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Wednesday 25 January 2023
Madison Man Sentenced to 11 Years for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Charlie Goodwin, 34, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 132 months in prison for distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Goodwin pleaded guilty to this charge on October 21, 2022.
On August 27, 2021, a confidential source working with the Drug Enforcement Administration communicated with Goodwin and arranged to buy one pound of methamphetamine. Goodwin arrived at the meeting location in Madison and sold the confidential source one pound of methamphetamine in exchange for $3,000.
On September 10, 2021, Madison Police officers received information that Goodwin’s vehicle may have been used in the robbery of a gas station. When officers attempted to pull over Goodwin, he led them on a high-speed chase through Madison. After officers terminated the pursuit for safety reasons, Goodwin carjacked a Chevrolet Equinox and drove back to his residence. The victim of the carjacking sustained injuries to his neck and right arm.
Later that day, officers arrested Goodwin at his girlfriend’s apartment and searched the residence. During the search, officers found $164,124 in cash, two loaded firearms, and drug packing materials. There was also evidence showing Goodwin had recently flushed heroin down the toilet and the sink.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Peterson noted that Goodwin was the leader of a large-scale interstate drug trafficking organization and was involved in transporting “a daunting amount” of methamphetamine from California to Wisconsin. Judge Peterson also noted it was an aggravating factor that Goodwin had two prior felony convictions for drug trafficking in the Madison area and six additional criminal convictions.
The charge against Goodwin is the result of a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Dane County Narcotics Task Force, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Madison Police Department. The investigation was conducted and funded by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a multi-agency task force that coordinates long-term narcotics trafficking investigations. The prosecution of the case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Wegner.
Madera Fentanyl Trafficker Sentenced to 7 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Alfredo Sanchez, 43, of Madera, was sentenced yesterday to seven years in prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Sanchez provided his co-defendant, Saybyn Borges, 30, of Reno, Nevada, with 493 fake oxycodone pills that contained fentanyl. On May 21, 2018, Borges then sold those fentanyl pills to a confidential source working with law enforcement in Placer County. On June 7, 2018, Borges was arrested in possession of an additional 3,440 counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl that he had received from Sanchez. Sanchez had provided Borges 7,000 fentanyl pills for redistribution, but prior to Borges’ arrest, Borges destroyed half of the pills by throwing them out a car window during a high-speed chase with law enforcement in San Joaquin County. During a search of Sanchez’s residence, law enforcement seized four firearms and multiple high-capacity magazines. Sanchez, who had previously been convicted of a federal drug trafficking felony, was prohibited from possessing firearms.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron L. Desmond prosecuted the case.
On Feb. 4, 2021, Borges, was sentenced to 10 years and one month in prison for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
MS-13 Gang Member Sentenced to 5+ Years in Heroin Conspiracy with GirlfriendRead the Press Release
An MS-13 gang member was sentenced today to more than five years in federal prison for a drug crime, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Williams Josue Fuentes-Argueta, a 30-year-old El Salvadorian in the U.S. illegally, was indicted in November 2021 and pleaded guilty in April 2022 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin. He was sentenced Wednesday to 64 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr, who also ordered him to forfeit two handguns.
At his sentencing hearing, Judge Starr ruled that the defendant belonged to MS-13, a notoriously violent transnational street gang with the creed, “kill, rob, rape, control.”
In plea papers, Mr. Fuentes-Argueta admitted he and his co-conspirator, girlfriend Angie Marlyn Valencia, dealt heroin out of an apartment on Royal Lane in Dallas.
On Sept. 16, 2021, while Ms. Valencia acted as lookout, Mr. Fuentes-Argueta sold more than 70 grams of heroin to an undercover Texas DPS officer for $2,7000 cash. About two weeks later, the pair teamed up again to sell another 76 grams of heroin to two undercover officers.
On Oct. 12, officers searched the defendants’ residence and found 20 grams of heroin and two handguns, a 9mm M&P and a .380mm Keltec.
Ms. Valencia, who also plead guilty to engaging in the conspiracy, was sentenced in August 2022 to 65 months in federal prison. Judge Starr found that Ms. Valencia also met the criteria to be considered an MS-13 gang member.
The Texas Department of Public Safety, the Carrolton Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney George Leal is prosecuting the case.
Louisiana Man Sentenced to 45 Years for Kidnapping and Attempting to Murder a Gay Man as Part of Hate Crime Scheme Targeting Users of a Dating App for Gay MenRead the Press Release
Chance Seneca, 21, of Lafayette, Louisiana, was sentenced today to 45 years in federal prison for kidnapping and attempting to murder a gay man as part of a months-long scheme to kidnap and murder gay men.
The court rested its sentence on many factors, including its determination that the defendant intentionally targeted the victim and other gay men because of their gender and sexual orientation.
“The facts of this case are truly shocking, and the defendant’s decision to specifically target gay men is a disturbing reminder of the unique prejudices and dangers facing the LGBTQ+ community today,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The internet should be accessible and safe for all Americans, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation. We will continue to identify and intercept the predators who weaponize online platforms to target LGBTQ+ victims and carry out acts of violence and hate.”
According to evidence introduced at sentencing and in an earlier hearing where the defendant pleaded guilty, Seneca in June 2020 used Grindr, a dating application for gay and bisexual men, to kidnap and attempt to murder H.W., a gay man. Specifically, Seneca used Grindr to propose a meeting with H.W., with the intent of murdering and dismembering him, and then drove H.W. to an isolated house, took out a handgun, instructed him to put on handcuffs, and then used several methods to attempt to murder him. Believing that H.W. was dead, Seneca then attempted to dismember him. After his arrest, Seneca admitted that he had planned to continue murdering gay men until he was caught or killed.
Seneca acknowledged that he kidnapped and attempted to murder H.W. in order to satisfy a compulsive murder-fantasy. Seneca had become fixated with the idea of killing gay men, and this fascination led him to spend months designing a murder-kidnapping scheme that mirrored the murders of gay men committed by the notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. Seneca intentionally targeted gay men, as Dahmer had done. Seneca had also intended to eat and preserve the bodies of his victims, as Dahmer had done.
“No one should ever be subjected to the type of horrendous actions that this defendant inflicted upon the victim in this case,” said U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown for the Western District of Louisiana. “The victim never thought that he would find himself falling prey to a predator in such a way. Hate crimes such as this are a top priority for the Department and this office, and we take these kind of cases very seriously. It is important that we all remain vigilant and cautious as we use the internet in our everyday lives to avoid situations that may lead to destructive behavior of others towards us.”
“The preservation of civil rights and the investigation of Color of Law violations are of utmost priority for the FBI,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Williams Jr. of the FBI New Orleans Field Office.” "Today's sentencing sends a clear message that individuals like Chance Seneca will be held accountable. We thank our partners at the United States Attorney's Office, Western District of Louisiana, Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and Lafayette Police Department for their strong partnership and dedication to protecting the civil rights of every citizen.”
The FBI and the Lafayette Police Department conducted the investigation.
Deputy Criminal Chief Myers Namie for the Western District of Louisiana and Trial Attorney Thomas Johnson of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
Louisiana Man Sentenced to 45 Years for Kidnapping and Attempting to Murder a Gay Man as Part of Hate Crime Scheme Targeting Users of a Dating App for Gay MenRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. - Chance Seneca, 21, of Lafayette, Louisiana, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Robert L. Summerhays to 45 years in federal prison for kidnapping and attempting to murder a gay man as part of a months-long scheme to kidnap and murder gay men.
The court rested its sentence on many factors, including its determination that the defendant intentionally targeted the victim and other gay men because of their gender and sexual orientation.
"No one should ever be subject to the type of horrendous actions that this defendant inflicted upon the victim in this case," said United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. "The victim never thought that he would find himself falling prey to a predator in such a way. Hate crimes are a top priority for the Department and this office and we take these kind of cases very seriously. It is important that we all remain vigilant and cautious as we use the internet in our everyday lives to avoid situations that may lead to destructive behavior of others towards us."
“The facts of this case are truly shocking, and the defendant’s decision to specifically target gay men is a disturbing reminder of the unique prejudices and dangers facing the LGBTQ+ community today,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The internet should be accessible and safe for all Americans, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation. We will continue to identify and intercept the predators who weaponize online platforms to target LGBTQ+ victims and carry out acts of violence and hate.”
According to evidence introduced at sentencing and in an earlier hearing where the defendant pleaded guilty, Seneca in June 2020 used Grindr, a dating application for gay and bisexual men, to kidnap and attempt to murder H.W., a gay man. Specifically, Seneca used Grindr to propose a meeting with H.W., with the intent of murdering and dismembering him, and then drove H.W. to an isolated house, took out a handgun, instructed him to put on handcuffs, and then used several methods to attempt to murder him. Believing that H.W. was dead, Seneca then attempted to dismember him. After his arrest, Seneca admitted that he had planned to continue murdering gay men until he was caught or killed.
Seneca acknowledged that he kidnapped and attempted to murder H.W. in order to satisfy a compulsive murder-fantasy. Seneca had become fixated with the idea of killing gay men, and this fascination led him to spend months designing a murder-kidnapping scheme that mirrored the murders of gay men committed by the notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. Seneca intentionally targeted gay men, as Dahmer had done. Seneca had also intended to eat and preserve the bodies of his victims, as Dahmer had done.
“The preservation of civil rights and the investigation of Color of Law violations are of utmost priority for the FBI,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Williams, Jr. of the FBI New Orleans Field Office. “Today’s sentencing sends a clear message that individuals like Chance Seneca will be held accountable. We thank our partners at the United States Attorney’s Office, Western District of Louisiana, Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and Lafayette Police Department for their strong partnership and dedication to protecting the civil rights of every citizen.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Lafayette Police Department and prosecuted by Deputy Criminal Chief Myers Namie for the Western District of Louisiana and Trial Attorney Thomas Johnson of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.
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Long Island Contractor Indicted for Multi-Million Dollar Fraud in Connection with Hurricane SandyRead the Press Release
Alexander Almaraz, the owner of Design Concepts Group LLC (DCG) in Freeport, New York, has been charged in a 20-count indictment with wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, and attempted wire fraud in connection with a scheme to induce individuals to hire the defendant and pay DCG to lift their Hurricane Sandy-damaged homes. Almaraz is scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow afternoon in federal court in Central Islip before United States Magistrate Judge Lee G. Dunst.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Anne T. Donnelly, Nassau County District Attorney, announced the arrest and charges.
“In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the defendant took advantage of distressed homeowners who were desperate to rebuild their homes and their lives,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “The criminal charges announced today demonstrate that despite the passage of time, this Office and our law enforcement partners will prosecute fraudsters who prey on disaster victims and use government relief programs as a piggy bank to enrich themselves.”
Mr. Peace also thanked New York Rising (NYR) within the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery for their assistance with the investigation.
“As our fellow community members attempted to restore their lives following the cataclysmic destruction of Hurricane Sandy, the defendant exploited the opportunity to operate a years’ long scheme. As alleged, rather than complete the promised contract, Almaraz stole his victims' money to pay for his lavish personal expenses. The FBI will continue to investigate fraud and abuse of government relief programs and hold the scammers accountable for their schemes,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll.
District Attorney Donnelly said: “Dozens of New Yorkers – in their hour of need – were left homeless, and with their homes in ruin, due to the alleged actions of Alexander Almaraz. For nearly four years, this contractor allegedly promised families that he’d repair their homes, but instead he used disaster relief money to buy exotic sports cars and property in another state. I thank our partners at the US. Attorney’s Office and the FBI for their diligent pursuit of this defendant, who has left a trail of destruction in his wake.”
On October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy struck New York and New Jersey, causing catastrophic damage to low-lying and coastal areas, including many neighborhoods in the Eastern District of New York. Individuals whose homes were damaged were eligible to receive funding from the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery through the NYR program.
As alleged in the indictment, Almaraz entered into contracts—alternatively as the owner of DCG and fraudulently posing as the owner of a different company—with homeowners who qualified to receive funds from NYR. As part of these contracts, Almaraz agreed to lift the victims’ homes and set them down on a temporary support structure, which allowed demolition of the foundation, and then install a new foundation, lower the home, and reconnect appliances. Between October 2015 and June 2019, Almaraz agreed to lift the homes of at least 20 customers that had received NYR funding and who collectively paid him approximately $2.5 million. Almaraz convinced many of these homeowners to move out of their homes and pay him rent to live elsewhere, all the while neglecting their projects and causing greater loss. Additionally, instead of performing the agreed-upon work, Almaraz used the homeowners’ monies to pay for personal expenses, including credit card bills, land purchased in Kansas City, Missouri, and luxury automobiles, including a Lamborghini, a Porsche and a Jaguar. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum term of 30 years’ incarceration on each count in the indictment.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and Almaraz is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher Caffarone and Megan E. Farrell are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
ALEXANDER ALMARAZ
Age: 55
Irvine, California – formerly of Freeport, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-17 (JMA)
Local man sentenced for sexual exploitation of 15-year-old girl who later committed suicideRead the Press Release
GALVESTON, Texas – A 23-year-old League City resident has been ordered to federal prison for production of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Amari Mychael Singh pleaded guilty May 25, 2019, to one count of sexual exploitation of a child.
“This man’s actions led to death of an innocent girl,” said Hamdani. “While he will have to serve 25 years in prison, he will someday still have freedom and a life. She will not. The damage he caused her, her family and the other victims is immeasurable and has absolutely no place in our community.”
Today, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey V. Brown sentenced Singh to 300 months in federal prison. He must also serve 10 years of supervised release, during which time he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet.
At the hearing, the court heard from the victim’s mother. She explained that her daughter had committed suicide in 2020 while charges were pending against Singh. She also read from journal passages her daughter had written, highlighting the emotional toll of Singh’s actions. Judge Brown further found Singh was a proximate cause of the victim’s death.
Throughout the proceeding, the courtroom was filled with members of Mady’s Movement, a human trafficking awareness organization the deceased victim’s mother had founded.
Judge Brown also considered a victim impact statement from another woman Singh victimized when she was in high school. The statement explained how Singh had raped her while she was incapacitated on drugs he had provided.
The court further ordered Singh to pay $11,454.10 in restitution to mother of the deceased victim and ordered Singh to register as a sex offender.
In 2019, law enforcement learned that a 15-year-old girl had reported that Singh, then 20, had recently produced a sexually-explicit video of her and distributed it over Snapchat.
Authorities obtained federal search warrants for Snapchat accounts of both the victim and Singh. The investigation confirmed the victim’s story. They also found the video of Singh having sex with the teenager on Singh’s cell phone.
Evidence from Singh’s Snapchat and cell phone showed he produced sexually-explicit videos of another underage female and used Snapchat to advertise drugs, guns and women for sale.
Singh has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility in the near future.
FBI-Texas City and the Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation with the assistance of the League City Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zahra Fenelon and Stephanie Bauman are prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Lincoln Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Manuel J. Gonzalez, 59, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced today to 15 years for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine after having a prior conviction for a serious drug felony by United States District Judge John M. Gerrard. Following his release from prison, Gonzalez will serve 10 years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
Information obtained by law enforcement indicated between October of 2019 and April of 2021, Gonzalez was involved in the distribution of more than 500 grams (approximately 18 ounces) of methamphetamine in the Lincoln area. In October of 2019, Gonzalez made two sales of methamphetamine, totaling approximately one ounce, to a confidential informant working for the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force.
Gonzalez had a prior Nebraska felony conviction for delivery/possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance for which he was sentenced to four to six years in prison in 2018.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force.
