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Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Wednesday 11 January 2023
San Antonio septuagenarian convicted of trafficking $1 million in marijuanaRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 70-year-old San Antonio woman has pleaded guilty to possessing with the intent to distribute more than 90 kilograms of marijuana, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
On Sep. 11, 2022, Diana Vela drove a Ford Fusion sedan into the primary inspection area of the Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint located near Falfurrias. A service K-9 alerted to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle. When authorities asked for permission to search the sedan, Vela reported to have drugs in the trunk.
When agents opened the trunk, they discovered 10 large, vacuum-sealed bundles of marijuana weighing over 200 pounds.
Laboratory analysis later confirmed the substance in the bundles was marijuana.
The marijuana had a total weight 91 kilograms with an estimated street value of more than $1 million.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos will impose sentencing April 12. At that time, Vela faces up to 40 years in prison as well as a maximum $1 million possible fine.
She was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of BP. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Marck and Robert D. Thorpe Jr. are prosecuting the case.
Rochester, Minnesota Man Sentenced to 2 Years for Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Rayshawn Earl Motley, 32, Rochester, Minnesota was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to two years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Motley pleaded guilty to this charge on September 20, 2022.
On June 21, 2021, La Crosse police officers stopped a car that Motley was driving. After noticing an odor of marijuana in the car, officers searched the car finding a loaded Smith & Wesson .380 handgun hidden in the center console. While Motley denied knowing about the handgun, a subsequent lab analysis determined that his DNA was on it.
In 2012 Motley was convicted of felony drug trafficking in Rochester, Minnesota, and sentenced to prison. Motley also has pending drug trafficking charges out of St. Louis County, Minnesota.
At sentencing, Judge Conley remarked that Motley had not broken from his past history of drug involvement, and that possession of a gun by a known drug trafficker presented an increased risk of violence to the community. Judge Conley ordered three years of supervised release to follow the prison term.
The charge against Motley was the result of an investigation conducted by the La Crosse Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan.
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.
Rochester Man Who Fled Police Pleads Guilty to Gun ChargeRead 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 Joshua Massey, 32, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford to possession of firearm by a convicted felon, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who is handling the case, stated that Massey was previously convicted of multiple felonies in 2012 and 2013 and is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition. On July 30, 2022, as Rochester Police officers attempted to initiate a traffic stop on the vehicle Massey was driving, Massey crashed the vehicle at the corner of Perkins Avenue and Norran Drive. Massey then exited the vehicle and fled on foot but was apprehended after a foot chase. Officers saw, in plain view on the driver’s side floorboard of the vehicle, a loaded 9mm pistol.
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 plea is the culmination of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John Devito.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 22, 2023, before Judge Wolford.
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Republic of Liberia Man Sentenced to 12 Months in Prison for Hindering DeportationRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Emmanuel Tenneh, age 29, an alien who resided in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on January 10, 2022, to 12 months’ imprisonment to be followed by one year on supervised release by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, for hindering his deportation from the United States.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Tenneh is a native of Liberia who was admitted into the United States as a refugee in 2004. Since the time of being admitted into the United States, Tenneh was convicted of several crimes including felony drug distribution, simple assault, driving under the influence, and firearms violations. Tenneh was ordered deported to his home country of Liberia by an immigration court but refused to cooperate in his deportation. After serving his sentence, Tenneh will face deportation.
The case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd K. Hinkley prosecuted the case.
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Repeat Offender Sentenced to 6 Years for Drug Trafficking & Violating His SupervisionRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Marcus Payton, 38, Beloit, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 6 years in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, for distributing crack cocaine. Payton pleaded guilty to this charge on October 4, 2022. The Court also found, at sentencing, that Payton violated the terms of his supervised release in a prior drug trafficking case and sentenced him to 24 months in prison concurrent to the six-year sentence.
In January 2022, a police informant told law enforcement agents that Marcus Payton was distributing crack cocaine in the Beloit area. The informant, while under police supervision, then bought crack cocaine from Payton on two occasions, totaling six grams. At the time of the offense Payton was on federal supervised release for a 2014 conviction for distributing heroin.
In sentencing Payton, Judge Conley emphasized that a 6-year sentence was warranted because Payton returned to drug dealing while under the Court’s supervision on a prior drug trafficking case. He further highlighted that, in addition to the drug trafficking convictions, the defendant had a significant criminal history involving battery; felony bail jumping; 2nd degree recklessly endangering safety; and armed robbery.
The charge against Payton was the result of an investigation conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Beloit Police Department, and Rock County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Reinhard prosecuted this case.
Readout of U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland's Trip to Mexico City, MexicoRead the Press Release
On Sunday, Jan. 8, in connection with the North America Leaders’ Summit, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland traveled to Mexico City, Mexico for bilateral meetings with Mexican and Canadian officials on shared law enforcement priorities.
On Monday, Jan. 9, the Attorney General joined members of the cabinet and President Joseph R. Biden in a bilateral meeting with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and members of his cabinet. The bilateral meeting included discussions on deepening and expanding security cooperation between countries, including efforts to combat drug trafficking.
On Tuesday, Jan. 10, the Attorney General joined members of the cabinet and President Biden for a bilateral meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and members of his cabinet to discuss strengthening our defense and security cooperation and addressing regional and global challenges, including Russia’s war in Ukraine and instability in Haiti. The Attorney General also met with Canadian Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino on those issues and other shared law enforcement priorities such as combating drug and firearms trafficking.
While in Mexico City, the Attorney General participated in additional meetings on the Justice Department’s work to combat trafficking of fentanyl and other drugs, including fentanyl precursors, firearms trafficking, and human smuggling. The Attorney General returned to the United States on Tuesday, Jan. 10.
The Attorney General receives a briefing from the U.S. law enforcement representatives stationed at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico The Attorney General with the Canadian Minister of Public Safety Marco MendicinoPreviously Deported Mexican National Sentenced to 8 Months’ Imprisonment for Second Illegal Reentry ConvictionRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on January 10, 2023, United States District Judge Robert D. Mariani sentenced Juan Esdrada-Beret, age 41, a native and citizen of Mexico, to 8 months’ imprisonment, for illegally reentering the United States after being previously removed following a prior illegal reentry conviction.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, after two prior removals from the United States to Mexico, Esdrada-Beret was arrested in 2017 in Schuylkill County and prosecuted in the Middle District of Pennsylvania for Illegal Reentry. He was sentenced to a period of imprisonment of time served (113 days) on April 10, 2018 and removed through Hidalgo, Texas on April 25, 2018. Sometime thereafter, Esdrada-Beret once again reentered the United States without the required permissions.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Assistant United States Attorney Jeffery St John prosecuted the case.
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Preston County man guilty of keeping a drug house for a Mexico to West Virginia drug operationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Bruceton Mills, West Virginia man was found guilty of his role in a methamphetamine, crack cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin drug distribution operation that spanned from Mexico to Monongalia County.
Greg Snider, 63, was found guilty by a federal jury after a four-day trial. During trial, prosecutors explained that Snider used his residence in Bruceton Mills as a hub for drug distribution and rented vehicles and hotel rooms to assist with the illegal activity.
Snider faces up to 20 years in prison for each of the two counts of which he was convicted. He will be sentenced at a later date. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The FBI's Northern West Virginia Drug Task Force in partnership with the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. The Task Forces have members from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; West Virginia State Police; Monongalia County Sheriff's Office; and the Morgantown, WVU, Granville and Star City Police Departments. The investigation was also assisted by the following law enforcement partners: the Monongalia County Prosecutor’s Office; the FBI in Houston, Texas; the Houston Police Department's Multi Agency Gang Initiative; the United States Postal Inspection Service in Houston; and the FBI and DEA in Los Angeles, California.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zelda Wesley and Christopher Bauer prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Related case here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/25-people-indicted-drug-trafficking-operation-spanned-several-states
Preparing fraudulent returns results in prison for tax servicerRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A tax preparer has been sent to federal prison following her conviction for conspiring to commit tax fraud over a four-year period, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Jeannette Villarreal pleaded guilty July 6, 2022, to preparing and filing income tax returns for clients under the business name of J&G Armadillo’s Tax Service aka Reals Tax Service.
Today, U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos imposed an 18-month term of imprisonment as well as a $15,000 fine. She must also serve three years of supervised release following her incarceration. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence about the scope of the conspiracy which included thousands of fraudulent tax returns prepared over a six-year period resulting in a significant tax loss to the United States. In handing down the prison term, Judge Ramos noted Villarreal was the leader of an extensive criminal activity and she had recruited her two daughters into the enterprise. Judge Ramos concluded that a prison sentence was necessary despite Villareal’s lack of criminal history to provide just punishment and afford adequate deterrence.
Villarreal’s two daughters, Leannette Villarreal and Zeannette Salazar, were also convicted in the conspiracy.
“These three tax preparers not only betrayed the trust of their clients, who counted on them to prepare accurate returns, they betrayed the trust of all taxpaying Americans,” said Special Agent in Charge Ramsey E. Covington of IRS - Criminal Investigation’s Houston Field Office. “As we enter the 2023 tax filing season, I implore all taxpayers who plan to hire a third-party to prepare and file their tax return to choose their preparer wisely and ask questions before and during the preparation process. Finally, always ensure everything on your tax return is both correct and legitimate before signing the return, or Form 879 - IRS e-File Signature Authorization, and submitting the return to the IRS.”
At the time of their pleas, Villarreal and her daughters each admitted to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States by willfully aiding and assisting in the preparation of false income tax returns.
On numerous occasions, they knowingly reported inaccurate earnings, fictitious charitable contributions and improper tax credits in order to increase the refund paid to the client. The tax returns purported their clients were permitted to claim deductions, credits or both. However, they were not entitled to claim more money, resulting in a tax loss to the United States.
Jeannette Villarreal was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
IRS – Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert D. Thorpe Jr. and John Marck prosecuted the case.
