Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
24 January 2023
Two Defendants Indicted for Civil Rights Conspiracy and FACE Act Offenses Targeting Pregnancy Resource CentersRead the Press Release
Two Florida residents were indicted by a federal grand jury for spray-painting threats on reproductive health services facilities in the state.
The indictment, returned by a federal grand jury in the Middle District of Florida, alleges that Caleb Freestone, 27, and Amber Smith-Stewart, 23, engaged in a conspiracy to prevent employees of reproductive health services facilities from providing those services. According to the indictment, as part of the conspiracy, the defendants targeted pregnancy resource facilities and vandalized those facilities with spray-painted threats. According to the indictment, Freestone and Smith-Stewart, and other co-conspirators, are alleged to have spray painted threats, including “If abortions aren’t safe than niether [sic] are you,” “YOUR TIME IS UP!!,” “WE’RE COMING for U,” and “We are everywhere,” on a reproductive health services facility in Winter Haven, Florida. The indictment further alleges that facilities in Hollywood, Florida, and Hialeah, Florida, were also targeted.
The indictment also alleges that Freestone and Smith-Stewart violated the FACE Act by using threats of force to intimidate and interfere with the employees of a reproductive health services facility in Winter Haven because those employees were providing or seeking to provide reproductive health services. The indictment further alleges that Freestone and Smith-Stewart violated the FACE Act by intentionally damaging and destroying the facility’s property because the facility provides reproductive health services.
If convicted of the offenses, Freestone and Smith-Stewart each face up to a maximum of 12 years in prison, three years of supervised release and fines of up to $350,000.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida and Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.
The FBI Tampa Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the Miami Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Thelwell for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Sanjay Patel and Laura-Kate Bernstein of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
Anyone who has information about incidents of violence, threats and obstruction that target a patient or provider of reproductive health services, or damage and destruction of reproductive health care facilities, should report that information to the FBI at www.tips.fbi.gov. For more information about clinic violence, and the Department of Justice’s efforts to enforce FACE Act violations, please visit www.justice.gov/crt/national-task-force-violence-against-reproductive-health-care-providers.
An indictment is merely allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Three Men Indicted in San Antonio on Charges Related to $14.5 Million Healthcare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Update: On August 19, 2024, a federal jury acquitted Kuba Zarobkiewicz and Anthony Fermin of all charges alleged in the indictment described in the press release below. Farrukh Mirza has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.
SAN ANTONIO – A federal grand jury in San Antonio recently returned an indictment charging a group of three defendants with 22 counts related to healthcare fraud, identity theft and kickbacks.
According to court documents, Kuba Zarobkiewicz, 35, of San Antonio, and Anthony Fermin, 32, of Boca Raton, Florida, own various medical equipment companies and pharmacies involved in a scheme to defraud Medicare by paying kickbacks to telemarketing firms owned and operated by Farrukh Mirza, 39, of Richmond, Texas, in exchange for signed doctor’s orders issued for unnecessary hip, knee and back braces.
Zarobkiewicz, Fermin and Mirza were charged in December 2022 with one count of conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks; one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud; six counts of healthcare fraud; and six counts of aggravated identity theft and aiding and abetting. Additionally, Zarobkiewicz and Fermin are charged with four counts of payment of illegal healthcare kickbacks, while Mirza is charged with four counts of receipt of illegal healthcare kickbacks.
All three defendants are currently released on bond while they await trial. If convicted, they each face maximum penalty of five years in prison on the count of conspiracy to pay and receive healthcare kickbacks, 10 years in prison on the respective counts pertaining to healthcare fraud, plus a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence if convicted on the aggravated identity theft counts. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas and Special Agent in Charge Oliver E. Rich Jr. of the FBI San Antonio Division made the announcement.
The FBI, Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, and Medicaid Fraud Control Unit are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Chung is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
Texas woman admits lying regarding whereabouts of son, grandson in Sanders County parental interference investigationRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Texas woman today admitted to lying to law enforcement about the whereabouts of her son and grandson, who ultimately were found in Costa Rica, during an investigation into parental interference in Sanders County, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Candace Kathleen Bright, 68, of Midland, Texas, pleaded guilty to false statements during a video court appearance from Midland, Texas. Bright faces a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen DeSoto presided. A sentencing date was set for May 31 before U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Bright was released pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that on Aug. 19, 2021, Bright’s son and co-defendant, Jacob Israel Strong, failed to return his son, who was four years old, to his ex-wife at the end of his visitation. Sanders County Sheriff’s deputies were unable to locate Strong or his son. Sanders County charged Strong on Aug. 31, 2021 with felony parental interference. The FBI opened an investigation to assist Sanders County in the search for Strong and the child. The FBI interviewed Bright on a few occasions, including on Oct. 4, 2021 in which the agent told Bright that lying to a federal officer is a crime. Bright responded, “I know.” The government further alleged that Bright repeatedly lied to the agent, telling him she did not know where Strong and her grandson were and had not seen them since approximately Aug. 17, 2021. In December 2021, Bright called the case agent and continued to deny knowing where Strong and her grandson were located.
