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21 February 2023
24 Individuals Indicted for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribution of CocaineRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned a seven-count indictment charging 20 men and four women with trafficking cocaine in the District of Puerto Rico, beginning in 2017. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) oversees the investigation, with the collaboration of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB), Ponce Municipal Police, and the Puerto Rico Department of Treasury. The United States Marshals Service also collaborated during the arrests.
According to the charging document, from 2017 through the date of the return of the indictment, 24 individuals conspired to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. The defendants are:
Arthur W. Rodríguez-Sánchez, a.k.a. “Drizmali/Chino/Quemao/Templo/Chal/Chal F”
Emmanuel Rodríguez-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Jibaro”
Smill E. Gómez- De La Cruz, a.k.a. “Pampara/Pompera/Pampera/Carlos/Carlitos”
Ruben E. Vidal-Flores
Juan C. Cuevas-Feliz
Yan C. García-Pola
Victor X. Zorrilla-Mejías
Wilfredo R. Vázquez-López, a.k.a. “W/Www”
José A. Aquino-Perales
Alexis Abreu-Cordero, a.k.a. “El Viejo/Alexis/Alexis Ozuna-Cordero”
Peter J. Reyes-Suárez
Ángel L. Hernández-Díaz, a.k.a. “Coly/Coli/Coli El Fuerte”
Ángel L. Santiago-Rivera
Jorge Rodríguez-Flores
Héctor Zayas-Schulze
José Velázquez-Madera
Kenneth A. Cruz-Fontánez
Michael Agrinsoni-Mejías,
José M. Hidalgo-Duarte
Jesús H. Vega-Rivera, a.k.a. “Gipeta/Jipeta/Millonario 27”
Verónica Questell-Rodríguez
Deyanira Velázquez-Álvarez
Kailyn N. Rivera-Torres
Zuleyka Torres-Mejías
Also, 21 defendants are charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine aboard a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States and conspiracy to import cocaine from the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, and the British Virgin Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands, into Puerto Rico.
The defendants made multiple trips between Puerto Rico and the British and U.S. Virgin Islands to transport narcotics. During their smuggling ventures, the defendants used two or three vessels in order to distract law enforcement officers. In addition, they recruited trusted females that could pose as decoys in the vessels to district law enforcement. They also recruited defendant José A. Aquino-Perales, a PRPB FURA police officer that acted as a lookout in Puerto Rico for the drug trafficking organization.
“Today’s arrests dismantle an organization that coordinated not only the international smuggling of drugs, but also the movement of drug proceeds, which is essential to the success of these illegal activities,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “We will continue maximizing our multi-agency efforts and will combine resources to investigate and prosecute those who smuggle drugs into Puerto Rico.”
In addition to the drug trafficking charges, four defendants are charged with conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, which involved the proceeds of dealing in controlled substances.
The defendants are facing a forfeiture allegation of the following property:
- A lot of land located at Bo. Calabazas, in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico
- A two-level house located at Urbanization Vista de Lago Campo, in Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico
- Property located in Urbanization Villa Del Rey, Section IV, Lot 12, 4-G, located in Caguas, Puerto Rico
- Property located at Sector Coco Barrio Jueyes, in Salinas, Puerto Rico
- Six vessels
If convicted, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, and a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Transnational Organized Crime Section Max J. Pérez-Bouret; Deputy Chief of the Transnational Organized Crime Section, AUSA María L. Montañez-Concepción; and AUSA Jorge L. Matos are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
This prosecution 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.
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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21-Year-Old Man Sentenced to 51 Months for Assaulting a U.S. Customs and Border Protection OfficerRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Cesar Alejandro Avendano-Soto, 21, of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced last week, by United States District Judge Scott H. Rash to 51 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Avendano-Soto pleaded guilty to one count of Assault on a Federal Officer Resulting in Bodily Injury. The court also ordered a restitution hearing scheduled for April 25, 2023.
On March 24, 2020, at a port of entry in Nogales, Arizona, Avendano-Soto attempted to enter the United States. After being asked for proof of citizenship, Avendano-Soto became angry and intentionally slammed a Customs and Border Protection officer to the ground, where her head hit the concrete.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah B. Houston, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-21-01527-TUC-SHR (DTF)
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-022_Avendano-Soto# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
20 February 2023
Readout of Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco’s Call with UK Security Minister and German and French CounterpartsRead the Press Release
This morning, Deputy Attorney General (Deputy AG) Lisa Monaco spoke with U.K. Security Minister Tom Tugendhat and counterparts in Germany and France about recent threats against journalists critical of the Iranian regime. The Deputy AG and counterparts discussed the recent closure of broadcaster Iran International’s London studios following persistent threats. The Deputy AG noted that this activity occurs less than one month after the Justice Department announced its disruption of a murder-for-hire plot originating from Iran that targeted a U.S.-based Iranian-American journalist.
19 February 2023
Readout of Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco’s Attendance at the 2023 Munich Security ConferenceRead the Press Release
Deputy Attorney General (Deputy AG) Lisa Monaco was in Munich this week to participate in both the 2023 Munich Cyber Security Conference and the Munich Security Conference, which brings together leaders from around the world to tackle current and future challenges to our global security.
On Friday, the Deputy AG delivered the closing keynote at the 2023 Munich Cyber Security Conference and discussed the department’s ongoing efforts to disrupt the ecosystem that fuels malicious cyber activities and to prioritize prevention of cyberattacks and the department’s work with the victims of cybercrime.
As part of the United States delegation to the 2023 Munich Security Conference, a leading global forum on key security policy challenges, Deputy Attorney General Monaco participated in several discussions regarding national security challenges facing the United States and its partners. The Deputy AG spoke on a panel with European leaders regarding “strategic corruption” when a nation weaponizes corrupt practices for strategic purposes.
The Deputy AG also held several bilateral meetings with European law enforcement and national security partners, including the European Commissioner for Home Affairs as well as the heads of both INTERPOL and EUROPOL. In each of those discussions, Deputy Attorney General Monaco reinforced the Justice Department’s commitment to standing with our partners around the world — and the people of Ukraine — in continuing to investigate Russian war crimes and to enforce the global sanctions levied against Russia for its unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine. She also emphasized the importance of international partnerships to combat transnational threats of terrorism, cybercrime and synthetic opioids, including fentanyl.
While in Germany, the Deputy AG also traveled to Nuremberg, to visit the Nuremberg Trials Memorial. She had the opportunity to tour the museum and the courtroom in the Palace of Justice where the leaders of the Nazi regime were tried before an International Military Tribunal following World War II.
She returned to Washington, D.C. on Sunday.
Photo credit: MCSC. Deputy AG Monaco delivering the keynote at the 2023 Munich Cyber Security Conference (MCSC). Deputy AG Monaco with EUROPOL Executive Director Catherine De Bolle. Photo credit: Munich Security Conference. Deputy AG Monaco with INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock. Deputy AG Monaco with others in the courtroom in the Palace of Justice where the leaders of the Nazi regime were tried before an International Military Tribunal following World War II.
17 February 2023
Woman Sentenced for Federal Witness Tampering in Relation to Trial for Gang-Related Murder and Multistate Drug Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Springfield woman was sentenced yesterday to 15 months in prison for witness tampering that occurred at the onset of a multi-week federal trial against four individuals relating to a murder, violent gang enterprise, and a drug trafficking conspiracy operating in Virginia, California, and several other states.
According to court documents, Keira Ta, 27, was a member of the Lady Tigers, which was a subset of a violent Northern Virginia Street gang called the Reccless Tigers. Gang members, over a number of years, engaged in a persistent pattern of intimidation and retaliation against anyone who were believed to have cooperated with law enforcement. Gang members labeled those who cooperated with law enforcement as “snitches,” and used social media to convey threats to witnesses and inform other gang-members of their identities. In retaliation, gang members committed assaults, attacked homes with Molotov cocktails, and even murdered an individual who testified against a member of the Reccless Tigers in a Commonwealth of Virginia case.
According to court records, criminal racketeering and other charges against numerous members of the Reckless Tigers gang led to a trial that commenced on April 11, 2022. The allegations in the trial included, among other things, that certain defendants were involved in the murder of a former Commonwealth witness as described above. On the evening of April 11, 2022, after speaking through a jail call to a leader of the gang who was a defendant in the trial, Ta posted to social media revealing the names of the government’s upcoming witnesses, labeling them each a “snitch” and instructing associates to “come watch the snitches snitching.” Thereafter, the trial was delayed and certain witnesses in the trial later refused to identify the leader of the gang in open court because of the defendant’s threat. On May 6, 2022, a jury convicted four defendants affiliated with the Reccless Tigers of numerous charges relating to a murder, a violent gang enterprise, and a drug trafficking conspiracy.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Michael Nachmanoff.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heather D. Call and Ryan B. Bredemeier prosecuted the case.
The investigation into the Reccless Tigers criminal organization is a multi-jurisdictional OCDETF case involving the FBI Washington Field Office, ATF, HSI, IRS, U.S. Postal Service, U.S. Marshals Service, Fairfax County Police Department, Prince William County Police Department, City of Richmond Police, Montgomery County (MD) Police, Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, Falls Church Police, City of Alexandria Sheriff’s Office, Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office, Fairfax County Fire Marshal, Prince William County Fire Marshal, Stafford County Fire Marshal, City of Monterey Park (CA) Police, Garden Grove (CA) Police, Anaheim (CA) Police; Trinity County (CA) Sheriff’s Office, California Highway Patrol, DEA San Francisco Division – Reading Office, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, California Department of Food & Agriculture, California Department of Consumer Affairs Bureau of Cannabis Control, U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of California – Sacramento Office, U.S. Attorney’s Office Central District of California – Santa Ana and Riverside Offices, and the FBI’s Field Offices in Richmond, Los Angeles, and Sacramento.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-100.
Winnebago Man Receives Probation for Physical Assault on an OfficerRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced today that Garry Hunter Little Walker, age 34, of Winnebago, Nebraska, was sentenced today in Omaha by Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr., to a three-year term of probation for Assault on an Officer with Bodily Contact.
On June 3, 2022, Victim 1, an officer with the Omaha Nation Law Enforcement Services was called to a residence near Lyndon Ave. in Rosalie, Nebraska, which is within the territorial confines of the Omaha Indian Reservation. Upon arrival, Victim 1 found Little Walker seated in the vehicle having an argument with his grandmother and the mother of his children. Victim 1 attempted to place Little Walker in handcuffs and Little Walker pushed Victim 1 and began running away. Victim 1 unsuccessfully attempted to deploy his taser twice. Little Walker ran into a house and shut and locked the door. Upon Victim 1 entering the house, he found Little Walker standing in the kitchen with his fists clenched and standing in a fighting posture. Little Walker stated he was not going to go to jail. When told he had very little options, Little Walker asked Victim 1, “How do you want it then? I’m going to rack real hard.” Victim 1 took a step toward Little Walker and Little Walker lifted his right hand and swung over his grandmother and struck Victim 1 in the left side of the head. Little Walker then grabbed Victim 1 by the head. Victim 1 lifted Little Walker and then took him to the ground. Little Walker would not let go of Victim 1’s head after repeated orders to let go. Little Walker then began reaching for Victim 1’s gun. Victim 1 pepper sprayed Little Walker and, in the process, incapacitated himself as well. Victim 1 while still suffering the effects of the pepper spray tried to take Little Walker out of the house. While doing so, Little Walker lunged at Victim 1 and elbowed him in the face before falling onto the ground. Victim 1 received his law enforcement training from the Federal Law Enforcement Training Academy and the Omaha Nation Law Enforcement Services operates under a 638 contract.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Omaha Nation Law Enforcement Services.
