million, which they misappropriated for their personal benefit. Malas is also alleged to have laundered the misappropriated funds by conducting illegal financial transactions.
“At the FBI, we swear an oath to protect the American people,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Fraudsters look to orchestrate their schemes at the cost of our health care systems, patients, and taxpayers. The FBI and our law enforcement partners remains dedicated to investigating and bringing to justice those who seek to exploit our U.S. healthcare system at the expense of its patients.”
Alejandro Mataverde, 79, of Oakland County, Cornelius Oprisiu, 82, of Livingston County, both physicians, and Shafiq Rehman, 59, of Wayne County, a licensed nurse practitioner, were employed by Infinity. They allegedly provided medically unnecessary services to Medicare beneficiaries or submitted claims to Medicare for medical services that were not provided to the patients.
“Those who attempt to defraud Medicare often do so at the risk of compromising the integrity of federal health care programs and disregarding the health and wellbeing of patients,” said Special Agent in Charge Mario Pinto of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG is proud to work alongside our law enforcement partners to protect federal health care programs and hold bad actors accountable for their actions.”
Michael Molloy, 50, of Wayne County, was co-owner of Integra Lab Management LLC (Integra), which processed the high-reimbursing and allegedly medically unnecessary urine tests submitted by Infinity. Molloy and his co-owners allegedly paid the salary of Infinity employees and made monthly payments to Malas in exchange for the physician orders for the medically unnecessary urine drug testing. As a result of the illegal kickbacks, Integra submitted approximately $2.8 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare and was paid more than $730,000.
Montaha Hogeige, 39, of Wayne County, was a medical assistant employed by Infinity who allegedly agreed to receive her salary from Integra as an illegal kickback to Infinity in exchange for physician orders for high-reimbursing urine drug testing.
“Medicare is designed to provide vital government funded services to our people. It is not a slush fund for thieves and fraudsters,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Charles Miller of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Detroit Field Office. “IRS-CI will work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to investigate those who illegally target our Medicare program for personal financial gain."
The charges alleged in the indictments against these defendants for their alleged participation in these schemes are described in the following table:
Defendant
Charges (and maximum term of imprisonment)
Walid Jamil
Conspiracy to commit health care fraud (10 years)
Specific instances of health care fraud (10 years each)
Conspiracy to defraud the United States through the payment and receipt of illegal health care kickbacks (5 years)
Payment of illegal healthcare kickbacks (10 years)
Jalal Jamil
Conspiracy to commit health care fraud (10 years)
Specific instances of health care fraud (10 years each)
Carol Ibrahim
Conspiracy to commit health care fraud (10 years)
Health care fraud (10 years)
Conspiracy to defraud the United States through the payment of illegal health care kickbacks (5 years)
Payment of illegal health care kickbacks (10 years)
Delaine Jackson
Conspiracy to commit health care fraud (10 years)
Health care fraud (10 years)
Conspiracy to defraud the United States through the payment of illegal health care kickbacks (5 years)
Payment of illegal health care kickbacks (10 years)
Ibrahim Sammour
Conspiracy to commit health care fraud (10 years)
Mary Smelter-Bolton
Conspiracy to defraud the United States through the receipt of illegal health care kickbacks (5 years)
Receipt of illegal health care kickbacks (10 years)
Cass Hawkins
Conspiracy to defraud the United States through the receipt of illegal health care kickbacks (5 years)
Receipt of illegal health care kickbacks (10 years)
Radwan Malas
Conspiracy to commit health care fraud (10 years)
Health care fraud (10 years)
Conspiracy to defraud the United States through the payment and receipt of illegal health care kickbacks (5 years)
Receipt of illegal health care kickbacks (10 years)
Money laundering (10 years)
Alejandro Mataverde
Conspiracy to commit health care fraud (10 years)
Health care fraud (10 years)
Cornelius Oprisiu
Conspiracy to commit health care fraud (10 years)
Health care fraud (10 years)
Shafiq Rehman
Conspiracy to commit health care fraud (10 years)
Health care fraud (10 years)
Michael Molloy
Conspiracy to commit health care fraud (10 years)
Conspiracy to defraud the United States through payment of illegal health care kickbacks (5 years)
Payment of illegal health care kickbacks (10 years)
Montaha Hogeige
Conspiracy to defraud the United States through the payment and receipt of illegal health care kickbacks (5 years)
Ten other individuals were also charged by criminal information for their alleged participation in the fraud schemes.
The FBI Detroit Field Office, HHS-OIG, and IRS-CI are investigating the cases.
Trial Attorney Shankar Ramamurthy of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the cases.
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.
An indictment and an information are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Texas Man Pleads Guilty in Case Involving Plane Crash that Injured Undocumented NoncitizensRead the Press Release
ALPINE, Texas – A Seminole, Texas man pleaded guilty Thursday to transporting undocumented noncitizens causing serious bodily injury.
According to court documents, Tobias Penner Peters, 46, piloted an aircraft carrying five undocumented noncitizens on Dec. 30, 2021 and crashed shortly after taking off from the Presidio Airport. U.S. Border Patrol agents responded to the crash, finding the five injured undocumented individuals. Peters had already fled the crash site on his way to Mexico. He turned himself in at the Presidio Port of Entry three months later. One of the undocumented individuals injured in the crash suffered a back injury, was life-flighted to an El Paso hospital and remains in a wheelchair today.
Peters pleaded guilty to one count of transportation of illegal aliens causing serious bodily injury. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 25, 2023 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas and Special Agent in Charge Francisco B. Burrola of the Homeland Security Investigations El Paso Division made the announcement.
HSI, the U.S. Border Patrol and the Presidio County Sheriff’s Department are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Greenbaum is prosecuting the case.
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Stuart Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Child Pornography of 15-year-oldRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A 29-year-old man from Martin County, Florida, German Oliver Jose Martin, has pled guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Shaniek M. Maynard, to production of child pornography.