In January 2022, the FBI learned that Strong and his son had left the United States near Midland, Texas, in approximately October 2021 and drove through Mexico to Costa Rica. The FBI also learned that Bright had been traveling with Strong and her grandson off and on since August. Bright was aware of Strong’s whereabout during all of her conversations with the FBI and was physically present when Strong and her grandson left Texas for Costa Rica. Bright communicated with Strong regularly using encrypted messaging services installed on both of their cellular phones. Bright’s lies to the FBI contributed to the time and expense of the search for Strong and his son. Had Bright been honest with the FBI, Strong and his son likely would have been found in the fall of 2021. Instead, based largely on Bright’s false statements, Strong was not arrested until May 22, 2022, nine months after he absconded with his son. Strong has pleaded not guilty to charges in the case and is pending trial.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Racicot and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Lowney are prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI.
XXX
Taunton Man Pleads Guilty to Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Taunton man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to sexual exploitation of children and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Cody Mercure, 25, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of children and one count of distribution of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for April 25, 2023. Mercure was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2021.
On Feb. 19, 2021, Mercure sexually abused a toddler in his care and video-recorded the abuse. Mercure also distributed numerous files of CSAM over the internet using a messaging application. For example, on Jan. 16, 2021, Mercure distributed CSAM depicting the sexual abuse of a prepubescent child to another user of the messaging application. Over 100 images and videos depicting child pornography were stored on one of the phones seized at the time of Mercure’s arrest.
The charge of sexual exploitation of children provides a sentence of at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of distribution of child pornography provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was also provided by the Rhode Island State Police and the Taunton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Tampa Area Man Pleads Guilty to Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that James Junior Williams (44, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery. Williams faces up to 20 years in prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, Williams robbed or attempted to rob three banks in Tampa. On February 18, 2022, Williams robbed a bank by passing a note to a teller and obtaining cash through intimidation. Several weeks later, on March 8, 2022, Williams robbed the same bank a second time. On April 13, 2022, he attempted to rob another bank in the Tampa area, but the teller did not have access to any funds. Later that day, Williams robbed a third bank and obtained cash from a clerk through intimidation.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman. The forfeiture will be handled by Assistant United States Attorney James Muench.
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.
Tallahassee Woman Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison in Murder-For-Hire PlotRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Gretchen Buselli (a/k/a “Gretchen Yarbrough”), 48, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced to fifteen years in prison for use of an interstate commerce facility in the commission of murder-for-hire and making a false statement to a federal officer. The sentence was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
"This sentence not only punishes the malevolence of the defendant but should serve as a significant deterrent to those inclined to initiate violence," stated U.S. Attorney Jason R. Coody. "Despite calculation and concealment, the defendant's murderous plot was averted due to the exceptional work of a citizen and our law enforcement partners. They are to be commended."
Evidence introduced during the trial revealed between on or about June 17, 2021, and on or about September 16, 2021, Buselli used the U.S. mail as well as a facility of interstate commerce, a cellular phone, with the intent that a murder be committed in violation of the laws of the State of Florida. Testimony revealed that Buselli communicated with an acquaintance via the U.S. mail, telephone calls, text, and an encrypted mobile application to solicit the murder of her estranged husband. The acquaintance reported Buselli’s request to law enforcement, who then engaged an undercover agent to further the investigation. Buselli communicated her desire to have her estranged husband killed to the undercover agent, providing a description of the intended victim, his whereabouts, and his routines. In subsequent conversations with the undercover agent, Buselli negotiated the price for committing the murder and discussed the manner in which the act would take place, acknowledging that she would be interviewed by law enforcement thereafter. Buselli was later surveilled depositing the agreed upon $5,000 in U.S. currency at the amphitheater in Cascades Park. Following her delivery of the payment, agents observed Buselli dispose of the clothing she had worn during delivery of the payment. After being notified by the undercover agent that her estranged husband had been killed, she was approached and then questioned by law enforcement, Buselli made multiple false statements denying her awareness of nor involvement in the plot and her desire to have her estranged husband killed.
"This case demonstrates the FBI's commitment to investigate with a sense of urgency in order to prevent violent crime in our communities," said FBI Jacksonville Special Agent in Charge Sherri E. Onks. “I am extremely proud of the collaborative effort by the FBI, Tallahassee Police Department, and the United States Postal Inspection Service to ensure a life was protected and a defendant was brought to justice."