Wilder Man Sentenced for Possession of Unregistered Explosive DeviceRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont - The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that on February 16, 2023, William Hillard, 51, of Wilder, Vermont, was sentenced in United States District Court in Burlington, Vermont to serve 32 months in prison after his guilty plea to one count of possession of an unregistered explosive device. U.S. District Judge Christina Reiss also ordered Hillard to serve a three-year term of supervised release and to pay a $100 special assessment.
In April 2022, a confidential source (CS) reported to the Hartford, Vermont Police Department (Hartford PD) that Hillard possessed explosive devices (bombs) at his residence in Wilder, Vermont. The CS provided Hartford PD one bomb that the CS said was made by Hillard. Hartford PD obtained a warrant to search the residence and on April 5, 2022, assisted by Special Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), executed it. During this search, law enforcement found eight bombs, some of which had shrapnel inside, and bomb-making materials, including explosive powder, fuses, and pipes. Law enforcement also found a semi-automatic rifle, two loaded ammunition magazines with 17 rounds of ammunition contained inside, and more than 1,600 rounds of ammunition of various calibers. Hillard did not register the bombs with the National Firearm Registration and Transfer Record as required. In addition, Hillard had previously been convicted of felony offenses and therefore was prohibited from possessing the foregoing weapons.
U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the efforts of the Hartford, Vermont Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in the investigation and prosecution of Hillard.Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara A. Masterson handled the prosecution of Hillard. Assistant Federal Public Defender Sara M. Puls represented Hillard.
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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn
Violent Felon Pleads Guilty to Armed Robberies Across Virginia, Pennsylvania, and MarylandRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Maryland man pleaded guilty today to committing five different armed robberies of convenience stores, hotels, and banks between October 2021 and December 2021.
According to court documents, over the course of two months, Rickley Joshua Senning, 33, and Jesann Willis, 36, traveled throughout Ohio, Florida, Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania to commit armed robberies. At each location, Senning entered brandishing a firearm at employees. In total, 15 different victims were held at gunpoint. The Virginia armed robbery occurred at a jewelry store in Richmond. Senning held the business owner and the business owner’s son at gunpoint while Willis collected over $100,000 of jewelry belonging to the business. The robberies in Maryland and Pennsylvania took place at a mix of gas stations, convenience stores, and banks.
Senning is scheduled to be sentenced on June 6. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for the armed robberies as well as a mandatory minimum of seven years and maximum of life in prison for brandishing a firearm during the jewelry store robbery. 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; Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; and Colonel Eric D. English, Chief of Henrico County Police Division, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth R. Simon, Jr. is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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-28.
United States Files Complaint Against Illegal Robocall Telemarketers and Telecommunications Service ProvidersRead the Press Release
The Justice Department, together with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), today announced a civil enforcement action against several corporate and individual defendants for alleged violations of the FTC Act and the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) in connection with telemarketing campaigns that have illegally bombarded American consumers with millions of robocalls.
According to a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, defendant telecommunications service companies Stratics Networks, Inc. and Netlatitude Inc., along with defendant Kurt Hannigan, Netlatitude’s president, violated the TSR by providing substantial assistance and support in the form of technological services to telemarketers that unlawfully called consumers with robocalls delivering prerecorded marketing messages, called numbers listed on the National Do Not Call Registry, and failed to truthfully identify the seller of the goods and services being marketed. These alleged robocalls include numerous “ringless voicemails” delivered to consumers without making their phones ring.
The complaint also brings claims against several additional defendants that allegedly used Stratics Networks, Inc.’s ringless voicemail platform to illegally telemarket credit-card debt relief services. According to the complaint, defendants Tek Ventures, LLC (also doing business as Provident Solutions), Atlas Marketing Partners, Inc., Atlas Investment Ventures, LLC, Eric Petersen and Todd DiRoberto (who are co-owners of those three companies), Kasm, and Kenan Azzeh (owner and director of Kasm) violated the FTC Act by misrepresenting the terms and outcomes of their debt relief services. These defendants also violated the TSR by making those misrepresentations, by failing to clearly and truthfully identify the seller of their services, and by calling consumers with prerecorded messages without first obtaining their consent. The complaint also alleges that defendants Tek Ventures, LLC, Atlas Marketing Partners, Inc., Atlas Investment Ventures, LLC, Eric Petersen, Todd DiRoberto, and two additional defendants – Ace Business Solutions LLC and its owner and director Sandra Barnes – violated the TSR by requesting and receiving payments from their debt relief customers before renegotiating or otherwise altering the terms of those customers’ debts.
The complaint seeks a permanent injunction to prohibit the defendants from future violations, as well as monetary civil penalties and relief to redress injury caused to consumers.
Two defendants in this action, Kasm and its owner and director Kenan Azzeh, have agreed to entry of a court order that resolves the claims against them. The stipulated order, if entered by the court, would prohibit these defendants from further violations and impose a monetary judgment of $3,380,000, suspended to $7,500 due to their limited ability to pay.
“The Department of Justice is committed to stopping individuals and companies from making illegal robocalls and peddling predatory debt relief services,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to work with the FTC to enforce the FTC Act and the Telemarketing Sales Rule against those who use misleading sales tactics to prey on consumers.”
“This case targets the ecosystem of companies who perpetrate illegal telemarketing to cheat American consumers who are struggling financially,” said Director Samuel Levine of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “The FTC will continue to take aggressive action to protect consumers from the scourge of illegal robocalls.”
Senior Trial Attorney Daniel K. Crane-Hirsch and Trial Attorneys Matthew A. Robinson and Zachary A. Dietert of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, in conjunction with staff at the FTC’s Division of Marketing Practices, are prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the FTC, visit its website at https://www.FTC.gov.
A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney and Maine Prosecutors’ Joint Statement Regarding Domestic Violence-Related Protective Orders and Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee joined Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey and Maine’s District Attorneys in a statement today to reassure domestic violence victims in Maine following a recent appellate court decision in Louisiana.
“In 1994, Congress passed Section 922(g)(8) of Title 18, United States Code, a law prohibiting firearm possession by individuals subject to a court order that restrains them from harassing, stalking or threatening an intimate partner or child. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in United States v. Rahimi recently ruled that this federal statute is unconstitutional. The Rahimi decision is not binding on the District of Maine, which is in the First Circuit.
While the Rahimi decision is reviewed, it is the position of the Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine, the Maine Attorney General’s Office, and Maine’s District Attorneys, that this federal statute, and a parallel state law found at Section 393(D)(1) of Title 15 of Maine’s Revised Statutes, are presumed constitutional.
Domestic abusers in Maine should be aware that both statutes will be enforced.”
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Two Multi-State Methamphetamine Traffickers Sentenced to a Combined Fifteen Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
EVANSVILLE- Christopher Stafford, 37, of Princeton, Indiana and Donnell White, 47, of Louisville, Kentucky have been sentenced to 5 and 10 years in federal prison, respectively. Both defendants pled guilty to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents, between November 6 and 22 of 2019, Christopher Stafford and Donell White conspired together to possess and distribute between 500 grams and 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine ice.
On November 20, 2019, law enforcement officers pulled Stafford over in Princeton, Indiana. During the traffic stop, officers searched the vehicle and located approximately 190 grams of methamphetamine. When interviewed by police, Stafford admitted to distributing additional methamphetamine that he purchased from Donnell White over a prior, two-week period.
On November 22, 2019, White agreed to sell one pound of methamphetamine to Stafford for $3,800. White agreed to deliver the substances from Louisville, Kentucky to Stafford’s residence in Gibson County, Indiana. On the same day, Stafford was stopped by law enforcement officers on Interstate 64. During the traffic stop, officers located approximately one pound of methamphetamine in Stafford’s vehicle.
The sentence was announced by Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Michael Gannon, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of Indianapolis Field Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Doug Carter, Superintendent of the Indiana State Police, and Derek McGraw, Chief of Police for the Princeton Police Department.
“Methamphetamine has devastating, and sometimes deadly, effects on users, their families, and our communities,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Concerted efforts to bring this deadly drug across state lines and into our district will not be tolerated. We will continue to work with our local, state, and federal partners to find those responsible for significant drug trafficking and hold them accountable in federal court.”
“The sentencing of Mr. Stafford and Mr. White send an important message that drug traffickers will be held accountable for selling poison on our streets. It is a big win for law enforcement when we can stop highly addictive drugs, such as methamphetamine, from reaching our communities and causing harm,” said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Michael Gannon. “DEA remains committed to working hand in hand with our state and local partners to keep our communities safe. DEA commends the outstanding work of the Princeton Police Department, Indiana State Police and the United States Attorney’s Office during the course of this investigation.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case with valuable assistance provided by the Princeton Indiana Police Department and Indiana State Police. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge, Richard L. Young. Judge Young also ordered that both Stafford and White be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 3 and 5 years, respectively.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Lauren M. Wheatley, who prosecuted this case.
Two More Defendants Sentenced to Prison for Multimillion Dollar Schemes Involving Preparation of False Tax Returns for Professional Athletes and PPP Loan FraudRead the Press Release
Two California men have been sentenced to prison in a conspiracy to defraud the IRS and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a federal loans initiative designed to help businesses pay their employees and meet expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanh Ngoc Rudin of Rosemead, 58, was sentenced to 34 months in prison on Feb. 10, 2023, and his coconspirator, Seir Havana of North Hollywood, 46, was sentenced today to 42 months in prison. Thanh Rudin’s brother, Quin Rudin, was sentenced in October 2022 to 10 years in prison for his role in the scheme.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Thanh Rudin was a principal of Mana Tax Services, a tax preparation business in the Los Angeles area. Havana was the company’s Vice President/Director and Chief Executive Officer. Quin Rudin was its Secretary, Director, and Chief Financial Officer. They engaged in two fraud schemes using Mana Tax, while Quin Rudin was still on supervised release for a different fraud scheme in California.
The defendants prepared and filed with the IRS a series of false income tax returns on behalf of at least nine professional athletes. The false tax returns reported fictitious business and personal losses to generate refunds the athletes were not entitled to receive. The defendants also filed amended tax returns for most of the athletes for prior years to correct what they falsely characterized as “errors” made by the athletes’ previous accountants. Mana Tax charged the athlete clients 30% of the fraudulent tax refunds. The tax fraud scheme caused a total tax loss of more than $19 million.
The Rudin brothers and Havana also prepared and submitted false applications for PPP loans on behalf of small businesses, shell companies, and other business entities they controlled, and took a fee of 30% of the fraudulent loan. They submitted fabricated tax returns to support the PPP loan applications, and some of the business owners never saw their loan applications before Mana Tax filed them. The loan applications grossly inflated the number of employees and monthly payroll costs. Some of the businesses had no payroll expenses and were not actually eligible for PPP loans.
During the investigation, the government seized more than $11.8 million of the fraudulent PPP loan proceeds from bank accounts controlled by the defendants. In addition, Havana surrendered cashier’s checks totaling approximately $5.6 million, representing a portion of the fees charged to professional athletes for the preparation of their false tax returns and a portion of the fees taken from the fraudulent PPP loans.
In total, the two schemes caused more than $44 million in losses to the United States.
