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6 March 2023
United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania Releases Its 2022 Annual ReportRead the Press Release
SCRANTON –U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam today issued the 2022 Annual Report for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
“As public servants, we seek to provide transparency and accountability by publicly reporting on our work and accomplishments,” said U.S. Attorney Karam. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with our partner agencies, had many achievements in 2022.”
The accomplishments summarized in this report are due to the hard work of our 92 dedicated professionals. In 2022, Assistant United States Attorneys prosecuted approximately 385 criminal cases involving 479 defendants, and our Civil Division handled over 740 cases representing the interests of the federal government, including obtaining over $30 million in criminal and civil actions. We continued to participate in numerous community outreach programs designed to educate the public and reduce recidivism, violent crimes, and opioid dependence.
“It’s an honor to work with the members of this office and with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to seek justice and to improve the safety and quality of life for the people of the Middle District of Pennsylvania,” said U.S. Attorney Karam.
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United Bank Senior Vice President Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that John Figg, 56, of Grand Rapids Michigan pleaded guilty to federal charges which stem from the discovery of his embezzlement of over $870,000 from United Bank between 2014 and 2021.
“Hardworking citizens are entitled to know that when they entrust their money to a bank, it will remain there safe and secure,” said U.S. Attorney Totten. “This prosecution serves as a reminder to bank officials that we will not tolerate any violation of the trust we put in our banks.”
According to court documents, Figg used his access to bank records to obtain funds in a variety of ways. First, he identified customer accounts held by depositors that did not scrutinize their accounts and used his access to them to remove funds for his own use. Second, he obtained phony loans in customer names and used the loan proceeds for his own use. Third, he funneled fees normally collected by the bank in connection with loan closing costs to his own use. This resulted in losses of approximately $870,000.
Figg generated taxable income from this activity between 2016 and 2020. However, he concealed this income from his tax preparer when that person prepared his tax returns. As a result, each year Figg underreported his taxable income knowing that it was subject to taxation and with the intent to avoid payment of those taxes.
“Mr. Figg betrayed the trust placed in him by his employer and the public, who have every right to expect bank employees to be honest and law abiding,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “This type of illegal conduct can undermine the financial health of banks and credit unions. As a result, the FBI and IRS will continue our work to hold corrupt insiders fully accountable for their crimes.”
“John Figg abused a position of trust as an officer at a federally insured bank when he stole money from unsuspecting victims. He then concealed these funds and used them for his own personal gain,” said Charles Miller, Acting Special Agent in Charge Detroit Field Office, Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. “The IRS is committed to working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to aggressively investigate individuals who engage in financial fraud and tax evasion and make them accountable for their crimes.”
Figg pleaded guilty to two federal crimes today. The first is embezzlement by a bank employee in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 656. This carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. The second crime is tax evasion in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7201, which carries a maximum prison term of five years in prison. Sentencing will occur at a date to be determined by U.S. District Judge Paul L. Maloney.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service. Prosecution of the case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Timothy VerHey.
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Two Men Sentenced for Mercer County Arson SchemeRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Scott Meadows, 53, of Welch, and Christopher Gross, 45, of Bluefield, Virginia, were sentenced today to three years and five months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for wire fraud. Each admitted to a role in an arson fraud scheme, and was also ordered to pay $13,140 in restitution.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 1, 2019, co-defendant Douglas Vineyard bought a house on Princeton Avenue in Bluefield, West Virginia, for $5,000 at the direction of Gross. On July 31, 2019, Vineyard bought an insurance policy on the house with assistance from Gross, stating that the house’s purchase price had been $50,000. The insurance coverage included $285,500 for the dwelling, $142,750 for the contents and $14,275 for other structures.
In early August 2019, Vineyard, Gross and Meadows devised a scheme with others to burn down the house and collect the insurance proceeds. On August 6, 2019, Meadows set fire to the house with the help of two other individuals who were each offered $500 for their assistance. The house was a total loss. On August 16, 2019, Vineyard faxed a Sworn Statement of Proof of Loss seeking $285,500 in insurance proceeds for the house. The insurance company spent over $13,000 investigating Vineyard’s false claim, ultimately denying it.
Vineyard, 37, of Welch, was sentenced on September 12, 2022, to three years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to wire fraud.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess and former Assistant United States Attorney R. Gregory McVey prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:21-cr-131.
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Two Men Indicted for Series of Holiday Carjackings and KidnappingsRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A federal grand jury has returned a superseding indictment charging Adrian Pegues, 19, and Malik Malone, 18, both of Memphis, with multiple charges arising from a series of violent events that occurred in late December 2022 in Memphis and Germantown. The indictment includes charges of kidnapping, bank robbery, carjacking, and the use of a firearm during a crime of violence. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the charges today.
According to U.S. Attorney Ritz, the charges and other information presented in court, it is alleged that that on December 20, 2022, Pegues and Malone carjacked and kidnapped two individuals separately, forced one of the individuals to withdraw money from an ATM, and attempted to do the same with the other. It is also alleged that, ten days later, on December 30, 2022, the two men attempted to kidnap a person in Germantown with the intent to commit another robbery. That kidnapping was unsuccessful.
Both men have been arrested and are in federal custody and awaiting arraignment on the superseding indictment.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force and the Germantown Police Department.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is an accusation and only contains charges.
The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.Assistant United States Attorney Greg Wagner is handling the prosecution of this matter for the government.
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For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at (901) 544-4231 or [email protected]. Follow @WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.
Two Individuals Indicted for Violent Robberies, Kidnapping an Uber DriverRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man and woman have been indicted for violent Hobbs Act robberies, one of which involved the kidnapping of an Uber driver on Christmas Day, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on December 25, 2022, Antwon Demondray Townsend-Davis, 23, and Kevena Takhyra Terry-Ford, 20, used force, violence, and fear of injury to carry out a Hobbs Act robbery by stealing a Nissan Rogue from an Uber driver who was using the vehicle for commercial business purposes. The two defendants also kidnapped the Uber driver for the purpose of accessing the victim’s ATM account.
On December 28, 2022, the defendants used force, violence, and fear of injury to carry out a Hobbs Act robbery at a Speedway gas station in Minneapolis.
Townsend-Davis and Terry-Ford are each charged with two counts of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of kidnapping. Both defendants made their initial appearances today in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Dulce J. Foster.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Minneapolis Police Department, and the Anoka Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ruth S. Shnider is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two Charged in Robbery Spree in Chicago and Oak ParkRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal grand jury has indicted two Chicago residents on a total of five counts of robbery affecting interstate commerce.
EQUISHA BUTLER, 29, of Chicago has been charged with five counts of robbery and KISHAWN BROWNLEE, 26, of Chicago has been charged alongside Butler on two of those counts. The indictment, which was unsealed on March 6, alleges that between April 13 and July 29, 2022, Butler robbed five 7-11 convenience stores and that Brownlee participated in two of those robberies. The five robberies occurred at 7-11 stores located at:
- 661 South Blvd, Oak Park
- 3800 N Kedzie Ave, Chicago
- 2366 N Damen, Chicago
- 4771 N Elston, Chicago
- 4346 N Kimball, Chicago
Both Butler and Brownlee were arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Cole on March 1, 2023.
The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Robert W. Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and David Brown, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Irene Hickey Sullivan.
The public is reminded that an indictment contains only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Each count of robbery is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Two Capital Region Men Plead Guilty to Unemployment Insurance Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Taquan Parker, age 26, of Rensselaer, New York, and Olajuwon Sutherland, a/k/a “Suave,” age 27, of Troy, New York, pled guilty today to engaging in a fraudulent scheme to obtain more than $100,000 in unemployment insurance benefits under the names of other people, including benefits funded by the federal government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge, Northeast Region, United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG); and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
As part of his guilty plea to conspiracy and mail fraud charges, Parker admitted that he provided Kahleke Taylor, a/k/a “Flex,” with the personal identifying information of two other people, which Taylor used to file false claims online with the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL). Parker further admitted that as a result of the fraudulent applications submitted by Taylor, the NYSDOL paid out $60,132 in unemployment insurance benefits. Parker agreed to pay $60,132 in restitution to the State of New York and forfeit $30,000 in fraud proceeds that he personally obtained.
