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Tuesday 24 January 2023
California Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Possession of CocaineRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA -- A resident of Covina, California, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal narcotic laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Kenneth Kim Parks, age 60, pleaded guilty to one count of attempt to possess with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine before United States District Judge W. Scott Hardy.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on March 19, 2021, the United States Postal Service executed a federal search warrant on a parcel sent from Puerto Rico after a drug K-9 alerted to the presence of a controlled substance. A Pennsylvania State Police laboratory confirmed that the parcel contained over 500 grams of cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance. Subsequently, law enforcement replaced the cocaine with sham, a substance designed to look like cocaine. Law enforcement then prepared for a controlled delivery operation at the residence where the parcel was to be delivered in Troy Hill, Pennsylvania.
Prior to the controlled delivery, law enforcement placed physical surveillance at the Troy Hill residence. Surveillance observed Kenneth Kim Parks, a resident of California, exit his rental vehicle, knock on the door of the residence, and interact with his cellular phone. After no one answered, Parks returned to his vehicle, which was parked in front of the residence.
Thereafter, an undercover postal inspector executed the controlled delivery of the parcel, leaving the parcel on the porch of the residence. Immediately after the undercover departed, Parks exited his vehicle, retrieved the parcel, and returned to his vehicle. Surveillance observed Parks place the parcel behind the driver’s seat. Law enforcement then converged on Parks. Upon seeing law enforcement, Parks stated, “I did nothing wrong, just take me to jail.” The unopened parcel was located behind Parks, and he had three cellular phones on the center console. A phone contained texts with an individual from Puerto Rico, from where the parcel was sent. One of the texts notified Parks of the address where the controlled delivery operation occurred.
Judge Hardy scheduled sentencing for May 25, 2023, at 9:30 am. The law provides for a term of imprisonment not more than 20 years, a fine of $1,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued Parks on bond.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Parks.
CEO Sentenced to Prison and Ordered to Repay Millions for Defrauding the United States in Connection with Military and Humanitarian Projects in AfricaRead the Press Release
For Further Information, Contact:
Assistant U. S. Attorneys Mark W. Pletcher (619) 546-9714 and Eric R. Olah (619) 546-7540SAN DIEGO – Micheline Pollock, a citizen of Canada and resident of the United Kingdom, was sentenced in federal court today to time served, which amounts to approximately a 30-month term of imprisonment, for her role in a conspiracy to defraud the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the U.S. Navy Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) in connection with military and humanitarian construction projects across Africa. Chief U.S. District Judge Dana M. Sabraw also ordered Pollock to pay more than $7 million in restitution.
As charged in a 98-count indictment, Pollock was the chief executive officer of Dover Vantage, a U.S. construction firm that had its primary office in Dubai and specialized in expeditionary projects in Africa. Between 2011 and 2018, Dover Vantage won construction contracts for USACE and NAVFAC projects in Africa, including a maternity ward and a school for the deaf in Togo, and a military aircraft hangar in Niger.
Pollock was arrested on September 22, 2020, in Tbilisi, Georgia by Georgian authorities based on a provisional arrest warrant issued at the request of the United States. Pollock was in custody for approximately nine-months before she was extradited to the United States on June 18, 2021. For their efforts in this case, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California specially acknowledges the assistance provided by our international partners in Georgia, including the Office of the Prosecutor General of Georgia, Georgia Border Police, Isani Police Department, and the Isani Prosecutor’s Office.
Upon her extradition to the United States, Pollock entered a guilty plea to conspiring with others at Dover Vantage to defraud the United States. Pollock admitted in her plea agreement that she and her co-conspirators fraudulently represented that they had quality control plans and inspections, that they met these supposed quality control standards, and subsequently they falsely represented that work was done according to design specifications. As a result of the fraudulent conduct, many of the structures built by Dover Vantage were so poorly constructed that they collapsed, including an aircraft hangar in Niger and a training facility in Senegal.
"We will continue to combat fraud and corruption as the United States expends military and humanitarian resources across Africa,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. Grossman thanked the prosecution team and investigating agencies for their excellent work on this case.
“The special agents of the DoD Office of Inspector General's Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) will traverse the globe to bring individuals who threaten our nation's military readiness to justice,” said Stanley A. Newell, Special Agent-in-Charge of DCIS’s Transnational Operations Field Office. “DCIS and our partner agencies will continue to leverage a vast international law enforcement network to protect the integrity of the DoD procurement system.”
“Today's sentencing should serve as a stark reminder that our agents, and those of our partner law enforcement agencies, are relentless in their pursuit and capture of those who choose to defraud the United States Government anywhere in the world,” said Special Agent in Charge L. Scott Moreland of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Major Procurement Fraud Field Office.
This case arises out of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Africa Strike Force initiative, developed to combat fraud and corruption as the United States expends military and humanitarian resources across Africa. For information about the second case prosecuted as a result of the initiative, please see https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/us-navy-concrete-contractor-djibouti-admits-fraudulent-conduct-and-will-pay-more-125.
The case is being investigated by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, European Post of Duty in Germany, and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, Major Procurement Fraud Unit, European Fraud Resident Agency. Additional investigative assistance was provided domestically and internationally by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Substantial ongoing assistance in prosecuting this case has been provided by the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.
DEFENDANT Case Number 20-CR-3167-DMS
Micheline Pollock Age: 52 Dubai, United Arab Emirates
SUMMARY OF CHARGE
Conspiracy to Defraud the United States – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 371
AGENCIES
Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Service
Department of the Army, Criminal Investigative Command
Department of the Navy, Naval Investigative Service
Brooklyn Park Man Pleads Guilty to His Role in $250 Million Feeding Our Future Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Liban Yasin Alishire has pleaded guilty to his role in the $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally-funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, Alishire, 43, of Brooklyn Park, enrolled Community Enhancement Services and Lake Street Kitchen, organizations he helped operate, in the Federal Child Nutrition Program as purported sites providing meals to underprivileged children under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future.
Alishire admits that after enrolling in the Federal Child Nutrition Program, he began submitting fraudulent claims for reimbursement for serving meals to hundreds or thousands of children a day. Alishire falsified invoices to document the purchase of food, and the preparation and submitting of falsified attendance rosters purporting to document the names of children who received meals. Alishire also operated a distribution company, Ace Distribution Services, that purported to provide meals to be served to children at the Community Enhancement Services site.
In total, Community Enhancement Services claimed to have served over 800,000 meals between February and October 2021, and Lake Street Kitchen claimed to have served over 70,000 meals between December 2020 and April 2021. In reality, Community Enhancement Services and Lake Street Kitchen served a fraction of the meal amounts claimed.
Based on the fraudulent claims, Community Enhancement Services and Lake Street Kitchen received more than a million dollars in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds from their sponsor entity, Feeding Our Future. Alishire caused the transfer of much of this money to himself and others via shell companies used to receive and launder the proceeds of the fraud scheme.
According to court documents, Hoodo Properties was one such shell company Alishire controlled and used to launder proceeds from the fraud scheme. On or about November 22, 2021, Alishire conducted a wire transfer of $216,300 from Hoodo Properties to Jaafar Jelle & Co. towards the purchase of the Karibu Palms Resort in Diani Beach, Kenya.
In total, Alishire fraudulently claimed approximately $2,427,576.17 in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds, of which Feeding Our Future paid out $1,783,786.45 to the defendant and his co-conspirators. In all, Alishire obtained $712,084.00 in fraud proceeds for himself and entities he controlled.
Alishire pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge Nancy E. Brasel to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. As part of his plea agreement, Alishire will forfeit a boat and trailer, a Ford F150 pickup truck, an apartment unit in Nairobi, Kenya, and the Karibu Palms Resort on the Indian Ocean in Kenya. Alishire also agreed to a $712,084.00 forfeiture money judgment. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph S. Teirab, Joseph H. Thompson, Harry M. Jacobs, Matthew S. Ebert, and Chelsea A. Walcker. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
Brooklyn Man Sentenced for ObstructionRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jacques Laventure, age 36, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced today to 10 months in jail for obstructing an official proceeding by selling a mansion and estate that the U.S. Attorney’s Office was seeking to forfeit as part of a criminal case against his brother.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
Laventure is the brother of Jean Lavanture, of Saugerties, New York. Jean Lavanture was indicted in October 2020 for fraudulently obtaining nearly $5 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) intended to help legitimate businesses during the pandemic. As part of that prosecution, the U.S. Attorney’s Office sought to forfeit a mansion and estate in Byram Township, New Jersey, that Jean Lavanture bought with approximately $850,000 in fraud proceeds.
In previously pleading guilty, Jacques Laventure admitted that between January and March 2021, he schemed to sell the Byram Township property, knowing that the U.S. Attorney’s Office sought to forfeit it. He also admitted that on March 10, 2021, he completed the sale of the property for $443,920 net of fees, and knew that by selling the property to a third party, he was preventing its forfeiture in the criminal case brought against his brother.
United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby ordered Laventure to forfeit $443,920 already seized by the Government, and to pay $331,080 in restitution. Judge Suddaby also imposed a 2-year term of post-imprisonment supervised release.
The FBI investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Barnett and Joshua R. Rosenthal prosecuted this case.
Brooklyn Man Indicted for Interstate Transportation of Stolen GoodsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A federal grand jury indicted a Brooklyn, New York, man for transporting stolen jewelry across state lines, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Tony Newton, 63, of Brooklyn, New York, is charged by indictment with two counts of interstate transportation of stolen goods. Newton was charged by criminal complaint in July 2022 for transporting stolen jewelry from a store located in a shopping center in Edison, New Jersey, to Brooklyn, and is detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On June 1, 2022, and July 16, 2022, Newton transported stolen jewelry across state lines from Middlesex County, New Jersey, and Union County, New Jersey, respectively, to New York.
Each count of interstate transportation of stolen goods is punishable by a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited FBI Newark’s Transnational Organized Crime Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; the Union County Prosecutor's Office, under the direction of Prosecutor William Daniel, officers of the Edison Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Tom Bryan; and officers of the Elizabeth Police Department, under the direction of Director Earl Graves and Chief Giacomo Sacca, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked officers of the Suffolk County, New York, Police Department and the Milford, Connecticut, Police Department for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Farhana C. Melo of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Brockton Man Sentenced to over Six Years in Federal Prison for Assaulting Officer with VehicleRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brockton man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for assaulting, resisting or impeding an officer while fleeing a motor vehicle stop.
Tykeam Jackson, 27, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to 77 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In April 2022, Jackson pleaded guilty to one count of assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers.
On July 27, 2020, a deputized federal law enforcement officer stopped Jackson in Avon, Mass. for speeding and instructed him to exit his vehicle. Instead, Jackson accelerated the vehicle with such force that the officer was dragged for several feet and thrown to the ground. Jackson then sped away, drove in and out of a public parking lot where he swerved around pedestrians and other vehicles, ignored traffic signals and drove into oncoming traffic, eventually travelling at a speed of approximately 100 miles per hour in the breakdown lane of Route 24. After attempting to cross all three travel lanes, Jackson lost control of the vehicle and crashed head-on into the guardrail. He exited the vehicle, ran across Route 24 and was subsequently found running into and obstructing traffic on a nearby roadway.
At the time of the offense, Jackson was on state probation resulting from an armed robbery conviction in Suffolk County Superior Court.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New England Field Division; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Norfolk County District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Hoefle of Rollins’ Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Boston Man Pleads Guilty to Concealing Income and Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty today to concealing business income and filing multiple false tax returns.
Albert Casiello, 56, pleaded guilty to three counts of filing false tax returns before U.S. District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel who scheduled sentencing for April 12, 2023. Casiello was charged on Jan. 11, 2023.