Levant Man Sentenced to 33 Months for Fraudulently Receiving $322,460 in Pandemic Relief FundsRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Levant man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for wire fraud and money laundering arising from his fraudulent receipt of Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) funds.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Craig C. Franck, 40, to 33 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Franck pleaded guilty on August 16, 2022.
According to court records, Franck formerly owned CCF Acoustics LLC and CCF Acoustical Systems. Neither company was in business, generated income or had employees in 2020 or 2021. Franck received Maine unemployment insurance benefits over the same time frame. In July 2020, Franck was arrested on felony fraud charges in Florida.
In the summer of 2020, Franck received $177,400 in EIDL funds after submitting two fraudulent loan applications to the U.S. Small Business Administration. In the applications, Franck made numerous false representations regarding CCF Acoustics LLC and CCF Acoustical Systems, misrepresented that the funds would be used to alleviate economic injury caused by the pandemic, and claimed that he was not subject to criminal charges. Franck illegally used the EIDL funds to retain a criminal defense attorney and post bail in his Florida criminal case. He also used the funds to purchase a pickup truck and pay for other personal expenses.
In March 2021, Franck received a $145,060 PPP loan after submitting a fraudulent loan application to a private lender. In support of the application, Franck provided false IRS documents and forged checking account statements. Franck illegally spent the PPP funds on a second vehicle, online retail purchases and living expenses, among other prohibited uses.
In imposing sentence, Judge Walker observed that Franck engaged in a cynical scheme amounting to “high tech pocket picking” and had displayed “an extraordinary amount of narcissism” in carrying out the pandemic fraud.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.
Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act: The Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who suffered economic effects resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act made EIDL funding available to business owners negatively affected by the COVID19 pandemic. EIDL proceeds were funded by the SBA and disbursed by the U.S. Treasury. EIDLs could only be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that could have been paid had the COVID19 disaster not occurred.
Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP): Another source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP. In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding, and another $284 billion in December 2020. Businesses were required to use PPP loan proceeds for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. The PPP allowed the interest and principal to be forgiven if businesses spent the proceeds on these expenses within a set period and used at least a certain percentage of the funds for payroll expenses.
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Lawrence Woman Sentenced for Social Security MisuseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lawrence woman was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with fraudulently using someone else’s Social Security number.
Mariana Rosmely Aguasviva, 40, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to three years of supervised release with the first 18 months to include home confinement. In September 2022, Aguasviva pleaded guilty to one count of false representation of a Social Security number.
Aguasviva fraudulently used a Social Security number that was assigned to someone else in an application at the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles in Boston in 2016. Specifically, Aguasviva filled out an application to change information on her driver’s license, which was in the name of the person whose Social Security number was misappropriated. Aguasviva began misusing the victim’s Social Security number to assume the victim’s identity in 2010, when she first obtained a Massachusetts driver’s license in the victim’s name from the RMV. Investigators discovered the driver’s license in the victim’s name in Aguasviva’s purse at the time of her arrest.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; Billerica Police Department; and the Lawrence Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak, III of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), a specialized investigative group comprising personnel from various state, local, and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring, and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity and benefit fraud schemes.
Las Vegas Man Pleads Guilty to Iowa Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
James Conlan, 58, from Las Vegas, Nevada, pled guilty on January 25, 2023, in federal court in Sioux City, Iowa, to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
At the plea hearing, Conlan admitted that between January 2021 and December 2021, he and others were involved in a conspiracy that distributed more than a kilogram of methamphetamine. Conlan further admitted that he shipped methamphetamine from Las Vegas, Nevada, via U.S. mail, to an address in Cherokee, Iowa.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Conlan remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Conlan faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Iowa Department of Narcotics Enforcement, U.S. Postal Service, Department of Homeland Security, Iowa DCI Laboratory, Iowa State Patrol, Colorado State Patrol, and the Cherokee Iowa Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-4049. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Lame Deer man sentenced to two years in prison for sexual abuse of a minorRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Lame Deer man who admitted to having a sexual relationship with a minor girl was sentenced today to two years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Nathan Francis Stops, 42, of Lame Deer, pleaded guilty in September 2022 to sexual abuse of a minor.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The court allowed Stops to self-report to the Bureau of Prisons.
The government alleged in court documents that in December 2020, on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, the victim, identified as Jane Doe, who was then age 16, disclosed that she had been having an ongoing sexual relationship with Stops since she was 14 years old. The two had engaged in sexual intercourse on numerous occasions. Stops denied having sex with Jane Doe but was confronted with forensic testing results indicating sexual intercourse between him and Jane Doe.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI and Bureau of Indian Affairs.
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Konplo Fo Diplòm Enfimyè Abouti a Arestasyon de plis de yon Douzèn AkizeRead the Press Release
MIAMI - Plis de yon douzèn endividi akize nan Distri Sid la Florid pou swadizan patisipasyon yo nan yon konplo fwòd elektwonik ki kreye yon chemen dekoupe ilegal pou kandida enfimyè jwenn lisans ak travay.
Daprè twa akizasyon ofisyèl resan ki pa sele epi ki te emèt pa Jiri Tabli Federal Sid La Florid la, ak twa akizasyoon ke komisè gouvènman federal te depoze, tout akize yo te angaje nan yon konplo pou vann fo diplom enfimyè ansanm ak tout relve ke yo pran nan men lekòl enfimyè akredite yo ba endividi ki tap chache lisans ak travay antan ke enfimyè diplome (RNs) ak enfimyè kalifye/enfimyè vokasyonèl (LPN/VNs).
Fo diplòm yo ak relve yo kalifye tout achtè yo pou prezante devan egzamen leta a, epi aprè yo finn pase l, jwenn lisans ak travay nan divè leta antan ke RNs ak LPN/VNs. Plan global konplo a te gen pou wè ak distribisyon de plis de 7600 fo diplòm enfimye ke tout lekòl enfimye ki chita nan Sid La Florid la te emèt: Siena College nan Broward County, Fla., Palm Beach School of Nursing nan Palm Beach County, Fla., ak Sacred Heart International Institute nan Broward County. Lekòl sa yo fèmen kounyeya.
Chak akize ap fè fas a 20 lane prizon.
Markenzy Lapointe, Pwokire Distri Sid La Florid la di: "Demann pou enfimyè wo anpil epi li kontinye ap grandi," "Se domaj ke sèten moun ansanm ak enstitisyon ki konekte ak metye enfimyè a eseye eskive tout egzijans edikasyonèl yo. Biwo sa a ansanm ak patnè fòsdelòd li yo angaje l pou l pouswiv konplo fwòd sa yo ak tout lòt konplo pou komèt fwòd sanblab yo ki mete lavi piblik la an danje.
Tip zak kriminèl sa yo kontinye ap parèt, sitou nan zòn sa a.
"Fwòd Swen Sante pa anyen nouvo pou La Florid di Sid, piske anpil nan magouyè sa yo wè l kankou yon fason pou yo fè lajan fasil, byen ke ilegal, se sa "Ajan FBI Chad Yarbrough, ajan responsab kap mennen dosye a nan Miami" di. "Sa ki pi enkyetan konsènan envestigassyon sa a se ke gen plis de 7600 moun atravè peyi a kap mache ak akreditasyon enfimye ki fo, ki pwobableman ap trete pasyan ki nan swen kritik. Si se pat pou dilijans ak gwo travay di envestigatè yo sou dosye sa a, degre fwòd la patap janm dekouvri."
Akizasyon sa yo konsantre sou bi lisans pou enfimyè a, ki la pou pwoteje piblik la de donmaj lè w etabli yon minimòm de kalifikasyon ak konpetans.
"Swadizan lavant ak acha diplòm ak relve enfimyè yo ba endividi ki disponib men ki pa kalifye se yon krim ki gen potansyèl pou l mete an danje sante ak sekirite tout pasyan yo epi li denigre metye enfimyè a," se sa Ajan Espesyal Omar Pérez Aybar, responsab Depatman Sante ak Sèvis Sosyal la, Biwo Enspektè Jeneral (HHS-OIG), di. "An kowòdinasyon ak tout patnè nan fòsdelòd nou yo, HHS-OIG ap kontinye envestige ak agresivite tout move aktè yo ki, kareman meprize byenèt lèzòt pou anrichi tèt yo ak fwòd."
Akizasyon ki gen Rapò ak Fo Diplòm Enfimyè ak Relve de Siena College.
U.S. v. Witherspoon, et al., dosye no.: 23-60005-Cr-Smith
U.S. v. Sanon, dosye no.: 23-60013-Cr-Moreno
Dokiman akizasyon ofisyèl yo dekri Siena College antan ke yon lekòl akredite pa Komisyon Anseyman Endepandan La Florid ak Konsèy Enfimyè La Florid nan Konte Broward la ki ofri yon Pwogram Enfimyè Oksilyè ansanm ak yon pwogram Enfimyè Diplome (RN) rive jis a yon diplòm inivèsitè nan Syans pou Enfimyè. Se Eugene Sanon ki te manadjè Siena College.
Akizasyon ofisyèl la akize Stanton Witherspoon nan Konte Burlington N.J.: Alfred Sellu nan Konte Burlington N.J.; Rene Bernadel nan Konte Westchester, N.Y. de konplote pou komèt ak komèt fwòd elektwonik. Akizasyon a pretann ke Witherspoon, Sellu ak Bernadel solisite ak rekrite endividi ki tap chache akreditasyon enfimyè pou jwenn anplwa antan ke RN oswa LPN/VN. Yo pretann ke akize sa yo fè aranjman ak Sanon ki tap jere Siena College epi ki akize pa rekizitwa de konplo pou komèt fwòd elektwonik, pou kreye ak distribiye fo diplòm ak relve yo. Yo afime ke aspiran RN ak LPN/VN yo te asiste Pwogram pou Enfimyè nan Siena College nan Konte Broward la epi ke yo konplete tout kou nesesè yo ansanm ak tout fòmasyon klinik yo pou yo te ka jwenn diplòm RN oswa LPN/VN yo. Ofèt, aspiran a enfimyè yo pa janmè konplete ni tout kou nesesè yo ni fòmasyon klinik yo.
Rekizitwa kont Sanon a pretann ke li menm ansanm ak lòt vann milye fo diplòm Enfimyè de Siena College ansanm ak tout relve yo ba aplikan metye enfimyè yo ki itilize yo pou jwenn lisans RN oswa LPN/VN nan divè leta ak travay enfimyè ak tout pouvwayè swen sante yo san yo pat okouran atravè peyi a.
Akizasyon ki gen Rapò ak Fo Diplòm Enfimyè ak tout Relve yo de Palm Beach School of Nursing.
U.S. v. Russ, et al., dosye no.: 23-60007-Cr-Singhal
Daprè dokiman akizasyon ofisyèl yo, bi Palm Beach School of Nursing se te prepare elèev yo pou ranpli tout egzijans Lisans la Florid ak Konsèy Enfimyè yo, ak kalifye pou pran egzamen leta pou jwenn lisans la pou ka travay antan ke enfimye diplome.
Akizasyon ofisyèl la akize Gail Russ nan Konte Broward la; Cheryl Stanley nan Konte Collier, Fla.; Krystal Lopez nan Konte Palm Beach; Ricky Riley nan Konte Broward; Norberto Lopez nan Konte Palm Beach; Damian Lopez nan Konte Palm Beach; Francois Legagneur nan Konte Nassay, N.Y.; Reynoso Seide nan Konte Union, N.J.; Cassandre Jean nan Konte Palm Beach; Yelva Saint Preux nan Konte Suffolk, N.Y.; Evangeline Naissant nan Konte Nassau, N.Y.; Rony Michel nan Konte Monmouth, N.J.; Vilaire Duroseau nan Konte Essex, N.J.; ak Yvrose Thermitus, a/k/a "Yvrose Thompson," nan Konte Union, N.J., de konplote pou komèt, ak komèt fwòd elektwonik. Rekizitwa a pretann ke akize sa yo solisite ak rekrite endividi ki tap chache akreditasyon enfimyè pou jwenn travay antan ke RN oswa LPN/VN.
Yo pretann ke akize rekritè sa yo fè aranjman ak mèt Palm Beach School of Nursing la, Johanah Napoleon ansanm ak tout anplwaye lekòl la Gail Russ, Cheryl Stanley, Krystal Lopez, ak Ricky Riley pou kreye ak distribiye fo diplòm fwodè ak relve yo ki afime ke aspiran RN ak LPN/VN te asiste Palm Beach School of Nursing e ke yo konplete tout kou nesesè yo ansanm ak fòmasyon klinik yo pou yo te ka jwenn diplòm RN oswa LPN/VN yo. Ofèt, enfimyè aspiran yo pat janmè konplete ni kou nesesè yo ni fòmasyon klinik yo.
Aplikan pou pòs enfimyè yo itilize fo diplòm ansanm ak tout relve yo te achte yo de mèt ak anplwaye Palm Beach School of Nurssing la pou jwenn lisans RN oswa LPN/VN nan divè leta ak travay kom enfimyè ak pouvwayè swen sante san yo pat okouran atravè peyi a.
Napoleon te deja akize pa rekizitwa e li plede koupab de konplote pou komèt fwòd swen de sante ak fwòd elektwonik, ansanm ak fwòd elektwonik (dosye nimewo 22-60111-Cr-Smith ak 22-60118-Cr-Smith).
Akizasyon ki gen Rapò ak Fo Diplòm Enfimyè ak Relve de Sacred Heart International Institute
U.S. v Jean, et al., dosye no.: 23-60010-Cr-Smith
U.S. v. Etienne, dosye no.: 23-60012-Cr-Singhal
Daprè dokiman akizasyon ofisyèl yo, Sacred Heart International Institute se yon Lekòl akredite pa Konsèy Enfimye La Florid nan Konte Broward la ki te ofri yon pwogram enfimyè destine a prepare elèv yo pou anplwa antan ke enfimyè oksilyè otorize.
Akizasyon Ofisyèl la akize Ludnie Jean nan Konte Harris, Texas; Serge Jean Simoon Itaman nan Konte Harris, Texas; Anna Itaman nan Konte Harris; Rhomy Louis nan Konte Suffolk, N.Y.; ak Nadege Auguste nan Konte Broward la de konplote pou ak komèt fwòd elektwonik. Yo pretann ke akize sa yo solisite ak rekrite endividi ki tap chache jwenn akreditasyon enfimyè pou jwenn travay antan ke LPN/VN. Rekritè sa yo fè aranjman ak Charles Etienne, mèt Sacred Heart, pou kreye ak distribiye relve fo ak fwodè ki afime ke aspiran a te asiste Sacred Heart ak konplete tout kou nesesè yo ansanm ak fòmasyon klinik yo pou yo te ka jwenn diplom LPN/VN. Ofèt, enfimyè aspiran yo pat janmè konplete tout kou nesesè yo ni fòmasyon klinik yo. Etienne akize pa Rekizitwa ak konplo pou komèt fwòd elektwonik.
Tout kandida pou enfimyè yo itilize fo diplòm ak relve ke yo te achte de Sacred Heart pou jwenn lisans LPN/VN nan divè leta ak travay enfimyè ak pouvwayè swen de sante ki pat okouran atravè tout peyi a.
Anons la fèt pa Markenzie Lapointe, Pwokirè Distri Sid La Florid la; Ajan Espesyal Enterimè FBI Chad Yarbrough, Biwo Rejyonal Miami; ak Ajan Espesyal Responsab, Omar Perez Aybar, HHS-OIG.
Yon enkilpasyon se sèlman yon akizasyon, epi yon akize inosan jiskaske yo pwouve li koupab.