As part of his guilty plea to conspiracy, mail fraud and wire fraud charges, Sutherland admitted that he also provided Taylor with the personal identifying information of two other people, which Taylor used to file false claims online with the NYSDOL. Sutherland further admitted that as a result of the fraudulent applications submitted by Taylor, the NYSDOL paid out $48,008 in unemployment insurance benefits. Sutherland agreed to pay $48,008 in restitution to the State of New York and forfeit $12,000 in fraud proceeds that he personally obtained.
Taylor previously pled guilty to fraudulently obtaining $207,004 in unemployment insurance benefits as part of the scheme.
At sentencing, both Parker and Sutherland face a maximum term of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. Parker and Sutherland are scheduled to be sentenced on July 6 and July 12, 2023, respectively, by United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case was investigated by HSI, the New York State Inspector General’s Office, USDOL-OIG, and USPIS, with assistance from the NYSDOL Office of Special Investigations and the Schenectady County Department of Social Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua R. Rosenthal is prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Tulare County Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Andras Daniel Lee, 33, of Visalia, was sentenced today to four years and three months in prison for failure to register as a sex offender, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, in March 2017, Lee was convicted in Tulare County, of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor. Shortly after his release from prison, Lee moved to Liberal, Kansas. In March 2018, Lee moved back to California and intentionally did not register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) as was required as a result of his prior conviction for unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor.
On Feb. 20, 2020, Lee committed a lewd act upon a child in Tulare County while in a failure-to-register status. On Dec. 20, 2021, Lee was convicted in Tulare County of two counts of committing a lewd act upon a child.
This case was the result of an investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonio J. Pataca prosecuted the case.
Tulare County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Jesus Angulo, 36, of Woodlake, pleaded guilty today to possessing cocaine with intent to distribute it, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, a team of local, state, and federal law enforcement officers partnered in an investigation into a group of Tulare County Sureños. During the investigation, law enforcement discovered that Angulo and his co-defendant Jonathan Gallegos were traveling to Southern California and into Mexico to obtain illegal drugs, including kilograms of cocaine. On Oct. 26, 2021, law enforcement officers stopped Angulo and Gallegos as they were traveling northbound in Kern County in a pickup truck. Inside the truck they found over 9 kilograms of cocaine and a stolen, loaded firearm.
The case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Tulare County Area Regencies Gun Enforcement Team, the Visalia Police Department, the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Investigation, the California Highway Patrol Special Operations Unit, and the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin J. Gilio and Antonio J. Pataca are prosecuting the case.
Angulo is set for sentencing on June 12, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Ana de Alba. Angulo faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and up to life in prison. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The United States Recovers Money Stolen from Embassy Baku by Former EmployeeRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - A former employee of the United States Embassy in Baku, Azerbaijan, has paid the United States $128,000 to resolve allegations that he stole money from the State Department while employed at the embassy.
Rafiq Goyushov, a citizen of Azerbaijan, was employed by the State Department at the United States Embassy in Baku, Azerbaijan, for approximately 20 years. The settlement agreement resolves allegations that Goyushov, in his role as Housing Assistant with the General Services Office, made fraudulent payments on behalf of the Embassy to Azer Samedov, who then returned money to Goyushov. These payments were for Goyushov’s benefit and were disguised as building operating and parking expenses for multiple residential units leased by Embassy Baku. In reality, there was no valid contract between the State Department and Samedov.
“The District of South Carolina was proud to partner with the Department of State in the worthwhile endeavor of holding accountable public servants who use their position to steal from taxpayers, even those who reside overseas,” stated Adair F. Boroughs, United States Attorney for the District of South Carolina.
“Due to the persistent effort of our special agents, Embassy Baku’s Regional Security Office and DOJ, a former locally employed staff member of Embassy Baku was held accountable for his nefarious actions. This is a clear demonstration of how the State Department’s OIG will not be deterred by the complexities involved with holding fraudsters accountable internationally,” stated Elisabeth Kaminsky, Special Agent in Charge, Department of State, Office of Inspector General.
The settlement was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina and the Department of State Office of Inspector General. The matter was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Beth C. Warren in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina, along with State Department OIG special agents.
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Tampa Man Sentenced for Money Laundering Conspiracy Relating to Government Impersonator ScamRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew has sentenced William Perez (28, Tampa) to 18 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering. As part of his sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $245,980, the proceeds of the crime. Perez had pleaded guilty on August 31, 2022.
According to court documents, India-based conspirators falsely and fraudulently identified themselves as federal law enforcement officers, such as Social Security Administration officials, FBI agents, or IRS officers, provided “official” titles and/or “badge numbers,” and threatened their victims with imminent arrest, a lawsuit, and/or other economic consequences, usually based on alleged drug trafficking or money laundering crimes supposedly committed using the victims’ identities. The conspirators told victims, the majority of whom were older adults, that they could avoid these consequences by mailing checks or cash equivalents to conspirators in the United States. From April 2018, through at least August 2018, Perez laundered money that had been extorted from United States residents by conspirators residing in the United States and overseas. Perez received payments directly from victims, typically via packages sent via a commercial carrier. Once he retrieved the fraud proceeds, Perez provided them to his coconspirators and was paid for conducting the transactions.
“Millions of Americans, to include the most vulnerable of the population, have fallen victim to IRS impersonation scheme telephone calls which ultimately led to the loss of their life savings,” said Ronald A. Loecker IRS-CI Acting Special Agent in Charge. “Today’s sentence again demonstrates our persistent resolve to hold fraudsters accountable for taking advantage of both the system and the elderly with the hope justice has been served”.
“The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration will aggressively pursue anyone who defrauds taxpayers by impersonating themselves as Internal Revenue Service employees,” stated J. Russell George, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. “We greatly appreciate the efforts of our federal partners in holding this individual to account.”
This case was investigated by Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Huyler.
Combatting elder abuse and financial fraud targeted at seniors is a key priority of the Department of Justice. Together with our federal, state, local and tribal partners, the Department of Justice is steadfastly committed to combatting all forms of elder abuse and financial exploitation through enforcement actions, training and resources, research, victim services, and public awareness.
Syracuse Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Redell Williams, III, age 42, of Syracuse, pled guilty today to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)-New York Division, made the announcement.
As part of his guilty plea, Williams admitted that on November 10, 2022, he possessed a total of approximately 531 grams of cocaine and approximately 211 grams of cocaine base at his home in Syracuse, New York with the intent to distribute it. Williams further admitted that in his residence, he “cooked” powder cocaine to manufacture cocaine base, also known as “crack” cocaine, and that $4,587 in cash found at his residence was narcotics proceeds.
At sentencing, scheduled for July 7, 2023, Williams faces at least 5 years and up to 40 years in federal prison, a maximum fine of $5,000,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 4 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
DEA investigated the case, with assistance from Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, and Syracuse Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. McCrobie is prosecuting the case.
Surgeon Convicted of Federal Charges for Accepting over $300,000 in Illicit Payments to Perform Spinal Surgeries at Corrupt HospitalRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – An orthopedic surgeon has been found guilty by a federal jury of accepting more than $315,000 in bribes and kickbacks for performing spinal surgeries at a now-defunct Long Beach hospital whose owner was imprisoned for committing a massive workers’ compensation insurance fraud, the Justice Department announced today.
Dr. David Hobart Payne, 65, of Irvine, was found guilty late Friday afternoon at the conclusion of a six-day trial. The jury found Payne guilty of one count of conspiracy, two counts of honest services wire fraud, and one count of use of an interstate facility in aid of bribery.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Michael Drobot –the owner of Pacific Hospital – conspired with doctors, chiropractors, and marketers to pay kickbacks and bribes in return for the referral of patients to Pacific Hospital for spinal surgeries and other medical services. These services and surgeries were paid for primarily through the California workers’ compensation system. During its final five years, the scheme resulted in the submission of more than $500 million in medical bills for spinal surgeries involving kickbacks.
Payne received bribes from Drobot of up to $15,000 for each spinal surgery that he performed at Pacific Hospital. The top bribe payment was for lumbar spinal surgeries Payne performed on patients at Pacific Hospital with implants from one of Drobot’s companies. Drobot and Payne covered up the bribes by disguising them as payments for marketing services and fees based on a sham contract.
In total, Payne received more than $315,000 in illegal payments.
In April 2013, law enforcement searched Pacific Hospital, which was sold later that year, bringing the kickback scheme to an end.
To date, 24 defendants, among them doctors and surgeons, have been convicted for participating in the kickback scheme.
