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Thursday 15 December 2022
Norteño Gang Member Sentenced to 15 Years for Conspiracies to Commit Assaults and Murders in Monterey County JailRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – Jorge Jasso was sentenced today to 180 months (15 years) in federal prison following his convictions for multiple conspiracies involving gang violence in the Monterey County Jail, announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Beth L. Freeman.
Jasso is the last of 15 gang members who were charged, convicted, and sentenced in this case for wide ranging criminal conspiracies involving violence and drug trafficking.
On June 7, 2022, Jasso, age 30, of Soledad, California, was convicted by a federal jury of all charges against him. The charges consisted of engaging in a racketeering (RICO) conspiracy; engaging in a conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering; and engaging in a conspiracy to commit assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering.
In the same jury trial, Jasso’s co-defendant Vincent Gerald Garcia was convicted of the same charges. Garcia was sentenced on November 1, 2022, to 306 months (25 years, 6 months) in federal prison.
Trial evidence showed that Jasso was an active member of the Norteño street gang beginning in 2007. From at least May 2012 to September 2013, Jasso was incarcerated in the Monterey County Jail. During a portion of that time in jail, Jasso was a squad leader in his Norteño housing pod. Garcia, Jasso’s co-defendant, was also incarcerated there and held the position of Regiment Commander for the prison gang Nuestra Familia (“NF”). NF was in charge and controlled the criminal activities of gang inmates throughout the Monterey County Jail. The Norteño street gang is affiliated with and subordinate to the NF, and Norteño gang members pledge loyalty to the NF. Evidence showed that inside prisons and local jails, all members and affiliates of the NF, including Norteños, worked together to maintain gang structure and to follow the gang’s rules.
Trial evidence showed that Jasso conspired with other gang members to engage in attempted murders and assaults that took the form of “removals.” A removal refers to the removal of a gang member from the gang and consists of an organized attack upon the targeted victim. Any gang member in a Norteño housing unit who committed a serious violation of the rules could be subject to a removal. A removal first had to be authorized by the NF leader of the jail. The removal was then planned by the Norteño in charge of the housing unit and executed by the unit’s Norteño gang members. In the attack, one or more “hitters” stabbed the victim. The hitters were immediately followed by at least two “bombers.” Bombers viciously beat the victim. The beating by the bombers inflicted further injury to the target and continued a chaotic distraction, allowing time for the hitters to hide their weapons and wash off.
The trial focused on ten removals in the Monterey County Jail between December 2012 and April 2014. Most of the removals occurred in “K-Pod,” a cell block of housing units in Monterey County Jail that housed active Norteño members and associates exclusively. Three of the removals occurred in the jail’s main yard, during the recreation period for inmates who were housed in the lockdown pods for Norteños.
Evidence showed that Jasso played the role of a bomber in at least three removals. On December 2, 2012, one gang member, referred to as Victim-1, was removed in Monterey County Jail’s K-16 housing unit. During the removal, Victim-1 was stabbed over 20 times in the chest and back by a hitter. Immediately thereafter Jasso and another gang member punched and kicked the victim to inflict as much injury as possible, allowing the hitter to escape being caught by guards with the stabbing weapon. On February 25, 2013, another person,Victim-2, was also removed from the K-16 housing unit. The hitter in that removal stabbed Victim-2 in the head and face using a shank made from an electrical outlet plate sharpened into a stabbing instrument. Immediately thereafter the bombers – Jasso and another gang member – punched and kicked the victim to allow the hitter to escape. The wounds to Victim-2 required eight staples to his scalp and numerous stitches to his face and hand.
On April 29, 2013, Victim-3 was removed in the K-16 housing unit. As part the removal plan, Jasso falsely assured Victim-3 that Norteño leadership would not be punishing Victim-3 for his infraction, a tactic designed to cause Victim-3 to let his guard down and become an easier target. During the ensuing removal, the hitter stabbed Victim-3 repeatedly in the head. The bombers, which included Jasso, then descended upon Victim-3. As a result of the removal, Victim-3 suffered lacerations to his head requiring ten staples, a torn earlobe requiring seven sutures, and a facial droop.
Jasso was in custody at the time of his sentencing hearing and will begin to serve his sentence immediately.
The 15 defendants now convicted in this case are listed below with their charges and sentences:
Johnny Magdaleno
18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) – Racketeering Conspiracy
360 months imprisonment
Vincent Gerald Garcia
18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) - Racketeering Conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(5) - Conspiracy to Commit Murder in Aid of Racketeering
18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) - Conspiracy to Commit Assault With a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering
306 months
imprisonment
Rodney Luis Romero
18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) – Racketeering Conspiracy
216 months
imprisonment
Ramon Montoya
18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) – Racketeering Conspiracy
120 months
imprisonment
Michael James Rice
18 U.S.C. § 962(d) - Racketeering Conspiracy
156 months
imprisonment
Alberto Cervantes
18 U.S.C. § 962(d) - Racketeering Conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(5) - Conspiracy to Commit Murder in Aid of Racketeering
18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) - Conspiracy to Commit Assault With a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering
Custodial time already served, plus 5 years of supervised release with 730 days on home confinement
Alejo Alex Alegre, IV
18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) – Racketeering Conspiracy
120 months
imprisonment
Carlos Cervantes
18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) – Racketeering Conspiracy
120 months
imprisonment
Alberto Moreno
18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) – Racketeering Conspiracy
84 months
imprisonment
Steven Anthony Dorado
18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) – Racketeering Conspiracy
84 months
imprisonment
Michael Abraham Cazares
18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) - Racketeering Conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(5) - Conspiracy to Commit Murder in Aid of Racketeering
18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) - Conspiracy to Commit Assault With a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering
96 months
imprisonment
Jeffrey Lopez
18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) – Racketeering Conspiracy
84 months
imprisonment
Juan Alvarez
18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) – Racketeering Conspiracy
120 months
imprisonment
Erik Lopez
18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) – Racketeering Conspiracy
120 months
imprisonment
Jorge Jasso
18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) - Racketeering Conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(5) - Conspiracy to Commit Murder in Aid of Racketeering
18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) - Conspiracy to Commit Assault With a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering
180 months
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Meyer and Neal Hong prosecuted the case at trial with the assistance of Christine Tian, Mimi Lam, Laurie Worthen, Susan Krieder, Lynette Dixon, and Elise Etter. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI with assistance from the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, the California Highway Patrol, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Salinas Police Department, the Soledad Police Department, and the Fresno Police Department.
New Britain Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Offenses Stemming from Robbery and Carjacking SpreeRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that CHRISTIAN LUIS VELEZ-RUIZ, 25, of New Britain, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to federal robbery, carjacking, and firearm offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in a crime spree spanning from September 2021 into December 2021, Velez committed 28 armed robberies of convenience stores and six armed carjackings, among other offenses, throughout Connecticut. He continued committing the robberies after the FBI’s announcement of a $25,000 reward in November 2021 for information leading to Velez’s arrest and conviction.
On December 17, 2021, law enforcement located Velez in his vehicle in a parking lot in New Britain. Velez attempted to escape by ramming police vehicles and he ultimately fled on foot. A K9 pursuit ensued, and Velez was captured after he attempted to steal another vehicle. He has been detained since his arrest.
Velez, who has taken responsibility for all of the offenses he committed during his crime spree, pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking, two counts of interference with commerce by robbery, and two counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The carjacking occurred on September 2, 2021, when Velez stole at gunpoint a 2020 white Jeep Grand Cherokee from the driveway of a victim in Southington. One of the robberies occurred on September 26, 2021, when Velez robbed at gunpoint a store located at a Sunoco gas station in Bristol. Velez pistol-whipped the store employee and stole U.S. currency and cigarettes from the store. The other robbery occurred on October 7, 2021, when Velez robbed at gunpoint a store located at a Citgo gas station in Southington. Velez brandished a pistol at the store employee and stole cash and cigarettes from the store.
Judge Nagala scheduled sentencing for March 24, at which time Velez faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 14 years and a maximum term of life imprisonment.
This matter is being investigated by the FBI, the Connecticut State Police, the Greater Hartford Regional Auto Theft Task Force, and the New Britain, Waterbury, Berlin, Bristol, Cromwell, East Hartford, Enfield, Farmington, Glastonbury, Manchester, Meriden, Middletown, Newington, Norwich, Plainville, Southington, Windsor, Wolcott, and Woodbridge Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ruff.
Nevada Resident Returned to United States from Mexico in Connection with Federal Drug Charges Involving over 1,000 Pounds of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
RENO – A Reno man was returned to the United States from Mexico where he was arrested on a federal warrant for drug trafficking violations. On December 13, 2022, the defendant made his initial appearance in the Southern District of California and was ordered detained.
In June 2022, a federal grand jury in Reno charged Nassrollah Behmard, also known as “Benny” and “Michael Holt,” 64, with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, six counts of distribution of a methamphetamine, and conspiracy to money launder. Behmard’s next court date is December 27, 2022.
In 2014, Behmard fled to Mexico to avoid being arrested for his involvement in Washoe County drug trafficking case. In March 2022, the FBI learned that Behmard, who was still in Mexico, was conspiring with co-conspirators located in Reno and Los Angeles to distribute of multi-pound quantities of methamphetamine in the Reno. From March 2022 to June 2022, Behmard was responsible for distributing over 140 pounds of methamphetamine.
On June 6, 2022, Behmard arranged with co-conspirator Ramon Guadalupe Sanchez Maldonado to deliver 100 pounds of methamphetamine from Los Angeles to Reno. Law enforcement successfully intercepted the methamphetamine and traced it back to a clandestine lab located in the Los Angeles area. Law enforcement dismantled the lab and seized approximately 1,000 pounds of methamphetamine.
In June 2022, Behmard and co-conspirators Owen Eugene Dick, 58, Melissa Ann Longo, 46, Ramon Guadalupe Sanchez Maldonado, 51, and Jesus Sanchez Vargas, 22, were charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and related offenses including money laundering. All except for Behmard, who was still in Mexico at the time, were arrested in July 2022.
If convicted, Behmard faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison. There is a 10-year mandatory minimum term of imprisonment.
U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI made the announcement.
The FBI Northern Nevada Safe Streets Task Force, comprised of FBI, Reno Police Department, Carson City Sheriff’s Office, Nevada Gaming and Control Board, Nevada Department of Corrections, and Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, investigated the case with assistance by the FBI Los Angeles Field Office, the San Bernardino Police Department, DEA, and ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andolyn Johnson is prosecuting the case.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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NE Georgia Woman Indicted for Bomb Threat Against Athens Democratic Campaign OfficeRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging a northeast Georgia woman with threatening to bomb the Athens-Clarke County Democratic Committee Campaign headquarters in Athens, Georgia, earlier this month and lying to federal investigators.
Jessica Diane Higginbotham aka Jessica Harriod, 35, of Elberton, is charged with one count of communicating a bomb threat and one count of making false statements. If convicted of communicating a bomb threat, Higginbotham faces a maximum sentence of ten years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. If convicted of making false statements, she faces a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
Higginbotham is currently in state custody; she will have an initial appearance in front of a U.S. District Court magistrate judge at a later date.
The indictment alleges that Higginbotham made a threat to bomb the Athens-Clarke County Democratic Committee Campaign building in Athens, Georgia, on Dec. 3 and lied to federal agents on Dec. 4 about her knowledge of a specific email address and the use of the TextNow communication application on her Samsung cellphone, both of which belong to her.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the U.S. Capitol Police, the Athens-Clarke County Police Department and the Elbert County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Will R. Keyes is prosecuting the case.
An indictment 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.
Multi-Convicted Felon with “Ghost” AR-15 Pistol Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Keo Ibua Mike (29, Ocala) to eight years in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Mike had pleaded guilty plea on August 23, 2022.
According to court documents, on November 7, 2019, law enforcement officers arrested Mike on outstanding warrants at a house in Ocala that smelled strongly of marijuana. Investigators obtained a search warrant and recovered methamphetamine, crack cocaine, and MDMA from inside the home. They also discovered three loaded firearms in the attic—a handgun, an AR-15 “ghost” pistol (with no manufacturer markings), and an AK-47 rifle. A photograph from Mike’s social media account showed him holding the AR-15 pistol hours before the arrest (see photos below):
DNA testing by FBI later conclusively linked Mike to the firearms. Mike’s prior criminal record includes a state felony conviction for aggravated assault with a firearm (2009) and a federal conviction for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon (2014). As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Ocala Police Department, the Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team (UDEST), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.
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.
Missouri Valley Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual OffensesRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – Quinn Matthew Sorensen, age 23, of Missouri Valley, was sentenced on Tuesday, December 13, 2022, to 168 months in prison following his plea of guilty to Transportation of a Minor and Coercion and Enticement of a Minor. Sorenson will be required to register as a sex offender. He was ordered to 12 years of supervised release following his release from prison.
In March 2022, a school resource officer at Millard West High School was provided information from other students that a female freshman student was dating Sorenson. Sorensen was corresponding with several teenage girls at the high school through text messages and Snapchat. Sorenson picked up one female student in Omaha, Nebraska and transported her to his apartment in Missouri Valley. Sorenson encouraged high school freshmen to date him and engage in sexual acts. Sorenson also provided students alcohol and marijuana.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case and the Missouri Valley Police Department assisted in the execution of a search warrant.