As part of his guilty plea, Martin admitted that on May 26, 2022, he picked up a 15-year-old girl from her school bus stop, drove her to his trailer, and used his cellular telephone to produce several videos of them engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Law enforcement learned of the activity and, in early June 2022, executed a federal search warrant on Martin’s phone. They found two sexually explicit videos involving the minor victim.
Martin has pled guilty to one count of production of visual depictions of sexual exploitation of a minor. He faces up to 30 years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, acting Special Agent in Charge Maged Behnam of the FBI Miami Field Office, and Sheriff William D. Snyder of the Martin County Sheriff’s Office announced the guilty plea.
FBI Miami, Fort Pierce Resident Agency, and the Martin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Managing Assistant U.S. Attorney Carmen Lineberger is prosecuting the case.
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, 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 the Project Safe Childhood initiative and for 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 at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 22-cr-14043.
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Statement of United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown in Connection with Shooting in Shreveport on February 3, 2023 Resulting in Death of Alonzo Sentell BagleyRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - On Friday Feb. 3, Alonzo Sentell Bagley tragically died following an officer involved shooting that occurred during contact with a member of the Shreveport Police Department. My thoughts are with the family and the Shreveport community, and I pray for healing as they deal with the trauma resulting from this incident. I am encouraged by the fact that the investigative response and the federal and state collaboration pertaining to this incident has been swift and efficient.
I have been in communication with District Attorney James Stewart, State Police Superintendent Lamar Davis, and SPD Chief Wayne Smith regarding this incident. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to communicate with state authorities as they conduct their investigation. I have also contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C. about the incident.
I hope that any protests remain peaceful and that the rights of protestors will be respected. As members of the law enforcement community, we will adhere to our role of ensuring that the civil rights of all people in the district are respected and all people are treated fairly.
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Sequoyah County Resident Sentenced for Five Counts of Sexual Abuse of A Minor in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced today that Michael Allen Farris, age 50, of Bunch, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 135 months’ imprisonment for being found guilty by jury trial of five counts of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country. The jury trial began with testimony on Monday, November 29, 2021, and concluded on Wednesday, December 1, 2021, with the guilty verdicts.
Evidence at trial showed that between June 2019 and August 2019, the defendant sexually assaulted the 13-year-old victim.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma prosecuted the case because the defendant in this case is a member of a federally recognized Indian tribe and the crimes occurred in Sequoyah County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, and within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The case was the result of an investigation by the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
“The Defendant, a 46-year-old man at the time, used his position of trust to repeatedly molest and abuse his 13-year-old victim. The sentence imposed will ensure he is held accountable for taking advantage of that trust,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “No child should ever experience the pain and suffering the Defendant brought upon the victim in this case.”
“The FBI and our law enforcement partners will do everything in our power to protect our most vulnerable citizens and get predators like Farris off the street,” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Gray. “We will continue to combine resources and investigative efforts to ensure the safety of the children in our communities.”
The Honorable Timothy D. DeGiusti, U.S. Chief District Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, in Oklahoma City, presided over the sentencing hearing. Farris was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal to await commitment to a United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve his non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony Marek and Morgan Muzljakovich represented the United States.
Russian Cryptocurrency Money Launderer Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—On February 6, 2023, a Russian cryptocurrency money launderer previously extradited from the Netherlands to face charges in the District of Oregon pleaded guilty in federal court.
Denis Mihaqlovic Dubnikov, 30, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to court documents, between at least August 2018 and August 2021, Dubnikov and his co-conspirators laundered the proceeds of Ryuk ransomware attacks on individuals and organizations throughout the United States and abroad. After receiving ransom payments, Ryuk actors, including Dubnikov and his co-conspirators, and others involved in the scheme engaged in various financial transactions, including international financial transactions, to conceal the nature, source, location, ownership, and control of the ransom proceeds.
Specifically, in July 2019, a United States-based company paid a 250 Bitcoin Ryuk ransom after a ransomware attack. On or about July 11, 2019, in Moscow, Russia, Dubnikov accepted 35 Bitcoin from a co-conspirator in exchange for approximately $400,000. The Bitcoin transferred to Dubnikov were directly sourced from the ransom paid by the American company. Dubnikov converted the Bitcoin to Tether and sent it to a second co-conspirator, who eventually exchanged it for Chinese Renminbi. Dubnikov’s co-conspirators laundered additional Bitcoin sourced from the original ransom payment. Dubnikov was compensated financially for his role in the scheme.
On November 2, 2021, Dubnikov was arrested in Amsterdam pursuant to a provisional arrest warrant. On August 16, 2022, he was extradited to the United States and made his initial appearance in federal court in the District of Oregon the next day.
Conspiracy to commit money laundering is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison, three years’ supervised release, and a fine of $500,000. Dubnikov will be sentenced on April 11, 2023.
This case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
Dubnikov’s extradition was handled by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs. He was transferred to the District of Oregon by the FBI.
The Department of Justice thanks Dutch authorities for their assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Dubnikov.
First identified in August 2018, Ryuk is a type of ransomware software that, when executed on a computer or network, encrypts files and attempts to delete any system backups. Of note, Ryuk can target storage drives contained within or physically connected to a computer, including those accessible remotely via a network connection. Ryuk has been used to target thousands of victims worldwide across a variety of sectors. In October 2020, law enforcement officials specifically identified Ryuk as an imminent and increasing cybercrime threat to hospitals and healthcare providers in the United States.
Robbinsdale Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Robbinsdale man has pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a firearm as a felon, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and court documents, on June 22, 2022, Tavaris Michael Dixon, 32, possessed a 9mm Glock semi-automatic pistol, with a Streamlight TLR-6 laser/light attachment. Dixon is prohibited from possessing a firearm because of prior felony convictions in Hennepin County, including a 2008 conviction of aggravated robbery and kidnapping.
