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Wednesday 18 January 2023
Taos man pleads guilty to kidnapping and assault in domestic violence caseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced that Richard Mascarenas pleaded guilty on Jan. 13 to one count each of kidnapping, assault resulting in serious bodily injury, and assault of an intimate partner by strangling and suffocating. Mascarenas, 37, of Taos Pueblo, and an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Taos, will remain in custody pending sentencing, which is scheduled for April 19, 2023.
According to the plea agreement and other court records, from April 17, 2022, to May 4, 2022, Mascarenas assaulted Jane Doe and held her against her will at a residence in Taos Pueblo. In his plea, Mascarenas admitted that he would not allow Jane Doe to leave, contact her family or report the assaults because he did not want anyone to know how severely he had hurt her.
Mascarenas admitted that he pushed, pulled, threw, grabbed, and punched Jane Doe, causing serious bodily injury. Mascarenas also assaulted Jane Doe by strangling and suffocation. Medical imaging and records show that Jane Doe suffered blood clots and a stroke, as well as tears to her carotid artery.
The kidnapping and assaults took place on the Taos Pueblo in Indian Country.
By the terms of the plea agreement, Mascarenas faces nine years in prison.
The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office and the Taos Pueblo Department of Public Safety investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Novaline D. Wilson is prosecuting the case.
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Tampa Man Sentenced to over Six Years in Federal Prison for Possessing A Firearm as A FelonRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Mary Scriven has sentenced Damien Boatwright (23, Tampa) to six years and five months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Boatwright was also ordered to forfeit the Glock 26 handgun, large-capacity magazine, and ammunition used in the offense.
According to court documents, on February 23, 2022, Boatwright, a convicted felon, possessed a Glock 26 handgun with a large capacity magazine that held 24 rounds of ammunition during a recorded Instagram live video. As picture below, Boatwright was brandishing the firearm online while traveling in a vehicle in Hillsborough County.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Hillsborough Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Beckman.
Tampa Area Man and Woman Plead Guilty to Series of Convenience Store RobberiesRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Christopher Alvarez (19, Tampa) and Dyonnie Alvarez (22, Tampa) have pleaded guilty to four robberies, conspiracy to commit those robberies, and two counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Each faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each robbery count and the conspiracy count. For each of the firearm counts, the minimum mandatory penalty is 7 years, up to life, in federal prison to be served consecutive to any other sentence. Dyonnie Alvarez also pleaded guilty to an additional attempted robbery for which she faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment. Sentencing dates have not yet been set. A co-defendant, Enrique Marquez, previously pleaded guilty and his sentencing hearing is set for March 2023.
According to court documents, on May 1, 2022, Dyonnie Alvarez and Marquez attempted to rob an individual in an attempt to obtain narcotics. On May 5, 2022, Christopher Alvarez, Dyonnie Alvarez, and Marquez robbed two convenience stores in the Tampa area. During the robberies, Marquez brandished a firearm. The next morning, the three individuals robbed two more Tampa area convenience stores in the same manner.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Nebesky.
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.
Tabor Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Embezzling from Two Catholic ParishesRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Tabor, South Dakota, man convicted of Wire Fraud. The sentencing took place on January 17, 2023, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Steven Joseph Bares, age 53, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $287,457.37 in restitution and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
According to court documents, Bares willfully and unlawfully devised a scheme to defraud and obtain money and property from two parishes by false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises. Saint Wenceslaus Parish in Tabor, South Dakota, and Saint John the Baptist Parish in Lesterville, South Dakota, are two small Catholic parishes located in rural South Dakota towns. The churches shared a single priest. The only administrative staff at the churches was Bares, who primarily worked as the bookkeeper. In that capacity, Bares wrote checks to pay bills and entered checks in the general ledgers.
In May of 2021, the Sioux Falls Catholic Diocese, on behalf of the above-named parishes, hired an accounting firm to conduct a forensic audit. The audit uncovered multiple checks made out to companies belonging to Bares that did not correspond to any service or equipment purchased from those companies. Furthermore, these checks were neither entered in the general ledger nor entered as a legitimate expense.
Between January of 2013 and March of 2020, Bares embezzled money from the two parishes, totaling $324,001.37. The investigation confirmed that the checks identified in the audit report were deposited into accounts held by Bares.
This case was investigated by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri prosecuted the case.
Bares was ordered to self-surrender to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service on February 13, 2023.
Sturgis Man Convicted of Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury convicted Todd Deutsch, age 54, of Sturgis, South Dakota, of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance following a four-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on January 13, 2023.
The charges carry a mandatory minimum of at least 10 years up to a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and/or a $10,000,000 fine, at least five years up to life supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Deutsch was indicted by a federal grand jury in January of 2020. The evidence at trial showed that for at least two and a half years, Deutsch conspired with multiple other persons in western South Dakota, to obtain large volumes of methamphetamine from places like California, Nevada, and Colorado, and then worked with his co-conspirators to distribute the methamphetamine within the District of South Dakota, primarily in the Black Hills area.
This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET) and the Drug Enforcement Agency. UNET is comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the South Dakota National Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gina S. Nelson and Kathryn N. Rich prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date has not been set. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Statement from United States Attorney Kevin G. RitzRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Kevin G. Ritz, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, issued the following statement today:
“Last week, Tyre Nichols tragically died, a few days after he was involved in an incident where Memphis Police Department officers used force during his arrest. State authorities have publicly announced that the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating. In addition, the United States Attorney’s Office, in coordination with the FBI Memphis Field Office and the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, has opened a civil rights investigation. As this is an open investigation, we are not able to provide additional comment or release further information at this time.”
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For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at 901-544-4231 or [email protected]. Follow@WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.
St. Francis Man Indicted for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal grand jury has indicted a St. Francis, South Dakota, man for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
Tanner Kills Enemy, age 24, was indicted in January of 2023. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Moreno on January 13, 2023, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that between October 19, 2022, and January 11, 2023, Kills Enemy, a person required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and a sex offender by reason of a conviction under Indian tribal law, failed to properly register and update his registration.
The charge is merely an accusation and Kills Enemy is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson is prosecuting the case.
Kills Enemy was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Spokane Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Church ArsonRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington –United States District Judge Rosanna Malouf Peterson sentenced Rio A. Mirabal, 25, of Spokane, Washington, to 5 years in federal prison for arson of a building used in interstate commerce. Judge Peterson also ordered Mirabal to pay restitution in an amount $4,981,859.07 for damages caused from a fire he started at the St. Charles Parrish and School, located at 4515 N. Alberta Street in Spokane. Mirabal will also serve three years of supervised release following his release from prison. Mirabal pleaded guilty to the offense on September 7, 2022. He has been in federal custody since his arrest on March 26, 2021. Mirabal’s 5-year sentence was the mandatory minimum permitted by statute for the offense.
According to information presented at Mirabal’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, the fire was first observed at 1:30 am when a patrol officer with the Spokane Police Department stopped in the church parking lot. The officer noticed an orange light coming from a panel of windows. The officer investigated and saw a fire through the windows. Shortly after reporting the fire, the office heard a “boom” sound inside of the church and noticed the fire was spreading to the church roof. A second officer arrived and alerted a priest, who had been asleep in a parish residence attached to the church. The Spokane Fire Department responded and extinguished the fire, which damaged to areas associated with the church and parish school, including the parish residence. Security video later revealed that Mirabal broke into the church and entered numerous rooms with a lit candle. Smoke began coming out of the doors minutes after Mirabal exited each room. Mirabal also removed several bottles of communion wine on which he left fingerprints that identified him as the intruder. At the sentencing hearing, Judge Peterson noted that Mirabal had a history of both mental illness and drug abuse. There was no evidence indicating that Mirabal was motivated by any personal animosity toward the church.
Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, praised the investigative team for identifying Mirabal as the intruder who started the fire and noted the resources available through the Federal Bureau of Prisons to assist persons with both mental illness and drug addiction. U.S. Attorney Waldref noted, “but for the timely intervention of a single patrol officer in noticing that something was not right, the fire would have gone undetected for much longer and could have resulted in a loss of life. Patrol officers continue to deserve our respect and support as they carry out their important role in protecting our community.”
This case was investigated by Spokane Resident Office of the ATF, with significant assistance from the Spokane Police Department and Spokane Fire Department. The case was prosecuted by Timothy J. Ohms and Russel E. Smoot, Assistant United States Attorneys for the Eastern District of Washington.
2:21-CR-0093-RMP
South Bend Man Sentenced to 169 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Dustin Hartline, 29 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr. after pleading guilty to carjacking and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Hartline was sentenced to 169 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to court filed documents, in February 2022, Hartline ordered a ride through a rideshare company. After the rideshare driver picked him up and drove him to his destination, Hartline pressed a loaded pistol into the driver’s body. Hartline threatened the driver and as the driver was pleading for his/her vehicle, Hartline fired a round from the pistol into the ground. Hartline then drove away in the car. Using information from the driver’s cell phone left in the stolen car, law enforcement officers were able to track Hartline to a residence in Niles, Michigan, where he was arrested. The stolen car and the firearm Hartline used – which likewise had been stolen-- were recovered when Hartline was arrested. A factor in the imposed sentence was Hartline’s recent criminal history of multiple felony convictions for grand theft of a motor vehicle, resisting law enforcement, and fleeing a police officer.
“Carjacking of rideshare drivers is a violent crime that is increasing as the public’s use of those services becomes commonplace. Frequently, as here, perpetrators use firearms as part of the carjacking. Fortunately, the driver that Mr. Hartline victimized was not physically hurt, but whenever a gun is discharged during a crime, all the ingredients for deadly consequences are present,” said United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. “My Office and our law enforcement partners will cooperatively utilize all combined resources to bring such lawless, violent and dangerous criminals to justice.”
