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9 February 2023
Ninth Defendant Sentenced in Case Against Organized Fraud, Money Laundering SchemesRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – A dual Nigerian and Canadian citizen was sentenced today in federal court in Austin to 87 months imprisonment, ordered to pay more than $1.67 million in restitution, and forfeited a $2 million money judgment for his role in a conspiracy to commit fraud.
According to court documents, Ejiro Efevwerha aka Festus Akpobonme, 47, facilitated laundering the proceeds of fraud by connecting launderers in the U.S. to fraudsters located overseas. The conspiracy used a network of individuals in the U.S. to receive victim money in U.S. bank accounts, often opened under fraudulent names, and transferred those funds to co-conspirators inside and outside of the U.S.
The types of fraud used against the victims over more than three years included grandchildren-in-jail scams, romance scams, inheritance scams, lottery scams and investment scams, among others. Investigators identified a total victim loss of more than $3.9 million in fraud proceeds from hundreds of victims laundered by the conspiracy. Efevwerha was extradited from Canada to the Western District of Texas in July 2021. He pleaded guilty on Oct. 19, 2022.
“This case is another example of our dedication to bring fraudsters to justice, whether they are inside the United States or attempting to hide overseas,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas. “The scams perpetrated and facilitated by this conspiracy prey on our most vulnerable citizens. I commend the work of our law enforcement partners who help hold accountable both those who commit fraud and those that help fraudsters hide their profits.”
“This judgment shows HSI’s success in protecting our nation’s seniors and communities from fraud by malicious actors overseas,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of the Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Division. “Fraudulent schemes of any kind are disgraceful, especially when they target vulnerable populations. HSI will continue to work with our international partners and other law enforcement agencies to put an end to these transnational criminal organizations.”
“Efevwerha provided a pivotal role in facilitating the movement of victim funds from the U.S. to other countries. The scheme targeted innocent people, many elderly, for millions of dollars. These are kind hearted people, but now they will never forget how their kindness was taken advantage of,” said Special Agent in Charge Ramsey E. Covington of IRS Criminal Investigation’s (IRS-CI) sHouston Field Office. “We can’t heal the damage he and the other criminals did to the victims and their families, but we helped bring justice, and hopefully some peace of mind. This is what our special agents and the prosecutors they partner with do, and I hope it sends a message to anyone thinking about committing fraud in the future.”
Co-defendant Ochuko Sylvester Eruotor pleaded guilty after being extradited to the Western District of Texas from Germany and was sentenced in July 2018 to 168 months in federal prison for his role in the multi-million-dollar fraud and money laundering schemes. The other seven co-defendants sentenced received a combined 446 months in prison and were ordered to pay restitution.
Law enforcement is continuing its search for a co-conspirator who remains a fugitive of this case. If you know the whereabouts of Ejovwoke Mark Egorho, please contact the HSI Tip Line at 866-347-2423.
HSI and IRS-CI investigated the case with the help of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Toronto Police Service and Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Galdo prosecuted the case.
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NYCHA Superintendents Sentenced to Prison for Accepting BribesRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that LEROY GIBBS was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon to 33 months in prison, and JULIO FIGUEROA was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote to 15 months in prison, for accepting bribes in exchange for awarding no-bid contracts at the New York City Housing Authority (“NYCHA”) facilities where they worked. GIBBS also obstructed justice in the weeks before his sentencing. GIBBS and FIGUEROA each previously pled guilty to one count of solicitation and receipt of a bribe.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Leroy Gibbs and Julio Figueroa betrayed the trust of NYCHA and harmed the residents of Douglass Houses and Ft. Independence Houses, taxpayers, and the contractors who were forced to pay them bribes in order to receive work – all so that they could line their pockets. By accepting bribes, they put greed above their duty to the public.”
According to the Complaints, Informations, and statements made in court proceedings and filings:
In February 2020, GIBBS, who was then employed as the Resident Buildings Superintendent at Douglass Houses in New York, New York, solicited and accepted approximately $2,000 in bribes from a confidential informant (the “CI”) in exchange for awarding no-bid contracts to the CI worth a total of approximately $9,950 from NYCHA for work at that NYCHA facility.
These were not the only bribes GIBBS solicited and received; between at least 2019 and 2022, GIBBS demanded bribes from numerous other contractors who sought to do work for NYCHA at Douglass Houses. For example, in one text message exchange in February 2020, GIBBS wrote to a contractor, “so there isn’t anything confusion like before. What is my $ from this? I have to ask because you guys were trying to be funny last time.” The contractor replied, “Good evening sir[,] 50k yours 50k us.” If contractors were too explicit about the bribery scheme in their messages to GIBBS, he admonished them; for example, when a contractor asked GIBBS, “Did [my associate] gave you 4k last week?”, GIBBS replied, “Don’t ever text something like that. Ever are you crazy.” GIBBS also referred to his practice of receiving a $1,000 bribe for each awarded job as his “side hustle,” and wrote that he had previously “put hands on” a contractor who had threatened to report his corruption.
In January 2023, just weeks before he was due to be sentenced, GIBBS took several steps to obstruct justice, including by deleting text messages and obtaining a new phone number to communicate with a co-conspirator.
Between July 2021 and August 2022, FIGUEROA, who was then employed as the Assistant Resident Buildings Superintendent at the Ft. Independence St.-Heath Ave. Houses in the Bronx, New York, solicited and accepted approximately $6,000 in bribes from the CI in exchange for awarding no-bid contracts to the CI worth a total of approximately $46,622 from NYCHA for work at that NYCHA facility. FIGUEROA continued to solicit bribes even after learning about the arrests of nine NYCHA contractors in September 2021 for paying bribes, telling the CI that he hoped he would not be the subject of an undercover investigation and that he would probably only deal with the CI from then on because the news of the arrests scared him.
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In addition to his prison sentence, GIBBS, 58, of Bay Shore, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release, including 120 hours of community service per year, and was ordered to pay a $100,000 fine, forfeit $2,000, and pay $2,000 in restitution.
In addition to his prison sentence, FIGUEROA, 45, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and was ordered to forfeit $6,000 and pay $6,000 in restitution.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Department of Investigation, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General, and the Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Catherine Ghosh and Robert B. Sobelman are in charge of the prosecution.
Movie Producer Sentenced for Conspiring to Operate A Prostitution BusinessRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that DILLON JORDAN, a/k/a “Daniel Jordan,” a/k/a “Daniel Maurice Hatton,” a/k/a “Daniel Bohler,” was sentenced today to five years in prison in connection with operating a prostitution business with national and international reach from 2010 through 2017. JORDAN pled guilty to conspiracy to violate the Mann Act on September 1, 2022, before U.S. District Judge John P. Cronan. Judge Cronan imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “For years, the defendant operated and profited from an extensive prostitution business that catered to wealthy men and was predicated on the exploitation of young women. This Office is committed to prosecuting the perpetrators of sex crimes, especially those who use physical and emotional abuse to make a profit.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment and statements made in Court:
From in or about 2010 through at least in or about May 2017, JORDAN operated a prostitution business throughout the United States and abroad. JORDAN maintained a roster of women who resided around the United States and who, in exchange for payment, performed sexual acts for JORDAN’s clients at locations throughout the United States, including the Southern District of New York, and abroad. JORDAN communicated with the clients of his prostitution business by email to coordinate the prostitution services, which included sending to clients photos of women who were available for hire for prostitution services, discussing the price of prostitution services, and overseeing travel logistics for women to travel to engage in prostitution. At times, JORDAN himself arranged the interstate travel for the women to engage in prostitution, and at other times, clients, at JORDAN’s direction, arranged the interstate travel for the women whom JORDAN directed to those clients. To facilitate his prostitution business, JORDAN also coordinated with a United Kingdom-based madam by sharing and referring customers and prostitutes.
JORDAN personally recruited women to work for him to engage in prostitution. JORDAN emotionally and sexually abused at least some of the women who engaged in paid sex work at his direction or whom he sought to recruit to engage in prostitution on his behalf. Prior to operating the prostitution business that is the basis of this conviction, JORDAN was in prison in Cuba for eight years for sex crimes. JORDAN began operating the prostitution business that is the basis of this conviction immediately upon his return to the United States from Cuban prison in 2010.
JORDAN primarily managed the finances of the prostitution business through two front companies – a purported party and event planning company and a movie production company – incorporated in California. JORDAN opened multiple bank accounts for these companies, which he used to accept cash, wire, and check payments for prostitution services from clients and to pay for the expenses of the prostitution business, including paying the women for their prostitution services by cash and check. By using the two front companies to receive deposits from the prostitution business, JORDAN ensured that transactions involving those proceeds from the prostitution business would disguise the nature, source, and origin of those proceeds.
In imposing today’s sentence, Judge Cronan emphasized that JORDAN’s “whole business was based on the exploitation of women… Each of whom has endured permanent physical and emotional scars… I may have well gone beyond five years, if I had the authority to do so.”
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In addition to the prison term, JORDAN, 50, of Lake Arrowhead, California, was sentenced to three years of supervised release. JORDAN was further ordered to pay a forfeiture of $1,429,717.
Mr. Williams praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cecilia E. Vogel is in charge of the prosecution.
Minnesota Attorney Charged with Employment Tax and False Return CrimesRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in St. Paul returned an indictment today charging a Hennepin County attorney with employment tax violations and aiding the filing of false individual income tax returns.
According to the indictment, from 2016 through 2019, Kassius Orlando Benson owned and operated a law practice, at times known as Kassius Benson Law, P.A. or Office of Kassius O. Benson, P.A. The indictment alleges that Benson did not file the required Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Returns (Forms 941) for his law practice or pay over to the IRS the employment taxes withheld from his employees’ wages.
The indictment further alleges that, for 2017 through 2019, Benson knowingly aided in the preparation of his own false individual income tax returns (Forms 1040) by claiming that his law practice withheld federal income taxes from his wages and had paid those withholdings over to the IRS. According to the indictment, as owner and sole shareholder of his law practice, Benson allegedly knew his law practice had not paid over to the IRS any of the federal income taxes he claimed had been withheld from his wages.
Benson is charged with fourteen counts of failing to account for and pay over employment taxes, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7202, and three counts of aiding the preparation of a false tax return, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7206(2). If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each employment tax offense and three years in prison for each false tax return offense. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Assistant Chief Matthew J. Kluge of the Justice Department’s Tax Division is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Mexican Man Involved in Mexico Based Drug Trafficking Organization Found Guilty in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
A Mexican man involved in a Mexico‑based drug trafficking organization that was distributing significant amounts of methamphetamine in the Waterloo, Iowa, area was convicted by a jury today after a three‑day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Luis Carlos Corral Lopez, age 31, from Caborca, Sonora, Mexico, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. The verdict was returned this afternoon following about five hours of jury deliberations.
The evidence at trial showed that, in late November or early December 2020, Corral Lopez was sent by a Mexico‑based drug trafficking organization to Waterloo to oversee the organization’s distribution of methamphetamine in the Waterloo area. After he arrived, Corral Lopez acquired approximately twenty‑two pounds of methamphetamine. Corral Lopez then distributed all of the methamphetamine to street‑level distributors in the Waterloo area.
The evidence at trial also showed that, between January 2020 and January 2022, law enforcement had seized almost two hundred pounds of methamphetamine and twenty‑three pounds of fentanyl from the Mexico‑based organization.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Corral Lopez remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Corral Lopez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and a lifetime term of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Dillan Edwards and Ashley Corkery, and it was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force consisting of the Waterloo Police Department, Cedar Falls Police Department, Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Department, Evansdale Police Department, Waverly Police Department, Hudson Police Department, La Porte City Police Department, and the Bremer County Sheriff’s Department; the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the United States Postal Inspection Service; and Homeland Security Investigations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-02039-CJW.