Between 2013 and 2015, Casiello was the president, sole shareholder and primary operator of Cassco Development Group, Inc., a Massachusetts construction business. For each of the tax years 2013, 2014 and 2015, Casiello concealed his business income by depositing customer payments in bank accounts held in the names of other entities. Casiello then filed false tax returns for the years 2013, 2014 and 2015, resulting in a tax loss of $315,856.
The charge of filing false tax returns provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release, a fine of up to $100,000 and restitution. 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 and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Markham of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
Blue Springs Man Indicted for Fentanyl Conspiracy, Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Blue Springs, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
Alan J. Flamenco, also known as “Pablo,” 23, was charged in an eight-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo.
Today’s indictment alleges that Flamenco participated in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl in Jackson County, Mo., from May 5 to Nov. 21, 2022. Flamenco is also charged with four counts of distributing fentanyl and one count of possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute.
The federal indictment also charges Flamenco with one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. Flamenco allegedly was in possession of a Glock 9mm semi-automatic handgun on May 5, 2022.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Gibson, who is a cross-designated prosecutor from the Missouri Attorney General’s office as part of the Safer Streets Initiative to combat violent crime. It was investigated by the Jackson County Drug Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Belleville Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing Government Benefits from Deceased In-LawRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A man from Belleville admitted to stealing more than $17,000 in Government benefits from a deceased in-law in a U.S. District Court on Tuesday.
Scott C. Gunnarson, 47, pled guilty to one count of Theft of Government Funds.
“By failing to notify the Government of a loved one’s passing and continuing to collect their benefits, individuals commit felony theft,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “Defrauding benefit agencies is a serious offense, and relatives tempted to swindle funds face going to federal prison.”
“This plea demonstrates that stealing Social Security benefits designated for another individual is a federal crime,” said Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General for the Social Security Administration. “I want to thank OPM for working with us to investigate this crime and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecuting this case.”
“OPM OIG is committed to protecting federal funds from fraud,” said Conrad J. Quarles, Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, OPM OIG. “I applaud the hard work of our investigators and our partners in recovering these misspent funds.”
According to court documents, Gunnarson’s in-law received monthly payments via direct deposit from the Social Security Administration and the Office of Personnel Management’s Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund as the beneficiary of her deceased spouse. The in-law passed away in April 2018, but neither the SSA nor the OPM were notified.
Gunnarson had access to the in-law’s bank account since July 2019, when his wife passed away. Since then, more than $17,000 has been withdrew from the in-law’s bank account, as stated in bank records.
The defendant’s sentencing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on May 2, 2023.
The SSA – Office of the Inspector General and the OPM – Office of the Inspector General contributed to the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Reed is prosecuting the case.
Aryan Brotherhood Member Sentenced to Nearly 20 Years in Federal Prison for Armed Methamphetamine Trafficking and Illegally Possessing 40 FirearmsRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Jared Mashburn, 40, of Indianapolis, Indiana was sentenced to 235 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to court documents, on December 14, 2020, Mashburn was arrested in Indianapolis by Indiana State Police Troopers on an outstanding Putnam County warrant. Mashburn was wanted for unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, resisting law enforcement, and possessing methamphetamine. At the time of his arrest, troopers searched Mashburn’s person and located two loaded handguns, approximately 22 grams of methamphetamine packaged in bags for resale, and approximately $12,000 in cash.
Later that same day, troopers executed a warrant to search Mashburn’s residence. Investigators located and seized 38 firearms, approximately 2.8 kilograms of methamphetamine, digital scales, a vacuum sealer, and a drug ledger. Investigators also seized items associated with the Aryan Brotherhood, of which Mashburn was a known member, including a jersey with Aryan Brotherhood insignia and a Nazi flag, uniform, and other Nazi paraphernalia. The Aryan Brotherhood is a notorious white supremacist group with affiliated gangs in many prisons.
At the time of this arrest, Mashburn had been previously convicted of manufacturing methamphetamine and having an illegal drug lab. Mashburn was prohibited from owning firearms under federal law due to his previous felony convictions.
“This heavily armed meth dealer and gang member is exactly the sort of dangerous criminal we must prioritize for federal prosecution,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Repeat felons who menace the public with illegal guns and poison our families with deadly drugs will face the sorts of serious consequences imposed by the court today. I commend the efforts of the FBI and Indiana State Police to protect the public by ensuring that the defendant will spend years in federal prison and off our streets.”
“The sentence imposed today clearly demonstrates that those who use firearms in furtherance of their illegal activities will be held accountable and removed from our communities so they can no longer pose a risk,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton. “We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to stop the flow of drugs into our neighborhoods and keep firearms out of the hands of those prohibited from being able to possess them.”
The Indiana State Police and Federal Bureau of Investigations investigated the case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Jane Magnus Stinson. Judge Stinson also ordered that Mashburn be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 5 years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney, Pamela S. Domash, who prosecuted this case.
Army Reservist Pleads Guilty to Defrauding the Department of DefenseRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Nauvoo resident and enlisted Army Reservist pleaded guilty yesterday to stealing more than $53,000 from the Department of Defense, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Department of Army Criminal Investigation Division, Redstone Resident Unit, Supervisory Special Agent Chase Wilkerson.
Jared Romine Barton, 39, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Annemarie Carney Axon to one count of theft of government funds.
According to the plea agreement, between 2016 and 2020, while both an active Army Reservist and Army civilian employee at the Army Reserve’s Deployment Support Command in Birmingham, AL, Sergeant First Class Barton submitted false travel claims and associated timecards to be reimbursed for official travel he did not undertake.
“The defendant defrauded the Department of Defense while wearing the uniform of the country,” said Escalona. “My office is committed to investigating and prosecuting white-collar crime in all its forms, but it is particularly insidious that a member of the United States Armed Forces would steal from the government he was sworn to defend.”
“The Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division is committed to ensuring that these types of schemes are investigated aggressively,” said Supervisory Special Agent Chase D. Wilkerson of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Redstone Resident Unit. “It is imperative that we continue to pursue economic fraud in every form to protect our military.”
Barton faces a maximum term of up to ten years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
The Department of the Army’s Criminal Investigative Division investigated the case with assistance from the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan “Jack” Harrington prosecuted the case.
Armed South Florida Fentanyl Dealer Arrested on Federal ChargesRead the Press Release
MIAMI –James Nevin Moorman, 62, of Coral Springs, Fla., has been charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, distributing a controlled substance, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He faces a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum one of life in prison.
According to the indictment, in August 2022 law enforcement conducted two controlled buys with Moorman where he sold approximately 100 grams of fentanyl to a confidential source.
The following month the confidential source and an undercover officer successfully purchased 266 grams of fentanyl from Moorman on a single occasion, said the indictment. In January 2023 law enforcement executed a search warrant on Moorman’s storage unit and seized over one kilogram of fentanyl, more than 500 grams of cocaine, an assortment of pills, and two AR-style rifles—one of which was a machine gun.
U.S. Attorney for the Southern Disrtict of Florida Markenzy Lapointe and Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, made the announcement.
ATF, Miami Field Division, is investigating the case with assistance from Broward Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Catherine Koontz is prosecuting it.
An indictment is only an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
You may find related court documents and information on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-MJ-06017.
Arizona man pleads guilty to solar power tax fraud schemeRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 56-year-old Paradise Valley, Arizona man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to a seven-year tax fraud scheme that resulted in more than $50 million in illegal tax refunds, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Kirkland pled guilty to three counts of aiding or assisting the filing of fraudulent tax documents.
Charles St. George Kirkland falsely claimed in tax filings that he had lost more than $135 million by investing in solar equipment. Kirkland then ‘sold’ those losses through a network of tax preparers, telling the preparers that their clients could use the losses to claim refunds on their tax returns. In all, the scheme resulted in a loss to the U.S. Treasury of over $50 million. Kirkland collected $45 million from the sale of the fake losses.
“Mr. Kirkland capitalized on our need and drive for clean energy, cloaking his fraud scheme in the solar energy space,” said U.S. Attorney Brown. “He vastly inflated his investments in solar, and then sold that fiction to taxpayers. The taxpayers got big refunds, but then paid 90% of the refund back to Mr. Kirkland.”
According to the plea agreement, Kirkland used a web of limited liability entities he controlled to claim both net operating losses and investment tax credits based on fake investments in solar equipment.
For example, in 2013 alone, Kirkland claimed his businesses lost more than $40 million through investments in solar equipment. In fact, the businesses spent only about $150,000 on solar equipment that year. From 2012 to 2018, Kirkland’s companies claimed to have lost more than $135 million on investments in solar equipment. The companies spent less than $6 million on solar equipment over that period.
Kirkland reached out to a network of tax preparers and claimed that he could transfer the tax benefits of his losses to their clients. Kirkland provided participating taxpayers with fraudulent tax documents stating that the taxpayers were partners in Kirkland’s business and therefore entitled to the tax benefits of the business’s losses. Under Kirkland’s program, the taxpayers would amend their returns for prior years to claim they were entitled to a refund for those years because the losses from Kirkland’s companies offset their income and reduced their tax obligations. The taxpayers agreed that, upon receiving a refund from the IRS, they would pay 90% of the refund to Kirkland. Approximately 1,500 taxpayers participated in the program, filing nearly 3,200 tax returns.
Some of the taxpayers who participated in the program were Washington residents. For example, one Maple Valley, Washington couple claimed to be partners in Kirkland’s Solar Farm entity and amended their 2015 tax return to claim a net operating loss of $347,893. The couple got a tax refund of $17,759. In 2018, a Seattle couple claimed a 2017 tax loss from Solar Farm of $22,870 so that they could claim a refund of $28,180. In 2019, Grapeview, Washington resident claimed a 2018 solar energy credit of $10,341 so she could claim a refund of $10,704.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, Kirkland owes $51,615,484 in restitution. Sentencing in front of U.S. District Judge John H. Chun is scheduled for April 17, 2023.
Each count of aiding and assisting the filing of false tax returns is punishable by up to three years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or twice the tax gain or loss resulting from the crime. Kirkland pled guilty to three counts.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Seth Wilkinson.
Alabama Company Sentenced in Worker Death CaseRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge today sentenced ABC Polymer Industries LLC for a willful violation of an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standard that caused a worker’s death. The charge involves an Aug. 16, 2017, incident at the Helena, Alabama, plant owned by ABC Polymer Industries LLC, in which a worker was pulled into a cluster of unguarded moving rollers and killed.
U.S. District Judge Annemarie Carney Axon for the Northern District of Alabama ordered ABC Polymer to pay $242,928 in restitution to the family of the deceased worker, a fine of $167,928, and ordered the company to serve two years on probation under conditions of a safety compliance plan.
According to court documents, ABC Polymer operated multiple plastic extrusion lines at its facility, which molded raw materials into flat rectangular plastic sheets. The machinery pulled the sheets through a series of rollers arranged in clusters before cutting them into plastic threads or tapes, which were sold for use in various products. According to court documents filed in connection with the case, the machine at issue in the worker’s death was equipped with a “cage” or barrier guard that could be pulled down over one of the exposed sides of the rollers. OSHA standards require moving machinery such as this to be guarded while the machine is energized.
However, ABC Polymer was aware that its employees routinely raised the guard on its machines to cut tangled plastic off the rollers, thereby operating the machines without the required guarding. ABC Polymer also trained its employees to cut tangled plastic off the rollers while the rollers were in operation. ABC Polymer admitted that it knew or should have known that these practices exposed employees to a risk of injuries and death in violation of federal law.
Federal law makes it a class B misdemeanor to willfully fail to follow an OSHA safety standard, where the failure causes the death of an employee. The class B misdemeanor is the only federal criminal charge covering such workplace safety violations.
This case was investigated by the OSHA of the U.S. Department of Labor.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Posey and Ryan Rummage for the Northern District of Alabama and Trial Attorneys Ethan Eddy and William Shapiro of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section prosecuted the case.