“Today’s sentencing demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to investigating cases of violent crime to protect innocent victims and sends the message these crimes will not be tolerated,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton. “The teamwork between the FBI and our law enforcement partners ensured there is one less predator on the street and helped make our communities safer.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the South Bend Police Department and the Niles Michigan Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Molly E. Donnelly.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Shooting Near Federal Courthouse in Elizabeth City Gets Man 8.5 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – An Elizabeth City man was sentenced today to 103 months in prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition. On October 18, 2022, Amos Dekendric Parker, also known as “Bay Bay,’ pled guilty to the charges.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Parker, 36, and another man, Tavori Ditron Lindsey, were involved in an early morning shooting on September 5, 2021, at the intersection of East Colonial Avenue and McMorrine Street in Elizabeth City, which is about a block away from the federal courthouse in Elizabeth City. Street cameras captured the shooting and showed Parker and Lindsey engage in a verbal altercation with a man outside the Cue, a nearby establishment. Parker can be seen on video surveillance firing a handgun at another man as he fled the area on foot. Lindsey can also be seen shooting an AR-15 style rifle at the same man. The Elizabeth City Police Department (ECPD) quickly responded and noticed damage to a nearby building consistent with gun shots. Officers recovered several .223 caliber and .45 caliber shell casings in the street where the shooting occurred. The pair were arrested by ECPD and charged with state offenses and they were later indicted in federal court.
Parker is a convicted felon, having prior convictions for common law robbery, accessory after the fact of robbery with a dangerous weapon, and possession with intent to sell or deliver cocaine and marijuana, as well as several misdemeanor convictions.
Lindsey also pled guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition. Lindsey is scheduled to be sentenced during the Court’s February 2023 term of court.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Elizabeth City Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Dodson prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-CR-33-BO.
Seven Charged in Multi-State Heroin and Meth Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A federal grand jury in Abingdon, Virginia has indicted seven individuals as part of a large-scale heroin and methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy that brought the drugs from Michigan into Southwest Virginia and Eastern Tennessee for redistribution.
The four-count indictment, returned under seal last week and unsealed today following multiple arrests, charges Robert Earl Warr, 32, of Detroit, Michigan, David Edward Farmer, 56, of Strawberry Plains, Tennessee, John Joel Foster, 50, of Lee County, Virginia, Robert Lee Jenkins, 25, of Detroit, Michigan, Ray Anthony McSwain, 28, of Detroit, Michigan, Garrett Lee Teffeteller, 42, of Townsend, Tennessee, and Darin Ken Thomas, 38, of Kodak, Tennessee, as follows:
Warr, Jenkins, Farmer, Foster, and Teffeteller are charged with conspiring to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.
Warr, Jenkins, McSwain, Farmer, and Thomas are charged with one count of conspiring to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin.
Farmer and Thomas are each charged with one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, the co-conspirators operated in Southwest Virginia and Eastern Tennessee from approximately September 2021 through September of 2022. During that time, Warr, Jenkins, and McSwain traveled from Michigan to Tennessee to secure large quantities of heroin and crystal methamphetamine for local suppliers to sell throughout Southwest Virginia and Eastern Tennessee.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and ATF Washington Field Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon announced the arrests.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Wise County Sheriff’s Office, the Southwest Virginia Drug Task Force, the Knoxville, Tennessee Police Department, the Knox County, Tennessee Sheriff’s Office, the Sevier County, Tennessee Sheriff’s Office, and the Lee County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena L. Busscher is prosecuting the case for the United States.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Serial Bank Robber Sentenced to 11 ½ Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A Florida man tied to at least five bank robberies in North Texas was sentenced today to more than 11 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Thomas Joseph Banno, 54, pleaded guilty in August 2022 to bank robbery. He was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr to 140 months’ imprisonment.
According to plea papers, Mr. Banno admitted he was involved in at least five bank robberies and attempted bank robberies in the DFW metroplex between June and August 2021 – while he was on probation for a bank robbery in Florida.
Each time, Mr. Banno donned a mask, entered the bank, and demanded “all the $50s and $100s” from the teller. On at least one occasion, he gestured as if he had a gun concealed under his shirt; on another, he told the teller he had a gun; and on two others, he brandished what appeared to be a silver pistol.
After each robbery, Mr. Banno fled the scene in a Dodge Caravan driven by his codefendant, Sade Miranda Salters, 36, who later pleaded guilty to bank robbery; aiding and abetting.
Both Mr. Banno and Ms. Salters admitted in plea papers that they knowingly traveled from Florida to Texas with the intent to commit the robberies.
Shortly after two of the robberies, Ms. Salters posted a Facebook Live video of herself flashing a stack of banded cash. The video later pans to Mr. Banno asleep in the backseat of the van.
Ms. Salters is currently awaiting sentencing.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Dallas Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Briggs is prosecuting the case.
Screening of the Film “Sextortion: the Hidden Pandemic” Rescheduled in Cheyenne Due to Inclement WeatherRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office announced that tonight’s screening in Cheyenne of the documentary, “SEXTORTION: The Hidden Pandemic,” has been cancelled due inclement weather. Laramie County Community College is closing early due to the winter storm. The new date and time is set for 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 24, in the auditorium at Laramie County Community College. The Laramie showing is still scheduled to take place at 6:00 p.m. tomorrow night at Laramie High School.
The United States Attorney’s Office is partnering with the Governor’s Human Trafficking Task Force, Uprising, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Wyoming Division of Victim Services to screen the film in communities across Wyoming in the coming months.
Each event will include a screening of the film, followed by a panel discussion on current trends in Wyoming and tips on how to keep children safer. The following is a list of tentative dates and locations.
January 19: 6:00 p.m. at Laramie High School – Laramie
January 24: 6:00 p.m. at Laramie County Community College – Cheyenne
February 1: 6:00 p.m. at Cody Auditorium – Cody
February 2: Sheridan
March 21: Fort Washakie/Riverton
March 22: Lander
April 4: Casper
April 5: Gillette
May 22: Rock Springs
May 23: Evanston
If you are interested in hosting the film in your community, please contact the United States Attorney’s Office’s Victim/Witness Coordinator Yulonda Candelario at 307-772-2124.
Round Hill Man Convicted of Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal judge convicted a Round Hill man yesterday on charges of receipt of child pornography and attempted destruction of evidence.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, from at least November 2019 through January 2022, Max Christian Frear, 35, used a peer-to-peer file-sharing program to receive child pornography. When the FBI executed a search of the defendant’s home, law enforcement found a damaged computer storage device in Frear’s toilet. The evidence showed that Frear tried to destroy the storage device by dunking it in liquid for his 3D printer, breaking it in half, and attempting to flush it down the toilet. The FBI was able to recover and examine the storage device, which contained 84 videos and more than 5,600 images depicting child sexual abuse. Many of those files depicted the sexual abuse of prepubescent minor victims, including infants and toddlers.
Frear faces a mandatory‑minimum penalty of 5 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on May 26. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton rendered the verdict.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Halper and Trial Attorney Rachel Rothberg of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) are prosecuting the case.
Tis case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-183.
Rochester Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Jennelle Brown, 38, of Rochester, pleaded guilty in federal court today to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Brown and her co-defendant sold drugs multiple times from their hotel room in Portsmouth. Law enforcement then searched their room and uncovered large quantities of money, drugs, and drug ledgers. A search of two vehicles the defendants used in their drug operations uncovered more currency and drugs. Officers also searched storage units and safety deposit boxes the defendants controlled and discovered additional money and drugs. In total, law enforcement seized over $130,000, 1.3 kilograms of fentanyl, almost 650 grams of methamphetamine, and smaller amounts of cocaine.
Brown is scheduled to be sentenced on April 27, 2023.
Brown’s co-defendant has pleaded not guilty. The charges in the indictment are only allegations. The co-defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration and Strafford County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander S. Chen and Jarad Hodes.
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Rochester Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead 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 Joseph Perez, 23, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa to possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who is handling the case, stated that in November 2020, Twitter reported that one of its users uploaded four images of child pornography to the Twitter site. Subsequent investigation traced the images to a Twitter account belonging to Perez. On November 5, 2021, investigators seized Perez’s electronic devices, including a cellular phone, which contained approximately 125 videos of child pornography. Some of the videos included children under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
At the time of his federal arrest, there was an active arrest warrant for Perez out of Potter County, Texas. As a part of his federal plea, Perez admits that he sexually abused a minor victim in the State of Texas on more than two occasions.
The plea is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Eugene Staniszewski. Additional assistance was provided by the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 15, 2023, before Judge Siragusa.
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Rochester Man Charged with Being A Felon in Possession of AmmunitionRead 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 Raymond G. Girard, 34, of Rochester, NY, was charged by criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of ammunition, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Marangola, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office and the New York State Police have had ongoing investigations into Girard stemming from a death threat he allegedly made against a Monroe County Politician in early January 2023 and for possession of stolen property and identity theft. This resulted in Girard being charged with Making a Terroristic Threat.
On the afternoon of January 14, 2023, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office took Girard into custody as he exited his Hudson Avenue residence in Rochester. New York State Police Investigators then executed a search warrant on the residence, during which they seized multiple rounds of live and spent ammunition. In June 2016, Girard was convicted in Monroe County Court of Attempted Criminal Possession of a Weapon 2nd and is legally prohibited from possessing ammunition.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Brian Ratajczak, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. DeVito, New York Field Division.
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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Robeson County Violent Drug Dealer Sentenced to 27 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – Jamie Christopher Henderson, 47, of Robeson County, was sentenced to 27 years in prison today. The sentence followed a trial last year where a jury found him guilty of all charges for drug trafficking and illegal possession and use of guns to further his drug trafficking.
“Henderson is a former federal felon who went back to a life of crime. He shot two people at a local racetrack and was found to be trafficking narcotics with stolen handguns and an AR-15,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “His 35-year sentence should stand as a warning. Gun violence and drug trafficking will put you in the fast lane to federal prison.”
“The Robeson County Sheriff’s Office appreciates the hard work and efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in prosecuting this particular case,“ said Robeson County Sheriff Burnis Wilkins. “This is yet another opportunity to rid our county of a dangerous drug trafficker and felon with a gun that continues to wreak havoc throughout the county. The Robeson County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to ridding our county of crime and this is an example of that commitment as we continue our partnerships with federal law enforcement.”
The investigation was initiated after reports of a shooting at the Thunder Valley Racetrack in Robeson County. Henderson shot two people at the racetrack, ran away, and obtained a ride from a local citizen. When the citizen refused to take Henderson any further down a dirt road, Henderson pulled out a handgun, shot the driver’s radio, and continued to run.