Missouri Man Pleads Guilty to Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Andrew Neal, 22, of Columbia, Missouri, pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography before Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell T. Ippolito, who is handling the case, stated that between July 2018, and November 5, 2020, Neal received and attempted to receive sexually explicit images from three minor victims located in Lancaster, NY, San Francisco, California and Springfield, Missouri. Neal contacted the victims through Instagram and requested the sexually explicit images. If the victims did not comply, Neal threatened to share images previously sent by the victims with their Instagram followers. The victims initially complied but once they stopped, Neal did in fact share images with some of their Instagram followers.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 31, 2023, before Judge Skretny.
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Mexican Citizen Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison for Immigration OffenseRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – Hector Javier Torres Tapia, age 32, a Mexican citizen, formerly of Council Bluffs, was sentenced on Tuesday, December 13, 2022, to 18 months in prison following his plea of guilty to illegally reentering the country.
On May 21, 2022, Torres Tapia came to the attention of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), following on a traffic stop by the Council Bluffs Police Department. ICE Officers arrested Torres Tapia three days later. In 2015, Torres Tapia was convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine in the Nebraska District Court for Douglas County.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Council Bluffs Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated the case.
Massachusetts Man Sentenced for Wire Fraud and Illegally Exporting Defense Articles to TurkeyRead the Press Release
A Massachusetts man was sentenced yesterday to 33 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for a scheme to illegally export defense technical data to foreign nationals in Turkey in connection with the fraudulent manufacturing of parts and components used by the U.S. military, in violation of the Arms Export Control Act. The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) later determined that some of the parts were substandard and unsuitable for use by the military.
On Aug. 10, 2022, Arif Ugur, 53, of Cambridge, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud, two counts of violating the Arms Export Control Act and one count of conspiring to violate the Arms Export Control Act.
“The defendant willfully defrauded the Department of Defense and gave access to controlled defense information to individuals in a foreign country for personal gain,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “This type of brazen disregard for our export control laws threatens our military readiness and technological advantage and will not be tolerated by this department.”
According to court documents, in 2015, Ugur, founded and was the sole managing partner of the Anatolia Group Limited Partnership (Anatolia), a domestic limited partnership registered in Massachusetts. Beginning in approximately July 2015, Ugur bid on and acquired numerous contracts to supply the DOD with various parts and components intended for use by the U.S. military. Many of these contracts required that the parts be manufactured in the United States. Both in bids submitted to DOD and in subsequent email communications with DOD representatives, Ugur falsely claimed that Anatolia was manufacturing the parts in the United States. In fact, Anatolia was a front company with no manufacturing facilities whatsoever. Unbeknownst to DOD, Ugur contracted with a company in Turkey to make the parts and then passed them off to DOD as if they had been manufactured by Anatolia in the United States. Because they had not been manufactured in the United States in accordance with the contacts, Ugur failed to allow DOD to inspect the parts prior to delivery to the U.S. military. Many of the parts were substandard and some could not be used at all.
To enable the Turkish company to manufacture the parts, Ugur shared technical specifications and drawings of the parts with his co-conspirators overseas, some of whom were employees of the Turkish company. Ugur also provided his overseas co-conspirators with access to DOD’s online library of technical specifications and drawings. Because of their military applications, many of these parts were designated as Defense Articles under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and the United States Munitions List (USML). Thus, an export license was required to export the parts and related technical data (blueprints, specifications, etc.) from the United States to Turkey. Ugur knew of these restrictions, but nonetheless exported technical data controlled under the ITAR and USML to employees of the Turkish manufacturer without an export license.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; U.S. Attorney Rachael S. Rollins for the District of Massachusetts; Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Hegarty of the Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Matthew B. Millhollin of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Rashel Assouri of the U.S. Department of Commerce Office of Export Enforcement, Boston Field Office made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason A. Casey and Timothy H. Kistner for the District of Massachusetts prosecuted the case.
Marion County Man Indicted on Federal Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A federal grand jury returned an indictment on November 16, 2022, charging Christopher Wiser with possessing with the intent to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine, and with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Chief Wally Brady of the Lebanon Police Department made the announcement.
According to the indictment, Christopher Wiser, 31, of Lebanon, Kentucky, was charged with one count of possessing with the intent to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine and possessing a firearm by a convicted felon. Wiser has three prior felony convictions in Marion Circuit Court for cocaine trafficking.
The defendant made his initial court appearance yesterday before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. If convicted, Wiser faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is being investigated by the ATF and the Lebanon Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Josh Porter.
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.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Man Pleads Guilty to Voluntary Manslaughter on the Umatilla Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—On December 14, 2022, a resident of the Umatilla Indian Reservation pleaded guilty after he repeatedly struck a fellow resident of the reservation with his fists, causing the person’s death.
Tom Redhawk Tias, 22, pleaded guilty to one count of voluntary manslaughter.
According to court documents, on January 26, 2021, Tias contacted law enforcement to report an unresponsive adult. Officers responded to the scene on the Umatilla Indian Reservation and located a deceased adult who multiple witnesses said Tias admitted to hitting. In an interview with law enforcement, Tias confirmed these accounts. The victim, who had an active Tribal protection order against Tias, was later determined to have died due to blunt force trauma to the head and neck.
On February 10, 2021, Tias was charged by criminal complaint with voluntary manslaughter. Later, on March 16, 2021, a federal grand jury in Portland indicted Tias on the same charge.
Tias faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years’ supervised release. He will be sentenced on April 10, 2023, by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Marco A. Hernández.
As part of the plea agreement, Tias has agreed to pay restitution in full to the decedent’s next of kin his victim’s next of kin as identified by the government and ordered by the court.
This case was investigated by the FBI and Umatilla Tribal Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Pamela Paaso is prosecuting the case.
Long-Time Employee of Local Construction Firm Sentenced to Prison for EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Pamela Smith (60, Winter Park) to three years in federal prison for wire fraud. As part of her sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $500,000, the proceeds of the offense. The court also entered an order of forfeiture for Smith’s residence, which was substantially remodeled using stolen funds, as a substitute asset. Smith had pleaded guilty on April 18, 2022.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Smith was employed as an office manager for a family-owned construction company for 27 years. As part of her duties, Smith was responsible for handling the company’s payroll and had access to the company’s business accounts. Dating back to at least 2008, Smith made payments on multiple personal credit cards directly from the company’s business bank accounts without her employer’s permission. Beginning in 2013, Smith altered her payroll to increase her weekly salary without her employer’s permission. She began with a $1,000 per week increase, and, by the time her employer discovered the fraud, she was embezzling $2,000 per week. In total, Smith stole at least $700,000 from her employer. She used the funds to purchase cars, renovate her home, and otherwise live above her means. Smith took numerous steps to conceal her criminal activity, including transferring money between business bank accounts, limiting access to the company’s monthly banking statements, and altering the company’s general ledger.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel K. Jones. The forfeiture of assets is being handled by AUSA James Muench.
Local man sentenced for carjacking and gun crimeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 20-year-old Houston man has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of one count of carjacking and one count of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Keiffer Frederick Edwards pleaded guilty Sept. 23.
Today, U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison ordered Edwards to serve 71 months for the carjacking. He also received 120 months for the discharging of a firearm offense which must be served consecutively to the underlying carjacking offense. The total 191-month sentence will be immediately followed by five years of supervised release.
On April 28, the victim drove his vehicle to a gas station located at 407 Farm to Market Road 1960 in Houston. While in the parking lot, Edwards approached and attempted to enter the driver’s door of the victim’s vehicle. After a brief struggle, Edwards shot the victim several times, fled the scene in the victim’s vehicle. Law enforcement apprehended him a short time later.
The victim was reported to have 18 gunshot wounds, but medical personnel treated him, and he survived his injuries.
Edwards has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI, Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Mont Belvieu and Houston Police Departments and Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Michael Lewis is prosecuting the case.
KC Man Sentenced for Stealing, Illegally Possessing Firearm Used in KillingRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing the firearm he stole from his victim and used to kill him.
Larry D. Bradley, 54, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to 10 years in federal prison without parole.
On May 11, 2022, Bradley was found guilty at trial of being a felon in possession of a firearm, stealing a firearm, possessing a stolen firearm, and receiving a firearm while under indictment for a felony. Bradley has been in federal custody since his arrest on July 9, 2021.
On March 20, 2020, officers with the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department were dispatched to a residence on a reported shooting. Upon arrival, officers located Thomas Willett, who was suffering from a fatal gunshot wound, on the floor of the residence. Officers learned that in the heat of an argument, Bradley had shot Willett with a Glock .40-caliber handgun then fled from the residence with the firearm. With the assistance of a police dog, they were able to find Bradley hiding inside a trailer. Bradley no longer had the firearm, so officers asked him where the firearm was located. Bradley led the officers to a tire where he had hidden the firearm. Bradley later admitted that he had stolen the firearm from Willett a couple of days before the shooting.
According to testimony during Bradley’s trial, a conflict arose between Bradley and Willet because he was unwilling to support Bradley’s heroin habit. Bradley had pulled a knife on Willet a few days earlier, and stated several times that he wanted to hurt Willett.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm. Bradley has prior felony convictions for first-degree robbery and second-degree robbery. It is also illegal for anyone who is under indictment for a felony to receive a firearm. At the time he stole the firearm, he was under indictment for the felony possession of methamphetamine.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Q. McCarther and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah J. Rasalam. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo. Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
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.
Justice Department Secures Settlement in Race Discrimination Lawsuit Against Public Housing Authority and Property Owners in AlabamaRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Justice Department announced today that the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama has approved a consent decree resolving the department’s Fair Housing Act lawsuit alleging race discrimination by the Housing Authority of Ashland, Alabama. The consent decree also resolves the department’s claims against Southern Development Company of Ashland, Ltd., Southern Development Company of Ashland #2, Ltd., and Southern Development Company LLC, the private owners and agent of two of the eight low-income housing communities managed by the Housing Authority.
“Racial steering is a patently unlawful practice that destabilizes communities, fuels racial tensions, and perpetuates modern day racial segregation in communities across the country,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Civil Rights Division. “Racial steering violates federal law, and runs contrary to the principles of equal housing opportunity that animated the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who fought to bring an end to practices that locked Black people out of certain communities. This resolution should send a strong message to housing providers — both public and private — that they will be held responsible when they engage in unlawful conduct that violates the Fair Housing Act.”
“The consent decree entered today ensures access to housing opportunities for individuals and families without fear of discrimination,” said U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama. “My office will continue to devote resources to vigorously pursue housing providers who deny equal housing opportunities to applicants or separate tenants based on their race.”
The lawsuit, filed in December 2020, alleged that since at least 2012, the defendants maintained largely segregated housing and steered residents to different housing communities based on race. For example, the defendants steered Black applicants away from four overwhelmingly white communities (known as Ashland Heights I, Ashland Heights II, East Side, and Clay Circle) that are located in predominately white neighborhoods to two predominantly Black communities (known as West Side and Pine View) that are located in predominately Black neighborhoods.
In investigating and litigating this case, the department conducted over 100 interviews with former and current tenants and other longtime residents of the Ashland area. The tenants and residents repeatedly highlighted the deep psychological stigma and harm suffered by hundreds of Black families who have lived in segregated housing for generations.
Under the court-approved decree, the defendants are required to pay $275,000 in damages to 23 current or former tenants who were allegedly harmed by the defendants’ conduct and pay a civil penalty to the United States; implement policies and procedures to remedy the alleged segregation and to ensure nondiscrimination, transparency, and consistency in processing applications and offering units to applicants; contact a group of approximately 145 individuals who are disproportionately Black who applied to Ashland Heights I or II but were not placed on the waiting list(s), and offer them spots on the waiting list based on their original dates of application if they still qualify; undergo fair-housing training; and submit periodic compliance reports to the Justice Department.
This case was jointly litigated by attorneys in the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama.
The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, and disability. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the civil rights laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt. Individuals may report housing discrimination by calling the Justice Department at 1-833-591-0291, emailing [email protected], or submitting a report online. Individuals also may report discrimination by contacting HUD at 1-800-669-9777, or by filing a complaint online.
Justice Department Secures Settlement in Race Discrimination Lawsuit Against Public Housing Authority and Property Owners in AlabamaRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced that the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama has approved a consent decree resolving the department’s Fair Housing Act lawsuit alleging race discrimination by the Housing Authority of Ashland, Alabama. The consent decree also resolves the department’s claims against Southern Development Company of Ashland Ltd., Southern Development Company of Ashland #2 Ltd., and Southern Development Company LLC, the private owners and agent of two of the eight low-income housing communities managed by the Housing Authority.
“Racial steering is a patently unlawful practice that destabilizes communities, fuels racial tensions, and perpetuates modern day racial segregation in communities across the country,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Civil Rights Division. “Racial steering violates federal law, and runs contrary to the principles of equal housing opportunity that animated the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who fought to bring an end to practices that locked Black people out of certain communities. This resolution should send a strong message to housing providers — both public and private — that they will be held responsible when they engage in unlawful conduct that violates the Fair Housing Act.”