34-Year-Old Omaha Man Sentenced in Nearly $1 Million Bank Robbery ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Kevin L. Brown, 34, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for one count of Conspiracy to Interfere with Interstate Commerce by way of Robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Brown was previously convicted in federal court for one of the robberies that was part of this conspiracy.
United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Brown to a term of 161 months of imprisonment, five years of supervised release, and a $200 special assessment. Brown received credit for his prior term of imprisonment of 33 months, for a remaining sentence of 128 months. There is no parole in the federal system.
Brown’s co-defendant, Charles Ware, was sentenced in federal court on December 15, 2022, to a term of 170 months in federal prison, followed by a term of five years of supervised release. Brown and Ware were part of a conspiracy to rob federally insured banks across Nebraska. Brown was responsible for 10 armed bank robberies and Ware was responsible for 9 armed bank robberies. The evidence showed that the defendants purchased a high quality “old man mask,” that gave them the appearance of being an elderly Caucasian male when first entering the banks. After the initial robber would enter the bank in the mask, then co-conspirators would rush into the bank after the decoy robber in the mask took initial control of the bank employees. Once inside the bank, one of the defendants would jump the teller counter in a “takeover”-style bank robbery and proceed to the bank vaults. The defendants typically used stolen vehicles to drive to the bank robberies to help disassociate themselves from the robberies and evade law enforcement detection. Ultimately, the defendants robbed Nebraska banks of $959,147.68 combined between June 1, 2015 and June 22, 2018. Restitution for the bank victims will be determined at a future hearing.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Omaha Police Department, and the Lincoln Police Department.
Monday 23 January 2023
“Coyote” Sentenced to 12 Months in Prison for Transportation of Noncitizens and Refusal to Release Passengers After Demanding More PaymentRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A human smuggler (also known as a “coyote”) was sentenced today to 12 months in prison for unlawful transportation of noncitizens without status in the United States, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
On Sept. 28, 2022, Mateo Gomez Gonzalez, 29, of Mexico, was arrested at a gas station near Dunnigan, California, and has been held in federal custody in Sacramento. He pleaded guilty on Oct. 24, 2022.
According to court documents, on Sept. 28, 2022, a concerned resident of Sacramento called law enforcement to report that his relative and a friend were being held over a payment dispute in a human smuggling operation. The driver of a vehicle involved in the transport of Mexican citizens to the United States was threatening to drop the relative and family friend at an unknown stash house rather than to the awaiting family members if additional payment was not made. Acting on the tip, law enforcement met the vehicle at a gas station, discovered four passengers in the vehicle who did not have lawful status in the United States, and arrested the driver, Gomez.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Audrey B. Hemesath and Denise Yasinow prosecuted the case.
Venezuelan Man Sentenced for Document FraudRead the Press Release
A man who possessed a false identification document bearing someone else’s name and social security number was sentenced today to more than two months in federal prison.
Franklin Sosa-Jimenez, age 33, a citizen of Venezuela illegally present in the United States and residing in West Liberty, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 23, 2022, guilty plea to one count of unlawful possession of an identification document.
At the guilty plea, Sosa-Jimenez admitted he knowingly possessed a fraudulent Social Security card. When Sosa-Jimenez was encountered by the United States Border Patrol in Texas on April 24, 2022, after illegally entering the United States, he was told to report to an Immigration Office near to his final destination. When Sosa-Jimenez reported to the ICE office in Cedar Rapids on October 26, 2022, Sosa-Jimenez had his Venezuelan identification card bearing his true name and picture. He also possessed a fraudulent Social Security Card and a fraudulent California identification card bearing someone else’s name. These are the types of documents required to show authorization to work in the United States. Illegal aliens are not authorized to work in the United States. The social security card contained a social security number that was assigned to the name on the card, a real person. The California identification card and an employee identification card for an Iowa business each bore Sosa-Jimenez’s picture. Sosa-Jimenez also had partially completed employment paperwork including an Immigration Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification form and state and federal W-4 tax forms, all in someone else’s name.
Sosa-Jimenez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Sosa-Jimenez was sentenced to 78 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Sosa-Jimenez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-0089.
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U.S. Marshals Arrested More Than 75,000 Fugitives in 2022Read the Press Release
The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) arrested 75,846 fugitives (28,324 on federal and 47,522 on state and local warrants) in Fiscal Year 2022. On average, the agency arrested 303 fugitives per day (based on 250 operational days).
That number breaks down as follows:
- Sex offenders – 9,911 (Sex offenses include sexual assault, failure to register/noncompliance with the national sex offender registry and other offenses.)
- Gang members – 5,189
- Homicide suspects – 5,759
- International/foreign fugitives – 1,496 (A foreign fugitive is wanted by a foreign nation and believed to be in the United States.)
- Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces Program fugitives – 986 (OCDETF cases combine the resources and expertise of numerous federal agencies to target drug trafficking and money laundering organizations.)
- Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act violations – 248 (AWA categorizes sex offenders into a three-tiered system based on the crime committed and requires offenders to maintain their registration information accordingly. For example, Tier 3 offenders – the most serious – must update their whereabouts every three months with lifetime registration requirements.)
- “15 Most Wanted” fugitives – 2
Additionally, the USMS seized more than 6,200 firearms during numerous violence reduction and counter gang operations in FY22.
In July 2022, USMS conducted a fugitive apprehension initiative aimed at combating violent crime in 10 cities with a significant number of homicides and shootings. Using its broad arrest authority and network of partners, USMS focused on the most dangerous criminals causing the most harm in those cities. This 30-day initiative, called Operation North Star, resulted in the arrest of 1,501 individuals, including 230 wanted for homicide and 131 for sexual assault, in Baltimore, Chicago, Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Memphis, New Orleans, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. These efforts have contributed to the notable violence reduction accomplishments of our local law enforcement partners and communities in the 10 cities.
“Across the country, neighborhoods are safer because the U.S. Marshals Service apprehended 300 dangerous fugitives nearly every day in 2022,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “Together with our state and local law enforcement partners, U.S. Marshals upheld the rule of law.”
“I wish to thank the extraordinary women and men of the U.S. Marshals Service, as well as our state and local partners for their tireless work to make our communities safe,” said U.S. Marshals Service Director Ronald Davis. “The impact of these arrests goes beyond contributing to statistics. Every fugitive arrested for a violent offense, helps support violence reduction and brings justice to families impacted by that violence.”
Total fugitives cleared: 95,425
- State and local warrants – 61,161
- Federal warrants – 34,264
The number of warrants cleared nearly always exceeds the number of arrests in a given year because fugitives are often wanted on numerous warrants, and a single arrest can clear them all at once.
The USMS has a long history of providing assistance and expertise to other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in support of their fugitive investigations. The USMS leads 56 fugitive task forces (representing more than 1,500 law enforcement agencies) throughout the United States and eight regional fugitive task forces. Staffed by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, USMS-led task forces target the most dangerous fugitives.
Notable Arrests in FY2022
On Feb. 23, 2022, the USMS Florida Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested 15 Most Wanted fugitive Nyjell Outler, alleged to have shot one man and killed another while attending a gender reveal party March 20, 2021, in Washington, D.C. At the time of the shooting, Outler wore an ankle monitor and was on pre-trial release for a gun charge involving an AK-47 style rifle.
On May 9, 2022, a multi-state, USMS-led manhunt for escaped Alabama prisoner Casey White and his alleged accomplice Vicky White culminated in his arrest in Indiana. USMS investigators used their network of state and local partnerships and expertise to track the couple and bring the fugitive to justice once again. The 11-day ordeal garnered significant national media coverage and highlighted the fugitive investigative prowess of USMS.
On Aug. 30, 2022, USMS 15 Most Wanted fugitive Raymond McLeod, 37, wanted by the San Diego Police Department for the 2016 murder of 30-year-old Krystal Mitchell, was taken into custody by El Salvadoran law enforcement authorities without incident. McLeod confirmed his identity to members of the U.S. Marshals team and members of the U.S. Embassy, who were on the ground with the El Salvadoran local and national police when they took him into custody. Authorities had received a tip that McLeod had been teaching English at a school in Sonsonate.
Finding Missing Children
In May 2015, the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act was passed and clarified the USMS’ discretionary authority to support law enforcement requests for assistance on any missing child cases. As such, the USMS assists state, local and other federal law enforcement agencies, upon request, in locating and recovering missing children, while focusing agency resources on “critically missing child” cases – those that involve a suspected crime of violence or where factors are identified by law enforcement that indicates an elevated risk to a missing child. In FY 2022, the USMS assisted in the location or recovery of 424 missing children. Since the passage of the JVTA, the USMS has contributed to the location or recovery of more than 2,700 missing children.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Highlights Efforts to Combat Human Trafficking in Recognition of National Human Trafficking Awareness MonthRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — In recognition of National Human Trafficking Awareness Month, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina affirms its continued commitment to work with federal, state, and local partners to combat human trafficking in all its forms.
“Human trafficking is an assault on the dignity and freedom of the men, women, and children who fall victim to it,” said United States Attorney Adair F. Boroughs. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office – along with our federal, state, and local partners – remains committed to making our state a more dangerous place for traffickers to operate and a safer place for trafficking survivors. We thank the law enforcement agencies and service providers who partner with us, and we look forward to continuing in this work.”
In the past year, the United States Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of its law enforcement partners, prosecuted the following noteworthy cases:
United States v. Robinson, Crim. No. 2:21-cr-211-RMG. Brian Lydell Robinson, from Charleston, was convicted of extorting a victim for money and sex and for impersonating a federal law enforcement officer. He was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison to be followed by 3 years of court-ordered supervision. According to evidence presented in court, Robinson threatened the victim by telling her that she would be prosecuted, which would ruin her reputation, unless she assisted in an undercover operation against an alleged sex trafficker who was, in fact, Robinson. In truth there was no investigation, and Robinson used the scheme to extort money and sex from his victim by posing as the trafficker under investigation, the investigator, and a defense lawyer.
United States v. Watson et. al. , Crim. No 3:20-cr-492-JFA. Brian Leroy Watson, a/k/a “Lil B,” of Blythewood, was convicted of attempted sex trafficking of a minor and possession with intent to distribute and distribution of heroin. Numerous witnesses told the FBI that Watson manipulated the withdrawal symptoms and drug dependence of women to obtain commercial sex for his financial gain. When a victim disclosed to law enforcement that Watson sexually assaulted her, he denied it, and instead said he was prostituting her. Advertisements linked to Watson’s phone provided evidence that he was advertising the victim while she was a minor. Evidence demonstrated Watson knew the victim was a minor. Watson’s sentencing is pending and he faces up to Life in prison. His co-defendant, Ryan Darian Grover, was convicted of human trafficking conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing.
United States v. Grow et. al. , Crim. No. 4:21-cr-173-SAL. In this multi-defendant case that stretched across multiple states, four defendants were convicted of sex trafficking of minors and related offenses. The defendants included three from the Myrtle Beach area. According to evidence presented in court, the lead defendant, Hart William Grow, communicated with at least 23 minors in this scheme where he gained the trust of minor victims online by purporting to be interested in a relationship. Grow forced minor victims to produce sexually explicit photos and videos with adult men, after which Grow would collect the files. His victims were in Columbia and Myrtle Beach, along with others in South Carolina and across the country. Grow was sentenced to 27 years in federal prison and co-defendant Theodore Woolings Bye received a sentence of 24 years, both to be followed by lifetime supervision by the federal court.
United States v. Thomas, Crim. No. 4:21-cr-554-SAL. Johnny Ricardo Thomas, from North Carolina, was convicted of coercing 15- and 16-year-old minors to engage in prostitution in the Myrtle Beach area. According to evidence presented, Thomas knew his victims were minors, and he would threaten one minor victim that he would sell her, slice off her toes, or something worse if she did not participate in commercial sex. Thomas was sentenced to more than 21 years in federal prison to be followed by lifetime supervision.