Se FBI Miami ansanm ak HHS-OIG Miami ki envestige tout dosye sa yo. Depatman Envestigasyon Sekirite Nasyonal te bay asistans ki te itil anpil, Biwo Rejyonal Miami; Depatman Veterans Affairs-Office of Inspector General Dèzetazini; Depatman Enspeksyon Lapòs Dèzetazini, Miami; ansanm ak Pwokirè Jeneral La Florid Seksyon Kontwòl Fwòd nan Medicaid, Biwo Rejyonal Mid-Atlantic. Adjwen Komisè Gouvènman Christopher J. Clark kap pouswiv dosye a ansanm ak Adjwen Komisè Gouvènman nicole Grosnoff kap jere tout konfiskasyon byen yo. Dosye sa a ap pouswiv devan leta ansanm ak tout lòt dosye kriminèl ki gen rapò ak yo nan Distri Alès Maryland.
W ap jwenn tout dokiman jidisyè ki gen rapò ak enfòmasyon sou sit entènèt Tribinal Distri pou Distri Sid La Florid sou www.flsd.uscourts.gov oswa sou http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
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Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Texas Tax Return PreparerRead the Press Release
The United States filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas yesterday seeking to bar a North Texas-area tax return preparer from preparing federal income tax returns for others.
The complaint alleges that Jennifer Murley and her tax preparation business prepared over 2,200 federal income tax returns and filed them during 2019 through 2022. According to the complaint, in a number of these tax returns, Murley and her business overstated the customers’ tax refunds by fabricating household help income, which can increase unlawful claims for tax credits, or by fabricating or inflating business losses to reduce taxable income improperly.
The complaint further alleges that by repeatedly understating her customers’ tax liabilities the fraudulent return preparation activities of Murley and her tax preparation business have caused a loss to the United States for returns filed during the years 2019 through 2022 totaling more than an estimated $2 million of tax revenue.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
Taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers. The IRS also offers 10 tips to avoid tax season fraud and ways to safeguard their personal information.
Justice Department Finds Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections Violates the Constitution by Incarcerating People Beyond Their Release DatesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has concluded there is reasonable cause to believe that the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections (LDOC) routinely confines people in its custody past the dates when they are legally entitled to be released from custody, in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Specifically, the department concluded that: 1) LDOC denies individuals’ due process rights to timely release from incarceration; 2) LDOC’s failure to implement adequate policies and procedures causes systemic overdetentions; and 3) LDOC is deliberately indifferent to the systemic overdetention of people in its custody. For more than 10 years, LDOC has been on notice of its overdetention problem and has failed to take adequate measures to ensure timely releases of incarcerated individuals from its custody. Between January and April 2022 alone, 26.8% of the people released from LDOC’s custody were held past their release dates. Of those overdetained people, 24% were held over for at least 90 days, and the median number of days overdetained was 29. In just this four-month period, LDOC had to pay parish jails an estimated $850,000, at a minimum, in fees for the days those individuals were incarcerated beyond their lawful sentences. At that rate, this unconstitutional practice costs Louisiana over $2.5 million a year.
As required by the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), the department provided LDOC with written notice of the supporting facts for these findings and the minimum remedial measures necessary to address them.
“The Constitution guarantees that people incarcerated in jails and prisons may not be detained beyond their release dates, and it is the fundamental duty of the State to ensure that all people in its custody are released on time,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Our investigation uncovered evidence of systemic violations by the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections that have resulted in the routine confinement of people far beyond the dates when they are legally entitled to be released. We are committed to taking action that will ensure that the civil rights of people held in Louisiana’s jails and prisons are protected. We stand ready to work with state officials to institute long overdue reforms.”
“Persons are legally incarcerated every day in America and are ordered by the court to serve certain sentences primarily for punishment, deterrence and rehabilitation purposes,” said U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown for the Western District of Louisiana. “This ultimately benefits the individual, society and the criminal justice system. There is an obligation both to incarcerated persons and the taxpayers not to keep someone incarcerated for longer than they should be. This can be costly from a physical and mental standpoint for the incarcerated individual and a waste of money for the taxpayer. Timely release is not only a legal obligation, but arguably of equal importance, a moral obligation. We look forward to working with the Louisiana Department of Corrections to ensure that it has the policy and tools going forward to prevent overdetention from reoccurring.”
“It is the job of the U.S. Department of Justice to protect the constitutional rights of every person, including individuals who are incarcerated,” said U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Gathe Jr. for the Middle District of Louisiana. “While all government agencies operate under constraints, that is no excuse for violating the rights of people who have served their sentences and are ready to start their lives anew. Federal law requires equal justice for all. My office is committed to enforcing that mandate.”
“Today’s findings demonstrate the Department of Justice’s commitment to hold accountable institutions entrusted to protect the rights of all citizens, including people within the Louisiana Department of Corrections,” said U.S. Attorney Duane Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “Lawfully convicted people should not serve a day beyond their official designated release dates. Louisiana is wasting money on incarcerating people beyond their release dates and incurring legal expenses in defending lawsuits filed by the overdetained. We look forward to working with all affected parties to correct this problem.”
The Justice Department initiated the investigation in December 2020 under CRIPA, which authorizes the Department to take action to address a pattern or practice of deprivation of legal rights of individuals confined to state or local government-run correctional facilities.
Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the Justice Department by phone at 1-833-492-0097, or by email at [email protected].
For more information about the Civil Rights Division and the Special Litigation Section, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/crt/special-litigation-section. You can also report civil rights violations to the Civil Rights Division by completing a complaint form available at: https://civilrights.justice.gov/.
Additional information about the Eastern, Middle, and Western U.S. Attorneys Offices is available at: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edla , https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdla , and https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.
Justice Department Finds Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections Violates the Constitution by Incarcerating People Beyond Their Release DatesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON-The Justice Department announced today that it has concluded there is reasonable cause to believe that the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections (LDOC) routinely confines people in its custody past the dates when they are legally entitled to be released from custody, in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Specifically, the department concluded that: 1) LDOC denies individuals’ due process rights to timely release from incarceration; 2) LDOC’s failure to implement adequate policies and procedures causes systemic overdetentions; and 3) LDOC is deliberately indifferent to the systemic overdetention of people in its custody. For more than 10 years, LDOC has been on notice of its overdetention problem and has failed to take adequate measures to ensure timely releases of incarcerated individuals from its custody. Between January and April 2022 alone, 26.8% of the people released from LDOC’s custody were held past their release dates. Of those overdetained people, 24% were held over for at least 90 days, and the median number of days overdetained was 29. In just this four-month period, LDOC had to pay parish jails an estimated $850,000, at a minimum, in fees for the days those individuals were incarcerated beyond their lawful sentences. At that rate, this unconstitutional practice costs Louisiana over $2.5 million a year.
As required by the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), the department provided LDOC with written notice of the supporting facts for these findings and the minimum remedial measures necessary to address them.
“The Constitution guarantees that people incarcerated in jails and prisons may not be detained beyond their release dates, and it is the fundamental duty of the State to ensure that all people in its custody are released on time,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Our investigation uncovered evidence of systemic violations by the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections that have resulted in the routine confinement of people far beyond the dates when they are legally entitled to be released. We are committed to taking action that will ensure that the civil rights of people held in Louisiana’s jails and prisons are protected. We stand ready to work with state officials to institute long overdue reforms.”
“Persons are legally incarcerated every day in America and are ordered by the court to serve certain sentences primarily for punishment, deterrence and rehabilitation purposes,” said U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown for the Western District of Louisiana. “This ultimately benefits the individual, society and the criminal justice system. There is an obligation both to incarcerated persons and the taxpayers not to keep someone incarcerated for longer than they should be. This can be costly from a physical and mental standpoint for the incarcerated individual and a waste of money for the taxpayer. Timely release is not only a legal obligation, but arguably of equal importance, a moral obligation. We look forward to working with the Louisiana Department of Corrections to ensure that it has the policy and tools going forward to prevent overdetention from reoccurring.”
“It is the job of the U.S. Department of Justice to protect the constitutional rights of every person, including individuals who are incarcerated,” said U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Gathe Jr. for the Middle District of Louisiana. “While all government agencies operate under constraints, that is no excuse for violating the rights of people who have served their sentences and are ready to start their lives anew. Federal law requires equal justice for all. My office is committed to enforcing that mandate.”
“Today’s findings demonstrate the Department of Justice’s commitment to hold accountable institutions entrusted to protect the rights of all citizens, including people within the Louisiana Department of Corrections,” said U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “Lawfully convicted people should not serve a day beyond their official designated release dates. Louisiana is wasting money on incarcerating people beyond their release dates and incurring legal expenses in defending lawsuits filed by the overdetained. We look forward to working with all affected parties to correct this problem.”
The Justice Department initiated the investigation in December 2020 under CRIPA, which authorizes the Department to take action to address a pattern or practice of deprivation of legal rights of individuals confined to state or local government-run correctional facilities.
Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the Justice Department by phone at 1-833-492-0097, or by email at [email protected].
For more information about the Civil Rights Division and the Special Litigation Section, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/crt/special-litigation-section. You can also report civil rights violations to the Civil Rights Division by completing a complaint form available at: https://civilrights.justice.gov/.
Additional information about the Eastern, Middle, and Western U.S. Attorneys Offices is available at: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edla , https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdla , and https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.
- Justice Department Finds Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections Violates the Constitution by Incarcerating People Beyond Their Release Dates
Justice Department Finds Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections Violates the Constitution by Incarcerating People Beyond Their Release DatesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced today that it has concluded there is reasonable cause to believe that the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections (LDOC) routinely confines people in its custody past the dates when they are legally entitled to be released from custody, in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Specifically, the department concluded that: 1) LDOC denies individuals’ due process rights to timely release from incarceration; 2) LDOC’s failure to implement adequate policies and procedures causes systemic overdetentions; and 3) LDOC is deliberately indifferent to the systemic overdetention of people in its custody. For more than 10 years, LDOC has been on notice of its overdetention problem and has failed to take adequate measures to ensure timely releases of incarcerated individuals from its custody. Between January and April 2022 alone, 26.8% of the people released from LDOC’s custody were held past their release dates. Of those overdetained people, 24% were held over for at least 90 days, and the median number of days overdetained was 29. In just this four-month period, LDOC had to pay parish jails an estimated $850,000, at a minimum, in fees for the days those individuals were incarcerated beyond their lawful sentences. At that rate, this unconstitutional practice costs Louisiana over $2.5 million a year.
As required by the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), the department provided LDOC with written notice of the supporting facts for these findings and the minimum remedial measures necessary to address them.
“The Constitution guarantees that people incarcerated in jails and prisons may not be detained beyond their release dates, and it is the fundamental duty of the State to ensure that all people in its custody are released on time,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Our investigation uncovered evidence of systemic violations by the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections that have resulted in the routine confinement of people far beyond the dates when they are legally entitled to be released. We are committed to taking action that will ensure that the civil rights of people held in Louisiana’s jails and prisons are protected. We stand ready to work with state officials to institute long overdue reforms.”
“Persons are legally incarcerated every day in America and are ordered by the court to serve certain sentences primarily for punishment, deterrence and rehabilitation purposes,” said U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown for the Western District of Louisiana. “This ultimately benefits the individual, society and the criminal justice system. There is an obligation both to incarcerated persons and the taxpayers not to keep someone incarcerated for longer than they should be. This can be costly from a physical and mental standpoint for the incarcerated individual and a waste of money for the taxpayer. Timely release is not only a legal obligation, but arguably of equal importance, a moral obligation. We look forward to working with the Louisiana Department of Corrections to ensure that it has the policy and tools going forward to prevent overdetention from reoccurring.”
“It is the job of the U.S. Department of Justice to protect the constitutional rights of every person, including individuals who are incarcerated,” said U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Gathe Jr. for the Middle District of Louisiana. “While all government agencies operate under constraints, that is no excuse for violating the rights of people who have served their sentences and are ready to start their lives anew. Federal law requires equal justice for all. My office is committed to enforcing that mandate.”
“Today’s findings demonstrate the Department of Justice’s commitment to hold accountable institutions entrusted to protect the rights of all citizens, including people within the Louisiana Department of Corrections,” said U.S. Attorney Duane Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “Lawfully convicted people should not serve a day beyond their official designated release dates. Louisiana is wasting money on incarcerating people beyond their release dates and incurring legal expenses in defending lawsuits filed by the overdetained. We look forward to working with all affected parties to correct this problem.”
The Justice Department initiated the investigation in December 2020 under CRIPA, which authorizes the Department to take action to address a pattern or practice of deprivation of legal rights of individuals confined to state or local government-run correctional facilities.
Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the Justice Department by phone at 1-833-492-0097, or by email at [email protected].
For more information about the Civil Rights Division and the Special Litigation Section, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/crt/special-litigation-section. You can also report civil rights violations to the Civil Rights Division by completing a complaint form available at: https://civilrights.justice.gov/.
Additional information about the Eastern, Middle, and Western U.S. Attorneys Offices is available at: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edla , https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdla , and https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.
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Jury Finds Man Guilty of Carjacking Victim Using A HandsawRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Whayname Ferdilus (21, Coral Springs) guilty of carjacking. Ferdilus faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 19, 2023, before United States District Judge Gregory A. Presnell. Ferdilus had been indicted on April 22, 2021.
According to testimony presented at trial, on February 24, 2021, Ferdilus visited a car dealership in Orlando and requested to test-drive a 2021 Cadillac CT4. Because he did not have a driver license, an employee of the dealership agreed to drive the vehicle while Ferdilus sat in the passenger seat. During the test drive, Ferdilus began rummaging through his backpack that he had between his legs, and pulled out a 12-inch, serrated handsaw. Ferdilus threatened the driver with the handsaw and demanded the vehicle. In fear for his own safety, the employee fled from the vehicle with the remote key fob in his pocket. The employee called 911, and deputies from the Orange County Sheriff Office quickly located the vehicle with the help of On-Star. Ferdilus was apprehended inside a gas station convenience store. He had the same backpack on his person, and when searched, the handsaw was located inside.
During the trial, Ferdilus testified and admitted to stealing the car but denied any intention of causing harm to the victim.
This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Beatriz Gonzalez.
Ithaca Man Sentenced to More Than 26 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting a ChildRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Remanu Phillips, age 32, of Ithaca New York, was sentenced today to serve 320 months (26 years and 8 months) in federal prison for sexually exploiting a child. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and New York State Police Acting Superintendent Steven A. Nigrelli, made the announcement.
As part of his guilty plea, Phillips admitted that on two separate days in June of 2019 he produced sexually explicit videos of himself sexually abusing a child. Phillips further admitted that he later transferred the two videos from his cellular telephone to a desktop computer, where they were later recovered by law enforcement.
United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also imposed a 30-year term of supervised release, which will start after Phillips is released from prison, and ordered Phillips to pay a $200 special assessment. Phillips will also be required to register as a sex offender.
Phillips’ case was investigated by the FBI Syracuse Mid-State Child Exploitation Task Force, comprised of FBI Special Agents and Investigators of the New York State Police, Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), with assistance from the Tompkins County Sheriff’s office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey J.L. Brown as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Irvington Man Sentenced to Three and a Half Years in Prison for Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – An Irvington man was sentenced to 42 months in prison for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents, David John Waxman, 35, was arrested by deputies with the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office in September 2021 in possession of dozens of stolen Alabama’s driver’s licenses and credit and debit cards, as well as several bags of stolen mail, including checks worth more than $10,000. Deputies encountered Waxman passed out in the driver’s seat of an SUV and blocking the road at an intersection in Theodore, Alabama.