Pontotoc Man Sentenced to Prison for Possessing Fraudulent Benefit CardsRead the Press Release
Oxford, MS – A Pontotoc man was sentenced today to more than 4 years in prison following his conviction for possession of fraudulent unemployment benefit cards.
According to court documents, on September 2, 2020, Deonte Dilworth, 28, was found in possession of approximately 26 unemployment benefit debit cards from Nevada and Arizona that had been fraudulently obtained. Dilworth, who pled guilty to possession of the fraudulent debit cards, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Sharion Aycock to 51 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Dilworth was also ordered to pay $202,711.39 in restitution. He was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals immediately after the hearing concluded to begin serving his sentence.
U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner of the Northern District of Mississippi and Patrick Davis, Special Agent in Charge for the United States Secret Service Birmingham Field Office made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Mississippi Highway Patrol. The case was prosecuted by AUSA Robert Mims.
Port Authority Officer and Airport Employee Plead Guilty to Cocaine PossessionRead the Press Release
St. Croix, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Wayne Jeffers, 52, and Charles Rawlins, III, 39, both of St. Croix, pleaded guilty before United States Magistrate Judge Emile A. Henderson, III, to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Cocaine and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Cocaine.
According to court documents, in the early morning hours of May 11, 2022, Jeffers, a Virgin Islands Port Authority Officer stationed at the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport in St. Croix, placed a black suitcase containing 12 bricks of cocaine inside a ladder truck that was parked on the ramp of the airport. Later that morning, Rawlins, an airport ramp worker, removed the suitcase from the ladder truck and placed it on a baggage cart to be loaded on a Seaborne Silver aircraft destined for San Juan, PR. The luggage containing the cocaine was later seized by Customs and Border Protection Officers. A drug analyzed conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Southeast Laboratory in Miami, FL, confirmed that the seized substance was cocaine with a net weight of 12.01 kilograms. Rawlins and Jeffers each face a mandatory minimum term of 10 years imprisonment on their conviction. A federal district court judge will determine the appropriate sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Agency investigated, and Assistant United States Attorney Daniel H. Huston prosecuted this case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Todd Allgood, 43, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of actual methamphetamine. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Allgood to 96 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a four-year term of supervised release. Allgood will also forfeit to the United States $1,383.00 in U.S. currency that was drug proceeds.
On October 21, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Allgood’s hotel room and seized 61 grams of actual methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and a digital scale. Law enforcement also seized $1,383.00 in U.S. currency as drug proceeds.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department.
New Port Richey Man Sentenced to More Than 30 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child Sex Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington has sentenced Eric Paul Jones (44, New Port Richey) to 30 years and 5 months in federal prison for production and possession of child sex abuse material. The court also ordered Jones to forfeit the electronic devices used in the commission of the offense and entered an order of restitution to the victims in the amount of $18,528, and an assessment in the amount of $18,000 to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Fund. Jones had pleaded guilty on October 13, 2022.
According to court documents, Jones belonged to an online group dedicated to discussing and trading child sex abuse material. On April 19, 2021, Jones began communicating with an undercover FBI agent. Jones told the undercover agent that he had engaged in sexual activity with a 10-year-old child, to whom he had access. Jones then sent the undercover agent sexually explicit videos and images he had produced of the child victim, as well as child sex abuse material he possessed of other victims.
A few days later, on April 22, 2021, the FBI executed a search warrant for Jones’s residence, as well as for the cellphone Jones had used to communicate with the undercover agent. A search of Jones’s cellphone revealed that he was in possession of more than 100 child sex abuse images and videos of young children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, some of which included infants and toddlers subjected to bondage and sadomasochistic conduct. The FBI also found the same images and videos that Jones had sent to the undercover agent on Jones’s cellphone. Jones later admitted to agents that he had been producing child sex abuse images of the child victim for several years.
“While it’s heartbreaking to learn of yet another child victim of a sexual predator, it’s reassuring to learn of the dedicated work by special agents to make sure that predator spends a long time in prison for his despicable crime,” said FBI Tampa Division Special Agent in Charge David Walker.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, the Pasco Sheriff's Office, and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Missouri Man Sentenced to 7+ Years in Prison for Attempted Robbery of Convenience StoreRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. on Wednesday sentenced a man from Steele, Missouri who tried to rob a convenience store to seven years and 10 months in prison.
Mark Jones, 39, pleaded guilty to an attempted robbery charge in October. Charging documents say he tried to rob the Smokers Cloud convenience store in Caruthersville, Missouri on May 7 while in possession of a firearm. Jones was masked and wearing a Tyvek suit at the time.
Jones fled when the clerk, who was armed, fired a shot to protect himself and the store’s patrons, according to court documents.
The case was investigated by the Caruthersville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Shelton prosecuted the case.
Mississippi Wastewater Hauling Business Pleads Guilty to Clean Water Act ViolationRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Partridge-Sibley Industrial Services, Inc., a wastewater hauling business based in Jackson, Mississippi, pled guilty today to illegally discharging industrial waste into the Jackson sewer system, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Charles Carfagno with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4.
During court today, the company admitted supervising the transportation and disposal of industrial waste from Gold Coast Commodities, Inc., of Brandon, Mississippi, to a site at a commercial entity in Jackson, which, as a result of its negligence, caused the waste to be trucked and hauled to a facility that was not a legal discharge point designated by the Jackson Wastewater Treatment System to receive the waste.
The corporation entered its guilty plea before United States Magistrate Judge F. Keith Ball at the Thad Cochran United States Courthouse in Jackson. The company agreed to pay the maximum statutory fine of $200,000, which the court imposed today. The company will also be subject to one year of probation.
“PSI’s negligent conduct contributed to the discharge of millions of gallons of untreated industrial waste into the Jackson water system,” said Special Agent in Charge Chuck Carfagno, of EPA-CID Southeast Area Branch. “EPA and its law enforcement partners will vigorously investigate and prosecute those who deliberately violate our nations environmental laws.”
The case was investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigation Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Brandon Police Department, and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, with cooperation from City of Brandon and City of Jackson municipal governments.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gaines Cleveland.
Mexican-born Man Sentenced to 290 Months in Methamphetamine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Oswaldo Neri, 31, of Mexico but residing in Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, for distribution of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Neri conspired with his brother, Jesse Neri, of Omaha, and others to distribute methamphetamine in Omaha in early 2021. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Neri to imprisonment for a term of 290 months as to each count, to be served concurrently. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
On January 4 and 5, 2021, a DEA undercover agent posing as a customer contacted a known Mexico-based methamphetamine supplier to order for purchase 1 pound of methamphetamine. The agent and the Mexican source of supply agreed that a local party would meet the customer at a business in Omaha to complete the sale and agreed that the customer would pay $4,100 for the pound. As planned, they met and completed the transaction. Investigators thereafter identified the Neri brothers as the persons who met with the undercover officer and delivered the methamphetamine.
A week later, on January 12, 2021, investigators executed a search warrant at the Neri brothers’ residence in Omaha. Both brothers were arrested, and investigators recovered 6 additional pounds of methamphetamine from Oswaldo Neri’s bedroom closet, as well as additional evidence of distribution.
A jury trial of the brothers commenced on February 8, 2022. Jesse Neri pled guilty on the morning trial was to begin, leaving Oswaldo Neri as the sole defendant at trial. On February 10, 2022, a federal jury in the District of Nebraska found Oswaldo Neri guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. On August 25, 2022, Jesse Neri was sentenced to imprisonment for a term of 210 months.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Omaha Field Division, and the Nebraska State Patrol. The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Forensic Chemistry Unit provide laboratory services for the investigation.
Mexican Citizen Pleads Guilty to Assaulting a Border Patrol Agent and Illegal EntryRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Nectar Alfonso-Ramirez, age 28, of Mexico, pled guilty today to unlawfully entering the United States and assaulting and resisting a federal agent, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Chief Patrol Agent Robert N. Garcia, United States Border Patrol, Swanton Sector.
Alfonso-Ramirez admitted that, on October 4, 2022, he entered the United States on foot from Canada at a location not authorized for the entrance of immigrants. U.S. Border Patrol Agents encountered Alfonso-Ramirez and ordered him to his knees as part of an arrest procedure. Alfonso-Ramirez admitted that he initially knelt, but then fled into the nearby woods, causing a foot pursuit. As a Border Patrol Agent attempted to place him under arrest, Alfonso-Ramirez continued to try to escape, yelling at the agent, thrashing his body, swinging his arms, and kicking his legs.
Alfonso-Ramirez faces up to one year in prison, a fine of up to $100,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 1 year when he is sentenced on May 11, 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 United States Border Patrol and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica N. Carbone.
Meridian Woman Indicted for Embezzling More Than $1.7 Million from Black Canyon Irrigation DistrictRead the Press Release
BOISE – A federal grand jury in Boise returned an indictment charging Catherine Skidmore, 55, of Meridian, with 25 counts of wire fraud and 24 counts of money laundering, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today.
As alleged in the indictment, Skidmore was the Secretary-Treasurer of the Black Canyon Irrigation District (BCID) from 2014 to July 2022. BCID is a public, semi-municipal fee-collecting entity controlled by local landowners that served irrigation water supply in western Idaho. As Secretary-Treasurer, it is alleged Skidmore handled fee-collecting, bill payments, management of the investment accounts, and maintained the BCID’s QuickBooks database and ledgers. Skidmore also allegedly had access to, and signature authority over, the BCID’s bank accounts, including the ability to write and deposit checks and transfer funds to and from the accounts.
As further alleged in the indictment, the fees the BCID collected from its members were deposited into an operating account. Reserve funds were held in certificates of deposit and long-term investment accounts, including Local Government Investment Pool (LGIP) accounts with the Idaho State Treasurer. As further alleged in the indictment, Skidmore opened a separate LGIP account on behalf of the BCID without BCID’s knowledge and used that account to facilitate a series of transfers of BCID funds that were ultimately used by her for her personal use and benefit.