“The Tallahassee Police Department is proud to see the judicial system prevail in this case,” said police Chief Lawrence Revell. “Our Detectives worked tirelessly to investigate this case and collect the evidence needed for an arrest and subsequent conviction. This verdict and the collaborative efforts of our law enforcement and judicial partners sends a message to the community that those who commit or attempt to commit crimes will be held accountable and we will do everything we can to bring justice to the victims involved.”
Buselli’s prison sentence will be followed by 3 years of supervised release. The Court ordered forfeiture of the currency paid by the defendant to facilitate the murder. In addition, the court ordered the gold coins provided by the defendant to be placed in an independent trust for the benefit of the couple’s daughter.
This conviction was the result of a joint investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tallahassee Police Department, and the Montana United States Postal Inspection Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Eric K. Mountin and Kaitlin Weiss.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Sussex County Woman Sentenced to 34 Months in Prison for Concealing Terrorist Financing to Syrian Foreign Terrorist OrganizationsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Sussex County, New Jersey, woman was sentenced today to 34 months in prison for concealing her attempts to provide material support to Syrian foreign terrorist organizations, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Security Division, FBI-Newark Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy, and FBI Assistant Director for Counterterrorism Timothy Langan announced.
Maria Bell, aka “Maria Sue Bell,” 55, of Hopatcong, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez to an information charging her with one count of concealing attempts to provide material support to designated foreign terrorist organizations. Judge Vazquez imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents previously filed in this case:
Bell admitted that from February 2018 to November 2018 she knowingly concealed and disguised the nature, location, source, ownership and control of the attempted provision of material support and resources to fighters based in Syria who were members of Jabhat Fath al-sham, also known as Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (JFS) and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Bell admitted that she knew JFS and HTS were designated foreign terrorist organizations, that JFS and HTS has engaged or engages in terrorist activities. She admitted the offense to which she pleaded guilty involved the concealment of the attempted provision of funds or other material support or resources with the intent, knowledge, or reason to believe they were to be used to commit or assist in the commission of a violent act.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Vazquez sentenced Bell to five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI and task force officers of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Dennehy, and special agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Joyce M. Malliet, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s National Security Unit and Trial Attorneys Brenda Sue Thornton and Kathleen Campbell of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division.
Statement of U.S. Attorney Damian Williams on the Conviction of Robert HaddenRead the Press Release
“Robert Hadden was a predator in a white coat. For years, he cruelly lured women who sought professional medical care to his offices in order to gratify himself. Hadden’s victims trusted him as a physician, only to instead become victims of his heinous predilection. We thank and commend the brave women who came forward to tell their stories, many of whom testified at trial, to end his years-long cycle of abuse.”
Springfield Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Meth Conspiracy, Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy that distributed at least 11 kilograms of methamphetamine in southwest Missouri and for illegally possessing firearms.
Gregory D. Robinson, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 20 years in federal prison without parole.
On Feb. 8, 2022, Robinson pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, two counts of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Robinson admitted that he participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Greene and Polk Counties from April 10, 2019, to March 30, 2020. According to court documents, Robinson conspired with family members to distribute at least 11 kilograms of methamphetamine in the southwest Missouri area. Law enforcement officers seized more than 500 grams of methamphetamine from members of the conspiracy.
During a traffic stop on Feb. 9, 2020, a Greene County sheriff’s deputy found a Ziploc bag that contained 55.97 grams of methamphetamine in Robinson’s jacket. Robinson also had $2,500 in cash.
Springfield police officers conducted another traffic stop of Robinson on March 30, 2020, when a woman reported that he had threatened her with a firearm. Robinson resisted arrest and threatened to kill the officers. An officer removed two pistols from Robinson’s waistband – an FNH .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol, loaded with five rounds of hollow-point ammunition, and a Sturm Ruger 9mm semi-automatic pistol. Officers also found a bag that contained 54.32 grams of methamphetamine in Robinson’s pants pocket. Robinson has been in federal custody since his arrest.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Robinson has three prior felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance and a prior felony conviction for tampering. In addition to felony convictions, Robinson has multiple misdemeanor convictions for assaultive conduct and at least 57 felony arrests.