During an interview with investigators, Waxman admitted that he had fraudulently deposited checks that had been stolen from the mail and altered into his personal account at Regions Bank. Waxman also admitted that he had attempted to fraudulently deposit a stolen U.S. Treasury check issued as part of the federal government’s program to offer stimulus relief to eligible U.S. taxpayers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Regions ATM surveillance video captured Waxman making these deposits on several occasions. As part of his guilty plea, Waxman admitted that he possessed and used means of identification of real people—namely, victims’ names, addresses, phone numbers, and bank account information.
Chief United States District Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock ordered Waxman to serve a five-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time he will undergo testing and treatment for substance abuse, will receive mental health evaluation and treatment, and will be subject to credit restrictions. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge Beaverstock ordered Waxman to pay $7,120.86 in victim restitution and $200 in special assessments.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Indiana Woman Indicted in Rhode Island in Online Romance Scam that Allegedly Defrauded a 96-Year-Old Rhode Island WidowerRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – An Indiana woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Rhode Island, charged with perpetrating an online romance scam that allegedly defrauded a 96-year-old Coventry widower of approximately $80,000, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Brittany Rakia Shawnai Lasley, 32, of Anderson, IN, is charged by way of indictment with five counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
The indictment alleges that Lasley created a social media account containing fake profile information on the internet dating site “Plenty of Fish.” It is alleged that Lasley used the false profile to lure the victim into responding, and then promptly began a campaign to persuade the victim to provide her with money, credit cards, gift cards, and his personal identifying information. Lasley allegedly led the victim to believe that providing her with these items would facilitate meetings between the two and foster a romantic relationship.
It is further alleged in the indictment that Lasley made numerous false representations to the victim to persuade him to provide her with money for home improvements, medical treatment, and travel to Rhode Island; to authorize and provide her with more than fifty prepaid money cards and unique login information necessary to redeem the cards; and that she gained access to the victim’s credit card and checking account that she used to make numerous unauthorized purchases; finally, she is alleged to have obtained access to the victim’s credit card by fraudulently representing herself as the victim’s daughter.
Lasley is currently detained in Indiana state custody in Indiana on unrelated charges. A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr.
The matter was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service.
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Indian Citizen Sentenced for Interstate Transportation of Stolen PropertyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kirtankumar Dalwadi, age 27, and a citizen of India, was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for his role in a law enforcement impersonation scheme.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement.
In previously pleading guilty, Dalwadi admitted that in June and July 2021, while temporarily residing in Albany, he was contacted by scammers he knew in India, who asked him to pick up quantities of U.S. currency from several locations in the eastern United States, and to transport and deliver the currency to various people in New Jersey.
At the request of Dalwadi’s associates, he picked up $250,000 in Niskayuna, New York, $60,000 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and $30,000 in McKee, West Virginia, and delivered most of this money to people in New Jersey. The victims in Niskayuna, Pennsylvania and West Virginia were victims of law enforcement impersonation scams, and were falsely led to believe that by making cash payments, they would extricate themselves from legal trouble threatened by the scammers. In pleading guilty, Dalwadi admitted that he knew the victims were being defrauded.
Dalwadi was initially arrested by Watervliet Police in July 2021, while attempting to pick up a Fedexed package of money sent by a would-be victim in New Mexico.
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also ordered Dalwadi to pay $340,000 in restitution, and to forfeit an additional $12,000. Dalwadi, as a citizen of India lacking status in the United States, will also be placed into removal (deportation) proceedings.
HSI, along with the Niskayuna and Watervliet Police Departments, investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett prosecuted the case.
Illinois Man Charged with Setting Fire to Planned ParenthoodRead the Press Release
An Illinois man has been arrested and charged by criminal complaint with malicious use of fire and an explosive to damage, and attempt to damage, the Planned Parenthood Peoria Health Center in Peoria.
The complaint alleges that Tyler W. Massengill, 32, of Chillicothe, committed the offense.
On Jan. 15, law enforcement received a report of a fire in progress at the Planned Parenthood in Peoria. Subsequent investigation — including a review of area surveillance from the fire scene — revealed that at approximately 11:20 p.m., an older white pickup truck with red doors parked in an area adjacent to Planned Parenthood. Video footage depicts a man wearing a coat with a hood pulled up and possible face mask walk up to the building with a laundry detergent-sized bottle. The man lit a rag on fire on one end of the bottle, smashed a window with an object and then placed the container inside of the Planned Parenthood building. He then quickly left the area on foot.
The complaint alleges that law enforcement, acting on several tips, linked the truck to Massengill and ultimately recovered the truck from an individual in Sparland, where Massengill had left it with a request to paint its doors white. After Massengill’s truck was seized, Massengill met with investigators at the Peoria Police Department on Jan. 24 and was taken into custody.
If convicted of the offense, Massengill faces a mandatory minimum sentence of imprisonment of at least five years and could receive up to 40 years in prison. The charges also carry up to three years of supervised release and a possible fine of up to $250,000.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris for the Central District of Illinois made the announcement.
The FBI Springfield Field Office, Peoria Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case, with assistance from the Peoria Fire Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Hanna for the Central District of Illinois and Trial Attorney Erin Monju of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
Anyone who has information about incidents of violence, threats and obstruction that target a patient or provider of reproductive health services, or damage and destruction of reproductive health care facilities, should report that information to the FBI at www.tips.fbi.gov. For more information about clinic violence, and the Department of Justice’s efforts to enforce FACE Act violations, please visit www.justice.gov/crt/national-task-force-violence-against-reproductive-health-care-providers.
A complaint is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
Illinois Man Charged with Being a Felon in Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
Jamie Swanson, age 32, of Colona, Illinois, has been charged with being a felon in possession of firearms. The charge is contained in an Indictment unsealed on January 19, 2023, in United States District Court in Cedar Rapids.
The Indictment alleges that, in March 2022, Swanson possessed three firearms after having been convicted of a felony.
If convicted, Swanson faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years on supervised release following any imprisonment.
Swanson appeared for a detention hearing today in federal court in Cedar Rapids and was held without bond. Swanson’s next appearance for trial is set for March 20, 2023.
As with any criminal case, a charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and is being investigated by the Anamosa Police Department, the Jones County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 22-100.
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Honduran Man Arrested in Portland Trafficking Rainbow Fentanyl and Firearms Charged in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Honduran man residing in Portland is facing federal charges after he was arrested moving two kilograms of rainbow-colored fentanyl and several firearms between two Portland-area motels.
Jose Isidro Zuniga Torres, 47, has been charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to possess and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Tigard Police Department are engaged in an ongoing investigation into the suspected trafficking of illegal narcotics from Mexico for distribution and sale in Oregon and Washington state. To date, law enforcement officials have charged or arrested eight individuals with connections to an international drug trafficking organization and seized more than five kilograms of powdered fentanyl, four and a half kilograms of heroin, three kilograms each of cocaine and crystal methamphetamine, 45,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, and 12 firearms.
As part of this investigation, on January 23, 2023, investigators were surveilling a motel in Portland when they observed two men, one later identified as Zuniga, exit a room carrying multiple boxes. The two men loaded the boxes and several additional bags into a vehicle and began driving toward another area motel. The investigators followed the vehicle and observed the two men unload the boxes and bags into a room at the second motel.
The next day, on January 24, 2023, investigators executed a federal search warrant on the second motel room. After making entry into the room, Zuniga was arrested without incident. Investigators located and seized more than 2 kilograms of hard, rainbow-colored fentanyl packaged for distribution, 417 grams of counterfeit oxycodone pills (M30s) containing fentanyl, 393 grams of crystal methamphetamine, 49 grams of cocaine, and eight firearms.
Zuniga admitted to possessing most of the drugs found in the motel room. He further told investigators the firearms were to be shipped to Honduras and were wrapped in tinfoil and clothing to avoid detection by law enforcement.
Zuniga made his first appearance in federal court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jolie A. Russo. He was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
This case is being investigated by the DEA, HSI, and Tigard Police Department. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Hays man sentenced to 15 months in prison for stabbing woman on Fort Belknap Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Hays man who admitted to stabbing a woman in the back was sentenced today to 15 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Tyrell Andrew Laroque, 34, pleaded guilty in September 2022 to assault resulting in substantial bodily injury to a dating partner.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court allowed Laroque to self-report to the Bureau of Prisons.
In court documents, the government alleged that in October 2021 on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, Laroque attacked a woman and stabbed her in the back as she lay on a bed in a Hays residence. After drinking heavily at his home, and for unknown reasons, Laroque became combative, got into a fight with a relative and held a knife to another relative’s throat while threatening to cut him. After the two relatives left, Laroque found the victim in a basement bedroom and stabbed her in the back, leaving a wound three inches deep. Fort Belknap Tribal Police arrested Laroque and recovered a folding knife from his person.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffery K. Starnes prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI and Fort Belknap Tribal Police.
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Hampden Man Sentenced to 7 Years for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Hampden man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for possessing child sexual abuse materials.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Kevin MacVicar, 31, to 84 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $29,000 in restitution. MacVicar pleaded guilty on August 12, 2022.
According to court records, between about February 2015 and February 2021, MacVicar possessed child pornography on his cell phone and electronic storage devices. He had obtained the images and videos from the internet, including by participating in online forums dedicated to child sexual abuse material. Some of the images depicted children under 12.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – “child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer re-victimization each time the images are viewed. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at https://report.cybertip.org/ or 1-800-843-5678. Your report will be forwarded to a law enforcement agency for investigation and action. If you have an emergency that requires an immediate law enforcement response, call 911 or contact your local police or sheriff’s department.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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H2K Member Pleads Guilty to Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A known gang member pleaded guilty yesterday to illegally possessing a Glock pistol equipped with a “Glock switch” (a machine gun), announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson.
Tavares Trevon Nelson, 20, of Birmingham, pleaded guilty to possession of a machine gun and receipt or possession of an unregistered firearm before U.S. District Judge Annmarie C. Axon.
According to the plea agreement, on November 1, 2022, the United States Marshals Service (USMS) Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force (GCRFTF) arrested Nelson on an outstanding felony warrant from Jefferson County for Theft of Property, First Degree and Receiving Stolen Property, Second Degree. Nelson had been identified by law enforcement as a core member of a local, violent street gang known as Hard 2 Kill, also known as “H2K.” Birmingham Police Department officers executed a search warrant on Nelson’s apartment. Officers recovered a Glock .45 caliber pistol equipped with a “Glock switch” – a conversion device designed to illegally convert a semiautomatic Glock pistol into a fully automatic machine gun.
The ATF investigated the case, along with the USMS Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force and the Birmingham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristy Peoples is prosecuting the case.
Guatemalan Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Guatemalan man residing in Framingham pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Carmen Jimenez-Cruz, 42, pleaded guilty to illegal reentry before U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley, who scheduled sentencing for May 11, 2023. Jimenez-Cruz was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2022.
In May 2013, Jimenez-Cruz was encountered by federal immigration authorities after he illegally crossed the Mexican border into Texas without being admitted by an immigration officer. He was removed from the United States in June 2013. Sometime after his removal, Jimenez-Cruz illegally reentered the United States and one month later, in July 2013, Jimenez-Cruz was again encountered by federal immigration authorities in Texas after having entered the United States without inspection. He was removed from the United States for the second time shortly thereafter in July 2013.
On an unknown date and place, Jimenez-Cruz illegally reentered the United States again. In April 2019, federal immigration authorities located Jimenez-Cruz at the Middlesex County House of Correction where he was being held pretrial on unrelated state charges. According to court records, in May 2022, Jimenez-Cruz was convicted of strangulation/suffocation and assault and battery on a family/household member and was sentenced to an 11-month split sentence followed by probation until May 2023. Upon completion of his sentence, Jimenez-Cruz was released from state prison without notification to federal immigration authorities.
Jimenez-Cruz was later located in September 2022 upon him being identified as a passenger during a motor vehicle stop in Framingham. Jimenez-Cruz was taken into custody. Fingerprints obtained from Jimenez-Cruz during his booking process were confirmed as an identical match to a prior removal verification document.
The charge provides for a maximum sentence of two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Todd Lyons, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations; and Framingham Police Chief Lester Baker made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Greensburg Police Chief Shawn Denning Charged with Federal Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – Shawn Denning, the Chief of the Greensburg (Pennsylvania) Police Department, has been arrested and charged with violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Cindy Chung announced.
The six-count Criminal Complaint charging Denning, age 41, of Delmont, Pennsylvania, was unsealed yesterday in federal court in Pittsburgh. Denning was arrested Wednesday morning at the Greensburg Police Department and made an initial appearance by video before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maureen P. Kelly. Judge Kelly released the defendant on a $250,000 unsecured bond.
According to the Criminal Complaint, Denning is charged with:
• Count One: Aiding and abetting the distribution of a quantity of cocaine in and around November 2021;
• Count Two: Aiding and abetting the distribution of a quantity of cocaine in and around February 2022;
• Count Three: Aiding and abetting the distribution of a quantity of methamphetamine in and around January 2022 through February 2022;
• Count Four: Aiding and abetting the distribution of a quantity of methamphetamine in and around May 2022;
• Count Five: Aiding and abetting the attempted distribution of a quantity of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, in and around July 2022; and
• Count Six: Conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and distribute quantities of Schedule II controlled substances (methamphetamine and cocaine), in and around June 2021 through October 2022.The complaint alleges that Denning facilitated the acquisition of cocaine and methamphetamine by Confidential Source 1 (CS1) multiple times over a 16-month period between June 2021 and October 2022. The drugs were sourced in California and Arizona, then delivered to CS1 via the United States mail.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a $1,000,000 fine, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Vasquez Schmitt is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Gaffney Man Who Crushed Officer with His Car Sentenced to over 34 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA — Cornelius Mayberry, 41, of Gaffney, was sentenced to more than 34 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to assaulting a law enforcement officer, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Brandy Scates, 37, also of Gaffney, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Evidence presented to the Court showed that on May 3, 2018, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office conducted a sting operation at a motel in Cherokee County and arrested Mayberry with two kilograms of methamphetamine. A search of Mayberry’s residence revealed another kilogram of methamphetamine, a bag of fentanyl, three firearms, and ammunition. Mayberry was initially charged by the State and made bond.
On August 27, 2018, a Homeland Security task force officer and a Cherokee County captain were conducting surveillance in the case and made a traffic stop of a vehicle Mayberry was driving. The task force officer advised Mayberry that Mayberry had outstanding federal warrants. Mayberry resisted arrest and struggled against the task force officer. The captain crawled into the back of the SUV, attempting to restrain Mayberry from behind. Mayberry drove the SUV forward, with the task force officer’s torso in the driver’s side window, and knocked the captain out of the SUV on to the ground. The vehicle hit a ditch and flipped onto the task force officer, crushing his legs.
Mayberry climbed out of the flipped SUV—stepping on top of the pinned task force officer—and began to fight the captain. The captain was able to put Mayberry in handcuffs but had to release Mayberry to call for help for the task force officer, who was still pinned and significantly injured under the SUV. Mayberry came into federal custody on April 4, 2019, and he has remained in custody since.
Evidence presented to the Court regarding Brandi Scates showed that in 2018, Scates conspired with Mayberry to distribute methamphetamine and was found in possession of 196.8 grams of methamphetamine on August 21, 2018.
“Law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities, and we owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs. “Those who put them in harm’s way in the course of committing other crimes will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We are grateful to HSI and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office for their work in bringing these defendants to justice.”
“This verdict sends a strong message, that those who sell and distribute this poison in our communities or target law enforcement officers will be held accountable,” said Ronnie Martinez, special agent in charge of HSI Charlotte, which covers North and South Carolina. “Thanks to the great work of the agents and officers involved in this case and to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, our community is much safer.”