Robeson County Sheriff’s Office detectives continued to investigate and identified where Henderson was living and obtained a search warrant. As detectives approached, they saw Henderson toss a handgun under a car in the front yard. When recovered, the handgun was found to be loaded. Baggies of cocaine and crack were found next to the handgun. Inside of the house, detectives seized two more loaded handguns that were stolen, a loaded AR-15 style rifle, and more cocaine and crack along with baggies and digital scales for selling drugs.
Further investigation revealed a series of videos of Henderson at the house in the days leading up to the search warrant. In these videos, Henderson could be seen selling drugs at all times of the day and night. And in most videos, Henderson was armed with at least one handgun or a rifle. In some instances, Henderson could be seen with multiple firearms while pointing the rifle at approaching cars.
At sentencing, Henderson’s violent history with guns was highlighted. In 2005, he pled guilty in federal court to felon in possession of a firearm after he led detectives on a car chase while pointing a loaded rifle at them.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Robeson County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tyler Lemons and Katherine Englander prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:20-CR-00088-FL.
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Plum Felon Charged with Possessing Drugs, Guns and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Plum Borough, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal narcotics and firearm laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
The two-count Indictment named Taiwan Donje Rodgers, 25, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on or about May 18, 2020, Rodgers unlawfully possessed with intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin and a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl. Additionally,Rodgers possessed firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon. Under federal law, a convicted felon is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
The law provides for a term of imprisonment of not more than 20 years, a fine of $1,000,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Carl J. Spindler is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Duquesne Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Plaquemines Parish Man Sentenced on Federal Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – LONNIE WILLIAMS, age 39, a resident of Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, was sentenced on January 17, 2023 to 30 months imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory $200 special assessment fee by U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack”), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, DEA agents started investigating WILLIAMS in June 2020 as a narcotics distributor in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. On August 24, 2020, agents observed WILLIAMS engage in a drug deal with a co-conspirator. Following the deal, officers made a traffic stop where they discovered that WILLIAMS was in possession of distributable amounts of crack cocaine.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers.
Owner of Brooklyn-Based Credit Counseling Business Indicted for Defrauding ClientsRead the Press Release
An eight-count indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging Marat Lerner, president of the Lerner Group, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering in connection with a scheme to steal from clients of his mortgage loan modification business.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the arrest and charges.
“The defendant preyed on immigrants burdened by mortgage debt in the Russian community in Brooklyn, stealing their American dream through a scheme built on false promises to help them keep their homes, but in truth, he took advantage of their trust to enrich himself,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “This Office has prioritized protecting vulnerable members of our district and we encourage them to come forward and put their trust in us to seek justice for them.”
Mr. Peace expressed his appreciation to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the New York City Police Department for their assistance in this matter.
“The defendant, as we allege today, funded his own lavish lifestyle by operating a lengthy scam exploiting his victims' trust and fears in order to steal their money rather than fulfill his promise to modify their mortgages,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll. “The FBI will continue to make sure any individual willing to cheat and deceive clients out of their hard-earned money will face the consequences in the criminal justice system. We urge any additional victims of Mr. Lerner’s scheme to contact us at 1-800-CALL-FBI or online at www.iC3.gov.”
The indictment alleges that, in or about and between August 2016 and January 2021, Lerner, together with others, operated the Lerner Group. The Lerner Group promised clients it could help them modify their mortgages by reducing their monthly mortgage payments and their outstanding mortgage balances. Lerner used his access to his clients’ banking information to create checks that appeared to be monthly mortgage payments to a purported escrow agent called Testoni & Villa and to his clients’ mortgage banks. But in truth, Lerner secretly controlled Testoni & Villa, and instead of holding the money in escrow, or transferring it to the mortgage banks, Lerner deposited the checks in an account that he controlled, and which he used for a variety of personal expenses, including luxury goods and expensive meals and a BMW automobile. In total, Lerner misappropriated at least $550,000 from his clients.
If you were a Lerner Group client and would like to file a complaint, please visit www.iC3.gov. Please reference “Lerner Group” or “Marat Lerner” in your complaint.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Lerner faces up to 20 years in prison.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorney Nick M. Axelrod is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendants:
MARAT LERNER
Age: 40
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-15 (NGG)
Nigerian National Sentenced to Prison for Bank Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A Nigerian national was sentenced today to more than three years – or 37 months – in prison by U.S. District Judge James S. Gwin after he was convicted by a jury of formulating a conspiracy to obtain stolen financial information, making fraudulent and unauthorized purchases of retail goods and gift cards, and stealing funds from victim bank accounts in Northern Ohio and elsewhere.
Blessing Adeleke, 31, of Nigeria, was convicted in October 2022 of one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and 16 counts of bank fraud.
According to court documents, between January 2014 through October 2016, Adeleke served as an administrator for an online marketplace, Shad0w.info, where compromised data, such as credit numbers and personally identifiable information (PII), were sold.
As part of the conspiracy, Adeleke and others obtained stolen credit card information and purchased items, such as retail goods and gift cards for themselves. Adeleke shared this stolen credit card information with others, including co-defendant Kylie Ann Harlow.
Court documents state that Adeleke and Harlow shipped retail goods purchased with the stolen financial information to Harlow and others and, in some instances, returned the goods and gift cards to retail stores to obtain cash. Adeleke and Harlow eventually forwarded the fraudulently obtained goods, gift cards, and money to other members of the conspiracy for their personal enrichment.
Adeleke gained access to at least one bank account belonging to a victim in Pepper Pike, Ohio, from which he sent 16 fraudulent checks.
Kylie Ann Harlow previously pleaded guilty to her role in the scheme and was sentenced in June 2021.
This case was investigated by the Cleveland FBI and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian S. Deckert and Daniel J. Riedl.
The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided significant support and assistance in securing the defendant’s arrest and extradition from Ghana. The U.S. Department of Justice thanks its Ghanian partners, specifically the Ministry of Interior and the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice, for supporting this extradition. The FBI Legal Attaché in Accra and the U.S. Marshals Service also provided significant support and assistance to Adeleke’s extradition.
New Milford Woman Pleads Guilty to Tax OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, today announced that MELISSA PEZZOLO, 66, of New Milford, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to federal tax offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, for nearly 20 years, Pezzolo was employed as the office manager and bookkeeper for a nursery and landscaping services company in Bethel. Pezzolo was responsible for managing the company’s books and invoices, paying the company’s bills, and handling the company’s payroll and employment tax obligations. She also was responsible for coordinating with the company’s tax return preparer who prepared the yearly filed corporate tax returns.
Beginning in or before 2014 and continuing through 2018, Pezzolo willfully failed to file any employment tax returns (Forms 941) and failed to make any related payments of withholding taxes on behalf of the company. Nevertheless, she continued to distribute paychecks to employees that withheld employees’ income and FICA taxes. She accounted for the withholdings on the employees’ annual W-2 forms, which she continued to issue, though she did not provide the W-2 forms or pay the related withholding taxes to the IRS or the Social Security Administration. She also failed to pay the company’s own share of FICA taxes.
With respect to her own withholdings, Pezzolo neither withheld nor paid her withholding taxes to the IRS, nor issued herself any W-2 forms between approximately 2010 and 2018. She also failed to pay her own required income taxes.
In pleading guilty, Pezzolo further admitted that she stole thousands of dollars from her employer by giving herself raises that were not authorized and by paying personal expenses using the company’s corporate bank account and company credit card.
Pezzolo has agreed to make restitution of $1,329,314, which reflects $1,170,992 in unpaid company payroll taxes and $158,322 in unpaid personal income taxes for the 2014 through 2018 tax years.
Pezzolo pleaded guilty to one count of willful failure to collect or pay over tax, and one count of tax evasion of assessment. Each offense carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.
Pezzolo is released pending sentencing, which is not scheduled.
This investigation has been conducted by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elena L. Coronado and Christopher W. Schmeisser.
New Jersey Tax Preparer and Arizona Man Charged with Conspiracy to Defraud and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A New Jersey tax preparer and an Arizona man were charged for their roles in conspiracies to commit wire fraud and defraud the IRS, and for aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Omar Khater, 32, of Fairfield, New Jersey, and Walid Khater, 37, of Mesa, Arizona, are each charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to defraud the IRS, and one count of aggravated identity theft. Omar Khater is scheduled to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andre M. Espinosa in Newark federal court. Walid Khater is expected to appear on Jan. 19, 2023, before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in federal court in Arizona.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Omar and Walid Khater were relatives who worked together and with others to steal victims’ identities, which they used to file false tax returns and fraudulently receive tax refunds from the IRS. They electronically submitted tax documents to the IRS falsely claiming that the individual taxpayers listed on those documents had earned certain income or won thousands – and in some cases millions – of dollars in gambling and lottery winnings. The false filings also claimed tax withholdings on the purported income or gambling winnings that entitled the tax filer to refund payments from the IRS. The Khaters and others typically submitted these fraudulent tax filings using the names and personal identifying information of victims without the victims’ knowledge or permission. The fraudulent filings caused the IRS to pay $4.49 million in tax refunds, the Khaters and others directed to various bank accounts that they controlled.
The wire fraud conspiracy count is punishable by a maximum of 20 years in prison; the count of conspiracy to defraud the IRS is punishable by a maximum of five years in prison; and each count aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory sentence of two years in prison, to run consecutively to any term of imprisonment on the underlying felony.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the IRS-Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins, and special agents of FBI-Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Fatime M. Cano of the Economic Crimes Unit and Katherine M. Romano of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Mobile Man Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing an Unregistered MachinegunRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Mobile man was sentenced to 70 months in prison for illegally possessing an unregistered machinegun.
According to court documents, Austin Jaden Jones, 22, was arrested by Mobile police following the execution of a search warrant at an apartment that he and several other people were occupying on June 2, 2022. Before clearing the apartment and conducting the search, officers heard the sounds of a toilet repeatedly flushing, people moving around, and items being broken. When Jones eventually came out of the apartment, he had a severe cut and bleeding on his hand. Inside the apartment, officers seized, among other things, eight pistols (five of which had been reported stolen), scattered ammunition, more than four pounds of marijuana (some of which was floating inside a toilet), several bottles of promethazine syrup, drug paraphernalia, and more than $4,100 in cash.