As alleged, Skidmore falsely represented to the BCID Board of Directors, Manager, and employees by making entries in the BCID internal accounting records that certain funds were used to pay the BCID expenses when, in fact, Skidmore spent the funds for her personal use. And as alleged, Skidmore also created and caused to be created fictitious invoices to make it appear that the funds Skidmore had stolen were used to pay for legitimate BCID business expenses when, in reality, Skidmore spent the funds to benefit herself.
As further alleged in the indictment, Skidmore fraudulently obtained at least $1,792,000 from her fraudulent scheme.
Skidmore is charged with wire fraud and money laundering. Skidmore is scheduled for trial on March 13, 2023, before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge David C. Nye of the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho. If convicted, she faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit credited the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which led to the charges.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Massive drug trafficking investigation leads to largest-ever indictment in Southern District of GeorgiaRead the Press Release
BRUNSWICK, GA: A total of 76 defendants are named in a newly unsealed federal indictment describing a massive drug trafficking investigation tied to the Ghost Face Gangsters criminal street gang that includes allegations of multiple deaths from illegal drug overdoses.
As announced in a Jan. 11, 2023, multi-agency news conference held at Glynn County Police Department Headquarters in Brunswick, Ga., the indictment in USA v. Alvarez et. al, dubbed Operation Ghost Busted, charges 76 defendants with involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed large amounts of methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and alprazolam in the greater Glynn County area, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The primary Conspiracy charge in the indictment carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, up to life, along with substantial financial penalties and a period of supervised release following any prison term.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Operation Ghost Busted demonstrates the focused commitment of law enforcement agencies at all levels in identifying, infiltrating and disrupting drug trafficking networks in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “We are proud to serve with these professionals in the continuing work to make our neighborhoods safe from illegal gang activity and the violent crime it spawns.”
Operation Ghost Busted is an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces investigation, led by the FBI Coastal Georgia Violent Gang Task Force, the Glynn County Police Department, the Brunswick Police Department, the Glynn County Sheriff's Office, and the Camden County Sheriff's Office. For more than two years, investigators from multiple federal, state and local law enforcement agencies collaborated to identify a sprawling drug trafficking network operating in south Georgia counties including Glynn, Pierce, Camden, Wayne, Treutlen, McIntosh, Toombs, Telfair, Dodge, and Ware. The conspiracy operated inside and outside state prison facilities with assistance from at least one compromised corrections officer, who worked with a leader of the conspiracy who is serving a life sentence for murder. The conspiracy includes members of the Ghost Face Gangsters white supremacist criminal street gang, along with affiliates of the Aryan Brotherhood, Bloods, and Gangster Disciples.
In addition to the primary conspiracy charge naming all 76 defendants, the indictment charges two of the defendants with distribution of illegal drugs – fentanyl and methamphetamine – that resulted in the deaths of three individuals from drug overdoses.
The 118-count, 133-page indictment – believed to be the largest ever in the Southern District of Georgia – includes the forfeiture of 43 seized firearms, one vehicle, and more than $53,000 in cash. More than three dozen additional defendants face prosecution for state charges as a result of the investigation.
In addition to other charges filed against individual defendants, each of the defendants named in USA v. Alvarez et. al is charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and a Quantity of Fentanyl, Heroin, and Alprazolam. They include:
- David E. Alvarez, 24, of Townsend, Ga.;
- Garrison A. Bell, 35, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Desiree M. Briley, 26, of McRae-Helena, Ga.;
- Rachael P. Byrd, a/k/a “Byrd is the Word,” a/k/a “Rachael NeSmith,” 25, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Terry L. Cason II, 36, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Tonya C. Cox, a/k/a “Shuge White,” 43, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Abraham Crews, a/k/a “Abe,” 41, of Waverly, Ga.;
- Hannah G. Croft, 23, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Michael S. Daniels, 39, of Waynesville, Ga;
- Marissa D. Davis, 31, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Willie H. Day, 52, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Ashley Deen, 29, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Cody M. Demers, a/k/a “Bravo Seven,” 24, of Blackshear, Ga.;
- Skyler T. Drawdy, 24, of Darien, Ga.;
- Taylor D. Drew, 32, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Joshua A. Drury, 41, of Darien, Ga;
- Jonathan R. Elrod, a/k/a “Brazy Jay,” a/k/a “Jay,” a/k/a “John Boy,” 33, of Blairsville, Ga.;
- Joshua E. Enke, 33, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Juan C. Everette, a/k/a “Don Juan,” 36, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Andrew R. Flanagan, a/k/a “Drew,” 35, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Verdalee D. Flanagan, a/k/a “ Verlee,” 37, of Nahunta, Ga.;
- Alexa B. Foster, a/k/a “Lexa,” 29, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Theodore Gee, a/k/a “Keno,” 44, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Chad L. Googe, 40, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Shawn S. Green, a/k/a “Polo Green,” 42, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Laura R. Harden, 49, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- John E. Harrison, a/k/a “Johnny,” 25, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Priscilla Hemingway, a/k/a “Priscilla Carr,” 43, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Wyndel L. Herndon, 40, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Britnee V. Houston, 28, of Waynesville, Ga.;
- Timothy W. Hutchinson, a/k/a “Tim,” 58, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Kenneth W. Lane, a/k/a “Skinny,” 43, of Hortense, Ga.;
- Timothy W. Loper, 35, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Kenneth Mainor, a/k/a “Busta Bill,” 66, of White Oak, Ga.;
- Kenyetta D. Mainor, a/k/a “Yatta,” 46, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Wendell McClain, 34, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Cameren A. McDonald, 26, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Justin W. McGhee, 36, of Darien, Ga.;
- Charlie A. Moody, 42, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Antonio Morales, a/k/a “Silence,” a/k/a “Silent Ololade,” 29, of Vidalia, Ga.;
- Aubrey NeSmith, 21, of Metter, Ga.;
- James D. NeSmith, a/k/a “DG,” 25, an inmate at Telfair State Prison;
- Mary NeSmith, 58, of Metter, Ga.;
- Eric S. Ogden, a/k/a “Scotty,” 35, of Woodbine, Ga.;
- Auston J. Proctor, 32, of Woodbine, Ga.;
- Michael A. Provenzano, 34, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Jimmy A. Reynolds, a/k/a “Jim,” 54, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- James C. Richardson, 35, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- William W. Ringle, a/k/a “Will,” 42, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Anthony D. Ruffner, 32, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Samantha S. Russell, 34, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Jamey E. Sapp, 50, of St. Simons Island, Ga.;
- Blake K. Screen, 34, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- John D. Screen, 31, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Adam H. Smith, 43, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Brian T. Spell, 32, of Waynesville, Ga.;
- Gregory W. Stabile, a/k/a “G,” a/k/a “Lts Be DAreason,” 37, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- James L. Stephens, a/k/a “Rabbit,” 39, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Debra L. Stokes, a/k/a “Debbie,” 59, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Stephanie L. Stover, 44, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Jason A. Sweat, 35, of St. Marys, Ga.;
- Clinton Taylor, 34, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Cori L. Taylor, 26, of Eastman, Ga.;
- Larry B. Taylor, a/k/a “Lee Lee,” 57, of Jacksonville, Fla.;
- Christopher J. Thompson, 35, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Ronald E. Thompson, a/k/a “E,” a/k/a “3D,” 39, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Jesse J. Trujillo, 30, of Swainsboro, Ga.;
- Charles W. Walrath, a/k/a “Boomer,” 51, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Dayton P. Whatley, 35, of St. Simons Island, Ga.;
- David Nicholas Wheeler, 52, of Waverly, Ga.;
- Dakota L. White, 21, of Vidalia, Ga.;
- James D. Wiggins, a/k/a “Brad Jones,” 30, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Jeremy D. Wix, 42, of Townsend, Ga.;
- Heaven L. Wolfe, 32, of Blackshear, Ga.;
- Joshua T. Wolfe, a/k/a “White Boy,” a/k/a “Tom Walier,” 29, of Blackshear, Ga.; and,
- David D. Young, a/k/a “Khaos,” 42, of Hortense, Ga.
The defendants in the investigation are scheduled this week for initial appearance hearings in U.S. District Court in Brunswick. Indictments include only charges; each of the defendants is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
Agencies involved in the investigation include the FBI Coastal Georgia Violent Gang Task Force; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; the Georgia Bureau of Investigation; the Georgia Department of Corrections; the Georgia Department of Community Supervision; the Glynn County Police Department; the Brunswick Police Department; and sheriff’s offices from Glynn, Pierce, Camden, Wayne, Treutlen, McIntosh, Toombs, Telfair, Dodge, and Ware counties. The case is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer J. Kirkland and Criminal Division Deputy Chief E. Greg Gilluly Jr.
Indictment: USA v. Alvarez et. alMan Who Produced Child Pornography Going to Prison for 26 YearsRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Carlton Nemec, 50, who was convicted of production of child pornography and possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor, was sentenced to serve 26 years in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who handled the case, stated that between July 2013, and July 2017, Nemec coerced a minor, Victim 1, to engage in sexually explicit conduct from the time she was 8 years old to 12 years old. Investigators located numerous sexually explicit images created by Nemec saved on electronic devices that were seized from his residence. In addition, Nemec possessed more than 600 images containing child pornography on several of the electronic devices seized. Some of the images involved prepubescent minors and contained depictions of violence.
The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Michael Stansbury and the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Michael Filicetti.# # # #
Man Sentenced for Three Richmond Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to 14 years in prison after committing three armed robberies between January and February of 2022.
According to court documents, on January 6, 2022, Jaquan Rakim Roberts, 21, entered a Darbytown Mini Mart, located in 1581 Darbytown Road, Richmond, with a ski-mask covering his face. When he reached the register, Roberts brandished two semiautomatic pistols at the cashier and demanded money as well as Black and Mild cigars. Under threat, the Darbytown Mini Mart Cashier handed over two boxes of Black and Mild cigars as well as approximately $1,800.