“This is a great example of a partnership between local and federal agencies working together to remove major distributors of illegal narcotics from our neighborhoods,” said Cherokee County Sheriff Steve Mueller. “These career drug dealers will no longer have the ability to push poison on our streets after receiving these lengthy prison sentences. We are grateful for the work of all involved to help secure the lengthy prison sentences, which should send a message to others in our community who choose to push poison on our streets: you could be next.”
United States District Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks sentenced Mayberry to 414 months in prison, to be followed by court-ordered supervision. Judge Hendricks sentenced Scates to 120 months in prison, to be followed by court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Lea Schoen is prosecuting the case.
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Fraudulent Nursing Diploma Scheme Leads to Federal Charges Against 25 DefendantsRead the Press Release
MIAMI – More than two dozen individuals have been charged in the Southern District of Florida for their alleged participation in a wire fraud scheme that created an illegal licensing and employment shortcut for aspiring nurses.
According to three recently unsealed indictments returned by a South Florida federal grand jury and two informations filed by federal prosecutors, defendants engaged in a scheme to sell fraudulent nursing degree diplomas and transcripts obtained from accredited Florida-based nursing schools to individuals seeking licenses and jobs as registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical/vocational nurses (LPN/VNs).
The bogus diplomas and transcripts qualified purchasers to sit for the national nursing board exam and, after passing it, to obtain licenses and jobs in various states as RNs and LPN/VNs. The overall scheme involved the distribution of more than 7,600 fake nursing diplomas issued by three South Florida-based nursing schools: Siena College in Broward County, Fla., Palm Beach School of Nursing in Palm Beach County, Fla., and Sacred Heart International Institute in Broward County. These schools are now closed.
Each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison.
“Not only is this a public safety concern, it also tarnishes the reputation of nurses who actually complete the demanding clinical and course work required to obtain their professional licenses and employment,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe, who added that “a fraud scheme like this erodes public trust in our health care system.”
Crimes such as these unfortunately continue to spring up, especially in this area.
“Health care fraud is nothing new to South Florida, as many scammers see this as a way to earn easy, though illegal, money, “said acting Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough, FBI Miami. “What is disturbing about this investigation is that there are over 7,600 people around the country with fraudulent nursing credentials who are potentially in critical health care roles treating patients. Were it not for the diligence and hard work of the investigators on this case, the extent of this fraud may not have been discovered.”
The charges speak to the purpose of a nursing license which is to protect the public from harm by setting minimum qualifications and competencies.
“The alleged selling and purchasing of nursing diplomas and transcripts to willing but unqualified individuals is a crime that potentially endangers the health and safety of patients and insults the honorable profession of nursing,” said Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar of Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “In coordination with our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG continues to aggressively investigate bad actors who so brazenly disregard the well-being of others in order to enrich themselves fraudulently.”
Charges Related to Fraudulent Nursing Diplomas and Transcripts from Siena College.
U.S. v. Witherspoon, et al., case no.: 23-60005-Cr-Smith
U.S. v. Sanon, case no.: 23-60013-Cr-Moreno
The charging documents describe Siena College as a Broward County school licensed by the Florida Commission for Independent Education and the Florida Board of Nursing that offers a Practical Nursing Program and an RN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program. Eunide Sanon managed Siena College.
The indictment charges defendants Stanton Witherspoon of Burlington County N.J.; Alfred Sellu of Burlington County N.J.; and Rene Bernadel of Westchester County, N.Y. with conspiring to commit and committing wire fraud. The indictment alleges that Witherspoon, Sellu, and Bernadel solicited and recruited individuals who sought nursing credentials to gain employment as an RN or LPN/VN. It is alleged that these defendants arranged with Sanon, who managed Siena College and is charged by information with wire fraud conspiracy, to create and distribute false and fraudulent diplomas and transcripts. These fake documents represented that the aspiring RN and LPN/VN candidates had attended Siena College’s nursing program in Broward County and completed the necessary courses and clinicals to obtain RN or LPN/VN diplomas. In fact, the aspiring nurses never completed the necessary courses and clinicals.
The information against Sanon alleges that he and others sold thousands of fake Siena College nursing diplomas and educational transcripts to nursing applicants who used them to obtain RN or LPN/VN licenses in various states and nursing jobs with unwitting health care providers throughout the country.
Charges Related to Fraudulent Nursing Diplomas and Transcripts from Palm Beach School of Nursing.
U.S. v. Russ, et al., case no.: 23-60007-Cr-Singhal
According to the charging documents, Palm Beach School of Nursing’s objective was to prepare students to meet Florida’s licensing and nursing board requirements and become eligible to take the national licensing exam in order to work as registered nurses.
The indictment charges Gail Russ of Broward County; Cheryl Stanley of Collier County, Fla.; Krystal Lopez of Palm Beach County; Ricky Riley of Broward County; Norberto Lopez of Palm Beach County; Damian Lopez of Palm Beach County; Francois Legagneur of Nassau County, N.Y.; Reynoso Seide of Union County, N.J.; Cassandre Jean of Palm Beach County; Yelva Saint Preux of Suffolk County, N.Y.; Evangeline Naissant of Nassau County, N.Y.; Rony Michel of Monmouth County, N.J.; Vilaire Duroseau of Essex County, N.J.; and Yvrose Thermitus, a/k/a “Yvrose Thompson,” of Union County, N.J., with conspiring to commit, and committing, wire fraud. The indictment alleges that these defendants solicited and recruited individuals who sought nursing credentials to gain employment as an RN or LPN/VN.
It is alleged that these recruiter defendants then arranged with Palm Beach School of Nursing’s owner Johanah Napoleon and school employees Gail Russ, Cheryl Stanley, Krystal Lopez, and Ricky Riley to create and distribute false and fraudulent diplomas and transcripts representing that the aspiring RN and LPN/VN candidates had attended Palm Beach School of Nursing and completed the necessary courses and clinicals to obtain RN or LPN/VN diplomas. In fact, the aspiring nurses never completed the necessary courses and clinicals.
The nursing applicants used the fake diplomas and transcripts they purchased from the owner and employees of Palm Beach School of Nursing to obtain RN or LPN/VN licenses in various states and nursing jobs with unwitting health care providers throughout the country. Napoleon was previously charged by information and has pled guilty to conspiring to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, as well as wire fraud (case nos. 22-60111-Cr-Smith and 22-60118-Cr-Smith).
Charges Related to Fraudulent Nursing Diplomas and Transcripts from Sacred Heart International Institute
U.S. v. Jean, et al., case no.: 23-60010-Cr-Smith
U.S. v. Etienne, case no.: 23-60012-Cr-Singhal
According to charging documents, Sacred Heart International Institute was a Broward County School licensed by the Florida Board of Nursing that offered a nursing program designed to prepare students for employment as practical nurses.
The indictment charges Ludnie Jean of Harris County, Texas; Serge Jean of Harris County, Texas; Simon Itaman of Harris County, Texas; Anna Itaman of Harris County, Texas; Rhomy Louis of Suffolk County, N.Y.; and Nadege Auguste of Broward County with conspiring to and committing wire fraud. It is alleged that these defendants solicited and recruited individuals who sought nursing credentials to gain employment as an LPN/VN. These recruiters then arranged with Charles Etienne, Sacred Heart’s owner, to create and distribute false and fraudulent transcripts and diplomas representing that the aspiring candidates had attended Sacred Heart and completed the necessary courses and clinicals to obtain LPN/VN diplomas. In fact, the aspiring nurses never completed the necessary courses and clinicals. Etienne is charged by information with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
The nursing candidates used the fake diplomas and transcripts they purchased from Sacred Heart to obtain LPN/VN licenses in various states and nursing jobs with unwitting health care providers throughout the country.
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe; acting Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough, FBI, Miami Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Omar Perez Aybar, HHS-OIG, made the announcement.
FBI Miami and HHS-OIG Miami investigated these cases. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations, Miami Field Office; U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs-Office of Inspector General; United States Postal Inspection Service, Miami; and Florida Attorney General-Florida Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Mid-Atlantic Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Clark is prosecuting this case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff is handling asset forfeiture. This case is being prosecuted in conjunction with a related criminal matter in the District of Maryland.
A complaint, information, or indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
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.
Click here to access charging documents.
23-CR-60005
23-CR-60007
23-CR-60010
23-CR-60012
23-CR-60013Four Men Convicted of Engaging in a Child Exploitation Enterprise for Participation in the “Rapey.su” WebsiteRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal court convicted a Bremerton, Washington, man yesterday on charges of engaging in a child exploitation enterprise.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, from around September to December 2020, Christopher William Kuehner, 38, was a prominent member of the website “Rapey.su,” which was dedicated to, among other things, child sexual exploitation. After becoming a member of the website, Kuehner repeatedly induced and enticed minor girls to produce child sexual abuse material for both him and the other members of the website.
Special Agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C. field office seized and shut down the website in December of 2020.
Co-defendants, Jacob Royce Mullins, 20, of South Webster, Ohio, Kyle William Leishear, 43, of Bayonet Point, Florida, and Matthew Martin, 25, of Lancaster, Wisconsin pleaded guilty to their roles in the enterprise.
In a related case last year, a federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia also convicted Ashley Kolhoff, 22, of Port Clinton, Ohio, of production of child pornography for her participation on the Rapey.su website. Other users around the country have been prosecuted successfully in state and federal court for their conduct committed on the website.
Kuehner faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison when sentenced on April 25. Mullins and Martin also face a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison when sentenced on April 25, as does Leishear when sentenced on May 9. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Derek W. Gordon, Acting Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C. made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema announced the verdict.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Schlessinger and Trial Attorney Whitney Kramer of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section are prosecuting the case.
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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc
In 2021, EDVA launched “UnMasked,” a community-based educational outreach and prevention program in Virginia dedicated to raising awareness and educating the community about the prevalence of online sexual exploitation involving children and young adults. UnMasked is a multi-disciplinary partnership of local, state, federal, and non-profit stakeholders. The core curriculum is provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) NetSmartz program. To report an incident involving online sexual exploitation, call 1-800-843-5678 or submit a report at report.cybertip.org. To request an UnMasked event at your school or organization, please contact EDVA’s Community Outreach Coordinator at [email protected].
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-120.
Four Men Convicted of Engaging in a Child Exploitation EnterpriseRead the Press Release
A federal court convicted a Washington state man yesterday for engaging in a child exploitation enterprise.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Christopher William Kuehner, 38, of Bremerton, was a prominent member of the website “Rapey.su,” which was dedicated to, among other things, child sexual exploitation. After becoming a member of the website, Kuehner repeatedly induced and enticed minor girls to produce child sexual abuse material for both him and the other members of the website.
In a related case last year, a federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia also convicted Ashley Kolhoff, 22, of Port Clinton, Ohio, of production of child pornography for her participation on the Rapey.su website. Other users around the country have been prosecuted successfully in state and federal courts for their conduct committed on the website.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents seized and shut down the website in December 2020.
Kuehner was convicted of engaging in a child exploitation enterprise. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 25. Co-conspirators Jacob Royce Mullins, 20, of South Webster, Ohio; Kyle William Leishear, 43, of Bayonet Point, Florida; and Matthew Martin, 25, of Lancaster, Wisconsin, pleaded guilty to their roles in the enterprise. Mullins and Martin are both scheduled to be sentenced on April 25. Leishear is scheduled to be sentenced on May 9. They each face a mandatory minimum 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.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of HSI Washington, D.C. made the announcement.
HSI Washington, D.C. investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Whitney Kramer of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Schlessinger for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.
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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former Suffolk County Legislator and Co-Conspirator Convicted of Defrauding Mortgage Lender Out of More Than A Quarter of A Million DollarsRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the convictions of GEORGE GULDI, a former Suffolk County legislator and disbarred attorney, and VICTORIA DAVIDSON for defrauding Ditech Financial LLC, a mortgage lender, out of more than a quarter of a million dollars. The jury convicted GULDI and DAVIDSON of all counts following an approximately two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “George Guldi, while in prison, concocted and conducted a scheme along with his co-conspirator, Victoria Davidson, to brazenly steal more than $250,000 through blatant lies. Today, a jury held them accountable for their scheme, and they will both face justice for their shameless misconduct.”
According to the Complaint, the Superseding Indictment, court filings, evidence presented during the trial, and public information:
In February 2017, Ditech Financial LLC (“Ditech”), a mortgage lender, received a payment of approximately $250,000 from JPMorgan Chase in connection with the settlement of a civil lawsuit between several financial institutions. Ditech mistakenly treated the funds as a payment from GULDI toward his own mortgage, and it sent a letter to GULDI in March 2017 stating that it would not credit the payment because he owed more than the payment.
GULDI, who was in state prison at the time for insurance-related offenses and knew that he had not actually sent any money to Ditech, then enlisted his former girlfriend, DAVIDSON, to contact Ditech and try to “break” the funds “loose,” as he put it in a recorded call from prison. In the ensuing weeks, DAVIDSON called Ditech at least 19 times and, during those calls, told multiple lies in an attempt to obtain the funds — including falsely stating that she was an attorney and an officer of GULDI’s company and that GULDI had purportedly sent the funds to Ditech “accidentally” and wanted them returned.
In April 2017, after weeks of DAVIDSON’s misrepresentations, Ditech wired the funds to DAVIDSON’s personal bank account. Within two weeks, DAVIDSON had drained the bulk of the funds out of her account, paying various of her and GULDI’s expenses and purchasing multiple cashier’s checks. Within months, the money was gone.
* * *
GULDI, 69, of Ludlow, Vermont, and DAVIDSON, 57, of Lakeville, Connecticut, were each convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, one count of wire fraud, and one count of bank fraud. The conspiracy and bank fraud counts carry a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, and the wire fraud count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge. GULDI is scheduled to be sentenced on May 30, 2023, and DAVIDSON is scheduled to be sentenced on May 31, 2023.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Madison Reddick Smyser, Jonathan L. Bodansky, and Daniel C. Richenthal, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialists Arjun Ahuja and William Sirmon IV, are in charge of the prosecution.
Former Prison Guard Arrested for Sexual Abuse of InmatesRead the Press Release
A former Bureau of Prisons (BOP) correctional officer was arrested today in Oahu, Hawaii, on criminal charges related to his alleged sexual abuse of female inmates.
“As alleged, the defendant’s conduct targeted vulnerable victims and undermined the dual mission of the Bureau of Prisons: to provide a safe, humane custodial environment while preparing individuals for a return to society,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “The charges announced today reflect the Department’s commitment to root out sexual misconduct within the BOP and to hold accountable those who illegally exploit their authority.”
According to court documents, Mikael Rivera, 45, of Kapolei, Hawaii, was a correctional officer at the Federal Detention Center in Honolulu from approximately 2014 to 2018. While on duty as a correctional officer, Rivera allegedly committed multiple sexual acts with one inmate through the use of threats and engaged in sexually abusive conduct with two additional inmates under his supervision.
“As alleged, the defendant abused his position of power as a correctional officer and sexually abused multiple inmates under his supervision,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This case demonstrates that the Criminal Division will not hesitate to hold accountable any officer who preys upon vulnerable victims and violates the public’s trust.”
“Government employees entrusted with the custody of inmates are responsible for the safety of both the community as well as those inmates,” said U.S. Attorney Clare E. Connors for the District of Hawaii. “This prosecution holds a prison guard accountable for flagrantly and repeatedly violating the law, and thereby failing to meet this responsibility.”
Rivera is charged with six counts of sexual abuse by threats and 11 counts of sexual abuse of a ward. If convicted, he faces a maximum of life in on each count of sexual abuse by threats and up to 15 years in prison on each count of sexual abuse of a ward.