“The consent decree entered today ensures access to housing opportunities for individuals and families without fear of discrimination,” said U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama. “My office will continue to devote resources to vigorously pursue housing providers who deny equal housing opportunities to applicants or separate tenants based on their race.”
The lawsuit, filed in December 2020, alleged that since at least 2012, the defendants maintained largely segregated housing and steered residents to different housing communities based on race. For example, the defendants steered Black applicants away from four overwhelmingly white communities (known as Ashland Heights I, Ashland Heights II, East Side, and Clay Circle) that are located in predominately white neighborhoods to two predominantly Black communities (known as West Side and Pine View) that are located in predominately Black neighborhoods.
In investigating and litigating this case, the department conducted over 100 interviews with former and current tenants and other longtime residents of the Ashland area. The tenants and residents repeatedly highlighted the deep psychological stigma and harm suffered by hundreds of Black families who have lived in segregated housing for generations.
Under the court-approved decree, the defendants are required to pay $275,000 in damages to 23 current or former tenants who were allegedly harmed by the defendants’ conduct and pay a civil penalty to the United States; implement policies and procedures to remedy the alleged segregation and to ensure nondiscrimination, transparency and consistency in processing applications and offering units to applicants; contact a group of approximately 145 individuals who are disproportionately Black who applied to Ashland Heights I or II but were not placed on the waiting list(s), and offer them spots on the waiting list based on their original dates of application if they still qualify; undergo fair-housing training; and submit periodic compliance reports to the Justice Department.
This case was jointly litigated by attorneys in the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama.
The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, and disability. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the civil rights laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt. Individuals may report housing discrimination by calling the Justice Department at 1-833-591-0291, emailing [email protected], or submitting a report online. Individuals also may report discrimination by contacting HUD at 1-800-669-9777, or by filing a complaint online.
Justice Department Finds Alaska Unnecessarily Segregates Children with Behavioral Health Disabilities in InstitutionsRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today that it found reasonable cause to believe that the State of Alaska violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by failing to provide community-based services to children with behavioral health disabilities, relying instead on segregated, institutional settings — specifically, psychiatric hospitals and psychiatric residential treatment facilities. This finding comes at the conclusion of the department’s investigation into whether Alaska subjects children with behavioral health disabilities to unnecessary institutionalization in violation of Title II of the ADA.
“Each year, hundreds of children, including Alaska Native children in significant number, are isolated in institutional settings often far from their communities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Most of these children could remain in family homes if provided appropriate community-based services. We look forward to working with Alaska to bring the State into compliance with federal law and prevent the unnecessary institutionalization of children.”
Children who are segregated in psychiatric residential treatment facilities commonly stay there longer than six months, and some of them are sent to states as distant as Texas and Missouri, thousands of miles from their families.
The department’s investigation found that Alaska’s system of care is heavily reliant on institutions and that key community-based services and supports needed to serve children with behavioral health disabilities in family homes, such as home-based family treatment, crisis services and therapeutic treatment home services, are often unavailable. As a result, many children with behavioral health disabilities, including a substantial number of Alaska Native children, are forced to endure unnecessary and unduly long admissions to psychiatric hospitals and psychiatric residential treatment facilities both within Alaska and in states across the country.
With today’s announcement, the department has concluded its third investigation in 2022 involving the unnecessary institutionalization of children with behavioral health disabilities.
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt.
Jury convicts Las Cruces man on federal firearm violationRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced that a federal jury on Dec. 12 returned a guilty verdict on Derris Deshune Carpenter. The jury convicted Carpenter, 40, of Las Cruces, New Mexico, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
On April 29, Carpenter was travelling on Interstate 25 north of Las Cruces when he approached a Border Patrol checkpoint. Before reaching the checkpoint, Carpenter turned around in an area that was not designated for turning, and proceeded south. U.S. Border Patrol Agents pursued Carpenter and stopped him. Inside the vehicle’s glove compartment, agents located a 9mm handgun.
At the time, Carpenter had previously been convicted of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance in 2011. As a previously convicted felon, Carpenter cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.
Carpenter will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. He faces up to 10 years in prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with assistance from U.S. Border Patrol. Assistant United States Attorneys Randy M. Castellano and Christopher McNair are prosecuting the case.
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Jury Finds All Three Defendants Guilty in Murderous FeudRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Following a nine-week long trial, a D.C. Superior Court jury returned verdicts finding Derek B. Turner, 31, Ronnika M. Jennings, 44, and Duan M. Hill, 33, guilty of multiple felony offenses arising out of a violent gang feud between two neighborhoods in Southeast Washington, D.C. in 2016-2017. The defendants were charged in a multiple-count conspiracy case that included two separate murders, multiple shooting offenses, and multiple obstruction of justice offenses.
Late Wednesday afternoon, the jury returned the following verdicts: against Turner for Conspiracy to Kill and Assault, Conspiracy to Obstruct Justice, two counts of First Degree Premeditated Murder While Armed, three counts of Assault With Intent to Kill While Armed, four counts of Possession of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence, seven counts of Obstruction of Justice, and four counts of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm (Prior Conviction); against Jennings for four counts of Accessory After the Fact and one count of Obstruction of Justice; and against Hill for Conspiracy to Obstruct Justice and two counts of Obstruction of Justice.
Sentencing is scheduled for March 10, 2023.
In 2016-17, a dispute ensued between Wahler Place and Trenton Park crews, rival groups located in Southeast. In less than a year, 16 serious violent crimes, including four homicides, arose directly from the dispute, and at least 12 other serious crimes of violence, including at least three homicides, were part of the investigation. The government’s case showed that Wahler Place members engaged in a violent crime conspiracy targeting members of Trenton Park. Turner, also known as Fats, was a member of Wahler Place and was charged with the January 7, 2017 murder of Devin Hall and the March 1, 2017 murder of Andrew McPhatter, as well as several non-fatal shootings. The jury convicted Turner in both murders, as well as the February 17, 2017 attempted murders of rivals Raheem Osborne, Joseph Tyler, and Andrew McPhatter (before he was the victim of the later homicide). In the course of committing the charged offenses, defendant Turner utilized defendant Jennings, a civilian clerk in MPD’s Seventh District, to provide him with confidential police information to assist him and others in their criminal activities. Jennings was convicted of three counts of Accessory After the Fact in the February 17, 2017 attempted murder, as an Accessory After the Fact in McPhatter’s murder, and on one count of Obstruction of Justice. Hill was convicted of multiple counts of obstruction of justice in connection with a conspiracy to recruit an associate of Turner to take criminal responsibility for the firearm that Turner used to commit the two charged murders as well as three charged attempted murders.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department, specifically Det. Charles Fultz and Det. Jeffrey Weber, as well as Special Agent Samuel Ward from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. He also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service, the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. He acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including: Paralegal Specialists Kelly Blakeney, LaShone Samuels and Stephanie Siegerist; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Tasha Harris; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Supervisory Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark; Victim/Witness Security Specialist Robert Cephas; Supervisory Victim/Witness Security Specialist Lesley Slade; Supervisory Victim Witness Service Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington; Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Litigation Technology Specialist Maisha Treadwell; Litigation Technology Specialist Thomas Royal; Special Agents Durand Odom and Mark Crawford; former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dineen Baker and Sara Vanore; Appellate Section Deputy Chief John Mannarino; Homicide Deputy Chief Laura Bach; and Assistant U.S. Attorney AUSA Erin DeRiso.
Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Truscott and Kevin Flynn, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Jury Convicts Hampton Recidivist of Possessing Assault Rifle, Fentanyl and Other Illicit ItemsRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Hampton man on charges of conspiracy, drug and firearm charges.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on November 15, 2021, Jonathan C. Long, 39, of Hampton, was arrested for failing to appear on a federal supervised release violation. A search of the residence that had been leased by his then girlfriend, now wife, revealed distribution quantities of fentanyl, cocaine base, hundreds of vials for distribution to users, five cell phones, and three firearms, including an assault rifle. Over 100 rounds of ammunition were also located that included armor piercing and hollow point bullets. An additional cell phone and round of ammunition were located in another residence previously used by Long. Evidence extracted from cell phones and jail communications revealed the scope of Long’s drug dealing, his efforts to avoid apprehension by law enforcement from April through November 2021, and his location during this time. One of the firearms recovered had been purchased for Long, who was a prohibited person as a convicted felon, in April 2021, by one of his drug addict customers from a pawn shop in Hampton.
Long was convicted of all five counts in the indictment, including drug conspiracy, possession of over 40 grams of fentanyl with intent to distribute, possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possession of firearms by a convicted felon, and maintaining a drug premises. He faces a mandatory minimum term of 35 years in prison when sentenced on April 24, 2023. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; and Mark Talbot, Chief of Hampton Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Roderick C. Young accepted the verdict.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian J. Samuels and Julie Podlesni and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Grace H. Bowen are prosecuting the case.
This investigation was also conducted by the FBI’s Peninsula Safe Streets Task Force, a partnership that includes the FBI, Virginia State Police, Hampton Police Division, James City County Police Department, Newport News Police Department, and United States Postal Inspection Service. This task force investigates the most violent criminal enterprises operating on the Virginia Peninsula. Tips regarding gang activity and other violent crimes in the region can be reported to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or www.fbi.gov/tips.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:22-cr-37.
Jack Vicars Sentenced to 27 Months for Embezzling Nearly $350,000Read the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On December 15, 2022, Jack D. Vicars, 49, currently of Bluff City, TN, was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison by the Honorable Clifton L. Corker, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Vicars agreed to plead guilty to an information charging him with one count of wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343 and one count of subscribing a false tax return in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7206(1). Following Vicars imprisonment, he will be on supervised release for three years. Vicars was also ordered to pay restitution totaling $344,650.00 on account of his theft and $33,699.44 on account of unpaid taxes.
According to filed court documents, Vicars began working as a project manager for a large construction company in Johnson City, TN, and by 2018, he was promoted to the position of vice president. As part of his position and duties, he routinely oversaw projects and reviewed and approved invoices submitted by subcontractors working on those projects. Eventually, Vicars formed his own company and began submitting fraudulent invoices from his company for fictitious work that was not performed. Vicars would then use his position and authority to approve those invoices, resulting in payments issued by his employer to Vicars’ company. Vicars then used the money he stole to pay for personal expenses like his personal credit cards. The fraud took place over a period spanning from 2016 through February 2021. In total, Vicars stole $344,650 from his employer. Vicars also filed a false tax return in 2019, in which he failed to disclose money he had stolen, resulting in understated income and an unpaid tax liability of $33,699.14.
This prosecution was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation. This investigation was led by FBI Special Agent Reanna O’Hare and IRS CI Special Agent Jimmy Cline.
Assistant United States Attorney Mac D. Heavener represented the United States.
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Investigation dismantles Butte drug trafficking organization with ties to the Sinaloa CartelRead the Press Release
BUTTE — A multi-agency undercover investigation into a large-scale drug trafficking organization that had ties to the Sinaloa Cartel and brought massive quantities of methamphetamine, counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl and heroin to Butte for redistribution has resulted in the federal convictions of 22 persons, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich announced today.
U.S. Attorney Laslovich, along with federal, state and local law enforcement partners, discussed the dismantling of the Butte drug trafficking network at a news conference at the Montana Highway Patrol office in Butte. Led by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Montana Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation, with assistance from numerous federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, the investigation was one of the largest federal drug trafficking probes in Montana in recent years.
According to court documents and statements in court, the investigation, which began in 2019 with a tip about a suspicious package containing money being sent to California, led to federal convictions in Montana of 22 individuals from Montana, California and Mexico. Three of the drug traffickers, Humberto Villareal and Ricardo Ramos Medina, both of Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico, and Heriberto Tavares, of Anaheim, California, had ties to the Cartel.
Today in Missoula, U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen sentenced Helena resident Michael Robert Lee, 25, to 46 months in prison for his conviction on possession with intent to distribute meth in relation to the investigation. Lee is one of two remaining defendants indicted in the overall investigation to be sentenced. Defendant Tavares, an associate of Villareal and Medina, is pending sentencing in February for his guilty plea in October to possession with intent to distribute meth.
“Far too often, we believe that cartel-related activity in America is limited to southern border states, but as these cases show, we have significant issues facing us in Montana, including in an area where I grew up,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said. “These cases also show that our office will pursue cartel-related activity without fear or hesitation. Individuals associated with this network brought staggering amounts of methamphetamine, fake oxycontin pills laced with fentanyl, and heroin from Mexico and into Montana for distribution. This years-long investigation and prosecution shut down the flow of these dangerous drugs, held suppliers and local dealers accountable, and saved lives in Montana communities. The success of this collaborative enforcement action would not have been possible without the dedication, cooperation, and hard work of all of our law enforcement partners to hold offenders accountable and to keep Montanans safe. Our work does not end with the conclusion of these cases, but rather is just beginning.”
“The Sinaloa Cartel is one of two primary cartels responsible for flooding the United States with fentanyl and methamphetamine,” said Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Rocky Mountain Division Brian Besser. “This investigation has revealed the extent to which the Sinaloa Cartel has extended its reach into Montana; however, the law enforcement agencies, at the local, state and federal level, have demonstrated via the results of this case that we will continue to attack these networks at every level to save lives and protect our communities from the scourge of illicit drugs.”