United States v. Garland et al., Crim. No. 8:20-cr-0452-SAL. Following the conviction of eight defendants on sex trafficking and sexual exploitation of a minor charges – two lead defendants and six customers – Gary Garland and Shannon Garland, a husband and wife from Anderson, were sentenced to 35 years and 26.5 years in federal prison respectively, to be followed by lifetime supervision. The lead defendants forced two minor victims to participate in more than 300 commercial sex encounters, provided illegal drugs to the minor victims, and made their victims completely dependent on the Garlands for survival. Other participants in the sex trafficking conspiracy were also sentenced to prison time.
United States v. Balcazar et al., Crim. No. 3:21-cr-834-SAL. In this labor trafficking case, a father, daughter, and their labor contracting business, all from Lexington, were convicted of forced labor, fraud in foreign labor trafficking, and confiscation of passports related to labor trafficking. According to evidence presented in court, the defendants enticed seasonal agricultural workers from Mexico to work on South Carolina farms through false and fraudulent pretenses. Once the victim employees arrived in South Carolina, they were subject to high levels of control, passport confiscation, underpayment, and inadequate housing conditions. The defendants are awaiting sentencing.
United States v. Jones, et. al. , Crim. No. 3:22-cr-726-SAL. A federal grand jury in Columbia indicted Eric Rashun Jones, a/k/a “E Dolla,” a/k/a “E,” from Newberry, and Brittany Danielle Cromer, from Greenville, on multiple sex trafficking charges involving numerous victims. The grand jury also charged defendants with human trafficking conspiracy, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and witness tampering for interference in the human trafficking investigation. Jones is detained pending the outcome of the case, and both defendants face up to life in prison. All charges in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
To report a tip or ask for help, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
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Two Men Sentenced to Prison for Armed Carjacking in Mall Parking LotRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Two men have been sentenced to prison for the armed carjacking of a woman in a mall parking lot, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
Leon Kismit Bell, 49, and Jack Mitchell Piche, 23, both pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting carjacking and were sentenced January 20, 2023, in U.S. District Court before Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright. Bell received 120 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Piche was sentenced to 40 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, On February 16, 2022, Piche and Bell intentionally took a car by means of force from a victim in the parking lot of the Rosedale Mall in Roseville. As the victim drove around the parking lot looking for a place to park, Piche and Bell followed the victim’s car. Piche and Bell waited for the victim to get out of the car and then approached. As Piche was watching out, Bell went up to the victim, brandished a gun, and demanded her car keys. After the victim said that her car keys were in her purse, Bell took her purse, which also contained her cell phone and wallet. Piche and Bell then fled from the mall parking lot before law enforcement arrived. Further investigation led law enforcement to a location in south Minneapolis where Piche was taken into custody. The stolen vehicle was found a few blocks away from where Piche was arrested. On May 3, 2022, law enforcement located and arrested Bell.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Roseville Police Department, and the Minneapolis Police Department.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Harry M. Jacobs.
Toronto Gambler Sentenced for Falsifying Income Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – A Canadian national was sentenced in federal court here Friday to serve 30 months in prison and pay $1,771,011.67 in restitution for making false statements on income tax returns.
According to court documents, William Henry Woo, 67, of Toronto submitted duplicate and inflated refund requests to the IRS Service Center in Austin as a Canadian citizen seeking automatically withheld gambling winnings. In doing so, he defrauded the U.S. Department of Treasury of nearly $1.8 million in tax refund money from 2006 to 2010. Woo pleaded guilty to two counts of the nine-count indictment brought against him in October 2022.
“Mr. Woo, who admitted his addiction to gambling, lost his biggest bet,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas. “He got caught on his gamble that he could cheat the U.S. government on his taxes. I appreciate the work of IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) to investigate Mr. Woo’s deceitful conduct, allowing our system to deliver justice.”
“Fraud schemes against the IRS will not be tolerated, as stealing from the Nation’s treasury is stealing from every American, and Woo’s sentencing today concretely shows the severity of his crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Ramsey E. Covington of IRS CI’s Houston Field Office. “As the 2023 filing season begins, IRS-CI Special Agents remain committed to investigating, quickly stopping, and recommending for criminal prosecution all frauds against the IRS including abusive tax schemes, return preparer fraud, and stolen identity refund fraud.”
IRS CI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Castillo prosecuted the case.
CI’s Houston Field Office encompasses the U.S. District Court’s Southern and Western districts of Texas. CI special agents work a variety of cases, emphasizing traditional tax-related crimes such as employment tax, corporate fraud, identity theft, unscrupulous return preparers and general fraud. The Houston Field Office also provides crucial support to task forces involving counterterrorism, public corruption, human trafficking, drugs and complex money laundering violations. Report tax fraud and learn more about CI by visiting https://www.irs.gov/criminalinvestigation
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Three More Sentenced for Conspiring to Stage Automobile Accidents in Order to Defraud Insurance and Trucking CompaniesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that LUCINDA THOMAS (“THOMAS”), age 67; MARY WADE (“WADE”), age 58; and JUDY WILLIAMS (“WILLIAMS”), age 62, all of Houma, Louisiana, were sentenced on January 19, 2023 for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, arising out of staged automobile accidents with tractor-trailers occurring in New Orleans.
According to documents filed in federal court, on June 6, 2017, THOMAS, WADE, WILLIAMS, and co-defendant Dashontae Young (“Young”) drove from Houma, LA, to meet with Damian Labeaud (“Labeaud”), for the purpose of staging an automobile accident in order to obtain money through fraud. After their meeting, THOMAS, WADE, WILLIAMS, and Young agreed to allow Labeaud to drive THOMAS’ 2009 Chevrolet Avalanche vehicle. The defendants then drove around the vicinity of Chef Menteur Highway and Downman Road of New Orleans until they located a 2017 Freightliner tractor-trailer operated by an Arkansas trucking company. At approximately 12:30 P.M., Labeaud intentionally collided with the tractor-trailer. Labeaud then exited THOMAS’ vehicle and instructed THOMAS to get behind the wheel of THOMAS’ Avalanche to make it appear that THOMAS was driving the vehicle at the time of the staged accident.
THOMAS, WADE, WILLIAMS, and Young contacted the NOPD and falsely reported that THOMAS had been the driver of the Avalanche and that the tractor-trailer had struck her vehicle. Labeaud then returned to the scene and also made false statements to the NOPD that he had witnessed the accident and that the driver of the tractor-trailer had been at fault.
Before and after the staged accident, Labeaud contacted attorney Patrick Keating (“Keating”) and arranged a meeting with THOMAS, WADE, WILLIAMS, and Young at a fast food restaurant on Chef Menteur Highway. Keating then filed two lawsuits in state court that were removed to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
THOMAS, WADE, and WILLIAMS each admitted to providing false testimony in various depositions taken in conjunction with the lawsuits filed by Keating. Ultimately, but only after a year of pursuing their fraudulent lawsuits, did THOMAS, WADE, and WILLIAMS settle their cases for $7,500.00 each.
U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon sentenced THOMAS, WADE, and WILIAMS to 5 years probation, $43,000.00 in restitution, and $100.00 special assessment fee. Young is scheduled to be sentenced on February 2, 2023 and Damian Labeaud is scheduled for sentencing on May 25, 2023.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Louisiana State Police, and the Metropolitan Crime Commission with this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit; Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Carboni; Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Rivera; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Long.
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Three Indicted for Stealing More Than $32,000 in High-End GoodsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Three men from the Washington, D.C., area have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for stealing thousands of items from a high-end outlet store in Wrentham, Mass.
Linworth Hayes Crawford III, 28; Ronald Patterson, 32; and Nathaniel Owens, 32, were indicted on conspiracy and transporting more than $5,000 in stolen goods. They will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. The defendants were previously charged by criminal complaint in December 2021.
On the evening of Sept. 16, 2021, Crawford III, Patterson and Owens allegedly traveled from the Washington D.C. area to the Wrentham Village Premium Outlets in Massachusetts. It is alleged that, in the early morning hours of Sept. 17, 2021, the defendants and another unidentified individual smashed the front door of the Gucci outlet store, went inside and took approximately $32,000 in high-end merchandise. The defendants then left the store and drove back to the Washington D.C. area.
According to court documents, phone records show the defendants travelling from the Washington D.C. area through Connecticut to Wrentham prior to the burglary and that they were identified on video surveillance seeking a replacement tire at a Town Fair Tire in Connecticut in the early morning hours of Sept. 16, 2021. Later that day, it is alleged that the defendants were identified on video surveillance at the Wrentham Outlets prior to the burglary in the same vehicle and in the same clothing as seen in the Town Fair Tire surveillance footage. According to court documents, police reports indicate that the vehicle was involved in a number of shopliftings in Virginia.
Additionally, on Sept. 17, 2021, Patterson allegedly posted on his Instagram account that he had Gucci bags available for sale. Images of the bags appeared to be identical to the Gucci bags stolen during the burglary earlier that day.
The charge of conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of transporting more than $5,000 in stolen goods across state lines provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and the Wrentham Police Chief William R. McGrath made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Gotlob of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
St. Louis Man Sentenced to 6.5 Years in Prison for Shooting up Gas StationRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Monday sentenced a man from St. Louis, Missouri to 6 ½ years in prison for firing a shooting at a St. Louis gas station in 2021.
Jamell Sanders, 47, pleaded guilty in July to a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted that on Jan. 15, 2021 at the Convenience Express at 8815 North Broadway in St. Louis, he fired into the ceiling and again into bulletproof glass surrounding the register. He admitted firing the 10mm handgun again in the parking lot.
A Monday’s hearing, prosecutors said Sanders tried to get behind the counter where two employees were located, then tried to fire through the cash slot. Sanders pointed the gun at a man as Sanders left the store, then fired shots at a car outside, a sentencing memorandum says.
Police arrested Sanders when he returned to the gas station with his children. Officers recovered 12 cartridge casings at the scene.
In 1992, when he was 17 years old, an angry Sanders fired a shot that went through a bathroom window and struck a 21-month-old in the head, killing him, according to statements during Monday’s sentencing hearing. Sanders was sentenced to eight years in prison.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Still photo from a surveillance video in a sentencing memorandum from the U.S. Attorney's office.X
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Still photo from a surveillance video in a sentencing memorandum from the U.S. Attorney's office.Scranton Tax Preparer Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison for Defrauding Taxpayers of More Than $250,000Read the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on January 18, 2023, Donald Royce, age 46, of Orlando, Florida, was sentenced to 46 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, for defrauding taxpayers of more than $250,000.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, on May 16, 2017, Royce was indicted on one count of mail fraud and eight counts of filing fraudulent tax forms. Following indictment, Royce alleged he was incompetent to stand trial due to a head injury that he claimed occurred in August 2013. Between 2019 and 2021, Royce was evaluated by numerous medical professionals to assess his claims of traumatic brain injury. Evaluators reported that Royce presented with “cave-man” speech and claimed he was unable to understand his charges or assist his attorney in his defense. Following a two-year delay in the prosecution of his case, the Court held a competency hearing on November 22, 2022, where a neuropsychologist testified that there was no medical basis for Royce’s allegations. Based on the medical evidence that Royce was malingering—or faking his symptoms—Judge Mariani found Royce competent to stand trial.
Royce pleaded guilty on March 7, 2022, to one count of mail fraud charge and one count of tax fraud. In pleading guilty, Royce admitted that, as a tax preparer working in Scranton, he defrauded a number of local taxpayers in 2014. After providing the victim taxpayers with a “client copy” of their tax return that showed the correct refund amount, Royce submitted fraudulent tax returns to the IRS that inflated the refund due. After the IRS sent the refund to Royce, the defendant kept the difference between the legitimate refund amount and the higher fraudulent amount for his own personal use. In one case, Royce instructed the victim clients to provide him with their tax payment and instead forwarding the payment to the IRS, Royce kept the payment for himself. Due to Royce’s actions, his victims suffered more than $250,000 in losses.