“No inmate should ever experience abuse at the hands of Federal Bureau of Prisons employees,” said Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ-OIG). “The Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General is committed to aggressively investigating allegations of abuse, including sexual abuse, across the BOP.”
The DOJ-OIG is investigating the case with assistance from the FBI.
Senior Litigation Counsel Marco A. Palmieri and Deputy Chief Jennifer A. Clarke of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara D. Ayabe for the District of Hawaii are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Postal Worker Sentenced for Obstruction of MailRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – KEVIN HART, age 31, of Marrero, Louisiana, was sentenced to a $100.00 fine and a $10.00 mandatory special assessment fee by United States District Court Judge Wendy B. Vitter.
According to court documents, HART was employed by the United States Postal Service as a City Carrier Associate and was assigned to work at Johnson Street Post Office, Metairie, Louisiana 70001. On or about July 1, 2021, HART knowingly and willfully did obstruct and retard the passage of the mail in that he unlawfully secreted, destroyed, detained, and delayed approximately 236 pieces of mail that were recovered from a dumpster in Metairie.
This case was investigated by special agents from the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General (“USPS-OIG”). The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachal Cassagne and David Berman.
Former New Mexico Taxation and Revenue employee sentenced for wire fraud, identity theft, money launderingRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced yesterday that George Martinez was sentenced to 94 months in prison. Martinez, 46, of Albuquerque, pleaded guilty on July 11, 2022, to 42 counts each of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft and six counts of money laundering. The Court ordered Martinez to pay $1,216,205 in restitution, and issued a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $689,797.
From 2009 through July 16, 2018, Martinez used his position as the Unit Supervisor/Bureau Chief of the Questionable Refund Unit at the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department to fraudulently alter tax refunds and direct them to bank accounts that he controlled. Martinez perpetrated the fraud by copying tax returns that had already been processed or creating new returns in taxpayers’ accounts. He altered information such as taxpayers’ Social Security numbers, bank account numbers and withholding amounts in the returns. By changing the withholding amounts, he increased the amounts of the refunds. Martinez fraudulently directed $1,216,205 into accounts in his control.
“Today’s sentence sends a strong message: If you abuse the public trust, you will pay the price,” said New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Secretary Stephanie Schardin Clarke.
“We will aggressively protect your tax dollars from fraud, especially when driven by the greed of a corrupt government official,” stated United States Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez. “Our system of governance depends on the trust and faith of the people we serve. There are few more important pressure points for our democracy than the system that funds it. We work tirelessly with our partners to ensure public dollars serve the public.”
“New Mexico taxpayers expect their public servants to be honest, ethical and beyond reproach,” stated IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Albert Childress. “In this case, the defendant not only violated the public trust, he personally enriched himself by committing identity theft, altering tax refunds and directing nearly $700,000 of ill-gotten gains to himself.”
“When a supervisor entrusted with the taxpayers’ money enriches himself like this defendant did, it’s a serious crime that can shake people’s confidence in their government,” said Raul Bujanda, FBI Special Agent in Charge. “That’s why the FBI teamed up with IRS Criminal Investigation and the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department to aggressively investigate this case and make sure justice was done. We hope today’s sentencing sends a warning to anyone in government who might be tempted to illegally help themselves to the public till: The FBI will come after you and will make sure you pay for every penny you stole.”
Upon his release from prison, Martinez will be subject to 3 years of supervised release.
The FBI Albuquerque Field Office and the IRS Criminal Investigation Phoenix Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department’s Tax Fraud Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Schied and Jeremy Peña prosecuted the case. Taxation and Revenue has strengthened its internal controls by overhauling system access privileges and updating business procedures. Officials continue to monitor daily business activity for abnormalities and suspicious transactions.
TFID also provides training to employees on how to spot potential fraud and operates a hotline for employees and the public to report suspicious activity. Possible fraud can be reported by calling 1-866-457-6789 or by email at [email protected].
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23-15
Former Leader of the Violent "Clan del Golfo" Drug Trafficking Organization Pleads Guilty to Engaging in a Continuing Criminal Enterprise and Other Related ChargesRead the Press Release
Dairo Antonio Úsuga David, known by various aliases, including “Otoniel,” pleaded guilty today to running a continuing criminal enterprise—the Colombian paramilitary and multibillion dollar drug organization known as the “Clan del Golfo” (CDG). Úsuga David also pleaded guilty to related drug distribution charges. When sentenced, Úsuga David will face a mandatory minimum term of 20 years in prison and up to life in prison. As part of the plea agreement, Úsuga David also agreed to pay a $216 million forfeiture money judgment. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Dora L. Irizarry.
Úsuga David was charged by way of indictments filed in the Eastern District of New York, United States v. Dairo Antonio Usuga David, et al., 14-CR-625 (S-4) (E.D.N.Y.) (the “EDNY Indictment”), in the Southern District of Florida, United States v. Dairo Antonio Usuga David, 15-CR-20403 (S-1) (the “SDFL Indictment”), and in the Southern District of New York, United States v. Dairo Antonio Usuga David, 04-CR-962 (S-3) (the “SDNY Indictment”) (collectively the “Indictments”).
The EDNY Indictment charged Úsuga David with, among other things, engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise from June 2003 through October 2021. The SDFL Indictment charged Úsuga David with, among other things, maritime narcotics distribution conspiracy from 2002 through October 23, 2021. The SDNY Indictment charged Úsuga David with, among other things, narcotics importation conspiracy from 2001 through April 2009. Úsuga David was extradited from Colombia to the Eastern District of New York in May 2022.
Pursuant to a plea agreement, Úsuga David agreed to the transfer of the SDFL Indictment and the SDNY Indictment for plea and sentencing in the Eastern District of New York. Thus, Úsuga David will be held accountable in the Eastern District of New York for the criminal conduct encompassing the three Indictments.
Merrick B. Garland, United States Attorney General; Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Markenzy Lapointe, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Damian Williams, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Anne Milgram, Administrator, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Ivan Arvelo, Special Agent-in-Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI); Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); Keechant L. Sewell, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD); and Steven A. Nigrelli, Acting Superintendent, New York State Police (NYSP), announced the guilty pleas.
“With today’s guilty plea, the bloody reign of the most violent and significant Colombian narcotics trafficker since Pablo Escobar is over. Úsuga David has now been held accountable for his leadership of the Clan del Golfo, which was responsible for trafficking tons of illegal narcotics from Colombia to the United States and incalculable acts of violence against law enforcement, military personnel, and civilians in Colombia and elsewhere,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Today’s guilty plea is the result of the determined work of numerous law enforcement personnel in the United States, Colombia, and elsewhere. It is our hope that bringing Úsuga David to justice can provide a measure of solace to the victims of his narcotics trafficking and violence in Colombia and the United States.”
Mr. Peace extended his appreciation to the United States Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle District of Florida and Eastern District of Texas; the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs; the Justice Department Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section (NDDS); Judicial Attachés in Bogotá, Colombia; NDDS SOD Trial Attorneys; the United States Marshals Service; the Port Authority Police Department; the President of Colombia; the Colombian Attorney General’s Office; the Colombian National Police; the Colombian Ministry of National Defense; the Colombian Ministry of Justice; and the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for assistance in the investigation, arrest, and extradition of the defendant.
“The guilty plea of alias Otoniel is the result of exemplary international cooperation,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe. “It also signifies years of hard work, commitment and perseverance of our Colombian and U.S. law enforcement partners to stem the flow of cocaine into the United States and to bring a major international drug trafficker to justice.”
“Today’s guilty plea sends a clear message to the leaders of drug cartels around the world that the DEA will stop at nothing to investigate and dismantle criminal drug networks that threaten the safety and health of the American people,” said Administrator Anne Milgram. “DEA investigated Otoniel—one of the most violent and prolific drug traffickers in the world—for almost 20 years. Under Otoniel’s leadership, Clan del Golfo shipped massive quantities of cocaine into the United States and killed rivals that threatened the cartels’ trafficking operations. I commend the men and women of the DEA for their many years of outstanding work that culminated in today’s guilty plea.”
“Today’s guilty plea ends Dairo Antonio Usuga David’s nearly 20-year reign of terror as a member and eventual leader of the notorious drug trafficking organization Clan del Golfo – an organization whose violent criminal activities pose a major strategic drug and national security threat to both the United States and Colombia,” said Ivan J. Arvelo, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in New York. “HSI will not stand by while narco-terrorists peddle poison around the globe for their own selfish financial gains. We will continue to work with our domestic and international law enforcement partners to disrupt and dismantle these dangerous transnational criminal enterprises and bring the perpetrators to justice.”
As today's plea details, Usaga David admitted to leading a savage and violent cartel responsible for trafficking enormous amounts of illegal narcotics to the United States. The FBI along with our law enforcement partners are dedicated in our efforts to make sure ruthless actors like Usaga David are held accountable for their destructive actions in our criminal justice system,” stated Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll.
“Today’s guilty plea further affirms the New York City Police Department’s unwavering commitment to ridding our streets of illegal narcotics,” stated NYPD Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell. “Because we know this vital work is far from over, we will continue to stand united with our local, state, federal, and international law enforcement partners in the fight against violent drug traffickers, wherever they are based. To that end, I thank and commend the New York State Police, the FBI, the DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District, and every other detective, agent, and attorney involved in this important case.”
New York State Police Acting Superintendent Steven A. Nigrelli said, “I applaud the remarkable work done by our State Police members and law enforcement partners in this case. Today’s guilty plea is proof that we will not tolerate those who bring dangerous drug activity into our communities and put the health and safety of others at risk. The State Police will continue to work with our partners to put an end to these violent enterprises to make our state a safer place.”
According to the Indictments, between June 2003 and October 2021, Úsuga David was the leader of a continuing criminal enterprise responsible for exporting multi-ton shipments of cocaine from Colombia to Mexico and Central America for ultimate importation into the United States. Additionally, Úsuga David participated in conspiracies to distribute narcotics via maritime vessels and also to manufacture and distribute cocaine, knowing and intending that the narcotics would be illegally imported into the United States.
The Clan Del Golfo
Between 2012 and through his capture by Colombian military and law enforcement forces on October 23, 2021, Úsuga David was the leader of the CDG.
The CDG is one of the most violent and most powerful criminal organizations in Colombia, and it is one of the largest distributors of cocaine in the world. With as many as 6,000 members, the CDG exercises military control over vast amounts of territory in the Urabá region of Antioquia, Colombia, one of the most lucrative drug trafficking areas within Colombia due to its proximity to the Colombia-Panama border and the Caribbean and Pacific coasts. Clad in military uniforms, CDG members employ military tactics and weapons to reinforce their power and incite wars and violence against rival drug traffickers, paramilitary organizations, and Colombian law enforcement authorities who threaten the CDG’s control.
The CDG funds its operations primarily through drug trafficking. It imposes a “tax” on any drug traffickers operating in territory under its control, charging fees for every kilogram of cocaine manufactured, stored, or transported through areas controlled by the organization. The CDG also directly exports cocaine, and coordinates the production, purchase, and transfer of weekly and bi-weekly multi-ton shipments of cocaine from Colombia into Central America and Mexico for ultimate importation to the United States.
To maintain control over CDG territory, Úsuga David and the CDG employed an army of “sicarios,” or hitmen, who carried out acts of violence, including murders, assaults, kidnappings, torture, and assassinations against competitors and those deemed traitors to the organization, as well as their family members. The CDG murdered and assaulted Colombian law enforcement officers, Colombian military personnel, rival drug traffickers and paramilitaries, potential witnesses, and civilians. Úsuga David and the CDG used violence to promote and enhance the reputation, and position of the CDG with respect to rival criminal organizations; preserve, protect, and expand the CDG’s power and territory; finance the CDG’s operations and enrich its leaders through the collection of drug debts; maintain discipline among its members and associates; and protect CDG members from arrest and prosecution by attempting to silence potential witnesses and retaliating against law enforcement authorities and those assisting law enforcement.
The Defendant’s Conduct
According to court filings, Úsuga David served as a high-ranking leader within the CDG from its inception and was its principal leader for 10 years. During his reign, Úsuga David oversaw all of the CDG’s activities and directed its members to engage in extensive criminal acts, including acts of violence, mandated “strikes” or shutdowns of all business activities and civilian movement within designated regions of Colombia, retaliation against law enforcement authorities and potential witnesses, the exertion of control over drug manufacturing facilities and trafficking routes, and the exportation of cocaine in multi-ton quantities.
Úsuga David assumed power and territorial control over vast swaths of the Colombian coastline and personally directed members of the CDG to commit acts of violence to reinforce that power. This included violence against civilians. For example, in early 2012, following the death of Úsuga David’s brother, Juan de Dios Úsuga David (also known as “Giovanni”), in a police raid, Úsuga David ordered that a multi-day shutdown or “strike” be imposed on towns and communities within the CDG’s control. During the strike, CDG members ordered that all businesses remain closed, and that residents stay in their homes. For multiple days, the streets remained empty, as Úsuga David ordered CDG members to execute those who did not adhere to his orders.
Úsuga David also personally ordered CDG members to commit murders of specific individuals, including the murders of rival drug traffickers and members of the CDG who betrayed him or the organization. For example, Úsuga David ordered the assassinations of multiple individuals who worked for a rival drug trafficking organization run by Daniel Barrera Barrera. Úsuga David also ordered the torture and murder of a CDG member who provided information to Barrera’s organization. That individual was subsequently tortured, buried alive, exhumed, and beheaded post-mortem.
In addition, Úsuga David regularly directed CDG members to use violence, intimidation, and murder to dissuade law enforcement authorities from performing their duties and to silence potential witnesses. For example, at Úsuga David’s direction, the CDG carried out organized campaigns, referred to as “Plan Pistolas,” to kill Colombian law enforcement and military personnel using military-grade weapons, including grenades, explosives, and assault rifles. Úsuga David also offered bounties for the murder of Colombian police officers and military personnel to intimidate law enforcement authorities and prevent them from capturing him or interfering in the CDG’s business. Úsuga David’s organization made numerous attempts to assassinate individuals who were believed to be cooperating with law enforcement. For example, CDG members attempted to poison a witness with cyanide while he was imprisoned overseas and attempted to assassinate the witness’s attorney.
Úsuga David was also extensively involved in the narcotics activities that funded the CDG and enabled its power. He oversaw the CDG’s drug trafficking exports and directed a network of “debt collectors” tasked with the enforcement and collection of taxes paid by drug trafficking organizations that operated in regions controlled by the CDG. In addition, Úsuga David controlled cocaine manufacturing facilities and used the CDG’s extensive distribution network to export cocaine independently for his own personal profit.
Asset Forfeiture
As part of the plea agreement, Úsuga David agreed to pay a $216 million forfeiture money judgment. The forfeiture money judgment is subject to the Agreement between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of Colombia concerning the Sharing of Forfeited Proceeds and Instrumentalities of Crime.
The investigation, extradition, and conviction of Úsuga David 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.
The government’s case is being handled by the Eastern District of New York’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Francisco J. Navarro, Gillian A. Kassner, and Tara B. McGrath are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Sophia Cronin, and Assistant United States Attorney Claire S. Kedeshian of the Office’s Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters. Assistant United States Attorney Robert Emery of the Southern District of Florida and Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Li of the Southern District of New York led the prosecutions for their respective offices.
The Defendant:
Dairo Antonio Úsuga David (also known as “Otoniel,” “Mao,” “Gallo” and “Mauricio-Gallo”)
Age: 51
Antioquia, ColombiaE.D.N.Y. Docket Nos. 14-CR-625 (S-4) (DLI)
23-CR-021 (DLI)
23-CR-027 (DLI)
Foreign National Pleads Guilty to Mailing Ricin to President of the United States in 2020Read the Press Release
A dual citizen of Canada and France pleaded guilty today to sending a threatening letter containing homemade ricin to then-President Donald J. Trump at the White House in September 2020, and eight similar letters, each containing ricin, to Texas State law enforcement officials.