In addition to their respective terms of imprisonment, Senior U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga ordered the defendants to each serve 3 years of supervised release. Thanh Rudin was ordered to pay $38,206,074.98 and Seir Havana was ordered to pay $38,673,403.24 in restitution to the United States.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia, Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Special Agent in Charge Darrell J. Waldon of the Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation made the announcement.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California and the U.S. Small Business Administration provided assistance with the investigation.
Assistant Chief David Zisserson of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly M. Shartar and Kimberly R. Pedersen are prosecuting the case.
Two Men Plead Guilty to COVID-19 Unemployment Insurance Benefits Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – Two men pleaded guilty yesterday for their involvement in a conspiracy to apply for and use Nevada and California unemployment insurance benefits debit cards that were issued in other peoples’ names.
Luigi J. Montes (42), of Sugar Land, Texas, and Peter Alexander Stincer (34), of Sylmar, California, each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud. U.S. District Judge Richard F. Boulware scheduled sentencing for June 5, 2023.
According to court documents and admissions made in court, from at least March 2020 to January 2021, Montes, Stincer, and co-defendant Alexander Hoyos Rivera, of Marion, Ohio, conspired to submit fraudulent unemployment insurance claims with the Nevada Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation (DETR) and the California Employment Development Department (EDD). As part of the scheme, they used stolen personal identifying information – such as victim names, dates of birth, and social security numbers – to defraud DETR and EDD. Once the claims were approved, unemployment insurance debit cards were sent to mailing addresses to which the defendants had access. After receiving the debit cards, they withdrew the funds at various ATMs located in several states, including Nevada, California, and Texas. In total, DETR, EDD, and other state agencies approved at least $934,129 in benefits for these fraudulent claims. During the conspiracy, the defendants fraudulently obtained at least $698,655 in benefits for their personal use.
At sentencing, Montes and Stincer each face a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a term of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.
United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI made the announcement.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Fang is prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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Two Maryland Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Armed Home Invasion and Attempted Robbery in Northeast Washington, D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jose Gonzalez Pacheco, also known as “Jose Gonzalez,” 48, and Kenneth Demetrius Harris, also known as “Kenneth Vann,” 43, both of Silver Spring, Maryland, were sentenced to federal prison yesterday for their roles in an armed robbery on July 16, 2021.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Robert J. Contee, III, for the Metropolitan Police Department.
On November 8, 2022, Gonzalez and Vann each pleaded guilty to interference with interstate commerce by robbery, unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and two counts of threatening to kidnap or injure another person. As part of their pleas, they admitted that they entered a male victim’s apartment, knowing that he operated an illegal marijuana “dispensary” from that location, and intended to rob the male victim of both marijuana and cash. Upon entering the apartment, Gonzalez and Vann – both of whom were armed with 9mm semi-automatic handguns – discovered that the victim’s wife, female friend, and infant child were also in the apartment. The male victim attempted to wrestle Vann’s gun away, at which point Vann choked and punched the male victim. While Vann had the male victim in a headlock, Gonzalez pointed a handgun at the male victim’s wife, friend, and infant child, and told the male victim to calm down before someone got hurt. When the male victim relented, he, his wife, and his friend were bound and gagged with duct tape and zip ties, and the infant child was placed in a baby swing. The male victim was able to remove the duct tape from his mouth and call for help, and a neighbor called 911. Metropolitan Police Department officers responded to the scene and arrested Gonzalez and Vann before they could escape.
On February 16, 2023, the Honorable Christopher R. Cooper of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia sentenced Gonzalez to 97 months in prison and sentenced Vann to 72 months in prison for their roles in the offense. Both Gonzalez and Vann will each serve an additional 36 months of supervised release upon their release from prison.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the MPD and FBI. They also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Genevieve de Guzman and Teesha Tobias. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emory V. Cole and James B. Nelson, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Two Individuals Sentenced for Multimillion-Dollar Cattle-Trading Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
Two individuals were sentenced today to six years in prison for their roles in a cattle-trading Ponzi scheme that resulted in millions of dollars in victim losses.
According to court documents, from late 2017 until early 2019, Reva Joyce Stachniw, 71, of Galesburg, Illinois, and Ron Throgmartin, 59, of Buford, Georgia, along with a co-conspirator, ran a Ponzi scheme by fraudulently representing to victims that their investments were backed by short-term investments in Stachniw and Throgmartin’s cattle and marijuana businesses. The victim-investors gave the conspirators money based on false promises that their investments would be used for legitimate activities related to those businesses. In actuality, the funds were used to pay earlier investors.
In August 2022, Stachniw and Throgmartin were convicted at trial of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, five counts of wire fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
In addition to their terms of imprisonment, Stachniw was ordered to pay $14,597,335.80 in restitution and to forfeit $6,013,370. Throgmartin was ordered to pay $14,597,335.80 in restitution and to forfeit $1,004,904.83. The restitution was ordered jointly and severally between the two.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Kyle A. Myles of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), Atlanta Region; Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; and Special Agent in Charge Oliver E. Rich Jr. of the FBI San Antonio Field Office made the announcement.
The FDIC-OIG and the FBI investigated the case.
Assistant Chief Scott Armstrong and Trial Attorneys Brandon Burkart and Michael McCarthy of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
Two Indicted After Drug Shipment Intercepted on Interstate 44 in St. Louis CountyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Texas and a woman from St. Louis, Missouri were indicted Wednesday on drug conspiracy charges after multiple kilograms of suspected fentanyl and methamphetamine were found during a traffic stop on Interstate 44 in St. Louis County.
Francisco Manuel Mata-Martinez, 41, of El Paso, was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The grand jury indicted Maricela Vazquez-Vargas, 38, on the conspiracy charge and a charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
On February 6, Mata-Martinez was identified as a possible courier of narcotics and stopped on Interstate 44 in St. Louis County, according to a criminal complaint filed prior to the indictment. After a narcotics detection dog alerted to the vehicle, officers found a duffel bag with seven packages containing a total of 8.5 kilograms of suspected fentanyl, 40 packages containing 25.7 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine and 1.2 kilos of suspected ketamine, the affidavit says.
DEA agents and police watched as a St. Louis woman, Vazquez-Vargas, then arrived in the 4200 block of Delor Street in St. Louis to meet the drug delivery, the affidavit says.
A kilogram of suspected cocaine was later found in her home, the affidavit says.
Both are scheduled to be in court on February 23.
The conspiracy charge and the charge of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl carry a penalty of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine, or both. The other charges are punishable by five to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine, or both.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the St. Louis County Police Department and the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dane Rennier is prosecuting the case.
Two Duluth Men Indicted for Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
DULUTH, Minn. – A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment against two Duluth men for a methamphetamine and fentanyl trafficking conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, from the spring of 2020, through July 2022, Tisco Rondell Cooks, 35, and Cole Alexander Heyn, 25, both from Duluth, conspired with each other to distribute quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine.
Cooks is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, one count of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and one count of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl.
Heyn is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, one count of distribution of fentanyl and one count of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl.
Cooks and Heyn are currently in custody and will make their initial appearances in U.S. District Court at a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Lake Superior Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, and the Duluth Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas M. Hollenhorst is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Twenty-Six Time Convicted Felon Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene E. Honeywell has sentenced Terry Augusta Newsome (34, Tampa) to seven years in federal prison for unlawful possession of a firearm. The court also ordered Newsome to forfeit the firearm and ammunition. Newsome had pleaded guilty on November 1, 2022.
According to court documents, on February 15, 2021, an officer from the Tampa Police Department observed Newsome driving a moped, failing to stop at a stop sign, and colliding with a bicyclist. The officer responded to the scene of the crash and called for emergency services.
When the officer arrived at the scene, he observed that Newsome and the bicyclist were both severely bleeding. The officer attempted to attend to Newsome’s injuries, but Newsome rose to his feet clutching a firearm that he had hidden under his shirt. Additional officers that had arrived on scene noticed a holster partially hidden under Newsome’s shirt. The officers restrained Newsome and retrieved a loaded firearm from Newsome’s pants.
At the time of the incident, Newsome had at least 26 prior state felony convictions, including 3 convictions for aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, 5 for grand theft motor vehicle, 9 burglary, and 1 for armed robbery. Because of his prior felony convictions, Newsome is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charlie D. Connally.
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.
Troy Rivetti to Serve as Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of PennsylvaniaRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – Troy Rivetti, First Assistant to former United States Attorney to Cindy K. Chung, has been named Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania effective today.
In this position, Mr. Rivetti leads a staff of nearly 120 employees representing the United States in courts throughout Pennsylvania's western 25 counties, including staffed offices in Pittsburgh, Erie, and Johnstown.
Mr. Rivetti’s career in the Department of Justice has spanned more than 25 years. Most recently he served as First Assistant U.S. Attorney beginning in November 2021. Prior to that appointment, Mr. Rivetti held a series of leadership positions in the U.S. Attorney's Office, including serving as the Chief of the Criminal Division from 2019 to 2021. Mr. Rivetti joined the U.S. Attorney's Office in 1997. Throughout his career as a federal prosecutor, Mr. Rivetti’s primary area of concentration has involved the investigation and prosecution of violent crime, including large-scale drug trafficking organizations and firearms offenses.
Mr. Rivetti obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree from Dickinson College and his Juris Doctor from Georgetown University. Following graduation from law school, Mr. Rivetti was employed for five years as a litigation associate at a large Pittsburgh law firm. He then served as a law clerk for two years for the Honorable D. Brooks Smith.
Three Miami Men Sentenced to Life for Pawn Shop Robberies and MurdersRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Senior United States District Judge James I. Cohn has sentenced Jonathan Cruz, 36, Eric Ortiz Melendez, 28, and Jorge Aponte Figueroa, 25, to life in federal prison for their participation in violent robberies and murders.
The sentences follow two federal trials. The first was a Miami trial where in March 2022, a jury found Aponte Figueroa guilty of carjacking resulting in death and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. The second trial happened in Fort Lauderdale, where in November 2022, a jury found Cruz, Ortiz Melendez, and Aponte Figueroa guilty of committing armed robbery of nine pawn shops in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties (and conspiring to do so), as well as killing a customer during a robbery in Little Havana. That jury also found Cruz guilty of being a felon in possession of ammunition.
According to the trial evidence, beginning in October of 2016, Cruz, Ortiz Melendez, and Aponte Figueroa, along with five previously convicted co-conspirators, agreed to commit armed robberies of pawn shops throughout South Florida. They would steal jewelry and resell it. Cruz would scout the pawn shops, then organize and direct the robberies.
After obtaining guns and tools from Cruz, the coconspirators would drive to the stores, commit the robberies, and return to Cruz’s home with the jewelry. Cruz would sell the stolen jewelry and give coconspirators their cut.
Shots were fired during robberies in Pembroke Park, West Park, and Miami, one of which resulted in the murder of an elderly customer at a Little Havana pawn shop.
The spree began to unravel after one pawn shop robbery in Hialeah, when officers with Hialeah Police Department arrested three of the robbers at the end of a high-speed chase.
Additionally, in May 2017, Aponte Figueroa and two co-conspirators carjacked at gunpoint an Uber driver while he slept in his minivan. After driving the victim throughout Miami-Dade County, Aponte Figueroa pointed a gun at him, stole his wallet, and shot the victim seven times, including close range shots to the head. The victim died.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and acting Special Agent in Charge Maged Benham of the FBI Miami Field Office announced the life sentences.