“The shipment of illegal and dangerous narcotics remains a plague on our streets. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service remains steadfast in our commitment to work with our partners in law enforcement to do everything we can to bring these drug dealers to justice and protect communities across Montana and the country,” said Assistant Inspector in Charge (AIC) Jarrod Resendez, of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
“There’s no question that Mexico is the source of illegal drugs pouring into our state. These cases – which are the culmination of years of investigative and prosecutorial work – put that to rest,” Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen said. “Our DCI narcotics agents and Highway Patrol troopers work closely with federal and local partners every day, and I’ll continue our work to strengthen those partnerships to keep drugs out of Montana and put traffickers behind bars.”
“I am very grateful for the multi-jurisdictional approach and the cooperation between local, state and federal law enforcement. These are lengthy, labor-intensive and detailed operations,” Butte Silver Bow Sheriff Ed Lester said. “This investigation was very successful in that a significant number of defendants were indicted. It puts drug traffickers on notice that Southwest Montana is a very dangerous place to do business.”
In court statements, the government estimated that the overall drug trafficking network was responsible for bringing 2,043 pounds of meth and 722,000 fentanyl-laced pills from Mexico to Butte for redistribution, with approximately $2.98 million laundered in drug proceeds. During the investigation, law enforcement seized 65 pounds of methamphetamine, which is the equivalent of 235,560 doses, more than 2,000 counterfeit oxycontin pills containing fentanyl and three pounds of heroin. Law enforcement also seized $32,875 in cash and 19 firearms.
The government said Mexico suppliers brought drugs on rail and by individuals across the border at ports of entry to stash houses in Southern California. The traffickers then transported multi-pound quantities by vehicle and through the mail to Butte. From Butte, local dealers trafficked the drugs to Missoula, Helena, Great Falls, Bozeman, Billings and Wolf Point for street-level distribution. The dealers then laundered drug proceeds through the mail, cash shipments and wire transactions back to the Mexico suppliers.
Montana defendants convicted:
Charles Clement, 36, of Butte – Conspiracy– 54 months in prison
Steve Shipe, 52, of Butte – Conspiracy – 60 months in prison
Jeremy Rivers, 45, of Butte – Possession with the Intent to Distribute – 60 months in prison
Dale Johnson, 27, of Butte – Possession with the Intent to Distribute – 46 months in prison
Michael Robert Lee, 25, of Helena – 46 months in prison
James Starcevich, 25, of Butte – Conspiracy – 5 years of supervision, 1 day in prison
Charles Petty, 34, of Butte – Possession with the Intent to Distribute – 120 months in prison
MaryJane Galloway, 37, of Butte – Deceased prior to sentencing
Shawn Miller, 33, of Butte – Possession with the Intent to Distribute – 60 months in prison
Josh Schroeder, 40, of Butte – Conspiracy – 188 months in prison
David Shaver, 34, of Butte – Conspiracy – 54 months in prison
David Viers, 59, of Butte – Possession with the Intent to Distribute – 12 months in prison
Opal Cox, 40, of Great Falls – Conspiracy – 144 months in prison
Travis Soderberg, 47, of Butte – Possession with the Intent to Distribute – 96 months in prison
Deric Sherman, 55, of Butte – Possession with the Intent to Distribute – 78 months in prison
Anthony Lamere, 33, of Butte – Possession with the Intent to Distribute – 84 months in prison
Gloria Lucero, 54, of Great Falls – Possession with the Intent to Distribute – 64 months in prison
Clayton Cleland, 40, of Butte – Conspiracy – 54 months in prison
California defendants convicted:
Oscar Luna, 32, Bakersfield – Conspiracy – 72 months in prison
Heriberto Tavares, 29, Anaheim – Possession with Intent to Distribute, sentencing set for February 21, 2023
Mexico defendants convicted:
Humberto Villareal, 34, Culiacan, Sinaloa – Possession with the Intent to Distribute – 204 months in prison
Ricardo Ramos Medina, 34, Culiacan, Sinaloa – Conspiracy – 96 months in prison
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan G. Weldon prosecuted the cases.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and Montana Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation led the investigation, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Montana Highway Patrol, the Southwest Montana Drug Task Force, Butte Silver Bow Law Enforcement and Butte Silver Bow County Attorney’s Office.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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Individual from Chicago Sentenced to 48 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND –Shanell Medina-Hipolite, 24 years old, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Medina-Hipolite was sentenced to 48 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in October 2019, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on Medina-Hipolite’s car on the toll road. A search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of over a kilogram of fentanyl.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with the assistance of the Hobart Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank E. Schaffer.
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Indictment Charges 5 Men with Fentanyl Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford has returned an indictment charging the following five individuals with fentanyl trafficking offenses:
ADDELY ROSARIO-RAMIREZ, aka “Tata,” 24, a citizen of the Dominican Republic
LUIS ELVIS HERNANDEZ-RIVAS, aka “Compa,” 43, a citizen of the Dominican Republic
HUGO IVAN RAMIREZ-BELLOZO, 32, a citizen of Mexico
JUAN GONZALEZ-REYES, aka “Chinbala,” 32, of Hartford
MARIO PASCUAL-AQUINO, 42, of TorringtonThe indictment was returned on November 30, 2022. On December 13, the five defendants appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford and pleaded not guilty to the charges. Rosario-Ramirez, Hernandez-Rivas and Ramirez-Bellozo are detained, and Gonzalez-Reyes and Pasqual Aquino are released on $100,000 bonds.
As alleged in court documents, the DEA’s Hartford Task Force has been investigating a Hartford-based drug trafficking organization involved in the distribution of a large amount of fentanyl and other narcotics, and the transportation and laundering of cash proceeds from their drug trafficking activity.
It is alleged that, in April 2021, Rosario-Ramirez provided more than $56,000 in suspected narcotics proceeds to an uncover law enforcement officer. It is further alleged that, in January 2022, investigators coordinated a motor vehicle stop of a minivan Rosario-Ramirez was driving and seized $92,000 from a hidden compartment in the minivan. Hernandez-Rivas was a passenger in the minivan at the time of the traffic stop.
On November 16, 2022, investigators executed a court-authorized search warrant at an apartment on Putnam Heights in Hartford and seized more than a kilogram of fentanyl, items used to process and package narcotics, and a loaded .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun. Rosario-Ramirez, Hernandez-Rivas, Ramirez-Bellozo, and Pascual-Aquino, all of whom were present in the apartment, were arrested at that time. Gonzalez-Reyes was arrested after he arrived at the apartment as the search warrant was being executed, and investigators found an additional quantity of fentanyl on his person.
The indictment charges Rosario-Ramirez, Hernandez-Rivas, Ramirez-Bellozo, Gonzalez-Reyes and Pascual-Aquino with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life. Rosario-Ramirez, Hernandez-Rivas, Ramirez-Bellozo, and Pascual-Aquino are also charged with possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, which also carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life. Gonzalez-Reyes is also charged with possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by the DEA’s Hartford Task Force, which includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Windsor Locks and Willimantic Police Departments.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Hassan Chokr Charged with Lying on A Federal Firearms Form When Seeking to Buy Three FirearmsRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Hassan Chokr, the man who threatened preschoolers, parents, and other individuals outside a Jewish synagogue in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, has been charged in a federal criminal complaint with lying on a federal firearms form when he sought to buy a shotgun, a rifle, and a semi-automatic pistol, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.
Joining in the announcement were Special Agent-in-Charge James A. Tarasca, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Special Agent in Charge Paul D. Vanderplow, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Detroit Field Division.
Chokr, 35, of Dearborn, Michigan, is charged with attempting to purchase three firearms on December 2, 2022, at a federal firearms licensee in Dearborn, Michigan. In seeking to make the purchases, Chokr filled out a federal firearms form. On that form, Chokr falsely claimed that he had not been previously convicted of a felony. He also falsely claimed that there were no felony charges currently pending against him. However, Chokr was convicted in 2017 of Felony Financial Transaction Device – Stealing/Retaining Without Consent. He also has a charge of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon (Felonious Assault) currently pending against him in state court. After Chokr submitted the firearms form at the gun store, his purchase was denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), and the firearms were not transferred to Chokr. The three weapons that Chokr sought to purchase were as follows: a Landor Arms, 12-gauge shotgun; a Del-ton, 5.56mm rifle; and a Glock, 9mm semi-automatic pistol.
Chokr is currently charged by the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office with ethnic intimidation based on his conduct outside of the Jewish synagogue on December 2, 2022. The events at the Dearborn gun store that are the subject of the criminal complaint took place later in the day after the incident at the synagogue.
The defendant faces a maximum of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted of the offense.
A criminal complaint is only a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frances Carlson, the Deputy Chief of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s office.
Hartford Gang Member Sentenced to 54 Months in Prison for Drug and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that EDIL RAMOS, also known as “E,” 40, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 54 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for narcotics distribution and firearm possession offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an FBI Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and Hartford Police Department investigation into drug trafficking and related criminal acts committed by members and associates of the Los Solidos and Latin Kings street gangs in Hartford’s South End. Between February and April 2020, investigators made five controlled purchases of crack cocaine and fentanyl from Ramos, a member of Los Solidos. Most of the drug sales occurred at Ramos’ residence on Wethersfield Avenue.
Ramos was arrested on April 8, 2020. On that date, a search of his residence revealed a 9mm firearm, a loaded firearm magazine, approximately 1,400 bags of fentanyl, a distribution quantity of crack cocaine, and $33,062 in cash.
Ramos has been detained since his arrest on April 8, 2020. On March 28, 2022, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine base (“crack”), and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
The FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming.
Hart County Man Indicted by Federal Grand Jury for Transmitting Threats in Interstate CommerceRead the Press Release
Bowling Green, KY – A federal grand jury in Bowling Green, Kentucky returned an indictment on December 14, 2022, charging a Hart County man with transmitting threats in interstate commerce. The man was initially charged with this offence on November 22, 2022, by a federal criminal complaint.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and Commissioner Phillip Burnett, Jr. of the Kentucky State Police made the announcement.
According to the complaint, Joshua O. Morrison, 30, of Horse Cave, Kentucky, transmitted a threat in interstate commerce. Specifically, the criminal complaint affidavit states that on November 20, 2022, at approximately 6:17 a.m., the Kentucky State Police (“KSP”) received a complaint regarding threats transmitted that morning via Facebook Messenger. The complainant did not know the sender, but stated she found the message disturbing and thought it should be reported. The Facebook message stated “Don’t go to church or school I’ma do a mass shooting. I’m coming to bowling green Kentucky to do a mass shooting also.”
KSP identified Morrison as the individual who sent the messages, and they went to his residence in Horse Cave, KY and located him. Morrison was advised of his Miranda rights and admitted to sending the messages, but repeatedly claimed he did not intend to carry out his threat. Morrison advised he knew what messages he sent, he verified the Facebook account that sent the messages was his own, and he admitted that he sent the messages.
On November 20, 2022, Morrison was arrested by KSP and on November 28, 2022, he was taken into federal custody. The defendant made his initial court appearance on November 28, 2022, before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Western District of Kentucky. The defendant remains in federal custody. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system.
The FBI Louisville Field Office’s Bowling Green Resident Agency and the Kentucky State Police are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Madison Sewell, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Hardy County woman admits to firearms chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Tara Lynn Crawford, of Wardensville, West Virginia, has admitted to a firearms charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Crawford, 40, pleaded guilty today o one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Crawford, a person prohibited from having a firearm because of prior felony convictions, admitted to having a .22 caliber rifle in October 2020 in Hardy County.
Crawford faces up to 10 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner is prosecuting the cases on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Grand Rapids Man Pleads Guilty to Covid-19 Relief FraudRead the Press Release
Kurtis VanderMolen Obtained Paycheck Protection Program Loans for a Fake Company and Used the Money for a BMW Convertible and Other Personal Expenses
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney Mark Totten announced today that Kurtis James VanderMolen, 50, of Grand Rapids, Michigan pleaded guilty to bank fraud and money laundering in connection with a scheme to obtain approximately $170,000 in Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loans for a company that did not exist. Bank fraud carries a maximum penalty of thirty years’ imprisonment; money laundering carries a maximum of ten years’ imprisonment.
In July 2020, VanderMolen submitted a PPP loan application to a New Jersey bank for a fake company, Breakout Strategies Corporation. VanderMolen claimed that Breakout Strategies had eleven employees and sent the bank fraudulent bank records and fake payroll records to make it appear as though Breakout Strategies was a real business. VanderMolen received approximately $100,641 in his first PPP loan, which he used for personal expenses, including a BMW 650i convertible. In February 2021, when VanderMolen ran out of his initial PPP loan proceeds, he applied for a second PPP loan on behalf of Breakout Strategies and again submitted fraudulent bank records, fake payroll records, and false tax documents to make it appear as though Breakout Strategies was a real company. VanderMolen obtained approximately $69,361 from the second PPP loan that he used for personal expenses, including for his wedding aboard a boat in Florida.
“This was federal aid that was intended to support our country’s critical small businesses, not to buy luxury cars or pay for wedding expenses,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “My office will continue to aggressively prosecute COVID-19 relief fraud using all available remedies.”