Dixon pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge Eric C. Tostrud to one count of possessing a firearm as a felon. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Minneapolis Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsey E. Middlecamp and Justin A. Wesley are prosecuting the case.
Rapid City Man Sentenced for EscapeRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Escape from Custody was sentenced on January 31, 2023, by U.S. Circuit Judge Jonathan A. Kobes, sitting in district court.
Preston White Feather, 26, was sentenced to fifteen months in federal prison and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Preston White Feather was indicted for Escape from Custody by a federal grand jury in April of 2022. He pleaded guilty on October 7, 2022.
White Feather was in the Bureau of Prisons custody serving a sentence of 14 months, with three years of supervised release to follow, for Third Degree Burglary. In June of 2021 his supervised release was revoked and he was sentenced to 14 months’ imprisonment, as well as an additional 22 months’ imprisonment, and three years of supervised release to run concurrently in another criminal file. He was placed at the Community Education Center in Rapid City to finish serving his sentence as part of a re-entry process. He walked away and was found in Rosebud three months later.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn N. Rich prosecuted the case.
White Feather was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Pike County Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Fentanyl at the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation AreaRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Stephen M. Smith, age 42, of Bushkill, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on February 3, 2023, before United States Magistrate Judge Joseph F. Saporito, Jr., to possessing fentanyl while at the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Smith was stopped in his vehicle on August 29, 2022, by Park Rangers at the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, and was found in possession of packets of fentanyl, multiple syringes, glass smoking pipes containing drug residue, and other items of drug paraphernalia. It is a federal crime to possess illegal controlled substances on federal property.
The case was investigated by Park Rangers from the National Park Service. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.
Under federal law, the maximum penalty for possession of controlled substances on federal property is up to one year in prison and a minimum fine of $1000 and a maximum fine of $100,000. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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North Versailles Felon Indicted on Drug and Gun Law ViolationsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of North Versailles, Pennsylvania has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal narcotics and firearm laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
The six-count Superseding Indictment named Raymar McKenzie, age 34, as the sole defendant.
According to the Superseding Indictment, on or about Aug. 12, 2020, Aug. 19, 2020, and Sept. 15, 2020, McKenzie allegedly distributed a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine. On Sept. 18, 2020, McKenzie possessed with intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine base, and a quantity of a mixture and substance containing detectable amount of fentanyl. Also on Sept. 18, 2020, McKenzie possessed a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possessed a firearm and/or ammunition by a convicted felon. It is prohibited under federal law for a convicted felon to be in possession of a firearm and/or ammunition.
The law provides for a term of imprisonment not more than 20 years, a fine not to exceed $1,000,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Allegheny County Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Superseding Indictment in this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A superseding indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
New defendants charged in $50 million Ponzi scheme involving off-the-road tiresRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio– A federal grand jury has indicted two Texas men for their roles in one or more alleged conspiracies involving wire fraud, money laundering and tax fraud.
Charges pending against John K. Eckerd, Jr., 58, of Dallas, and Afif Baltagi, 45, of Houston, were unsealed yesterday.
It is alleged that Eckerd is the leader of the multi-state conspiracy.
Conspiring with previously convicted and sentenced defendant Jason E. Adkins, 46, of Jackson, Ohio, Eckerd, Baltagi, and others orchestrated a $50 million Ponzi scheme that defrauded more than 50 investors.
According to the indictment, from 2012 until at least in or around late 2018, Eckerd represented himself to potential investors as an entrepreneur and businessman with expertise in the market for off-the-road tires. Off-the-road tires are over-sized tires that are used on earth moving equipment and/or mining equipment. Eckerd had control of or access to many corporations allegedly used as part of the scheme.
Baltagi worked in logistics for a freight company that had access to a storage yard in Houston where off-the-road tires were stored.
Co-conspirators allegedly solicited millions of dollars from investor-victims under false pretenses. Investors were told their money would be used to buy off-the-road tires at a steep discount, and that the tires would then be re-sold to a buyer at a much higher rate. Investors were promised a 15 to 20 percent rate of return on investment, generally within 180 days.
Eckerd, Baltagi, Adkins, and others corresponded with the potential investors face-to-face, as well as through a combination of phone calls, text messages, and, on occasion, emails. It is alleged they used private planes to showcase their inventory and appear wealthy and successful. Defendants also allegedly provided investors with elaborate, fraudulent paperwork regarding the purported deals. The co-conspirators requested large investments and loans, most to be funded through wire transfers.
It is alleged defendants rarely bought or sold tires, and when they did, they used the same tires as the basis for multiple deals, promising multiple investors that they each owned the same tires. Baltagi allegedly used his employer’s tire yard to deceive investors.
Another previously convicted defendant, Todd Wilkin, 60, of Hillsboro, Ohio, posed as a neutral third-party seller of off-the-road tires in deals arranged by Adkins. In actuality, Wilkin was working with Adkins as part of the Ponzi scheme. Wilkin pleaded guilty in January 2022 to participating in the fraud scheme and awaits sentencing.
Eckerd, Adkins and others allegedly conspired to launder the proceeds from their Ponzi scheme by creating numerous corporate entities and associated bank accounts. It is alleged that Eckerd had control of many of the business accounts but that he instructed others to place the accounts in other people’s names.
Eckerd also allegedly lied on his tax forms and conspired with others to avoid paying taxes he owed, resulting in a tax loss of more than $1 million for tax years 2013 and 2014. Eckerd failed to file his taxes for tax years 2016 and 2017. In July 2018, Eckerd filed for bankruptcy on the same day he allegedly transferred $1 million between two bank accounts in his control. Over the next month, it is alleged Eckerd transferred another $715,000 between accounts in his control.