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Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, FL – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Shawn Curtis Robinson, Jr. (33, Jacksonville) to 10 years in federal prison for distributing over 50 grams of pure methamphetamine. Robinson had pleaded guilty on December 28, 2021.
According to court documents, Robinson started selling methamphetamine to an undercover detective in March 2021. The methamphetamine purity level was very high, with one laboratory testing placing its purity level at 100%. Robinson was ultimately held responsible for the distribution of almost one-fourth kilogram of pure methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Laura Taylor and Frank Talbot.
Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to More Than 13 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Felipe Kearley (28, Jacksonville) to 13 years and 9 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and distribution of 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine. Kearley had pleaded on October 20, 2022. In June 2022, Kearley’s co-defendant, George Walters (32, Jacksonville), was sentenced to 11 years and 8 months in federal prison. Walters was convicted of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine.
According to court documents, on February 4, 2021, Kearley met with a cooperating individual who made contact with the methamphetamine supplier, Walters, and received a pound of methamphetamine in exchange for $5,500. On February 19, 2021, Kearley arranged another transaction with Walters in a public parking lot. Walters fled from law enforcement on foot and threw two packages, one containing over two kilograms of methamphetamine with a purity level of 98.9%, and the second containing cocaine weighing 27.9 grams.
“Methamphetamine is a poison that erodes our communities and our culture,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “This 13-plus-year sentence is a direct result of outstanding law enforcement partnerships between HSI, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Florida Highway Patrol, and serves as a strong notice that we will continue to seek out and prosecute those who introduce illicit narcotics into our communities.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julie Hackenberry. The asset forfeiture was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.
Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Traffick FirearmsRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Julius Clemente, 25, of Brockton, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to commit firearms trafficking, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Clemente and another individual agreed to purchase firearms from federal firearms licensees in New Hampshire and sell them to persons who lived outside of New Hampshire or were otherwise ineligible to purchase firearms. Clemente and the other person texted to coordinate the purchase of particular firearms and discuss estimated profits, pricing for resale, and method of payment. Over 20 firearms were purchased over the course of the conspiracy in New Hampshire, and some of the firearms were later recovered by law enforcement in Massachusetts. Clemente also solicited a third individual to purchase additional firearms on his behalf to work off a drug debt.
Clemente is scheduled to be sentenced on May 18, 2023.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander S. Chen and Seth R. Aframe.
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Man Who Possessed Stolen Gun and Participated in Catalytic Converter Theft Ring Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that THEODORE ROOSEVELT OWENS, 22, of Hartford, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to offenses related to his possession of a stolen firearm and his role in a catalytic converter theft ring.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 21, 2021, Vernon Police arrested Owens in a hotel parking lot on outstanding warrants. An investigation revealed that, shortly before his arrest, Owens possessed a loaded Zigana, Model PX-9 G2, 9mm pistol, which he had cause to believe was stolen, and approximately five grams of crack cocaine. The firearm was part of a shipment of 50 Zigana PX-9G2 pistols that was stolen from an R&L Carriers warehouse in South Windsor in August 2021.
The investigation further revealed that Owens had conspired with others in the theft and sale of catalytic converters. Between September 24 and October 17, 2021, Owens sold a co-conspirator $26,320 worth of catalytic converters, including converters that Owens knew were stolen. Owens’ co-conspirator transported the converters to other businesses, including businesses in New York and New Jersey, for further resale and profit.
Owens pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful possession of a stolen firearm, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and one count of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. A sentencing date is not scheduled.
Owens has been detained since his arrest.
The firearm theft investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the South Windsor Police Department and East Hartford Police Department. The catalytic converter investigation is being led by the ATF, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), and the East Hartford Police Department. These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and A. Reed Durham.
Man Sentenced for Scheme Involving U.S.-Funded Military ContractsRead the Press Release
A Massachusetts man was sentenced today to 33 months in prison for his role in a scheme in which he accepted bribes from an Afghan company in exchange for helping it deceive the U.S. military into awarding at least 10 contracts at inflated values.
According to court documents, Todd Coleman, 48, of South Deerfield, was an analyst at a U.S. company who was deployed to Afghanistan in 2011 and 2012 to evaluate bids for U.S.-funded reconstruction contracts awarded by the U.S. military. At that time, Coleman and Orlando Clark, a manager of reconstruction projects at a different U.S. company who was also deployed to Afghanistan, received approximately $400,000 in bribes from an Afghan company. In return, Coleman and Clark assisted the company in obtaining millions of dollars in contracts that involved the construction of an Afghan police station and a security checkpoint for U.S. forces.
To conceal their conduct, Coleman and Clark registered fictitious companies in the State of Georgia and opened bank accounts to which bribes were sent via wire transfers from Afghanistan. Coleman and Clark also created false invoices to make it appear as though they were involved in a car-exporting business in the United Arab Emirates. In reality, Coleman and Clark used the bribe payments to enrich themselves by purchasing personal items, such as a BMW. During the scheme, Coleman and Clark also travelled to the United Arab Emirates to receive cash bribes, which they smuggled into the United States without declaring the currency.
On Jan. 4, Clark pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official and (in an unrelated scheme) conspiracy to commit visa fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 12 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia; Inspector General John F. Sopko of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR); Special Agent in Charge Stanley A. Newell of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Transnational Operations Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Peter Tolentino of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), Economic Crimes Field Office made the announcement.
SIGAR, DCIS, and NCIS investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Matt Kahn of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell Phillips for the Northern District of Georgia prosecuted the case.
Man Charged with Impersonating an Officer Detained Following Initial AppearanceRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ga. – A federal criminal complaint charging a Columbus resident with impersonating a federal agent was unsealed today.
Robert Earhart, Jr., 38, of Columbus, Georgia, had his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Court Judge Stephen Hyles at the U.S. Courthouse in Columbus today and was ordered detained by the Court. Earhart, Jr. is charged by criminal complaint with one count of false personation of an officer or employee of the United States. If convicted, Earhart, Jr. faces a maximum sentence of three years imprisonment to be followed by one year of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
According to court proceedings and the criminal complaint, Earhart, Jr. allegedly left a voicemail with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Columbus on Jan. 11, identifying himself as a CIA Agent with the “protective operations division” with top security clearance and requesting a meeting with U.S. Attorney Peter Leary. Earhart, Jr. is also alleged to have represented himself as a Homeland Security agent. Earhart, Jr. has a history of impersonating law enforcement officers, including previously identifying himself as a DEA agent, when he attempted to free three inmates from the Muscogee County, Georgia, jail in May 2019. Earhart, Jr. was taken into custody by local law enforcement at the U.S. Courthouse in Columbus, on Feb. 8.
The case was investigated by the FBI, with valuable assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service and the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Helmick is prosecuting the case.
A complaint is only an allegation of criminal conduct, and all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt.
Madison Heights Pharmacist Sentenced for Diverting over 25,000 Opioid PillsRead the Press Release
DETROIT - A Madison Heights pharmacist was sentenced today to 84 months in federal prison based on his convictions for conspiring to distribute over 25,000 opioid pills and for money laundering, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, Detroit Division and Acting Special Agent in Charge Charles Miller, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, Detroit Division.
Yousef Kosho, 44, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Cleland. According to court records, Kosho operated Great Health Pharmacy, in Madison Heights, Michigan. He used the pharmacy to engage in a scheme and pattern of illegal conduct involving the unlawful distribution of prescription drugs. Specifically, Kosho distributed prescription drugs from the pharmacy illegally, outside the course of usual professional pharmacy practice and for no legitimate medical purpose.
Kosho would unlawfully dispense controlled substances by filling prescriptions for patient recruiters, including co-defendant Omar Madison, upon accepting cash payments. At times, these prescriptions would be dispensed in the names of patients who never frequented the pharmacy. Co-defendant patient recruiter Madison would simply provide prescriptions to Kosho for dispensing without ever bringing the patient to the pharmacy. At other times, Kosho would sell entire pharmacy stock bottles of controlled substances to co-defendant Madison, and others without any medical prescriptions.
Kosho pled guilty to unlawfully dispensing 25,253 dosage units of Schedule II controlled substances including Oxycodone HCl, Oxymorphone HCl, Oxycodone-Acetaminophen, Hydrocodone-Acetaminophen, and more than 200,000 milliliters of Schedule V controlled substance Promethazine with Codeine.
As part of the court’s sentence, Kohso was also ordered to forfeit approximately $1.2 million in cash that was seized by federal agents during the investigation. His co-defendant, Omar Madison, pleaded guilty to the drug trafficking conspiracy charge and was sentenced on February 7, 2023, to 72 months in federal prison.
“This pharmacist was spreading poison in our community instead of dispensing medicine and providing sound medical advice,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison. “My office will continue to investigate and prosecute medical professionals who abuse their licenses by selling drugs to satisfy their greed.”
“Irresponsible and criminal behavior by trusted medical professionals will absolutely not be tolerated. Mr. Kosho will now face the consequences of his unlawful acts. This case is a perfect example of what can be achieved when DEA and our law enforcement partners work collaboratively,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene.
“Our communities rely on our pharmacies to relieve suffering and not contribute to harmful addictions. Today’s sentence highlights the seriousness of Kohso’s conduct” said Charles Miller, Acting Special Agent in Charge Detroit Field Office, Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. “IRS-CI will remain vigilant in working with our law enforcement partners to identify and investigate those seeking to intensify opioid addiction in our society.”
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alison Furtaw and Regina McCullough, as part of the district’s efforts to address the nation’s opioid crisis. The Eastern District of Michigan is one of twelve districts included in the Attorney General’s Opioid Fraud Abuse and Detection initiative. The case was investigated by special agents of the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations.
Lynn CPA Sentenced for Mortgage and Tax Offenses in Decade-Long Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) from Lynn was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for creating fraudulent tax returns and submitting fraudulent letters to lenders in a multi-year mortgage fraud scheme.
David Plunkett, 57 was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to time served (approximately one day in prison) and three years of supervised release. Plunkett was also ordered to pay $147,500 in restitution to victims and $64,284 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. In February 2019, Plunkett pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of aiding in the submission of false tax returns.
Plunkett was charged in September 2018 along with co-defendants Joseph Bates III and George Kritopoulos. In October 2022, Kritopoulos was sentenced to four years in prison and two years of supervised release after being convicted by a federal jury of one count of conspiracy, two counts of wire fraud, six counts of bank fraud, one count of aiding the preparation of a false income tax return and one count of obstruction of justice. Kritopoulos was also ordered to pay restitution to lender victims in the amount of $2,238,354 and forfeiture of $700,000. On Jan. 25, 2023, Bates was sentenced to 18 months in prison and three years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy, three counts of wire fraud affecting a financial institution and two counts of bank fraud. Bates was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,238,354 and forfeiture of $700,000.
From 2006 through 2015, Bates, Kritopoulos and Plunkett engaged in a scheme to defraud banks and other financial institutions by causing false information to be submitted to those institutions on behalf of borrowers – people recruited to purchase properties – located primarily in Salem, Mass. The properties were usually multi-family buildings with two-to-four units, which Kritopoulos and Bates then converted into condominiums. Kritopoulos recruited new borrowers to purchase the individual condominium units. Kritopoulos also recruited Plunkett to prepare false tax returns in the names of the buyers to support the fraud scheme. Together, Kritopoulos and Bates created other false documents and provided them to lenders to obtain fraudulent mortgages for financing the purchases.