At the time of sentencing, Judge Mariani found that Royce’s intentional actions to feign incompetency amounted to obstruction of justice which increased his sentencing guidelines exposure. In addition to the term of incarceration, Judge Mariani imposed a three-year term of supervised release to be served upon release from prison. The Court further ordered that money seized from Royce be used to pay more than $336,000 in restitution to over forty victims and the IRS, and that Royce must forfeit over $155,000 in proceeds of his crimes.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Jenny P. Roberts prosecuted the case.
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Santee Woman Sentenced for Drug Trafficking CrimeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Alitia Tikluk, 29, of Santee, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Tikluk to 120 months of imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After her release from prison, she will begin a 4-year term of supervised release.
On March 9, 2022, probation officers entered Tikluk’s Santee residence. She was on probation for a 2021 conviction for possession of a controlled substance. When officers entered Tikluk’s residence, they located two digital scales and methamphetamine spread among multiples baggies. Tikluk admitted it was her methamphetamine and that she sold drugs. Laboratory testing confirmed there was approximately 190 grams of actual methamphetamine and 699 grams of a mixture containing methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Knox County Sheriff’s Department, and the Santee Sioux Nation Tribal Police.
St. Croix Man Arrested on 2004 Florida WarrantRead the Press Release
St. Croix, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today Edelfonso Garcia, 45, of St. Croix appeared before Magistrate Judge Emile A. Henderson, III on for his initial appearance hearing after being arrested on a 2004 firearms possession warrant from the Florida. Garcia waived his detention and preliminary hearing and agreed to be returned to Florida to face charges.
According to court documents, Garcia was convicted in 2001 in Florida on the charge of possession of a firearm within a school zone and was placed on 5 years of probation. In 2004, an arrest warrant was issued by the Middle District of Florida, after Garcia violated the terms and conditions of his supervised release after being charged with attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, burglary and criminal mischief. Locally, Garcia was arrested by the Virgin Islands Police Department after they executed a search warrant in Pepper Tree Terrace and recovered live ammunition and illegal drugs.
The Virgin Island Police Department and U.S. Marshals are investigating this case, and Assistant United States Attorney Daniel H. Huston is prosecuting the case.
Retired FBI Executive Charged with Concealing $225,000 in Cash Received from Former Intelligence OfficerRead the Press Release
Charles F. McGonigal, 54, a former FBI Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office, has been arrested on charges relating to his receipt of $225,000 in cash from an individual who had business interests in Europe and who had been an employee of a foreign intelligence service, while McGonigal was serving as Special Agent in Charge of FBI counterintelligence efforts in the New York Office. McGonigal retired from the FBI in September of 2018.
According to the nine-count indictment, unsealed today, from August 2017 and continuing through and beyond his retirement from the FBI in September 2018, McGonigal concealed from the FBI the nature of his relationship with a former foreign security officer and businessperson who had ongoing business interests in foreign countries and before foreign governments. Specifically, McGonigal requested and received at least $225,000 in cash from the individual and traveled abroad with the individual and met with foreign nationals. The individual later served as an FBI source in a criminal investigation involving foreign political lobbying over which McGonigal had official supervisory responsibility. McGonigal is accused of engaging in other conduct in his official capacity as an FBI Special Agent in Charge that he believed would benefit the businessperson financially.
McGonigal’s initial appearance in the District of Columbia has not yet been scheduled.
McGonigal is charged with concealing material facts and with six counts of making false statements, each of which carries a maximum penalty of five years of imprisonment. McGonigal is also charged with two counts of falsification of records and documents, each of which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years of imprisonment.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia, Assistant Director in Charge Donald Alway of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office and Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Los Angeles Field Office is investigating the case, with significant assistance provided by the FBI Washington Field Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Aloi and Michael Friedman for the District of Columbia and Acting Deputy Chief Evan Turgeon of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case, with assistance from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Retired FBI Executive Charged with Concealing $225,000 in Cash Received from an Outside SourceRead the Press Release
Charles F. McGonigal Arrested in New York
WASHINGTON - Charles F. McGonigal, 54, a former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field office, has been arrested on charges relating to his receipt of $225,000 in cash from an individual who had business interests in Europe and who had been an employee of a foreign intelligence service, while McGonigal was serving as Special Agent in Charge of FBI counterintelligence efforts in the New York Office. McGonigal retired from the FBI in September of 2018.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew M. Graves, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office Donald Alway, and Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office David Sundberg.
According to the nine-count indictment, unsealed today, from August 2017, and continuing through and beyond his retirement from the FBI in September 2018, McGonigal concealed from the FBI the nature of his relationship with a former foreign security officer and businessperson who had ongoing business interests in foreign countries and before foreign governments. Specifically, McGonigal requested and received at least $225,000 in cash from the individual and traveled abroad with the individual and met with foreign nationals. The individual later served as an FBI source in a criminal investigation involving foreign political lobbying over which McGonigal had official supervisory responsibility. McGonigal is accused of engaging in other conduct in his official capacity as an FBI Special Agent in Charge that he believed would benefit the businessperson financially.
McGonigal’s initial appearance in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia has not yet been scheduled.
“Covering up your contacts with foreign nationals and hiding your personal financial relationships is a gateway to corruption,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “The FBI should be commended for handling the delicate and difficult task of investigating a former executive. This investigation demonstrates their commitment to act as an impartial enforcer of the law. The FBI and the Department will guard the best interests of the United States and hold to account those who make false statements and try to deceive the Bureau.”
“Mr. McGonigal betrayed his solemn oath to the United States in exchange for personal gain and at the expense of our national security,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Alway. “A senior FBI executive at the time, McGonigal is alleged to have committed the very violations he swore to investigate while he purported to lead a workforce of FBI employees who spend their careers protecting secrets and holding foreign adversaries accountable. Agents in my office, with the support of agents in Washington, D.C. and New York, vigorously pursued a former colleague without bias.”
“As an FBI agent, Charles McGonigal took an oath to support and defend the Constitution,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Sundberg. “In betrayal of that oath, McGonigal is alleged to have received money from a businessman with foreign business interests, to have concealed these payments, and to have lied about related foreign contacts and travel. Integrity is one of the FBI’s core values and we hold our own to the highest standards.”
The charge of falsification of records and documents carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The charge of making false statements carries a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison for each count. The charges also carry potential financial penalties. The maximum statutory sentence for federal offenses is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. The sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Los Angeles and Washington Field Offices.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth Aloi and Michael Friedman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, with assistance from Acting Deputy Chief Evan Turgeon of the DOJ’s National Security Division Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, and the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Registered Sex Offender Arrested on New ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Gregory Pum, 47, of Rochester, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with receipt and possession of child pornography after having previously been convicted of a sexual offense. The charges carry a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum of 40 years, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who is handling the case, stated that in January 2014, Pum was convicted of Possessing a Sexual Performance by a Child less than 16 Years of Age, and sentenced to 10 years’ probation. In July 2014, Pum violated his probation and was resentenced to 1 to 3 years in state prison. He was paroled in May 2015 and placed on the sex offender registry. In May 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a CyberTipline Report that 29 files of suspected child pornography had been uploaded to an account belong to Pum. NCMEC alerted the New York State Police, who subsequently learned of seven additional CyberTips Google submitted, all of which traced back to Pum. On June 10, 2022, NYSP investigators executed a search warrant at Pum’s residence, seizing several digital devices, including cell phones and tablets. A preliminary forensic review recovered approximately 20 images and five videos containing child pornography.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Brian Ratajczak, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Darren Cox, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Readout of Meeting between the Department of Justice and the Central Bureau of Investigation of IndiaRead the Press Release
Deputy Assistant Attorney General Arun G. Rao of the Department of Justice Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, together with colleagues from the Consumer Protection Branch and the FBI, met last week with Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials in New Delhi to discuss deepening and expanding efforts to combat cyber-enabled financial crimes and transnational call center fraud, a shared law enforcement priority.
In their meetings, the parties highlighted the continued strengthening of cooperation in combating these types of crimes that has occurred since their last meeting in October 2021, including successful efforts to secure the testimony of U.S. victims of call center fraud for use in enforcement proceedings against the alleged perpetrators in India, as well as the seizure of evidence and arrests of individuals in India allegedly involved in cyber-enabled financial crimes and global telemarketing frauds and identified, in part, through information provided with the assistance of U.S. law enforcement.
The parties reaffirmed their mutual commitment to continued cooperation in addressing dynamic and evolving technology-based crimes by building upon the experience gained through recent efforts and further refining processes for the exchange of information, in order to ensure the safety of citizens of both the United States and India.
Officials from the Justice Department's Civil Division, FBI, and India's Central Bureau of Investigation meet in New Dehli. Left to right: Dawn Rizzo (Assistant Legal Attaché, FBI); Richard Goldberg (Deputy Director, Department of Justice, Consumer Protection Branch); Jason Feldman (Trial Attorney, Department of Justice, Consumer Protection Branch); Kevin Gallagher (Supervisory Special Agent, FBI, Washington Field Office); Suhel Daud (Legal Attaché, FBI); CBI official; Arun Rao (Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Department of Justice, Civil Division); Rachel Yurkovich (Management and Program Analyst, FBI); Lovjit Curran (Assistant Legal Attaché, FBI); Ronald Miller (Special Agent, FBI, Washington Field Office)Readout of Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco’s Trip to Florida and GeorgiaRead the Press Release
Late last week, Deputy Attorney General (Deputy AG) Lisa Monaco was in Florida and Georgia to showcase how the Department of Justice is using intelligence and technology-driven methods to reduce violent crime, protect our communities, and prepare the next generation of law enforcement leaders.
In Jacksonville, Florida, the Deputy AG visited the ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC). She was accompanied by Director Steve Dettelbach of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for a roundtable discussion with state, local, and federal law enforcement leaders whose agencies contribute to and benefit from the CGIC’s real-time intelligence. The Jacksonville CGIC is a nationwide leader in using crime gun intelligence to identify the most violent criminals and take shooters off the streets.
While in Jacksonville, Deputy AG Monaco also visited the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, where she met with U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg and his leadership team, held an “all-hands” meeting with all district personnel, and was briefed on the district’s ongoing casework and community outreach.
The Deputy AG spent Friday at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Glynco, Georgia, visiting with new trainees for the ATF and U.S. Marshals Service (USMS). She delivered remarks to the ATF’s 238th graduating class and reiterated that “now, more than ever, the ATF represents modern policing at its best” through its innovative use of technology — such as the ATF’s newly created Emerging Threats Unit (ETU) to target new technologies that threaten public safety — and through the investments it has made in crime gun intelligence with its National Integrated Ballistic Information Network.
Before they swore their oath of office, the Deputy AG told the new Special Agents that:
“Your job is now the core mission of the Department of Justice: to keep our country safe, uphold the rule of law, and protect civil rights. The professionals of ATF come from diverse backgrounds, but you have one thing in common — you are dedicated to protecting the public.”
Deputy AG Monaco also spent time with the graduates and their families and observed demonstrations of the arson and explosives investigative techniques that ATF Special Agents learn during their specialized training.
The Deputy AG met with Deputy U.S. Marshal candidates and observed various tactical exercises, including on the use of force and firearms techniques. She saw firsthand how Deputy U.S. Marshals train to protect the judiciary and apprehend the most dangerous fugitives, all while upholding the rule of law nationwide.
Finally, the Deputy AG met with leadership from the Department of Homeland Security, which manages FLETC, to thank them for their continued commitment to excellence in law enforcement.
Law enforcement roundtable at the ATF CGIC Demonstrations of the arson and explosives investigative techniques that ATF Special Agents learn during their specialized training Deputy Attorney General Monaco meeting with Deputy U.S. Marshal candidates Observing various tactical exercises by the U.S. MarshalsPrinceton Man Sentenced to 8 Years and 9 Months in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Bowling Green, KY – A Princeton, KY, man was sentenced today to 8 years and 9 months in prison, followed by a 4-year term of supervised release, for drug trafficking and firearms offenses.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Sheriff Tracy White of the Todd County Sheriff’s Office made the announcement.