United States District Judge Josephine L. Staton scheduled a June 2 sentencing hearing, at which time Payne will face a statutory maximum sentence of 50 years in federal prison.
The FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, and the California Department of Insurance investigated this matter.
First Assistant United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally and Assistant United States Attorneys Billy Joe McLain and Hava Mirell of the Violent and Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case.
Sugar Land business owner pleads guilty to nine-year fraud schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 56-year-old business owner has admitted to conspiring to commit mail fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Sudhakar Kalaga admitted that from 2010 to 2019, he engaged in a bribery and bid rigging fraud scheme to secure construction and maintenance work contracts from a company with a manufacturing facility in Houston.
Kalaga admitted he submitted fake bids from non-existent construction companies to the victim company’s facilities manager. This was designed to make it appear his companies’ bids were the lowest. In return, Kalaga paid the facilities manager millions of dollars in kickbacks. Kalaga failed to disclose he was submitting falsified bids and paying kickbacks from the victim company’s own funds.
The victim company would not have paid Kalaga’s companies’ invoices had it known about the falsified bids or the kickback payments.
Sentencing has been set for June 20 before U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal. At that time, Kalaga faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Belinda Beek is prosecuting the case.
Spearfish Woman Indicted for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal grand jury has indicted a Spearfish, South Dakota, woman on seven counts of Wire Fraud.
Janeen Keene, 54 was indicted in January of 2023. She appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollman on March 3, 2023, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 20 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
Between May of 2020 and July of 2020, in Spearfish, Keene, along with others, devised a scheme to fraudulently obtain unemployment benefits.
The charge is merely an accusation and Keene is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson is prosecuting the case.
Keene was detained pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
South Sioux City, Nebraska Man Convicted of Two KidnappingsRead the Press Release
A man who committed two kidnappings, 13 months apart, was convicted by a jury on March 3, 2023, after a five-day trial in federal court in Sioux City.
Arjune Ahmed, age 27, of South Sioux City, Nebraska, was convicted of two counts of kidnapping. The verdict was returned Friday afternoon following about two hours of jury deliberations.
The evidence at trial showed that on August 21, 2019, Ahmed followed a woman from the Hard Rock Casino on Fourth Street, where he tricked her into getting close to his car. Once she was close, he grabbed her and pulled her into his car. He then sped into Nebraska from Iowa, where he then sexually assaulted her.
13 months later, on October 16, 2020, Ahmed used social media to trick a woman into meeting him for breakfast. Instead of driving her to breakfast, Ahmed drove her from midtown Sioux City, Iowa to Bacon Creek Park where he then sexually assaulted her.
Additionally, the jury heard evidence that in 2015 a woman was the victim of a home-invasion and sexual assault. That crime went unsolved for nearly five years until DNA evidence discovered in the investigations of the 2019 and 2020 assaults were linked to Ahmed.
United States Attorney Timothy Duax stated that “the investigative team of local, county, and federal investigators did an exceptional job of gathering the evidence in this case. When combined with the courtroom efforts of AUSA Fairchild and his team from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the result was that a very dangerous man, who preyed upon the women of our community was convicted and taken off the streets. I was impressed with courage of the victims who were able to confront their attacker and help prevent him from hurting anyone else.”
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Ahmed remains in custody of the United States Marshal. Ahmed faces a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 5 years of supervised release following any imprisonment for each count.
The case was investigated by the Dakota County, Nebraska Sherriff’s Office, the South Sioux City, Nebraska Police Department, the Sioux City, Iowa Police Department, and the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-CR-04087.
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Santa Domingo man charged with aggravated sexual abuse in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Santiago Quintana, Jr. was arraigned on a criminal complaint charging him with aggravated sexual abuse with children and offenses committed within Indian Country. Quintana, 69, a member of the Santa Domingo Pueblo, will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled.
According to the accusations in the criminal complaint, over a period of six years, Quintana sexually abused two victims who had not yet attained the age of 12 when the abuse began.
A criminal complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Quintana faces a minimum of thirty years in prison.
The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant United States Attorney Robert James Booth II is prosecuting the case.
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Regional Counterdrug Training Academy Recognizes Training Efforts of Law Enforcement Coordination Committee in Western District of LouisianaRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown joins the Regional Counterdrug Training Academy (RCTA) in announcing that Louisiana led the nation in the number of law enforcement officers trained by the RCTA in 2022. The RCTA is a military and law enforcement training group based in Meridian, Mississippi, that receives Congressional funding to provide training to law enforcement officers across the nation, but primarily in the southeast states, throughout the year. Instructors with RCTA travel to various sites to conduct training on subjects such as narcotics, interview and interrogation, vehicle interdiction, search and arrest warrants, peer support, and officer survival.
The Law Enforcement Coordination Committee (LECC) for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Louisiana, which is led by Law Enforcement Coordinator Alan Alkire, works with RCTA to arrange and facilitate those training classes for state, local, and federal law enforcement officers in the Western District of Louisiana, including Shreveport, Lafayette, Monroe, Alexandria and Lake Charles.
At their annual Board Meeting last week, RCTA announced the training statistics for 2022 and there were 1,390 officers who received this federally funded training in Louisiana, by far surpassing those who received training in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District was commended for being the primary catalyst to the large number of officers trained in Louisiana compared to the other states.
“Training is essential for our law enforcement officers,” stated U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “Congress gives funding to entities such as RCTA to provide these training classes and it is vital to the continued development for these officers. It is important to me and this office that we are able to continue to facilitate this law enforcement training for state, local, and federal agencies, and I commend the hard work of LEC Alan Alkire and his dedication to this program.”
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Recidivist Mail Thief Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Jackson man was sentenced to three years in prison for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft relating to his repeated theft of mail and use of stolen debit and credit cards.
According to court documents, Cary Letorle Wright, 44, was arrested on July 21, 2022, after law enforcement in Jackson located his fingerprints on several pieces of stolen mail found in an abandoned zip-pouch that had been recovered near a roadway and turned in by a citizen. The deputies who arrested Wright found a large pile of stolen mail in his car. Wright voluntarily turned over additional stolen mail and a stack of stolen debit and credit cards. The stolen mail traced to more than 80 residents of Clarke County and Waynesboro, Mississippi. In an interview with police, Wright admitted that he stole the mail to obtain debit and credit cards, which he activated and used at several local businesses. In connection with his guilty plea, Wright admitted that he defrauded banks and used his victims’ stolen means of identification to further his frauds, in violation of federal law.
Wright was on federal conditions of supervised release at the time he committed this offense. He previously had been convicted of a federal mail theft offense in South Carolina in 2016, for which he served a prison sentence.United States District Judge Terry F. Moorer ordered Wright to serve a five-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time he will undergo drug testing and treatment, will receive mental health evaluation and treatment, and will be subject to credit restrictions. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge Moorer ordered Wright to pay $694.95 in victim restitution and $200 in special assessments.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The United States Postal Inspection Service, the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office, and the Jackson Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Rapid City Man Indicted for Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal grand jury has indicted a Rapid City, South Dakota, man for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.
Edwin Blaine Grass, age 37, was indicted in February of 2023. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta L. Wollmann on March 3, 2023, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is 15 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The charge relates to Grass, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition, knowingly being in possession of a Taurus revolver in Rapid City in January of 2023.
The charge is merely an accusation and Grass is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins is prosecuting the case.
Grass was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Oxford Man Sentenced for Stealing Government Funds and Misusing Social Security NumberRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Oxford man has been sentenced in federal court in Worcester for false representation of a Social Security number and theft of government funds.
Richard Diaz-Montero, a/k/a John Doe, 44, was sentenced on March 1, 2023 by U.S. District Judge Mark Mastroianni to 14 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Diaz-Montero was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $39,698 to the Internal Revenue Service.
In March 2016, Diaz-Montero cashed a federal income tax refund in the name of another person he fraudulently filed for earlier that year. Two years later, in May 2018, Diaz-Montero used the Social Security number of that same person to apply for a Massachusetts driver’s license, which was ultimately issued to Diaz-Montero.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Sutton Police Chief Dennis J. Towle made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Orlando Man Sentenced for Burglarizing ATM MachineRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced Carlos Tawan Reed, Jr. (23, Orlando) to four years and three months in federal prison for bank burglary and bank theft in connection with the destruction of an ATM machine. Reed had pleaded guilty on November 28, 2022.