According to court documents, Pascale Cecile Veronique Ferrier, 55, admitted in the plea agreements that she made ricin at her residence in Quebec, Canada, in September 2020. Ricin is a deadly poison made from castor beans. Ferrier placed the ricin in envelopes containing letters she wrote to then-President Trump at the White House and to eight Texas State law enforcement officials.
Ferrier was detained in the State of Texas for around 10 weeks in the spring of 2019, and she believed that the law enforcement officials were connected to her period of detention. In early September 2020, Ferrier used the Twitter social media service to propose that someone should “please shoot [T]rump in the face.” The letters in the envelopes contained threatening language, and the letter addressed to then-President Trump instructed him to “[g]ive up and remove [his] application for this election.” Ferrier mailed each of the threatening ricin letters from Canada to the United States. Ferrier then drove a car from Canada to the Peace Bridge Border Crossing in Buffalo, New York, on Sept. 20, 2020, where border patrol officials found her in possession of a loaded firearm, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and other weapons.
Ferrier pleaded guilty to prohibitions with respect to biological weapons before the Honorable Dabney L. Friedrich of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Ferrier also pleaded guilty to eight additional violations of prohibitions with respect to biological weapons in a case brought against her in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, and consented to the transfer of that case to the District of Columbia for plea and sentencing.
The Honorable Dabney L. Friedrich scheduled the sentencing hearing for April 26. Ferrier will be sentenced to 262 months of imprisonment if the court accepts the plea agreements. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia, and Acting Assistant Director John Morales of the FBI Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate made the announcement.
The FBI Washington and San Antonio Field Offices investigated the case with valuable assistance provided by the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Friedman for the District of Columbia; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rob Jones, David Coronado, and David Lindenmuth for the Southern District of Texas; and Trial Attorney David Smith of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
Foreign National Pleads Guilty to Mailing Ricin to President of the United States in 2020Read the Press Release
Defendant Also Mailed Threatening Ricin Letters to Texas Law Enforcement Officials
WASHINGTON – Pascale Cecile Veronique Ferrier, 55, a dual citizen of Canada and France, pleaded guilty today to sending threatening letters containing homemade ricin (a toxin) in September 2020 to then-President Donald J. Trump at the White House and to eight Texas State law enforcement officials.
The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew M. Graves, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas Alamdar S. Hamdani, Assistant Attorney General of the National Security Division Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office David Sundberg, and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office Oliver E. Rich, Jr.
According to court documents, Ferrier admitted that she made ricin at her residence in Quebec, Canada, in September 2020. Ricin toxin is a deadly poison made from the waste material left over from processing castor beans. Ferrier placed the ricin in envelopes containing letters she wrote to then-President Trump at the White House and to eight Texas State law enforcement officials.
“There is no place for political violence in our country, and no excuse for threatening public officials or endangering our public servants,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew M. Graves. “We hope this resolution will serve as a warning that using our mail system to send a toxic substance and other threats of this type will cost you your freedom for many years.”
“This woman did not succeed in her efforts to poison numerous public officials in our district, but her actions still created fear and stress for many of these dedicated public servants,” said U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. “We are grateful for the hard work of the FBI and our other law enforcement partners in identifying and apprehending her.”
“In addition to her intended targets, Pascale Ferrier's reckless actions could have harmed postal employees, first responders, or innocent bystanders,” said David Sundberg, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office. “Today's plea agreement demonstrates the FBI's and our partners' determination to investigate and bring to justice those who seek to harm or intimidate government officials or law enforcement officers.”
“Threats against public officials and law enforcement are unconscionable and will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Oliver E. Rich, Jr., of the FBI San Antonio Division. “The FBI remains committed to working with our partner investigative agencies to protect all Americans from threats of violence and harm.”
Ferrier had been detained in the State of Texas for around ten weeks in the spring of 2019, and she believed that the law enforcement officials were connected to her period of detention. In early September 2020, Ferrier used the Twitter social media service to propose that someone should “please shoot [T]rump in the face.” The letters in the envelopes contained threatening language, and the letter addressed to then-President Trump instructed him to “[g]ive up and remove [his] application for this election.” Ferrier mailed each of the threatening ricin letters from Canada to the United States. Ferrier then drove a car from Canada to the Peace Bridge Border Crossing in Buffalo, New York, on Sept. 20, 2020, where border patrol officials found her in possession of a loaded firearm, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and other weapons, and arrested her. Ferrier has remained in custody.
Ferrier pleaded guilty to prohibitions with respect to biological weapons in two separate criminal cases before the Honorable Dabney L. Friedrich of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. One case was brought in the District of Columbia, and the other was brought in the Southern District of Texas and transferred to the District of Columbia for purposes of plea and sentencing.
The Honorable Dabney L. Friedrich scheduled the sentencing hearing for April 26, 2023, when Ferrier will be sentenced to 262 months in prison if the Court accepts the plea agreements.
The investigation was handled by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and San Antonio Field Office. Assistance was provided by the United States Secret Service and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Friedman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia; Assistant United States Attorneys Rob Jones, David Coronado, and David Lindenmuth of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, and Trial Attorney David Smith of the DOJ’s National Security Division Counterterrorism Section.
Florida Woman Arrested for Defrauding Holocaust Survivor of $2.8 Million in Connection with Romance ScamRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the unsealing of an Indictment today charging PEACHES STERGO with engaging in a years-long scheme to defraud an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor of his life savings. STERGO was arrested today and will be presented in the Middle District of Florida. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, for years, Stergo deceived an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor, maliciously draining his life savings so she could become a millionaire through fraud. Stergo forged documents and impersonated a bank employee in exchange for a life of fancy trips, Rolex watches, and luxury purchases. Today’s arrest reemphasizes this Office’s commitment to seeking justice for victims of financial frauds.”
FBI Assistant Director Michael J. Driscoll said: "Today we allege the defendant callously preyed on a senior citizen simply seeking companionship, defrauding him of his life savings. The FBI is determined to get justice for victims of fraud and to ensure that scammers face justice for their actions.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment, which was unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:[1]
From at least in or about May 2017, up to and including at least October 2021, STERGO engaged in a scheme to defraud an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor (the “Victim”) of over $2.8 million, which was his life savings.
STERGO met the Victim on a dating website approximately six or seven years ago. In or about early 2017, STERGO asked the Victim to borrow money to pay her lawyer, who she claimed was refusing to release funds from an injury settlement. After the Victim gave her the money, STERGO said the settlement funds had been deposited into her TD Bank account. In reality, bank records show STERGO never received any money from an injury settlement.
Over the next four and a half years, STERGO continued her lies. She repeatedly demanded that the Victim deposit money into her bank accounts. She claimed that if he did not, her accounts would be frozen, and he would never be paid back. In total, the Victim wrote 62 checks — totaling over $2.8 million — that were deposited into one of two of STERGO’s bank accounts.
In furtherance of the fraud, STERGO created a fake email account, intended to appear as if it belonged to a TD Bank employee. She also created fake letters from a TD Bank employee and fake invoices.
While the Victim lost his life savings and was forced to give up his apartment, STERGO lived a life of luxury with the millions she received from the fraud: she bought a home in a gated community, a condominium, a boat, and numerous cars, including a Corvette and a Suburban. During the course of the fraud, STERGO also took expensive trips, staying at places like the Ritz Carlton, and spent many tens of thousands of dollars on expensive meals, gold coins and bars, jewelry, Rolex watches, and designer clothing from stores like Tiffany, Ralph Lauren, Neiman Marcus, Louis Vuitton, and Hermes.
* * *
STERGO, 36, of Champions Gate, Florida, is charged with one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Sowlati is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the Indictment, and the description of the Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Florida Man Pleads Guilty in Scheme to Steal Polymers that Caused Losses of More Than $4.1 MillionRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A Parkland, Florida, man pleaded guilty on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, to devising a scheme that defrauded several companies involved in the sale of polymers, including one business in Northeast Ohio, and multiple logistic companies, causing losses of more than $4.1 million.
According to court documents, from July 2013 to January 2020, Terrence Anderson, 66, devised a scheme to steal shipments of polymers from businesses involved in the sale of the chemicals. The scheme was achieved, in part, by fraudulently obtaining services from logistic companies involved in processing rail shipments.
Court documents show that Anderson owned and operated Coral Polymers, a corporation headquartered in Parkland that bought and resold polymers. As part of the scheme, Anderson would pose as fictional employees of well-known large corporations and contact sellers of polymers, including one company in Northeast Ohio, to facilitate large purchases of the substances, which were to be delivered by railcar to victim logistics companies at particular locations.
Contrary to his representations, court documents state that Anderson never intended to pay for the polymers but rather sought to resell them to third-party buyers. Court documents show that Anderson submitted purchase orders for shipments worth approximately $4,855,312 from at least eight sellers and obtained shipments worth more than $3.7 million from six of those sellers.
After ordering the polymers, Anderson arranged for victim logistics companies to unload the railcars, store the substances, repackage, and load them for shipment to their final destination. In addition, court documents show that Anderson enlisted the services of a co-conspirator who owned a trucking company. In an attempt to conceal the identity of the trucking company and the vehicle drivers, Anderson and the co-conspirator directed drivers picking up the shipments in semi-trailer trucks to remove or conceal vehicle license plates, provide fake identification documents if prompted, and to conceal from the logistics companies the true destinations of the deliveries.
Court documents state that Anderson, using Coral Polymers, had instead arranged to resell the shipments to third-party buyers for substantial sums of money, concealing from those buyers the true origin of the polymers.
In total, court records show that Anderson caused losses of more than $4.1 million to the victims he defrauded.
This case was investigated by the Cleveland Division of the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot Morrison.
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Florida Resident for Kidnapping Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A grand jury this week indicted a resident of Florida for kidnapping, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Acting Special Agent in Felix A. Rivera-Esparra.
A one-count indictment filed in the U.S. District Court charges Marcus Spanevelo, 35, of Panama City, Florida, with a kidnapping that resulted in a death arising out of events that occurred in the Northern District of Alabama in March 2022.
The punishment range for kidnapping resulting in death is life in prison or death.
The FBI investigated the case along with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office in Florida. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alan Baty, Bill Simpson and John Camp are prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Ex Líder de la Violenta Organización del "Clan del Golfo" Se Declara Culpable de Participar Activamente en Operaciones Delictivas y Otros Delitos ConexosRead the Press Release
Dairo Antonio Úsuga David, alias, “Otoniel," quién dirigía una organización paramilitar llegó a ser uno de los mayores traficantes de cocaína del mundo y a ser el responsable de ordenar que se cometieran despiadados actos de violencia contra militares, civiles inocentes y fuerzas del orden público
Dairo Antonio Úsuga David, conocido por sus varios alias, incluyendo el de "Otoniel", se declaró culpable hoy de dirigir una organización delictiva: la organización paramilitar colombiana y multimillonaria conocida como el "Clan del Golfo" (CDG). Úsuga David también se declaró culpable de narcotráfico. Durante la imposición de la pena, Úsuga David enfrentará una condena mínima de 20 años de prisión a cadena perpetua. Como parte del acuerdo logrado con la fiscalía, Úsuga David también aceptó pagar $216 millones por concepto de incautación mediante un fallo judicial. El procedimiento se llevó a cabo ante la Jueza Federal del Distrito, Dora L. Irizarry.
A Úsuga David le fueron formulados cargos por medio de las imputaciones presentadas por el Distrito Este de Nueva York, Estados Unidos c. Dairo Antonio Úsuga David, et al., 14-CR-625 (S-4) (E.D.N.Y.) ("Acusación del EDNY"), el Distrito Sur de Florida, Estados Unidos vs. Dairo Antonio Úsuga David, 15-CR-20403 (S-1) (“acusación del SDFL"), y el Distrito Sur de Nueva York, Estados Unidos vs. Dairo Antonio Úsuga David, 04-CR-962 (S-3) ("acusación del SDNY") (colectivamente las "acusaciones").
En la acusación del EDNY se le imputa a Úsuga David, entre otras cosas, de dirigir una organización delictiva desde junio de 2003 hasta octubre de 2021, y una organización delictiva para tráfico de narcóticos por vía marítima desde el 2002 hasta el 23 de octubre del 2021. En la denuncia del SDFL se le acusa a Úsuga David, entre otras cosas, de asociación delictiva para importación de narcóticos desde el 2001 hasta abril del 2009. Úsuga David fue extraditado de Colombia al Distrito Este de Nueva York en mayo del 2022.
En virtud de un acuerdo de culpabilidad con la fiscalía, Úsuga David aceptó la transferencia de las denuncias del SDFL y del SDNY para su aceptación de culpabilidad e imposición de pena en la jurisdicción federal del Distrito Este de Nueva York. Así Úsuga David será responsabilizado en el Distrito Este de Nueva York por delitos cometidos abarcados por las tres denuncias.
Merrick B. Garland, Fiscal General de los Estados Unidos; Breon Peace, Fiscal Federal de los Estados Unidos por el Distrito Este de Nueva York; Marke Holanzy Lapointe, Fiscal Federal de los Estados Unidos por el Distrito Sur de Florida; Damian Williams, Fiscal Federal por el Distrito Sur de Nueva York; Anne Milgram, Directora, Administración para el Control de Drogas de los Estados Unidos (DEA); Iván Arvelo, agente encargado, Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional, Nueva York (HSI); Michael J. Driscoll, Subdirector a cargo, Oficina Federal de Investigaciones, Oficina de Campo de Nueva York (FBI); Keechant L. Sewell, Comisionado, Departamento de Policía de la Ciudad de Nueva York (NYPD); y Steven A. Nigrelli, Superintendente Interino de la Policía Estatal de Nueva York (NYSP), dieron a conocer dicha declaración de culpabilidad.
“Con su admisión de culpabilidad en el día de hoy, ha llegado a su fin el sangriento reinado del narcotraficante colombiano más violento y señalado desde Pablo Escobar. Úsuga David ahora ha sido responsabilizado por dirigir el Clan del Golfo, que fue responsable por el tráfico de toneladas de narcótico desde Colombia a Estados Unidos y un sinnúmero de incursiones violentas contra las fuerzas del orden público, personal militar y civiles, tanto en Colombia como en otros lugares", declaró el Fiscal Federal Peace. “La declaración de culpabilidad de hoy es el resultado de la determinación y esfuerzo de un gran número de elementos del orden público de los Estados Unidos, Colombia y otros lugares. Esperamos que haber traído a Úsuga David ante la justicia pueda proporcionar una medida de consuelo a las víctimas de su tráfico de narcóticos y violencia en Colombia y Estados Unidos.”
El Sr. Peace extendió su agradecimiento a las oficinas de la fiscalía federal de los Estados Unidos para el Distrito Central de Florida y el Distrito Este de Texas; la Oficina de Asuntos Internacionales del Departamento de Justicia; la Sección de Narcóticos y Drogas Peligrosas (NDDS) de la División Penal del Departamento de Justicia; Agregados Judiciales en Bogotá, Colombia; Abogados litigantes de NDDS SOD; el Servicio de Alguaciles de los Estados Unidos; el Departamento de Policía de la Autoridad Portuaria; el Presidente de Colombia; la Fiscalía General de la Nación; la Policía Nacional de Colombia; el Ministerio de Defensa Nacional de Colombia; el Ministerio de Justicia de Colombia; y al Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Colombia, por su asistencia en la investigación, detención y extradición del acusado.