Robinson is among 11 defendants who have been charged in this case. Three co-defendants have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Eatmon and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron A. Beaver. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Solano County Hells Angels Member Pleads Guilty to Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Michael Mahoney, 30, of Fairfield, pleaded guilty today to possessing a firearm with an obliterated or altered serial number and possessing an unregistered short-barreled shotgun, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on Dec. 8, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Mahoney’s home as part of an investigation into a brutal beating at the clubhouse for the Vallejo chapter of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club. In October 2021, two different victims—both of whom were members of a different motorcycle club that is considered a “puppet” (or subordinate) club of the Hells Angels—were beaten by Mahoney and other club members based on perceived infractions of the Hells Angels’ rules.
During the December 2021 search of Mahoney’s Fairfield home, law enforcement found several firearms, including a Smith & Wesson .38-caliber revolver with a serial number that had been scratched off, as well as a Sears & Roebuck 12-gauge shotgun with a barrel that had been sawn off to approximately 12.75 inches in length. Mahoney had not registered his ownership of this short-barreled shotgun with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required by federal law.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Solano County District Attorney’s Office, the Solano County Sheriff’s Office, the Vacaville Police Department, the Vallejo Police Department, the Fairfield Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron D. Pennekamp and Jason Hitt are prosecuting the case.
Mahoney is scheduled to be sentenced on May 2, 2023, by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez. Mahoney faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for possessing a firearm with an obliterated or altered serial number. Mahoney also faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine for possessing an unregistered short-barreled shotgun. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
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 U.S. Department of Justice 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.
Second Bank Employee Admits Role in Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – Another former bank employee today admitted to a federal judge that she stole the banking information of unsuspecting individuals and businesses and provided that information to co-conspirators, who used it to create fraudulent personal and business checks, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Isha-Lee Savage, 24, admitted that, while employed by Santander Bank, she accessed customer information and sent screenshots of that information to co-conspirators. The information was used to create fraudulent checks that the leader of the fraud conspiracy, Richard Koboi, provided to other individuals that he solicited on Facebook and paid to deposit the checks into bank accounts that they controlled. Savage also used her position working in the bank’s call center to ask customers to provide their debit card information which Savage then provided to her co-conspirators so that they could make fraudulent purchases.
On January 19, 2023, Savonnah Briggs, 28, a now former employee of Citizens Bank, admitted that, while employed by the bank, she similarly accessed customer banking information and check images and provided them to Kobi, who similarly used the information to create fraudulent checks for deposit by himself or others. After the checks were deposited, Koboi and others made, or attempted to make, rapid withdrawals of cash from ATMs or bank tellers.
According to information presented to the court, members of the conspiracy created and deposited approximately $330,000 worth of counterfeit checks.
Savage and Briggs each pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Briggs is scheduled to be sentenced on April 25, 2023; Savage is scheduled to be sentenced on May 2, 2023. The defendants’ sentences will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Richard Kobi pleaded guilty on April 27, 2022, to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, ten counts of bank fraud, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was sentenced in December 2022 to three years in federal prison.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ly T. Chin.
The matter was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with the assistance of the FBI, United States Secret Service, ATF, Rhode Island State Police, Providence Police Department, and Delaware State Police.
###
San Diego Resident Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison for Distributing Fentanyl that Resulted in 15-Year-Old’s DeathRead the Press Release
For Further Information, Contact: Assistant U. S. Attorney Adam Gordon (619) 546-6720
SAN DIEGO - Kaylar Junior Tawan Beltranlap, a 21-year-old San Diego resident, was sentenced in federal court today to 156 months in prison for distributing counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl that resulted in the death of 15-year-old Coronado High School sophomore Clark Jackson Salveron on May 12, 2021.
Beltranlap pleaded guilty in July, admitting that he used his Instagram account to coordinate a drug transaction with Salveron. According to admissions in his plea agreement, Beltranlap warned Salveron to only take half the pill because it was “strong as hell.”
According to the government’s sentencing memo, on the morning of May 13, 2021, law enforcement officials and paramedics responded to a 911 call from a home in Coronado. Salveron was found deceased in his bedroom. The Medical Examiner’s Office later determined that the teen had died as the result of “acute fentanyl intoxication.”
During a search of Salveron’s room at that time, law enforcement observed a small desk in the corner next to his closet. On the desk was a laptop still open and running. Detectives were able to see the teen’s personal Instagram account which included a conversation with the user account “chefkaylar.” A subsequent database search showed that the username “chefkaylar” was registered to Beltranlap with an address in San Diego. The messages between the two showed that the night before the victim’s death, Salveron and Beltranlap discussed the purchase of “percs.” The next day, law enforcement located and arrested Beltranlap.
Per the plea agreement, Beltranlap and the government stipulated that the Sentencing Guidelines for distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death and/or serious bodily injury would apply.
During today’s hearing, U.S. District Judge Cathy Ann Bencivengo noted that by dealing drugs, the defendant went for the “easy money” with “callous disregard for the poison he was putting into the community and into a very young victim.”