According to court records, Reed helped two other individuals wrap a chain around an ATM machine at a Chase Bank on Colonial Drive in Orlando. Using a stolen F-250 truck, the men then destroyed the casing of the ATM and stole the cash boxes inside, containing $116,650. The three individuals fled in a Mercedes rental car driven by Reed. Deputies from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office pursued the burglars on the ground and in the air. Reed failed to stop and led police on a high-speed chase, which ended when deputies deployed spike strips and disabled the car. All three men then attempted to flee on foot but were quickly apprehended. Inside the Mercedes, police recovered all of the stolen money.
The two other accomplices, Deontrae Walden and Wendell Harp, have both entered guilty pleas and are awaiting sentencing. Walden admitted his role in five such burglaries in the area. A fourth individual, Aqunis Green, was arraigned and has pleaded not guilty. Green is currently serving a 46-month federal sentence for similar conduct in the Eastern District of Texas. He now faces a maximum term of 20 years on this indictment in the Middle District of Florida.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Felicetta.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Quashane R. Varner Jr., 27, of Akron, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 17, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a 12th Street apartment in Huntington where Varner was residing and found 362 grams of methamphetamine and a Glock, Model 29, 10mm pistol. Varner admitted to possessing the methamphetamine and the firearm and further admitted that he intended to sell the methamphetamine.
Varner also admitted that he told investigators on the day of the search that he had previously obtained a 1-pound quantity of methamphetamine, and the amount seized during the search represented what he had not yet sold. Varner further admitted to investigators that he had been selling fentanyl in the Huntington area.
Varner is scheduled to be sentenced on June 20, 2023, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $10 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-72.
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New York Drug Supplier Convicted After Federal Trial for Supplying Fentanyl to a Prince George’s County Drug DealerRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal jury today convicted Valfonso Dewitt, a/k/a “Valentino” and “Val,” age 72, of Bronx, New York, for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and on two counts for using his cellular telephone to facilitate illegal drug distribution. The jury acquitted Dewitt on three counts of using his cellular telephone to facilitate illegal drug distribution.
The guilty verdict was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division; Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Washington Field Office Criminal Division; and Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department.
According to the evidence presented at his four-day trial, from January 2019 through at least September 2019, Dewitt conspired with co-defendant James Isaac Gaston, Gaston’s wife Jacqueline Shelton Gaston, and others to distribute fentanyl. The evidence proved that in September 2019, Dewitt distributed nearly half a kilogram of pure fentanyl—enough to kill almost 250,000 people—to James Gaston just outside Memphis, Tennessee. Approximately 14 hours later, law enforcement seized the fentanyl during a traffic stop on Gaston’s car shortly after Gaston drove over the I-495 bridge from Virginia into Prince George’s County, Maryland.
James Isaac Gaston, age 74, and Jacqueline Shelton Gaston, age 52, both of Lanham, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the drug distribution conspiracy and are scheduled to be sentenced on May 8, 2023 and June 23, 2023, respectively.
Dewitt faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in federal prison for the drug conspiracy and a maximum sentence of four years in federal prison for each count of using his cellular phone to facilitate a drug felony. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis has not yet scheduled a sentencing date for Dewitt.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DEA, the FBI, and the Montgomery County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Prince George’s County Police Department and the Maryland State Police for their assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Jeffrey J. Izant and Geonard F. Butler II, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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New Orleans Man Sentenced for Violating the Federal Gun Control ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – PAUL THOMAS, age 34, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on March 2, 2023 by United States District Judge Eldon E. Fallon on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of the Federal Gun Control Act, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
THOMAS had previously admitted to possessing a Glock pistol with an extended magazine and an AR-15 style rifle with double drum magazines at an auto-body shop he operated on Clark Street in New Orleans. New Orleans Police Department officers had conducted a search of the shop during a murder investigation. The officers found a .357 handgun, four rifles, a shotgun, four Glock .40 caliber handguns, several magazines, three digital scales, and various cell phones.
Judge Fallon sentenced THOMAS to 49 months in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons, to be followed by three years of supervised release after his term of imprisonment. Judge Fallon also ordered THOMAS to pay a mandatory special assessment fee of $100 and ordered that the guns he had possessed be forfeited to the United States.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the New Orleans Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney David Haller of the Violent Crime Unit.
New Orleans Man Sentenced on Carjacking and Weapons ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that defendant, RICHARD JONES, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced on February 28, 2023 by U.S. District Court Judge Greg G. Guidry to a total term of 180 months. As to Counts 1, 3, and 6 of the indictment pending against him, the Court sentenced JONES to 120 months of imprisonment, to be served concurrently with each other. As to Count 2, JONES was sentenced to a term of 60 months, to be served consecutively to the terms imposed for Counts 1, 3, and 6. Additionally, upon release from imprisonment, Judge Guidry ordered that JONES be placed on supervised release for a term of 5 years, consisting of 3 years as to each of Counts 1, 3, and 6 and 5 years as to Count 2, such terms to run concurrently. Finally, JONES was ordered to pay a total $400 mandatory special assessment fee for Counts 1, 2, 3, and 6 of the six-count indictment.
Count One charged JONES with carjacking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2119(1). Count Two charged JONES with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, that is, a carjacking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A). Count Three charged JONES with burglary of a federal firearms licensee, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(u). Finally, Count Six charged JONES with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g) and 924(a)(2).
JONES pled guilty to a carjacking which occurred on April 16, 2020, in New Orleans, LA. after admitting that he and a co-defendant, while armed with a firearm, took the vehicle from the victim. Additionally, on April 17, 2020, deputies with St. Tammany Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived at C&S Gun Parlor in Covington, LA, a federal firearm licensee, and discovered that a truck had rammed the front entrance. Surveillance video footage revealed that a pick-up truck had driven through the entrance of the business. Thereafter, three individuals were seen, exiting the vehicle and throwing forty-five weapons that they had stolen from the store into the bed of the truck. JONES was identified as one of these participants. Eventually, JONES was arrested in New Orleans and found to be in illegal possession of a firearm.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the New Orleans Police Department, the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Department, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Inga Petrovich of the Violent Crime Unit.
New Haven Man Sentenced to Prison for Distributing Fentanyl and CrackRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KISHON SHIELDS, also known as “L.A.” and “Key,” 25, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 18 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for his role in New Haven drug trafficking ring.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the fall of 2021, the New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force and New Haven Police Department began investigating a drug trafficking ring that was distributing fentanyl, heroin crack and cocaine in and around the West Hills neighborhood, including the McConaughy Terrace housing complex located on South Genesee Street in New Haven. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps, fixed video surveillance and controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that a member of the conspiracy was receiving heroin and fentanyl from an out-of-state supplier, and kilogram quantities of cocaine through the U.S. Mail from a source in Puerto Rico. Shields and his coconspirators packaged fentanyl and crack at the McConaughy Terrace housing complex, and referred customers to one another in order to distribute the drugs from that location.
During the investigation, law enforcement seized approximately 19 kilograms of cocaine, more than 7,000 bags of fentanyl, five firearms, and more than $780,000 in cash.
On February 15, 2022, a grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging Shield and seven co-defendants. On November 28, 2022, Shields pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, cocaine base (“crack”) and cocaine.
This investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The Task Force includes participants from the New Haven Police Department, Milford Police Department, East Haven Police Department, West Haven Police Department, Connecticut State Police and the Connecticut Department of Correction.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony E. Kaplan and Kenneth L. Gresham through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Modesto Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Receiving and Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Jonathan James Rodriguez, 40, of Modesto, was sentenced today 14 years and two months in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for receiving and distributing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, from approximately January 2014 through January 2020, Rodriguez was found to have received and/or distributed on a laptop computer over 500 video files depicting minors, some as young as infants and toddlers, suffering various acts of sexual abuse.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian W. Enos prosecuted 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 the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.
Miami-Based Social Media Influencer Pleads Guilty to $1.5 Million COVID-19 Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Miami woman pleaded guilty today to fraudulently obtaining over $1 million in pandemic-related loans using the stolen identities of more than 10 individuals, and then using those funds for personal expenses, including chartering a private jet and rental of a luxury apartment.
Danielle Miller, 32, pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for June 27, 2023. Miller was arrested on a criminal complaint in May 2021 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2021.