According to court documents, Rodney Ware, 58, possessed with the intent to distribute 15.51 grams of 100% pure methamphetamine in Todd County, KY, on August 8, 2020. Ware also possessed a High Standard (JC Higgins) 12-gauge sawed-off shotgun after having previously been convicted of the felony offenses of possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, possession of marijuana while armed, and tampering with physical evidence. Ware was also sentenced for violating the National Firearms Act for possessing a sawed-off shotgun that was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
The case was investigated by the ATF Bowling Green Field Office and the Todd County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Yurchisin II, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, prosecuted the case.
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Port Charlotte Man Sentenced to More Than Six Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Images and VideosRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Marquise Thomas (34, Port Charlotte) to six years and six months in federal prison for possessing and accessing with the intent to view images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of a child. The court also sentenced Thomas to a life term of supervised release and ordered him to register as a sex offender. Thomas had been found guilty after a bench trial on May 20, 2022.
According to court documents, Thomas possessed and accessed with the intent to view images and videos depicted the sexual abuse of minors. On January 24, 2019, the FBI executed a search warrant at Thomas’s home and seized his laptop computers and his cellphone. A subsequent forensic analysis of the electronics revealed more than 100 images and 35 videos of children being sexually abused. Thomas had saved the images on his cellphone, and the forensic analysis recovered the videos of the sexual abuse of children that Thomas had accessed with the intent to view before deleting them on his laptops.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fort Myers Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which includes participation from the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.
This is another case 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 Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Pinellas County Man Sentenced to 50 Years in Prison for Production, Distribution, and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary Scriven has sentenced David Jacob Mitchell (38, Treasure Island) to 50 years to in federal prison for production, distribution and possession of child sexual abuse material and for sending obscene material to a minor, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release. The court also ordered Mitchell to forfeit electronic devices utilized in the crimes, pay restitution to the victims, and register as a sex offender. Mitchell had pleaded guilty on October 18, 2022.
According to court documents, in October 2017, Mitchell communicated with a minor and coerced and enticed her into producing images of child sexual abuse material. Between October 2021 and April 2022, Mitchell communicated with an undercover detective whom he believed to be a 13–14-year-old-girl and sent images and videos of himself masturbating. He encouraged the fictitious minor to send images and videos of herself performing sexual acts. Mitchell also sent the fictitious minor videos of children being sexually abused. Law enforcement ultimately searched Mitchell’s cellphone and recovered images and videos of prepubescent minors being sexually abused.
“Young children do not always understand or realize the internet is a dangerous place where sexual predators target and exploit their innocence,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge John Condon. “The investigative efforts of our HSI special agents and the Hernando Police Department, Mississippi, stopped this deviant from continuing to victimize our children.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Tampa, and the Hernando Police Department in Mississippi. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Philadelphia Man Brought Distribution-Size Quantities of Heroin to Greater Pittsburgh AreaRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. resident pleaded guilty in federal court to violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Carlos Regalado, 40, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin from September of 2018 through October of 2019, before United States District Judge William S. Stickman, IV. Regalado is one of 19 defendants charged in the Indictment returned in this case.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that in 2018, the Federal Bureau of Investigation began investigating a heroin trafficking organization, of which Regalado was a member, that operated throughout the Greater Pittsburgh area. Beginning in February of 2019 and continuing through September of 2019, the FBI received authorization to conduct a Title III wiretap investigation into the organization. Regalado transported distribution-size quantities of heroin from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh for distribution. In addition to the intercepted communications, agents seized heroin, firearms, and bulk United States Currency from members of the organization.
Judge Stickman scheduled sentencing for May 22, 2023. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than five years to a maximum of 40 years of imprisonment, a fine not to exceed $5,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Regalado remains in custody pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Mark V. Gurzo is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Allegheny County Police Department, the Stowe Township Police Department, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, the Office of the Attorney General, the Allegheny County Sheriff's Office, the North Versailles Police Department, the Allegheny County Port Authority Police Department, the Munhall Police Department, and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation leading to the prosecution of Regalado.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Pennsylvania man sentenced for traveling across state lines to engage in sex with a minorRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Monessen, Pennsylvania, man was sentenced today to 97 months in federal prison for traveling from his home to have sex with a child from Bridgeport, West Virginia.
According to court documents, Mark Sassak, Jr., age 38, began talking with whom he believed to be a 15-year-old female through a social media app. That conversation continued through text messages on his cell phone for several weeks. Sassak then asked for an in-person meeting to have sex with the 15-year-old. Sassak drove from his home in Pennsylvania to a location in Bridgeport, West Virginia in October 2020 for said meeting, where law enforcement arrested him. When a search of Sassak’s cell phone was done, officers found multiple chats with suspected minors and child pornographic videos.
After a three-day trial in December 2021, Sassak was found guilty of one count of “Travel to Engage in Sexual Activity with a Minor” and one count of “Possession of Child Pornography.”
The Bridgeport Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Perri and Jennifer Conklin prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Owners of Mobile Phlebotomy Company Plead Guilty to $ 7 Million Medicare FraudRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gabriella Santibanez, 58, and her sister Lisa Hazard, 54, both of Temecula, California, pleaded guilty Friday to conspiring to commit over $7 million in health care fraud, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between Dec, 1, 2015, and Dec, 1, 2020, Santibanez and Hazard ran a mobile phlebotomy company, PhlebXpress Inc. that provided phlebotomy and other medical collection services at patients’ homes and long-term care facilities in Sacramento and elsewhere. Santibanez and Hazard agreed to bill Medicare for services provided that were not reimbursable by Medicare. Santibanez and Hazard also agreed to bill Medicare for overstated mileage that PhlebXpress phlebotomists traveled. On average, Santibanez and Hazard caused false billing to Medicare of over 140 miles for each patient seen by PhlebXpress. Santibanez and Hazard caused a loss to Medicare of at least $7.5 million based on false billing by PhlebXpress.
In November 2020, due to “credible allegations of fraud” at PhlebXpress, Medicare instituted a payment suspension for PhlebXpress under which Medicare ceased paying PhlebXpress for the services it continued to bill Medicare.
According to court documents, between July 1, 2021, and Dec. 31, 2021, Santibanez and Hazard agreed to circumvent the payment suspension by representing to Medicare that services provided to Medicare patients were done by another company, Phlebotomy Solutions, when they were in fact being provided by PhlebXpress through its contractors and employees from PhlebXpress’s offices. Through Phlebotomy Solutions, Santibanez and Hazard agreed to bill Medicare for a non-reimbursable service, misrepresenting that it was for another reimbursable service and overstating the mileage traveled by phlebotomists in order to receive additional money from Medicare. For example, in September 2021, Phlebotomy Solutions billed Medicare for 124.6 miles of travel by a phlebotomist when in fact the phlebotomist travelled 1.4 miles. Santibanez and Hazard caused a loss to Medicare of at least $50,000 based on false billing by Phlebotomy Solutions.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee Bickley is prosecuting the case.
Santibanez and Hazard are scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb on May 1, 2023. They each face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and $250,000 fine. 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.
Organizer of Armed Jewelry Store Robbery Sentenced to 96 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
For Further Information, Contact:
Assistant U. S. Attorney Mario J. Peia (619) 546-9706SAN DIEGO – A street gang member who led and organized an armed robbery was sentenced in federal court today to 96 months in prison after pleading guilty in April to one count of Conspiracy to Interfere with Commerce by Robbery.
According to his plea agreement, Trenelle Cannon, a member of the O’Farrell Park Criminal Street Gang, admitted that he and other individuals agreed to rob the Alpha and Omega Jewelry Store in National City at gunpoint. Other individuals entered the store, pointed a gun at the store clerk, smashed the jewelry cases open, and placed jewelry into bags before fleeing the store with the stolen property.
While Cannon never entered the store, he admitted to having a leading and organizing role in the conspiracy. His leadership included instructing other individuals on what materials to obtain for the armed robbery and instructing them on what to do during the robbery. Cannon also provided the gun used and actively worked to sell the sell the stolen merchandise afterwards.
“We will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute not only those who commit the violent crimes, but those who organize, aid, and support the crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. Grossman thanked the prosecution team and FBI for their excellent work on this case.
“Mr. Cannon didn’t just commit this crime, he organized and planned it for his accomplices to help carry out,” said Stacey Moy, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Diego Field Office. “The FBI remains committed to keeping our communities safe by finding, investigating, and dismantling criminal organizations one person at a time. Today’s sentencing represents the unwavering teamwork between the FBI and our law enforcement partners to see that dangerous criminals are no longer a danger to the public.”
DEFENDANT Case Number 21cr2938-WQH
Trenelle Cannon Age: 23 San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Interfere with Commerce by Robbery – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1951
Maximum Penalty: Twenty years in Prison
AGENCY
Federal Bureau of Investigation
National City Police Department
This case is the result of the ongoing efforts of the Violent Crime and Human Trafficking (VCHT) Section. Formed in 2019, the VCHT is tasked with leading collaborations between federal and local law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution of cases involving violent crimes, firearms and gang cases; sex trafficking and child exploitation; civil rights, and labor trafficking. The VCHT Section oversees the Southern District of California Coordinators for Project Safe Neighborhoods, Human Trafficking, and Project Safe Childhood. The VCHT Section also provides federal prosecutors to the downtown San Diego Violent Crimes Task Force-Gang Group, the North County Gang Task Force, and the East County Gang Task Force.
Orange County Man Pleads Guilty to Using Stolen Identities to Apply for More Than $1 Million in COVID Jobless BenefitsRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – An Orange County man pleaded guilty today to fraudulently applying for more than $1.2 million in COVID-19 pandemic unemployment insurance (UI) benefits – and receiving more than $400,000 of the same – by using the stolen identities of two dozen victims.
Nhan Hoang Pham, 36, of Santa Ana, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in relation to benefits connected to a presidentially declared emergency.
According to his plea agreement, from July 2020 to April 2021, Pham acquired without authorization or permission the personal identifying information (PII) – including names, dates of birth and Social Security numbers – of people living in California, Texas and Michigan, people he had never met.
Pham then created and submitted fraudulent online applications to the California Employment Development Department (EDD), which administers the state’s unemployment insurance program. Pham’s fraudulent applications sought federally funded pandemic benefits intended for the jobless and represented that the victims whose PII was unlawfully used received mail at Anaheim addresses that, in fact, Pham controlled.
Upon receipt of the applications, EDD transmitted the claimant information to Bank of America, which caused the issuance and mailing of debit cards to Anaheim addresses that Pham controlled.
Pham then took the fraudulently obtained debit cards and used them to withdraw money at ATMs throughout Orange County.
While Pham tried to obtain approximately $1,255,350 through fraudulent applications containing the PII of 24 identity theft victims, he received approximately $408,496.
United States District Judge James V. Selna scheduled a May 22 sentencing hearing, at which time Pham will face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison.
The United States Secret Service; the United States Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General; the California Employment Development Department Investigation Division; the Orange County District Attorney’s Office Bureau of Investigation; and the Santa Ana Police Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Daniel S. Lim of the Santa Ana Branch Office is prosecuting this case.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Omaha Man Sentenced to Five Years for Methamphetamine PossessionRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that William Stafford, 45, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on January 23, 2023, in federal court in Omaha after being convicted of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Stafford to 60 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a four-year term of supervised release.
On November 7, 2020, Omaha police patrol officers noticed an unknown individual leaning into the back seat of a car. As officers approached, they noticed it was Stafford. Stafford began making furtive movements and was eventually searched. In his pockets officers found two baggies of marijuana, unused hypodermic needles, and $471 cash. Inside of the vehicle, officers also found syringes loaded with a blue liquid. At the Douglas County Jail, officers removed a baggie of methamphetamine from Stafford’s underwear. Forensic testing confirmed a net weight of 19.687 grams and purity of 95 percent.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department.