FBI Miami investigated the case, with assistance from Broward County Sheriff’s Office, Miami-Dade Police Department, City of Miami Police Department, Hialeah Police Department, City of Hollywood Police Department, City of Miami Gardens Police Department, City of Palm Springs Police Department, and Fort Lauderdale Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alejandra L. López and Jodi Anton prosecuted this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Annika Miranda is handling the asset forfeiture aspect of the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 17-cr-20487.
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Three Indicted in Nationwide Controlled Substance ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Three individuals have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston in connection with a nationwide conspiracy to traffic controlled substances from Arizona into Massachusetts. Defendants allegedly hid drugs in packages containing children’s items such as toy trucks, Halloween decorations and Disney items.
Denise Guyette, 29, of Woonsocket, R.I.; Gerardo Garza, a/k/a “Oso,” 47, of Yuma, Ariz.; and Nathan Boddie, 38, of Pawtucket, R.I., were indicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
Guyette was arrested on Feb. 8, 2023 and was detained following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston. Boddie was arrested on Feb. 6, 2023 and is currently being held in state custody in connection with Rhode Island state charges. Boddie will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. Garza was arrested on Feb. 10, 2023 in the Southern District of California and was detained pending a detention hearing. He will also appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to court documents, in or about April 2022, law enforcement opened an investigation into a drug trafficking organization (DTO) led by Guyette. It is alleged that Guyette conspired with Garza, Boddie and others to traffic various controlled substances – including methamphetamine, fentanyl pills and cocaine – in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and elsewhere. It is further alleged that the DTO routinely used the mail to ship drugs from Arizona to Massachusetts, often hiding the drugs within packages containing children’s items such as toy trucks, Halloween decorations and Disney items. Between May and October 2022, investigators seized seven packages containing a total of over 900 grams of methamphetamine, thousands of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, as well as suspected Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a very strong psychedelic.
“Fentanyl and methamphetamine are serious, lethal threats to the well-being of our communities,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “My office and our law enforcement partners will continue to identify drug traffickers and stop the flow of illegal drugs into Massachusetts where they cause pain and destruction. Drug trafficking frequently intersects with illegal firearms and other criminal conduct. This instance proved no different. Ghost guns were seized as well as a 3-D printer we allege was used to print ghost gun parts. It is our contention that this seizure likely saved countless lives.”
“Operation Raising Arizona has dealt a significant blow to a drug trafficking organization that we believe is responsible for operating nationwide, flooding communities in Massachusetts and Rhode Island with highly addictive and deadly narcotics. All three individuals we’ve removed from the street are accused of being prolific drug dealers who thrived on selling drugs and believed they could pull the wool over the eyes of investigators by hiding their product inside toys and other common household items,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “The violence associated with the illegal drug trade, as illustrated by our seizure of multiple ghost guns, is a threat to our communities, and the FBI and our partners are committed to working together across jurisdictions to take down criminals who insist on bringing their harmful business to our neighborhoods.”
On Feb. 6, 2023, Boddie was arrested in Rhode Island following a traffic stop during which a 9mm handgun ghost gun loaded with five rounds of ammunition, an empty 9mm magazine and a 10-round capable magazine loaded with one round of ammunition were allegedly located inside his vehicle. Additionally, during a search of his person, it is alleged that Boddie attempted to swallow a plastic bag containing 20 grams of suspected methamphetamine.
At the time of Guyette’s arrest on Feb. 8, 2023, approximately 15 pounds of a crystal substance that field tested positive for methamphetamine and thousands of suspected fentanyl pills weighing over 400 grams were located in a safe in her bedroom. A digital scale as well as multiple Rhode Island and Massachusetts driver’s licenses, Social Security cards and credit cards in the names of other individuals were also found during a search of Guyette’s residence. During a search of Boddie’s Rhode Island residence, investigators seized two ghost guns, a 3-D printer used to print ghost gun components, approximately 150 grams of suspected methamphetamine as well as 10 different driver’s licenses, each bearing Boddie’s photo with names and addresses of other individuals.
In total, law enforcement seized over 16 pounds of methamphetamine and more than 700 grams of counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl over the course of the investigation.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and Hudson Police Chief Richard DiPersio made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration; Federal Bureau of Investigation, Imperial County Resident Agency and Yuma Resident Agency; United States Postal Service; Massachusetts State Police; and the Woonsocket (R.I.) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alathea Porter and Charles Dell’Anno of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Three Illinois Men Admit 2020 St. Louis CarjackingRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Three men from Illinois pleaded guilty Thursday to federal charges and admitted carjacking a St. Louis, Missouri woman in front of her house in 2020.
Lamont Carter, 28, of East St. Louis, Jerray Jackson, 25, of Washington Park, and Montez Wicks, 27, of East St. Louis, each pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
They admitted that on June 1, 2020 a woman preparing to leave for work was getting into her 2013 Ford Explorer. A black Audi pulled up and two men got out, pointed guns at her and ordered her out of her SUV. The two men stole the Ford while the third man followed in the Audi.
Four days later, the Audi was spotted by Richmond Heights police in a caravan of vehicles near the Galleria Mall. Police followed the Audi into St. Louis, where it crashed near Forest Park Community College. Carter, Jackson and Wicks ran but were eventually caught by officers with the Clayton Police Department. They left a Ruger 9mm pistol and a stolen Glock .40-caliber pistol behind in the Audi.
The Ford’s owner identified all three men as the carjackers, their plea agreements say.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the Richmond Heights Police Department, the Clayton Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Boyce is prosecuting the case.
Three Hudson County Men Charged with Narcotics and Firearms Related Offenses Inside Jersey City Apartment BuildingRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Three Hudson County, New Jersey, men were charged by complaint with narcotics and firearms related violations, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger announced today.
Shiquwan Johnson, aka “Big Shy,” 37, is charged with unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon, possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine, and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Johnson is associated with a neighborhood street gang that operates around the Bergen Avenue/Lexington Avenue area in Jersey City.
Douglas Sherman, aka “Dougie,” 40, is charged with maintaining a drug-involved premises.
Perry Capers, aka “Diddy,” 36, is charged with possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine. Capers is also associated with the neighborhood street gang that operates in and around Bergen Avenue and Lexington Avenue in Jersey City.
All three defendants appeared on Feb. 16, 2023, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jessica S. Allen. Johnson and Sherman consented to detention and Capers was released and placed on home incarceration.
According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Law enforcement officers began investigating an apartment building in January 2023 and observed numerous hand-to-hand drug transactions on a near-daily basis. The investigation revealed multiple stash locations for narcotics and firearms in the building, including inside an apartment unit rented by Sherman, a pipe, and a mailbox associated with the apartment unit rented by Sherman. While executing search warrants on Feb. 15, 2023, law enforcement officers recovered hundreds of grams of suspected cocaine and tens of grams of suspected heroin, three firearms, and additional ammunition.
Johnson faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. Sherman and Capers face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited investigators the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Director James Shea, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel in Newark; the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Esther Suarez; special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller; and special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy, for their assistance.
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 Clara Kim of the Office’s OCDETF/Narcotics Unit.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Third conspirator convicted at trial for stealing trade secrets from aircraft manufacturersRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: The third defendant in a conspiracy to steal valuable proprietary information from aircraft manufacturers has been found guilty after a three-day trial.
Joseph Pascua, 60, of Escondido, Calif., awaits sentencing after a U.S. District Court jury found him guilty of Conspiracy to Steal Trade Secrets, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Pascua faces a statutory sentence of up to 10 years in prison, along with substantial financial penalties, followed by up to three years of supervised release upon completion of any prison term.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Manufacturers spend millions of dollars and countless hours of employee work time to research, design and develop unique products,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Joseph Pascua and his co-conspirators attempted to shortcut this process by stealing valuable proprietary information to benefit a competitor – and they’re being held accountable for this theft.”
As described at trial, Pascua was one of three defendants who schemed to speed the process for developing and testing an aircraft de-icing design by stealing proprietary information from an aircraft manufacturer. They planned to profit by using stolen information to expedite Federal Aviation Administration certification, and then selling the design to a competing aircraft company.
The three originally were indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2019; Pascua’s case initially was dismissed and he was indicted separately in November 2021. He was found guilty by a jury after a three-day trial in Savannah before U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker, and now awaits sentencing upon completion of a pre-sentencing investigation by U.S. Probation Services.
Co-defendant Gilbert Basuldua, 63, of Hilton Head, S.C., is serving an 80-month sentence after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Steal Trade Secrets and Interstate Transportation of Stolen Property, while Craig German, 60, of Kernersville, N.C., is serving a total of 90 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Steal Trade Secrets, and later being found guilty by a jury on charges of Perjury and False Statements to a Government Agency for lying during his initial sentencing hearing.
“The FBI is committed to identifying and prosecuting those who engage in illegal and deceptive practices to steal trade secrets and protected information from companies who spend millions of dollars to develop it,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “As this extensive investigation comes to a close, let these convictions be a reminder that the FBI will not tolerate criminals that violate laws that protect companies and are in place to keep Americans safe.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer G. Solari and Darron J. Hubbard.
Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Employer of Nearly $10 MillionRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – A Horizon City man pleaded guilty in federal court in El Paso Tuesday to wire fraud.
According to court documents, Ricardo Robles, 41, was employed in a position in which he was responsible for purchasing goods from suppliers. His employer would then resell the goods for profit. Robles created numerous sham companies beginning in 2010 and used those sham companies to purchase goods and inflate the prices along with his co-conspirators. On his employer’s behalf, Robles would then purchase from his sham companies and divert portions of those payments to his personal bank accounts.
Robles pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Robles also agrees to pay restitution of approximately $9,890,489.53. A sentencing date has been tentatively set for May 30. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey R. Downey made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Mangels is prosecuting the case.
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Tampa Man Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Federal Prison for Access Device Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Tyler Deandre Johnson (27, Tampa) to three years and eight months in federal prison for access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. The court also ordered the forfeiture of $40,039.67, which represents the proceeds Johnson obtained from these offenses. The federal sentence is to run consecutively to a three-year state prison sentence Johnson is currently serving on four Hillsborough County state cases. In those cases, Johnson was convicted of three counts of fleeing to elude, two counts of armed possession of a controlled substance, and one count of felon in possession of a firearm. Johnson had pleaded guilty to the federal charges on November 15, 2022.
According to court records, between March 16 and June 15, 2021, Johnson used Green Dot VISA debit cards and PayPal credit cards with stolen account numbers embossed on them to purchase a total of $40,039.67 worth of merchandise. The merchandise included jewelry and cellphones. Because another person’s name was embossed on these cards, Johnson used fraudulent identification cards to corroborate the names on the debit and credit cards as his own.
This case was investigated by the U.S. General Services Administration - Office of Inspector General, Southeast and Caribbean Regional Investigations Office, the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Office of Inspector General, Southeast Region, Amtrak - Office of Inspector General, Central Region, the U.S. Secret Service Cyber Fraud Task Force, the Citrus County Sheriff's Office, the Davie Police Department, the Lee County Sheriff's Office, the Cape Coral Police Department, the Belleview Police Department, the Sarasota Police Department, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, and the Synchrony Bank Special Investigations Team. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.
Talladega Man Sentenced to More than 19 Years in Prison on Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
ANNISTON, Ala. – Today, a federal judge sentenced a Talladega man on drug charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley.