“The Paycheck Protection Program was a critical lifeline for Michigan’s small businesses, and the FBI will not tolerate people taking advantage of that program to enrich themselves,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “This kind of fraud may have prevented honest business owners from getting the help they needed to weather the early days of the pandemic. The FBI remains committed to finding people who commit fraud and holding them accountable for their crimes.”
This case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Townshend is prosecuting the case.
Anyone with information about attempted frauds involving COVID-19 relief can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline (1-866-720-5721) or through the Center’s Web Complaint Form (https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form).
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Goldsboro Methamphetamine Trafficker Sentenced to 106 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Goldsboro, North Carolina man was sentenced today to 106 months in prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of Methamphetamine and Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of Methamphetamine. Brandon Phillips pled guilty to the charges on May 17, 2022.
According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, On August 5, 2020, a deputy with the Wake County Sheriff’s Office in Raleigh, North Carolina stopped a vehicle in which Mr. Phillips was a passenger. While conducting the traffic stop, the deputy observed Mr. Phillips moving around in the car as if trying to hide something. After walking around the vehicle, a K-9 alerted to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle. A search by law enforcement ultimately led to the seizure of approximately 495.3 grams of crystal methamphetamine, $3,033 in U.S. currency, and drug paraphernalia.
Two related defendants have previously been sentenced:
- Jason Michael Hyland (7:20-CR-130-M): sentenced to 134 months’ imprisonment.
- Ashley Carol Shackelford (7:20-CR-130-M): sentenced to 90 months’ imprisonment.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Duplin County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wake County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Nucci prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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 number 5:21-CR-21-M.
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Gibson Man Sentenced for Conspiring to Stage Automobile AccidentsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that HENRY RANDLE (“RANDLE”), age 66, of Gibson, Louisiana, was sentenced on December 14, 2022 for Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, arising out of staged automobile accidents with tractor-trailers occurring in New Orleans.
According to court documents, on May 17, 2017, RANDLE, along with participants Damian Labeaud (“Labeaud”), Mario Solomon (“Solomon”), Ryan Wheaten (“Wheaten”), and Dakota Diggs (“D. Diggs”), staged an automobile collision with a tractor-trailer in the vicinity of U.S. Highway 90 East and Calliope Street in New Orleans. Labeaud purposely drove the vehicle into a tractor-trailer and then fled the scene with Solomon. RANDLE falsely reported to the New Orleans Police Department that he had been driving and that the tractor-trailer was at fault. Shortly thereafter, Labeaud and Solomon went on to stage a second accident in the vicinity of Louisa Street and Chickasaw Street with Bernell Gale (“Gale”), Troy Smith (“Smith”), Marvel Francois (“Francois”), and another passenger. After the staged collision, RANDLE, Wheaten, and D. Diggs made claims for personal injuries. The victim insurance companies paid out approximately $10,000.00 for these fraudulent claims. In addition to RANDLE, Labeaud, Solomon, Wheaten, Gale, Smith, and Francois were also charged and pled guilty.
U. S. District Court Judge Lance M. Africk sentenced RANDLE to serve twelve (12) months in prison, to be followed by three (3) years of supervised release with 100 hours of community service. RANDLE was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $11,000. Judge Africk also imposed a $100 mandatory special assessment.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would like to acknowledge the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Metropolitan Crime Commission with this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Carboni, Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit, Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Long.
Georgia Inmate Is Convicted of Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
STATESVILLE, N.C. – A federal jury in Statesville has convicted Alfonso Roman Brito, 43, of trafficking methamphetamine, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell presided over the three-day trial which ended on Wednesday.
Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which oversees the Charlotte District Office, Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, Robert Schurmeier, Director of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), Sheriff Banks Hinceman of the Burke County Sheriff’s Office, and Sheriff Donald G. Brown II of the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to filed court documents, evidence introduced at trial and witness testimony, in 2019, HSI, the DEA, the Burke County Sheriff’s Office, and the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office were investigating a Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) operating in the Catawba County, Burke County, and surrounding communities. Trial evidence established that Brito was an inmate in the Georgia Department of Corrections and was coordinating the shipments of multiple kilograms of methamphetamine from the Atlanta area into the Western District of North Carolina. According to information presented at trial, between 2019 and into the fall of 2021, Brito orchestrated the delivery of more than 100 kilograms of methamphetamine from Georgia into North Carolina.
The federal jury convicted Brito of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine, which carries a maximum term of life in prison and a $10,000 fine. Brito remains in federal custody. A sentencing date has not been set.
In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney King commended the DEA, HSI, the Burke County Sheriff’s Office, and the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office for leading the investigation. U.S. Attorney King also thanked the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office, the Newton Police Department, the Hickory Police Department, and the Georgia Department of Corrections for their assistance in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hess of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville is prosecuting the case.
Framingham Man Arrested for Operating Unlicensed Money Transmitting BusinessRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Framingham man was arrested this morning in connection with operating an unlicensed money transmitting business.
Luiz DaSilva, 68, was indicted on one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. DaSilva will appear in federal court in Boston at 3:30 p.m. this afternoon before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Judith G. Dein.
According to the indictment, from in or about October 2018 through in or about October 2020, DaSilva failed to comply with the federal registration requirements for money transmitting businesses in operating his business, Mix Cell Phones, LLC.
The charge of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Framingham Police Chief Lester Baker made announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Four Individuals Charged with Fraudulently Obtaining Government Contracts Intended for Disadvantaged Small Business OwnersRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Scott E. Boone, age 51, of Enola, PA, Daniel E. McGuire, age 60, of Landisville, PA, Thomas E. Lauer, age 60, of Butler, PA, and Rebecca J. Davis, age 73, of Bethel Park, PA, were indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on six counts of violating the Major Fraud Act and two counts of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to commit violations of the Major Fraud Act.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that between 2003 and 2014, all four defendants conspired to obtain and did obtain federal government contracts reserved for companies run by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals through the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 8(a) Business Development Program. This program required socially and economically disadvantaged individuals to exercise unconditional control over their own companies. It also required these companies to commit to performing at least 15% of the cost of any contract with their own employees. When companies met these criteria, they could enter the program for a period of up to nine years and then bid on contracts reserved for companies in the 8(a) Program. These reserved contracting opportunities are often referred to as “set-aside” contracts.
Rebecca J. Davis was the president of a company called Elstner Construction Company. Davis and her company were admitted to the SBA’s 8(a) Program in 2001. Starting around 2007, she and the other defendants allegedly began conspiring to get construction contracts at Letterkenny Army Depot, a facility under the command structure of the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, that were set aside for 8(a) Program participants. With the assistance of an unnamed government official working at Letterkenny Army Depot, these four individuals allegedly obtained contracts on which Davis and her existing employees played no meaningful role. Instead, Boone, McGuire, and Lauer allegedly ran all of the contract work, and Davis’s role was allegedly limited to signing checks for vendors, suppliers, and subcontractors. According to the indictment, Davis was rarely, if ever, present at Letterkenny Army Depot following an initial meeting with her codefendants and the unnamed government official in 2007.
In order to make it appear falsely that Elstner Construction was meeting the 15% self-performance requirement, she and the other defendants allegedly moved actual laborers who were on site at Letterkenny Army Depot onto the Elstner Construction payroll. The unnamed government official assisting them to secure contracts was allegedly aware of this practice and, more generally, was aware that Davis and her existing employees were not performing on-site work.
The indictment also alleges that the unnamed government official provided Boone with confidential information in an effort to assist the four defendants, acting through Elstner Construction, to win a $60 million construction contract in 2009.
The indictment alleges that the four defendants together obtained approximately $85 million in construction contracts at Letterkenny Army Depot through fraudulent means. The indictment contains forfeiture allegations against the four defendants seeking the same amount.
In addition, three defendants—Boone, McGuire, and Lauer—were indicted for conspiring to obtain and obtaining a contract at the VA Medical Center in Salem, Virginia worth approximately $5.3 million through fraudulent means. Boone, McGuire, and Lauer were able to obtain this contract because Boone qualified for a different small business development program focused on service-disabled veteran owned small businesses (SDVOSBs). Boone’s SDVOSB, Bon Secour Management, allegedly obtained this contract and then moved employees of an electrical subcontractor onto its payroll in order to make it appear that Bon Secour was complying with its own similar requirement to perform at least 15% of the labor under the contract with its own employees.
The indictment contains forfeiture allegations seeking approximately $5.3 million from Boone, McGuire, and Lauer, in addition to the approximately $85 million in forfeiture alleged against all four defendants.
“Investigating schemes that undermine the integrity of Department of Defense (DoD) procurement is a top priority for the DoD Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS),” stated Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Hegarty, DCIS Northeast Field Office. “Today’s announcement demonstrates our commitment to work with the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners to ensure that the contracting process for legitimate small businesses remains fair and competitive, and that individuals who abuse set-aside programs are held accountable.”
“We are very pleased with today’s announcement,” said Special Agent in Charge L. Scott Moreland, of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Major Procurement Fraud Field Office. “This is a true testament to the continued commitment of our special agents to work seamlessly with Department of Justice and our fellow law enforcement agencies to bring to justice those who attempt to defraud the U.S. Government and U.S. Army.”
“These allegations of conspiring to gain federal contracts set aside for service-disabled veterans are something the VA Office of Inspector General investigates very vigorously,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Algieri with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Northeast Field Office. “VA OIG is committed to identifying and stopping those individuals who would misuse an opportunity meant solely for our nation’s veterans with disabilities. We appreciate the efforts of the Department of Justice, and our law enforcement partners for their work leading to today’s charges.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for violations of the Major Fraud Act is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. The maximum penalty under federal law for conspiracy is 5 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. 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.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Four Defendants Charged with Conspiring to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
A criminal complaint was unsealed yesterday in federal court in Brooklyn charging Mohammad David Hashimi, 35, of Potomac Falls, Virginia; Abdullah At Taqi, 23, of East Elmhurst, Queens, New York; Khalilullah Yousuf, 34, of Ontario, Canada; and Seema Rahman, 25, of Edison, New Jersey, with conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). Hashimi, Taqi and Rahman were arrested on Dec. 14 in Virginia, New York and New Jersey, respectively. Yousuf was also arrested on Dec. 14 in Canada by Canadian law enforcement pursuant to a provisional arrest request from the United States. Taqi and Rahman made their initial appearances in federal court in Brooklyn before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Cheryl L. Pollak. Hashimi made his initial appearance in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ivan Davis and was ordered detained pending trial.
According to court documents, Hashimi and Yousuf were members of a group chat (referred to in the complaint as Group Chat-1) on an encrypted social media and mobile messaging electronic communication service that facilitated communication between and among supporters of ISIS and other groups that adhered to similar violent jihadist ideologies. In early April 2021, members of Group Chat-1 discussed posting donation links that purported to be for humanitarian causes but that were in fact intended to help the “mujahideen,” an Arabic term that translates to “holy warriors” that is used by ISIS supporters to refer to ISIS fighters. Yousuf provided a link to a specific Bitcoin address and another member of Group Chat-1 posted a link to a PayPal campaign, both of which were controlled by an individual identified in the Complaint as Facilitator-1.
“These defendants promoted the violent extremism of ISIS by pretending to raise money for humanitarian causes only to transfer the funds to cryptocurrency accounts tied to the group,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “These arrests show the Justice Department’s unwavering commitment to bringing to justice all those who would help terrorist organization threaten harm to our people.”
“As alleged, this crowdfunding network used cryptocurrency, Bitcoin wallets, GoFundMe and PayPal to collect and raise blood money to support ISIS, not for needy families as they falsely claimed in their attempt to deceive law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “I commend our prosecutors and the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force for piercing the veil of secrecy to identify the perpetrators of this scheme, reveal the true evil nature of these virtual money transfers, and bring to justice those who seek to enable acts of violent extremism.”
“These arrests show the FBI and our partners will not tolerate those who attempt to raise money to fund ISIS or any other terrorist group,” said Assistant Director Robert R. Wells of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “According to the complaint, these individuals allegedly made fundraising appeals for charitable donations to humanitarian causes and did not reveal how they planned to use the money. The FBI will continue to aggressively investigate and hold accountable those who try to assist terrorists.”
In conversations with a confidential source, Taqi and Facilitator-1 discussed giving money to support ISIS fighters. When the confidential source asked Facilitator-1 for proof that the money being donated was going to support ISIS, Facilitator-1 sent the confidential source screenshots and a video depicting tactical gear, ammunition and grenades on top of an ISIS flag. An image of one of the photographs is depicted below.
Facilitator-1 also told the confidential source that the charitable descriptions in the fundraising campaigns were in fact a “deception for the infidels” and the “words that are in the link are fake in order to deceive.”
Between February 2021 and July 2022, the defendants raised and contributed more than $35,000 to Facilitator-1 via a combination of cryptocurrency and other sources. The defendants contributed more than $24,000 to Facilitator-1’s Bitcoin address, with Yousuf contributing $20,347.89, Taqi contributing $2,769.35 and Rahman contributing $927.51. The defendants also sent more than $1,000 to the PayPal account associated with Facilitator-1, with Rahman contributing approximately $550, Taqi contributing approximately $480 and Hashimi contributing $55. In addition, both Yousuf and Rahman created multiple GoFundMe fundraising campaigns purporting to collect money for charitable causes. Hashimi contributed $364 and Taqi contributed $200 through the Yousuf-created GoFundMe campaigns, while Rahman raised approximately $10,000 through the GoFundMe campaigns that she created, and then wired the proceeds, approximately $10,024, to individuals connected to Facilitator-1 via Western Union.