Omaha Man Convicted of Sex Trafficking a MinorRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Dalonte Foard, 25, of Omaha, Nebraska, was found guilty today following a four-day jury trial in federal court for Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking of a Minor and Sex Trafficking of a Minor. The Honorable Brian C. Buescher scheduled Foard’s sentencing for April 19, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. Foard faces up to life in prison, with a mandatory minimum of ten years.
The evidence at trial showed that in September 2020 two Omaha foster children went missing from their foster home. Foard had picked up the two girls, aged 16 and 17, and driven them to a hotel where co-Defendant Thomas Holbert posted online advertisements promoting the minors for commercial sex acts. The following morning, Foard sexually assaulted one of the minors to “break her in” and then posted a new online commercial sex advertisement for her. A man responding to Foard’s ad came to the hotel and Foard waited on the stairs in the hallway while the man paid $60 to engage in a sex act with the victim. After the man left, Foard took $50 of the $60 paid to the victim.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Omaha Police Department, and the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office.
Ocala Convicted Felon Indicted for Possession of Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Luis Angel Alicea (29, Ocala) with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. If convicted, Alicea faces up to 15 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, on December 11, 2022, Alicea possessed a Glock firearm and CCI ammunition. At that time, Alicea had a previous felony conviction for conspiracy to import at least 50 kilograms, but less than 100 kilograms of cocaine. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Ocala Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
This case is part of the 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 for occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Norfolk Man Sentenced for Possessing Nearly Five Pounds of Methamphetamine During Traffic StopRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Torey Benson, 41, Norfolk, Nebraska, was sentenced in federal court in Omaha, on January 20, 2023, for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Benson to 114 months’ imprisonment and four years of supervised release upon his release from prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
On November 27, 2021, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop against Benson in Butler County, Nebraska. During the traffic stop, officers searched Benson’s vehicle and person and found just under five pounds of methamphetamine, five tabs of LSD, and three grams of marijuana. Officers also found drug packaging materials. Benson admitted to receiving the methamphetamine and that he intended to sell it to others.
This case was investigated by Butler County Sheriff’s Office and the Nebraska State Patrol.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Violating the Federal Gun Control ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ELIJAH POWELL, age 27, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty as charged on January 17, 2023 before United States District Judge Wendy Vitter to a one-count indictment alleging that he illegally possessed a firearm after being convicted of a felony, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court records, POWELL was observed on the city’s Real Time Crime Cameras with what appeared to be a pistol in his pocket. When New Orleans Police Officers arrived to investigate, POWELL ran. He was apprehended after a brief chase but no longer had the pistol. Officers traced his route of flight and found the pistol in the side yard of a house along POWELL’s path of flight. POWELL had previously been convicted of aggravated assault with a firearm in St. Charles Parish.
POWELL is set to be sentenced on April 18, 2023. He faces up to 10 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
This case was investigated by the New Orleans Police Department, Louisiana Probation and Parole, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney David Haller.
NW Houston man gets 30 years for multiple charges involving the sexual exploitation of childrenRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 27-year-old Jersey Village resident has been ordered to prison for the sexual exploitation of children as well as receipt, distribution and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Andrew Jeffrey Swope pleaded guilty Jan. 27, 2022.
Today, U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen ordered him to serve 360 months in federal prison. Restitution will be determined at a later date. Swope must following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Swope will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
“We must protect our most vulnerable victims – the children - from sexual exploitation,” said Hamdani. “No amount of prison or restitution can make these victims whole but lengthy prison sentences, like the one in this case, send a strong message to these despicable offenders that our law enforcement partners will spend as much time as necessary to bring them to justice.”
The investigation revealed Swope was communicating in a chat room on KiK which was dedicated to the receipt and distribution of child pornography. Swope was the owner of a chat room where he posted numerous images of child pornography. In this room, Swope also said he had been abusing a minor male from the time the boy was six until he was 10 years old.
Authorities later executed a search warrant at Swope’s residence in Jersey Village.
There, Swope answered the door holding a firearm. Law enforcement disarmed him, but he fled. He then attempted to dispose of a smartphone which contained child pornography images and videos depicting abuse of two minor children, among other things.
Swope produced a total of 311 images and 48 videos of two minor victims. He also possessed 4,625 images and 1,533 videos of child pornography.
Swope has been and will remained in custody since. He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
FBI Houston conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri L. Zack is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.
Morgantown Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Steven Reger, 46, of Morgantown, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting the distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 23, 2021, Reger sold approximately 428.1 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant near a garage in Parkersburg. Reger admitted to selling the methamphetamine to the informant and receiving $5,000 as well as $10,000 from prior drug deals from the informant.
Reger is scheduled to be sentenced on May 17, 2023, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life 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 Parkersburg Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Joshua Hanks and Negar M. Kordestani are 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. 2:22-cr-196.
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Middle District of Florida Starts Fiscal Year 2023 with More Than 30 Firearms and Violent Crime Indictments as Part of Project Safe Neighborhoods StrategyRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces today the results of the first quarter of fiscal year 2023 Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) strategy. During the first quarter, ending on December 31, 2022, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida has charged 31 defendants for federal firearms and violent crime offenses, removing 62 firearms from our streets in the process. (See chart for case details).
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has also engaged in community outreach efforts aimed at violent crime prevention throughout the year. Those efforts in the first quarter involved approximately 405 citizens.
“Our office is committed to reducing violent crime throughout the Middle District of Florida,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg. “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners and community stakeholders as part of our joint effort to make our communities safer.”
PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. This evidence-based program has proven to be effective at reducing violent crime by engaging a broad spectrum of stakeholders working together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in communities and developing comprehensive solutions that reduce crime. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses on prevention and intervention efforts through community engagement and problem-solving partnerships, strategic enforcement of the most violent offenders, and locally based reentry programs to reduce recidivism.
Q1 PSN case highlights:
United States v. Uriah Waggerby, Sylvanis Brice, and Johan Holder (Ft. Myers)
On November 1, 2016, three men wearing hoodies, masks and gloves, and brandishing firearms attempted to commit a robbery at a residence on the Big Cypress Reservation. During the robbery attempt, one of the masked men fired a shot that killed a young man who had been visiting the targeted residence. As the assailants had concealed their identities during the robbery attempt, no one at the scene was able to identify the perpetrators. Waggerby later admitted to his involvement in the robbery, telling investigators that he had met with individuals prior to the robbery and directed them to rob a particular house on the reservation because a resident there was a marijuana dealer. As a result of an exhaustive law enforcement investigation, Brice and Holder were identified as perpetrators who had committed the attempted armed robbery on the reservation. Johan Holder was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison, Sylvanis Brice was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison, and Uriah Waggerby was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison.
United States v. Darnell Rice (Jacksonville)
In December 2022, Darnell Rice was sentenced to five years in federal prison for possession and transfer of a device designed for use in converting a weapon into a machinegun and making a false written statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer during the acquisition of a firearm. Investigators determined that Rice was engaged in the business of dealing firearms without a federal license, specifically, by frequently buying and selling firearms for profit. He used social media accounts to offer firearms and ammunition for sale and to communicate with customers. Records from one gun store in Jacksonville show that Rice had purchased 77 firearms from that single location, paying a total of approximately $29,515.
United States v. Keo Mike (Ocala)
In December 2022, Keo Ibua Mike was sentenced to 8 years in federal prison for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. According to court documents, law enforcement arrested Mike on outstanding warrants at an Ocala house that smelled strongly of marijuana. Investigators obtained a search warrant and recovered methamphetamine, crack cocaine, and MDMA from inside the home. They also recovered three loaded firearms in the attic—a handgun, an AR-15 “ghost” pistol (with no manufacturer markings), and an AK-47 rifle.
United States v. Carlos Albert Roman (Orlando)
Thirteen individuals were identified and charged in two separate indictments. One of the lead defendants, Carlos Alberto Roman, supplied cocaine and fentanyl to others and was arrested at his home with 19 firearms, 6 silencers, 3 flash-bang grenades, and thousands of rounds of ammunition. As a result of the investigation, DEA agents seized more than 110 kilograms of cocaine and 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl. Roman recently pleaded guilty and faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 30 years, up to life, in federal prison.
U.S. v. Alvarez et. al (Tampa)
Between May 5 and 6, 2022, Christopher Alvarez, Enrique Marquez, and Dyonnie Alvarez robbed 4 separate convenience stores in the Tampa area. Marquez brandished a firearm during each of the four robberies and C. Alvarez carried a knife during two of the robberies. D. Alvarez acted as the getaway driver. The investigation also revealed that D. Alvarez and Marquez attempted to rob two individuals of marijuana. The robbery was unsuccessful, and the two victims were shot by Marquez.
An indictment or criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has violated one or more federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
These cases are being prosecuted by the Assistant United States Attorneys in all five divisions throughout the Middle District of Florida. For additional information on Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit our website: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/project-safe-neighborhoods-0.
Charged Cases
Defendant(s)
(Age)
Charges
Minimum/Maximum Terms of Imprisonment
Firearms Seized
Ft. Myers Division
1st Quarter
Travis Lavon Anderson (35)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
4
Steven Dewayne Barnes, Jr. (28)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 15 years
Possession of a firearm with obliterated serial number
Maximum Prison Term: 5 years
1
Alphonso Lataurean James (29)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 15 years
1
Martavious Brown (45)
Distribution of cocaine, possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years
Maximum Prison Term: 40 years, plus consecutive 5 years for firearm offense
2
These PSN cases from the Ft. Myers Division are being handled by AUSAs Simon Eth and Mark Morgan.
Jacksonville Division
1st Quarter
Mario Lenard Elbert (33)
Possession with intent to distribute fentanyl
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years
Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 Years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
Possession of firearm by a convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
Possession of a machine gun
Maximum Prison Term: 15 years
2
Jonathan Donte Rogers, Jr. (21)
Possessing a stolen firearm and failure to register the firearm
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years per count
1
Pernell Dewayne Bodiford, Jr. (24)
Illegally purchasing a firearm by providing a false statement to a federal firearms dealer
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Paul Steven Hulbert (26)
Unlawful possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence; unlawful possession of a firearm by a person subject to a domestic violence injunction; two counts of possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle and short-barreled shotgun
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years per count
1
D’Treious Sharron Epps (26)
Distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years per count
Possessing a firearm while unlawfully using a controlled substance
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years
Maximum Prison Term: 40 years
7
Geoffrey Scott Carter (43)
Conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 15 years
Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, distribution of fentanyl
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years per count
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years per count
2
Jesse Rance Moore (45)
Interference with commerce by threats or violence robberies and burglaries involving controlled substances
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years per count
Brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 7 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
3
Ronald Thomas Jr. (45)
Distribution of fentanyl, distribution of methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crime, possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 10 years Maximum Prison Term: Life plus 50 years
1
Sonja Leigh Quinn (50)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
2
These PSN cases from the Jacksonville Division are being handled by AUSAs Kevin Frein, John Cannizzaro, Michael Coolican, Laura Taylor and Kirwinn Mike.
1
Ocala Division
1st Quarter
Timothy James Roberts (29)
Possession of an unregistered National Firearm Act weapon
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (2 counts)
Maximum Prison Term: 15 years per count
3
Mario Jerard Delancy (33)
Possession of ammunition by a convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
3
Antonio Eugene Brutton (35)
Possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 15 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
1
Christopher Richard Munroe
(55)
Possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 15 years
2
Cody Richard Hawk (51)
Possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 15 years
3
These PSN cases from the Ocala Division are being handled by AUSAs Sarah Swartzberg, Hannah Nowalk, and Tyrie Boyer.