Two of the stolen pistols, which contained Jones’s blood and DNA material, had been equipped with machinegun-conversion devices, commonly known as Glock “switches.” Jones admitted that he had attempted remove and destroy the switches using a hammer and scissors before police entered the apartment. When equipped with a switch, a semiautomatic Glock pistol becomes a machinegun that will automatically fire more than one shot, without manual reloading, with a single pull of the trigger. It is illegal under federal law for any person to possess such a machinegun without registering it in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Jones admitted that he had not registered the above-referenced machineguns at the time he possessed them.
Senior United States District Judge Callie V.S. Granade ordered Jones to serve a three-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time he will undergo drug testing and treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge Granade ordered Jones to pay $100 in special assessments.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Mobile Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Mexican National Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Illegal Reentry and Role in Fentanyl Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
TOLEDO – A Mexican national was sentenced on Friday, Jan. 13, 2023, to 15 years in prison by U.S. District Judge James G. Carr after he pleaded guilty to his role in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy in the Toledo area, as well as illegal reentry into the United States.
According to court documents, in June 2019, Toledo Police Department officers arrested Felipe Penuelas-Rodriguez, 53, of Mexico, following a traffic stop and search of his vehicle. During the search, officers obtained, among other items, 118 fentanyl pills, a duffel bag containing a kilogram brick of fentanyl, and an additional 2,125 fentanyl pills stored in the trunk of the vehicle.
Penuelas-Rodriguez was charged and sentenced under an enhanced penalty due to a prior serious drug trafficking conviction in the Arizona Superior Court. He was also convicted of illegal reentry, having been removed from the United States to Mexico on four separate occasions before he was found in Toledo.
Penuelas-Rodriguez’s passenger, Reyna Trejo, was charged as a co-conspirator with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute a controlled substance. Trejo was sentenced to five years in prison on Dec. 5, 2022. Agents determined that Penuelas-Rodriguez and Trejo were traveling across the country delivering fentanyl and bulk cash to co-conspirators along the way when they were stopped in Toledo.
Penuelas-Rodriguez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute a controlled substance and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance in July 2022.
This case was investigated by United States Homeland Security Investigations, the Toledo Police Department, and the Northwest Ohio Interdiction Task Force. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert N. Melching.
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McLaughlin Man Charged with Kidnapping and AssaultRead the Press Release
ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal grand jury has indicted a McLaughlin, South Dakota, man for Kidnapping, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury.
Elias Glen Sims, age 18, was indicted in January of 2023. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on January 17, 2023, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and $300 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that in November of 2022, at McLaughlin, within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation, Sims kidnapped and assaulted another person with a handgun.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The charge is merely an accusation and Sims is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook is prosecuting the case.
Sims was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Maryland Man Pleads to Voluntary Manslaughter in September 2020 Killing of 17-Year-Old YouthRead the Press Release
Shooting Took Place in 300 block of Allison Street, N.W.
WASHINGTON – Brandon Nguyen, 24, of Laurel, Maryland pleaded guilty to one count of Voluntary Manslaughter in the September 29, 2020 killing of 17-year old Brian Ward, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.
The plea was entered before the Honorable Rainey R. Brandt in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia subject to an agreement between the parties pursuant to Superior Court Rule of Criminal Procedure 11(c)(1)(C) that a sentence of seven and a half to eleven years of incarceration, followed by supervised release, was the appropriate sentence. Sentencing is scheduled for April 26, 2023.
According to the government’s evidence, on September 29, 2020, at approximately 3:59 p.m., officers of the Metropolitan Police Department responded to the report of the sound of gunshots in the 300 block of Allison Street, N.W. Witnesses described a dark blue sedan driving off at high speed following the shooting. Further police investigation revealed that the defendant, Brandon Nguyen, was driving the car and that he had met with the decedent for a purported marijuana transaction. The decedent was never seen alive again after entering Nguyen’s vehicle, and the investigation revealed a likely struggle over a firearm within the vehicle by the defendant and the decedent. The investigation also showed that after shooting the decedent, Nguyen drove him 15 miles to the 6900 block of Contee Road, in Laurel, Maryland, where he dumped the decedent’s body in the woods. The defendant later used bleach to clean his vehicle, and subsequently sold the vehicle.
In December 2021, police confronted the defendant concerning this offense, and the defendant admitted that he shot the decedent following a struggle over a firearm. The defendant then led detectives to the location of the decedent’s skeletonized remains. Further forensic examination and testing by the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives revealed that the defendant fired at least six shots and the decedent was shot in the neck and front and rear of his head.
Nguyen was arrested on November 21, 2022, and has been in custody since that time.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. They acknowledged the efforts of those who provided assistance in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Allen. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael P. Spence, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Man Sentenced to 262 Months in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – United States District Court Chief Judge Raúl Arias-Marxuach sentenced Aníbal Joel Burgos-Vargas to 21 years and 10 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for transporting a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity. Burgos-Vargas was indicted on November 17, 2021 and plead guilty on October 17, 2022.
According to court documents, from October 2020 to October 2021, Aníbal Joel Burgos-Vargas, 27 years old, transported and sexually assaulted a male minor when between the ages of 9 and 10. The defendant used a cellular phone to record the minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
“The defendant engaged in devastating acts of sexual exploitation against a defenseless child and produced videos of his sexual abuse for his personal gratification. Child pornography and exploitation are intolerable crimes committed against children, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue our commitment to prosecute these criminals to the fullest extent of the law,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.
“This sentencing is a clear message to those individuals that are considering harming our children, HSI agents work long hours investigating these heinous crimes,” stated Rebecca C. González-Ramos, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations. “It is our responsibility as a society to come together and protect our children.”
The Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenifer Hernández-Vega, Chief of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit, prosecuted the case.
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Man Sentenced to 10-Year Statutory Maximum After Shooting Two People and Leaving One for DeadRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – William Brian Coghill was sentenced this past Friday to 10 years in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a felon after shooting two acquaintances and leaving one for dead at his home in Oxford, North Carolina. This is the statutory maximum sentence available for this offense. Coghill also pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree attempted murder in state court and was sentenced to 15 to 19 years.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, on August 14, 2021, Granville County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) responded to a 911 call regarding a gunshot victim located at Fredrick Road, Oxford, North Carolina. Upon GCSO’s arrival, the first victim, who had a gunshot wound to his right arm, advised that he had been at the residence next door when he was shot. He was then transported via EMS to a local hospital. As deputies tried to find a blood trail to ascertain the first victim’s direction of travel, they heard a male voice groaning from the front porch area of Coghill’s home that he shared with his mother. A second male victim was located on the porch, doubled over, writhing in pain. Victim two had two gunshot wounds to his lower right side/back area and the front lower left abdomen area. The second victim was transported via Life-Flight to a local hospital.
Minutes after knocking at the doors and windows of the residence, Deputies were permitted inside by Coghill’s mother, and he was found hiding in the attic of the home with a shotgun. Deputies discovered two spent 9mm shell casings on the porch of the residence. Coghill’s mother later told deputies she witnessed her son take the shotgun in one hand, and a black pistol in his other hand, to the porch where the two victims were sitting and began pointing both the shotgun and the pistol at the victims. She stated that both victims begged Coghill not to shoot them. Coghill’s mother stated she was able to take the shotgun away from her son and took the shotgun to her bedroom. She returned to the porch and watched as her son pulled the trigger of the pistol, shooting the first victim, then turned the pistol toward the second victim, and fire again, striking him. Coghill then went into the house, turned out the lights, and forbid his mother from calling for help. The second victim spent several weeks in the hospital and was close to death at one point. He also underwent several surgeries.
Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II presided over the sentencing. Granville County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer May-Parker prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-CR-00030-M.
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Man Accused of Aiding the Carjacking of St. Louis Sheriff’s DeputyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from East St. Louis, Illinois was arrested Wednesday on an indictment that accuses him of a role in the carjacking of a uniformed St. Louis Sheriff’s deputy in November.
Montez L. Montgomery, 18, was indicted November 16 on one count of carjacking and one count of possession and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime. He appeared in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Wednesday.
The indictment alleges Montgomery aided and abetted others in the carjacking of a 2011 Chevrolet Cruz and possessed the firearm used in the carjacking.
A detention motion says Montgomery provided the gun to two juveniles “for the express purposes of completing a carjacking in St. Louis.” It also says Montgomery discarded the deputy’s personal items, hid the carjacked vehicle and was later caught in it, with the gun used in the crime.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The carjacking charge carries a potential penalty of up to 15 years in prison, and the firearm charge carries a penalty of seven years to life in prison consecutive to any other charge.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
Lowell Man Pleads Guilty in Cocaine Conspiracy Tied to Colombian Organized CrimeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lowell man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to conspiring to distribute cocaine.
Miguel Colindres, 61, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for April 24, 2023. Colindres was arrested and charged on July 15, 2020 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury on July 21, 2020.
Colindres conspired with members of La Oficina de Envigado (La Oficina), a criminal organization based in Medellín, Colombia to distribute five kilograms of cocaine. La Oficina originated in the 1980s when its members provided enforcement and collection services for the Medellín Cartel, including deceased Medellín Cartel leader Pablo Escobar. Today, La Oficina is allegedly involved in international narcotics trafficking, drug debt collection, money laundering, extortion and murder for hire.
It is alleged that co-defendants Fabio de Jesus Yepes Sanchez and Mario Zapata Velez were members of La Oficina who were tasked with collecting a $750,000 drug debt from two cocaine traffickers in Massachusetts. It is further alleged that Yepes and Zapata conspired with Colindres and others to obtain five kilograms of cocaine from the Massachusetts traffickers, sell those kilograms, and then repatriate the drug proceeds to Colombia, in partial satisfaction of the outstanding drug debt.
The charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. 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 Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs of the Justice Department; Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and the Government of Colombia. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren A. Graber and Jared C. Dolan of Rollins’ Criminal Division 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 https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Las Vegas Man Pleads Guilty in Connection with Sending White Powder LettersRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Brent Carter, age 73, of Las Vegas, Nevada, pled guilty on Friday, January 13 to conveying a hoax and false information in connection with his sending white powder letters to the New York State Gaming Commission.