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud is a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Conspiracy to commit money laundering carries a potential maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Conspiracy to defraud the United States and to commit tax fraud is a federal crime punishable by up to five years in prison.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation; and J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the case. Assistant United States Attorneys S. Courter Shimeall, Peter K. Glenn-Applegate and David J. Twombly are representing the United States in this case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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New Castle Felon Sentenced to 10 Years for Illegally Possessing Fentanyl, Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA -- A resident of Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 10 years’ imprisonment and six years of supervised release on his conviction of violating federal narcotics and firearm laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti imposed the sentence on Michael Schmidt, age 26, formerly of New Castle, Pennsylvania 16101.
According to information presented to the court, On Oct. 12, 2017, Schmidt possessed with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and possessed a Taurus, Model PT738, .380 caliber pistol and ammunition as a convicted felon. It is prohibited under federal law to possess a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The fentanyl and firearm were found when law enforcement executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, the New Castle Police Department, the Lawrence County District Attorney’s Office, and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Schmidt.
Munhall Felon Charged with Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Munhall, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal firearms law, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Aaron Harper, age 24, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on or about June 13, 2022, Harper is alleged to have possessed a firearm as a convicted felon.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney DeMarr W. Moulton is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Multiple Defendants Sentenced in a Scheme to “Straw Purchase” FirearmsRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Yesterday, a federal judge sentenced multiple defendants in a scheme to “straw purchase” firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Explosives, and Firearms Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson.
In separate and unrelated cases, U.S. District Court Judge Anna Manasco sentenced the following defendants for giving a false statement during the purchase of a firearm.
Jaqorium Marquise Island-Galvin, 25, of Bessemer, was sentenced to 18 months in prison followed by three years supervised release. Island-Galvin pleaded guilty in June 2022. According to court documents, Between May 2020 and May 2021, Island-Galvin partnered with co-defendant Brianna Alexandria Washington to purchase at least 18 firearms from a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) in the Northern District of Alabama. Washington, the straw purchaser, falsified documents by specifically stating that she was the actual buyer when in fact she was buying the firearms for Island-Galvin. Island-Galvin directed Washington to purchase the firearms because he did not want the paperwork for the purchases traced back to his name. Island-Galvin purchased the firearms for the purpose of trafficking them to the Chicago area. During this time, at least four of the 18 firearms were sold in the Chicago area. On June 16, 2021, one of the firearms trafficked by Island-Galvin was recovered by the Bolingbrook Police Department in Illinois at the residence of a known convicted felon and drug trafficker. Washington is scheduled to be sentenced on June 27th.
Christian Devon Coleman, 28, of Birmingham, was sentenced to 10 months in prison followed by three years on supervised release. Coleman pleaded guilty in September 2022. On May 1, 2020, Coleman purchased a Barrett .50 caliber rifle from a Federal Firearms Licensee in the Northern District of Alabama. Coleman, the straw purchaser, falsified documents by specifically stating that he was the actual buyer when in fact he was buying the firearm to sell to someone else. After purchasing the rifle, Coleman met the individual, in the parking lot of the FFL. The individual then provided Coleman with $10,900 for the rifle.
These cases are a 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.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ campaign "Don’t Lie for the Other Guy" is a part of PSN aimed at reducing firearm “straw purchases”, the illegal purchase of a firearm by one person for another, and to educate would-be straw purchasers of the penalties of knowingly participating in an illegal firearm purchase. More information about the campaign can be found at: www.dontlie.org.
The ATF investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristy Peoples prosecuted the cases.
Monroe County Woman Sentenced to 20 Years’ Imprisonment for Distributing Controlled Substances Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Susan Melissa Nickas, age 47, of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 240 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion following her conviction after trial for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl within the Middle District of Pennsylvania, resulting in the death of a person.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Nickas was engaged in a conspiracy with Jeremy Johnson, also of Stroudsburg, to obtain and distribute controlled substances, heroin and fentanyl, for the time beginning January 2020 through March 2021. During the conspiracy, a delivery of heroin and fentanyl made in the course of the scheme resulted in the death of another person. Both defendants were also found guilty of aiding and abetting each other in the December 10, 2020, distribution of heroin and fentanyl, resulting in that death.
Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office presented the testimony of multiple witnesses during trial, including Dr. Michael Coyer, a Forensic Toxicologist, who opined that the death of a person resulted from the use of heroin and fentanyl Prosecutors also presented the testimony of a PSP Forensic Chemist, who analyzed drugs found at the scene of the death. Additional testimony was provided by officers and detectives from the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office; the Pennsylvania State Police; the Pocono Township Police Department, the FBI – Scranton Office; and an FBI special agent from the Pittsburgh Office.
Johnson was previously sentenced by Judge Mannion to 300 months in prison for his role in the crimes.
The charges resulted from a joint investigation involving the FBI in Scranton, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle Olshefski and Sean Camoni prosecuted the case.
Nickas was also ordered to serve a three-year term of supervised release upon her release from federal custody.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin and fentanyl. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Mexican Citizen Sentenced for Drug Trafficking CrimeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Ivan Avalos Espinoza, 26, of Mexico, was sentenced on February 6, 2023, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for his participation in a methamphetamine conspiracy. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Avalos Espinoza to 108 months of imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a three-year term of supervised release.
On August 20, 2021, DEA agents in Omaha seized a package at a shipping store addressed to an Omaha residence. The package contained approximately 4,097 grams of methamphetamine. Later that day, a DEA agent drove to the residence and placed the package at the gate. Avalos Espinoza later took the package and returned to the residence. Agents executed a search warrant of the residence and located Avalos Espinoza and the package containing the methamphetamine. Digital records from Avalos Espinoza’s cell phone provided evidence relating to the drug conspiracy.
This case was investigated primarily by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Mexican Businessman Admits to Brokering Spyware Used to Monitor Political and Business RivalsRead the Press Release
For Further Information, Contact:
Assistant U. S. Attorney Sabrina L. Fève (619) 546-6786SAN DIEGO – Mexican-American businessman Julio Santamaria pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that he conspired to sell and use private computer-hacking tools in Mexico and the U.S. in order to monitor political and business rivals.