Roughly a month later, on February 28, 2022, Roberts drove to the Darbytown Mini Mart again to commit another armed robbery. Roberts wore a ski-mask over his face this time as well, walked up to the counter, produced a semiautomatic pistol, and demanded money from the same Darbytown Mini Mart employee who was working during the previous armed robbery. Facing the threat, the cashier gave Roberts approximately $137. This time, however, the cashier included currency affixed with a law enforcement tracker as part of the United States currency she handed over to Roberts.
Roberts left Darbytown Mini Mart and headed up the road to Jack’s Place, located at 1881 Darbytown Road, Richmond, where he brandished two semiautomatic pistols and demanded a Jack’s Place employee to open the cash register and give him money. Because the cash register would not open, one of the employees gave Roberts $40 of his own money. Roberts then left.
Using the tracker, law enforcement apprehended Roberts and later executed search warrants at several residences associated with Roberts and on the car that he drove on February 28, 2022. During the execution of the residential search warrants, law enforcement recovered a loaded semiautomatic pistol and clothing, including the jacket worn during the first robbery of the Darbytown Mini Mart, and ski-masks similar to those worn during the robberies. During the execution of a search warrant on the car, law enforcement recovered two loaded semi-automatic pistols.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; and Colonel Eric D. English, Chief of Henrico County Police Department, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge David J. Novak.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth R. Simon, Jr. prosecuted the case.
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. 3:22-cr-76.
Man Sentenced for Role in International Telemarketing SchemeRead the Press Release
A Florida man was sentenced today to 133 months in prison for his role in an international telemarketing scheme orchestrated from a call center in Costa Rica that defrauded more than 400 victims – many of whom were elderly – in the United States out of millions of dollars.
Manuel Mauro Chavez, 32, of Hollywood, was convicted at trial in July 2021 in the Western District of North Carolina of one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, six counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit international money laundering, and six counts of international money laundering. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Chavez was a U.S.-based participant in a fraudulent scheme in which telemarketers based in Costa Rica falsely posed as U.S. government officials and contacted victims in the United States to tell them they had won a substantial “sweepstakes” prize, but before collecting this supposed prize, they needed to make a series of up-front payments to cover purported taxes or other fees. After deceiving victims out of their money, Chavez transmitted these funds from the United States for the benefit of the call center and others involved in the scheme in Costa Rica.
In two related matters, Mark Raymond Oman, 38, of Long Beach, Washington, was sentenced on Nov. 17, 2022, to three years and one month in prison, and Paul Andy Stiep, 30, of Miami, was sentenced on Dec. 20, 2022, to seven years in prison. Oman worked at the call center soliciting victims and collected victim funds in Costa Rica, while Stiep transmitted victims’ payments from the United States for the benefit of the call center in Costa Rica.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Scherck of the FBI Charlotte Field Office, Inspector in Charge Tommy Coke of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s (USPIS) Atlanta Division, and Special Agent in Charge Bryant Jackson of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Cincinnati Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI, USPIS, and IRS-CI investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Joshua DeBold and Della Sentilles of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted 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.
Man Indicted for Smuggling in Aliens unlawfully into the United States in a Crime that Resulted in the Death of a Three-Year-Old Haitian BoyRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment on January 4, 2023, charging Alcibades De Paz, a Dominican national, with smuggling aliens into the United States in a crime resulting in the death of a minor child; aiding and abetting; and improper entry of an alien.
“Transnational human smuggling and trafficking networks pose a serious criminal threat,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “Our office will prosecute those who illegally smuggle individuals into the United States and routinely place these migrants’ lives in danger. We will continue efforts to disrupt and dismantle smuggling networks that abuse, exploit, or endanger migrants, and pose serious national security threats.”
According to court documents, Alcibades De Paz was the captain of a vessel that transported approximately 39 non-U.S. citizens in an attempted to enter Puerto Rico illegally. The human smuggling venture took place from the Dominican Republic to the United States through the West coast of Puerto Rico. De Paz is alleged to have operated the engine of the suspected vessel while law enforcement, including the Puerto Rico Police Bureau marine unit (Fuerzas Unidas de Rápida Acción, FURA), tried to intercept it. The vessel capsized before landing in Puerto Rico.
Among the 39 subjects on board, one was a three-year-old child who was found unresponsive in the water. He was taken to the hospital for medical attention but was pronounced dead after unsuccessful resuscitation attempts. His mother, who identified herself as Haitian, was one of the individuals aboard the vessel.
The incoming subjects, nationals of the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Afghanistan, were apprehended and transported to the Ramey Border Patrol Station for further investigation, processing, and removal proceedings, but one of the illegal aliens, identified as Dominican national, absconded through the brush.
Defendant De Paz had his arraignment and bail hearing yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce McGiverin of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico who ordered him detained pending trial. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty life in prison or the death penalty. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; and Acting Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations Rebecca González, and Desi Deleon, Acting Chief Patrol Agent, U.S. Border Patrol, Ramey Sector, made the announcement.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI); the United States Border Patrol, Ramey Sector; and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau marine unit (Fuerzas Unidas de Rápida Acción, FURA) are investigating the case.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney from ICE HSI Nadia Pineda is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Malden Man Sentenced for Federal Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Malden man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
Herby Paul, 27, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to 27 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In October 2022, Paul pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
On Nov. 24, 2021, Paul was pulled over by law enforcement while driving on interstate 95 in Canton. Paul provided law enforcement with a false name and was asked to exit the vehicle. He then fled on foot, jumped over a guardrail, ran down an embankment and attempted to scale a fence. Paul was quickly apprehended on scene and a subsequent search of his vehicle resulted in the recovery of a 9mm handgun loaded with 13 rounds of 9mm ammunition.
At the time of the offense, Paul was on state probation for a 2020 conviction of possessing a firearm without a license and resisting arrest, for which he was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Dell’Anno of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Louisville Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl from IndianapolisRead the Press Release
NEW ALBANY- Kevin Smyzer, Jr., 33, and Dyronne Mason, 39, of Louisville, Kentucky, have been sentenced for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Smyzer was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison. Mason was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison on September 19, 2022.
According to court documents, on March 25, 2020, Indiana State Police (ISP) stopped a vehicle for speeding in Clark County, Indiana. The driver of the vehicle was identified at Kevin Smyzer and the passenger was identified as Dyronne Mason.
During the traffic stop, an ISP drug detection K9 indicated the odor of narcotics on the passenger side door. Troopers located eleven golf-ball sized bags containing fentanyl. In the back seat, Troopers found a cardboard box containing half a kilogram of fentanyl. The roof of the vehicle had a brown ledger with names and amounts of money written in it.
In an interview with law enforcement officers, Smyzer admitted to visiting Indianapolis to obtain the controlled substances for redistribution. In total, Smyzer and Mason were transporting over 600 grams of a substance containing fentanyl. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, as little as two milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal, depending on a person’s body size, tolerance, and past usage. One kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people. 6 out of 10 illegal fentanyl tablets sold on U.S. streets now contain a potentially lethal dose of the drug.
“Fentanyl traffickers value their profits more than the lives of our families and neighbors,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “We must fight to save lives by investigating and prosecuting criminals who exploit the epidemic of substance use disorder to satisfy their own greed. Our office, the DEA, and the Indiana State Police are committed to holding fentanyl traffickers accountable for pushing deadly poison on our streets.”
“Our Troopers work diligently every day, often putting themselves in harm’s way to curtail or stop the trafficking of illicit drugs on Indiana highways,” said Lieutenant Christopher Keeton, Indiana State Police Sellersburg Post. “We are very grateful for the work and effort the DEA and U.S. Attorney’s Office put forth to ensure justice was served in this case.”
The DEA-Louisville Division investigated this case with valuable assistance from ISP. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge, Sarah Evans Barker. Judge Barker also ordered that Smyzer and Mason be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 5 years following their release from federal prison. Smyzer was also given a $500 fine.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Wheatley, who prosecuted this case.
One Pill Can Kill: Avoid pills bought on the street because One Pill Can Kill. Fentanyl is a highly potent opioid that drug dealers dilute with cutting agents to make counterfeit prescription pills that appear to be Oxycodone, Percocet, Xanax, and other drugs. Fentanyl is used because it’s cheap. Small variations in the quantity or quality of fentanyl in a fake prescription pill can accidentally create a lethal dosage. Fentanyl has now become the leading cause of drug poisoning deaths in the United States. Fake prescription pills laced with fentanyl are usually shaped and colored to look like pills sold at pharmacies, like Percocet and Xanax. For example, fake prescription pills known as “M30s” imitate Oxycodone obtained from a pharmacy, but when sold on the street the pills routinely contain fentanyl. These particular pills are usually round tablets and often light blue in color, though they may be in different shapes and a rainbow of colors. They often have “M” and “30” imprinted on opposite sides of the pill. Do not take these or any other pills bought on the street – they are routinely fake and poisonous, and you won’t know until it’s too late.
Lewiston Man Sentenced to 3 ½ Years for Unlawfully Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Lewiston man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Devon Duncan (aka “TY”), 36, to 42 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Duncan pleaded guilty on August 16, 2022.
According to court records, on April 28, 2022, an unknown assailant shot through the door of Duncan’s residence in Lewiston, striking his wife multiple times. During the investigation into the shooting, which is ongoing, officers assigned to the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit discovered a Glock 19X 9mm handgun in Duncan’s apartment, as well as a 17-round magazine, 26 grams of cocaine base, and paraphernalia associated with drug trafficking. Photographs recovered from the victim’s phone showed Duncan holding the firearm and pointing it at the camera. Duncan has previous convictions which preclude him from possessing a firearm, including a 2019 conviction in Kennebec County for fentanyl and cocaine trafficking.
U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee commended the members of the Lewiston/Auburn Violence Reduction Initiative, led by the FBI, for their work on the investigation.