“A 15-year-old child tragically lost his life to fentanyl, leaving behind a devastated family and community.", said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “Parents – the defendant in this case advertised these counterfeit blues on Instagram and Snapchat. I implore you to actively take steps to ensure that your children are not buying drugs online. We invite you to review the Fentanyl Toolkit which describes the various codes used by drug dealers in their online advertisements: https://www.sdpdatf.org/community-parent-fentanyl-toolkit.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team and the DEA Overdose Response Team for their excellent work on this case.
“Drug dealers are using social media to target kids,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Shelly Howe. “Parents, be vigilant about checking your children’s social media, it may save their life. For additional information visit https://www.dea.gov/onepill for resources on fake pills and fentanyl.”
“One child’s death from fentanyl is far too many,” said Chad Plantz, special agent in charge, HSI San Diego. “HSI and our San Diego law enforcement partners will continue our efforts to identify and hold accountable those who sell poisonous drugs in our community.”
“A family lost a child and that is more than any family should have to experience,” said Coronado Police Chief Chuck Kaye. “We are grateful for all the work that went into today’s sentencing.”
In the government’s sentencing memorandum, the Salveron was described by his family as a fun-loving kid with braces, a leader and role model to his younger sister and twin brothers, and a volunteer who always lovingly assisted his disabled grandparents. He was a “kind, sweet, helpful young man who cared deeply about his family.”
In the memo, the boy’s parents described the devastating impact of their son’s death.
“I will never recover from my oldest son being poisoned and taken from me,” his mother said. “Clark had a full life to live and now it’s gone. I will never see my son, graduate high school, go to college, get married, and have grandchildren.”
In explaining how Clark’s death has affected him, the victim’s father wrote: “Everything I did was with (my son). I don’t really go out anymore. We hiked, biked, he was my partner through nature. I don’t feel very deserving…I miss him so much. I cry every day. I think of him all day. I still can’t believe it.”
This case is the result of ongoing efforts by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the San Diego Police Department, the California Department of Health Care Services and the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office to investigate and prosecute the distribution of dangerous illegal drugs—fentanyl in particular—that result in overdose deaths. The DEA created the DEA Overdose Response Team (formerly Team 10) which investigates overdose deaths in San Diego County. Investigators from the Overdose Response Team, as well as the Coronado Police Department and NTF Team 3, contributed to the investigation into Salveron’s death.
DEFENDANT Case Number 21-CR-3442 CAB
Kaylar Junior Tawan Beltranlap Age: 21 San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Distribute of Fentanyl– Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison
AGENCY
Drug Enforcement Administration
Homeland Security Investigations
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Coronado Police Department
San Diego Police Department
California Department of Health Care Services
Repeat Sex Offender Sentenced to 10 Years for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Kelly M. Schultz, 45, of Antigo, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 10 years in prison for possessing child pornography. The prison term will be followed by 20 years of supervised release. Schultz pleaded guilty to this charge on August 23, 2022.
In March 2017, law enforcement determined that Schultz was posing as a teenage girl on-line in an attempt to get a teenage boy to send him sexually explicit images. As part of that investigation, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the defendant’s home and seized approximately 150 CDs and DVDs. During the analysis of these items, law enforcement found numerous images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Judge Peterson found that the 10-year sentence was warranted based on Schultz’s pattern of sex offenses against children. He previously was convicted of the sexual assault of a child.
The charge against Schultz was the result of an investigation conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation; the Port Edwards, Markesan, Everest Metro, and Antigo Police Departments; and the Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office. The Langlade County District Attorney’s office also assisted. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman prosecuted this case.
Rapid City Man Found Guilty of Receipt and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Matthew Shawn Buchko, age 40, of Rapid City, South Dakota, of Receipt of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography following a three-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City. The verdict was returned on January 20, 2023.
The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years up to of 20 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, five years up to lifetime supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund for each count. Restitution may also be ordered.
Buchko was indicted by a federal grand jury in February of 2021.
Buchko was federally indicted following a Cybertip from the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children in relation to an upload of child pornography using the application Discord. The Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce executed a search warrant on Buchko’s home and located multiple devices. A forensic examination of those devices found hundreds of images and videos of child pornography, as well as images and videos of child erotica and computer-generated child pornography.
This case was investigated by the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah B. Collins and Heather Sazama prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date has been set for April 24, 2023. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Pittsburgh Man Indicted for Possessing a MachinegunRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A former resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal firearm laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Dontrel Bentley, age 37, formerly of the City’s North Side, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on or about October 24, 2022, Bentley possessed a machinegun.