From in or around July 2020 through May 2021, Miller devised and executed a scheme to fraudulently obtain pandemic-related relief loans funded by the federal government – including Economic Injury Disaster Loan funds through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) as well as Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and related unemployment benefits. To execute the scheme, Miller used the personal identifying information of more than 10 individuals and used fake business names to apply for and receive more than $1 million in government benefits.
Additionally, Miller possessed counterfeit driver’s licenses in the victims’ names but bearing Miller’s photograph. In August 2020, Miller used a counterfeit driver’s license in the name of a Massachusetts victim to arrange a Gulfstream private jet charter flight from Florida to California, where she stayed at a luxury hotel under the same victim’s name. In a separate instance, Miller used the identity of another victim to rent a luxury apartment in Florida.
Miller maintained an active social media presence via her Instagram account, which had more than 34,000 followers. There, Miller posted her extravagant use of the fraud proceeds and stolen identities, publicizing her purchasing of luxury goods and renting of luxury accommodations. Posts to this account included a post showing Miller at luxury hotels in California where transactions were made using the bank account in one of the victim’s names.
The charges of wire fraud each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of aggravated identity theft provide for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to be served consecutively to any other sentenced imposed, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, Special Agent in Charge of the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG), Eastern Region; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and Abington (Mass.) Police Chief David DelPapa made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations in Miami and the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William F. Abely, Chief of Rollins’ Criminal Division and Benjamin A. Saltzman of Rollins’ Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
The investigation is being conducted by Homeland Security’s Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), a specialized field investigative group comprised of personnel from various local, state and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring, and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity and benefit fraud schemes.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Mercer County Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Jermaine Antwon Jones, 34, of Bluefield, was sentenced today to five years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 11, 2022, Jones sold a quantity of fentanyl to a confidential informant in Bluefield. Jones admitted to selling the fentanyl as well as quantities of fentanyl and cocaine to the same confidential informant on two other occasions in Mercer County around the same time period.
On January 19, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Jones’ residence and found approximately 15 grams of fentanyl and 7.94 grams of cocaine. Jones admitted that he planned to distribute the controlled substances.
Jones was previously convicted of distributing cocaine in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on October 4, 2018. Jones was sentenced today to two years in prison for committing a crime while on supervised release for that conviction, to run concurrently with today’s five-year, 10-month sentence.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. The task force consists of members of the West Virginia State Police, the Bluefield Police Department, the Princeton Police Department, the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department, and the McDowell County Sheriff’s Department.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-200.
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Merced Man Sentenced to Nearly 4 Years in Prison for $60,000 Credit Card FraudRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Ruben Chavez III, 37, of Merced, was sentenced today to three years and nine months in prison for credit card fraud and related identity theft, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between April 2021 and March 2022, Chavez used, or attempted to use, more than 20 victims’ credit cards to make over $60,000 in fraudulent purchases at retail stores, including home appliances. He also changed the victims’ mailing addresses to his own address and created fake identification cards in their names to help further his fraud.
This case was the product of an investigation by U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton prosecuted the case.
Merced Man Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Prison for Manufacturing and Deploying BombsRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Wes Parker McDaniel, 53, of Merced, was sentenced today to 10 years and five months in prison for maliciously destroying property by means of explosive materials and manufacturing bombs, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court records, between Feb. 1, 2021, and June 22, 2021, McDaniel made 12 destructive devices or bombs made with illegal fireworks that he had purchased in Nevada, ammunition, shrapnel, fire starting material, and other items. He deployed six of the bombs at two residences in Merced and one in Lemoore in retaliation against three intended victims. his McDaniel deployed three of the bombs at a residence where he mistakenly thought one victim resided. One of the bombs hit the wall of the house, exploded, and destroyed the fence, which was shared with a neighboring property. Shrapnel emitted from the device created pock marks on the wall of the house, and a propane tank was badly burned. McDaniel placed two bombs near the car of another victim and threw a bomb at the residence of the third victim.
Following these incidents, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at McDaniel’s residence where they found six bombs, bomb-making material, a .22‑caliber rifle, and boxes of ammunition. As a convicted felon, McDaniel is prohibited from possessing firearms, including destructive devices, and ammunition.
U.S. District Judge Ana de Alba ordered the forfeiture of the destructive devices, rifle, and ammunition and ordered McDaniel to pay $2,180 in restitution to cover the loss of the fence.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Merced Police Department, the Lemoore Police Department, and the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Manderson Man Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Viken has sentenced a Manderson, South Dakota, man convicted of Sexual Abuse of a Minor. The sentencing took place on February 27, 2023.
John Joseph White Plume, Sr., 51, was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
White Plume was indicted for Sexual Abuse of a Minor by a federal grand jury in October of 2021. He pleaded guilty on July 11, 2022.
The conviction stems from White Plume engaging in sexual acts with the victim on March 1, 2021, at Manderson.
This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.
White Plume was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison for Defrauding Investors of 2 Companies, Evading TaxesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BRIAN HUGHES, 58, formerly of Madison, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 30 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for defrauding investors of two companies, and for tax evasion.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in March 2015, Hughes founded Handcrafted Brands, LLC (“HCB”), for the purpose of raising money to purchase Salute American Vodka, (“Salute”) an alcoholic beverage company. Hughes subsequently solicited and received funds from dozens of investors ostensibly for the purchase and subsequent development of Salute. Hughes used the first investment he received, in the amount $150,000, to pay his taxes and his American Express credit card expenses. Although HCB purchased Salute in June 2016 for $450,000, Hughes continued to solicit investments from investors and used hundreds of thousands dollars in invested funds for expenses unrelated to Salute. He also used funds to pay off an earlier investor under the guise of a return on a prior investment made by the earlier investor, which is commonly known as a “lulling” payment.
Hughes also solicited investments purportedly on behalf of another company, which is identified in court documents as “Company-1.” In fact, Hughes had no official relationship with Company-1 and could not raise capital on its behalf. Hughes spent the money he received for this investment on personal expenses, to pay earlier investors, and on business related to Salute.
Finally, Hughes evaded the assessment of his tax obligations for the 2015 through 2018 tax years by substantially underreporting his income to the IRS, resulting in a tax loss of $470,880.
Hughes was arrested on January 14, 2021. On February 15, 2022, he pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, one count of making an illegal monetary transaction, and one count of tax evasion.
Judge Arterton ordered Hughes to pay full restitution to investors in both HCB and Company-1, and to the IRS, in the total amount of $2,991,880.
Hughes, who is released on a $250,000 bond and living in New Canaan, is required to report to prison on September 6.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Pierpont, Jr.
Man Sentenced in El Paso for Trafficking Cocaine, Fentanyl into U.S.Read the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – A U.S. citizen living in Mexico was sentenced Thursday to 51 months in prison for conspiracy to import a controlled substance.
According to court documents, Eduardo Aletse Herrera, 20, of Cuidad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico attempted to enter the U.S. at the Ysleta Port of Entry on July 28, 2022. During a vehicle inspection, Customs and Border Protection Officers discovered nine bundles hidden throughout the car. Five of the bundles tested positive for 5.84 kilograms of cocaine, while the remaining four bundles tested positive for 4.46 kilograms of fentanyl. Herrera pleaded guilty to one count in the eight-count indictment Nov. 30, 2022.
“The defendant in this case attempted to smuggle a very large amount of lethal narcotics into our country,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas. “We can thank our partner agents at the border for detecting the drugs and thwarting Herrera’s efforts.”
“This sentence sends a warning to drug smugglers that HSI special agents along with our law enforcement and judicial partners will work tirelessly to bring to justice those who supply our communities with fentanyl and other deadly drugs, contributing to an already-devastating national opioid epidemic.” said Special Agent in Charge Francisco B. Burrola of the Homeland Security Investigations El Paso Division.
HSI and CBP investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Susanna Martinez prosecuted the case.
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Man Charged with Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – CLEMENT LEACH, age 52, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was indicted on one count of Bank Robbery in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2113(a), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to the indictment, on Monday, March 2, 2020, LEACH robbed Chase Bank and obtained approximately $920. If convicted, LEACH faces a maximum of twenty years in the Federal Bureau of Prisons, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release following his release from prison and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
United States Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Violent Crime Task Force and officers of New Orleans Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon M. Maestri of the General Crimes Unit is handling the prosecution.