“The recovery of the firearm and the resulting prosecution of Devon Duncan stopped any attempt at retaliation,” McElwee said. “The defendant has an extensive history of drug trafficking, threats, and violence dating back more than a decade. Through a timely arrest and federal prosecution, the task force was able to interrupt the cycle of violence.”
The Lewiston/Auburn Violence Reduction Initiative is comprised of members of the Southern Maine Gang Task Force, the Lewiston Police Department, the Auburn Police Department, the Maine State Police, and their law enforcement partners.
Project Safe Neighborhoods: 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. To learn more information about Project Safe Neighborhood, visit www.justice.gov/psn.
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Leader of Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced for International Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
The former leader of a drug trafficking organization that operated in Baja California, Mexico, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his role in leading an international drug trafficking organization which transported more than 450 kilograms of cocaine and 45,000 kilograms of marijuana into the United States from Mexico.
In April 2018, Pedro Alejandro Rubio-Perez pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana for importation to the United States. According to court documents, Rubio-Perez led a drug trafficking organization operating in Baja, California between 1999 and 2009, and was a principal leader from at least 2004 to 2006. Rubio-Perez and members of his organization used tractor-trailer trucks with hidden compartments to transport at least 450 kilograms of cocaine and tons of marijuana into the United States.
According to court documents, cocaine or marijuana distributed by Rubio-Perez was seized in Arizona, California, and Missouri. Drug proceeds in bulk cash form were hidden in the same tractor-trailers and delivered to stash houses at the U.S. border with Mexico, where the money was counted and then transported to Rubio-Perez in Mexico or flown to Rubio-Perez in private aircraft from the United States to Mexico, carrying up to $2 million at a time.
The DEA Orange County, California Office and DEA Mexico City Country Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Kate Naseef and Samantha Thompson of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section prosecuted this case, with significant assistance provided by the Justice Department’s Judicial Attachés in Mexico City, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, and the Criminal Division’s Office of Enforcement Operations.
Laredo man sent to prison after shootingRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 29-year-old Laradoan has been ordered to federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Jimmy Lara pleaded guilty Feb. 28, 2022.
Today, U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña ordered Jimmy Lara to serve a total of 108 months in prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional information about possible enhancements for committing a felony with the firearm and discarding the loaded firearm near a school.
On Jan. 5, 2022, authorities responded to a 911 report of shots fired on the 1500 block of Pinder Avenue. There, a passenger in a brown pickup truck had apparently fired shots at a white van.
Law enforcement observed a vehicle matching the description and attempted a traffic stop. Lara was the passenger, but had exited the vehicle and began running towards Juarez Avenue. He appeared to have an object in one of his hands.
Authorities briefly chased him on foot and apprehended him after approximately one block. They returned to Juarez avenue where they located a .22 caliber revolver on the sidewalk.
The investigation revealed Lara has prior convictions for robbery and aggravated robbery. As such, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition per federal law.
In addition, the firearm was reported stolen out of Mathis.
Lara will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Laredo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul A. Harrison is prosecuting the case.
Land O’Lakes Man Sentenced to 52 Years for Producing Child Sex Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Mizelle has sentenced Michael Lumpkin (27, Land O’Lakes) to 52 years in federal prison for producing child sex abuse materials, followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Lumpkin had pleaded guilty on October 3, 2022.
According to court documents, beginning around July 2019 through February 2020, Lumpkin coerced a minor to engage in sexual activity and create sexually explicit videos. Lumpkin threatened to expose the minor on “Pornhub” if the minor did not send the sexually explicit videos he had requested. Additionally, Lumpkin possessed images and videos on his cellphone of minors being sexually abused, including children under the age of 12.
“The defendant’s victim lived in constant fear, enduring a barrage of brutal threats. I commend the tireless work of our special agents and task force officers who have made sure this dangerous individual goes to prison so he can no longer harm anyone else,” said FBI Tampa Division Special Agent in Charge David Walker.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Kentucky Man gets 15 Years for Attempted Sex Crimes with a MinorRead the Press Release
BENTON, Ill. – A man from Benton, Kentucky was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison in a U.S. District Court on Tuesday after pleading guilty to traveling to Illinois to engage in sexual activity with a minor in May 2020.
Justin A. Wadsworth, 37, pled guilty to Attempted Enticement of a Minor and Attempted Commercial Sex Trafficking of a Child.
“Children are susceptible to sexual exploitation on the internet, which means investigative techniques must evolve where minors are most at-risk,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “Undercover investigations conducted on online platforms are vital to protecting minors from predators before acts can be committed, and I applaud this valiant effort to put Justin Wadsworth in prison for his crimes.”
“Increasingly, children are becoming victims of crimes committed online. With the spread of these crimes, the FBI remains steadfast in our commitment to stop sexual predators before they strike,” said FBI Springfield Field Office Special Agent in Charge David Nanz. “This sentence delivers a clear message that those who seek to harm children will face significant prison time.”
According to court documents, Wadsworth responded to an online ad referencing incest and began unknowingly conversing with an undercover FBI agent on April 28, 2020. Transcripts of the conversations included Wadsworth explaining to the FBI that he was “active” with a close relative and the two discussed exchanging pictures.
When the FBI said they had an “active” 10-year-old girl, Wadsworth asked to see sexually-explicit photos and in return sent photos of females in various degrees of nudity. Wadsworth expressed interest in “young active fun,” and stated he would pay $1,000.
The pair arranged a meeting in Metropolis, Illinois, and when federal agents approached Wadsworth, he consented to an interview. Wadsworth claimed he had agreed to meet with the purported father to expose him and rescue the girl.
In addition to the 15-year sentence, Wadsworth received five years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $500 in fines and $200 in special assessments.
The FBI-Springfield conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Bloodworth prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a national initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the increase in child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.
For more information on Project Safe Childhood, visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
Kenmore Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Devon Clark a/k/a Booski, 33, of Kenmore, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years, and a fine of $5,000,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy C. Lynch, who is handling the case, stated that on November 13, 2019, officers from the Kenmore and Lackawanna Police Departments executed a search warrant at Clark’s residence on West Hazeltine in Kenmore, NY, looking for evidence of narcotics trafficking. During the execution of the search warrant at the residence and of Clark’s vehicle, officers seized quantities of cocaine, crack cocaine, and fentanyl, two digital scales, drug packaging materials, and approximately $3,220 in cash. On January 16, 2020, the Erie County Sheriff’s Department executed search warrants at two residences on Holmes Street in Buffalo, NY, which were associated with Clark. Law enforcement recovered a small amount of marijuana, ammunition, and drug paraphernalia.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Kenmore Police Department, under the direction of Chief Thomas J. Phillips, the Lackawanna Police Department, under the direction of Chief Mark Packard, the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Michael Stansbury, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division, and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 8, 2023, at 11:30 a.m. before Judge Arcara.
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KC Woman Sentenced for Armed Robbery of Pizza Delivery DriverRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., woman was sentenced in federal court today for the armed robbery of a pizza delivery driver, after a suspect involved in the robbery was killed during a shootout with police officers.
Rochelle E. David, 24, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to 14 years in federal prison without parole.
On April 28, 2022, David pleaded guilty to one count of robbery and one count of using a firearm during a crime of violence. Her brother, Samuel M. David, 20, has pleaded guilty to the same charges and awaits sentencing.
Rochelle David placed an order for pizza to a Pizza Hut restaurant on Oct. 19, 2020, in order to lure a Pizza Hut employee to her address to conduct an armed robbery with the assistance of Samuel David and Ennice Ross. When the delivery driver arrived at about 10:18 p.m., Samuel David and Ross confronted him in the parking lot. Ross displayed a firearm in his waistband and Samuel David demanded the driver’s money. Samuel David went through the driver’s pockets, taking a wallet and knife from him. They also took $100 in cash from the driver’s vehicle.
Ross ordered the delivery driver to take them to an ATM to withdraw more money from the driver’s bank account. The driver took them to a gas station, where Samuel David attempted to use the driver’s bank car to withdraw money from an ATM. Samuel David returned to the car and told Ross he wasn’t able to withdraw any money. Samuel David stabbed the driver in the hand with the driver’s knife.
Samuel David ordered the delivery driver to take them to his residence in Gladstone, Mo., where he lived with his parents, while Rochelle David followed in a separate vehicle. Samuel David and Ross accompanied the driver into his residence, where they encountered the driver’s parents. Ross stayed with the driver’s parents while Samuel David walked the driver to his bedroom, where the driver opened a safe that contained approximately $2,000. Samuel David took the safe, and he and Ross left the residence.
On Oct. 23, 2020, police officers were conducting surveillance in the area where the armed robberies occurred in an effort to locate Rochelle David in connection with an unrelated homicide investigation. She was seen leaving the apartment building in a vehicle with Samuel David and Ross. Officers conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle in the area of Admiral and Tracy. Samuel David and another person got out of the vehicle, but Rochelle David and Ross stayed in the vehicle. Rochelle David told Ross that one of the officers who stopped them was the one who recently chased her. Shortly before she got out of the vehicle, she told Ross, “Shoot the one with the red hair first.” Rochelle David then got out of the vehicle, after which Ross opened his door and fired on officers with his gun. The officers returned fire, which resulted in his death.
After being arrested, Rochelle David was questioned about the homicide. She admitted that Ross wanted to kill a homeless person and she was with him when they picked up a homeless man in Kansas City on Oct. 21, 2020. They drove around for a time with the victim, then Ross got out of the vehicle and she saw him shoot the victim.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Byron H. Black. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the FBI.
Jefferson County Man Sentenced for Federal Drug Trafficking ViolationsRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas - A Groves man has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Paul Cole Bartee, 36, pleaded guilty on April 1, 2022, to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and was sentenced to 210 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on Jan. 10, 2023.