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.
Carter admitted that between October 2017 and November 2018, he left numerous voicemails for employees at the New York State Gaming Commission in Schenectady, New York, in which he used threatening language. Carter also admitted that between 2019 and 2021, he mailed four letters containing white powder and other substances to the Commission. He further admitted that he sent the letters and voicemails to the Commission as revenge for suspending his license for horse racing.
If United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino accepts the parties’ joint sentencing recommendation, Carter will receive time served and face up to 3 years of supervised release, when he is sentenced on May 17, 2023. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
This case was investigated by the FBI, Schenectady Police Department, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashlyn Miranda and Richard Belliss.
Justice Department Secures Agreement with Broadway Ticket Services Company to Resolve Immigration-Related Discrimination ClaimsRead the Press Release
Note: The Spanish version can be found here.
The Justice Department announced today that it has secured a settlement agreement with Nederlander Marketing, Inc., dba Broadway Direct (Broadway Direct), a ticket services company based in New York. The agreement resolves the department’s determination that Broadway Direct violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by discriminating against non-U.S. citizen workers based on citizenship status when it advertised and hired for a position in New York.
“Job advertisements that unlawfully limit jobs to U.S. citizens create barriers for non-U.S. citizens who have permission to work in the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue to ensure that all workers have a fair shot at job opportunities, and will hold employers accountable for discriminating against workers because of citizenship, immigration status, or national origin.”
The department began its investigation in July 2022, after learning that Broadway Direct may have posted a job advertisement limiting its hiring for a position to only U.S. citizen applicants. The department’s investigation determined that Broadway Direct had posted at least one job advertisement with unlawful citizenship status restrictions. Under the INA, employers cannot generally discriminate based on citizenship, immigration status, or national origin at any stage of the hiring process.
Under the terms of the settlement, Nederlander will pay a civil penalty to the United States, train staff on the INA’s anti-discrimination provision, review and revise their employment policies, and be subject to departmental monitoring for a two-year period.
The Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. The statute prohibits discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; and retaliation and intimidation. Learn more about prohibitions against citizenship status discrimination.
Find more information on how employers can avoid discrimination in hiring and recruiting on IER’s website. Learn more about how IER protects workers’ rights in this video. For more information about protections against employment discrimination under immigration laws, call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); sign up for a free webinar; email [email protected]; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Subscribe to GovDelivery to receive updates from IER.
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Justice Department Announces New Director of the U.S. Trustee ProgramRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that Attorney General Merrick B. Garland has selected Tara Twomey to serve as Director of the U.S. Trustee Program (USTP) at the Department of Justice.
“The United States Trustee Program plays a critical role in ensuring the fairness of the bankruptcy process — including by providing impartial oversight and protecting consumer debtors from fraud and abuse,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “I am confident that Ms. Twomey’s leadership will advance USTP’s mission to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for debtors, creditors, and the public.”
Ms. Twomey has over 20 years of experience working on bankruptcy and consumer credit issues. She currently serves as the Executive Director of the National Consumer Bankruptcy Rights Center, which advances the rights of consumer bankruptcy debtors. She is Of Counsel at the National Consumer Law Center, and serves as a member of the Judicial Conference Advisory Committee on Bankruptcy Rules. She is the author of numerous books and articles on bankruptcy law and practice, and has served as an instructor at Boston College Law School, Harvard Law School, and Stanford Law School. Ms. Twomey is a fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy, a conferee of the National Bankruptcy Conference, and a director of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of California, San Diego, and her Juris Doctor, summa cum laude, from Boston College Law School.
“Throughout her career as a practitioner, scholar, and teacher, Tara Twomey has been a leader in the bankruptcy bar and a passionate voice for making the bankruptcy system accessible to all,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “She will bring energy, experience, and judgment to her new role as USTP Director. I look forward to working with her in this new role.”
USTP is the only neutral party in the bankruptcy process, and brings a national perspective to every bankruptcy matter. USTP also plays a critical role in protecting consumer debtors against fraud and abuse. USTP consists of the Executive Office for U.S. Trustees, located in Washington, D.C., and 21 regions with 90 field offices throughout the country. The Director of USTP is responsible for leading approximately 1000 employees to implement USTP’s core mission to protect the integrity of the bankruptcy system.
Ms. Twomey will assume her duties on Feb. 27.
Jury Finds District Man Guilty of Voluntary Manslaughter in the Death A 75-Year-Old ManRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Clifton Browne, 57, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of voluntary manslaughter for the beating death of 75-year-old Luther Brooks, in September of 2021, on Kalmia Road, Northwest. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 5, 2023.
According to evidence presented at trial, on September 28, 2021, Browne went over to the scene of the attack to do some handiwork for the homeowner, whom he knew through a relative. Mr. Brooks, the decedent, was a tenant in a basement apartment in the home. The homeowner was planning to sell the home, and the work was being done in preparation for the sale. During the course of his work, Browne was outside the door to the decedent’s apartment door. He and Mr. Brooks started arguing through the door until Mr. Brooks opened the door with a stick in his hand and struck Browne in the chest with the stick, knocking him down. Browne then charged at the elderly victim and beat him inside the apartment until the victim was babbling incoherently. Browne then dragged Mr. Brooks outside where he dumped him in a concrete stairwell. Unable to sit up on his own, Mr. Brooks fell back and struck his head on the concrete. He was taken to GW Hospital where he was nonresponsive within hours. He had suffered fractures of his skull, ribs, and other injuries. He never regained consciousness. The family of Mr. Brooks took him off life support 10 days later, and he died.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Metropolitan Police Department Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Stephanie Gilbert and Rachel Leriche, Victim/Witness Advocate Jenn Allen, Victim/Witness Service Coordinator Maenylie Watson, and Investigative Analyst Zach McMenamin.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dennis Clark and Lisa Lindhorst, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Individual Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Laundering Unemployment Benefits and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance FundsRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, P.R. – Martín Scamaroni-Cintrón was sentenced on January 18, 2023 by United States District Court Judge Aida Delgado-Colón to 30 months in prison for laundering Unemployment Benefits and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) Funds from his bank account in Puerto Rico.
Scamaroni-Cintrón pleaded guilty on November 15, 2022 to sixteen violations of 18 U.S.C. § 1596(a)(1)(B)(i) and admitted to withdrawing in excess of $87,000 in fraudulently obtained funds from his bank account from September 2020 to December 2021. As alleged in the Indictment, the funds were fraudulently obtained from the Unemployment Insurance and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program from multiple states as well as the proceeds of U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loans that he was not qualified and authorized to receive. The applications for Unemployment Insurance UI and PUA were fraudulently submitted in the names of other persons, who never applied for UI and PUA benefits or SBA loans, but the applications utilized the defendant’s bank account and routing numbers.
Scamaroni-Cintrón was also ordered to pay restitution to all the agencies involved in his scheme:
- SBA- $204,800.00
- Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services- $51,543.00
- Maine Department of Labor- $10,295.00
- Arizona Department of Jobs and Family Services- $13,257.00
- Washington State Employment Security Department- $10,710.00
- Illinois Department of Employment Security- $71,078.00
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the United States Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG), and the Puerto Rico Department of Treasury (Hacienda).
Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSA) Victor Acevedo and Manuel Muñiz Lorenzi handled the prosecution of the case.
To report a COVID-19-related fraud scheme or suspicious activity, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) by calling the NCDF Hotline at 1-866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form
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Indian Brotherhood Gang Member Sentenced for Murder, Assault and Firearm Charges Resulting in Bodily HarmRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Matthew Onesimo Armstrong, age 33, of Seminole, Oklahoma, was sentenced for his role in two separate homicides. Armstrong was sentenced to life in prison for Murder and Kidnapping and 10 years imprisonment for Possession and Distribution of Methamphetamine, to run concurrently, in connection with the murder of Nicole Owl. Armstrong was also sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country and 10 years imprisonment for Use, Carry, and Discharge of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, to run consecutively, in connection with the murder of Scotty Candler.
The charges arose from investigations by the Seminole Nation Lighthorse Police Department, Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On October 20, 2021, Matthew Onesimo Armstrong, 33, of Seminole, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to Murder in Indian Country, Kidnapping, and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine for the 2017 murder of Nicole Owl. According to court documents, in 2017, Armstrong was involved in the smuggling of methamphetamine and other contraband for the Indian Brotherhood into various prisons. Sometime during the weekend of April 14-16, 2017, Armstrong had a dispute with Nicole Owl who was staying with Armstrong at his residence. On April 16, Armstrong and another individual took Owl into a wooded area behind Armstrong’s residence and Armstrong tied Nicole Owl to a tree. Armstrong and the other individual then left Nicole Owl tied to the tree for several hours into the evening. Armstrong, with a rifle, and the other individual then returned to the tree where Nicole Owl was tied. Armstrong asked the other individual if he wanted to shoot Nicole Owl. The other individual said “No.” Armstrong then shot Nicole Owl twice, killing her.
On October 20, 2021, Armstrong also pleaded guilty to a two count Information charging him with Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country and Use, Carry, and Discharge of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, for his role in the 2015 murder of Scotty Candler. According to court documents, in May 2015, Armstrong received orders from the Indian Brotherhood to question Scotty Candler about an unrelated homicide. Armstrong and another individual went to Scotty Candler’s residence carrying firearms. Scotty Candler opened the door to his residence and his two dogs ran out. Armstrong fired two shots outside Scotty Candler’s home. According to Armstrong, the other individual then went inside and shot Scotty Candler, killing him.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, along with the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, prosecuted these cases because the defendant is a member of a federally recognized Indian tribe and the crimes occurred in Seminole County, within the boundaries of the Seminole Nation Reservation and within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
“Today’s sentencing of Matthew Armstrong to life imprisonment ensures that a violent member of the Indian Brotherhood will be held accountable for his involvement in the deaths of two victims and that he will never step outside the confines of a federal penitentiary to victimize others in the Eastern District of Oklahoma or elsewhere,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson.
“Matthew Armstrong is a callous and violent criminal who left permanent scars on his community and the families of his victims,“ said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge in Edward J. Gray. “Thanks to the partnership and hard work of all law enforcement agencies involved in this investigation, he will spend the rest of his life in prison.”