The law provides for a term of imprisonment of not more than ten years, a fine not to exceed $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
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.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Oklahoma Man Sentenced to Serve One Year in Federal Prison for Unwanted Sexual Contact Onboard FlightRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Last week, ANTONIO MAURICE WILSON, 53, of Clinton, Oklahoma, was sentenced to twelve months in federal prison for knowingly engaging in sexual contact with another person without her permission while onboard a flight, announced United States Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On August 2, 2022, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment against Wilson for offenses he committed while on a flight from Houston, Texas, to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Count 1 alleged Wilson assaulted a minor under 16. Count 2 accused Wilson of abusive sexual contact.
On October 21, 2022, Wilson pleaded guilty to a one-count information for knowingly engaging in sexual contact with a 13-year-old person known as "Jane Doe" without her permission. The two-count indictment returned on August 2, 2022, was dismissed pursuant to a plea agreement.
On January 20, 2023, U.S. District Judge Patrick R. Wyrick sentenced Wilson to serve twelve months in federal prison for his conduct, followed by five years of supervised release. He also ordered Wilson to pay a special assessment of $5,100. Wilson will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
This case was the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office and the Edmond Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Joynes and Brandon Hale prosecuted the case.
Reference is made to court filings for further information.
Oklahoma City Man Convicted of Carjacking, Kidnapping, and Using a Firearm in Metro Parking GarageRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – A federal jury recently convicted ROBERT LEE HARRISON, JR., 49, of Oklahoma City, of carjacking and other crimes, announced United States Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On April 6, 2022, a federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment against Harrison. Count 1 charged Harrison with illegal possession of ammunition. Count 2 charged him with carjacking. Count 3 charged him with kidnapping. Count 4 charged him with use and discharge of a firearm during the carjacking.
The trial began on January 10, 2023, before United States District Judge Stephen P. Friot. At trial, Harrison’s ex-girlfriend testified that he forced her into her car at gunpoint as she left work at the Integris Baptist Medical Center parking garage in Oklahoma City. Harrison confined her in the car by repeatedly punching her before she was able to escape. Harrison again caught her in the elevator lobby of the parking garage, where he shot her approximately eight times before fleeing the scene. Harrison was arrested the following day after a brief foot chase with Oklahoma City police officers.
On January 11, 2023, the federal jury returned its verdict of guilty on all counts. The jury convicted Harrison of being a felon in possession of ammunition, kidnapping, carjacking, and using a firearm during the carjacking. For the ammunition count, the jury convicted Harrison of possessing the spent cartridge cases found at the parking garage after the shooting. Under federal law, a person convicted of a felony is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
A sentencing hearing will take place in approximately 90 days. At sentencing, Harrison faces up to life in prison, a $250,000 fine, and five years of supervised release. Count 4 carries a mandatory term of imprisonment of five years, to be served consecutive to any other term of imprisonment.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Oklahoma City Police Department, with assistance from the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office. Prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Nichols, Jr. and Jacquelyn Hutzell, the case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a Department of Justice program to reduce violent crime. In October 2017, the Department announced the reinvigoration of Project Safe Neighborhoods and directed U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop crime-reduction strategies that incorporate lessons federal law enforcement has learned since the program’s launch in 2001.
This case is also part of "Operation 922" and "Operation Shots Fired." Operation 922 is the Western District of Oklahoma’s implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. "Operation 922" prioritizes prosecution of federal crimes connected to domestic violence. "Operation Shots Fired" targets cases involving individuals who discharge firearms as part of their criminal activity, such as drive-by shootings or when shots are fired during robberies, domestic disputes, or other incidents. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://justice.gov/psn and https://justice.gov/usao-wdok.
Reference is made to court filings for further information.
Oklahoma City Business Owner Sentenced After Pleading Guilty to Violating the Clean Air ActRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Yesterday, JAMES “DOC” LOVE, 53, of Norman, Oklahoma, was sentenced for Tampering with a Monitoring Device and Method Required to be Maintained Under the Clean Air Act, announced United States Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On September 20, 2021, Love was charged by a one-count Information with violating the Clean Air Act. The Clean Air Act was enacted by Congress to protect and enhance the quality of the Nation’s air resources to promote the public health and welfare and the productive capacity of its population. On October 7, 2021, Love pleaded guilty to the Information and sentenced on January 23, 2023, to probation for twelve months by U.S. District Judge Scott L. Palk. Love was also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine.