The false information submitted to lenders included, among other things, representations concerning the borrowers’ employment, income, assets and intent to occupy the property. Specifically, the false employment information included representations that borrowers were employed by entities that were, in fact, shell companies “owned” by Kritopoulos and were used to advance the fraudulent scheme. The employment information also included false representations about the income that the borrowers received from the entities, when the borrowers actually received little or no income from them. Furthermore, the income asserted on the borrowers’ loan applications substantially overstated their true income. The false information also included representations that the recruited borrowers intended to live in the properties that they were purchasing, when they did not intend to do so.
Plunkett assisted the scheme by preparing tax returns for some of the borrowers that contained false and inflated income. Some of those tax returns were submitted to lenders in support of the fraudulent loan applications. Plunkett also signed letters falsely representing that his CPA firm had prepared corporate tax returns for one of the shell entities, when in fact no such returns had ever been prepared or filed.
The borrowers did not have the financial ability to repay the loans, therefore in all but two instances among 21 properties, they defaulted on their loan payments, resulting in foreclosures and losses to the lenders.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Christina Scaringi, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, Northeastern Regional Office; and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Victor A. Wild, of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit and Brian M. LaMacchia, of Rollins’ Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit prosecuted the case.
La Crosse Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Marcelle Davis, 22, La Crosse, Wisconsin was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to five years in prison for being a felon in possession of firearms. The prison term will be followed by three years of supervised release. Davis pleaded guilty to this charge on October 7, 2022.
On March 8, 2022, La Crosse police officers responded to a call reporting a domestic dispute. Upon arriving to the area of the call, officers saw the victim holding a Ruger-57 firearm. She immediately dropped the gun and complied with officers’ commands. The victim was frantic, said that Davis was going to kill her, and had numerous injuries on her body. Officers recovered the handgun that the victim dropped, along with a .22 caliber handgun and a .357 revolver in the apartment that she said belonged to Davis. The victim reported that Davis hit her over the head with a handgun, pointed it at her face several times, and strangled her to unconsciousness. She then waited for a chance to escape and when that chance came, she got up, grabbed one of the handguns, and fled the apartment.
Officers eventually located Davis driving and after a short pursuit, he was arrested. They recovered a 9mm handgun that the defendant threw out of the car window.
The defendant’s DNA was found on the guns recovered from the victim and the apartment. Approximately two weeks before this offense, Davis was convicted of the felony crime of false imprisonment and placed on probation.
In choosing a five-year sentence, Judge Conley pointed to the brutal assault of the victim, which included Davis putting the muzzle of a gun on her face and threatening to kill her, calling the defendant’s behavior frightening. Judge Conley said that that the defendant’s history of explosive violence against women, and Davis’s statement describing this offense as a mistake versus a conscious choice, called for a significant sentence.
The charge against Davis was the result of an investigation conducted by the La Crosse Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan handled the prosecution.
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.
Jury Finds Pittsburgh Man Guilty of Attempting to Obtain Drug-Soaked Papers while IncarceratedRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - After deliberating for approximately 90 minutes, a federal jury yesterday found Omari Patton guilty of five counts related to attempting to provide to a federal inmate or obtain as a federal inmate a Schedule I synthetic cannabinoid controlled substance in federal prisons, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Omari Patton, 44, formerly of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was tried before United States District Judge William S. Stickman, IV in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The evidence presented at trial established that in September and October 2018, Patton, who was incarcerated at the Fort Dix, New Jersey, federal prison, directed his son, Dashawn Burley, who resided in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, to mail three envelopes to Patton at the Fort Dix prison and two envelopes to another federal inmate at the Ray Brook, New York, federal prison. All five of these envelopes, at Patton’s direction, were disguised by Burley to appear as if they were “legal” mail sent by a fake attorney. However, each envelope contained paper that had been saturated with a Schedule I synthetic cannabinoid controlled substance, commonly referred to as “K2 paper” or “deuce,” potent synthetic drugs, which law enforcement officers testified disrupts prison life and threatens the health and safety of inmates and staff members.
Mr. Burley, who was also charged for his involvement in the offenses, pled guilty prior to opening statements on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2023, to two counts of attempting to provide to a federal inmate a Schedule I synthetic cannabinoid controlled substance in federal prisons.
Judge Stickman scheduled sentencing for Patton on June 15, 2023. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 50 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,250,000. Under States Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based on the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Judge Stickman also scheduled sentencing for Burley on June 8, 2023. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000. Under States Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based on the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court ordered that Patton would remain detained and the court continued Burley’s bond.
Assistant United States Attorneys Craig W. Haller and Rebecca L. Silinski are prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, the federal Bureau of Prisons, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General led the multi-agency investigation that also included the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Beaver County District Attorney’s Office, the Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations, the Pittsburgh Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Munhall Police Department, the Robinson Township Police Department, the McKees Rocks Police Department, the Stowe Township Police Department, the Etna Police Department, and the Erie County District Attorney’s Office.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Jacksonville Convicted Murderer Pleads Guilty to Armed Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Ronald Bernard Thomas, Jr. (46, Jacksonville) today pleaded guilty to selling fentanyl and high-purity methamphetamine while armed and possessing firearms as a convicted felon. Thomas faces a maximum penalty of 20 years for each of the two counts of selling fentanyl, a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in prison for each of three counts of selling methamphetamine, a minimum of 5 years, up to life imprisonment, consecutive, for each of two counts of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and a maximum of 10 years in prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Thomas’s sentence for the methamphetamine sales was enhanced because of his prior conviction for second-degree murder. The government intends to forfeit the two recovered firearms, which were used in the offenses.
According to court documents, Thomas had been convicted of second-degree murder with a firearm in Florida (2002) and was in the custody of the Florida Department of Corrections from April 2002 through December 2017. In 2021, an individual who knew Thomas by the street name “Gorilla” informed the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) that they could purchase drugs from Thomas at a hotel in the area of the Jacksonville airport. On August 20, 2021, Thomas sold that individual a quantity of fentanyl.
In 2022, a second individual informed ATF that they could purchase drugs from “Gorilla,” who was then operating out of a hotel on Jacksonville’s southside. During the summer of 2022, at the direction of ATF, the individual purchased drugs from Thomas at that hotel, on several occasions. On two occasions, Thomas sold the individual approximately an ounce of methamphetamine that was up to 99% pure. During one of those drug sales, Thomas kept two firearms within his reach while measuring the drugs he was selling. On July 28, 2022, Thomas was arrested during a traffic stop on a federal arrest warrant. ATF agents searched Thomas and recovered a Glock 9mm pistol from his pants pocket, and a search of Thomas’s vehicle yielded an FN Herstal 5.7 x 28mm pistol, magazines loaded with ammunition, and drugs – including approximately a half ounce of fentanyl that was 95% pure.
As a convicted felon, Thomas is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor. The asset forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.
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.
Jacksonville Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing A Firearm While on Bond for Separate Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Cory Lee Kelly (34, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.
According to the plea agreement, on April 28, 2022, Kelly was pulled over by a Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) trooper for a seatbelt violation. The vehicle was occupied by Kelly and a two-year-old child. At Kelly’s driver’s side window, the trooper smelled marijuana. Kelly did not possess a valid driver license and the trooper also determined that Kelly had an outstanding arrest warrant for an unresolved charge of driving with a suspended license. Kelly was detained, and based on the smell of marijuana, his vehicle was searched. During the search, the trooper located remnants of marijuana and a Glock-type pistol, which once the driver’s side door was opened, was readily visible under the driver’s seat. The pistol had no serial number, was loaded with 26 rounds of ammunition, and had a so-called “Glock switch” – a device converting the pistol into a machine gun; allowing it to fire multiple rounds with the single pull of the trigger – visibly installed at the rear of the slide. A search of Kelly’s criminal history determined that he had previously been convicted of possession of a controlled substance while armed, a felony offense. The trooper arrested Kelly for, among other things, possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, a state offense. On May 3, 2022, while his state case was pending, Kelly was released from custody after posting bond.
On July 19, 2022, an officer from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office saw Kelly driving a car while speeding, with illegal window tint, and an expired registration. The officer signaled Kelly to pull over, which he did. As the officer approached the driver’s side window, Kelly rolled it down a minimal amount. When asked to roll it down further, Kelly complied, and the officer smelled marijuana. Kelly was alone in the car and visibly within his reach was an AR-style semi-automatic pistol on the passenger-side of the car. When asked, Kelly could not produce a driver license and confirmed that he was a convicted felon. Kelly was detained, and pursuant to a search, in addition to the semi-automatic pistol (loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition), officers located counterfeit currency, and bags of marijuana and crack cocaine. Kelly was arrested for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
On September 1, 2022, while his two state prosecutions were pending, Kelly was released from custody after posting bond. On September 15, 2022, a federal grand jury indicted Kelly for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He was arrested at his home on September 22, 2022, pursuant to that indictment. When officers entered the home, they located a loaded shotgun on the floor of a bathroom. As a convicted felon, Kelly is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Florida Highway Patrol, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.
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.
Hoover Criminal Gang Member Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.— A Hoover Criminal Gang member and Portland resident was sentenced to federal prison today for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
Kahlani Hamilton Jones, 20, was sentenced to 25 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, as part of an ongoing federal racketeering investigation of the Hoover Criminal Gang, law enforcement obtained photos online of Jones, a convicted felon, possessing and offering to sell firearms.
On February 11, 2021, investigators executed a federal search warrant on Jones’ northeast Portland residence and located a loaded 40mm semiautomatic pistol with extended magazine in his bedroom. A search warrant was also executed at Jones’ girlfriend’s residence and on a vehicle the couple shared. Investigators found 1,000 suspected Xanax pills, two loaded magazines and assorted ammunition. They also found an empty box for the pistol located in Jones’ residence.
On April 13, 2021, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment charging Jones with one count of illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
On October 31, 2022, Jones pleaded guilty under a global plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon and the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, resolving his federal and state criminal cases.
This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Portland Police Bureau, Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This prosecution is the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the U.S. 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.
Heroin and Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison, Investigation Launched After a Sale Led to an Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Burlington man was sentenced yesterday to 160 months in prison for distribution of heroin and fentanyl. On June 8, 2022, Justin Kyle Tripp pled guilty to the charge. The investigation into Tripp began after a purchase tied to Tripp resulted in an overdose death.
“Fentanyl is a dangerous synthetic drug that is driving the overdose epidemic and killing far too many Americans,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “We are targeting the drug dealers and criminal networks selling fentanyl and lacing their drug supply – fueling addiction and overdose deaths.”
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Tripp, 38, is responsible for distribution of a mixture of heroin and fentanyl. In June of 2020, officers with Raleigh Police Department were dispatched to a Raleigh residence for a reported death. An empty heroin bindle, a spoon and a used syringe were observed nearby the deceased victim. A review of the victim’s phone revealed a conversation between the victim and Tripp reflecting an arrangement for the victim to purchase heroin from Tripp. The victim’s cause of death was determined to be acute fentanyl and heroin intoxication. Law enforcement later obtained a search warrant for Tripp’s residence where they found a mixture of heroin and fentanyl, a digital scale and multiple empty heroin bindles.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Raleigh Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly L. Sandling prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-CR-00296-BO.
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Hearing Aid Dealer Pleads Guilty to Health Care FraudRead 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 Phillip Coyne, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, announced that DENNIS DELLAGHELFA, 53, of Waterbury, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to health care fraud.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Dellaghelfa is a licensed hearing instrument specialist and the owner of General Hearing, a Waterbury-based hearing aid dealer. Since approximately 2013, General Hearing has been a participating provider enrolled in the Connecticut Medical Assistance Program (CTMAP), Connecticut Department of Social Services-administered program that provides medical assistance to low income persons. CTMAP’s benefit packages, referred to as “HUSKY” or “Connecticut Medicaid,” are jointly funded by the State of Connecticut and the federal government.