“OSBI Agents, Analysts, and Criminalists worked tirelessly with our partners at the FBI,U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the Justice Department’s Criminal Division to ensure justice for Ms. Owl,” said OSBI Director Aungela Spurlock. “The investigation and prosecution of Armstrong is an example of law enforcement in Oklahoma, post the Supreme Court McGirt ruling, working together on behalf of victims of violent crime. We look forward to the success of these continued partnerships.”
The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearings. Armstrong will remain in custody pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve his non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Trial Attorneys Rami Badawy and Brian Morgan of the Criminal Division’s Human Right and Special Prosecution Section and Assistant United States Attorney Zack Parsons represented the United States.
Henry County Man Sentenced to 17 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Gary Osborne, 50, of Buchanan, Tennessee, has been sentenced to 210 months in federal
prison for drug trafficking and firearms charges. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced
the sentence today.According to the information presented in court, on August 15, 2018, members of the Metro Crime
Unit, in Henry County, Tennessee, executed a search warrant at Osborne's residence. Officers
located methamphetamine, digital scales, and more than $5200 in cash and a .243 rifle. As a result
of his extensive felony history, Osborne is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms and
ammunition.Osborne pled guilty to ownership of the narcotics and the rifle.
On January 17, 2023, United States Chief District Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced Osborne to 210
months in federal prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. There is no parole in
the federal system.This case was investigated by the Henry County Sheriff’s Department, Paris Police Department, and
the Puryear Police Department.United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorney Matt Wilson, who
prosecuted this case, as well as law enforcement partners who investigated the case.
###For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at (901) 544-4231 or [email protected]. Follow @WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.
Hazleton Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Joshua Sweet, age 32, of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 37 months in prison by United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani for drug trafficking and money laundering charges.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Sweet previously entered a guilty plea to two felony counts charging money laundering and drug trafficking. Between October 2016 and May 2018, Sweet manufactured, distributed, and possessed with the intent to manufacture and distribute oxycodone, methylphenidate, tramadol, fentanyl, methamphetamine, alprazolam, lysergic acid diethylamide, cocaine, marijuana, and psilocin. Sweet also engaged in money laundering during the same period by engaging in transactions intended to promote his drug trafficking and conceal the nature, location, source, and ownership of the proceeds of the illegal sales of controlled substances. Sweet exchanged over $200,000 in bitcoin, proceeds from the sale of controlled substances, for cash through an unlicensed remitter. Investigators also seized bitcoin, gold bars, and cash from Sweet, totaling approximately $100,000 in value.
The case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Hazleton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean A. Camoni 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.
This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
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Gulf Cartel Member Sentenced to 15+ Years for Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
A drug trafficking cartel member was sentenced Tuesday to more than 15 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Ruben Salazar Vasquez, 51, pleaded guilty in August 2022 to possession with intent to distribute cocaine. He was sentenced Tuesday to 188 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Ada Brown, who ordered him to forfeit $28,481 along with four firearms.
At the sentencing hearing, prosecutors said, based on information provided by the DEA, Mr. Vasquez was a member of the Gulf Cartel and distributed cocaine to Tennessee and Illinois as well as Texas.
In plea papers, Mr. Vasquez admitted that on April 22, 2021, he delivered drugs to the residence of a known drug dealer in Grand Prairie and then fled the scene.
Shortly thereafter, law enforcement found 3,862 grams of cocaine in a vehicle that departed the home and 1,937 grams of cocaine stashed inside a grill on the premises.
The dealer, Jorge Adalberto Cavazos, and his associate, Darwin Lamont Conwright, were also charged. Both pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Mr. Cavazos was sentenced to 108 months in prison and Mr. Conwright is slated to be sentenced later this month.
The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Division along with the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Grand Prairie Police Department, the Garland Police Department, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney George Leal is prosecuting the case.
The case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.
Four Individuals Indicted in Relation to Murder of Postal EmployeeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that on January 18, 2023, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against two Milwaukee men for their involvement in the murder of an on-duty United States Postal Service letter carrier on December 9, 2022, and against two Milwaukee women for providing false statements to law enforcement investigating that murder.
The indictment contains seven counts. Count One alleges that Kevin McCaa (age 36) and Charles Ducksworth Jr. (age 26) murdered or aided and abetted the murder of A.C., an employee of the United States Postal Service, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1111, 1114, and 2(a). If convicted of Count One as charged, each individual would face a mandatory life sentence.
Count Two alleges that McCaa and Ducksworth Jr. discharged a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, namely First-Degree Murder, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 924(c) and 2(a). If convicted of Count Two, each individual would face a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years and up to life in prison, consecutive to any other sentence.
Count Three alleges that on or about December 12, 2022, Shanelle McCoy (age 34) provided material false statements to law enforcement officers investigating the murder, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001(a)(2). The indictment alleges that McCoy falsely claimed to have been in possession of and using her vehicle for work on the day of the murder when, in fact, she had allowed McCaa to use her vehicle that day. If convicted of Count Three, McCoy faces up to five years in prison.
Count Four alleges that on or about December 27, 2022, McCaa unlawfully possessed ammunition after having been convicted of a felony, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). On this count, McCaa faces up to 15 years in prison.
Count Five alleges that on or about December 27, 2022, Ducksworth Jr. possessed marijuana with the intent to distribute it, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(D), a charge which carries up to a five-year prison sentence.
Count Six alleges that Ducksworth Jr. possessed a firearm during and in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c), which triggers a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence.
Finally, Count Seven alleges that on or about December 28, 2022, and again on or about January 4, 2023, Lakisha Ducksworth (age 38) provided material false statements to law enforcement agents investigating the murder, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001(a)(2). The indictment alleges that Lakisha Ducksworth falsely stated that her residential surveillance equipment was not functioning and that she had not sent Ducksworth Jr. video footage from that system, when, in fact, the equipment was functioning, and she had sent Ducksworth Jr. video footage from her surveillance system (three days before the murder) showing A.C. delivering mail to her residence. If convicted, Lakisha Ducksworth faces up to five years in prison.
The defendants were indicted based on an investigation by the Milwaukee Police Department, United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office, the Wauwatosa Police Department, and the Nevada Department of Public Safety Highway Patrol Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Margaret Honrath and Abbey Marzick are prosecuting the case.
The public is cautioned that an indictment contains mere charges and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Four Hawaii Correctional Officers Sentenced for Abusing Inmate and Conspiring to Cover up AbuseRead the Press Release
Four former correctional officers at the Hawaii Community Correctional Center have been sentenced for their roles in the assault of an inmate and participation in a multi-year conspiracy to cover-up the abuse.
Jordan DeMattos, 30, the youngest of the four officers involved, previously accepted responsibility for his crimes by pleading guilty, and testified against his co-defendants at a trial last Summer. He was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison.
DeMattos’s co-defendants were found guilty during a joint trial of violating the rights of an inmate by assaulting him and lying to cover up the incident afterwards. The co-defendants have already been sentenced. Jonathan Taum, 50, the officer who supervised the beating and orchestrated the conspiracy to cover it up, was sentenced to 144 months in prison. Jason Tagaloa, 31, the officer who delivered the most vicious punches and kicks to the victim’s head, was sentenced to 96 months in prison. Craig Pinkney, 39, who struck the victim and held him down as Tagaloa punched and kicked him, was sentenced to 60 months in prison.
“Physical abuse and corruption by officials working inside jails and prisons is unacceptable, no matter where it occurs,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will vigorously prosecute abusive officers to ensure that the civil rights of all people, including those in custody, are protected.”
According to court documents and evidence introduced at trial, on June 15, 2015, Sergeant Taum supervised Tagaloa, Pinkney and DeMattos while they transported an inmate across the facility. The inmate became frightened in the course of the transfer, and Taum’s fellow officers took the non-violent inmate to the ground and repeatedly punched and kicked him in the face, head, and body — breaking the inmate’s jaw, nose, and orbital socket. Thereafter, Taum led the officers in a cover-up conspiracy that included writing false reports, submitting false statements to internal affairs, and providing false testimony to disciplinary board members.
“This vicious assault on an incarcerated person justifies both the convictions and sentences,” said U.S. Attorney Clare E. Connors for the District of Hawaii. “As illustrated by this prosecution, we are committed to enforcing our nation’s civil rights laws.”
“These correctional officers were in a position of public trust and violated that trust not only by acts of violence against an inmate but also by attempting to cover it up,” said Special Agent in Charge Steven Merrill of the FBI Honolulu Field Office. “The FBI will stop at nothing when investigating allegations of civil rights violations.”
The FBI Honolulu Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Nolan for the District of Hawaii and Special Litigation Counsel Christopher Perras and Trial Attorney Thomas Johnson of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
Founder and Majority Owner of Cryptocurrency Exchange Charged with Processing over $700 Million of Illicit FundsRead the Press Release
The founder and majority owner of a cryptocurrency exchange, Bitzlato Ltd. (Bitzlato), was arrested last night in Miami for his alleged operation of a money transmitting business that transported and transmitted illicit funds and that failed to meet U.S. regulatory safeguards, including anti-money laundering requirements.
Anatoly Legkodymov, 40, a Russian national who resides in Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China, is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. French authorities and the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) are taking concurrent enforcement actions.
“Today the Department of Justice dealt a significant blow to the cryptocrime ecosystem,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “Overnight, the Department worked with key partners here and abroad to disrupt Bitzlato, the China-based money laundering engine that fueled a high-tech axis of cryptocrime, and to arrest its founder, Russian national Anatoly Legkodymov. Today’s actions send the clear message: whether you break our laws from China or Europe – or abuse our financial system from a tropical island – you can expect to answer for your crimes inside a United States courtroom.”
“As alleged, the defendant helped operate a cryptocurrency exchange that failed to implement required anti-money laundering safeguards and enabled criminals to profit from their wrongdoing, including ransomware and drug trafficking,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team’s tremendous efforts to disrupt Bitzlato and arrest the defendant demonstrate that we will continue to work with our partners – both foreign and domestic – to combat cryptocurrency-fueled crimes, even if they transcend international borders.”