U.S. District Court Judge Corey Maze sentenced Antoine Marque McClellan, 32, to 232 months in prison. McClellan pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine in October 2022.
According to the plea agreement, Anniston police officers conducted two traffic stops, within two days, on vehicles occupied by McClellan. On June 11, 2021, Anniston police officers conducted a traffic stop in Heflin, on a vehicle driven by McClellan. Upon searching the vehicle, officers recovered a plastic bag containing marijuana and a clear plastic bag containing methamphetamine. In the trunk of the vehicle, officers recovered a backpack containing three more clear plastic bags containing methamphetamine.
On June 12, 2021, an Anniston police officer conducted a traffic stop in Anniston on a vehicle in which McClellan was a passenger. Officers recovered five individual bags of “ice” methamphetamine from a cardboard box stuffed under the spare tire in the trunk of the vehicle.
In total, officers recovered over six kilograms of pure methamphetamine from McClellan.
This investigation is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Operation Lengua Doble. OCDETF is an independent component of the U.S. Department of Justice. Established in 1982, OCDETF is the centerpiece of the Attorney General’s strategy to combat transnational-organized-crime and to reduce the availability of illicit narcotics in the nation by using a prosecutor-led, multi-agency approach to enforcement. OCDETF leverages the resources and expertise of its partners in concentrated, coordinated, long-term enterprise investigations of transnational organized crime, money laundering, and major drug trafficking networks.
The DEA investigated the case, along with the 7th Judicial Major Crimes Unit and the Anniston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison Garnett prosecuted the case.
Tahlequah Man Sentenced to 7 Years for Assaulting Two Victims with a Bat and FirearmRead the Press Release
A defendant who broke into a Broken Arrow home and assaulted a woman and man in 2017 was sentenced Friday in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Louis Clayton Chaffin, 45, of Tahlequah, to 84 months in federal prison followed by two years of supervised release.
Chaffin previously pleaded guilty to first degree burglary in Indian Country and three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm in Indian Country.
“Louis Chaffin broke into a home wielding a bat and gun. He then assaulted two victims, seriously injuring them. Fortunately, the incident was deescalated when the homeowner stepped in and stopped him,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Today’s 7-year sentence should make it clear that this office and our law enforcement partners will hold violent perpetrators accountable.”
Chaffin admitted that on Dec. 9, 2017, he broke into the home by kicking in the front door and while carrying an aluminum baseball bat and a 9mm pistol. Chaffin struck the man and woman with the bat repeatedly. He pointed the gun at the man and pistol whipped him in the face. The incident only ended after another individual, the homeowner, took out his own gun and ordered Chaffin to leave.
As a result of the assault, the male victim suffered broken facial bones and a fractured skull. The female victim suffered a concussion from the beating, and her face later required numerous stitches.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Broken Arrow Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael F. Harder and Eric O. Johnston prosecuted the case.
Standing Pine Man Pleads Guilty to Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily InjuryRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Standing Pine man pled guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to court documents, on March 26, 2021, Kendall Ben, 33, assaulted a female and fractured her arm in the Standing Pine community of the Choctaw Indian Reservation.
Ben is scheduled to be sentenced on May 24, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Choctaw Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin J. Payne and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian K. Burns prosecuted the case.
South Los Angeles-Based Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Leading Crack Cocaine Manufacturing and Distribution Ring in WattsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A leader of the Bounty Hunter Bloods (BHB) street gang pleaded guilty today to federal drug and firearms charges for leading a manufacturing and distribution of crack cocaine conspiracy in and around the gang’s “territory” of the Nickerson Gardens public housing projects in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Damion Baker, 45, a.k.a. “Fatts,” of Compton, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Baker is the lead defendant in an April 2021 indictment targeting members and associates of the BHB street gang for drug- and firearm-related crimes.
According to his plea agreement, from August 2019 to May 2020, Baker organized and led a drug trafficking conspiracy in which he and his accomplices agreed to distribute cocaine. Specifically, Baker arranged to obtain powder cocaine from at least two drug suppliers. He then directed his co-conspirators to cook, and would himself cook, the powder cocaine and manufacture it into crack cocaine to sell to customers, including back to his powder cocaine suppliers to sell in crack form.
Baker directed his accomplices in the packaging, sale, and delivery of crack cocaine to customers, which included co-conspirators and other BHB gang members. Baker also directed the receipt and storage of drug proceeds throughout BHB-claimed territory in South Los Angeles.
As part of these activities, Baker arranged for an accomplice’s residence in the Nickerson Gardens housing projects in Watts to be used as a stash house in which Baker and his co-conspirators continuously sold crack cocaine over a period of many months. Baker recruited and hired co-conspirators to work at the Watts stash house and directed them in selling narcotics to customers there and in nearby areas, restocking the stash house’s drug supply, and transporting drug proceeds to Baker and other accomplices at various locations.
Baker admitted in his plea agreement to possessing a firearm in May 2020. He was not permitted to do so because he previously had been convicted of felonies in Los Angeles Superior Court, including a cocaine possession charge in 1998 and a domestic violence-related charge in 2001. He admitted in his plea agreement that he possessed the firearm for the purpose of protecting his crack cocaine distribution business.
Baker also agreed to forfeit the firearm and $44,600 in cash law enforcement seized at his residence in Compton and at another residence in San Pedro.
United States District Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha scheduled a July 14 sentencing hearing, at which time Baker will face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and a statutory maximum of 40 years in federal prison for the drug trafficking conspiracy charge, and up 10 years in federal prison for the firearms offense.
The other 11 defendants in this indictment either have pleaded guilty or signed plea agreements in this case and await sentencing. Another BHB gang member, and Baker’s second in command in the drug trafficking conspiracy, Tony Carr, 52, a.k.a. “T-Bone,” of Watts, pleaded guilty in July 2022 to one count of cocaine trafficking conspiracy and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Judge Aenlle-Rocha sentenced Carr to 188 months in federal prison.
In April 2021, law enforcement conducted a takedown in which 22 BHB members and associates were charged in a total of nine federal grand jury indictments. Of those 22 defendants, prosecutors have secured 19 convictions.
The FBI’s Los Angeles Metropolitan Task Force on Violent Gangs, which consists of the FBI, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Amy E. Pomerantz of the Violent and Organized Crime Section is prosecuting this case.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Scherier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on February 13, 2023.
James Verbrugge, 29, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Verbrugge was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in September of 2022. He pleaded guilty on December 2, 2022.
Verbrugge, along with his co-conspirators, was responsible for distributing 50 grams or more of pure methamphetamine in the District of South Dakota. On April 7, 2022, Verbrugge assisted his co-conspirators in completing a sale of methamphetamine to a confidential informant. Verbrugge provided his co-conspirators with methamphetamine so they could complete the sale. The transaction took place in a grocery store parking lot where they exchanged approximately 333.8 grams of methamphetamine, which was at 98% purity, in return for $4,600.
This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration. This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Petersen, who also serves as a prosecutor with the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office.
James Verbrugge was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
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Senior Oil and Gas Trader and Brazil-Based Intermediary Charged in Bribery and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
An indictment was unsealed today in the District of Connecticut charging a Connecticut man and a foreign national with conspiracy, multiple counts of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), and money laundering in connection with an alleged scheme to pay bribes to Brazilian officials to win contracts with Brazil’s state-owned and state-controlled energy company, Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. – Petrobras (Petrobras).
According to court documents, Glenn Oztemel, 64, of Westport, worked as a senior oil and gas trader at two Connecticut-based trading companies (Trading Company #1 and Trading Company #2). Eduardo Innecco, 73, a dual Brazilian and Italian citizen, worked as an oil and gas broker and agent for Trading Company #1 and Trading Company #2 in Brazil. Between approximately mid-2010 and continuing into 2018, Oztemel, Innecco, and others allegedly paid bribes to Petrobras officials for their assistance in helping Trading Company #1 and Trading Company #2 obtain and retain business with Petrobras, including by providing Oztemel, Innecco, and others with confidential information regarding Petrobras’ fuel oil business. As alleged, Oztemel and his co-conspirators caused Trading Company #1 and Trading Company #2 to make corrupt payments – disguised as purported consulting fees and commissions – to Innecco, knowing that Innecco would pay a portion of those funds to Brazilian officials as bribes. To conceal the scheme, Oztemel, Innecco, and their co-conspirators allegedly used coded language to refer to the bribes and communicated using personal email accounts, fictitious names, and encrypted messaging applications.
Oztemel and Innecco are each charged with conspiracy to violate the FCPA, conspiracy to commit money laundering, three counts of violating the FCPA, and two counts of money laundering. They face up to five years in prison for each of the bribery conspiracy and bribery charges, and up to 20 years in prison for each of the money laundering conspiracy and money laundering charges.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Avery for the District of Connecticut, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Assistant Director in Charge Donald Alway of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Clayton P. Solomon and Assistant Chiefs Derek J. Ettinger and Jonathan P. Robell of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael McGarry for the District of Connecticut are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Second and Third Defendants Sentenced to Prison for Multimillion Dollar Schemes Involving Preparing False Tax Returns for Professional Athletes and PPP Loan FraudRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Two California men have been sentenced to prison in a conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a federal loans initiative designed to help businesses pay their employees and meet expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Thanh Rudin, 58, was a principal of Mana Tax Services, a tax preparation business in the Los Angeles area. His coconspirator, Seir Havana, 46, was the company’s Vice President/Director and Chief Executive Officer. The defendants engaged in two fraud schemes using Mana tax. First, they prepared and filed with the IRS a series of false income tax returns on behalf of at least nine professional athletes. The false tax returns reported fictitious business and personal losses to generate refunds the athletes were not entitled to receive. They also filed amended tax returns for most of the athletes for prior years to correct what conspirators falsely characterized as “errors” made by their previous accountants. Mana Tax charged the athletes a fee of 30% of the resulting refunds issued by the IRS. The tax fraud scheme caused a total tax loss of more than $19 million.
Second, the defendants prepared and submitted false applications for PPP loans on behalf of small businesses, shell companies, and other business entities they controlled. The co-conspirators prepared fraudulent PPP loan applications for these firms in exchange for a fee of 30% of the resulting loan. The co-conspirators submitted fabricated tax returns to support the PPP loan applications, and some of the business owners never saw their loan applications before Mana Tax filed them. To obtain fraudulent PPP loans, the co-conspirators grossly inflated the number of employees and monthly payroll costs claimed on the applications. Some of the businesses were not eligible for any PPP loan funds at all because they did not have any payroll expenses.
During the investigation, the government seized more than $11.8 million from bank accounts containing PPP loan fraud proceeds controlled by the conspirators. In addition, Havana surrendered cashier’s checks worth approximately $5.6 million, representing a portion of the fees charged to professional athletes for the preparation of their false tax returns, and a portion of the fees charged for obtaining fraudulent PPP loans. The two schemes resulted in total losses of more than $44 million.
Havana, was sentenced today to 42 months in prison. Thanh Rudin was sentenced on February 10 to 34 months in prison. Thanh Rudin’s brother, Quin Rudin, was sentenced in October 2022 to 10 years in prison for his role in the scheme.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division; Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division; and Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter of the Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California and U.S. Small Business Administration provided assistance with the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly M. Shartar and Kimberly R. Pedersen for the Eastern District of Virginia and Assistant Chief David Zisserson of the Tax Division 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. 1:22-cr-116.