From approximately June 2016 to April 2022, Dellaghelfa submitted, or caused to be submitted, false and fraudulent claims for payment for services and equipment that were not provided or were medically unnecessary. For example, in November 2018, Dellaghelfa submitted claims to Connecticut Medicaid for services provided to six patients during a period of time that Dellaghelfa was traveling outside the U.S. In 2019 and 2020, some of the fraudulent claims involved services that were purportedly provided by his three employees. However, Dellaghelfa knew that the employees performed hearing tests without having the required professional permit, and submitted paperwork for hearing tests and services that did not occur or were not medically necessary.
In addition, in violation of the CTMAP provider agreement, Dellaghelfa paid third-party “patient recruiters” for each Medicaid patient they brought to General Hearing for a hearing test, and that then failed the hearing test and received hearing aids. He also submitted false claims to Connecticut Medicaid for testing and hearing aids for five of the patient recruiters who did not need hearing aids.
As part of his plea agreement, Dellaghelfa has agreed to make restitution of $6,141,857 to the Connecticut Medicaid program. As part of his restitution obligation, Dellaghelfa has agreed to forfeit $332,675 currently held in personal and business bank accounts.
Dellaghelfa pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. Judge Thompson scheduled sentencing for May 16.
Dellaghelfa is released pending sentencing.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), with the assistance of the Waterbury Police Department.
The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heather L. Cherry and Elena L. Coronado.
People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.
Georgia Man Pleads Guilty to Aggravated Identity Theft and Conspiracy to Commit Bank FraudRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Anthony Jermaine Robinson (31, Covington, Georgia) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Robinson faces a maximum penalty of 32 in federal prison, to include a 2-year minimum mandatory term of imprisonment for the aggravated identity theft charge, and payment of restitution to the victims he defrauded. Robinson made his initial appearance in federal court on November 3, 2022, pursuant to a writ from a Georgia State Prison, where he is serving a prison sentence for violating parole on a fraud-related crime. He was ordered detained pending trial.
According to the plea agreement, in 2019, a deputy from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) stopped a car driven by Robinson for a cracked windshield. Based on a probable cause search of the car, the deputy located counterfeit Social Security cards and driver licenses with the identities of genuine individuals, genuine credit cards in the names of individuals, and multiple phones. Pursuant to a search warrant, the CCSO conducted a forensic examination of Robinson’s iPhone and determined that it contained text messages between Robinson and his co-defendant, Kiana Fina Alphonse. The text messages outlined instructions on how to fraudulently set up business bank accounts using, among other items, fraudulent business documents for non-existent businesses, identification documents and Social Security numbers (SSNs).
Further investigation by law enforcement determined that, in 2019, Robinson and Alphonse obtained the personally identifiable information (PII) of multiple victims. They then obtained counterfeit driver licenses, purportedly from Washington and Delaware. The counterfeit licenses contained the PII of victims, but Alphonse’s photo. Using the PII, including the SSNs of victims, the counterfeit licenses, and documents created for fictitious businesses, Alphonse set up fraudulent business bank accounts in the names of various victims. These bank accounts were then utilized as part of a scheme to defraud multiple victims involving the online purchase of nonexistent cars. Once the bank accounts received funds from the victims, Robinson, Alphonse, and co-conspirators withdrew the money for their own personal use.
Kiana Fina Alphonse (28, Covington, Georgia) appeared in federal court on September 27, 2022. Her trial is set for March 2023.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Secret Service – Jacksonville Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
Fresno Man Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison for Unemployment Benefit Fraud Scheme and Possession of Stolen MailRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Garrett Scott Wheelen, 32, of Fresno, was sentenced today to two years in prison for mail fraud and possession of stolen mail, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
Wheelen was also ordered to pay $27,664 in restitution to California’s Employment Development Department (EDD).
According to court documents, between August and November 2020, Wheelen perpetrated a mail fraud scheme to defraud the State of California by submitting fraudulent Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) claims to EDD. PUA was a federal unemployment insurance program established by the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and administered by EDD, to provide unemployment benefits to people impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wheelen used personally identifiable information (PII) and other information associated with real people to submit fraudulent unemployment insurance and PUA claims to EDD. The claims were submitted for his own benefit and included information relating to employment and mailing addresses that were not associated with the claimants. EDD approved at least some of the claims and caused Bank of America to mail debit cards containing unemployment benefits to an address under Wheelen’s control.
Wheelen obtained the PII of his victims by stealing U.S. mail from mailboxes, receptacles and at least one mail truck. He also harvested bankcards and checks for use in fraudulent activity. For example, on Sept. 4, 2020, in Fresno County, Wheelen was in possession of California State driver’s licenses, credit cards, and checks that he had stolen from U.S. mail. At least some of this mail came into his possession when he broke into a mail truck in Fresno on Aug. 11, 2020.
This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the California EDD’s Investigation Division, and the Reedley Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dhruv Sharma prosecuted the case.
Fort Smith Arms Dealer Arrested in Austin, TexasRead the Press Release
FORT SMITH – A Fort Smith man was arrested yesterday in Austin, Texas on criminal charges related to his alleged possession of an unregistered destructive device; namely, an improvised explosive bomb, which was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record as required by law. Mehta’s arrest ended a six-day manhunt, in which the public’s assistance was solicited in locating the defendant, who was assumed to be armed and dangerous.
According to court documents, Neil Ravi Mehta, 31, was found to be in possession of an “improvised explosive bomb” during a federal search warrant executed at his residence on Free Ferry Road, in Fort Smith, Ark. Law enforcement officers located the device in the top left corner of the kitchen island. The device was x-rayed by bomb technicians on-scene, made safe, and the evidence was collected. The following images were taken during the execution of the search warrant:
Mehta is charged in a Criminal Complaint with a single count of Unlawful Possession of an Unregistered Destructive Device. A Grand Jury will later hear evidence related to this investigation and determine whether additional criminal charges will be filed against Mehta. If convicted of the charge of Unlawful Possession of an Unregistered Destructive Device, Mehta faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
This is a joint investigation involving the following federal law enforcement agencies: the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), Office of Export Enforcement (OEE); the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General (DOL-OIG).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Mohlhenrich and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Elser are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Social Security Employee Pleads Guilty to Pandemic Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Takiyah Gordon Austin, age 47, formerly of Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, for a scheme to fraudulently obtain unemployment benefits related to COVID-19 emergency relief funds
The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program was created by the March 27, 2020 CARES Act, as part of the United States government’s efforts to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the public’s health and economic well-being. The PUA program was designed to provide unemployment benefits to individuals not eligible for regular unemployment compensation or extended unemployment benefits.
According to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Austin pleaded guilty to one count wire fraud and one count of aggravated identify theft. From in or about May 2020 to in or about May 2021, Austin, a claims specialist with the Social Security Administration, filed PUA claims for ineligible recipients in exchange for payment from the individuals. Additionally, Austin filed claims after accessing SSA databases to obtain the personal identifying information from unsuspecting individuals and then diverted the unemployment funds to addresses she controlled in order to use the funds for her own personal expenses. Through the scheme, Austin defrauded the government of over $288,000.
“Former Social Security Administration (SSA) employee Gordon Austin abused her position by accessing Agency records for unofficial and illegal purposes. In her scheme, she used the stolen PII of innocent and unsuspecting persons to defraud federal benefits programs of over $288,000. Her criminal actions undermine the integrity of Social Security employees and programs,” said Michael McGill, Special Agent in Charge, Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Philadelphia Field Division. “My office will continue to work aggressively to hold perpetrators accountable for their crimes. I thank the U.S. Department of Labor for their assistance in this investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison V. Martin and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Curran for their work in prosecuting this case.”
“Takiyah Gordon Austin engaged in a scheme to abuse her position as a claims specialist for the Social Security Administration in order to obtain the personally identifiable information of unsuspecting individuals. Austin then utilized that information to file for and receive fraudulent Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) claims and benefit payments. As part of the scheme, Austin also filed PUA claims for ineligible individuals in exchange for payment from the individuals. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General remains committed to working with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry and our law enforcement partners to safeguard the integrity of unemployment compensation benefit programs," said Syreeta Scott, Special Agent-in-Charge, Mid-Atlantic Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.
The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, the Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Special Assistant United States Attorney Megan Curran and Assistant United States Attorney Alisan V. Martin are prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for wire fraud is 20 years’ imprisonment. Aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two-year sentence consecutive to sentences imposed for other offenses. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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 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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Former Hamilton man admits lying to receive Social Security Administration benefitsRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A former Hamilton man today admitted to making false statements to receive disability payments from the Social Security Administration, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Aaron Lee Grossman, 50, of Washington, Utah, and formerly of Hamilton, pleaded guilty to false statements to a government agency, a felony. Grossman faces a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. In a plea agreement filed in the case, Grossman agrees to be responsible for complete restitution in the amount of approximately $71,456 to the Social Security Administration.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for June 27. Grossman was released pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that in 2011, Grossman applied for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) payments from the Social Security Administration. The agency reviewed and approved Grossman’s application and advised him of his legal obligation to notify it if he experienced a change in his ability to work, returned to work or if his medical condition improved. In 2019, Grossman received $36,210 from Lynch Insulation for work he performed through Grossman Consulting, LLC. In June 2020, Grossman submitted a Work Activity Report to the Social Security Administration and did not disclose this income. Had he done so, Grossman would have been ineligible for SSDI benefits. When questioned by Social Security Administration agents, Grossman claimed his wife earned those wages. However, records from Lynch Insulation indicted that Grossman, in fact, completed the work. In an interview in 2021, Grossman admitted he concealed his work for and income from Lynch Insulation so he could maintain his Social Security Administration benefits.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Karla E. Painter is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General.
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Former Foxborough Teacher Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former teacher at Foxborough High School pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to possession of child pornography and receiving child pornography over the internet.
Thomas Davis, 42, of Mansfield, pleaded guilty to one count of possession and receipt of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for May 18, 2023. Davis was arrested and charged by criminal complaint on Aug. 26, 2021.
On Aug. 26, 2021, a search warrant was executed at Davis’ residence and a laptop belonging to Davis was seized. An on-site examination revealed approximately 40 images of child pornography on the laptop, including images involving prepubescent minors under the age of 12-years-old. A forensic analysis of Davis’ laptop revealed additional child pornography.
The charge of receipt of child pornography provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Mansfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Former FLDS Utah Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison After Admitting to Grooming and Sexually Abusing a Teenage GirlRead the Press Release
Salt Lake City, Utah – A Washington County, Utah man was sentenced Wednesday to five years imprisonment, and 15-years supervised release, after pleading guilty to the use of interstate facilities to transmit information about a minor.
According to court documents, James Steed Allred, 41, of Apple Valley, targeted a 14-year-old victim by using a fake social media account. Allred admitted to using a fake online persona in April 2020 to contact the teen who was living in North Dakota. Using a Snapchat account, he represented to the victim he was a teenage boy living in Washington County, Utah, and provided fake photos. Allred engaged in extensive romantic communication and sent gifts to the victim in an attempt to engage in illegal sexual activity with the minor. In April 2021, shortly after the teenage victim moved to Colorado City, Arizona with her family, Allred traveled from Utah to Arizona and engaged in illegal sexual conduct with the victim multiple times while continuing to deceive the teen that he was a teenage boy.