Hashimi has also made statements suggesting his desire to die in combat or in a terrorist attack on behalf of, a foreign terrorist organization. For example, in November 2020, Hashimi told another confidential source over encrypted communications that “I have made up my mind I want to make Hijra to Afghanistan. To join dawla,” in other words, travel to join ISIS. In or about September 2021, Hashimi told another individual through a direct message that “I just want Jannah,” i.e., paradise or the after-life, “And to die on the battlefield.”
The defendants are each charged with conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum statutory penalty of up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Douglas M. Pravda, Ian C. Richardson and Nina Gupta for the Eastern District of New York and Trial Attorneys Daniel Gardner and Alexandra Hughes of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
Acomplaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 63 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Jordan Patterson, 29 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to distribution and aiding in the distribution of methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Patterson was sentenced to 63 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in this case, in September 2020, law enforcement purchased over 50 grams of methamphetamine from Patterson.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from Indiana State Police, the Allen County Drug Task Force and the Fort Wayne Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith.
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Former federal agent receives sentence for corruption in connection to illicit Syrian relationshipRead the Press Release
HOUSTON –A 49-year-old former special agent with Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) has been sent to prison following her conviction of obstructing justice, making false statements and accepting money and gifts for official acts, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
A federal jury sitting in Houston convicted Leatrice Malika DeBruhl-Daniels June 13, following a six-day trial.
Today, U.S. District Judge Gray Miller ordered DeBruhl-Daniels to serve 108 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by one year of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court cited DeBruhl’s breach of trust and deterrence.
“Leatrice DeBruhl-Daniels betrayed her badge and our country by revealing sensitive and classified information to the target of an FBI counterterrorism investigation in exchange for money, gifts and affection,” said NCIS Director Omar Lopez. “Holding her accountable will make it clear that NCIS will not tolerate corruption within our ranks.”
DeBruhl-Daniels was a veteran NCIS special agent working in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. There, she met Nadal Diya, a Syrian businessman living in Dubai looking for help in securing a visa to the United States. At that time, Diya was the target of several federal investigations.
At trial, the jury heard from 16 government witnesses, which included numerous agents and Diya himself. Testimony revealed that in 2017, DeBruhl-Daniels used her position to get certain benefits from Diya in exchange for providing information to him about his visa status. The gifts included an expensive birthday party at Diya’s home, approximately $1,400 in cash and the promise of a job for her son in Diya’s company.
The relationship with Diya eventually became sexual. During that relationship, she revealed he was a target of an FBI counterterrorism investigation, information that was classified at the time. She also told him that if he came to the United States, he would likely be arrested.
In late December 2017, federal agents had questioned Debruhl-Daniels about Diya. However, she failed to disclose her intimate relationship with him, the gifts he had given her, the job he offered her son and the classified information she provided.
Following the interview, she also visited with Diya and coached him on what to say in a subsequent interview.
Several months later in May 2018, she left Dubai for Hawaii for a highly sensitive and coveted job. However, she soon learned she would not get the new position. It was only then she confessed to superiors and investigators about her illicit relationship, the monies, party and gifts she had received and the classified information she had previously revealed.
Debruhl-Daniels testified in her own defense at trial. She claimed, among other things, that the classified information she revealed to Diya was public information. She further attempted to convince the jury she did not have a duty to reveal any of the details of her personal relationship with Diya nor her disclosures to him.
The jury did not believe her claims and found her guilty.
Diya, 50, of Dubai, was previously sentenced and has been removed from the United States.
Debruhl-Daniels will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
NCIS led the investigation with the assistance of the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Department of Commerce, Department of State and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani and Assistant United States Attorney Arthur R. Jones prosecuted the case.
Former Venezuelan National Treasurer and Husband Convicted in International Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A federal jury in the Southern District of Florida has convicted the former National Treasurer of Venezuela and her husband for their roles in a billion-dollar currency exchange, bribery, and money laundering scheme.
Claudia Patricia Diaz Guillen, 49, and her spouse, Adrian Jose Velasquez Figueroa, 43, both Venezuelan citizens, were extradited from Madrid, Spain, earlier this year.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Diaz and Velasquez accepted over $100 million in bribes from co-conspirator Raul Gorrin Belisario, 54, a Venezuelan billionaire businessman who owned Globovision news network. Gorrin paid bribes to Diaz, including through her husband Velasquez, in order to obtain access to purchase bonds from the Venezuela National Treasury at a favorable exchange rate, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars in profit. The conspiracy involved bulk cash hidden in cardboard boxes, offshore shell companies, Swiss bank accounts, and international wire transfers sent by Gorrin.
“Unfortunately, people in positions of power and public trust sometimes break that trust and use their power for selfish gain,” said U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida. “We will remain vigilant in our fight against corruption and prosecute guilty parties to the fullest extent.”
That sentiment is shared by the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division.
“Claudia Patricia Diaz Guillen and Adrian Jose Velasquez Figueroa laundered bribes Diaz received as the Venezuelan National Treasurer,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Diaz abused her position as a public official to line her pockets with more than a hundred million dollars, which she and her co-conspirators spent on private jets and yachts and laundered through the U.S. financial system. Whether at home or abroad, the Criminal Division and its partners are committed to vigorously fighting bribery and holding corrupt officials accountable.”
“This verdict sends a clear message to foreign kleptocrats like Diaz and Velasquez Figueroa, who are guilty of theft of billions of dollars using their positions of trust for their own personal gain” said Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Buckley of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami Field Office. “HSI Miami’s El Dorado Task Force South will work tirelessly to pursue those individuals and organizations who are involved in this illicit practice and bring them to justice.”
Gorrin was charged by indictment in August 2018 and remains charged in the superseding indictment as a co-conspirator in the same money laundering scheme. He is currently a fugitive residing in Venezuela.
Diaz and Velasquez were each found guilty of one count of conspiring to commit money laundering and one count of money laundering. Velasquez also was convicted of a second count of money laundering. Diaz and Velasquez are scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 21, 2023, and face a maximum possible penalty of 20 years in prison on each count of conviction. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
HSI Miami, HSI Houston, HSI Boston, FBI Miami, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG) investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in this matter. The department appreciates the significant cooperation provided by authorities in Spain and Switzerland.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kurt Lunkenheimer and Joshua Paster for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Paul Hayden and Michael Culhane Harper of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Former Venezuelan National Treasurer and Husband Convicted in International Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal jury in the Southern District of Florida convicted the former National Treasurer of Venezuela and her husband on Dec. 13 for their roles in a billion-dollar currency exchange, bribery, and money laundering scheme.
Claudia Patricia Diaz Guillen, 49, and her spouse, Adrian Jose Velasquez Figueroa, 43, both Venezuelan citizens, were extradited from Madrid, Spain, earlier this year.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Diaz and Velasquez accepted over $100 million in bribes from co-conspirator Raul Gorrin Belisario, 54, a Venezuelan billionaire businessman who owned Globovision news network. Gorrin paid bribes to Diaz, including through her husband Velasquez, in order to obtain access to purchase bonds from the Venezuela National Treasury at a favorable exchange rate, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars of profit. The conspiracy involved bulk cash hidden in cardboard boxes, offshore shell companies, Swiss bank accounts, and international wire transfers sent by Gorrin to purchase multiple private jets, yachts, and to fund a high-end fashion line started by Diaz and Velasquez in Southern Florida.
“Claudia Patricia Diaz Guillen and Adrian Jose Velasquez Figueroa laundered bribes Diaz received as the Venezuelan National Treasurer,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Diaz abused her position as a public official to line her pockets with more than a hundred million dollars, which she and her co-conspirators spent on private jets and yachts and laundered through the U.S. financial system. Whether at home or abroad, the Criminal Division and its partners are committed to vigorously fighting bribery and holding corrupt officials accountable.”
“Unfortunately, people in positions of power and public trust sometimes break that trust and use their power for selfish gain,” said U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida. “We will remain vigilant in our fight against corruption and prosecute guilty parties to the fullest extent.”
“This verdict sends a clear message to foreign kleptocrats like Diaz and Velasquez Figueroa, who are guilty of theft of billions of dollars using their positions of trust for their own personal gain” said Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Buckley of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami Field Office. “HSI Miami’s El Dorado Task Force South will work tirelessly to pursue those individuals and organizations who are involved in this illicit practice and bring them to justice.”
Gorrin was charged by indictment in August 2018 and remains charged in the superseding indictment as a co-conspirator in the same money laundering scheme. He is currently a fugitive residing in Venezuela.
Diaz and Velasquez were each found guilty of one count of conspiring to commit money laundering and one count of money laundering. Velasquez was also convicted of a second count of money laundering. Diaz and Velasquez are scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 21, 2023, and face a maximum possible penalty of 20 years in prison on each count of conviction. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
HSI Miami, HSI Houston, HSI Boston, FBI Miami, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG) investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in this matter. The department appreciates the significant cooperation provided by authorities in Spain and Switzerland.
Trial Attorneys Paul Hayden and Michael Culhane Harper of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kurt Lunkenheimer and Joshua Paster for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Twitter Employee Sentenced to 42 Months in Federal Prison for Acting as a Foreign AgentRead the Press Release
A California man was sentenced yesterday to 42 months in federal prison for his role in accessing, monitoring and conveying confidential and sensitive information that could be used to identify and locate Twitter users of interest to the Saudi Royal Family.
Ahmad Abouammo, 45, formerly of Walnut Creek and currently residing in Seattle, was convicted of acting as a foreign agent without notice to the Attorney General, conspiracy, wire fraud, international money laundering and falsification of records in a federal investigation on Aug. 9 following a two-week jury trial.
“Mr. Abouammo violated the trust placed on him to protect the privacy of individuals by giving their personal information to a foreign power for profit. His conduct was made all the more egregious by the fact that the information was intended to target political dissidents speaking out against that foreign power,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “We are committed to holding accountable those who act unlawfully as unregistered foreign agents and advance hidden influence campaigns on behalf of foreign regimes.”
“This case revealed that foreign governments, here, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) will bribe insiders to obtain the user information that is collected and stored by our Silicon Valley social media companies,” said U.S. Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds for the Northern District of California. “In handing down today’s sentence, the Court emphasized that defendant shared the user information with a foreign government known for not tolerating dissidents, and he did so while working with his even more culpable co-defendant who fled to the KSA rather than face trial. This sentence sends a message to insiders with access to user information to safeguard it, particularly from repressive regimes, or risk significant time in prison.”
“This case exposes attempts by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to illegally obtain personally identifiable information in order to target critics and dissidents,” said Assistant Director Alan E. Kohler Jr. of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “Anyone working to advance the agenda of a foreign government is required by law to register as a foreign agent of that country. Mr. Abouammo brazenly disregarded this law by exploiting his role at Twitter to not only locate and peddle user information, but to also launder money via the sale of gifts received from the Saudi Royal Family. His sentencing demonstrates the FBI’s unwavering dedication to protecting against any attempt by a foreign government to stalk, harass or intimidate the people within our borders.”
According to the evidence presented at trial, Abouammo began receiving bribes from an official of the KSA as early as December 2014. Abouammo was employed at Twitter as a Media Partnerships Manager for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Twitter policies required Abouammo to protect Twitter user information, as well as disclose conflicts of interest and report gifts from those with business with Twitter. Nevertheless, the evidence at trial demonstrated that Abouammo accepted bribes from officials of the KSA in exchange for accessing Twitter user accounts and conveying information on dissidents and critics of the KSA to their government officials and the Saudi Royal family, then lied to the FBI investigators and falsified a document when questioned about the transactions in October 2018. The official of the KSA was head of the “private office” of a royal family member who, during the relevant time, was a Minister of State and then became the Minister of Defense and Deputy Crown Prince.
The evidence showed that the foreign official met with Abouammo in London in December 2014 and provided Abouammo with a luxury Hublot watch. Abouammo later referenced the value of the watch at $42,000 when offering it for sale on Craigslist. After the meeting in London, Abouammo began repeatedly accessing private information about several Twitter accounts, at least one of which was the account of an influential user who was critical of members of the Saudi Royal Family and the KSA government. Abouammo also continued to communicate with the official of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including regarding the influential critical account. Evidence at trial further showed that after Abouammo traveled to Lebanon in February 2015, a bank account was opened in the name of his father in Lebanon and Abouammo obtained access to that bank account. The account then received $100,000 in February 2015 from the foreign official and Abouammo laundered the money by sending it into the United States in small wire transfers with false descriptions. The account received another $100,000 shortly after Abouammo left Twitter for other employment, accompanied by a note from the official apologizing for the delayed payment.
In October 2018, FBI agents interviewed Abouammo at his residence about his involvement in the scheme with officials of the KSA. Evidence at trial showed that Abouammo provided false information to the FBI investigators and provided a false invoice for one of the payments he received from the foreign official.