According to information presented in court, between February and September 2021, Bartee had frequent encounters with various law enforcement agencies while in possession of narcotics. Bartee was found in possession of a total of 4.7 kilograms of methamphetamine, 15 grams of heroin, and 38 grams of fentanyl, as well as a firearm and $5,000 cash. Bartee was indicted by a federal grand jury on Oct. 6, 2021.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Bridge City Police Department, Orange Police Department, Nederland Police Department, Port Arthur Police Department and Groves Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Anderson.
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Jackson Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A Jackson, Michigan man was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for producing child pornography after sexually assaulting at least six children in the process, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Angie Salazar, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations.
Bryant Joseph Shepherd, 60, was sentenced on January 10, 2023 by United States District Judge Mark A. Goldsmith. For nearly nine years, Shepherd violated children who he encountered by secretly recording them changing in his home. He also collected commercial child pornography. But worst of all, Shepherd made videos of himself sexually assaulting multiple children. To coerce a victim, Shepherd would promise money and candy. Agents with Homeland Security Investigations detected Shepherd’s unlawful activities in 2019 when he was found to be using a Peer-to-Peer file-sharing program to share child pornography. Troopers with the Michigan State Police and federal agents executed a search warrant at Shepherd’s home in early January 2020, seizing electronic devices. A review of those devices led to the discovery that Shepherd had personally victimized at least six children by covertly recording them, or, in two cases, molesting and sexually assaulting them. Shepherd was subsequently charged in federal court with eight counts of production of child pornography, and the distribution, receipt, and possession of child pornography. He was also charged in Jackson County for his sexual assault of one of his victims. That case is still pending.
“This defendant committed one of the most serious offenses recognized under the law – producing child pornography. While there is nothing that will take away the enduring harm caused by this defendant, we will work tirelessly to protect our children and ensure individuals who commit crimes like this are held accountable for their misdeeds.” U.S. Attorney Ison said.
Predators like Shepherd belong behind bars, far away from the members of our community they would seek to exploit and victimize”, said HSI Detroit Special Agent in Charge Angie Salazar. “Working with our partners, we will continue to prioritize the innocence and safety of children by diligently investigating child exploitation cases.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.
Ithaca Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Receiving and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Leroy Reed, age 54, of Ithaca, New York, was sentenced today to serve 15 years in federal prison for receiving and possessing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and New York State Police (NYSP) Acting Superintendent Steven A. Nigrelli.
As part of his guilty plea, Reed, admitted that from February 2020 to March 2021 he used a computer to download child pornography over the internet using peer-to-peer file sharing software. A subsequent search of Reed’s apartment revealed that he was in possession of 55 images and 94 video files depicting child pornography. Reed is a registered sex offender who was convicted in 2002 of Rape in the First Degree involving a victim who was 15 years old.
United States District Judge David N. Hurd also imposed a 20-year term of supervised release, which will start after Reed is released from prison, and ordered him to pay a $200 special assessment and restitution in the amount of $6,000.00. Reed will also be required to continue to register as a sex offender.
Reed’s case was investigated by the FBI Syracuse Mid-State Child Exploitation Task Force, comprised of FBI Special Agents and Investigators of the New York State Police, Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), with assistance from the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey J. L. Brown as a part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Inmate Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Forcibly Assaulting A Federal Correctional OfficerRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge Gregory A. Presnell has sentenced John Jones (56, District of Columbia) to 20 years in federal prison for assaulting a federal correctional officer with a deadly weapon and possessing contraband in a federal penitentiary. This sentence was imposed consecutively to the life sentence Jones is currently serving for two first-degree murder convictions from the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Jones had pleaded guilty on September 6, 2022.
According to the court documents, Jones was an inmate in the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex serving a life sentence for two first-degree murder convictions. On September 5, 2021, Jones stabbed his cellmate in the shoulder and left arm using a six-and-a-half-inch bladed weapon. When a correctional officer responded to the attack, Jones lunged at the officer multiple times with his right arm extended and clutching his weapon. Jones later admitted that he intended to kill his cellmate, stating that he was aiming for his cellmate’s jugular vein.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.
Independence Man Sentenced to 16 Years for Meth Trafficking, Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and for illegally possessing several firearms.
Christopher Dorrell, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to 16 years and eight months in federal prison without parole.
On Jan. 18, 2022, Dorrell pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of being a felon in possession of firearms.
Dorrell admitted that he distributed at least five kilograms of methamphetamine during the conspiracy that began in 2018 and lasted throughout 2019.
On Feb. 4, 2019, Dorrell was driving a gold 2002 GMC Yukon that was stopped by Kansas City, Mo., police officers as it was leaving a known drug house. When a passenger in the vehicle fled on foot, Dorrell fled in the vehicle. He failed to stop at a stop sign and nearly struck other motorists as he entered the roadway. Officers pursued him and later found the abandoned vehicle near the intersection of 42nd Street and Agnes Avenue. They found a loaded Taurus 9mm semi-automatic pistol on the driver’s seat and a Remington 12-gauge pump action sawed-off shotgun between the front passenger seat and the center console. A Kevlar vest and a large quantity of ammunition in various calibers was in the back seat.
Kansas City police officers arrested Dorrell again on June 11, 2019, when they were contacted by employees of a local hotel, who suspected drug trafficking was occurring in one of the rooms. Dorrell was seen getting into a stolen BMW in the hotel parking lot when officers arrived, and was in the hotel room where officers arrested another person. Officers searched the BMW and found a .22-caliber Henry rifle, a Sig Saur P228, a Taurus .38-special revolver, ammunition, and 146 grams of methamphetamine. Dorrell admitted the firearms and methamphetamine belonged to him.
On Nov. 15, 2019, Dorrell was arrested on a federal warrant in this case. He was in possession of a loaded SCY 9mm handgun that had been reported stolen, a loaded Taurus 9mm handgun and a loaded Ruger .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Dorrell has a prior felony conviction for leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident, as well as 38 misdemeanor convictions.
Dorrell is the fifth defendant in this case to be sentenced. Four co-defendants have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Moeder and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Baker. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department, the FBI, and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
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.
Hudson County Man Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison for Drug Conspiracy and Possession with Intent to Distribute CocaineRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Hudson County, New Jersey, man was sentenced to 51 months in prison for conspiring to distribute and possessing with intent to distribute cocaine, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Jerome Powell, 43, of Jersey City, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Susan D. Wigenton to a superseding information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Judge Wigenton imposed the sentence by videoconference on Jan. 10, 2023.
According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From August 2019 through Feb. 2, 2020, Powell and others agreed to possess and distribute narcotics in Jersey City. Upon his arrest, Powell had 400 vials of cocaine in his pocket.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentenced Powell to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents and task force officers of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Daniel J. Kafafian, New Jersey Division; and members of the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director James Shea, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
This investigation was conducted as part of the Jersey City Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The VCI was formed in 2018 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Jersey City Police Department, for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Jersey City. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate to strategize and prioritize the prosecution of violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New Jersey Division, the U.S. Marshals, the Jersey City Police Department, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, the Hudson County Jail, and the New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Agnew of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Trenton.
Houston Man Sentenced for Stealing Beaumont MailRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Houston man has been sentenced for stealing mail in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Dontae Dewey McGee, 23, pleaded guilty on June 21, 2022, to theft of mail and was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone. McGee was also ordered to pay $55,372.30 in restitution to victims.
According to information presented in court, in January 2022, the U.S. Postal Service received complaints of stolen mail from various Post Office locations within Beaumont. An investigation began which included a surveillance operation resulting in the identification of McGee and co-defendant Tyrin Terelle Robinson. On Feb. 28, 2022, a vehicle pursuit between law enforcement and the defendants ensued during which mail was being thrown from the vehicle. Spikes were deployed, the vehicle was stopped, and the defendants were arrested. Robinson pleaded guilty on Sep. 7, 2022 and is awaiting sentencing.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Beaumont Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Lee.
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Henrico Man Pleads Guilty in $1.1 Million COVID-19 Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Henrico man pleaded guilty today to defrauding the Small Business Administration by obtaining over $1.1 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans on behalf of two defunct companies he owned.
According to court documents, throughout 2020 and 2021, Kortney T. Kelley, 45, filed at least four fraudulent applications for PPP loans on behalf of his two non-operational companies. As part of these loan applications, Kelley made numerous false representations and certifications about the operation of these two companies, including that the companies—which had no employees— together employed more than 140 workers and paid-out over $220,000 in monthly payroll expenses. Furthermore, Kelley submitted forged tax returns and other forged documentation purporting to substantiate his false claims that his companies paid substantial payroll expenses.
Kelley spent the loan proceeds on purposes unrelated to those authorized by the Small Business Administration (SBA), including spending at least $142,711 in loan proceeds at various casinos and on gaming, and transferring at least $834,077 in loan proceeds to Kelley’s personal brokerage accounts. Kelley made further false statements to the SBA in a loan forgiveness application, which resulted in the complete discharge of the loans.
Kelley also defrauded other COVID-19 related assistance programs. Kelley submitted a separate fraudulent application under the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program to the SBA on behalf of one of his defunct companies, containing a false certification that loan proceeds would be used exclusively on business expenses. As a result, the SBA disbursed $10,000 to Kelley’s business bank account. Moreover, Kelley submitted fraudulent claims to the Virginia Employment Commission for unemployment benefits. The application for unemployment benefits falsely stated that Kelley was laid off from his job as a sales manager of a company that Kelley exclusively owned.
Kelley is scheduled to be sentenced on May 31. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. 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 Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge David J. Novak accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Avi Panth is prosecuting the case.
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. 3:22-cr-35.
Guam Resident Sentenced to 121 Months Imprisonment for Smuggling Drugs from the PhilippinesRead the Press Release
Hagatña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant Fritz Ventura Tady Ganzon, age 40 from Dededo, Guam, was sentenced to 121 months imprisonment with credit for time served by the District Court of Guam. Ganzon was charged with Conspiracy to Import Fifty or More Grams of Methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 952 and 960. The Court also ordered five years of supervised release and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. In addition, defendants convicted of a federal drug offense may no longer qualify for certain federal benefits.