“La declaración de culpabilidad de alias Otoniel es el resultado de una cooperación internacional ejemplar”, dijo el fiscal federal para el Distrito Sur de Florida, Markenzy Lapointe. “También representa años de arduo trabajo, compromiso y perseverancia de nuestros socios colombianos y estadounidenses de las agencias del orden público para detener el flujo de cocaína hacia los Estados Unidos y llevar a un importante narcotraficante internacional ante la justicia.”
“La admisión de culpabilidad en este día envía un mensaje claro a los líderes de los cárteles de la droga de todo el mundo de que la DEA no se detendrá ante nada para investigar y desmantelar las redes criminales de drogas que amenazan la seguridad y la salud del pueblo estadounidense”, dijo la administradora Anne Milgram. “La DEA investigó a Otoniel, uno de los narcotraficantes más violentos y prolíficos del mundo, durante casi 20 años. Bajo el liderazgo de Otoniel, el Clan del Golfo envió cantidades masivas de cocaína a los Estados Unidos y mató a rivales que amenazaban las operaciones de tráfico de los cárteles. Felicito a los hombres y mujeres de la DEA por sus muchos años de destacada labor que culminó en la declaración de culpabilidad de hoy.”
“La declaración de culpabilidad del día de hoy pone fin al reinado de terror de casi 20 años de Dairo Antonio Úsuga David como miembro y eventual líder de la notoria organización narcotraficante Clan del Golfo, una organización cuyas actividades criminales violentas representan una importante amenaza estratégica relacionadas con drogas y la seguridad nacional tanto para Estados Unidos como para Colombia”, dijo Iván J. Arvelo, Agente Federal a cargo la sección de Investigaciones del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (HSI) en Nueva York. “HSI no se quedará de brazos cruzados mientras los narcoterroristas venden su veneno en todo el mundo para conseguir ganancias con sus fines egoístas. Continuaremos trabajando con nuestros socios nacionales e internacionales de organismos de seguridad para interrumpir y desmantelar estas peligrosas organizaciones criminales transnacionales y traer a los perpetradores ante la justicia.”
“Como se detalla en la declaración del día de hoy, Úsuga David admitió haber liderado brutal y violento un cártel responsable del tráfico de enormes cantidades de narcóticos a los Estados Unidos. El FBI, junto con nuestros socios encargados de las fuerzas policiales, estamos comprometidos en nuestro esfuerzo para asegurarnos que actores despiadados como Úsuga David rindan cuentas por sus acciones destructivas ante nuestros tribunales penales”, declaró el subdirector encargado Driscoll.
El superintendente interino de la Policía Estatal de Nueva York, Steven A. Nigrelli, dijo: “Aplaudo el notable trabajo realizado por nuestros miembros de la Policía Estatal y socios encargados de hacer cumplir la ley en este caso. La declaración de culpabilidad de hoy es una prueba de que no toleraremos a aquellos que traen actividades peligrosas de drogas a nuestras comunidades y ponen en riesgo la salud y la seguridad de los demás. La Policía Estatal continuará trabajando con nuestros socios para poner fin a estas empresas violentas para hacer de nuestro estado un lugar más seguro.”
“Esta declaración de culpabilidad en el día de hoy, afirma aún más el compromiso inquebrantable del Departamento de Policía de la Ciudad de Nueva York de librar a nuestras calles de narcóticos ilegales”, declaró el comisionado del departamento de policía de Nueva York, Keechant L. Sewell. “Debido a que sabemos que esta importante labor está lejos de terminar, continuaremos unidos con nuestros agencias locales, estatales, federales e internacionales encargadas de hacer cumplir la ley en la lucha contra los narcotraficantes violentos, dondequiera que se encuentren. Con ese fin, agradezco y elogio a la Policía del Estado de Nueva York, el FBI, la DEA, al Departamento de Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional, al Fiscal Federal para el Distrito Este y a todos los demás detectives, agentes y procuradores de justicia involucrados en este importante caso.”
Según se le imputa, entre junio del 2003 y octubre del 2021, Úsuga David fue el líder de una red de delincuencia organizada responsable de exportar cargamentos de varias toneladas de cocaína desde Colombia a México y Centroamérica para su destino final, Estados Unidos. Además, Úsuga David participó en un sinnúmero de envíos de varias toneladas para el tráfico de narcóticos a través de embarcaciones marítimas y también para producción y distribución de cocaína, a sabiendas y con la intención de que dichos estupefacientes serían importados ilegalmente a los Estados Unidos.
El Clan del Golfo
Entre el 2012, hasta el momento de su captura por las fuerzas militares y policiales colombianas, el 23 de octubre del 2021, Úsuga David estuvo al mando del CDG.
El CDG, una de las organizaciones criminales más violentas y poderosas de Colombia, es uno de los mayores distribuidores de cocaína del mundo. Con aproximadamente 6.000 miembros, el CDG ejerce control militar sobre vastas extensiones de territorio en la región de Urabá en Antioquia, Colombia, una de las áreas de narcotráfico más lucrativas dentro de Colombia debido a su proximidad a la frontera entre Colombia y Panamá y las costas del Caribe y el Pacífico. Vestidos con uniformes militares, los miembros del CDG emplean tácticas y armamento militar como demostración de su poder y para incitar a la guerra y la violencia contra narcotraficantes rivales, organizaciones paramilitares y autoridades policiales colombianas que amenacen el control del CDG.
El CDG financia sus operaciones principalmente a través del tráfico de drogas. Impone un "impuesto" a cualquier narcotraficante que opere en el territorio bajo su control, cobrando tarifas por cada kilogramo de cocaína que sea producido, almacenado o transportado a través de áreas controladas por la organización. El CDG también exporta directamente cocaína y coordina la producción, compra y transferencia de cargamentos semanal y quincenalmente de varias toneladas de cocaína desde Colombia a Centroamérica y México para su destino final, los Estados Unidos.
Para mantener el control sobre el territorio del CDG, Úsuga David y el CDG empleaban un ejército de "sicarios", o gatilleros, que llevaron a cabo actos de violencia, incluyendo homicidios, asaltos, secuestros, torturas y asesinatos contra competidores y aquellos considerados traidores a la organización, y así como sus familiares. El CDG asesinaba y agredía a agentes del orden público de Colombia hola, personal militar colombiano, narcotraficantes y paramilitares rivales, testigos potenciales y a civiles. Úsuga David y el CDG hicieron uso de violencia para promover y mejorar la reputación y la posición del CDG con respecto a las organizaciones criminales rivales; preservar, proteger y expandir el poder y el territorio del CDG; financiar las operaciones del CDG y enriquecer a sus líderes a través del cobro de deudas por drogas; mantener la disciplina entre sus miembros y asociados; y proteger a los miembros del CDG de la detención y el enjuiciamiento a través del intento de silenciar testigos potenciales y tomar represalias represalias contra autoridades policiales y aquellos que asistan a las autoridades en el cumplimiento de la ley.
La conducta del acusado
Según documentos judiciales, Úsuga David se desempeñó como líder de alto rango dentro del CDG desde su inicio y fue su principal líder durante 10 años. Bajo su dirección, Úsuga David supervisaba todas las actividades del CDG y ordenaba a sus miembros llevar a cabo una serie de actos delictivos, que incluían él uso de la violencia, ordenar "huelgas" o cese de toda actividad comercial y cese de desplazamiento de la población civil dentro de regiones designadas de Colombia, represalias contra las autoridades policiales y contra posibles testigos, el ejercicio del control sobre las instalaciones de producción de drogas y las rutas de tráfico y la exportación de toneladas de cocaína.
Úsuga David asumió el poder y el control territorial sobre vastas franjas de la costa colombiana y dirigió personalmente a los miembros del CDG a cometer actos de violencia para afianzar dicho poder. Esto incluía la violencia contra civiles. Por ejemplo, a principios del 2012, tras la muerte del hermano de Úsuga David, Juan de Dios Úsuga David (también conocido como "Giovanni"), en una redada policial, Úsuga David ordenó que se impusiera un cierre o "huelga" de varios días en las ciudades y comunidades bajo el control del CDG. Durante la huelga, los miembros de CDG ordenaron que todos los negocios permanecieran cerrados y que los residentes permanecieran en sus hogares. Durante varios días, las calles permanecieron vacías, ya que Úsuga David ordenó a los miembros del CDG que ejecutaran a aquellos que no cumplieran con sus órdenes.
Úsuga David también ordenaba personalmente a los miembros del CDG que cometieran asesinatos de particulares, incluidos los asesinatos de narcotraficantes rivales y miembros del CDG que lo hayan traicionado a él o a la organización. Por ejemplo, Úsuga David ordenó el asesinato de varias personas que trabajaban para una organización narcotraficante rival dirigida por Daniel Barrera Barrera. Úsuga David también ordenó la tortura y asesinato de un miembro del CDG que proporcionó información a la organización de Barrera. Ese individuo fue posteriormente torturado, enterrado vivo, exhumado y decapitado post mortem.
Además, Úsuga David ordenaba Con frecuencia a miembros del CDG que hicieran uso de la violencia, intimidación y el asesinato para disuadir a las autoridades policiales de cumplir con sus deberes y silenciar a posibles testigos. Por ejemplo, bajo la dirección de Úsuga David, el CDG llevó a cabo campañas organizadas, conocidas como "Plan Pistolas", para matar a personal policial y militar colombiano utilizando armas de tipo militar, las que incluían: granadas, explosivos y rifles de asalto. Úsuga David también ofrecía recompensas por el asesinato de policías y militares colombianos para intimidar a las autoridades policiales y evitar que lo capturasen o interfieran con los asuntos del CDG. La organización de Úsuga David llevó a cabo numerosos intentos para asesinar a personas que se creía que estaban cooperando con la policía. Por ejemplo, miembros del CDG intentaron envenenar con cianuro a un testigo que se encontraba encarcelado en el extranjero e intentaron también asesinar a su abogado.
Úsuga David también estuvo ampliamente involucrado en actividades de tráfico de estupefacientes que financiaban y permitían ganar poder al CDG. Supervisaba todas las exportaciones de narcotráfico del CDG y dirigía una red de "cobradores de deudas" encargados de imponer y recaudar impuestos cobrados a organizaciones de narcotráfico que operaban en regiones controladas por el CDG. Además, Úsuga David controlaba las instalaciones de producción de cocaína y utilizaba la extensa red de distribución del CDG para exportar cocaína de forma independiente para beneficio personal.
Confiscación de activos
Como parte del acuerdo pactado con la fiscalía, Úsuga David acordó pagar una incautación de $ 216 millones. El fallo sobre la incautación de este monto está sujeto a la concertación entre el Gobierno de los Estados Unidos de América y el Gobierno de la República de Colombia sobre la Participación y Decomiso de los Instrumentos y Productos del Delito.
La investigación, extradición y condena de Úsuga David es parte de una investigación de la unidad de Tarea de Control de Drogas contra el Crimen Organizado (OCDETF). OCDETF identifica, interrumpe y desmantela a los narcotraficantes de más alto nivel, blanqueadores de dinero, pandillas y organizaciones delictivas transnacionales que amenazan a los Estados Unidos, mediante el uso de un enfoque dirigido por fiscales, impulsado por datos de inteligencia y de múltiples agencias que aprovechas las fortalezas de las agencias federales, estatales y locales del orden público contra las redes delictivas.
La causa está siendo presentada por la Sección Internacional de Narcóticos y Lavado de Dinero del Distrito Este de Nueva York. Francisco J. Navarro, fiscal federal del ministerio público, Gillian A. Kassner y Tara B. McGrath están a cargo de la acusación con el apoyo de la asistente legal Sophia Cronin, y la Fiscal Federal Adjunta Claire S. Kedeshian de la Oficina de la Sección de Recuperación de Activos está manejando todo lo relacionado con la incautación. El Fiscal Federal Adjunto Robert Emery del Distrito Sur de Florida y el Fiscal Federal Adjunto Alexander Li del Distrito Sur de Nueva York dirigieron los procesamientos para sus respectivas oficinas.
The Defendant:
Dairo Antonio Úsuga David (también conocido como "Otoniel", "Mao", "Gallo" y "Mauricio-Gallo")
Edad: 51
Antioquia, ColombiaE.D.N.Y. Expediente Núm. 14-CR-625 (S-4) (DLI)
23-CR-021 (DLI)
23-CR-027 (DLI)
El Paso Woman Arrested for Wire Fraud, Impersonation of Federal EmployeeRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – An El Paso woman was arrested Monday in El Paso on criminal charges related to her alleged wire fraud and impersonation of a federal employee.
According to court documents, Ana Maria Hernandez, 53, portrayed herself to be a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) employee and defrauded more than 20 victims by providing them the false pretext that she would process their immigration applications for a substantial fee. Hernandez’s victims provided her with the documentation required to file and adjust their immigration status. Investigators revealed that Hernandez had amassed more than $400,000 of unexplained wealth within the 18 months coinciding with her fraudulent activity.
An indictment returned by an El Paso grand jury charges Hernandez with 10 counts of wire fraud and one count of impersonating an employee of the United States. The maximum penalty is 20 years imprisonment on each wire fraud count and three years on the impersonation count. 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 (HSI) El Paso Division made the announcement.
HSI El Paso is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Aguayo is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Eagle Butte Man Sentenced for Theft from a Tribal Elderly Nutrition ProgramRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of Theft From an Indian Tribal Organization. The sentencing took place on January 23, 2023.
Robert Chasing Hawk, Jr., age 39, was sentenced to two months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $9,869.86 in restitution to the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Elderly Nutrition Program, and to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Chasing Hawk, Jr. was indicted for Theft From an Indian Tribal Organization by a federal grand jury in February of 2022. He pleaded guilty on October 4, 2022.
Chasing Hawk, Jr. was an employee for the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Elderly Nutrition Program. The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Elderly Nutrition Services, Inc. provides reduced price lunch service for elderly tribal members and individuals with disabilities. The Nutrition Center receives funds from State, Federal, and Tribal entities to assist in the feeding of Tribal and non-Tribal members in the community, including the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. As an employee of the Elderly Nutrition Program, Chasing Hawk, Jr. wrote and cashed a total of 17 checks totaling $12,869.86 for his own use and benefit. He later repaid $3,000 of that amount.
This case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller prosecuted the case.
Chasing Hawk, Jr. was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Eagle Butte Man Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled SubstanceRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court has sentenced an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession With Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on January 23, 2023.
Allen Michael Garreau, age 38, was sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Garreau was indicted for Possession With Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in May of 2021. He pleaded guilty on October 5, 2022.
Garreau possessed 77 grams of methamphetamine with the intent to further distribute that methamphetamine to individuals on the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian reservation and other locations in South Dakota.
This case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.
Garreau was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Eagle Butte Man Sentenced for Failure to AppearRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Appear. The sentencing took place on January 23, 2023.
Cheyne Thompson, age 31, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release. He was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Thompson was indicted for Failure to Appear by a federal grand jury in July of 2020. He pleaded guilty on October 5, 2022.
Thompson was convicted in 2012 in U.S. District Court for Second Degree Burglary. Following his release from prison, he was on supervised release with the U.S. Probation Office. On July 1, 2019, a Petition to Revoke Supervised Release was filed, alleging that Thompson violated the terms and conditions of his supervised release. Following his arrest on the Petition on August 23, 2019, Thompson was detained until November 13, 2019, when he was released to attend treatment. Following his release, Thompson absconded and failed to attend his sentencing hearing on January 13, 2020. Thompson's whereabouts remained unknown until he was arrested approximately two years later on February 16, 2022.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller prosecuted the case.
Thompson was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.