Recidivist Defendant Charged in Connection with Million-Dollar Fraud Scheme Targeting Senior Executives of Investment FirmsRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the unsealing of a criminal Complaint today charging JONATHAN GHERTLER with engaging in a sophisticated scheme to impersonate senior leaders of two Manhattan-based investment firms, resulting in over $1 million in losses to their portfolio companies, and impersonating a partner of a global law firm on telephone calls with federal agents who were investigating the scheme. GHERTLER was arrested yesterday and will be presented in the Middle District of Florida on Tuesday.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Jonathan Ghertler impersonated some of the most prominent figures in finance and law to defraud companies of over $1 million and convince federal investigators to stop their investigation into his scheme. Ghertler is a serial fraudster and has been prosecuted for similar impersonation schemes and frauds in the past, including by this Office. Today’s arrest demonstrates this Office’s commitment to stopping recidivist fraudsters like Ghertler and to seeking justice for victims of financial frauds.”
FBI Assistant Director Michael J. Driscoll said: “As alleged, Ghertler impersonated high-level executives at two different financial firms and directed personnel from those firms to pay for non-existent internal investigations aimed at determining if there were links between individuals associated with the firms and Jeffrey Epstein. In addition, when he learned his fraud was being investigated, he impersonated a partner of a law firm purportedly representing one of the financial firms and attempted to convince federal agents that no crime had been committed. The action we have taken today will ensure Ghertler – in his true identity – will be forced to face the consequences of his deceit.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint:[1]
From at least in or about December 2021, up to and including at least June 2022, GHERTLER impersonated the General Counsel of a global private equity firm (the “Private Equity Firm”). In doing so, GHERTLER fraudulently caused the Private Equity Firm’s portfolio companies to pay at least $200,000 to fund a non-existent internal investigation into alleged links between senior employees of the Private Equity Firm and Jeffrey Epstein, the deceased financier who, before he died on or about August 10, 2019, had been charged in the Southern District of New York with sex trafficking of minors and conspiring to commit sex trafficking of minors.
In addition, from at least May 2021, up to and including February 2023, GHERTLER impersonated the founder of an investment firm (the “Investment Firm”), directing the Chief Executive Officer (the “CEO”) of one of the Investment Firm’s portfolio companies (the “IF Portfolio Company”) to make at least $865,000 in payments to fund a non-existent internal investigation related to the founder’s alleged relationship with Epstein. In recent weeks, GHERTLER, posing as the founder of the Investment Firm, had discussed with the CEO the possibility of making a large investment into a restaurant chain owned by another investment firm.
On or about February 7, 2023, after learning from the CEO that federal investigators were investigating a potentially fraudulent payment made by the Investment Firm, GHERTLER, posing as a partner (the “Partner”) at a global law firm, spoke on the phone with Special Agents with the FBI. GHERTLER told the federal agents that the IF Portfolio Company had chosen not to report the fraud because it had been “made whole” by the fraudster.
On or about February 10, 2023, GHERTLER, impersonating the Partner, spoke again with federal agents. GHERTLER said, after “consult[ing]” with “associates and lower-level partners” at the Global Law Firm who “used to work” at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, “our position is that, uh, the law states that, umm, you know, if the money was paid back prior to, uh, the crime being, uh, discovered, uh, it’s not a crime.” GHERTLER added that his “client [i.e., the founder of the Investment Firm] has a lot of other issues he is dealing with right now, so this is one he really doesn’t need to deal with.”
* * *
GHERTLER, 60, of Orlando, Florida, is charged with one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years in prison; and one count of making false statements, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and additionally thanked the Orange County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office and Orlando Police Department for their assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Sowlati is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth in this release constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Readout of Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta’s Trip to MemphisRead the Press Release
Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta traveled to Memphis today to attend the investiture of U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee and meet with local Memphis officials and community leaders.
Associate Attorney General Gupta met with Mayor Jim Strickland and Police Chief C.J. Davis to discuss the city’s request for assistance from the CRI-TAC initiative, funded by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) as well as the city’s response to the tragic death of Tyre Nichols. The Justice Department’s ongoing federal criminal civil rights investigation into the death of Tyre Nichols is being handled jointly by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee, the Civil Rights Division and the FBI.
In a meeting with two dozen local faith and community leaders, the Associate Attorney General heard from local leaders about the need for fair policing, as well as their efforts on the ground to support those most at risk of becoming intertwined with the criminal justice system. She discussed the department’s programs, including those that support police community trust and community violence intervention efforts, and the department’s ongoing efforts to make grant funding more accessible to local community groups.
In the afternoon, Western District of Tennessee District Judge S. Thomas Anderson presided over the investiture of U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz. Associate Attorney General Gupta spoke at the ceremony, along with former U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III and the Honorable Julia S. Gibbons of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, for whom U.S. Attorney Ritz served as a law clerk. The investiture was attended by several federal district and court of appeals judges, as well as local law enforcement and community leaders and elected officials.
Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta with U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz and community leaders Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta (front center), U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz (front left), First Assistant U.S. Attorney Reagan Fondren (front right) and staff from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of TennesseeQueens Pharmacist Pleads Guilty to Illegally Distributing Oxycodone and Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
Daniel E. Russo pleaded guilty today in federal court in Brooklyn to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute oxycodone, distribution and possession of oxycodone, and nine counts of filing false personal and corporate tax returns. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Dora L. Irizarry. When sentenced, Russo faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment for each of the drug counts and up to three years’ imprisonment for each of the tax counts.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Stuart M. Goldberg, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent-in-Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division (DEA), and Thomas Fattorusso, Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI), announced the guilty plea.
“Russo was a drug dealer in a white coat,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “He abused his pharmacy license and the trust placed in him by the community to illegally distribute enormous amounts of oxycodone, spreading misery in the community and fueling addiction, all to enrich himself. This Office will continue working with federal and local law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute medical professionals who illegally deal dangerous drugs with the same vigor as those who distribute drugs on the street.”
“At the same time Daniel Russo was illegally peddling oxycodone out of his pharmacy, he was pocketing – and not paying taxes on – income from those sales and others in his business,” stated Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg. “Everyone is required to pay their fair share of taxes, whether they make their money legitimately or through criminal activity.”
“This plea solidifies the fact that Russo blatantly ignored his role as a medical practitioner in order to line his pockets with cash,” stated DEA Special Agent-in-Charge Tarentino. “Through this illicit scheme, Russo enabled opioid addiction and misuse throughout Queens and Long Island communities. The DEA Long Island District Office-Tactical Diversion Squad, HHS-OIG, IRS, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of New York’s partnership exemplifies how investigations like this successfully arrest and prosecute individuals in positions that threaten public safety.”
“Instead of acting within the pharmacist code of ethics to act with integrity, Russo chose to use his position to commit criminal acts. He chose to distribute highly addictive drugs to the community he served, then failed to report and pay taxes on the proceeds of his illicit sales. Today, Russo chose to face the consequences of his actions—a good reminder that just like Al Capone, even criminals need to pay their taxes,” stated IRS-CI Special Agent-in-Charge Fattorusso.
As set forth in the indictment, court filings and in court this morning, Russo owned and operated Russo’s Pharmacy in Far Rockaway, Queens. Between March 2011 and June 2014, Russo conspired with others, including medical professionals and employees, to fill fraudulent prescriptions for oxycodone and dispense thousands of oxycodone pills in return for hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash. Over the course of the conspiracy, Russo’s co-conspirators delivered hundreds of fraudulent oxycodone prescriptions to Russo’s Pharmacy and would then retrieve the filled prescriptions—written out in various patients’ names—so that they could be dispensed elsewhere. Russo accepted payment mostly in cash for the prescriptions. Russo then hid the proceeds from the scheme and filed false corporate income tax returns for his pharmacy for the years 2013 through 2016, omitting the illegal proceeds. Russo also filed false individual income tax returns for the years 2012 through 2016. In total, Russo failed to report over $1 million in earnings, much of it generated from his oxycodone distribution scheme.
More than a dozen physicians for whom Russo filled prescriptions have since been convicted of crimes related to the distribution of oxycodone.
The government’s investigation was led by the DEA’s Long Island Tactical Diversion Squad, comprising agents and officers of the DEA, Nassau County Police Department, Suffolk County Police Department, Port Washington Police Department and Rockville Centre Police Department. The DEA Tactical Diversion Squad also worked in conjunction with officers and agents of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General and New York City Department of Investigation.
This case is the latest in a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York as part of the Prescription Drug Initiative. In January 2012, this Office and the DEA, in conjunction with the five District Attorneys in this district, the Nassau and Suffolk County Police Departments, the New York City Police Department, the New York State Police and other key federal, state and local government partners launched the initiative to mount a comprehensive response to what the United States Department of Health and Human Services Center for Disease Control and Preventions called an epidemic increase in the abuse of so-called opioid analgesics. To date, the initiative has brought over 160 federal and local criminal prosecutions including the prosecution of 20 health care professionals; taken civil enforcement actions against a hospital, a pharmacy and pharmacy chain; removed prescription authority from numerous rogue doctors and expanded information-sharing among enforcement agencies to better target and pursue drug traffickers. The initiative also is involved in an extensive community outreach program to address the abuse of pharmaceuticals.
The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Francisco J. Navarro, Nomi D. Berenson and Andrew D. Wang and Trial Attorney Michael C. Vasiliadis of the Tax Division.
The Defendant:
DANIEL E. RUSSO
Age: 44
Cedarhurst, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-23 (DLI)
Prince George’s County Man Pleads Guilty to A Federal Wire Fraud Conspiracy to Obtain over $1 Million in Covid-19 Cares Act Loans and Unemployment Insurance BenefitsRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Jerry Phillips, a/k/a “Tian Juzo,” age 25, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to a federal wire fraud conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, and illegal possession of a machine gun, related to a scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $1 million in COVID-19 CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program loan applications (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster loan applications (EIDL), and unemployment insurance claims.
The guilty plea was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Acting Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer, of the National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG); Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite of the Small Business Administration - Office of Inspector General, Eastern Region, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Mike Serra, of the Mid-Atlantic Region, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG).
“Fraudsters like Jerry Phillips often commit other crimes, as demonstrated by his illegal possession of a ghost gun, which he modified to be a machine gun,” said United States Attorney Erek L. Barron. “We will continue to use every legal means necessary to remove illegal guns from our communities and to hold criminals accountable.”
“Jerry Phillips conspired with his brother to defraud the UI, PPP, and EIDL pandemic relief programs of more than $750,000 in funds intended to assist those who were truly in need from the financial impact brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Troy W. Springer, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General. “My office will continue to work closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and our other law enforcement partners to pursue those who unwisely chose to commit pandemic-related UI fraud and hold them accountable for their criminal conduct.”
“During this pandemic, we have all too often seen people take advantage of programs meant to help those in need, stealing money away from those in crisis,” said Kareem A. Carter, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS-CI Washington D.C. Field Office. “We will continue in our partnership with fellow federal agencies to investigate individuals who illegally use pandemic relief funds for personal financial gain.”
“Conspiring to fraudulently gain access to SBA program funds by falsifying personal identifying information is reprehensible,” said SBA OIG’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite. “OIG and its law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue fraudsters and bring them to justice. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and commitment to seeing justice served.”