According to court documents, beginning in or about January 2016, Santamaria began working for a consortium of U.S. and Mexican companies, including a company called Elite By Carga, for which he brokered the sale of interception and surveillance tools to private citizens and Mexican politicians. Prior to working for this consortium, Santamaria worked for Mexico’s Procuraduría General de la República, or “PGR.”
Santamaria admitted to knowing that, in some cases, their Mexican government clients intended to use the interception equipment for political purposes, rather than for legitimate law enforcement purposes. In one case, they knowingly arranged for a Mexican mayor to gain unauthorized access to a political rival’s Twitter, Hotmail, and iCloud accounts. Guerrero and Moreno also admitted that the hacking tools and technologies they brokered would be used for commercial and personal purposes by private clients.“Today’s guilty plea helps stem the proliferation of digital tools used for repression and advances the digital security of both U.S. and Mexican citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “This office is committed to disrupting malicious cyber activities and mitigating unlawful surveillance.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team and federal agents for their hard work on the case.
“Today’s guilty plea demonstrates cyberspace is not a refuge from American justice, and as seen in this case, those who violate privacy rights will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge, Chad Plantz, HSI San Diego. “HSI and our law enforcement partners remain committed to protecting the American public from individuals attempting to illegally intercept private communications for illicit gain.”
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance provided by the Department of Justice’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 23cr0185JLS
Julio Santamaria Age: 49 Los Angeles, CaliforniaSUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 371 (to violate 18 U.S.C. §§ 2511(1)(a) and 2512(1)(b))
Maximum penalty: Five years in prison and $250,000 fineAGENCY
Homeland Security Investigations*The charges and allegations contained in an Information are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Medical Equipment Suppliers Convicted of Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted two men today for engaging in a scheme to defraud Medicare Advantage and Medicaid managed care plans of over $3.8 million.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Ikechukwu Udeokoro, 47, of North Bergen, New Jersey, owned Meik Medical Equipment and Supply (Meik), a durable medical equipment supplier that was located in the Bronx, New York. Ayodeji Fasonu, 56, of Bridgeport, Connecticut, was Meik’s manager. Through Meik, Udeokoro and Fasonu billed Medicare Advantage and Medicaid managed care plans for hundreds of expensive patient support systems that were never provided to patients or caregivers. These support systems included large devices that were designed to assist with lifting immobile patients and patients in nursing homes. In reality, Udeokoro and Fasonu provided patients with recliner chairs that had a seat lift feature. Between December 2010 and February 2014, Udeokoro and Fasonu fraudulently billed Medicare Advantage and Medicaid managed care plans more than $3.8 million and were paid approximately $2.4 million.
Udeokoro and Fasonu were both convicted of health care fraud. They are scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 14 and Aug. 16, respectively, and each faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York; Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; Assistant Director in Charge Michael J. Driscoll of the FBI New York Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Scott J. Lampert of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Office of Investigations made the announcement.
The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Andrew Estes and Patrick J. Campbell 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 24 federal districts, has charged more than 4,200 defendants who collectively have billed the Medicare program for more than $19 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.
McAlester Doctor Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Distribution and Dispensing of A Controlled SubstanceRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Nelson Onaro, age 61, of McAlester, Oklahoma entered a guilty plea to Count Six of a Superseding Information which charged him with six counts of Unlawful Distribution and Dispensing of a Controlled Substance in violation of Title 21 U.S.C §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C), punishable by up to 20 years of imprisonment, a fine up to $1,000,000 or both.
Dr. Onaro was initially charged by a federal grand jury in September 2020 with twenty-four counts of Unlawful Distribution and Dispensing of Controlled Substances. During the hearing, Onaro admitted to writing a prescription for the controlled substance Adderall for one of his staff members with the understanding that the staff member would fill the prescription and deliver the pills back to Onaro for his personal use.
As part of the plea agreement, Onaro has agreed to surrender his Oklahoma medical license.
The charges arose from a long-term investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Department of Justice Healthcare Fraud Strikeforce, and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics.
The Honorable Kimberly E. West, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. The defendant was released on a personal recognizance bond pending sentencing.
Department of Justice Trial Attorneys Dan Griffin and Christopher Jason, and Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Conway represented the United States.
Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Possessing Stolen TrailersRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Robert Gramolini, 64, of Malden, Massachusetts, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for possession of stolen goods, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Gramolini was seen on video driving a gray Dodge pickup stealing a black enclosed trailer from a business in Hampton, New Hampshire. Law enforcement located the stolen trailer at a storage lot in Brentwood. The owner of the storage lot confirmed Gramolini rented space on his lot to store trailers and other items and gave the officers permission to inspect the lot. Police uncovered other stolen items in his possession, including additional trailers and motorcycles. Gramolini then arrived at his storage lot driving the same gray Dodge pickup seen earlier in security footage. After being questioned, Gramolini admitted to taking the trailer from the Hampton business and that he took another trailer “off the side of the road” in Massachusetts that contained approximately $64,000 in heavy equipment. In total, the value of the stolen property exceeded $150,000.
“The defendant traveled across state lines to steal tens of thousands of dollars of property from others,” said U.S. Attorney Young. “Through the hard work of our local and federal law enforcement officers we stopped this defendant’s criminal activities and held him accountable for his actions.”
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Hampton Police Department, and the Brentwood Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew T. Hunter and Alexander S. Chen.
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Man who served as getaway driver after local Internet café murders pleads guiltyRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today in a case involving the murder of a husband and wife in a local Internet café.
Justice B. Stringer, 28, drove co-defendants to and from the robbery resulting in murder. His plea includes an agreed-upon sentence of 30 years in prison.
Specifically, Stringer pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery, two counts of aiding and abetting murder using a firearm, and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Stringer and others were indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2019 for crimes related to a string of robberies of Internet gaming businesses, including the robbery at Players Paradise on East Broad Street that resulted in murder on Jan. 20, 2019.