In sentencing Abouammo, Judge Chen described Abouammo’s conduct as “serious” and “consequential” and stated that, “exposing dissident information is a serious offense.” In addition to the 42-month prison term, Judge Chen sentenced Abouammo to three years of supervision following release from prison; issued a judgment for forfeiture of $242,000, representing the watch and cash received by Abouammo as bribes; and ordered Abouammo to surrender on March 31, 2023, to begin serving his prison sentence.
The FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colin Sampson and Eric Cheng for the Northern District of California and Trial Attorney Christine Bonomo of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case, with the assistance of Beth Margen and Alycee Lane.
Former Twitter Employee Sentenced to 42 Months in Federal Prison for Acting as A Foreign AgentRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Ahmad Abouammo was sentenced today to 42 months in federal prison for his role in accessing, monitoring, and conveying confidential and sensitive information that could be used to identify and locate Twitter users of interest to the Saudi Royal Family, announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds, Matthew G. Olson, Assistant Attorney General, National Security Division, and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp. The sentence was handed down by Senior United States District Judge Edward M. Chen who presided over the two-week trial that concluded in Abouammo’s conviction of the crimes.
“This case revealed that foreign governments will bribe insiders to obtain the user information that is collected and stored by our Silicon Valley social media companies,” said U.S. Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds. “In handing down today’s sentence, the Court emphasized that defendant shared the user information with a foreign government known for not tolerating dissidents, and he did so working with his even more culpable co-defendant who fled the country rather than face trial. This sentence sends a message to insiders with access to user information to safeguard it, particularly from repressive regimes, or risk significant time in prison.”
“Mr. Abouammo violated the trust placed on him to protect the privacy of individuals living in the US by giving their personal information to a foreign power for profit. His conduct was made all the more egregious by the fact that the information was intended to deny US persons of their lawful rights,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “We are committed to holding accountable those who act unlawfully as unregistered foreign agents and advance hidden influence campaigns on behalf of foreign regimes.”
"The FBI works tirelessly to ensure foreign governments and their agents cannot interfere with the constitutionally protected right to free speech," said FBI San Francisco Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp. "Today's sentence demonstrates the Bureau's dedication to following all leads to ensure perpetrators of transnational repression are brought to justice."
According to the evidence presented at trial, Abouammo, 45, formerly of Walnut Creek and currently residing in Seattle, began receiving bribes from an official of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) as early as December of 2014. Abouammo was employed at Twitter as a Media Partnerships Manager for the MENA region. Twitter policies required Abouammo to protect Twitter user information, as well as disclose conflicts of interest and report gifts from those with business with Twitter. Nevertheless, the evidence at trial demonstrated that Abouammo accepted bribes from officials of the KSA in exchange for accessing Twitter user accounts and conveying information on dissidents and critics of the KSA to their government officials and the Saudi Royal family, then lied to the FBI investigators and falsified a document when questioned about the transactions in October 2018. The official of the KSA was head of the “private office” of a royal family member who, during the relevant time, was a Minister of State and then became the Minister of Defense and Deputy Crown Prince.
The evidence showed that the foreign official met with Abouammo in London in December 2014 and provided Abouammo with a luxury Hublot watch. Abouammo later referenced the value of the watch at $42,000 when offering it for sale on Craigslist. After the meeting in London, Abouammo began repeatedly accessing private information about several Twitter accounts, at least one of which was the account of an influential user who was critical of members of the Saudi Royal Family and the KSA government. Abouammo also continued to communicate with the official of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including regarding the influential critical account. Evidence at trial further showed that after Abouammo traveled to Lebanon in February 2015, a bank account was opened in the name of his father in Lebanon and Abouammo obtained access to that bank account. The account then received $100,000 in February 2015 from the foreign official and Abouammo laundered the money by sending it into the United States in small wire transfers with false descriptions. The account received another $100,000 shortly after Abouammo left Twitter for other employment, accompanied by a note from the official apologizing for the delayed payment.
In October 2018, FBI agents interviewed Abouammo at his residence about his involvement in the scheme with officials of the KSA. Evidence at trial showed that Abouammo provided false information to the FBI investigators and provided a false invoice for one of the payments he received from the foreign official.
Abouammo was arrested on November 5, 2019. On July 28, 2020, a federal grand jury issued a superseding indictment charging him with acting as an agent of a foreign government without providing notice to the Attorney General, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 951; conspiracy to commit wire fraud and honest services fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349; six counts of honest services fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1346; six counts of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343; international money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(B)(i); falsification of records in a federal investigation, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1519;. On August 9, 2022, the jury acquitted Abouammo of five of the wire fraud and honest services counts and returned a verdict of guilty on all the remaining counts.
In sentencing Abouammo, Judge Chen described Abouammo’s conduct as “serious” and “consequential” and stated that, “exposing dissident information is a serious offense.” In addition to the 42-month prison term, Judge Chen sentenced Abouammo to three years of supervision following release from prison; issued a judgment for forfeiture of $242,000, representing the watch and cash received by Abouammo as bribes; and ordered Abouammo to surrender on March 31, 2023, to begin serving his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colin Sampson and Eric Cheng and National Security Division Trial Attorney Christine Bonomo prosecuted the case with the assistance of Beth Margen and Alycee Lane. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Former Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Attempted Online Enticement to Engage in Sexual Activity with A MinorRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Alejandro Carmona-Fonseca (48, Green Cove Springs) has pleaded guilty to attempted online enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Carmona-Fonseca faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison. He has agreed to pay restitution to all of the victims of his offenses and faces a potential life term of supervised release. The court previously ordered Carmona-Fonseca detained pending the outcome of this case. Carmona-Fonseca had been employed as an officer with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO).
According to the plea agreement, this case began when the Clay County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) received a report from a local gym about a gym member, Carmona-Fonseca, sending a nude photo to another gym member, who was a minor child – Minor Victim 1 (MV1). During an interview with CCSO, MVI explained that Carmona-Fonseca had requested MV1’s Snapchat account and MV1 provided it to him. MV1 told Carmona-Fonseca he was in high school. Carmona-Fonseca sent images and videos with his genitals exposed to MV1. At one point, Carmona-Fonseca sent MV1 a picture of himself in his police uniform and wrote “you can call me your police daddy.” At times, Carmona-Fonseca asked MV1 for photos of MV1 with his shirt off.
With the consent of MV1 and his parents, CCSO assumed MV1’s identity over Snapchat, and on March 3, 2022, a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Task Force Officer (TFO)/CCSO detective began communicating with Carmona-Fonseca using MV1’s Snapchat account. The TFO confirmed that Carmona-Fonseca was friends with MV1 and observed that Carmona-Fonseca’s location services were turned on in Snapchat. The TFO observed Carmona-Fonseca’s location numerous times during the chat. Carmona-Fonseca’s location showed him next to a JSO substation on numerous occasions, the areas where he worked as a patrol officer, near his residence, and near the gym he frequented. The TFO communicated with Carmona-Fonseca on March 3 and 4, 2022. During those conversations, Carmona-Fonseca sent a video of himself in his police uniform and another in which he was nude. Carmona-Fonseca also made several requests for nude videos of MV1 flexing and said that everything stayed between them, and that because it was Snapchat, it would disappear.
This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former Joplin Youth Minister Sentenced for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A former youth minister in Joplin, Mo., was sentenced in federal court today for exchanging pornographic images and videos with a child victim.
Nicholas Lane Stephens, 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to six years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Stephens to 15 years of supervised release following incarceration.
On March 15, 2022, Stephens pleaded guilty to receiving and distributing child pornography. Stephens was formerly the youth minister at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Joplin.
The investigation began when a Children’s Division investigator received a hotline call reporting that Stephens, a volunteer at the church, was involved in inappropriate relationships with minor females at the church, including the 17-year-old victim identified in court documents as “Jane Doe.”
Jane Doe told investigators she sent nude images to Stephens via Snapchat in December 2019. Stephens sent Jane Doe several pornographic images of himself, as well as pornographic FaceTime videos. Examiners discovered a dozen images and one video of child pornography of Jane Doe on Stephens’s cell phone. There were also numerous messages between Jane Doe and Stephens.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the FBI, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, and the Joplin, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Former Insys Sales Representative Sentenced in Kickback ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge William H. Jung has sentenced Daniel Tondre (52, Tampa) to four years in federal prison for his role in a health care fraud kickback conspiracy. The court also ordered him to forfeit $483,000, the proceeds of his offenses and to pay a $25,000 fine. On May 24, 2022, a federal jury had found Tondre and Dr. Steven Chun (59, Sarasota) guilty of conspiring to pay and receive kickbacks and bribes, in the form of speaker fees, in return for prescribing the fentanyl spray, Subsys. Both were convicted of five separate substantive counts of paying and receiving kickbacks, and Tondre was also convicted of two counts of identification fraud. Chun was sentenced to three years and six months’ imprisonment on December 5, 2022.
According to evidence presented during the 10-day trial, Tondre was employed as a sales representative with Insys Therapeutics, Inc., the company that manufactured and sold Subsys, an expensive form of liquid fentanyl designed to be applied under the tongue (sublingual spray) allowing it to rapidly enter the bloodstream to help relieve break-through pain in certain cancer patients. Tondre was the Subsys sales representative assigned to Chun’s Sarasota pain management medical practice in Sarasota. Chun prescribed a large volume of Subsys. Insys, through its sales representative, Tondre, actively marketed Subsys to Chun by holding bogus and sham speaker events, and paid Chun $2400 to $3000 per speaker event in return for Chun writing more and higher dosages of Subsys prescriptions. Tondre facilitated sham speaker programs that were often only attended by Chun’s family and friends, or repeat attendees, and included many sign-in sheets that Tondre falsified or forged with signatures of physicians who did not attend. The sham speaker programs were designed to conceal and disguise kickbacks and bribes paid to Chun to induce him to prescribe Subsys.
According to the evidence, Tondre earned over $737,000 in salary and sales commissions over a period of two and half years. Insys paid Chun over $278,900 in illegal kickbacks and bribes via the sham speaker programs over a period less than three years. Medicare Part D paid over $4.5 million for Subsys prescriptions written by Chun.
“This corrupt medical professional ignored patient care and instead inflicted financial pain,” said FBI Tampa Division Special Agent in Charge David Walker. “The FBI and its law enforcement partners work hard to ensure our nation’s federally funded healthcare system is protected from deception and greed.”
“Contrary to proper patient care, the defendants repeatedly disregarded opportunities to promote legitimate, suitable pain management for beneficiaries to instead pursue personal gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “It is a top priority of our agency and law enforcement partners to bring to justice individuals who exploit their proximity to patients to defraud federal health care programs.”
“This sentence demonstrates the effectiveness of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, our law enforcement partners, and the U.S. Attorney's Office, in holding corrupt medical providers accountable when they fraudulently divert Defense Health Agency funds, putting their own greed before patient welfare,” said Special Agent in Charge Darrin Jones of the Defense Department's Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Southeast Field Office. “DCIS and our partners are committed to rooting out fraud and corruption and safeguarding the precious Taxpayer funding intended for the healthcare of our military members and their families.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Health and Human Services—Office of Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and by the Opioid Fraud Abuse and Detection Unit at the United States Attorney’s Office, which focuses on opioid-related fraud and abuse by medical and health care professionals who have contributed to the prescription opioid epidemic. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kelley C. Howard-Allen and Jennifer L. Peresie.
Former Green Haven Correction Officer and Former Supervisor Charged in Connection with 2020 Assault on InmateRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of a Superseding Indictment charging TAJ EVERLY, a former correction officer at Green Haven Correctional Facility (“Green Haven”), and ROSITA ROSSY, a former sergeant at the same facility, in connection with EVERLY’s May 28, 2020, assault of an inmate at Green Haven.
In October 2022, EVERLY was charged in a one-count indictment alleging that he falsified records in connection with the May 28, 2020, assault. The Superseding Indictment – in addition to charging EVERLY with falsifying records – charges EVERLY with deprivation of rights under color of law and charges ROSSY with falsifying records, witness tampering, and conspiracy to falsify records.
ROSSY was arrested this morning and was presented before Magistrate Judge Andrew E. Krause. EVERLY is released on bail and will be arraigned on the Superseding Indictment at a later date. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Correction Officer Taj Everly allegedly assaulted an inmate in his charge. Instead of upholding his duty to guard and protect that inmate, he deprived him of a constitutional right to be free from excessive force. Afterwards, Everly and his supervisor, Sergeant Rosita Rossy, attempted to cover up the assault by falsifying their reports, and in Rossy’s case, directing other correction officers under her supervision to do the same. Today’s Superseding Indictment underscores our Office’s unwavering commitment to protecting the civil rights of all individuals, including those repaying their debt to society in prison.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Michael J. Driscoll said: “As previously alleged, Mr. Everly violated his oath to conceal his malicious actions – actions we allege today deprived the victim of his constitutional rights. We further allege Ms. Rossy made false reports – and instructed correctional officers she supervised to make similarly false reports – in a concerted effort to conceal Mr. Everly’s actions. The FBI will continue to work to ensure those in positions of trust who misuse their authority are made to face the consequences of their abuses in the criminal justice system.”