Ganzon conspired with others since January 2017 to import methamphetamine from the Philippines into Guam for distribution. Two trips were planned. On the first trip, a Philippine drug supplier paid for Ganzon’s travel expenses and arranged for the drugs to be delivered to Ganzon. In April 2017, Ganzon travelled to the Philippines to pick up the drugs, which were concealed in noodle packaging. Ganzon then smuggled the drugs into Guam on May 5, 2017. The supplier paid Ganzon $3,000 for importing the drugs.
During April 2017, the Philippine supplier offered Ganzon $2,000 to conduct a second trip to Guam. On May 1, 2017, Ganzon informed Joel Po Ymballa that he planned to smuggle a kilogram of methamphetamine into Guam. Ganzon recruited Ymballa to travel with him to the Philippines to act as a lookout and assist with importing the drugs. Ganzon and Ymballa agreed to deliver the drugs to a Guam distributor for the Philippine supplier.
On May 18, 2017, Ganzon gave Ymballa cash to purchase two round-trip tickets on Philippine Airlines, departing Guam to the Philippines on June 9, 2017, and returning to Guam on June 24, 2017. At the Guam airport, Ganzon instructed Ymballa to carry $9,000 on his person until they landed in the Philippines. Once in the Philippines, Ganzon paid for all travel expenses, in addition to methamphetamine that they both smoked. Ganzon then met with the Philippine drug supplier to obtain the drugs for importation into Guam. The drugs were wrapped in 23 cellophane bundles and concealed in nine snack boxes. Ganzon and the Philippine drug supplier placed the snack boxes into Ymballa’s suitcase. Ymballa’s suitcase was seized upon arrival at the airport in Guam. The Drug Enforcement Administration Southwest Laboratory determined that the 23 bundles contained 969.5 grams of methamphetamine, with 98% purity.
“This case reveals that drugs in Guam are sourced from many locations, including overseas,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “Our federal and local partnerships are key to interdicting this criminal activity. I applaud the efforts of Homeland Security Investigations in protecting our homeland from these threats.”
“Together with our federal law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s office we will continue to investigate and prosecute distributors like Ganzon who bring methamphetamine to our community,” said John F. Tobon, Special Agent in Charge, HSI Honolulu. “Dangerous drugs like meth are a global scourge and we have zero tolerance for them here.”
This investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from Guam Customs and Quarantine. It was prosecuted by Laura C. Sambataro and Rosetta L. San Nicolas, Assistant United States Attorneys in the District of Guam.
Greenville, NC Man Convicted of Assault on Federal Agents Faces up to Thirty Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – A federal jury convicted Ikeviaun Quamonn Johnson, 22, of Greenville, yesterday on firearm charges and for assaulting two federal agents with a deadly weapon.
“We stand with the brave men and women of law enforcement, and their families, who make great sacrifices every day to keep our communities safe,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “We will continue to prioritize prosecuting violent offenders, especially those who threaten the lives of law enforcement. This defendant fired eight rounds at federal officers and is now facing up to three decades in federal prison.”
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on October 16, 2020 an FBI Special Agent and Greenville Police Officer deputized and sworn as a federal Task Force Officer were conducting surveillance on suspected high-ranking gang members in a residential area of Greenville. An unidentified person outside of the trailer under surveillance held up his cell phone, likely taking a video of the agents. As the agents switched locations after having been detected, a black Ford Explorer began following them aggressively. The defendant fired eight rounds from his Glock 19 at the agents from the rear left window of the Explorer. According to witness testimony, the defendant thought that the agents’ unmarked car was that of a rival gang member, which led him to open fire in broad daylight without knowing for sure who was in the car.
Pitt County Sheriff’s Office detectives recovered eight shell casings, a distinctive Glock 19 with an extended magazine, and Johnson’s cell phone which contained photos of Johnson posing with the same distinctive firearm. Eyewitnesses also identified Johnson as the shooter.
The defendant was convicted of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a federal crime of violence which carries a minimum 10-year prison sentence; and assault on federal officers with a deadly weapon for which the defendant faces up to an additional 20 years in prison. Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced in April.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle accepted the verdict. The Pitt County Sheriff’s Office, the Greenville Police Department and the FBI are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradford Knott and David G. Beraka are prosecuting 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. 4:21-cr-18-BO-1.
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Great Falls woman sentenced to prison for fraud, identity theft schemeRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Great Falls woman who admitted to participating in a scheme to use fraudulent checks to buy retail merchandise was sentenced today to seven months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,652 restitution, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Crystal Lynn Jackson, aka Crystal Lynn Barber, 38, pleaded guilty in September 2022 to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that between September 2019 and May 2020, Jackson participated in a scheme with co-defendants, Rachel Abbott and John Dailey, in which she used stolen and altered checks to help pay for retail merchandise and other goods at businesses in the Great Falls area. Abbott and Dailey used fake identification cards, stolen checks and check printing software to create new checks with valid account numbers. Dailey would make the fake identification cards for Abbott that contained a real identity with Abbott’s picture. Jackson accompanied Abbott to businesses where the duo shopped for items and used the forged checks as payment. Dailey was sentenced to 51 months in prison and Abbott was sentenced to 26 months in prison for their convictions in the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica A. Betley prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI and Great Falls Police Department.
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Grand Jury Returns IndictmentsRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. - A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned the following indictments today. You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Milwaukee Man Charged with Drug & Gun Offenses
Travis Lee Young, 38, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is charged with possessing 500 grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, with possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute, with possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute, and with renting a place for the purpose of distributing controlled substances. The indictment also charges Young with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and with possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number. The indictment alleges that he possessed the drugs and a handgun on August 3, 2022, and that he rented a motel room in Eagle River, Wisconsin on that day for the purpose of distributing methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine.
If convicted, Young faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years and a maximum of life in federal prison on the methamphetamine charge, 20 years on the charges involving fentanyl and cocaine and the charge of renting a place for the purpose of distributing controlled substances, 10 years on the charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and 5 years on the charge of possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number. The penalty for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime is a mandatory minimum of 5 years; federal law requires that this sentence be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed.
The charges against Young are the result of an investigation by the Vilas County Sheriff’s Office, the Eagle River Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Ginsberg is handling the prosecution.
Wood County Man Charged with Drug & Gun Offenses
John W. Andereggen, 55, Vesper, Wisconsin, is charged with possessing 500 grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and with possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute. The indictment also charges Andereggen with being a felon in possession of firearms. The indictment alleges that on October 6, 2022, he possessed the methamphetamine and cocaine and five firearms, including three rifles, a 9mm pistol, and a 12-gauge sawed-off shotgun.
If convicted, Andereggen faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years and a maximum of life in federal prison on the methamphetamine charge and a maximum penalty of 20 years on the cocaine charge. The charge of being a felon in possession of firearms has a maximum penalty of 10 years.
The charges against Andereggen are the result of an investigation by the Wood and Marathon County Sheriffs’ Offices; the Marshfield, Wisconsin Rapids, Nekoosa, Stevens Point, and Plover Police Departments; the Central Wisconsin Drug Task Force; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anita Marie Boor is handling the prosecution.
Fitchburg Man Charged with Illegally Possessing Firearm & Ammunition
Derrick W. Johnson, 25, Fitchburg, Wisconsin, is charged with being a felon in possession of a loaded firearm and ammunition. The indictment alleges that on December 5, 2022, Johnson possessed a loaded 9mm handgun and 9mm ammunition.
If convicted, Johnson faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. The charge against him is the result of an investigation by the Fitchburg Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan is handling the prosecution.
The Young, Andereggen, and Johnson cases are 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.
Grand Junction Man Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
DENVER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Bruce Holder, age 57, of Grand Junction, was sentenced to life in federal prison. Holder was convicted of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and counterfeit substances, distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, distribution of fentanyl, and distribution of a counterfeit substance, after an 11 day trial in April 2021.
Facts presented at trial established that Holder worked in conjunction with multiple co-conspirators, including his wife, children, and other members of his family, to distribute pills that appeared to be legitimate 30mg Oxycodone pills, but in fact were counterfeit and spiked with fentanyl. Between 2017 and 2018, Holder imported tens of thousands of these pills from Mexico into Western Colorado where he and his co-conspirators distributed them for substantial profit.
In 2017, a young man died after using one of the pills. Evidence presented at trial established that this man would not have died but for the fentanyl present in the counterfeit pills distributed by Holder and his co-conspirators. Despite knowing of this death, and hearing of other concerns, Holder and his co-conspirators continued to import and distribute these counterfeit pills. This continued even after Holder’s arrest in August 2018. Evidence at trial also showed that, following his arrest, Holder discussed with co-conspirators plans to destroy evidence and possibly murder a cooperating witness.
United States District Court Judge Christine M. Arguello presided over the trial and sentenced the defendant on January 11, 2023.
“It has taken more than five years to get justice for the victims’ families. We hope this brings them some amount of peace,” said United States Attorney Cole Finegan. “We could not have gotten to this point without the hard work and dedication from our law enforcement partners at the DEA, the FBI, Homeland Security, the Grand Junction Police Department, and the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office. We hope this sentence sends a strong message to fentanyl dealers that we will hold you accountable to the fullest extent of the law if your illicit drugs kill people in our state.”