Man Charged with Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – CLEMENT LEACH, age 52, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was indicted on one count of Bank Robbery in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2113(a), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to the indictment, on Monday, March 2, 2020, LEACH robbed Chase Bank and obtained approximately $920. If convicted, LEACH faces a maximum of twenty years in the Federal Bureau of Prisons, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release following his release from prison and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
United States Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Violent Crime Task Force and officers of New Orleans Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon M. Maestri of the General Crimes Unit is handling the prosecution.
Man Arrested for Attempting to Open Emergency Exit Door Aboard Flight to BostonRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Leominster, Mass. man has been arrested and charged for allegedly attempting to open an emergency exit door while aboard a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Boston and then allegedly attempting to stab a flight attendant in the neck.
Francisco Severo Torres, 33, was charged with one count of interference and attempted interference with flight crew members and attendants using a dangerous weapon. Torres was arrested last evening at Boston Logan International Airport and, following an initial appearance today before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Dein, was detained pending a hearing set for March 9, 2023.
According to the charging documents, on March 5, 2023, Torres was a passenger aboard a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Boston. Approximately 45 minutes prior to landing, the flight crew received an alarm in the cockpit that a starboard side door located between the first class and coach sections of the aircraft was disarmed. Upon inspection, a flight attendant found that the door’s locking handle had been moved out of the fully locked position – approximately a quarter of the way towards the towards the unlocked position – and that the emergency slide arming lever had been moved to the “disarmed” position. The flight attendant reported this to the captain and flight crew after securing the door and emergency slide.
In subsequent discussions, a fellow flight attendant reported that he had observed Torres near the door and believed Torres had tampered with the door. A flight attendant then confronted Torres about tampering with the door, to which he allegedly responded by asking if there were cameras showing that he had done so. According to court documents, the flight attendant then notified the captain that they believed Torres posed a threat to the aircraft and that the captain needed to land the aircraft as soon as possible.
Shortly thereafter, it is alleged that Torres got out of his seat and approached the starboard side door where two flight attendants were standing in the aisle. One of the flight attendants saw Torres mouthing something that he could not hear. Torres then allegedly thrust towards one of the flight attendants in a stabbing motion with a broken metal spoon, hitting the flight attendant on the neck area three times. Passengers then tackled Torres and he was restrained with the assistance of flight crew. Torres was immediately taken into custody upon the flight’s arrival to Boston.
It is alleged that during subsequent interviews, passengers who were aboard the flight reported that Torres asked a fellow passenger where on the safety card it showed where the door handle was located during the flight attendants’ safety briefing prior to takeoff and that Torres was seen pacing in a galley before attacking the flight attendant.
The charge of interference and attempted interference with flight crew members and attendants using a dangerous weapon provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Maine Man Sentenced to 18 Months Imprisonment for Bank FraudRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Sean Crockett, 41, of Lebanon, Maine, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for bank fraud, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Crockett used other people’s identities to open merchant accounts and used those accounts to process fraudulent credit card payments. Merchant accounts are bank accounts for businesses that allow them to accept payments by debit or credit card.
To execute the scheme, Crockett used altered bank and incorporation records, false tax documents, and other persons’ identities to apply for and open merchant bank accounts for companies Crockett controlled. Crockett paid some of these persons to use their identities to open these accounts. Others did not know Crockett and never gave permission to him to open the merchant accounts.
Crockett then used stolen credit card information to process fraudulent transactions. Crockett withdrew the funds soon after they were deposited. Later the credit card holders disputed the transactions, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars of “chargebacks” to those merchant accounts. Normally, when chargebacks occur the funds are withdrawn from the merchant account. In this case, however, because Crockett had already withdrawn the funds, the bank was forced to pay the chargebacks. Because of this, the bank routinely closed Crockett’s merchant accounts. To continue the scheme, Crockett opened new merchant accounts using other peoples’ identities.
In addition to his prison sentence, Crockett was ordered to pay $145,289.01 in restitution and will be under three years of supervised release following the completion of his sentence.
“Financial crimes cause serious harm to victims and deprive them of their hard-earned money,” said U.S. Attorney Young. “Through this deceitful scheme, the defendant defrauded his victims and prevented financial institutions from clawing back his ill-gotten gains. To stop this type of criminal activity, we work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute fraudsters and other white-collar criminals.”
“Today Sean Crockett learned his fate for orchestrating a sophisticated fraud scheme using other people’s identities to open accounts to evade detection so he could then commit more fraud, harming his victims and forcing them to incur hundreds of thousands of dollars in unnecessary losses,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “What he did is inexcusable, and the FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to tackle these types of financial crimes and bring their perpetrators to justice.”
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Hunter and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen.
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MS-13 Gang Member Sentenced to Life in Prison for Racketeering Conspiracy and MurderRead the Press Release
A Maryland man was sentenced today to life in prison for racketeering, murder in aid of racketeering, and conspiring to destroy evidence connected to his participation in La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13).
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Jose Domingo Ordonez-Zometa, aka Felon, 33, of Landover Hills, was a member of MS-13, a transnational criminal enterprise and one of the largest street gangs in the United States that is composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador and other central American countries. Ordonez-Zometa and his co-conspirators – Jose Rafael Ortega-Ayala and Jose Henry Hernandez-Garcia – were members and associates of the Los Ghettos Criminales Salvatruchas (LGCS or Ghettos) clique of MS-13. Ordonez-Zometa was the leader of the LGCS clique.
Between August 2018 and April 2019, Ordonez-Zometa and his co-conspirators participated in the MS-13 criminal enterprise by engaging in acts of violence, including murder, the destruction of evidence, and witness tampering, among other crimes. Ordonez-Zometa and his fellow gang members committed these crimes to increase MS-13’s power in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, including Maryland and Virginia.
As part of the conspiracy, MS-13 members were expected to protect the name, reputation, and status of the gang, using any means necessary to force respect, including acts of intimidation and violence. One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, often referred to as “chavalas,” whenever possible. Participation in criminal activity by a member, particularly in violent acts directed at rival gangs or as directed by gang leadership, increases the respect accorded to that member, resulting in that member maintaining or increasing his position in the gang, and opens the door to promotion to a leadership position.
On March 8, 2019, Ordonez-Zometa called a meeting of the LGCS clique at his house to discuss clique matters, including recent contacts that another LGCS clique member (Victim 1) had with the police. Ordonez-Zometa, his co-conspirators, Victim 1, and other MS-13 members participated in the meeting, during which Ordonez-Zometa questioned Victim 1 about his/her cooperation with police. During the questioning, Ordonez-Zometa, his co-conspirators, and at least one other MS-13 member assaulted Victim 1 based on their incorrect suspicions that Victim 1 was cooperating with law enforcement. They also assaulted another MS-13 member who attempted to defend Victim 1. The assault culminated with Ordonez-Zometa ordering that Victim 1 be killed. His co-conspirators and other MS-13 members then stabbed and murdered Victim 1 in Ordonez-Zometa’s basement.
After the murder, Ordonez-Zometa ordered his co-conspirators and other LGCS clique members to conceal and destroy evidence of the murder. Ortega-Ayala and other MS-13 members transported the body of the victim to a secluded location in Stafford County, Virginia. They set the victim’s body on fire and then destroyed and concealed evidence of the murder from the vehicle used to transport the victim. Meanwhile, Ordonez-Zometa, Hernandez-Garcia, and another MS-13 member stayed at the crime scene and attempted to remove, destroy, and conceal evidence of the murder, including Victim 1’s blood.
In December 2022, Ordonez-Zometa, Ortega-Ayala, and Hernandez-Garcia were convicted at trial of racketeering and murder in aid of racketeering conspiracies, committing murder in aid of racketeering, and conspiracy to destroy and conceal evidence.
Ortega-Ayala and Hernandez-Garcia also face a mandatory sentence of life in prison. Their sentencing dates have not yet been set.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland, and Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.
The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office, the Prince George’s County Police Department, and the Fairfax County Police Department investigated the case, with valuable assistance from the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Office.
Trial Attorneys Jared Engelking and Matthew Hoff of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Morgan for the District of Maryland prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. 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.