According to his plea agreement, from March 2020 to February 2022, Phillips worked with his brother and co-defendant, Jaleel Phillips, and at least one other person. to fraudulently obtain COVID-19 related benefits, including filing fraudulent PPP loan applications, EIDL loan applications, and unemployment insurance claims. As detailed in the statement of facts, Phillips and his co-conspirators created fictitious aliases, used the personal identifying information of real people, and used defunct corporate entities or new business entities with no actual business operations to apply for EIDL and PPP loans, and unemployment benefits.
As part of the scheme, Phillips admitted that he created and used multiple fake identities to submit fraudulent PPP and EIDL loan applications and used the personal identifying information of more than 20 real people in furtherance of fraudulent unemployment claims. The fraudulently obtained PPP and EIDL loans and unemployment insurance claims were deposited into the bank accounts opened in the names of the aliases. The money was then withdrawn by Phillips and his co-conspirators through ATM withdrawals and purchases made on the associated debit and credit cards or transferred between the various financial accounts established in the aliases’ names. Phillips used $65,538.95 of the fraudulently obtained funds to purchase a 2020 Chevrolet Camaro, which he registered in his name at the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Jerry Phillips also admitted that he personally obtained and controlled more than $1 million in fraud proceeds from the fraudulent PPPs and EIDLs.
A search of the defendant’s residence recovered more than 25 fake driver’s licenses from multiple states and multiple identification documents from different jurisdictions with the same alias. Law enforcement also recovered four “ghost guns” which Jerry Phillips purchased online, using an alias. Phillips admitted that he illegally modified one of the ghost guns into a machine gun capable of firing multiple rounds with one pull of the trigger.
Jaleel Phillips, age 25, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to his role in the wire fraud conspiracy and faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang has scheduled sentencing for April 14, 2023, at 9:30 a.m.
Jerry Phillips faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for the wire fraud conspiracy; a mandatory sentence of two years in federal prison, consecutive to any other sentencing imposed, for aggravated identity theft; and a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for illegal possession of a machine gun. Judge Chuang has scheduled sentencing for Jerry Phillips on May 16, 2023, at 2 p.m.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DOL-OIG, IRS-CI, SBA-OIG, FDIC-OIG, and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Harry M. Gruber, who is prosecuting the federal case. He also thanked the Office of Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch-Public Integrity Division, for its assistance.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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Portland Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Shipping Firearm and Ammunition to the U.K., Possessing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland man was sentenced to the federal prison today after he was caught shipping a handgun and ammunition to the United Kingdom and possessing a pound of methamphetamine in his residence.
Lyle Justin Schirm, 35, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release, resolving two separate criminal cases.
According to court documents, in November 2020, law enforcement authorities in the U.K. notified Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) about a FedEx parcel shipped from Portland to the U.K. containing a 9mm handgun and ammunition. When interviewed by U.S. law enforcement, Schirm admitted to shipping the firearm. Schirm also told investigators he learned about shipping firearms to the U.K. by watching a video on YouTube. HSI later confirmed Schirm did not have a license to ship a firearm to the U.K.
On November 5, 2020, as part of a separate drug trafficking investigation, agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) executed a search warrant on Schirm’s northeast Portland apartment. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) had previously notified DEA that Schirm was receiving international shipments of items used to manufacture counterfeit prescription pills. During their search of Schirm’s residence, investigators located what appeared to be a small laboratory used to make counterfeit Xanax pills. In addition, they located and seized two firearms, ammunition, over $14,000 in cash, and approximately one pound of methamphetamine.
On March 9, 2021, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment charging Schirm with smuggling goods from the U.S. One month later, on April 6, 2021, he was indicted a second time for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a trademark die, criminal attempt to manufacture adulterated and misbranded drugs, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
On May 24, 2022, Schirm pleaded guilty to smuggling goods from the U.S. and possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
These cases were investigated by HSI and DEA with assistance from CBP and the Clackamas County Interagency Task Force (CCITF). They were prosecuted by Cassady A. Adams, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Political Consultant Sentenced for Scheme Involving Illegal Foreign Campaign Contribution to 2016 Presidential CampaignRead the Press Release
A Texas man was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for his role in funneling illegal foreign campaign contributions from a Russian national to a 2016 presidential campaign.
According to court documents, Jessie R. Benton, 45, of The Woodlands, schemed with another political advisor to funnel political contributions to a 2016 presidential campaign from a Russian national seeking to meet and take a picture with the presidential candidate. Benton arranged for the Russian national – whose nationality Benton concealed from the campaign and the candidate – to attend a campaign fundraising event and to take a picture with the candidate.
As such attendance and engagement required a contribution, Benton caused the Russian national to wire $100,000 to Benton’s political consulting firm to make an illegal foreign contribution to the campaign. To disguise the scheme, Benton created a fake invoice, which falsely identified the funds as payment for consulting services. Benton acted as a straw donor and contributed $25,000 of the Russian national’s money to the campaign, falsely identified himself as the contributor, and pocketed the remaining $75,000. Because Benton falsely claimed to have given the contribution himself, the relevant campaign entities unwittingly filed reports with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) that inaccurately reported Benton – instead of the Russian national – as the source of the funds.
In November 2022, Benton was convicted at trial of conspiring to solicit and cause an illegal campaign contribution by a foreign national, effecting a conduit contribution, and causing false records to be filed with the FEC.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman for the Southern District of California, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy of the FBI San Diego Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI San Diego Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Rebecca G. Ross and Michelle K. Parikh of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle L. Wasserman for the Southern District of California, while serving in her capacity as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, prosecuted the case.
Pittsfield Nurse Sentenced for Stealing Fentanyl from Critical Care PatientRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A registered nurse was sentenced today in federal court in Springfield for stealing fentanyl being administered to a critical care patient.
Jessica Lotto, 37, of Pittsfield, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to three months in prison and one year of supervised release. On May 31, 2022, Lotto pleaded guilty to one count of acquiring a controlled substance by fraud, deceit or subterfuge.
In February 2019, while working as a nurse at Berkshire Medical Center, Lotto entered a patient’s room in the critical care unit where she used a syringe to steal fentanyl being administered to the patient through an IV line. The patient was sedated and unaware of Lotto’s actions. Lotto later admitted to taking the drug from the patient.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Fernando McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, New York Field Office; and Margret R. Cooke, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Deepika Bains Shukla, Chief of Rollins’ Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Pensacola Violent Felon Convicted of Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – A federal jury convicted Michael Joe Green, II, 49, of Pensacola, of conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, and the distribution of 500 grams or more of cocaine. The guilty verdict, returned today at the conclusion of a four-day trial, was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
In July 2021, the United States Postal Inspection Service seized a package sent from Houston, Texas, to Pensacola, Florida containing over two kilograms of cocaine. An extended multi-agency investigation determined that Green had purchased certain unique packing materials used to ship the cocaine and directed his girlfriend to mail it to his mother’s address in Pensacola on his behalf. The investigation also revealed that during late 2021 and early 2022, Green made frequent trips to the Houston area to obtain large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine and directed the transport of the drugs back to the Pensacola area for distribution.
In February 2022, Green was driving from Houston in tandem rental vehicles with his wife and others when both cars were stopped by law enforcement in Louisiana. Officers found and seized approximately eight pounds of cocaine and over half a kilogram of methamphetamine pills in the rental vehicle occupied by Green’s wife. On the same day, search warrants were executed at two residences in Escambia County associated with Green. Loaded firearms, small amounts of drugs, and documents addressed to Green at both residences were found in the houses.
Sentencing in this case is set for May 22, 2023, at 9:00 a.m., at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers. Due to the large quantity of drugs involved in his crimes and his multiple prior serious violent felony convictions—including armed burglary, armed robbery, aggravated assault, shooting in an occupied vehicle, resisting arrest with violence, and aggravated battery with great bodily harm, for which he served a sentence in state prison – Green faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 25 years and a maximum of life in prison.
This case resulted from a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Marshals Service, and Lake Charles (Louisiana) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Jennifer H. Callahan prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust
and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Pascagoula Woman Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement of Labor FundsRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. -- A Pascagoula woman pled guilty to embezzlement of labor organization funds, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca.
According to court documents, from January 2016 through February 2020, Lisa Bennett, 51, an elected business agent and then self-appointed secretary and treasurer of the Office and Professional Employees International Union (“OPEIU) Local 204, in Pascagoula, embezzled and converted to her own use assets in the form of moneys and funds of the OPEIU Local 204 labor organization.
Bennett’s embezzlement included receipt of unauthorized checks from the union’s checking account to herself for lost time she was not entitled to receive, personal cell phone bills, the unapproved doubling of her salary and other unauthorized payments and expenses. The indictment charged Bennett embezzled labor assets in the approximate amount of $33,236.93.
Bennett is scheduled to be sentenced on May 26, 2023, at 10:30 a.m., in Gulfport. She faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the U. S. Department of Labor, Employment Standards Administration, Office of Labor-Management Relations.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Meynardie and Andrea Jones.
Okmulgee County Resident Pleads Guilty to Double Homicide in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Austin Dean McMahan, age 24, of Okmulgee, Oklahoma entered a guilty plea to an Information charging him with two counts of Murder in Indian Country – Second Degree, punishable by up to life imprisonment, a fine up to $250,000.00, or both.
The Information alleged that on or about April 7, 2020, the defendant unlawfully, with malice aforethought, shot and killed two victims. During the plea hearing, the defendant admitted that he picked up a handgun and unlawfully shot the first victim in her head and then shot the second victim numerous times throughout his body. The defendant committed these murders while in their home in Okmulgee, Oklahoma.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma prosecuted the case because the Defendant is a member of a federally recognized Indian tribe and the crimes occurred in Okmulgee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation and within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Okmulgee Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
Assistant United States Attorney Casey Richmond and Department of Justice Criminal Division Organized Crime and Gang Section Trial Attorney Cesar Rivera-Giraud represented the United States.
Ohio Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine PossessionRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Stephen Clark, 36, of Akron, Ohio, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for Possession With Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Clark to 66 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a five-year term of supervised release.
On July 16, 2020, DEA agents at the Omaha bus terminal identified a suspicious suitcase that had arrived on a bus from Denver. Agents asked the passengers, including Clark, if the suitcase belonged to them and no one claimed it. Considering the suitcase abandoned, agents searched it and found 12 pounds of methamphetamine inside. Surveillance footage from the bus company showed Clark in possession of the suitcase in Denver.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Agency.
New York Pharmacist Pleads Guilty to Narcotics and Tax OffensesRead the Press Release
A New York pharmacist pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute oxycodone, distribution and possession of oxycodone and filing false business and personal income tax returns.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Daniel E. Russo owned and operated Russo’s Pharmacy, Inc., a drug store located in Far Rockaway, Queens. From 2011 through 2014, Russo conspired with others to illegally distribute oxycodone, a controlled substance. For the years 2013 through 2016, Russo filed false tax returns with the IRS on behalf of Russo’s Pharmacy that underreported the gross receipts and ordinary business income of the pharmacy. Russo also filed false personal tax returns for the years 2012 through 2016 that underreported the income he received from Russo’s Pharmacy. In total, Russo caused a tax loss of more than $415,000.
“At the same time Daniel Russo was illegally peddling oxycodone out of his pharmacy, he was pocketing – and not paying taxes on – income from those sales and others in his business,” said Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division. “Everyone is required to pay their fair share of taxes, whether they make their money legitimately or through criminal activity.”