“First and foremost, I want to thank the investigators and prosecutors who tirelessly worked on this case for years with tenacity and compassion. It was their relentless determination that made it possible for us to see justice for these families,” said DEA Rocky Mountain Special Agent in Charge Brian Besser. “There is no outcome that will bring back loved ones; but we do hope today is a small step forward for the families, and a stark reminder that DEA’s work to protect our communities from dangerous and greedy fentanyl distributors continues this very hour and we will not stop.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Rocky Mountain Division conducted the investigation, with the assistance of the FBI, ATF, HSI, USMS, Western Colorado Drug Task Force, Two Rivers Drug Enforcement Team (“TRIDENT”), Carbondale Police Department, Fruita Police Department, Grand Junction Police Department, and the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office. Special Assistant United States Attorney Jaime Pena and former assistant United States Attorney Jeremy Chaffin and handled the prosecution of the case, with the assistance of Victim/Witness Coordinator Donna Summers.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
CASE NUMBER: 18-cr-00381-CMA-GPG
For more information about the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado, visit: https://www.justice.gov/usao-co/pr
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Getzville Man Going to Prison for Threatening to Kill Police OfficersRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Benjamin Bolton, 38, of Getzville, NY, who was convicted of using social media to threaten to kill Amherst Police officers, was sentenced to serve 33 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean C. Eldridge, who handled the case, stated that on March 18, 2022, Amherst, NY, police officers responded to reports of a male carrying a rifle in the vicinity of Sweet Home Road, near the nature view parking lot. The complainant told officers that she saw the male, later identified as Bolton, place the rifle in the trunk of a Black Toyota Corolla. Officers located the vehicle in the area, but it was unoccupied. A few hours later, officers observed Bolton exiting the woods with a suspected long gun. Bolton told officers it was a BB gun, which the officers verified that it was. Officers then advised Bolton the town ordinance that individuals are prohibited from carrying firearms in certain areas of the township, and Bolton left the area.
On April 8, 2022, Amherst officers responded to a Starbucks on Transit Road, for a menacing call. The victim stated that a black Toyota Corolla had “cut off” the victim as they were trying to enter the drive thru. As the victim attempted to drive around the vehicle, the victim saw the Corolla’s driver pointing what appeared to be a handgun out of the window and at the victim. The victim then fled the area and called 911. Officers located and stopped the black Toyota Corolla in the vicinity of Dodge and Glen Oak Roads. Bolton was taken into custody by Amherst Police Officers.
On April 10, 2022, Bolton posted communications on his Instagram and Twitter accounts, threatening members of the Amherst Police Department. On his Instagram account, Bolton posted, “Fictionally speaking, it’s time to kill a bunch of Amherst cops in front of their families.” Another post on the same day, which included a picture of Amherst Police Headquarters, read, “fictionally speaking, it’s time for this building to be blown up with all the cops and judges inside.” Bolton also posted a similar message on his Twitter account.
The sentencing is a result of an investigation by the Amherst Police Department, under the direction of Chief Scott P. Chamberlin, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Michael Stansbury.
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Gary Man Sentenced to 18 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Daiquan McClinton, 21 years old, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Jon E. DeGuilio after pleading guilty to possessing an unregistered machinegun, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
McClinton was sentenced to 18 months in prison followed by 1 year of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in March 2022, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop in Gary, Indiana. McClinton illegally possessed a loaded pistol with a machinegun conversion device attached to it, making it capable of firing multiple shots with a single pull of the trigger. The firearm was not registered to him in the National Firearm Registration and Transfer record, making his possession of it illegal.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force and the Lake County Sheriff’s Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin F. Wolff.
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.
Four Gun Traffickers Charged with Selling over 50 Firearms in BrooklynRead the Press Release
Prosecution Is First In New York To Publicly Charge the Gun Trafficking Provisions of The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, a seven-count indictment was unsealed charging David Mccann, Tajhai Jones, Raymond Minaya, and Calvin Tabron with allegedly conspiring to illegally traffic more than 50 firearms. Mccann and Minaya are also charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine base; Mccann is additionally charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. Mccann, Jones, Minaya, and Tabron were arrested this morning. Mccann and Minaya are scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Taryn A. Merkl. Jones and Tabron will be arraigned in Virginia.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Keechant L. Sewell, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD) and Frank A. Tarentino, III, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division announced the charges.
“As alleged, the defendants are responsible for attempting to flood the streets of Brooklyn with over 50 deadly weapons, including ghost guns, as well as narcotics, feeding the cycles of gun violence and drug abuse,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “As the first prosecution utilizing new federal legislation in New York, and one of the first in the country, these arrests demonstrate this Office’s commitment to utilize all tools available to more effectively stop gun traffickers from endangering our community.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino said: “This groundbreaking legislation is intended to address the sobering reality of the link between guns and drugs; the two biggest public safety threats in New York. DEA New York and our law enforcement partners are aggressively taking every step to protect communities from gun violence and drug trafficking in order to save lives. I commend the NYPD, ATF and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York on their diligent efforts and collaboration throughout this investigation.”
“This case, initiated in direct response to complaints from the New Yorkers we serve, underscores some disturbing truths,” stated NYPD Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell. “First, that illegal guns proliferate and circulate in many neighborhoods that still need our help. And second, that every day the women and men of the New York City Police Department perform incredibly dangerous work to prevent these firearms from getting into criminals’ hands. I commend and thank the NYPD undercover officer who so successfully worked this long-term investigation, all of the detectives with our Violent Crimes Squad, and our invaluable partners at the ATF, the DEA, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York for their critical work in helping to get these guns – and these gun traffickers – off our streets.”
As alleged in the indictment and court documents, the defendants engaged in multiple transactions involving the sale of at least 50 illegal firearms in Brooklyn between January 2022 and August 2022. The defendants sold these firearms in broad daylight from vehicles in and around New York City Housing Authority’s Breukelen Houses, which are located across the street from a church and blocks away from a preschool and grade school in Canarsie, Brooklyn. The defendants would often carry the guns they trafficked in whatever they could find, including gloves and shopping bags.
Two members of the gun-trafficking operation obtained the firearms in Virginia and then transported them to New York to be sold on the streets of Brooklyn. Some of the firearms had defaced serial numbers or were made from ghost gun kits, making them harder for law enforcement to trace. Two defendants also engaged in significant narcotics trafficking conspiracies, including a fentanyl distribution conspiracy that introduced thousands of lethal doses of fentanyl into our community.
The defendants sold the guns and drugs to an undercover officer who recorded many of the transactions. The undercover officer told the defendants that he was a drug dealer who needed guns and that he was also going to resell some of the guns that were provided to him. Despite this knowledge, the conspirators continued to sell large quantities of drugs and guns to the undercover officer without hesitation.
Firearms sold in the conspiracy have also been linked to several shootings in Brooklyn. For example, on June 22, 2022, Minaya sold an undercover officer a Glock 30, .45 caliber handgun. The investigation revealed that this gun was used in an August 16, 2021 shooting in Bedford-Stuyvesant, during which armed perpetrators shot into a large crowd gathered for a family day celebration. In total, eight individuals were struck by gunfire. Another gun trafficked by the conspirators—a Glock 43, 9-millimeter caliber handgun—is linked to a December 18, 2021 shooting of an individual in Canarsie, in the blocks surrounding the Breukelen Houses complex. That individual sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his body, including his right hand, shoulder, neck, and the base of his skull.
When agents arrested Minaya in Brooklyn this morning, he was in illegal possession of two handguns, including one with an extended magazine. The defendant threw one of the guns out a window in an attempt to hide it; both guns were recovered.
This prosecution is the first in New York, and among the first in the country, to charge the gun trafficking provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress and the President enacted in June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target gun trafficking. Among other provisions, it creates a standalone firearm trafficking conspiracy offense, which the government has charged in this case to hold accountable those who conspire to illegally sell firearms. The Act provides for sentences of up to 15 years’ imprisonment.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering and General Crimes sections. Assistant United States Attorneys Adam Amir, Irisa Chen, and James Simmons are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Abiodun Ojo. The joint investigation was conducted by the Detective Borough Brooklyn South Violent Crimes Squad, under the supervision of Captain Genienne King and Deputy Chief Joseph Gulotta, who is the Commanding Officer of Detective Borough Brooklyn South, and under the overall supervision of NYPD Chief of Detectives James W. Essig.
The Defendants:
David Mccann
Age: 28
Brooklyn, New YorkTajhai Jones
Age: 28
Portsmouth, VirginiaRaymond Minaya
Age: 26
Brooklyn, New YorkCalvin Tabron
Age: 25
Virginia Beach, VirginiaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-8
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 120 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Remon D. Phillips, 39 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Holly A. Brady after being found guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Phillips was sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
A jury found Phillips guilty of the firearm offense following his three-day jury trial in October 2022. According to documents in the case, Phillips was a passenger in a vehicle a Fort Wayne Police Officer attempted to pull over on February 20, 2022. The driver alluded police and led them on a short pursuit. During the pursuit, Phillips was observed as he leaned out of the rear window of the car while pointing a handgun at the officer who was attempting to stop the car. Later in the pursuit, Phillips tossed the handgun which police ultimately recovered. The firearm, a Taurus 9mm handgun, contained an extended (30 round) magazine. Phillips’ criminal history revealed he has nine prior felony convictions and as such, is prohibited from possessing the firearm.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of the Fort Wayne Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah E. Nokes and 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.
Former Rensselaer County Elections Commissioner Pleads Guilty to Identity Theft in Connection with Ballot Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jason Schofield, age 43, of Troy, New York, pled guilty today to unlawfully using the names and dates of birth of voters to fraudulently apply for absentee ballots for elections held in Rensselaer County in 2021.
The announcement was made by 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).
Schofield was an Elections Commissioner at the Rensselaer County Board of Elections (“RCBOE”) until late last month, when he resigned in anticipation of today’s guilty plea.
In pleading guilty to a 12-count indictment, Schofield admitted that in 2021, he unlawfully possessed and used the names and dates of birth of voters in connection with 12 absentee ballot applications he electronically submitted in the voters’ names to the New York State Voter Absentee Ballot Application Request Portal.
Schofield admitted that for each application, he falsely certified that he was the voter requesting the ballot. He also admitted that he took personal possession of 9 of these ballots, while knowing and intending that RCBOE records would falsely reflect that the ballots had been mailed to the voters.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 12, 2023, before United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino. On each count, Schofield faces up to 5 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 3 years. 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. Schofield’s plea agreement required that he immediately resign from the RCBOE.
This case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.