“The United States. Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting minor victims from violent criminals who prey on their innocence via the internet,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah. “Thanks to our law enforcement partners we were able to investigate this case and seek justice for the victim as she continues to heal from the trauma inflicted by this crime."
The case was investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney, Stephen Dent, for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Former Correctional Officer Sentenced to 20 Months in Prison for Abusive Sexual Contact with InmateRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Enrique Chavez was sentenced today to 20 months in prison for having abusive sexual contact with a female prison inmate while he was employed as a correctional officer at the Federal Correctional Institute Dublin (FCI Dublin) in Alameda County. The sentence was handed down by Hon. Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, United States District Judge.
Chavez, 50, formerly of Manteca, California, pleaded guilty to the charge on October 27, 2022. Chavez was employed in October 2020 as a correctional officer at FCI Dublin. FCI Dublin is a correctional institution operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons that houses female prisoners. According to his plea agreement, Chavez admitted that during October 2020 he met a female prisoner— identified only as Victim 1 in the plea agreement—in the food service pantry at FCI Dublin. Chavez acknowledged that Victim 1 was in detention at FCI Dublin and that she was under Chavez’s supervision and disciplinary authority at the time. After they met in the pantry, Chavez locked the door and the lights were turned off. Chavez admitted that he put his hand inside Victim 1’s underwear and touched her genitals; Chavez also admitted he touched the victim’s breasts.
A federal grand jury indicted Chavez on March 10, 2022, charging him with two counts of abusive sexual contact, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2244(a)(4). Chavez pleaded guilty to one of the counts. Judge Gonzalez Rogers dismissed the remaining count during the sentencing hearing.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Gonzalez Rogers also ordered the defendant to serve ten years of supervised release to begin after the prison term. Judge Gonzalez Rogers ordered the defendant to surrender on or before April 7, 2023, to begin serving his prison term.
U.S. Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds, DOJ Office of the Inspector General Los Angeles Field Office Special Agent in Charge Zachary Shroyer, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Paulson and Molly K. Priedeman are prosecuting the case, with the assistance of Kay Konopaske and Leeya Kekona. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the DOJ Office of the Inspector General and the FBI.Former Colstrip police officer admits to receiving child pornographyRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A former Colstrip Police Department officer accused of communicating with a minor girl and directing her to send him pictures and videos of herself engaged in sexually explicit conduct admitted to a child pornography crime today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Hossein Cristiano Luigi Borhan, 49, of Billings, was arraigned on and pleaded guilty to an information charging him with receipt of child pornography. Borhan faces a mandatory minimum of five years to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, a $5,000 special assessment and five years to a lifetime of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Borhan’s release was continued pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that between August 2021 and April 2022, while serving as a Colstrip police officer, Borhan was engaged in an online messaging relationship with a minor girl, identified as Jane Doe. The conversation became sexual in nature, and Jane Doe complied with Borhan’s instructions to send him pictures and videos of herself engaging in sexually explicit conduct. In an interview with law enforcement, Borhan admitted to sending Jane Doe approximately 20 sexual pictures and videos of himself and estimated receiving hundreds of sexual images and videos from her.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin D. Hargrove is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, Rosebud County Sheriff’s Office and Colstrip Police Department.
This case was initiated under the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative, which was launched in 2006 to combat the proliferation of technology-facilitated crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children. Through a network of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and advocacy organizations, Project Safe Childhood attempts to protect children by investigating and prosecuting offenders involved in child sexual exploitation. It is implemented through partnerships including the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The ICAC Task Force Program was created to assist state and local law enforcement agencies by enhancing their investigative response to technology facilitated crimes against children.
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Five Defendants Sentenced to Federal Prison for Perpetrating Nationwide “Grandparent Scam” Fraud Against over 68 VictimsRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Five people have been convicted and sentenced to prison for their roles in a nationwide fraud scheme that targeted senior citizens. Following a years-long investigation, each defendant pled guilty to mail fraud and money laundering charges. Investigators identified over 68 victims of the defendants’ crimes and identified losses totaling over $683,464. The federal court imposed the following sentences:
Defendant
Prison Sentence
Darlens Renard, 31
North Lauderdale, Florida
78 months
Jasaun Pope, 30
Valley Stream, New York
97 months
Princess Elizer, 30
Dallas, Georgia
41 months
Jennifer Glemeau, 28
Marietta Georgia
30 months
Kareem Brown, 30
North Baldwin, New York
36 months
According to court documents, from at least April 2020 and continuing for roughly 11 months, the defendants and other co-conspirators targeted and exploited the elderly and their relationships with their relatives for personal financial gain. Known as a “grandparent scam,” this criminal network exploited elderly Americans’ love for their family members making them believe a close relative was in extreme danger and inducing them to send thousands of dollars to “help.”
The defendants’ role in the scheme was to retrieve, transport, and launder the money the elderly victims were induced to send. The defendants traveled to cities throughout the United States to identify unoccupied houses where overnight packages could be sent and retrieved without detection, and then relay those addresses to their co-conspirators. Those co-conspirators then placed phone calls to seniors in Indiana and around the country claiming that their grandchild or other relative had an urgent legal or medical problem and needed money immediately. The caller, who often claimed to be an attorney, police officer, or other authority figure, told the victim to send an overnight delivery of cash—typically between $5,000 and $15,000—to the address the defendants provided. The defendants tracked the overnight package of cash to the address, picked it up shortly after delivery, and then took their cut of the proceeds before sharing it with their co-conspirators.
For example, according to court documents, one of the victims, age 82, from Crawfordsville, Indiana, was falsely told that her daughter had been in an accident and was in legal trouble because a gun was found in her vehicle. In addition to asking for money urgently, the caller allegedly told the victim that there was a “gag order” in her daughter’s case, to prevent the victim from contacting law enforcement or other family members. Concerned for her daughter’s welfare, the Crawfordsville victim sent a total of $12,500 in cash to the defendants.
Each defendant was ordered to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in restitution to the victims for their roles in the scheme, and each was ordered to serve between one and three years of supervised release following their release from prison.
The Metro Drug Task Force, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and the United States Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. The investigation was supported by the Baltimore Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Chicago Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Marshal’s Service, and state and local law enforcement partners in Orleans, Massachusetts; Bartonville, Illinois; Starkville, Mississippi; New York, New York; Ossining, New York; Westchester County, New York; Delaware County, Ohio; Hermantown, Pennsylvania; Charleston, South Carolina; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Sumter County, South Carolina; Hendersonville, Tennessee; Sumner County, Tennessee; Hurst, Texas; and Richmond, Virginia.
“These scams ruthlessly exploited older Americans and their concern for their loved ones,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Each of these defendants will have years in federal prison to reflect on how their scheme harmed the seniors they targeted. These sentences demonstrate the ongoing commitment of our office, and our federal, state, and local partners to investigate and prosecute these despicable elder fraud schemes.”
“These defendants and their co-conspirators preyed on the good nature of people. The sentences in this case reinforce the justice system’s intolerance for people who take advantage of others”, said IRS-CI Chicago Field Office Special Agent in Charge Justin Campbell. “IRS-Criminal Investigation is committed to working with our law enforcement partners at the federal, state, local, and international levels to find and prosecute people who scam others out of their hard-earned money.”
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to investigating fraudulent imposter schemes designed to defraud innocent victims,” said Rodney M. Hopkins, U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge, Detroit Division. “Combating fraud schemes is a priority of the Postal Inspection Service given that a significant amount of the money in these frauds is sent through the United States mail. We are actively taking steps to educate Americans about the dangers of frauds that target our elderly citizens.”
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys MaryAnn T. Mindrum and Nicholas J. Linder who prosecuted this case.
The Justice Department has established a National Elder Fraud Hotline to provide services to seniors who may be victims of financial fraud. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.
This Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The best method for prevention, however, is by sharing information about the various types of elder fraud schemes with relatives, friends, neighbors, and other seniors who can use that information to protect themselves.
Financial Advisor Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison on Fraud and False Statement ChargesRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ADAM BELARDINO, the former chief executive officer of the Maddox Group, was sentenced in White Plains federal court to 42 months in prison for fraud in connection with separate schemes to defraud clients and to fail to pay over contributions made by Maddox Group employees to the Maddox Group 401(k) plan. BELARDINO had previously pled guilty to two counts of wire fraud and one count of making a false statement to a government agency. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Karas.
According to the allegations in the Superseding Information to which BELARDINO pled guilty and other court documents:
Embezzlement from Victim-1
BELARDINO had managed Victim-1’s investments at another firm before he founded Maddox in July 2019. In August 2019, BELARDINO convinced Victim-1 to liquidate some of her portfolio and to transfer the liquidated funds to Maddox for investment. Victim-1 then transferred more than $313,000 to Maddox in eight separate transactions between August 2019 and October 2020. Instead of investing Victim-1’s money as he had promised, BELARDINO used her money to pay the operating expenses of Maddox, including payroll and office rent; to pay down prior debt; to pay credit card charges, which consisted primarily of personal items; and to pay for personal travel.
In September 2021, Victim-1 directed BELARDINO to transfer her portfolio at Maddox to her brokerage account at another firm. From September 2021 to February 2022, BELARDINO sent Victim-1 and members of her family emails and texts in which he said he was liquidating the portfolio and would return the funds shortly. BELARDINO also provided Victim-1’s family with documents suggesting that a wire transfer of the funds to Victim-1’s bank account was imminent or pending. BELARDINO also deposited checks drawn on a checking account held by Maddox (“the Maddox Account”) into Victim-1’s bank account for what he claimed was the full value of her portfolio.
Victim-1 never received any funds by wire and the checks BELARDINO deposited into her bank account were returned because the Maddox Account did not have sufficient funds to cover the checks. BELARDINO sent members of Victim-1’s family emails and texts in which he said in substance and in part that he was working with bank officials to resolve the problem and that his family would repay Victim-1 if he was unable to do so. BELARDINO also sent members of Victim-1’s family a document that falsely stated that the Maddox Account had sufficient funds to repay Victim-1.
Scheme to Obtain Fraudulent Life Insurance Commissions – Victim-2
In or about May 2019, BELARDINO served as the agent for Insurance Company-1 in connection with an application by Victim-2 for a life insurance policy with a face amount of $1 million, which amount was eventually increased to $18 million. As an agent, BELARDINO received commissions from Insurance Company-1 once Victim-2’s application was approved.
In or about April 2020, BELARDINO applied for a life insurance policy with a face amount of $3 million with Insurance Company-2 on behalf of Victim-2 without Victim-2’s knowledge or authorization. BELARDINO made materially false statements regarding Victim-2’s income, net worth, and health in the application. In or about August 2020, BELARDINO caused Insurance Company-2 to increase the face amount of the policy to $6 million without Victim-2’s knowledge or authorization. BELARDINO paid and attempted to pay the policy premiums of $194,280 with Victim-2’s funds without her knowledge or authorization. BELARDINO received approximately $84,997 in commissions from Insurance Company-2.
In or about January 2021, BELARDINO applied for a life insurance policy with a face amount of $5 million with Insurance Company-3 on behalf of Victim-2 without Victim-2’s knowledge or authorization. BELARDINO made materially false statements regarding Victim-2’s income, net worth, and health in the application. BELARDINO caused Insurance Company-3 to increase the face amount of the policy to $6.5 million in March 2021 and to $12.1 million in May 2021, all without Victim-2’s knowledge or authorization. BELARDINO paid the policy premiums in a total amount of $105,000 with Victim-2’s funds without her knowledge or authorization. BELARDINO received approximately $94,500 in commissions from Insurance Company-3.