MS-13 Gang Member Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for a Racketeering Conspiracy, Including a Murder in MarylandRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis today sentenced Jose Domingo Ordonez-Zometa, a/k/a “Felon,” age 33, of Landover Hills, Maryland, to life in federal prison for racketeering and murder in aid of racketeering conspiracies, for committing murder in aid of racketeering, and for conspiracy to destroy and conceal evidence connected to his participation in La Mara Salvatrucha, a transnational criminal enterprise also known as MS-13. Ordonez-Zometa was convicted on December 16, 2022, after a two-week trial, along with co-defendants Jose Rafael Ortega-Ayala, a/k/a Impaciente,” age 30, of Greenbelt, Maryland; and Jose Henry Hernandez-Garcia, a/k/a “Paciente,” age 29, of Annandale, Virginia.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Washington Field Office Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations, Baltimore Office; Stafford County Sheriff David P. Decatur; Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department; and Chief Kevin Davis of the Fairfax County Police Department.
MS-13, one of the largest street gangs in the United States, is a national and international gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador and other central American countries. Branches or “cliques” of MS-13, operate throughout the United States, including in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Ordonez-Zometa and his co-defendants were members and associates of the Los Ghettos Criminales Salvatruchas (“LGCS” or “Ghettos”) clique of MS-13.
The evidence at trial established that between August 2018 and April 2019, Ordonez-Zometa and his co-defendants participated in the MS-13 criminal enterprise by engaging in acts of violence, including murder, the destruction of evidence, and witness tampering, among other crimes. The criminal acts were committed by gang members to increase MS-13’s power in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, including Maryland and Virginia.
As part of the conspiracy, members of MS-13 were expected to protect the name, reputation, and status of the gang from rival gang members and other persons, using any means necessary to force respect from those who showed disrespect, including acts of intimidation and violence. One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, often referred to as “chavalas,” whenever possible. Participation in criminal activity by a member, particularly in violent acts directed at rival gangs or as directed by gang leadership, increases the respect accorded to that member, resulting in that member maintaining or increasing his position in the gang, and opens the door to promotion to a leadership position.
As detailed during the trial, Ordonez-Zometa was the leader of the LGCS clique. Ordonez-Zometa called a meeting of the LGCS clique at his house on March 8, 2019, to discuss clique matters, including recent contacts that an LGCS clique member (Victim 1) had with the police. Ordonez-Zometa, Victim 1, the co-defendants, and other MS-13 members participated in the meeting, during which Ordonez-Zometa questioned Victim 1 about his/her cooperation with police.
During the questioning, Ordonez-Zometa, his co-defendants and at least one other MS-13 member assaulted Victim 1, based on their incorrect suspicions that Victim 1 was cooperating with law enforcement. They also assaulted another MS-13 member who attempted to defend Victim 1. The assault culminated with Ordonez-Zometa, as LGCS clique leader, ordering that Victim 1 be killed. Ortega-Ayala, Hernandez-Garcia and other MS-13 members then stabbed and murdered Victim 1 in Ordonez-Zometa’s basement.
According to trial testimony, after the murder, Ordonez-Zometa ordered Ortega-Ayala, Hernandez-Garcia, and other LGCS clique members and co-conspirators, to conceal and destroy evidence of the murder. Ortega-Ayala and other MS-13 members transported the body of the victim to a secluded location in Stafford County, Virginia, and set the victim’s body on fire, then destroyed and concealed evidence of the murder from the vehicle used to transport the victim. Meanwhile, Ordonez-Zometa, Hernandez-Garcia, and another MS-13 member stayed at the crime scene and attempted to remove, destroy, and conceal evidence of the murder, including the blood of Victim 1.
Ortega-Ayala and Hernandez-Garcia also face a mandatory sentence of life in prison. Their sentencing dates have not been set.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods (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 an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Anyone with information about MS-13 is encouraged to provide their tips to law enforcement. The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations both have nationwide tiplines that you can call to report what you know. You can reach the FBI at 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713), or you can call HSI at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron and Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. commended the FBI, HSI, the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office, the Prince George’s County Police Department, and the Fairfax County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office for its assistance. Mr. Barron and Mr. Polite thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Morgan and Trial Attorneys Jared Engelking and Matthew Hoff of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division Organized Crime and Gang Section, who are prosecuting this case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Last Defendant Sentenced to Prison for Shipping Cocaine via MailRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas resident was sentenced on Friday by U.S. District Judge James C. Mahan to 57 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for his role in a conspiracy to ship cocaine and money proceeds via the U.S. Postal Service from Las Vegas to Columbus, Ohio.
According to court documents, between November 18, 2020 and January 28, 2021, Luis Enrique Ortiz-Ibarra (30) and co-conspirators Marcell Arturo Perez-Aranda (25) and Juan Carlos Montalvo-Navarrete (28) shipped cocaine and money through the U.S. Postal Service. As part of the conspiracy, Ortiz-Ibarra and Montalvo-Navarrete shipped parcels containing cocaine from Las Vegas to Columbus, Ohio. Over the course of the conspiracy, Ortiz-Ibarra and Montalvo-Navarrete shipped 17.9 kilograms of cocaine from Nevada to Ohio. During the same period, Perez-Aranda shipped parcels containing tens of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds from Columbus back to Las Vegas.
Ortiz-Ibarra pleaded guilty in August 2022 to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Montalvo-Navarrete was sentenced to 60 months in prison; and Perez-Aranda was sentenced to 57 months in prison.
United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kevin Adams for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Las Vegas District Office made the announcement.
The DEA investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Brister prosecuted the case.
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Laplace Man Sentenced for Violating the Federal Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – LENDELL WALLACE, age 39, a resident of LaPlace, Louisiana, was sentenced on March 2, 2023, to 12 months imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release, and a $200 mandatory special assessment fee by U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier, after pleading guilty to a two-count indictment which charged him with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute tramadol and possession with intent to distribute tramadol, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(E), and 846, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, 800 dosage units of tramadol were seized from WALLACE’s residence pursuant to a search warrant. The investigation revealed that on multiple occasions WALLACE had tramadol mailed to his home from Singapore. He then distributed and conspired with others to distribute the tramadol.
This case was investigated by St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Inspection Service, and United States Customs and Border Protection. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers of the Narcotics Unit.
L.A. Man Sentenced to More Than 24 Years in Prison for $5.5 Million COVID Jobless Benefits Scam, Tax Fraud and Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – A downtown Los Angeles man was sentenced today to 292 months in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining nearly $5.5 million in COVID-related jobless benefits by using the identities of California state prison inmates and other third parties, trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamine, and seeking to fraudulently obtain more than $356,400 in tax refunds.
Edward Kim, 37, was sentenced by United States District Judge James V. Selna, who ordered him to pay $5,458,050 in restitution to the California Employment Development Department (EDD) and $16,800 in restitution to the IRS.
Kim pleaded guilty in November 2022 to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, one count of distribution of methamphetamine, one count of conspiracy to defraud the government with respect to claims, two counts of mail fraud, and two counts of possession of 15 or more unauthorized access devices.
Kim has been in federal custody since his arrest in this case in March 2021.
From May 2020 to March 2021, Kim and his co-conspirators submitted approximately 459 fraudulent unemployment insurance claims to EDD, using the names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth and other personal identifiable information (PII) of California state prison inmates and other people. Kim received the inmates’ information from various sources, including by purchasing PII from the dark web.
Kim and his accomplices submitted to the EDD online applications for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits that falsely represented the inmates and others were unemployed because of the economic crisis brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. Kim knowingly listed on the applications false mailing addresses, including his current and former apartments, to which the bank sent the EDD-approved debit cards containing UI funds. Kim then made cash withdrawals at bank branches.
In total, Kim and his co-conspirators received approximately $5,458,050 in fraudulently obtained UI funds.
In November 2019, Kim sent two packages – one containing nearly one pound (449.6 grams) of methamphetamine, the other containing over 300 fake oxycodone pills containing fentanyl – from a FedEx store in West Covina to the address of a UPS Store in Hawaii. Kim’s co-conspirator in Hawaii arrived at the UPS Store to pick up the packages, but law enforcement arrested him before he could do so.
In July 2020, Kim began renting a warehouse in La Habra where he stored equipment and materials for the manufacture and distribution of narcotics, including pill presses and dies, pill bottles, scales, and various binding agents. He also maintained a marijuana grow operation at the La Habra warehouse.
Beginning in March 2020, he conspired with others to defraud the United States by using stolen identities to file false and fraudulent income tax returns to fraudulently claim tax refunds. The tax returns included false information designed to qualify for COVID pandemic-related Economic Impact Payments (EIP), which the federal government provided on three occasions in 2020 and 2021. Together with his co-conspirators, Kim caused at least 297 fraudulent tax returns to be filed with the IRS which sought more than $356,400 in fraudulent EIP from the United States.