Five defendants were charged in total and four have pleaded guilty to related federal crimes. Chris A. King, 27, is set to begin trial on April 3. King is charged with three counts of murder (including the murder of a witness).
According to court documents, King and a co-defendant robbed Players Paradise at gunpoint and allegedly murdered security guard Joseph Arrington and then his wife, employee Karen Arrington. Stringer then drove the men away from the Internet café.
Stringer also participated in a prior café robbery on Jan. 7, 2019. He and others robbed at gunpoint the Planet Jackpot café on Alum Creek Drive shortly before 4am. The co-defendants stole approximately $2,400.
According to court documents, co-defendants had also robbed Players Paradise at gunpoint on Dec. 10, 2018, and fled with $30,000 in cash.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant and Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson. Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin W. Kelley and Elizabeth A. Geraghty are representing the United States in this case.
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Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing over 6 Kilograms of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
A man who possessed over 6,900 grams of methamphetamine, dealt over 2,000 grams of methamphetamine, and possessed over $460,726 in drug proceeds was sentenced to 30 years in prison on February 6, 2023.
Terrell McBride, age 34, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was previously convicted of distribution of methamphetamine.
In a plea agreement, McBride admitted to distributing over 2,000 grams of methamphetamine throughout the Cedar Rapids area. The Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives searched McBride’s home and recovered over 6,900 grams of methamphetamine and $460,726 in United States Currency. McBride admitted that he used or intended to use all the United States Currency seized for the purpose of drug trafficking. McBride has over ten scored adult criminal convictions, including violent crimes and other drug-related convictions.
This case was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason Dorval Norwood.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 22-CR-00005-CJW.
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Man Charged with Stealing 13 Firearms from Pawn ShopRead the Press Release
A Plano man has been charged with stealing more than a dozen guns from a local pawn shop, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Christian Alfredo Benitez-Ramirez, 28, was charged via criminal complaint with theft from a federal firearms licensee and arrested at his residence on Monday. He made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Irma Carrillo Ramirez that afternoon.
According to the complaint, on Jan. 30, Mr. Benitez-Ramirez allegedly entered a Cash America Pawn in Duncanville, walked to the rear of the store, reached over the counter, and attempted to open the sliding door of a firearm display cabinet.
When the door didn’t open, the defendant hoisted himself over the counter and attempted to gather an armful of firearms from a rack on the wall. He saw that the firearms were attached to the wall via a cable, whipped out a pocketknife, and attempted to cut the cords.
When that didn’t work, Mr. Benitez-Ramirez pulled the cable and attachment from the wall, gathered up an armful of firearms, and – with additional guns still attached to the cable dragging behind him – exited the store and loaded the firearms into a Honda CR-V.
Cash America employees told law enforcement that when they saw the defendant behind the counter, they asked if he worked there, and the defendant answered that he did. Not recognizing him, several employees pressed store panic buttons.
The store reported five shotguns, one pistol, and seven rifles as stolen.
A criminal complaint is merely and allegation of wrongdoing, not evidence. Like all defendants, Mr. Benitez-Ramirez is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Damien Diggs is prosecuting the case.
Luzerne County Man Sentenced to 30 Months’ Imprisonment for Pandemic Fraud OffensesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Julio Pozo Gonzalez, age 30, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, to 30 months’ imprisonment for committing mail and wire fraud and identity theft related to pandemic unemployment fraud.
The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program was created by the March 2020 CARES Act, as part of the United States government’s efforts to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the public’s health and economic well-being. The PUA program was designed to provide unemployment benefits to individuals not eligible for regular unemployment compensation or extended unemployment benefits.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, on July 29, 2021, Pozo Gonzalez pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud and committing aggravated identity theft. From July 2020 through February 2021, Gonzalez and unindicted co-conspirators used stolen identification information to apply for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance for their own use and benefit.
On February 20, 2021, Julio Pozo Gonzalez was stopped by Pennsylvania State troopers and gave consent to search his vehicle. Officers recovered a black pouch under the driver seat that contained 17 United States bank debit cards and more than $3,000. Julio Pozo Gonzalez agreed to speak with investigators and consented to a search of his cellular telephone. It was determined that 17 debit cards in the names and identities stolen by Pozo Gonzalez, and co-conspirators were used to apply for pandemic unemployment benefits. Pozo Gonzalez was identified as an individual on video surveillance who obtained cash at automated teller machines. A total of $269,777 in fraudulent benefits were deposited into the 17 fraudulently obtained accounts.
The conspirators received debit cards in the names of identities stolen during the conspiracy through the United States mail. Gonzalez used the fraudulently obtained debit cards to withdraw money from ATMs within the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Pozo Gonzalez and conspirators intended to obtain more than $269,000 as part of the scheme.
As part of the sentence, Pozo Gonzalez was also ordered to pay $267,777 in restitution.
This pandemic fraud case was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police and by the Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd K. Hinkley prosecuted the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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Lowell Man Sentenced to 235 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – Tyler Michael Thompson, 34 years old, of Lowell, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Jon E. DeGuilio after pleading guilty to distribution of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Thompson was sentenced to 235 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in December 2021, Thompson sent multiple videos of child pornography to an undercover law enforcement officer. A search warrant was executed at Thompson’s residence and he was found to be in possession of over 200 images and over 100 videos depicting child pornography.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Porter County Sheriff’s Department and Winnebago County, WI, Sheriff’s Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Philip Benson and Emily Morgan.
Long Island Man Convicted of Distributing Heroin that Caused Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
A federal jury in Central Islip today returned a guilty verdict against James Tunstall for distributing heroin, which resulted in the fatal overdose of 24-year-old Sergio Niko Alvarez on October 29, 2018 in Jericho, New York. The verdict followed a five-day trial before United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent-in-Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division (DEA), announced the verdict.