False Statement in Connection with Fraudulent Withholding of Employee 401(k) Contributions
BELARDINO adopted a retirement savings plan pursuant to Title 26, United States Code, Section 401(k) (the “Plan”) on behalf of the Maddox Group that became effective on January 1, 2020. He served as the trustee of the Plan. Under the Plan, an employee of Maddox could elect to have money withheld from his paycheck each pay period in an amount he chose within specified legal limits. BELARDINO was required to deposit these withheld funds into the Plan for investment at the employee’s direction in various options offered by the Plan. Taxes on the money deposited to the Plan as well as gains from investment of those funds would be deferred. BELARDINO was required to deposit funds withheld for the Plan into the Plan’s trust account for investment within seven business days.
From on or about November 1, 2020, through on or about August 13, 2021, BELARDINO withheld $8,004.67 from the paychecks of the four Maddox employees other than himself who chose to participate in the Plan. BELARDINO failed to deposit these withheld funds into the Plan’s trust account and instead converted those funds to his and Maddox’s use.
On or about October 14, 2021, BELARDINO authorized the Plan administrator to file with the Internal Revenue Service a Form 5500-SF for the 2020 calendar year in which he falsely answered in the negative when asked “During [2020]: Was there a failure to transmit to the plan any participant contributions . . .?”
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In addition to his prison sentence, BELARDINO, 36, of New York, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $501,499.67 and to forfeit $501,499.67.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Criminal Investigators of the Employee Benefits Security Administration of the United States Department of Labor.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney James McMahon is in charge of the prosecution.
Final Red River Army Depot Defendant Sentenced in Federal Bribery, Theft and Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
TEXARKANA, Texas – The final defendant has been sentenced in a federal bribery, theft and fraud scheme at the Red River Army Depot (RRAD) in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Jimmy Scarbrough, 71, of Hooks, pleaded guilty on August 22, 2022, to conspiring with others to defraud the United States, commit theft of government property, and commit bribery. He was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Robert W. Schroeder, III. Scarbrough was also ordered to forfeit his 1951 Ford F-1 pickup truck and $229,000 cash.
In September of 2022, Jeffrey Harrison, a former RRAD vendor, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and ordered to forfeit $300,000; Justin Bishop, a former RRAD vendor was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day in federal prison and ordered to forfeit $55,000; Devin McEwin, a former RRAD official was sentenced to a five-year term of federal probation, including eight months of home confinement and ordered to forfeit $21,000; and Louis Singleton, a former RRAD official was sentenced to five years of federal probation, including eight months of home confinement, and was ordered to forfeit $18,000.
“Scarbrough sold his position of public trust for personal gain, all at the expense of the hard-working men and women at the RRAD who support our armed forces around the globe,” said U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston. “We will continue vigorously uprooting corruption and fraud at the RRAD and the vendors that support its mission.”
“Today's sentencing is a fitting end for those who conspire to defraud the United States Army,” said Special Agent in Charge L. Scott Moreland of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Major Procurement Fraud Field Office. “Army CID is proud to work with our federal law enforcement partners to protect the coffers of the U.S. government from those who break the law and threaten the readiness of our Service.”
“Today’s sentence concludes the tireless work and dedication of multiple agencies to hold a group of people accountable for attempting to defraud and profit off the United States government,” said FBI Dallas Acting Special Agent in Charge, James J. Dwyer. “The public can rest assured that we remain committed to aggressively pursuing anyone that uses government programs for their own personal gain.”
According to information presented in court, Scarbrough was the Equipment Mechanic Supervisor at the RRAD in Texarkana, Texas, a position he held from November 2001 until May 2019. Scarbrough directed more than $7 million in purchases from RRAD to Harrison and Bishop through the government purchase card (GPC) program. In order to manipulate the GPC program, which is designed to ensure a competitive bidding process, Scarbrough told the vendors what to bid, including the item, the quantity, and the price. By collecting fake bids from multiple vendors, Scarbrough was able to direct RRAD purchases to his select vendors, in this case Harrison and Bishop, while maintaining the appearance of a competitive bidding process. Scarbrough also defrauded the United States by falsely certifying that he had received the purchased items, therefore causing the RRAD to pay his select vendors. However, the reality was that Scarborough instructed the vendors not to deliver certain RRAD-purchased items.
Scarbrough demanded hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from his selected vendors. Scarbrough accepted bribes in various forms, including receiving at least $116,000.00 in U.S. Postal Service money orders from Harrison. Scarbrough also had Harrison and Bishop purchase at least $135,000.00 in car parts or services for his hot rod collection, which included a red and black 1936 Ford Tudor, an electric green 1932 Ford Coupe, a cherry red 1951 Ford F-1 truck, and more. Scarbrough received more than $27,000.00 worth of firearms from Bishop, including rare Colt handguns and Wurfflein dueling pistols. Finally, Scarbrough directed at least $32,000.00 in donations to the Hooks Volunteer Fire Department while he was the Capitan of Operations. In total, Scarbrough received more than $300,000.00 in bribe payments from Harrison and Bishop.
Scarbrough is not the only official at RRAD who accepted bribes. Devin McEwin accepted more than $21,000.00 in bribes from Harrison, including hunting trips, donations directed to the Annona Volunteer Fire Department, and the refurbishment of his 1964 Ford truck. Additionally, Louis Singleton accepted more than $18,000 in bribes from Harrison and others, including tickets to the Hall of Fame section of AT&T Stadium for the Dallas Cowboys football game against the New England Patriots. Singleton was the supervisor of the GPC program at the RRAD and was responsible for approving purchases requested by Scarbrough.
This was investigated by the U.S. Army CID, Major Procurement Fraud Field Office; the Federal Bureau of Investigation-Dallas Division, Tyler Resident Agency, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan R. Hornok, Stephan Oestreicher, Andrew Stover, and Robert Wells.
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Federal indictment cuts off major source of West Virginia drug supplyRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – A sophisticated drug trafficking network that served as one of the largest suppliers of illicit substances to West Virginia has been dismantled by a federal indictment returned this week against individuals from Ohio, California, and Mexico.
Juan Carlos Magana, 41, of Sinaloa, Mexico, and Personne “Rico” McGhee, age 52, of Bellaire, Ohio, were charged Tuesday with conspiring to distribute large quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine. According to court documents, Magana coordinated with McGhee and others to have drugs shipped from the Southwest border to Ohio via tractor trailer. In return, McGhee made large cash payments to individuals who flew from California to the Pittsburgh International Airport, picked up the money, and then promptly boarded outbound flights. McGhee utilized a network of redistributors to sell the controlled substances in eastern Ohio and northern West Virginia, in Weirton, Wheeling, Morgantown, Fairmont and Clarksburg.
At the time of McGhee’s arrest in October 2022, agents recovered approximately 75 pounds of cocaine, 19 pounds of methamphetamine, and nearly 5 pounds of fentanyl from his home. Simultaneous with McGhee’s apprehension, arrests and searches occurred at the airport in Pittsburgh, and at homes and businesses in West Virginia and Ohio.
In addition to the seizure of drugs, agents recovered $295,038 in cash and five firearms.
“Rico McGhee was the most notorious drug dealer in the region and Juan Magana was his primary supplier,” said United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld. “Due to the tremendous efforts of our investigators, one of the greatest sources of illicit drugs to West Virginia has been shut down.”
The following people were also charged in Tuesday’s conspiracy indictment:
- Christopher Jason Kirk, 42, of Tracy, CA;
- Justin Dwayne Martin, 34, of San Diego, CA;
- Andres Dominguez, 25, of San Diego, CA;
- Roger Allen Woods, II, 48, of Bellaire, OH;
- Zachary Tyler Menough, 31, of Shadyside, OH; and
- Sherman L. Griffin, 45, of Martins Ferry, OH.
Others involved in the McGhee network who were charged federally prior to this week include:
- Ronald Shaw, 51, of Wheeling, WV (Methamphetamine distribution);
- Jaron Wells, 36, of Wheeling, WV (Fentanyl distribution);
- Rocco Pandoli, 34, of Wheeling, WV (Cocaine distribution);
- Ebony Miranda Webb, 34, of Wheeling (Cocaine distribution); and
- Chellsie S. Boyer, 32, of Weirton (Methamphetamine distribution).
Motor vehicles used in furtherance of the conspiracy have been seized and will be subject to forfeiture, to include a GMC Sierra, Chevrolet Tahoe, a Polaris Slingshot, a Mercedes G-Class 450, a Bentley Continental, a BMW 535, a Cadillac XTS, a Chevrolet Cruze, a Buick Lacrosse, a Nissan Sentra, a Freightliner motor home, and an Acura.
Eleven parcels of real estate, five handguns, and three pieces of jewelry are also subject to forfeiture, along with the aforementioned U.S. currency.
Each defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law. The potential penalties will vary for each defendant and depend upon the quantity of drugs attributed to each and their criminal history, if any.
Several of those charged remain incarcerated, including McGhee, Kirk, Martin, Dominguez, Griffin, Shaw, and Wells.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn M. Adkins is representing the government.
The case was investigated by the Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, which includes officers from the Wheeling Police Department, the West Virginia State Police, the Ohio County Sheriff’s Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The Belmont County (OH) Sheriff’s Office and the Belmont County Prosecutor’s Office provided important assistance.
The investigation was supported by the ATF, the Marshall County Drug Task Force, and the Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug Task Force, the Allegheny County (PA) Police, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Federal Jury Convicts Tulsa Man of Brutal Assault on Elderly VictimRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted a Tulsa man Thursday for holding a 72-year-old woman captive in her own home and brutally assaulting her, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Elga Eugene Harper, 40, of Tulsa, was found guilty of kidnapping in Indian Country; aggravated sexual abuse by force and threat in Indian Country; assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm in Indian Country; and assault resulting in serious bodily injury in Indian Country.
“Elga Harper is a violent sexual predator who beat and sexually assaulted an elderly woman in her home,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “At trial, the victim testified and faced her attacker. It is never easy for victims to relive the details of their assault, and I always admire the courage and strength it takes to do so. This week, a federal jury heard her story, reviewed the evidence, and delivered justice for this victim.”
Harper, a transient, had previously performed work at the victim’s home, and the two had numerous conversations about philosophy and her work in counseling. At one point, the woman told Harper she no longer needed his assistance and paid him in full for his services.
On May 4, 2022, several months after their last meeting, Harper returned unexpectedly to the victim’s home and approached her asking for work or counseling services. The woman declined then Harper asked to use the bathroom in her home. She agreed. When Harper did not exit the bathroom, the victim walked toward the back of the home and saw Harper standing naked in her room. He immediately attacked the victim.
During the next four-hours, Harper violently physically and sexually assaulted the victim and refused to call 911 when she pleaded for him to do so. He further ransacked her home in search of her car title, took her car keys, and told the victim to “shut up” when she prayed aloud. When he finally fled from her home at approximately 6 pm, the victim called 911, reporting the assault and that Elga Harper was responsible.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found the victim gravely injured, and she again identified her attacker as Harper. The victim was transported to the hospital. She suffered extensive injuries to her face, head, neck, arms, hands, and legs and continues to receive treatment for her injuries.
Harper was located and taken into custody on May 10, 2022.
The FBI and Tulsa Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chantelle D. Dial and Melody N. Nelson are prosecuting the case.
Enlisted Sailor Stationed in Belle Chasse, Louisiana Sentenced to 38 Years for Producing Files Depicting the Sexual Victimization of Children, Including Through ExtortionRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that BIAGIO WILLIAM AMBROSINO, age 20, originally from Queens, NY, who was an enlisted sailor stationed in Belle Chasse, Louisiana, was sentenced on February 7, 2023 by United States District Judge Wendy B. Vitter to 360 months as to Count 1, 240 months as to Count 3, with 100 months to be served consecutively, for a total of 460 months in prison, supervised release for a term of Life, a $200 mandatory special assessment fee, and registration as a sex offender.