According to the allegations in the Superseding Indictment unsealed today in White Plains federal court:[1]
On May 28, 2020, EVERLY, who was then a correction officer at Green Haven, located in Stormville, New York, assaulted an inmate in the care and custody of the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (“DOCCS”) (“Inmate-1). As Inmate-1 exited a room at Green Haven, EVERLY approached Inmate-1 and, without provocation, punched Inmate-1, causing both EVERLY and Inmate-1 to fall to the ground. EVERLY’s actions deprived Inmate-1 of his constitutional right to be free from excessive force amounting to cruel and unusual punishment.
After the assault, EVERLY, ROSSY, and other correction officers prepared reports describing the incident. In EVERLY’s report (the “Everly Report”), EVERLY falsely stated that Inmate-1 had first punched him and that EVERLY responded with force. Despite receiving information from multiple correction officers that contradicted EVERLY’s statements, ROSSY also prepared a report that mirrored the statements made in the Everly Report. ROSSY further directed at least two other correction officers — both of whom reported to ROSSY — to prepare similarly false and misleading reports.
* * *
EVERLY, 32, of Cortlandt Manor, New York, is charged with one count of deprivation of rights under color of law, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and one count of falsifying records in connection with a federal investigation, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
ROSSY, 49, of Monticello, New York, is charged with one count of falsifying records in connection with a federal investigation, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, two counts of witness tampering, which each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of conspiracy to falsify records, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the DOCCS Office of Special Investigations.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Unit in the Criminal Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsey Keenan and Kaiya Arroyo are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Superseding Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment, and the description of the Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Former Baltimore Police SWAT Officer Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a Child to Produce Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher sentenced Donald Hildebrandt, age 52, of Bel Air, Maryland, yesterday to 25 years in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for sexual exploitation of a child to produce child pornography, and possession of child pornography. The indictment was returned on June 3, 2021. Hildebrandt is a former Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) officer with the Baltimore Police Department.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey R. Gahler; Lieutenant Paul Marziale of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, Director of the Harford County Child Advocacy Center; and Harford County State’s Attorney Albert J. Peisinger, Jr.
According to his plea agreement, between 2018 and 2020, Hildebrandt purchased at least three “spy” cameras, which he hid in a shared bathroom in his home to secretly record minors showering and using the bathroom. Hundreds of videos of minors in various stages of undress were made, and the minors who were recorded were between the ages of three and 16. At least 10 children were recorded in videos taken in the bathroom and dozens of videos were produced that depicted children with exposed genitals, including at least five minors, four of whom were under 12 years of age.
As detailed in the plea agreement, Hildebrandt placed the cameras slightly above the seat of the toilet and at other location at a height designed to capture the victims’ genitals while getting in and out of the shower, and while using the toilet. In order to record as many victims as possible, visitors were instructed to change clothes only in the bathroom and not in the bedrooms. The images recorded in the videos were located on Hildebrandt’s computer which was seized during a search on October 20, 2021. Additional images depicting children engaged in sexually explicit conduct were found on other electronic media seized during the search.
One day prior to the execution of the search warrant, Hildebrandt was notified that he was the subject of a child exploitation investigation, through a witness and when he was contacted by a member of Child Protective Services. Sometime after that, but before the execution of the search warrant, Hildebrandt admitted that he performed a factory reset of his tablet. Investigators also did not locate any “spy” cameras in the residence.
Finally, it was also proved that Hildebrandt sexually abused a minor, demanding that the victim engage in sex acts with him.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended HSI, the Maryland State Police, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, the Harford County Child Advocacy Center, and the Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul E. Budlow and Mary Setzer, who prosecuted the federal case.
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First person referred from new anti-gang center ordered to prisonRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 51-year-old Laredo resident has been sentenced for illegal firearms possession, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Hector Agustin Esparza pleaded guilty Sept. 12.
Today, U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana ordered him to serve the statutory maximum of 10 years in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. In imposing the sentence, she noted that what Esparza did was very dangerous and that he could have killed members of law enforcement.
On June 15, law enforcement responded to a “be-on-the-lookout” for a car in relation to a burglary call, located it and attempted to conduct a traffic stop. Esparza was driving and refused to stop. A chase soon ensued through several Laredo streets and parking lots.
At one point, he pulled into a Sam’s Club parking lot and stopped. However, Esparza then fired at authorities and then fled again. He disregarded a traffic light and ultimately collided with another vehicle.
Law enforcement took him into custody, at which time they recovered a .40 caliber pistol from the car.
Esparza admitted to being the shooter during the police chase and claimed to be an ex-Mexican Mafia gang member. Esparza admitted he had recently been released from prison after serving four years for an aggravated robbery. A criminal records check confirmed that Esparza had seven prior felony convictions and was also under indictment at the time.
As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm per federal law.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted investigation as part of the Texas Anti-Gang Center (TAG) Program with the assistance of the Laredo Police Department. The Laredo TAG became operational in mid-2022, and Esparza was the first person referred for federal prosecution. Nine other cases charging 14 others with drug and firearm charges are pending trial or sentencing in federal court.
These such cooperative matters provide for the establishment of permanent multi-agency teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to combat the shared threat of criminal organization operating in Laredo and surrounding area. Additional information about the TAG Program can be found on the www.stoplaredogangs.org website.
Fifteen Defendants Charged in a Multi-State Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that on December 13, 2022, a federal grand jury sitting in Milwaukee returned a Superseding Indictment charging fifteen defendants with offenses related to a drug-trafficking organization that obtained kilogram quantities of fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana from California for distribution in the Milwaukee, St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Chicago areas. Many of the individuals were also charged in a money laundering conspiracy based upon their alleged use of business accounts to conceal drug proceeds. Multiple defendants also are charged with possessing firearms in furtherance of the drug trafficking conspiracy.
Included among the defendants is Phillip Daniels, Sr., also known as “Dr. Phil,” who is alleged to be the current leader of the organization. According to a criminal complaint, Phillip Daniels, Sr. obtained fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana from suppliers in California and arranged to have the substances shipped to addresses in Milwaukee and the St. Paul/Minneapolis area. The organization also is alleged to have obtained and sold counterfeit oxycodone pills, which contained fentanyl or methamphetamine. According to court records, a financial investigation revealed that members of the drug trafficking organization funneled over two million dollars in proceeds into bank accounts associated with various businesses.
The defendants charged in the Superseding Indictment are as follows:
Name
Residence
Phillip Daniels, Sr. (age 46)
Milwaukee, WI
Roy Henton, a/k/a “Pops”(age 64)
Milwaukee, WI
Joathan I. Colula (age 30)
Los Angeles, CA
Julio Barraza (age 48)
Chino Hills, CA
Deonte Edwards (age 27)
Van Nuys, CA
Jimmy Gonzalez-Macias (age 25)
Anaheim, CA
Jameel Bradley, Sr., a/k/a “Chris,” a/k/a “Black” (age 37)
Forest Park, IL
Michael O. Williams (age 41)
Brooklyn Park, MN
Joelle Massey (age 30)
Milwaukee, WI
Kevin Nelson (age 47)
Milwaukee, WI
Ramona Fryer (age 28)
Eagan, MN
Carla Smith (age 46)
North St. Paul, MN
Itzel Cruz-Gonzalez (age 26)
Forest Park, IL
Dominique Lewis (age 27)
Milwaukee, WI
Betty J. Daniels (age 46)
Lomira, WI
According to court records, on November 29, 2022, federal, state, and local law enforcement officers executed search warrants in Milwaukee, Chicago, Minnesota, and California, resulting in the seizure of over 10 kilograms of fentanyl (comprised of over 5 kilograms of pressed fentanyl and over 5 kilograms of fentanyl in pill form), approximately 7 ½ kilograms of cocaine, more than one kilogram of methamphetamine (comprised of crystal methamphetamine and methamphetamine pills), nearly 2 kilograms of heroin, ecstasy, oxycodone, approximately 170 pounds of marijuana, marijuana edibles, over $450,000, and 19 firearms.
“The charges announced today are the direct result of the tireless work and collaboration of dozens of dedicated law enforcement professionals from federal, state, and local law enforcement in Wisconsin and across the country,” stated U.S. Attorney Haanstad. “Ingesting just two milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal for some users, and law enforcement’s work resulted in seizing over 10 kilograms of this lethal substance from alleged members of this organization in a single day. I commend the efforts of all involved in this incredibly important effort.”
“The DEA is grateful for the collaboration and partnership of our local and federal law enforcement agencies,” said John G. McGarry, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration Milwaukee District Office. “Engaging our local partners, especially through the task force officer model, is vital to bringing dangerous drug traffickers to justice.”
Thirteen defendants are charged in a conspiracy to distribute at least 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, 1 kilogram or more of heroin, 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, and 100 kilograms or more of marijuana. If convicted, the defendants face a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and up to life in prison. One defendant is charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine and faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years in prison and up to 40 years in prison. Certain defendants are also charged in a conspiracy to launder money. Furthermore, certain defendants are charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
If convicted of those charges, the defendants face a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and up to life in prison. Two of the defendants are also charged with possessing an automatic firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, which if they are convicted of those counts, face a mandatory minimum of 30 years in prison and up to life in prison.
The defendants were charged based on a long-term investigation, “Operation Platinum Ghost,” led by law enforcement agents and officers from the Milwaukee Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Group and the North Central High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigations, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, all of whom were assisted by the Milwaukee Police Department, including the Special Investigations Division, the Tactical Enforcement Unit, Districts Two, Four, and Seven, the United States Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the United States Postal Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the West Allis Police Department, the Dodge County Police Department, the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office, the South Shore Joint Tactical Unit, the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, the Greenfield Police Department, the Brookfield Police Department, the City of Waukesha Police Department, the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department, the Dakota County Drug Unit, the Apple Valley Police Department, the Minnesota Bureau of Apprehension, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Anaheim Police Department, Los Angeles HIDTA Groups 44, 50, 51, and 52, and the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Major Narcotics Bureau.
Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth Monfils and Erica Lounsberry are prosecuting the case.
The public is cautioned that a Superseding Indictment is merely a charge and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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For Additional Information Contact:
Public Information Officer Kenneth Gales
414-297-1700
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Federal Jury Finds Saint Paul Man Guilty of Large-Scale Marijuana Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. - A Saint Paul man was found guilty by a federal jury of conspiracy to distribute marijuana and possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
Following a three-day trial before U.S. District Senior Judge Paul A. Magnuson, Danny William Gehl, Jr, 40, was convicted on December 14, 2022, of one count of conspiracy to distribute marijuana and one count of possession with the intent to distribute marijuana. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.
As proven at trial, from 2016 through June 2021, Danny William Gehl, Jr., along with co-conspirators Douglas Robert Finch, David William Gehl, Frank Joseph Kittleson, Patrick Thomas Maykoski and Daniel Richard Thomas conspired to distribute more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana. The defendants and others were part of a drug trafficking operation (DTO) that shipped marijuana from California to Minnesota. Members of the DTO routinely sent shipping crates from a warehouse in St. Paul, Minnesota, to a warehouse in North Highlands, California. The DTO members would fly from Minnesota to California to purchase the marijuana, fill the crates with marijuana and then load them on a delivery truck for shipment back to Minnesota. Once the shipment arrived in Minnesota, the DTO members unpacked the crates, repackaged the marijuana, and placed the marijuana in large garbage bags and boxes for distribution. Members of the DTO then transported the marijuana from the Minnesota warehouse to various locations for storage and packaging pending distribution to customers.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the IRS-Criminal Investigation Division, Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, the Saint Paul Police Department, the BCA and the Violent Crime Enforcement Team.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas M. Hollenhorst and Albania Concepcion are prosecuting the case.
Federal Jury Convicts Louisville Man of Conspiring to Distribute Heroin, Marijuana and Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY –Last week a federal jury convicted a local man of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute heroin and marijuana and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The jury found him not guilty of using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime resulting in murder and of conspiracy to obstruct justice-witness tampering.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge J. Todd Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Louisville Field Office, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Bryant Jackson of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Rob Holman of the United States Secret Service, Chief Erika Shields of the Louisville Metro Police Department, Chief Richard Sanders of the Jeffersontown Police Department, and Commissioner Phillip Burnett, Jr. of the Kentucky State Police made the announcement.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Charles O. Cater, 47, conspired with his co-defendants, Javier Rodriguez, and Dwayne Castle, to possess with the intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and less than fifty kilograms of marijuana. During a week and a half of trial, evidence of Cater’s involvement in the drug distribution conspiracy was proven through multiple intercepted cell phone calls and text messages; evidence collected from multiple search warrants and business records; video evidence; and the testimony of numerous witnesses. Cater also illegally possessed a Sig Sauer, Model P220, .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol after having previously being convicted of a felony, including robbery in the first degree, complicity to kidnapping an adult, and complicity to unlawful imprisonment in the first degree.
On August 19, 2019, Castle pled guilty to conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances and to using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime resulting in murder. On October 18, 2022, Rodriguez pled guilty to conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances and to using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime resulting in murder.
Sentencing for Cater is scheduled for March 22, 2023, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. Sentencing for Rodriguez is scheduled for March 15, 2023. Sentencing for Castle will be set by further order of the court. All defendants remain in custody pending sentencing. Each defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mac Shannon and Rob Bonar prosecuted the case with the assistance of paralegal Adela Alic.
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