According to public record, Love owned and operated Southwest Diesel Service, a heavy-duty diesel engine full-service garage that was located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Love admitted that between February 2015 and April 2019, he directed his employees to modify the emissions control systems on heavy-duty diesel trucks. Specifically, Love directed these employees to alter the emissions control components, including removing the diesel particulate filters (DPFs) and plating the exhaust gas recirculation systems (EGRs). He then instructed others to reprogram the vehicles’ on-board computers so that the emissions control systems’ sensors failed to detect the alterations. These modifications prevented the trucks from accurately recording the pollutants they discharged into the atmosphere. They also ensured that the trucks continued to travel on public roads despite operating illegally.
"Emissions controls protect all of us from harmful effects of air pollution. However, Mr. Love put the health of the public at risk by manipulating devices intended to disable those emissions controls for financial gain," said U.S. Attorney Troester. "We hope this case sends a clear message to others that this type of conduct has serious consequences."
"The defendant put profits before public health by directing employees to bypass and disable the emission control equipment on heavy-duty diesel engines," said Special Agent in Charge Kim Bahney. "This sentencing demonstrates that EPA and our law enforcement partners will hold accountable those who violate laws designed to protect our communities from harmful air pollution."
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Brown. The investigation was conducted by the Oklahoma Environmental Crimes Task Force to include the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division and the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality’s Criminal Investigation Unit.
Reference is made to court filings for further information.
Norwalk Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Fentanyl Distribution and Firearm Possession OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that GREGORY T. WILLS, also known as “G Money,” “G” and “Greg Jamison,” 40, of Norwalk, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to fentanyl distribution and firearm possession offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the summer of 2020, members of the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and Norwalk Police Department made multiple controlled purchases of fentanyl from Wills. On September 23, 2020, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of a Norwalk residence that Wills used as a “stash” location and seized approximately 60 grams of fentanyl, items used to process and package narcotics for street sale, four handguns, and numerous rounds of ammunition. Investigators located Wills later that day at another location in Norwalk. He discarded a loaded handgun as he attempted to flee but was quickly apprehended.
Wills pleaded guilty to one count of 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, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, which carries a mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of at least five years.
Under the terms of a binding plea agreement, if accepted by the court, the parties have agreed that 10 years of imprisonment is a reasonable sentence in this case.
Judge Meyer scheduled sentencing for April 10. Wills has been detained since his arrest.
Wills’ criminal history includes a 2003 federal conviction, under the name Greg Jamison, for distributing crack cocaine, which resulted in a 108-month prison term.
This matter has been investigated by the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the Norwalk Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah P. Karwan and Karen L. Peck 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.
North Carolina Businessman Pleads Guilty in Multi-Million Tax Fraud CaseRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – Christopher Scott Harrison, 56, of Fayetteville, N.C., pled guilty today to willfully filing a false tax return with respect to nearly $25 million in unreported income he paid to himself from his company.
“This businessman tried to dodge paying millions in federal taxes by disguising personal luxuries as business expenses. Harrison diverted company funds to buy nearly a million dollars worth of bling, including an estimated $145,000 Rolex watch, $102,000 Cartier diamond necklace, and $85,000 Tiffany bracelet,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Wealthy tax cheats cannot be allowed to line their pockets at the expense of hardworking American taxpayers.”
According to the criminal information and evidence summarized in Court, Harrison became the CFO and majority owner of an insurance and Human Resources benefits business, Ebenconcepts. Beginning at least as early as 2012, Harrison began to lavishly spend company funds for his own benefit, for example purchasing a watch for approximately $145,000 and spending approximately $300,000 of company funds for a swimming pool at his residence. As these expenditures came to light, Harrison filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. During the bankruptcy proceedings, an accounting firm retained by the Bankruptcy Trustee discovered almost $25 million in personal expenditures attributable to Harrison reported as business expenses between tax years 2012 and 2018. Harrison filed false personal returns over that period, which failed to report the income, leading to almost $6 million in uncollected federal income taxes.
“The IRS enforces the nation's tax laws, but also takes particular interest in cases where someone does not pay their fair share in taxes by intentionally not reporting all their income,” said Donald “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation’s Charlotte Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation is proud to work with our law enforcement partners by lending its expertise in these complex financial investigations.”
Harrison pleaded guilty to Willfully Filing a False Tax Return. He faces up to three years in prison, restitution to the IRS and a potential fine. Sentencing before United States Chief District Judge Richard E. Myers II is scheduled to occur in the Spring.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II accepted the plea. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation is leading the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Beraka is prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-00309-M.
###
New York City Man Sentenced to 39 Months in Federal Prison for Utica Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – William Maybank, age 56, of New York City was sentenced today to 39 months in federal prison for robbing a KeyBank location in Utica, New York.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
In previously pleading guilty, Maybank admitted that, in August 2019, he robbed a KeyBank branch in Utica, New York by pointing an apparent revolver at bank employees and a bank customer in two cubicles outside the teller counter. He then jumped the teller counter and ordered a bank employee to remove cash from multiple drawers at two teller locations. He made off with approximately $6,700 in cash.