The Court also scheduled a hearing to determine the amount of restitution AMBROSINO will owe to the victims for May 2, 2023, at 12:00pm. AMBROSINO previously pleaded guilty to one count of producing images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2251(a) (Count 1) and transmitting interstate threats for the purpose of extorting a thing of value, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 875(b) (Count 2).
According to court documents, the charges stem from AMBROSINO’S implementation of an exploitative and extortionate scheme to convince individuals to send him sexually explicit content between August 2020 and January 2022. AMBROSINO utilized several different strategies depending on victims’ ages, cognitive ability, level of compliance, and whether he previously knew them. For individuals he knew, AMBROSINO would, anonymously, either prey on their friendship or use information he already had about the individuals and their families to obtain sexually explicit depictions from them. For individuals he did not already know, AMBROSINO would utilize other measures. For example, AMBROSINO would contact some minors via social media direct message, purport to be a social media mogul, and inquire whether the minor wanted “to be Instagram famous.” He would then request a sexually suggestive or sexually explicit photograph to prove that the minor was serious about being famous or receiving a gift. Alternatively, AMBROSINO would offer items of value to minors, including a camera, a lighting system, sponsorship, or stuffed animals as enticements to take and send him sexually explicit pictures and videos or to engage in sexually explicit conduct while on a video chat with him. When victims expressed reluctance to provide him sexually explicit depictions or to continue doing so, AMBROSINO would extort them by threatening reputational harm or physical violence. Once AMBROSINO successfully obtained sexually explicit content from a victim, he continued to demand increasingly explicit, invasive, and humiliating content from his victims. Thereafter, AMBROSINO transmitted some of the sexually explicit depictions he obtained to other individuals in exchange for the identities of other, future potential victims.
AMBROSINO victimized at least eleven people, including nine minors ranging in age from ten to seventeen years old, one of whom had a diagnosed developmental cognitive disability and a speech disability. The identified victims were residents of eight different states and the country of Australia.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) in investigating this matter, with assistance from the New York Police Department. U.S. Attorney Evans also commended the efforts of Brandi Calagna, Victim-Witness Coordinator, and Melissa Meunier, Victim-Witness Specialist, in this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg was in charge of the prosecution.
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Elkhart Man Sentenced to 120 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Toby Ray Taylor, 36 years old, of Elkhart, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Taylor was sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, Taylor, had an outstanding parole warrant and when he was identified, police attempted to pull over his car. He tried to flee but was apprehended and law enforcement recovered a handgun under the driver’s seat which was loaded, had an extended magazine, and an obliterated serial number. Methamphetamine and marijuana was also discovered in the car. Taylor has a prior felony conviction and is prohibited from possessing the firearm.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of the St. Joseph County Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Luke N. Reilander and former Assistant United States Attorney Frank E. Schaffer.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Eastern District of Pennsylvania’s U.S. Attorney’s Office Hosts Presentation on Autism-Based Discrimination in Schools, Camps, and Childcare FacilitiesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that her Office, along with the United States Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”), in Philadelphia, hosted a panel presentation yesterday for disability rights organizations to discuss the problem of discrimination against children in public and private schools, camps, and childcare facilities, based on an autism spectrum diagnosis. The virtual event was attended by organizations that routinely work with families of children with disabilities.
The focus of the presentation was to inform the public of the efforts and enforcement tools of the United States Attorney’s Office and OCR to combat disability discrimination, with an emphasis on less-recognized and under-reported discrimination against children who have been diagnosed with autism.
The United States Attorney’s Office’s segment of the presentation focused on its primary tool to combat autism-based discrimination, the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”). The Department of Justice enforces the ADA, which prohibits discrimination in a variety of settings because of disability. The presentation discussed the provisions of the ADA that apply to public and private schools, camps, and childcare facilities, and informed the public that these entities are required to comply with the ADA by providing disabled children with an equal opportunity to participate in programs, activities, and services.
To assist the public with identifying potential autism-based discrimination, and increase reporting, several examples of allegations investigated or resolved by the Department of Justice were discussed, including situations where children with autism were denied enrollment, disenrolled, or treated differently than other children in schools, camps, and childcare facilities.
“Autism is a spectrum condition, meaning that each child has different needs and abilities. The ADA prohibits schools, camps, and childcare facilities, whether public or private, from making blanket denials of enrollment, services, or activities without conducting an individualized assessment of the needs of children with autism. Our Office is committed to combating autism-based discrimination by helping the public identify and understand the options for reporting such potential violations of the ADA,” said U.S. Attorney Romero.
U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero; Assistant United States Attorney Stacey L. B. Smith, from the Civil Division of the United States Attorney’s Office in Philadelphia; and Andrea DelMonte, an attorney with the United States Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights in Philadelphia, presented to the attendees.
The United States Attorney’s Office encourages anyone who believes their child is being discriminated against by public or private schools, camps, or childcare facilities based on autism to review Department of Justice guidance and resources provided at www.ADA.gov, where complaints may also be filed. Individuals in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties of Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Lehigh, Montgomery, and Northampton may also file a complaint with the United States Attorney’s Office directly at 615 Chestnut Street, Suite 1250, Philadelphia, PA 19106, ATTN: Lauren DeBruicker, Civil Rights Deputy Chief. She may also be emailed at [email protected] or [email protected]
Individuals may also contact OCR at [email protected] to discuss the Department of Education’s enforcement options detailed during the presentation.
Eastern District of Pennsylvania’s U.S. Attorney’s Office Hosts Presentation on Autism-Based Discrimination in Schools, Camps, and Childcare FacilitiesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that her Office, along with the United States Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”), in Philadelphia, hosted a panel presentation yesterday for disability rights organizations to discuss the problem of discrimination against children in public and private schools, camps, and childcare facilities, based on an autism spectrum diagnosis. The virtual event was attended by organizations that routinely work with families of children with disabilities.
The focus of the presentation was to inform the public of the efforts and enforcement tools of the United States Attorney’s Office and OCR to combat disability discrimination, with an emphasis on less-recognized and under-reported discrimination against children who have been diagnosed with autism.
The United States Attorney’s Office’s segment of the presentation focused on its primary tool to combat autism-based discrimination, the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”). The Department of Justice enforces the ADA, which prohibits discrimination in a variety of settings because of disability. The presentation discussed the provisions of the ADA that apply to public and private schools, camps, and childcare facilities, and informed the public that these entities are required to comply with the ADA by providing disabled children with an equal opportunity to participate in programs, activities, and services.
To assist the public with identifying potential autism-based discrimination, and increase reporting, several examples of allegations investigated or resolved by the Department of Justice were discussed, including situations where children with autism were denied enrollment, disenrolled, or treated differently than other children in schools, camps, and childcare facilities.
“Autism is a spectrum condition, meaning that each child has different needs and abilities. The ADA prohibits schools, camps, and childcare facilities, whether public or private, from making blanket denials of enrollment, services, or activities without conducting an individualized assessment of the needs of children with autism. Our Office is committed to combating autism-based discrimination by helping the public identify and understand the options for reporting such potential violations of the ADA,” said U.S. Attorney Romero.
U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero; Assistant United States Attorney Stacey L. B. Smith, from the Civil Division of the United States Attorney’s Office in Philadelphia; and Andrea DelMonte, an attorney with the United States Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights in Philadelphia, presented to the attendees.
The United States Attorney’s Office encourages anyone who believes their child is being discriminated against by public or private schools, camps, or childcare facilities based on autism to review Department of Justice guidance and resources provided at www.ADA.gov, where complaints may also be filed. Individuals in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties of Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Lehigh, Montgomery, and Northampton may also file a complaint with the United States Attorney’s Office directly at 615 Chestnut Street, Suite 1250, Philadelphia, PA 19106, ATTN: Lauren DeBruicker, Civil Rights Deputy Chief. She may also be emailed at [email protected] or [email protected]
Individuals may also contact OCR at [email protected] to discuss the Department of Education’s enforcement options detailed during the presentation.
Drug Dealer Sentenced to 78 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute Approximately 90,000 Counterfeit Pills Containing FentanylRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Last week, Eduardo Flores-Diaz, 43, of Mexico, was sentenced by United States District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to 78 months in prison. Flores-Diaz pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl.
In April 2022, Flores-Diaz, traveled from Tucson, Arizona, with three co-conspirators. The conspirators were subsequently stopped in Scottsdale, Arizona, by federal agents and troopers from the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS), during a buy/bust operation. Approximately 90,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl were discovered in their possession.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force operation. The OCDETF Strike Force Initiative 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 investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Assistant United States Attorney David Petermann, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-1094-JGZ-JR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-2016_Flores-Diaz# # #
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.
Dallas man heads to prison for deed fraud schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 61-year-old man has been sent to federal prison following his conviction of money laundering as well as conspiracy to commit and committing wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
A federal jury deliberated for approximately half a day following an eight-day trial before returning a guilty verdict Sept. 20, 2022, on all counts against Clarence Roland III.
Today, U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal ordered Roland to serve 120 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. Roland was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $3,251,897.41. A money judgment in the amount of $1,984,642.09 was also entered. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Roland knew what he was doing was illegal and he pocketed the proceeds.
In 2009, Roland began working with co-conspirator Arlando Jacobs, 57, Oakland, California, in a deed fraud scheme to cancel and challenge mortgage loans held in the name of Jacobs or others. During this time, Roland frequently used the alias Joshua Stein, while Jacobs used Caleb Wright or Dexter Ponzey.
According to testimony, they solicited and received the help of other co-conspirators to establish over 11 business entities or shell companies and office spaces with mailing addresses in Houston, The Woodlands and Katy to carry out the scheme.
The jury heard that Roland and co-conspirators fraudulently acquired real property by manipulating and filing fraudulent deeds and other documents. Roland sold the properties and received profits from the sales. The original mortgage liens were not paid off and the mortgage holders were ultimately defrauded. Some title insurance companies were forced to pay buyer claims who had acquired the title when purchasing the real property Roland sold to them.
The co-conspirators fabricated a series of documents to falsely create the appearance of transferred ownership of real property to the shell companies. In order to do so, they signed documents claiming to represent one of the many entities in the transactions. The same names were used as signors on many documents and purported to represent different entities. They were also fraudulently notarized by using fake notary stamps.
The defense attempted to convince the jury the law allowed him to file fraudulent documents in the real property records to transfer title of houses on which there were mortgages so he could then sell them free of those mortgages. They did not believe those claims and found Roland guilty as charged.
Jacobs pleaded guilty in advance of trial in an unrelated fraud case in the Eastern District of Texas and was sentenced to 51 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution of $7.6 million.
Roland will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI, Federal Housing Finance Agency - Office of Inspector General (OIG) and Housing and Urban Development - OIG conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Braddock and John Wakefield prosecuted the case.
Cocaine, Meth Trafficker Who Stashed $1.5 Million in Trap House Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A drug trafficker who had more than $1.5 million stashed in his residence when agents raided his home was sentenced Wednesday to 20 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Hector Manuel Castro-Quirino, 49, pleaded guilty in September 2022 to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and was sentenced this week by U.S. District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn, who also ordered him to forfeit the $1,595,185 in U.S. currency seized from his home.
According to court documents, in June 2021, a confidential informant tipped off law enforcement about a drug house on South Acres Drive in Dallas. Over the next few weeks, agents and officers made a series of undercover purchases at the home.