According to court documents, Legkodymov is a senior executive and the majority shareholder of Bitzlato, a Hong Kong-registered cryptocurrency exchange that operates globally. Bitzlato has marketed itself as requiring minimal identification from its users, specifying that “neither selfies nor passports [are] required.” On occasions when Bitzlato did direct users to submit identifying information, it repeatedly allowed them to provide information belonging to “straw man” registrants.
“Institutions that trade in cryptocurrency are not above the law and their owners are not beyond our reach,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “As alleged, Bitzlato sold itself to criminals as a no-questions-asked cryptocurrency exchange, and reaped hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of deposits as a result. The defendant is now paying the price for the malign role that his company played in the cryptocurrency ecosystem.”
As a result of these deficient know-your-customer (KYC) procedures, Bitzlato allegedly became a haven for criminal proceeds and funds intended for use in criminal activity. Bitzlato’s largest counterparty in cryptocurrency transactions was Hydra Market (Hydra), an anonymous, illicit online marketplace for narcotics, stolen financial information, fraudulent identification documents, and money laundering services that was the largest and longest running darknet market in the world. Hydra users exchanged more than $700 million in cryptocurrency with Bitzlato, either directly or through intermediaries, until Hydra was shuttered by U.S. and German law enforcement in April 2022. Bitzlato also received more than $15 million in ransomware proceeds.
“The FBI will continue to pursue actors who attempt to mask their criminal activity behind keyboards and use means such as cryptocurrency to evade law enforcement,” said Associate Deputy Director Brian Turner of the FBI. “We, along with our federal and international partners, will work relentlessly to disrupt and dismantle these types of criminal enterprises. Today’s arrest should serve as a reminder the FBI will impose risk and consequences upon those who engage in these activities.”
“As alleged today, Legkodymov knowingly allowed Bitzlato to become a perceived safe haven for funds used for and resulting from a variety of criminal activities,” said Assistant Director in Charge Michael J. Driscoll of the FBI New York Field Office. “The FBI and our partners remain steadfast in our commitment to keeping cryptocurrency markets – as with any financial market – free from illicit activity. Today’s action should serve as an example of this commitment as Legkodymov will now face the consequences of his actions in our criminal justice system.”
As alleged in the complaint, Bitzlato’s customers routinely used the company’s customer service portal to request support for transactions with Hydra, which Bitzlato often provided, and admitted in chats with Bitzlato personnel that they were trading under assumed identities. Moreover, Legkodymov and Bitzlato’s other managers were aware that Bitzlato’s accounts were rife with illicit activity and that many of its users were registered under others’ identities. For instance, on May 29, 2019, Legkodymov used Bitzlato’s internal chat system to write to a colleague that Bitzlato’s users were “known to be crooks,” using others’ identity documents to register their accounts. Legkodymov was repeatedly warned by colleagues that Bitzlato’s customer base consisted of “addicts who buy drugs at [] Hydra” and “drug traffickers,” with one senior executive even stressing that Bitzlato should combat drug dealers only “nominally,” to avoid hurting the company’s bottom line. An internal spreadsheet saved in Bitzlato’s shared management folder encapsulated the company’s view of itself: “Positives: No KYC. . . . Negatives: Dirty money. . . .”
As alleged in the complaint, although Bitzlato claimed not to accept users from the United States, it did substantial business with U.S.-based customers, and its customer service representatives repeatedly advised users that they could transfer funds from U.S. financial institutions. Moreover, Legkodymov – who himself administered Bitzlato from Miami in 2022 and 2023 – received reports reflecting substantial traffic to Bitzlato’s website from U.S.-based Internet Protocol addresses, including over 250 million such visits in July 2022.
Legkodymov is charged with conducting an unlicensed money transmitting business. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Concurrent with the arrest announced today, French authorities, working with Europol and partners in Spain, Portugal, and Cyprus, dismantled Bitzlato’s digital infrastructure, seized Bitzlato’s cryptocurrency, and took other enforcement actions.
In addition, the Treasury Department’s FinCEN announced an Order pursuant to section 9714(a) of the Combating Russian Money Laundering Act, as amended, identifying Bitzlato as a “primary money laundering concern” in connection to Russian illicit finance. The order imposes a special measure prohibiting certain transmittals of funds involving Bitzlato by any covered financial institution.
National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (NCET) Trial Attorneys Alexander Mindlin, Scott Meisler, and Matthew Blackwood of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Artie McConnell for the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Mary Clare McMahon.
The Justice Department investigated this case in close coordination with French law enforcement authorities and the Treasury Department’s FinCEN, both of which took separate enforcement actions today under their respective authorities. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the FBI’s Legal Attaché in France provided critical assistance in this case, with significant support from the department’s Cyber Operations International Liaison. The NCET and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York also extend their appreciation to the Cyber Division of the Paris Prosecution Office and to France’s Gendarmerie Nationale Cyberspace Command (Cyber Crime Investigation Unit / C3N). Assistance was also provided by the Customs and Border Protection, the Transportation Safety Administration, and the New York City Police Department. EUROPOL and Dutch and Belgian authorities have contributed to the overall investigation with respect to operational expertise, coordination, and information-sharing.
The NCET was established to combat the growing illicit use of cryptocurrencies and digital assets. Under the Criminal Division, the NCET conducts and supports investigations into individuals and entities that enable the use of digital assets to commit and facilitate a variety of crimes, with a particular focus on virtual currency exchanges, mixing and tumbling services, and infrastructure providers. The NCET also sets strategic priorities regarding digital asset technologies, identifies areas for increased investigative and prosecutorial focus, and leads the department’s efforts to collaborate with domestic and foreign government agencies as well as the private sector to aggressively investigate and prosecute crimes involving cryptocurrency and digital assets.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Founder and Majority Owner of Bitzlato, a Cryptocurrency Exchange, Charged with Unlicensed Money TransmittingRead the Press Release
Defendant Wrote on Bitzlato’s Internal Chat Room That its Users Were “Known to be Crooks”
BROOKLYN, NY – A complaint was unsealed this morning in federal court in Brooklyn charging Anatoly Legkodymov, a Russian national and senior executive of Bitzlato Ltd. (Bitzlato), a Hong Kong-registered cryptocurrency exchange, with conducting a money transmitting business that transported and transmitted illicit funds and that failed to meet U.S. regulatory safeguards, including anti-money laundering requirements. Legkodymov was arrested last night in Miami and is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. French authorities and the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) are taking concurrent enforcement actions.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Lisa O. Monaco, Deputy Attorney General for the Department of Justice; Kenneth A. Polite, Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division; Brian C. Turner, Associate Deputy Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, FBI, New York Field Office, announced the arrest and charge.
“Institutions that trade in cryptocurrency are not above the law and their owners are not beyond our reach,” stated U.S. Attorney Breon Peace. “As alleged, Bitzlato sold itself to criminals as a no-questions-asked cryptocurrency exchange, and reaped hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of deposits as a result. The defendant is now paying the price for the malign role that his company played in the cryptocurrency ecosystem.”
“Today the Department of Justice dealt a significant blow to the cryptocrime ecosystem,” stated Deputy Attorney General Monaco. “Overnight, the Department worked with key partners here and abroad to disrupt Bitzlato, the China-based money laundering engine that fueled a high-tech axis of cryptocrime, and to arrest its founder, Russian national Anatoly Legkodymov. Today’s actions send the clear message: whether you break our laws from China or Europe—or abuse our financial system from a tropical island—you can expect to answer for your crimes inside a United States courtroom.”
“As alleged, the defendant helped operate a cryptocurrency exchange that failed to implement anti-money laundering safeguards and enabled criminals to profit from their wrongdoing, including ransomware and drug trafficking,” stated Assistant Attorney General Polite. “The National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team’s tremendous efforts to disrupt Bitzlato and arrest the defendant demonstrate that we will continue to work with our partners – both foreign and domestic – to combat cryptocurrency-fueled crimes, even if they transcend international borders.”
“The FBI will continue to pursue actors who attempt to mask their criminal activity behind keyboards and use means such as cryptocurrency to evade law enforcement,” stated FBI Assistant Deputy Director Turner. “We, along with our federal and international partners, will work relentlessly to disrupt and dismantle these types of criminal enterprises. Today’s arrest should serve as a reminder the FBI will impose risk and consequences upon those who engage in these activities.”“As alleged today, Legkodymov knowingly allowed Bitzlato to become a perceived safe haven for funds used for and resulting from a variety of criminal activities. The FBI and our partners remain steadfast in our commitment to keeping cryptocurrency markets – as with any financial market – free from illicit activity. Today’s action should serve as an example of this commitment as Legkodymov will now face the consequences of his actions in our criminal justice system,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll.
According to court documents, Legkodymov is a senior executive and the majority shareholder of Bitzlato Ltd. (Bitzlato), a Hong Kong-registered cryptocurrency exchange that operates globally. Bitzlato has marketed itself as requiring minimal identification from its users, specifying that “neither selfies nor passports [are] required.” On occasions when Bitzlato did direct users to submit identifying information, it repeatedly allowed them to provide information belonging to “straw man” registrants.
As a result of these deficient know-your-customer (KYC) procedures, Bitzlato allegedly became a haven for criminal proceeds and funds intended for use in criminal activity. Bitzlato’s largest counterparty in cryptocurrency transactions was Hydra Market, an anonymous, illicit online marketplace for narcotics, stolen financial information, fraudulent identification documents, and money laundering services that was the largest and longest running darknet market in the world. Hydra Market users exchanged more than $700 million in cryptocurrency with Bitzlato, either directly or through intermediaries, until Hydra Market was shuttered by U.S. and German law enforcement in April 2022. Bitzlato also received more than $15 million in ransomware proceeds.
As alleged in the complaint, Bitzlato’s customers routinely used the company’s customer service portal to request support for transactions with Hydra, which Bitzlato often provided, and admitted in chats with Bitzlato personnel that they were trading under assumed identities. Moreover, Legkodymov and Bitzlato’s other managers were aware that Bitzlato’s accounts were rife with illicit activity and that many of its users were registered under others’ identities. For instance, on May 29, 2019, Legkodymov used Bitzlato’s internal chat system to write to a colleague that Bitzlato’s users were “known to be crooks,” using others’ identity documents to register their accounts. Legkodymov was repeatedly warned by colleagues that Bitzlato’s customer base consisted of “addicts who buy drugs at [] Hydra” and “drug traffickers,” with one senior executive even stressing that Bitzlato should combat drug dealers only “nominally,” to avoid hurting the company’s bottom line. An internal spreadsheet saved in Bitzlato’s shared management folder encapsulated the company’s view of itself: “Positives: No KYC. . . . Negatives: Dirty money. . . .”