“Tunstall, an admitted drug dealer, is held responsible by today’s verdict for selling heroin that killed a young man on Long Island, an all-too-frequent occurrence in this district and our country due to the proliferation of illegal drugs and the callous disregard for life displayed by the defendant and others,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “I commend the prosecutors from my Office, the Special Agents of the DEA, and the members of the Long Island Heroin Task Force for their outstanding working on this case. We will continue our comprehensive efforts to fight against this terrible opioid epidemic.”
U.S. Attorney Peace extended special thanks to the Nassau County Police Department for its partnership throughout the investigation and prosecution.
“This conviction is a sobering reminder of the devastation and senseless loss of life inflicted by drug traffickers,” stated DEA Special Agent-in-Charge Tarentino. “DEA and our task forces are committed to bringing to justice those responsible for fueling drug overdose and poisonings and defeating the drug cartel's lethal criminal empires.”
As proven at trial, Tunstall was a drug dealer who regularly sold cocaine and heroin to customers in Nassau County. The defendant met the victim at an outpatient rehabilitation facility in Mineola, and even sold him cocaine in the bathroom of the facility. Tunstall’s co-defendant, Jay Tenem, a drug addict who also met the defendant in a rehabilitation program, delivered the fatal dose of heroin from Tunstall to the victim on October 28, 2018, in exchange for heroin of his own to use. Tenem collected the victim’s payment for the heroin, and brought the cash back to Tunstall. The victim was found dead of heroin intoxication the next morning in his bedroom, by his mother. The evidence included text messages between the defendant and the victim, and between Tenem and the victim. In those messages, the defendant negotiated prices for the drugs with the victim, and told him “I don’t do this for fun.”
Tenem pleaded guilty in February 2019 to distributing the heroin that caused Alvarez’s death and is awaiting sentencing.
Tunstall pleaded guilty in July 2021 to conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine, and was sentenced by the Court in December 2022 to 20 years’ imprisonment. When sentenced in this case, for causing Alvarez’s death, Tunstall faces up to life in prison.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Justina Geraci and Samantha Alessi are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Michael Compitello.
The Defendant:
JAMES T. TUNSTALL (also known as “Math”)
Age: 48
Freeport and Westbury, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-675 (JMA)
Logan County Felon Sentenced to 37 Months in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
Bowling Green, KY – A Logan County man was sentenced today to 37 months in prison for illegally possessing a handgun as a convicted felon.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Sheriff Stephen Stratton of the Logan County Sheriff’s Office made the announcement.
According to court documents, on February 2, 2021, Marvelle Woodard, 37, a convicted felon, possessed a Taurus, model G2C, nine-millimeter semiautomatic handgun after having previously been convicted of the following felonies. On March 20, 2008, in Logan Circuit Court, Woodard was convicted of first-degree fleeing/evading police, first-degree possession of a controlled substance (cocaine), and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
In addition to the 37-month prison sentence, Woodard is required to serve an additional 3 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the ATF Bowling Green Field Office and the Logan County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Yurchisin II, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch 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.
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Leslie Bethea Sentenced to 78 Months for PPP Loan Fraud and Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On February 6, 2023, Leslie D. Bethea, 30, currently of Surgoinsville, TN, was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison by the Honorable J. Ronnie Greer, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville.
On June 14, 2022, the Federal Grand Jury indicted Bethea for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, and making false statements. Bethea agreed to plead guilty to one count of wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343 and one count of making a false statement to her United States probation officer in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001. Following Bethea’s imprisonment, she will be on supervised release for three years. Bethea was also ordered to pay restitution totaling $20,805 on account of her theft.
According to filed court documents, Bethea was previously sentenced to prison for 24-months for wire fraud in United States v. Leslie Bethea, Case No. 2:18-CR-25 in the Eastern District of Tennessee. Upon her release from the Bureau of Prisons on October 8, 2020, Bethea began serving a term of supervised release that required her to submit truthful monthly reports to her supervising probation officer.
On March 29, 2021, Bethea obtained a fraudulent Payroll Protection Program (“PPP”) loan in the amount of $20,805. The fraudulent PPP loan application stated that Bethea had made $99,835 during calendar year 2019 (a year when Bethea was in prison), falsely claimed that Bethea had not been convicted of any fraud offenses during the past five years and attached a fraudulent income tax Schedule C as proof of her claim that she made $99,835.
A PPP loan was approved based on Bethea’s fraudulent application, and Bethea received $20,805 on April 15, 2021. Bethea used a portion of the fraudulent loan proceeds to pay for a five-day junket at a resort in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida. She also used some of the fraudulent loan proceeds to pay for an elective cosmetic surgical procedure in Florida while there.
Upon her return to Tennessee, Bethea then submitted a false monthly supervision report to her probation officer for the month of April 2021. In that report, Bethea falsely claimed she had only received $200 during the month of April, falsely claimed she had no expenses of more than $500 (even though she paid more than that amount to the Sunny Isles Beach resort and the plastic surgery practice while in Florida), and falsely stated that she had not travelled out of the state of Tennessee during the month of April 2021.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee; and Resident Agent in Charge Jason B. Brown of the United States Secret Service made the announcement.
This prosecution was the result of an investigation by the United States Secret Service. This investigation was led by Senior Special Agent Thomas Whitehead.
Assistant United States Attorney Mac D. Heavener represented the United States.
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Lee’s Summit Man Sentenced for Arson, Insurance, Bank Fraud Conspiracies, Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Lee’s Summit, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today in two separate indictments for leading an arson and insurance fraud conspiracy and a separate bank fraud conspiracy, and for illegally possessing firearms.
Wandale J. Fulton, 41, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to a total of 15 years and 10 months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Fulton to pay $380,985 in restitution to the victims of his fraud schemes.
On Jan. 27, 2022, Fulton pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to use fire in the commission of wire and mail fraud, one count of arson in the commission of a federal felony, and one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Fulton also pleaded guilty to the charge contained in a separate federal indictment, one count of being a felon in possession of firearms.