On July 13, 2021, a SWAT team executed a search warrant. Officers initially confronted Mr. Castro in his kitchen, but he then fled to the attic before finally surrendering.
During a search of his master bedroom, law enforcement located five gallon sized bags containing bulk quantities of methamphetamine (594 grams) and cocaine (1,447.8 grams), along with drug ledgers containing customer and payment information and 14 firearms, several of them loaded. They also recovered copious amounts of cash stashed inside tube socks, shoe boxes, a trash bag, and a banker box. It took them several hours to count.
In plea papers, Mr. Castro-Quirino admitted that he regularly sold methamphetamine and cocaine, noting that he received roughly a kilogram of cocaine each week and a kilogram of methamphetamine each month. He said his common law wife, Vanesa Cervantes, 39, kept his books.
Ms. Cervantes pleaded guilty in September 2022 to misprision (concealment) of a felony and was sentenced in Wednesday to 21 months in federal prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division, the Dallas Police Department, and the Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phelesa Guy prosecuted the case.
Christian County Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Narcotics Trafficking and Weapons ChargesRead the Press Release
Paducah, KY – A Christian County man was sentenced yesterday to 10 years in prison, followed by a 5-year term of supervised release, for distributing methamphetamine and possessing a firearm after having previously been convicted of felony offenses.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Maynard of the ATF Louisville Field Division made the announcement.
According to court documents, David Phillips, 43, distributed methamphetamine on three occasions between June 7, 2021, and July 1, 2021. On July 7, 2021, a search warrant was executed at his residence. Phillips was found to be in possession of over 50 grams of methamphetamine, a large amount of U.S. currency and a firearm. Phillips has prior felony convictions for third degree burglary, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance – methamphetamine.
“I appreciate the excellent work in this case by ATF Bowling Green, the Christian County Sheriff’s Office, and AUSA Dycus,” stated U.S. Attorney Bennett. “As a result of the commitment that exists between our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, the defendant, a previously convicted drug trafficker, will spend the next decade in federal prison unable to sell his poison and harm our citizens.”
“It is ATF’s core commitment to protect the public from offenders like David Phillips, whose continued armed drug trafficking places the community at risk,” said ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Maynard of the Louisville Field Division. “I want to extend my gratitude to ATF’s Bowling Green Office, the Christian County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for this thorough investigation. This case is another great example of the collaborative work to continue to identify, arrest and convict the armed drug traffickers that are plaguing our communities and destroying our families.”
This case was investigated by the ATF Bowling Green Field Office and the Christian County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Leigh Ann Dycus, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, prosecuted the case.
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Chicago Resident Sentenced to Seven Years in Connection to International “Romance Scam”Read the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man who helped lead a multi-year fraud scheme carried out by individuals in the United States and Nigeria has been sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison.
OLANIYI NASIRU OJIKUTU, a 39-year-old legal permanent resident of the U.S., who was born in Nigeria and was residing in Chicago at the time of the crimes, was one of ten individuals indicted as the result of “Operation Gold Phish,” a Chicago-based investigation which identified a variety of cyber-enabled scams primarily targeting elderly victims. The schemers built trust with victims through a purported online romance before convincing the victims to send money. The victims were contacted via websites such as Match.com, Facebook, and Instagram.
After being notified of the charges against him in May of 2019, Ojikutu fled via bus to Canada but was apprehended seven months later. He was turned over to United States authorities in January 2020 and pled guilty to one count of wire fraud in July 2022.
Over the course of approximately three years, Ojikutu opened approximately 25 bank accounts in his own name, a fake name, and a shell company name through which approximately $3.4 million in fraudulently obtained proceeds were transferred. Ojikutu used the fraudulently obtained funds for his own personal benefit, including to purchase vehicles in the United States and ship them to Nigeria for resale. As the result of Ojikutu’s actions, some victims lost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
On February 8, 2023, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey imposed an 88-month prison sentence for Ojikutu. All but one of the nine defendants in U.S. custody have pled guilty in this case. The alleged leader, DANIEL SAMUEL ETA, also known as “Captain” and “Etaoko,” 35, of Skokie has plead not guilty and his case is still pending.
The sentence is announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Robert W. Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Kai Pickens, Acting Inspector-in-Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Chicago. Valuable assistance was provided by the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Mulaney represented the government.
The FBI estimates that approximately 24,000 people lost more than $956 million in romance scams in 2021 alone. For tips on how to protect yourselves and your loved ones, visit the Federal Trade Commission’s romance scam webpage. To report a suspected romance fraud, file a report via the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.
Carrabba’s Robber Who Forced Employees into Closet Gets 97 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Wilmington man was sentenced today to 97 months in prison for Interference with Commerce by Robbery and Brandishing a Firearm in the Furtherance of a Crime of Violence. On June 1, 2022, Cornelius Riley, age 62, pled guilty to the charges. Through witness interviews, officers learned that Riley arrived at Carrabba’s Italian Grill in Wilmington after it was closed to the public and encountered an employee exiting the restaurant after finishing their shift. He then brandished a firearm and forced his way into the restaurant where he forced the employees to open the safe and empty cash drawers. Riley also demanded the security footage, but when the CD wouldn’t eject, he unhooked the recorder and threw it on the ground. Riley then forced the employees into a closet where he told them to wait.
According to court documents and other information, on November 20, 2020 at approximately 11:50 p.m., officers with the Wilmington Police Department responded to the Carrabba’s after receiving a call about an armed robbery in progress. When officers responded, they saw the defendant attempting to exit the restaurant with multiple items in his hands, however, when he saw police, he ran back inside. After a short standoff, Riley exited the restaurant and was placed under arrest. In a search incident to arrest, officers located approximately $490.00 in US Currency on Riley’s person that belonged to the restaurant. When officers searched the restaurant, they located a .22 caliber pistol in a trashcan, a pair of vinyl gloves, a closed zipper bank bag containing $1,900.00 in US Currency and assorted restaurant receipts and saw that multiple cash registers were disturbed, and the video recording system was on the floor. Officers interviewed the defendant who admitted to possessing the firearm found in the restaurant and admitted to trying to rob the restaurant.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Wilmington Police Department investigated the case and Special Assistant United States Attorney William Van Trigt prosecuted the case. Mr. Van Trigt is a prosecutor with the New Hanover County District Attorney’s Office. District Attorney Ben David has assigned him to the United States Attorney’s Office to prosecute federal violent crimes and other criminal matters. This has been made possible by a grant funded by New Hanover County.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:22-cr-00143FL
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Cape Girardeau Man Sentenced to Serve 9 Years in Federal Prison for Unlawfully Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU - The United States Attorney's Office announced that Mark A. Brand, 33, of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, was sentenced to serve 9 years in federal prison for the offense of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Brand appeared for his sentencing hearing today before United States District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr. at the federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
At a guilty plea hearing last year, Brand admitted that he attempted to flee from law enforcement officers in the City of Cape Girardeau during a criminal investigation in October 2019. A high-speed pursuit ensued. Brand eventually lost control of his car and crashed, at which point he tried to run away on foot. He was apprehended after a short foot chase. A backpack was found lying on the ground near Brand’s car, which contained a semi-automatic pistol and a revolver. Brand is prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law because of his status as a convicted felon, including a 2009 federal drug-trafficking conviction.
After serving his sentence, Brand will be placed on supervised release for a period of three years.
This case was investigated by the Cape Girardeau Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney Jack Koester handled the prosecution for the government.
Calais Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Calais man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for distributing child sexual abuse material.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Samuel Staples, 27, to 60 months in prison and five years of supervised release. Staples pleaded guilty on August 31, 2022.
According to court records, in September 2021, Staples began a chat session with the administrator of a social networking group dedicated to sharing child sexual abuse material and sent the administrator a sexually explicit image of a prepubescent female child. Based on this information, a search warrant was executed at Staples’ residence, and during the search, Staples admitted sending the image. Multiple images and videos of child pornography were also found on his cell phone.
Homeland Security Investigations, the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit, and the Calais Police Department investigated the case.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer re-victimization each time the images are viewed. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at https://report.cybertip.org/ or 1-800-843-5678. Your report will be forwarded to a law enforcement agency for investigation and action. If you have an emergency that requires an immediate law enforcement response, call 911 or contact your local police or sheriff’s department.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Biloxi Man Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – A Biloxi man was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Dean Carlin Fender, 26, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.
According to court documents, in July of 2021, as part of the investigation into the death of an airman at Keesler Air Force Base, a drug trafficking organization was identified as operating in the sale of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl in Harrison County, Mississippi. It was learned that this drug organization had provided fentanyl to Emmett Bennett who then caused a traffic accident on the base, killing one airman and injuring three others. As a result of this investigation, Dean Fender was identified as the person who sold fentanyl to Bennett. On September 2, 2021, 20 counterfeit Percocet tablets containing fentanyl were purchased from Fender in a controlled drug buy.
Fender was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 7, 2022. He pled guilty on November 9, 2022, to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Agency.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose.
Auburn Man Sentenced to 6 1/2 Years for Receipt and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: An Auburn man, formerly of Hollis, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for receipt and possession of child sexual abuse material.
Chief U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy sentenced Dylan Carmichael-Margel, 31, to 78 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $34,000 in restitution. Carmichael-Margel pleaded guilty on June 23, 2022.
According to court records, between May 2020 and January 2021, Carmichael-Margel knowingly received and possessed images and videos of child sexual abuse material. Some of the images depicted children under 12. In January 2021, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a search warrant at Carmichael-Margel’s Hollis residence and seized a cell phone and laptop. Child sexual abuse material was recovered from both devices. Child sexual abuse images recovered from the cell phone included victims as young as two years old.
HSI investigated the case.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – “child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer re-victimization each time the images are viewed. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at https://report.cybertip.org/ or 1-800-843-5678. Your report will be forwarded to a law enforcement agency for investigation and action. If you have an emergency that requires an immediate law enforcement response, call 911 or contact your local police or sheriff’s department.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Armed Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, FL – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Brandon Corey Skeith (40, Jacksonville) to seven years and eight months in federal prison for possessing fentanyl and cocaine base with the intent to distribute it and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Skeith had pleaded guilty on November 3, 2022.
According to court documents, Skeith was selling drugs out of a motel near Dunn Avenue in Jacksonville. In April 2022, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit observed Skeith selling fentanyl from the motel and obtained a search warrant for his room. During the execution of the search warrant, Skeith was caught with fentanyl packaged for sale, cocaine base, scales, beakers and a loaded Smith and Wesson 9mm pistol. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement analyzed the pistol and found Skeith’s DNA on the firearm.
This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Talbot. Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran handled the forfeiture of the firearm and ammunition.
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.
Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to over a Decade in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who barricaded himself in a residence with a small child, stolen firearms, narcotics, and dozens of rounds of ammunition, was sentenced on February 8, 2023, to 15 years in federal prison.
Darren Ackerman, age 39, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 22, 2022 guilty plea to being a felon in possession of firearms.
At a prior hearing in the case, evidence showed that, on October 25, 2020, Ackerman assaulted a victim who fled the home they were in. After the police were called, Ackerman refused to come to the door and barricaded himself inside with a small child. Police were forced to break down Ackerman’s door in order to rescue the child. Ackerman had narcotics in his possession and there were dozens of rounds of ammunition as well as five stolen firearms in the house. Ackerman was previously convicted of multiple felonies in the state of Iowa including burglary, theft, and narcotics related offenses.
Ackerman was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Ackerman was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment and fined $100. He was ordered to pay restitution. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Ackerman is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Liz Dupuich and was investigated by a Federal Task Force composed of the Waterloo Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms assisted by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office and Cedar Falls Police Department.
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.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-cr-2023.
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