“All too often the opioid epidemic has shown that health care professionals wearing white coats are drug dealers,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace from the Eastern District of New York. “Russo abused his pharmacy license and the trust placed in him by the community to illegally distribute enormous amounts of oxycodone, spreading misery in the community and fueling addiction, all to enrich himself. My Office will continue working with federal and local law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute medical professionals who illegally deal dangerous drugs with the same vigor as those who distribute drugs on the street.”
Russo faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each of the conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute counts, and three years in prison for each count of filing a false tax return. The defendant also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties, as well as forfeiture. U.S. District Court Judge Dora L. Irizarry will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Health and Human Services, and IRS-Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Michael C. Vasiliadis of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Francisco Navarro, Nomi D. Berenson and Andrew D. Wang prosecuted the case.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Bank FraudRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that GREGORY JOSEPH HERNANDEZ, age 67, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced yesterday in United States District Court on one count of Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371.
According to court documents, HERNANDEZ stole checks from the mail and altered the information on the stolen checks to include his name or the name of a co-conspirator. On two instances, HERNANDEZ was captured on surveillance video rifling through a company’s mailbox in New Orleans and stealing pieces of mail. HERNANDEZ and his co-conspirators then deposited and cashed the altered checks at financial institutions in the New Orleans area. Through this scheme, HERNANDEZ caused an intended loss of approximately $56,946.88 to financial institutions.
U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Barbier sentenced HERNANDEZ to serve 33 months in prison, to be followed by three (3) years of supervised release. HERNANDEZ was ordered to pay restitution to the First Horizon Bank in the amount of $31,426.21. Judge Barbier also imposed a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Postal Inspection Service and the New Orleans Police Department in this investigation. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Carboni.
New Haven Man Charged with Narcotics Distribution OffenseRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Jean Pierre Njock, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson announced that ZAQUAWN ARRINGTON, also known as “Dreads,” 23, of New Haven, was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging him with possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, controlled substances.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, in April 2022, Arrington began serving a three-year term of supervised release, which followed a federal conviction for a crack cocaine distribution offense. Between October and December 2022, investigators made controlled purchases of suspected crack cocaine and fentanyl from Arrington and his associates. When he was arrested this morning, Arrington possessed a quantity of suspected crack and $500 in cash.
Arrington appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria E. Garcia in New Haven and was ordered detained.
The charge of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, controlled substances carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that a criminal complaint is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force and the New Haven Police Department. The Task Force includes members from the Connecticut State Police, Connecticut Department of Correction and the New Haven, Milford, East Haven and West Haven Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Pierpont, Jr. and Nathaniel J. Gentile.
Montana Man Convicted of Federal Hate Crimes and Firearms Charges for Shooting Intended to Rid Community of the Lesbian and Gay MembersRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted a Montana man of hate and firearms crimes for firing an AK-style assault rifle at the residence of a woman, who identified as lesbian, and was home at the time.
After a four-day trial that began on Feb. 14, the jury found John Russell Howald, 46, of Basin, Montana, guilty of hate crime acts and discharge of firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence as charged in a superseding indictment.
“This defendant is being held accountable for attempting to violently eliminate the entire LGBTQ community in a small Montana town,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This hate crime and violent campaign targeting the LGBTQ community is a reminder of the epidemic of hate violence targeting people based on their sexual orientation. All people have the right to feel safe in their homes and communities, regardless of who they love. The Civil Rights Division will continue to work with our federal, state, and local partners to safeguard the civil rights of LGBTQ people affected by hate violence, hold perpetrators accountable, and ensure justice for victims of bias-motivated crimes.”
“The victim in this case was targeted by the defendant for no other reason than her sexual orientation when he fired bullets at her home while she was inside of it. There will be zero tolerance by our office in prosecuting those who commit hate crimes against our fellow Montanans, as no one should have to live in fear of potentially deadly violence simply because of whom they love,” said U.S. Attorney Jess Laslovich for the District of Montana. “I am pleased the jury agreed with us and I sincerely thank Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan R. Plaut and Trial Attorney Eric N. Peffley, Criminal Section, Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice, along with the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Jefferson County’s Sheriff’s Office for investigating and prosecuting this case.”
“Hate crimes are especially devastating because a vicious act against one person is an attack on an entire community,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office. “I want to reassure Montana citizens the FBI is committed to defending and protecting the rights of all persons and encourage the public to report hate crimes to the FBI and local law enforcement.”
According to court documents and statements in court, on March 22, 2020, Howald went on a self-described mission to rid the town of Basin of its lesbian and gay community. Armed with three rifles and two pistols, and knowing that the victim identified as a lesbian, Howald approached her residence on foot and fired an AK-style assault rifle at her property. Several rounds went through the victim’s fence and rounds hit her yard and porch. One round traveled through a wall of the home, bounced off the kitchen ceiling and lodged in a wall in the room. The victim was at home at the time but was not struck.
After firing at the victim’s house, the government alleged, Howald walked down the street toward other houses occupied by people who identify and are known locally as gay or lesbian. A church service had just finished and individuals leaving church saw Howald walking on street, recognized him and approached. The individuals heard Howald talk about his mission of killing lesbian and gay people in town and saw his weapons. They approached and tried to talk Howald down. One of those people, a pastor, unknowingly had left on a recording device that he used for his sermons. The device recorded about 10 minutes of his interaction with Howald until Howald demanded that the pastor walk away. The recording captured Howald making statements that he might have killed a lesbian and that he hoped he had, and that he was going to get rid of lesbians and queers in Basin. The recording also captured Howald firing off several more rounds during his interaction with these individuals.
Responding to a 911 call to the scene, a Jefferson County Sheriff’s deputy ordered Howald to put down his guns. Howald refused, pointed a rifle at the deputy and fled on foot, firing at least one more shot as he went. Sheriff’s officers arrested Howald the next day and found that he had a knife and loaded pistol on his person and an AR-style rifle and revolver in his car. During a search of his camper, officers found an AK-style rifle, a hunting rifle and ammunition.
Howald faces a maximum of life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release on the hate crime conviction and a mandatory minimum 10 years to life imprisonment, consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,00 fine and five years of supervised release on the firearm conviction.
The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is set for June 15 before Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris. Howald was detained pending further proceedings.
The FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, ATF and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan R. Plaut for the District of Montana and Trial Attorney Eric N. Peffley of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
Montana Man Convicted of Federal Hate Crimes and Firearms Charges for Shooting Intended to Rid Community of the Lesbian and Gay MembersRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — A federal jury convicted a Montana man of hate and firearms crimes for firing an AK-style assault rifle at the residence of a woman, who identified as lesbian, and was home at the time.
After a four-day trial that began on Feb. 14 in Helena, the jury found John Russell Howald, 46, of Basin, guilty today of hate crime acts and discharge of firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence as charged in a superseding indictment.
“This defendant is being held accountable for attempting to violently eliminate the entire LGBTQ community in a small Montana town,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This hate crime and violent campaign targeting the LGBTQ community is a reminder of the epidemic of hate violence targeting people based on their sexual orientation. All people have the right to feel safe in their homes and communities, regardless of who they love. The Civil Rights Division will continue to work with our federal, state, and local partners to safeguard the civil rights of LGBTQ people affected by hate violence, hold perpetrators accountable, and ensure justice for victims of bias-motivated crimes.”
“The victim in this case was targeted by the Defendant for no other reason than her sexual orientation when he fired bullets at her home while she was inside of it. There will be zero tolerance by our office in prosecuting those who commit hate crimes against our fellow Montanans, as no one should have to live in fear of potentially deadly violence simply because of whom they love. I am pleased the jury agreed with us and I sincerely thank Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan R. Plaut and Trial Attorney Eric N. Peffley, Criminal Section, Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice, along with the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Jefferson County’s Sheriff’s Office for investigating and prosecuting this case.” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.
“Hate crimes are especially devastating because a vicious act against one person is an attack on an entire community,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the Salt Lake City FBI. “I want to reassure Montana citizens the FBI is committed to defending and protecting the rights of all persons and encourage the public to report hate crimes to the FBI and local law enforcement.”
According to court documents and statements in court, on March 22, 2020, Howald went on a self-described mission to rid the town of Basin of its lesbian and gay community. Armed with three rifles and two pistols, and knowing that the victim identified as a lesbian, Howald approached her residence on foot and fired an AK-style assault rifle at her property. Several rounds went through the victim’s fence and rounds hit her yard and porch. One round traveled through a wall of the home, bounced off the kitchen ceiling and lodged in a wall in the room. The victim was at home at the time but was not struck.
After firing at the victim’s house, the government alleged, Howald walked down the street toward other houses occupied by people who identify and are known locally as gay or lesbian. A church service had just finished and individuals leaving church saw Howald walking on the street, recognized him and approached. The individuals heard Howald talk about his mission of killing lesbian and gay people in town and saw his weapons. They approached and tried to talk Howald down. One of these people, a pastor, unknowingly had left on a recording device that he used for his sermons. The device recorded about 10 minutes of his interaction with Howald until Howald demanded that the pastor walk away. The recording captured Howald making statements that he might have killed a lesbian and that he hoped he had, and that he was going to get rid of lesbians and queers in Basin. The recording also captured Howald firing off several more rounds during his interaction with these individuals.
Responding to a 911 call to the scene, a Jefferson County Sheriff’s deputy ordered Howald to put down his guns. Howald refused, pointed a rifle at the deputy and fled on foot, firing at least one more shot as he went. Sheriff’s officers arrested Howald the next day and found that he had a knife and loaded pistol on his person and an AR-style rifle and revolver in his car. During a search of his camper, officers found an AK-style rifle, a hunting rifle and ammunition.
Howald faces a maximum of life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release on the hate crime conviction and a mandatory minimum 10 years to life imprisonment, consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,00 fine and five years of supervised release on the firearm conviction.
The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is set for June 15 before Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris. Howald was detained pending further proceedings.
The FBI, ATF and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan R. Plaut for the District of Montana and Trial Attorney Eric N. Peffley of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
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Midland Meth Trafficker Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
MIDLAND, Texas – A San Antonio man was sentenced in federal court in Midland today to 181 months in prison for his role in a methamphetamine distribution ring in Midland.
According to court documents, Jimmy Dwayne Smith, 42, and a co-conspirator, Vanessa Elfreda Flores, 40, had been distributing methamphetamine in the Midland area in June 2022. Detectives conducted several controlled purchases of the drug from both Smith and Flores and, in July 2022, obtained search warrants for Smith’s motel room and Flores’s apartment. Through those warrants, the detectives recovered six firearms, including several loaded with extended magazines; thousands of dollars; methamphetamine; and other drug paraphernalia. Smith was arrested on July 21, 2022 and has remained in federal custody since the arrest.
Smith and Flores each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Smith also pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Flores was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison on Dec. 7, 2022. A third defendant, Brook Clayton Aslin, 40, of Midland, whom Flores had supplied with methamphetamine and who had distributed more than one kilogram of methamphetamine from January to June 2022, was sentenced to 151 months in federal prison on Jan. 5, 2023.
“Methamphetamine is an extremely dangerous drug that continues to plague our Texas communities,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas. “Our office makes it a priority to disrupt the operations of those who traffic in this poison, and I thank our local law enforcement partners for also prioritizing anti-drug trafficking, helping us bring violators to justice.”
The Midland Police Department Narcotics Unit investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Mahoney prosecuted the case, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Tindall handling the forfeiture component.
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