Fulton led an arson and insurance fraud conspiracy from 2013 through 2019. Fulton and co-conspirators bought houses in Kansas City, Mo., insured them, had them burned or vandalized, and then filed insurance claims on the houses. In each arson, according to court documents, the fire was set in the middle of the night. First responders arrived to find these homes — in densely populated neighborhoods — engulfed in flames and burning out of control. Fulton’s scheme resulted in the total destruction of three houses by fire and the ruinous vandalism of his personal residence, all to support false claims on insurance policies.
Fulton’s scheme to burn or destroy homes for insurance proceeds resulted in an intended loss of approximately $740,000 and an actual loss of $336,756 paid by insurance companies. To perpetrate his scheme, Fulton required the assistance of accomplices and co-conspirators to participate as straw home buyers and renters, to create and submit false documents to the insurance companies, and to set fire to the homes. Four of his co-conspirators have been sentenced after pleading guilty to their role in the conspiracy.
Fulton also led another criminal conspiracy to receive fraudulent car loans from Heartland Community Credit Union. According to court documents, Heartland approved a series of loans totaling approximately $121,500 based on fraudulent loan applications and supporting documents submitted by conspirators from April to August 2018. In each instance, the applicant defaulted on the loan and Heartland was unable to contact or recover payment from the applicant. The loan applicants appeared to be unrelated, but each loan was for a car supposedly purchased from C.E. Sales, a company controlled by Fulton. In each of those instances, Heartland issued a check to the loan applicant and the checks were delivered directly to Fulton, who deposited them into his own bank account.
ATF agents executed a search warrant at Fulton’s residence on March 26, 2019. During the search, agents found a Taurus .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun in a shoebox in the bedroom closet and an Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 semi-automatic firearm in a backpack in a closet. Agents later found a Taurus 9mm pistol in a computer bag. Fulton, to avoid detection by law enforcement, utilized an accomplice to purchase at least two of the firearms recovered from his home.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Fulton has a prior felony conviction for manslaughter for his involvement in a fatal shooting.
These cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brent Venneman and Nick Heberle. They were investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Lee’s Summit, Mo., Police Department, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Kansas City, Mo., Fire Department, and the Overland Park, Kan., Police Department.
Labcorp to Pay the United States $19 Million to Settle Allegations Under the False Claims ActRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (Labcorp), one of the largest providers for clinical laboratory services, has agreed to pay $19 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by its submission of false claims to Medicare.
The settlement resolves allegations that Labcorp caused the submission of false claims to Medicare as a result of Labcorp’s provision of phlebotomy services for patients whose health care providers were ordering laboratory testing from Labcorp, Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Inc. (HDL), and/or Singulex, Inc. (Singulex) at a time when Relators allege Labcorp knew HDL and/or Singulex were paying health care providers process and handling fees as an inducement to refer patients to their laboratories. HDL and Singulex previously settled their civil liability with the government for a combined $48.5 million.
“Health care decisions should be based on what is in the best interest of the patient, and not on financial incentives and related schemes,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs for the District of South Carolina. “The efforts of relators like Scarlett Lutz and Kayla Webster are essential to protecting the integrity of our Medicare system, and we thank them for bringing these allegations forward.”
The settlement resolves a lawsuit originally brought by Scarlett Lutz and Kayla Webster under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. As part of this resolution, Lutz and Webster will receive approximately $5.6 million of the federal settlement amount. The whistleblowers in this case were represented by Marc S. Raspanti and Pamela Coyle Brecht of Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP; Stephen Shackelford, Jr. and Steven Shepard of Susman Godfrey, L.L.P.; and Beth B. Richardson of Robinson Gray Stepp & Laffitte, LLC.
The lawsuit resolved by this settlement is captioned United States of America, et al., ex rel. Scarlett Lutz and Kayla Webster v. Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings, Case No. 9:14-cv-3699-RMG (D.S.C.). The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Kingdom City Business Owner Pleads Guilty to $673,000 CARES Act FraudRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Kingdom City, Mo., business owner pleaded guilty in federal court today to fraudulently receiving more than $673,000 in loans for several businesses under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Scott Allen Maples, 39, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr., to one count of bank fraud.
By pleading guilty today, Maples admitted that he fraudulently applied for and received Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans for several businesses. When Maples applied for PPP loans, he reported exaggerated and inaccurate payroll expenses and submitted fabricated and altered bank statements and tax forms. Under the CARES Act, both the principal and interest on those loans were eligible for forgiveness if the loan money was spent for permissible expenses (such as payroll, mortgage interest, rent and utilities) and at least 60 percent of the loan went towards payroll expenses.
After submitting those fraudulent loan applications, Maples received a total of $673,127 in loan proceeds. Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Maples must pay restitution and must forfeit to the government $673,127.
Maples admitted that he submitted a loan application to Square, Inc., a company authorized to issue PPP loans, on May 6, 2020, on behalf of Area 23, LLC, claiming 21 employees and an average monthly payroll of $69,548. Maples submitted fabricated documents to support the loan application. He received a $173,872 loan. Maples also submitted a loan application to US Bank on May 15, 2020, for the same business, Area 23, making the same claims of employees and payroll and again including fabricated documents to support the loan application. Maples again received a $173,872 loan.
Maples also received a $51,750 PPP loan for Maples Enterprises through Square. In the loan application, Maples indicated that there were six employees earning a total of $20,700 per month on average. In reality, Department of Labor records reflected that there was only one employee. Another business, Clearance Depot, received a $270,632 PPP loan. Maples submitted statements in support of this loan that were later found to be altered and incorrect.
Maples also submitted an application for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan seeking $30,000. This loan also contained suspected misrepresentations that overstated the prior year’s revenues. Maples received a $3,000 advance on this loan, but the loan that he sought was not issued.
Under federal statutes, Maples is subject to a sentence of up to 30 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren E. Kummerer. It was investigated by the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the FDIC Office of Inspector General, and IRS-Criminal Investigation.