During a traffic stop in La Habra in November 2020, law enforcement found approximately 22 grams of methamphetamine in Kim’s car, along with a digital scale, and 16 debit cards in the names of other people.
Another search in March 2021 at Kim’s luxury apartment near L.A. Live resulted in law enforcement finding nearly 35 grams of methamphetamine, dozens of EDD letters and mailings, and a notebook marked “stimulus scheme,” which contained approximately 405 different identities.
A search of the La Habra warehouse in 2021 led to the discovery of more EDD paperwork, ATM withdrawal receipts, and nearly 296 grams of methamphetamine. A 9mm Polymer80 handgun with no serial number – commonly referred to as a “ghost gun” – also was found at the La Habra warehouse during a subsequent search later than year.
Homeland Security Investigations, IRS Criminal Investigation, the United States Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the California Employment Development Department – Investigation Division, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation – Special Service Unit, the La Habra Police Department, and the Hawaii Police Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew M. Roach of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crime Section and Julia Hu of the Major Frauds section prosecuted this case.
Anyone with general information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Jury Convicts Man of Fentanyl and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted an Arizona man after Tulsa police officers found him with more than 8,000 fentanyl pills and multiple stolen firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Hatcher Ramon Day, 27, of Phoenix, Arizona, was convicted Thursday of possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute; possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
“Hatcher Day came from Arizona to Oklahoma for the purpose of distributing fentanyl. He further possessed five firearms to help protect his illicit product and profits,” said US Attorney Clint Johnson. “Drugs and guns are never a good combination and too often result in violence and death. These dealers wreak havoc on families and contribute to the economic decline in neighborhoods. My office and our partners at the Tulsa Police Department and ATF are committed to stopping them.”
In September 2022, an officer with the Tulsa Police Department’s Human Trafficking and Vice Unit, received a tip about a man who was selling fentanyl pills out of a Tulsa home. A subsequent records check revealed that the residence was a short-term Airbnb rental property.
On Sept. 19, 2022, Tulsa police officers executed a search warrant on the home, where Day was present. During the search, they discovered more than 8,000 fentanyl pills weighing 888 grams, five firearms, and numerous rounds of ammunition. Day was a convicted felon and, therefore, prohibited from possessing firearms. Officers discovered four of the five firearms were stolen when they checked the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database. Additionally, officers established that Day was the individual who rented the property through Airbnb.
During trial, a witness testified that he and Day came from Arizona to Tulsa for the purpose of distributing fentanyl. He also testified that before the search warrant was executed on the home, he witnessed Day conduct a drug deal, where Day agreed to sell a customer two “boats” of fentanyl. A “boat” is considered one thousand fentanyl pills.
The Tulsa Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan E. Michel and Kenneth Elmore prosecuted the case
Jury Convicts Fort Pierce Man of Carjacking at GunpointRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A South Florida federal jury has convicted Fort Pierce resident Xavier Daughtry, 25, of carjacking and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Just before midnight on May 9, 2022, the victim parked her vehicle at a gas station on U.S. Hwy 1 in Fort Pierce. After going inside the store, the victim returned to find Daughtry attempting to enter her vehicle. The victim confronted Daughtry, who then raised a loaded .45 caliber pistol and pointed it at the victim’s face, telling her to back up. Daughtry then got inside the vehicle and left the area. Less than eight minutes later, Daughtry was apprehended by St. Lucie County Sheriff’s deputies and Fort Pierce police officers. When apprehended, Daughtry was in the stolen vehicle and sitting on the pistol (which was loaded, with a round in the chamber, and the hammer cocked).
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and acting Special Agent in Charge Maged Behnam of the FBI Miami Field Office made the announcement.
The case was investigated by FBI Miami, Fort Pierce Resident Agency, with assistance from ATF Fort Pierce Field Office, the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, and the Fort Pierce Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Michael Porter and Justin Hoover.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 22-cr-14047.
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Huntington Woman Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Courtney Michelle McComas, 35, of Huntington, was sentenced today to two years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 24,2021, McComas sold approximately 1.63 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant in a vehicle at the intersection of Sixth Avenue and Richmond Street in Huntington.
McComas admitted to that transaction and also admitted to selling approximately 2 grams of fentanyl to the confidential informant on November 16, 2021, in Huntington. On November 19, 2021, law enforcement officers executed search warrants at an Oney Avenue residence and of a vehicle in Huntington. McComas admitted to possessing the approximately 41 grams of fentanyl found by officers during the searches, and further admitted that she intended to distribute the fentanyl.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Office.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-58.
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Huntington Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Federal Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Kilan Nicks, also known as “Low,” 26, of Huntington, was sentenced today to 12 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for distributing 5 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of fentanyl, and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 6, 2022, Nicks sold approximately 4 grams of fentanyl and 29 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant at a Roby Road apartment in Huntington. On June 7, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a McVeigh Avenue residence in Huntington while Nicks was present. Nicks admitted to possessing a Taurus 9mm pistol and approximately $3,635 found during the search. Nicks further admitted that the firearm was for his protection and the cash was proceeds from his distribution of drugs.
Nicks also admitted to conspiring with other individuals to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Huntington area from February 2022 until around June 2022. Nicks traveled to California and Arizona and acquired methamphetamine and fentanyl that he transported back to the Southern District of West Virginia for distribution as part of the conspiracy. Nicks maintained the Roby Road apartment and an 18th Street residence to store and distribute the drugs. Nicks further admitted to selling a total of 37.5 grams of fentanyl and 200 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in the Huntington area over 10 separate transactions during the conspiracy.
On June 7, 2022, law enforcement officers executed search warrants at the 18th Street residence and a residence in Chesapeake, Ohio. Nicks admitted to possessing 690.71 grams of fentanyl and a Radical Firearms, M4 5.56mm rifle seized at the 18th Street residence, and to possessing a Masterpiece Arms, Defender 9mm pistol, and a blender containing fentanyl residue seized at the Chesapeake residence.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Office.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-118.
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Houma Man Pleads Guilty to Violating the Federal Controlled Substances Act, the Federal Gun Control Act, and Assaulting a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JOSHUA BOGEN, age 31, a resident of Houma, Louisiana, pled guilty on March 1, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Mary Ann Vial Lemmon to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A), brandishing a firearm during and in relation to the commission of a drug trafficking offense, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(ii), felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1), and assaulting a federal officer, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 111(b), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, on October 18, 2021, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents received information that BOGEN, a convicted felon, would be transporting approximately two pounds of crystal methamphetamine from Houma, Louisiana to a residence on Pauger Street in New Orleans to conduct a drug deal. Upon arriving at the Pauger Street residence, BOGEN got out of his vehicle carrying a large bag containing 1009.9 grams of pure methamphetamine and a Glock Model 26 Gen 4, nine-millimeter semi-automatic handgun with a round in the chamber. DEA agents then turned on their surveillance unit’s flashing blue lights and began to exit the vehicle. Immediately after an agent opened their door, BOGEN brandished his handgun and pointed it directly at one of the agents. Agents took cover at the rear of the vehicle and one shot was fired in BOGEN’s direction. BOGEN, who was not wounded, immediately threw the handgun and the large bag of methamphetamine over the fence adjacent to the driveway of the residence and surrendered.
For possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, BOGEN faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years, up to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000,000, and at least five years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. For brandishing a firearm during and in relation to the commission of a drug trafficking offense, BOGEN faces a statutory minimum sentence of seven years of imprisonment, up to life, to run consecutive with any other sentence, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to five years of supervised release. For being a felon in possession of a firearm, BOGEN faces up to ten years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years supervised release. For assaulting a federal officer, BOGEN faces up to twenty years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years supervised release. For each of the four counts, BOGEN faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers of the Narcotics Unit.
Honduran National Sentenced to Time Served for Illegal Re-Entry After DeportationRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – MARIO RENE REYES-CARDONA, age 52, was sentenced on March 2, 2023 for illegal reentry of a removed alien in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to documents filed in court and signed by him, MARIO RENE REYES-CARDONA (“REYES-CARDONA”) admitted to reentering the United States after being previously deported on December 18, 2013. REYES-CARDONA was sentenced by the Honorable Nannette Jolivette Brown, Chief U.S. District Judge, Eastern District of Louisiana, to time served, which exceeded 16 months.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carter K. D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.