1
Tampa Division
1st Quarter
Thaddeus Timeaus Howard (29)
Unlawful possession of a firearm
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Derrick Evans (44)
Possession with intent to distribute narcotics
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years per count
Carrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 15 years
Maximum Prison Term: LifePossessing a firearm as a convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 5 years
1
Dartis Cobb (35)
Possession of ammunition by a convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
0
Meccos Donta Allen (38)
Unlawful possession of a firearm
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 15 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life0
James John Hall (34)
Unlicensed distribution of explosive materials, possession of an unregistered destructive device, unlawful making of a destructive device
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years per county
1
Demetrius Sanchez Mitchell (38)
Illegal possession of a firearm
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 15 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life0
These PSN cases from the Tampa Division are being handled by AUSAs David P. Sullivan, Samantha Beckman, Samantha Newman.
0
Orlando Division
1st Quarter
Tarick Jean Charles (22)
Jesus Rojas (21)
Conspiracy to rob a postal carrier (Rojas and Charles); armed postal robbery (Rojas);
theft of arrow key and receipt of stolen property (Charles)
Maximum Prison Term (Charles) – 10 years
Maximum Prison Term (Rojas) – 25 years
0
Elsie Marie Crespo (27)
Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances (3 counts)
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 10 years per count
Maximum Prison Term: LifePossession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years
Maximum Prison Term: LifeRafick Gordon Gilpin (31)
Damion Clark Kingston (31)
Possession with intent to distribute narcotics
Maximum Prison Term: 40 years per count
Carrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crimes
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 10 years
Maximum Prison Term: LifePossessing a firearm as a convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 5 years
3
Nathan Joel Arledge (29)
Possession of a short-barreled rifle, two machine guns, and three silencers
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
Possession of child pornography
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years
9
Rany Parrales (35)
Illegally purchasing a firearm by providing a false statement to a federal firearms dealer
Maximum Prison Term: 5 years
7
These PSN cases from the Orlando Division are being handled by AUSAs Kara Wick, John M. Gardella, Courtney D. Richardson-Jones and Michael P. Felicetta
Adjudicated Cases
Defendant(s)
(Age)
Charges
Minimum/Maximum Terms of Imprisonment
Firearms Seized
Ft. Myers Division
1st Quarter
Terry Kristopher Flournoy (23)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
This PSN case from the Ft. Myers Division is being handled by AUSA Mark Morgan.
Jacksonville Division
1st Quarter
John Nathan Hemingway (52)
Possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and cocaine base “crack;” and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life1
Brandon Corey Skeith (40)
Possessing fentanyl and cocaine base with intent to distribute and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life1
Sabastian Amrine (20)
Conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, knowingly committed Hobbs Act robbery
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years per count
Brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 7 years
1
These PSN cases from the Jacksonville Division are being handled by AUSAs Michael Coolican, John Cannizzaro, Frank Talbot and Laura Taylor.
Ocala Division
1st Quarter
Jaedyn Tiryse Presley (23)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Ricky Darnell Franklin, Jr. (30)
Possessing a firearm as a convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Justin Heath Griffin (34)
Possession of a firearm by a prohibited person
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
These PSN cases from the Ocala Division are being handled by AUSAs Robert Bodnar, Jr. and Hannah Nowalk.
Orlando Division
1st Quarter
Juan Carlos Garcia (39)
Conspiracy and possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute
Maximum Prison Term: Life
1
Daniel Stephen King (28)
Possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
9
Ramondo Zavious Williams (41)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life1
Bobby Houston Bridges Jr. (46)
Possession of firearm and or ammunition by a convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Javier Alejandro Lopez Rivera (36)
Conspiracy to distribute narcotics
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years
Maximum Prison Term: 40 yearsCarrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crimes
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life2
Carlos Alberto Roman (56)
Possession of controlled substances and possessing a firearm equipped with a silencer in furtherance of drug crime
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 30 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life19 firearms,
6 silencers,
3 grenades.
These PSN cases from the Orlando Division are being handled by AUSAs John Gardella, Courtney Richardson-Jones, Dana Hill, Megan Testerman, and Terry B. Livanos.
Tampa Division
1st Quarter
Edwin Hill (51)
Conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and heroin; distribution of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine; and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crime
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 20 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life3
Cheyenne McIntosh (26)
Making false statement on an ATF form
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
7
Dallas Robinson, Jr. (29)
Possession of a firearm as a convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Enrique Marquez (26)
Robbery, conspiracy to commit those robberies
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years per count
Two counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence while committing robberies
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 7 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life0
Marques Howard (31)
Hobbs Act robbery, conspiracy to commit that robbery
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years per count
Discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 10 years
Maximum Prison Term: LifePossessing a firearm as a convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Robert Humberston (39)
Unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
0
These PSN cases from the Tampa Division are being handled by AUSAs Dan Baeza, Charlie Connally, David Chee, and Samantha Newman.
Sentenced Cases
Defendant(s)
(Age)
Charges
Sentence Imposed
Firearms Seized
Fort Myers Division
1st Quarter
Re’Shod Peter Jontavious Larry (28)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Sentence imposed: 7 years, 8 months
1
Shauntavus Berklin (34)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Sentence imposed: 15 years
2
Matthew Garrett Mink (38)
Possessing an illegal machinegun, possessing an unregistered firearm silencer, possessing a stolen firearm silencer, and possessing an un-serialized firearm silencer
Sentence imposed: 4 years, 3 months
1 machine gun
2 firearm silencers
Brown Dimas III (27)
Falsifying records relating to firearms purchases
Sentence imposed: 3 years, 1 month
4
William Earl Siebert (47)
Unlawfully possessing an unregistered destructive device
Sentenced imposed: 5 years, 10 months
1 pipe bomb
Gabriel Acosta, Jr. (28)
Falsifying records relating to firearm purchases
Sentence imposed: 3 years, 1 month imprisonment
0
Otis Marchman IV (28)
Possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon
Sentence imposed: 3 years, 5 months
1
Johan Holder (26),
Sylvanis Brice (31),
Uriah Waggerby (25)
Attempted robbery that resulted in the killing of a victim on the Big Cypress Indian Reservation.
Sentences imposed:
Holder: 40 years
Brice: 40 years
Waggerby: 18 years
0
These PSN cases from the Fort Myers Division were handled by AUSAs Simon Eth and Michael Sinacore.
Jacksonville Division
1st Quarter
Raymond Reeves (22)
Felon in possession of a firearm
Sentence imposed: 2 years, 3 months
1
Darnell Donja Rice, Jr. (28)
Possession and transfer of a device designed for use in converting a weapon into a machine gun; making false written statement to federally licensed firearms dealer during acquisition of a firearm
Sentence imposed: 5 years
1
Stephan Marshall (35)
Possessing a firearm as a convicted felon
Sentenced imposed: 4 years, 9 months
2
James Lewis (54)
Misrepresentation to firearms dealer during purchase of firearm
Sentence imposed: Time served
0
Dontae Edwards (31)
False statement on a Form 4473
Sentence imposed: 18 months
0
These PSN cases from the Jacksonville Division were handled by AUSAs Frank Talbot, Michael Coolican, and John Cannizzaro.
Ocala Division
1st Quarter
James Clay Bexley (35)
Possession of unregistered destructive devices and firearm silencers; and possession of firearms in violation of domestic violence
Sentence imposed: 3 years
18
Demuntray Cox
(39)
Possession of a firearm by a felon
Sentence imposed: Time Served (22 months)
1
Keo Ibua Mike (29)
Possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon
Sentence imposed: 8 years
2
Reginald Herman Smith, Jr.
(47)
Possession of a firearm by a felon
Sentence imposed: 15 years
1
Brodie Harlow Kies (39)
Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possession of a firearm/ammunition by a convicted felon
Sentence imposed: 27 years
2
These PSN cases from the Ocala Division were handled by AUSAs Tyrie K. Boyer, Robert Bodnar, Jr., and William Hamilton.
Orlando Division
1st Quarter
Charles Edward Palmatier (74)
Dealing in firearms without a license
Sentenced imposed: 1 year, 1 day
2
Mandel Lamont Stewart (23)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Sentenced imposed: 8 years
2
These PSN cases from the Orlando Division were handled by AUSAs Beatriz Gonzalez and Ranganath Manthripragada.
Tampa Division
1st Quarter
Antwan Brown (22)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Sentenced imposed: 1 year, 6 months
1
Kermon Williams (42),
James Higgs, Jr. (40),
Jhaphre Iiggs (35)
Double homicide, murder for hire conspiracy
Sentences imposed: Life followed by 20 years
1
William Shumaker, Jr. (39)
Possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Sentence imposed: 5 years
1
Karey Tyrone Taylor, II (42)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Sentence imposed: 5 years, 11 months
1 firearm,
1 magazine
Aunyis Cherry (27)
Felon in possession of a firearm
Sentenced imposed: 22 years, 11 months
1
Christopher Deon Townsel (47)
Unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Sentence imposed: 15 years
1
Rossonno Borders, Jr. (25)
Possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon
Sentence imposed: 3 years, 1 month
1
Davion Rivers (27)
Possessing a firearm by a convicted felon
Sentence imposed: 15 years, 8 months
1
Deron Lamar Foster (35)
Possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon
Sentence imposed: 10 years
1
Cleate Wilson (40)
Forcibly resisting, opposing, impeding, and interfering with Deputy U.S. Marshals; and
possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon
Sentence imposed: 6 years, 6 months
1
These PSN cases from the Tampa Division were handled by AUSAs Samantha Beckman, Craig Gestring, Charlie Connally, David Chee, Risha Asokan, Patrick Scruggs, Samantha Beckman, James Preston, Terry B. Livanos, Lisa Thelwell, and Chris Murray.
Mexican National Sentenced for Illegal Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Mario Carranza, 38, of Mexico, was sentenced four years and three months in prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on March 17, 2020, law enforcement officers responded to a house in Fresno County after receiving a report of shots being fired in the backyard. Carranza and another individual were observed entering a car and leaving the area. The officers stopped the car, searched it, and recovered a disassembled, short-barrel, AR-15 style rifle with no serial number (known as a ghost gun) and a compatible firearm magazine loaded with 10 rounds of ammunition. Carranza had fired the AR-style rifle in the backyard of the residence. He is a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, the Fresno Police Department, the Special Operations Unit of the California Department of Justice and the California Highway Patrol, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin J. Gilio and Antonio J. Pataca prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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.
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Distributing Fentanyl and Fentanyl-Related SubstanceRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Oscar Arturo Salomon Perez, aka Jesus Ramos, aka Jesus Rodriguez-Ramos, 48, a native and citizen of Mexican, pleaded guilty today to distributing fentanyl and p‑fluorofentanyl, an analogue of fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, in October 2021 Perez negotiated for the sale of 10,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl and one kilogram of “Chinese Food,” believed to be synthetic heroin laced with fentanyl. After confirming the prices with his source of supply in Mexico, Perez advised that it would cost $3 per pill and $22,000 for the “Chinese Food.” Perez requested an additional $1,000 for making the delivery in Fresno for a total of $53,000. An undercover agent agreed to the terms. A couple hours later, Perez met with and showed the agent a large clear plastic bag containing 10,004 blue pills marked “M-30” containing fentanyl and another clear plastic bag containing about two pounds of p-fluorofentanyl in powder form. When the agent advised that another car was bringing the money, Perez fled and was eventually stopped by Fresno County Sheriff’s Office deputies. Agents found another 219 blue pills marked “M-30” containing fentanyl in Perez’s vehicle.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Fresno High Impact Investigation Team (HIIT), which is a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Initiative (HIDTA) composed of law enforcement personnel from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the California Department of Justice; the California Highway Patrol; the Fresno, Tulare, and Kings Counties Sheriff’s Offices; and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.
Perez is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on April 17, 2023. Perez faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison, a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, and a $10 million fine. 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.