As alleged in the complaint, although Bitzlato claimed not to accept users from the United States, it did substantial business with U.S.-based customers, and its customer service representatives repeatedly advised users that they could transfer funds from U.S. financial institutions. Moreover, Legkodymov – who himself administered Bitzlato from Miami in 2022 and 2023 – received reports reflecting substantial traffic to Bitzlato's website from U.S.-based Internet Protocol addresses, including over 250 million such visits in July 2022.
The charge in the complaint is an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of operating an illegal money transmitting business, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Concurrent with the arrest announced today, French authorities, working with Europol and partners in Spain, Portugal, and Cyprus, dismantled Bitzlato’s digital infrastructure and took enforcement actions.
The investigation is being jointly prosecuted by the National Security and Cybercrime Section of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (NCET). NCET Trial Attorneys Alexander Mindlin, Scott Meisler, and Matthew Blackwood of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Artie McConnell of the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Mary Clare McMahon.The Justice Department investigated this case in close coordination with French law enforcement authorities and the Treasury Department’s FinCEN, both of which took separate actions today under their respective authorities. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the FBI’s Legal Attaché in France provided critical assistance in this case, with significant support from the department’s Cyber Operations International Liaison.
The NCET and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York also extend their appreciation to the Cyber Division of the Paris Prosecution Office and to France’s Gendarmerie Nationale Cyberspace Command (Cyber Crime Investigation Unit / C3N). Assistance was also provided by the Customs and Border Protection, the Transportation Safety Administration, and the New York City Police Department. EUROPOL and Dutch and Belgian authorities have contributed to the overall investigation with respect to operational expertise, coordination, and information-sharing.
The NCET was created in October 2021 to combat the growing illicit use of cryptocurrencies and digital assets. Under the supervision of the Criminal Division, the NCET conducts and supports investigations into individuals and entities that enable the use of digital assets to commit and facilitate a variety of crimes, with a particular focus on virtual currency exchanges, mixing and tumbling services, and infrastructure providers. The NCET also sets strategic priorities regarding digital asset technologies, identifies areas for increased investigative and prosecutorial focus, and leads the department’s efforts to collaborate with domestic and foreign government agencies as well as the private sector to aggressively investigate and prosecute crimes involving cryptocurrency and digital assets.
The Defendant:
ANATOLY LEGKODYMOV (also known as “Anatolii Legkodymov”, “Gandalf”, and “Tolik”)
Age: 40
Residence: Shenzen, People’s Republic of China; RussiaE.D.N.Y. Docket No.: 23-MJ-17
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 192 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE –Orlando Rodriguez, 41 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to 8 counts charged in an Indictment, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Rodriguez was sentenced to 192 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, between March and October 2021, Rodriguez distributed methamphetamine and/or possessed methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it on six separate occasions. During this same period, Rodriguez, knowing that he was a felon, possessed a firearm and knowingly possess a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives with the assistance of the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley J. Miller Lowery.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Fort Myers Felon Sentenced for Selling Firearm and Drugs to Undercover ATF AgentRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Ronald Dale Perkins (45, Fort Myers) to four years and nine months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and for distributing methamphetamine. The court also ordered Perkins to forfeit a shotgun, which was involved in the offenses. Perkins had pleaded guilty on September 7, 2022.
According to court documents, on April 5, 2022, Perkins, a nine-time convicted felon, sold a sawed-off .410 caliber shotgun gun and methamphetamine to an undercover ATF special agent.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan.
Former West Virginia Man Sentenced to Prison for Stealing Expensive Mining EquipmentRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A former resident of Beckley, West Virginia, has been sentenced in federal court to four years’ imprisonment and three years’ supervised release and ordered to pay approximately $2.9 million in restitution on his conviction for stealing specialized mining equipment, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on David Stanley, 48, following his Nov. 15, 2019, guilty plea to conspiring to transport across state lines specialized mining equipment from the Commonwealths of Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Kentucky to West Virginia and transporting this equipment from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to West Virginia.
According to information presented to the court, five break-ins and thefts occurred in and around February 2017 through May 2017, at mining sites located in the Indiana and Armstrong counties, in the Western District of Pennsylvania. Stanley admitted, in conjunction with his guilty plea, that he and other individuals, including his co-defendant Eudell Dickerson, stole high-value mining equipment, valued at approximately $2.9 million, from these sites and sold it to a company in the business of selling new and/or used mining equipment in Beckley, West Virginia. Special Agents, the court was informed, located some of the stolen equipment at the reseller’s facility and also identified trucks operated by Dickerson and Stanley as those involved in the thefts. Stanley also admitted that he, and other individuals, were involved in additional thefts at mining sites in Virginia and Kentucky.
The Court noted that the sentence in this case, four years, was sufficient but not greater than necessary to achieve the goals of sentencing. Judge Hornak emphasized the seriousness of Stanley’s conduct – that it was a considerable theft, executed with specificity for only the high-value mining equipment. The Court also recognized that the defendant, who has a substantial criminal history, including a felony federal conviction for witness tampering, which occurred after he pled guilty in this case, has “difficulty following rules” and the sentence also reflected the need to deter the defendant from committing crimes.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Stanley.
Former Human Resources Manager Sentenced to Federal Prison for Defrauding EmployerRead the Press Release
A former human resources manager who stole over $95,000 from her employer and two state unemployment agencies was sentenced on January 11, 2023, to four months in federal prison. Holly Marie Jacobi, formerly known as Holly Marie Bemis, of Epworth, Iowa, received the prison term after pleading guilty on July 20, 2022, to one count of wire fraud and two counts of theft of government funds.
In a plea agreement, and at her sentencing hearing, it was established that Jacobi was the human resources manager for a Peosta, Iowa, manufacturing company. Between June 2019 and July 2020, Jacobi falsified payroll expenses and health care reimbursements in the names of ten employees and directed the company’s payroll system to wire over $65,000 in falsified payments to two bank accounts that she controlled. Jacobi also filed a false and fraudulent application for federally funded COVID-19 unemployment insurance benefits with the State of Iowa. Jacobi stated that she was unemployed from the company due to “[l]ayoff . . . lack of work,” when in truth she was still employed as the company’s human resources manager. As a result, Jacobi received over $17,000 in fraudulent unemployment benefits from the State of Iowa. The company discovered Jacobi’s fraud and terminated her employment.
Jacobi also admitted that she later obtained and lost employment at a cheese company in Wisconsin. After losing that second job, Jacobi applied for federally funded unemployment benefits from the State of Wisconsin. Jacobi then obtained a job from a California-based company. From May 2021 through October 2021, Jacobi falsely certified to the State of Wisconsin on weekly reporting forms that she had received no weekly wages when, in truth, she was receiving weekly wages totaling between $1,100 and $6,000 from the California-based company. As a result, Jacobi fraudulently received more than $12,000 in federally funded unemployment benefits paid through the State of Wisconsin. Jacobi previously pled guilty in 2001 to felony forgery and misdemeanor theft charges in Scott County, Iowa.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department's response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice's National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Jacobi was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Jacobi was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment and four months’ home confinement. Jacobi was also ordered to repay $6,000 in court-appointed attorney fees. She was ordered to make $95,567.69 in restitution to her former employer and the States of Iowa and Wisconsin. She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Jacobi was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and investigated by the Peosta Police Department and the United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file numbers are 22-CR-1008 and 22-CR-1026.
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Former CEO of Texas Beverage Company Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Fraudulent Scheme Targeting Elderly InvestorsRead the Press Release
The former CEO of a Texas beverage company was sentenced today to ten years in prison for his role in a high-yield investment scheme in which he and his co-conspirators fraudulently sold more than $12 million of stock in Dallas-based EarthWater Limited to elderly and other vulnerable victims. Four other individuals have also been sentenced to prison for their roles in the scheme.
According to court documents, Cengiz Jan “CJ” Comu, 62, of Dallas, formerly EarthWater’s Chief Executive Officer; John Mervyn Price, 67, of Dallas, formerly EarthWater’s Chief Operating Officer; Richard Laurence Kadish, 61, of Del Ray Beach, Florida; Richard Lawrence Green, 71, of Deerfield Beach, Florida; and Suzanne Aileen Gagnier, 68, of Huntington Beach, California, and others conspired to defraud victims and made false representations about how EarthWater would use investors’ money. Comu, Price, Kadish, Green, Gagnier, and their co-conspirators falsely represented that more than 90% of money raised from investors would be re-invested in the company, when in fact a substantial majority of the funds were used for the conspirators’ personal benefit.
Comu pleaded guilty to 23 counts including conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. Price pleaded guilty to 22 counts including conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering, and was sentenced to six years in prison. Kadish and Green each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud and one count of mail fraud and were each sentenced to six years in prison. Gagnier pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and was sentenced to two years in prison.
Six other defendants charged in the scheme have also pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing: Harley E. “Buddy” Barnes, III, 64, formerly of Plano, Texas, formerly EarthWater’s Chief Financial Officer; Russell Filippo, 72, of Oklahoma City; Daniel Thomas Broyles Sr., 65, formerly of Malibu, California; Joe Edward Duchinsky, 67, of Norwalk, California; Joseph Lucien Duplain, 81, of Murrieta, California; and Donald Andrew Rothman, 75, of Coral Springs, Florida. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton for the Northern District of Texas; and Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Criminal Investigations Group made the announcement.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Christopher Fenton and Theodore M. Kneller of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary F. Walters and Beverly Chapman of the Northern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
The department’s extensive and broad-based efforts to combat elder fraud seek to halt the widespread losses seniors suffer from fraud schemes. The best method for prevention, however, is by sharing information about the various types of elder fraud schemes with relatives, friends, neighbors, and other seniors who can use that information to protect themselves.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.