In addition to the 39-month imprisonment term, United States District Court Judge David N. Hurd also imposed a 5-year term of supervised release to begin after Maybank serves his term of imprisonment. In addition, the defendant was ordered pay restitution in the amount of money he stole from the bank and was required to pay a money judgment in the same amount.
The FBI, the Utica Police Department, the New York State Police, and the Oneida County District Attorney’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Gadarian and Matthew J. McCrobie prosecuted this case.
New Orleans Man Sentenced to Thirteen (13) Months Imprisonment for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – On January 19, 2023, Chief United States District Court Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown sentenced JAMES VAN CLEAVE, 36, of New Orleans, Louisiana, to thirteen (13) months imprisonment for violating the Federal Gun Control Act, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court records, VAN CLEAVE previously pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). VAN CLEAVE, who had been convicted in 2007 for assault with a deadly weapon, was found to be in possession of a firearm on August 18, 2021.
Judge Brown sentenced VAN CLEAVE to a thirteen (13) month term of imprisonment and ordered that he serve three (3) years of supervised release following his prison sentence. VAN CLEAVE was also ordered to pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Greg Kennedy.
* * *
New Orleans Man Sentenced to Seventeen Months Imprisonment for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – On January 18, 2023, United States District Court Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle sentenced IRVIN CLARK, 47, of New Orleans, Louisiana, to seventeen (17) months imprisonment for violating the Federal Gun Control Act, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court records, CLARK previously pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). CLARK, who had been convicted in 2002 for manslaughter, was found to be in possession of a firearm on August 16, 2021.
Judge Lemelle sentenced CLARK to a seventeen (17) month term of imprisonment and ordered that he serve three (3) years of supervised release following his prison sentence. CLARK was also ordered to pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Greg Kennedy.
* * *
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that NEWMAN HOOKER, age 29, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, pleaded guilty as charged on January 19, 2023, to being a felon in possession of a firearm before the Honorable Barry W. Ashe.
According to court documents, on May 30, 2022, officers from the New Orleans Police Department executed a search warrant at HOOKER’s residence. Officers seized a Glock model 22 pistol loaded with an extended magazine and a loaded Panzer Arms shotgun belonging to HOOKER. Officers also recovered ammunition for the pistol and shotgun, shotgun drums, and firearms accessories.
HOOKER faces a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys David Berman and Rachal Cassagne are in charge of the prosecution.
###
Mountain Top Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Joshua Ryan Lazar, age 37, of Mountain Top, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on January 19, 2023, to 60 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion for receipt and distribution of child pornography.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, on January 25, 2022, Lazar was indicted on one count of receiving and distributing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct between September 2021 and November 30, 2021. During the execution of a search warrant at Lazar’s residence agents seized his computer which contained over 1,560 images and 32 videos of child pornography. The images included prepubescent minors and infants.
At the time of sentencing, Judge Mannion ordered Lazar to pay $27,000 to victims for restitution.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny Roberts prosecuted the case.
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.
# # #
Monessen Man Indicted on Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A resident of Monessen, PA, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of federal narcotic and firearm violations, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
The two-count Indictment named Trey Zachery Holmes, 27, currently detained at SCI Pine Grove on state charges, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment presented to the court, on or about July 8, 2021, Holmes, did knowingly, intentionally and unlawfully possess with intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, and a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine base, in the form commonly known as crack, a Schedule II controlled substance. In addition to the possession of controlled substances, on about July 8, 2021, Holmes, knowing he had previously been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, knowingly possessed a firearm and ammunition.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $2,000,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Robert C. Schupansky is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Midlothian Family Sentenced for Conspiracy for Years-Long Forced Labor of Pakistani WomanRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – Three Midlothian individuals were sentenced yesterday for conspiracy to commit forced labor for compelling the domestic labor of a Pakistani woman for 12 years.
Zahida Aman, 80, was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison, Mohammed Rehan Chaudhri, 48, to 10 years in federal prison, and Mohammad Nauman Chaudhri, 55, to 5 years in federal prison in the Eastern District of Virginia. Additionally, the Court ordered Aman and Rehan Chaudhri to pay the victim approximately $250,000 in restitution for back wages and other financial losses she incurred as a result of the defendants’ criminal conduct.
According to court documents, in 2002, the victim married Aman’s son, and the brother of defendants Nauman and Rehan Chaudhri. Thereafter, she lived in the home of the defendants. Over the next 12 years, the three defendants forced her to perform domestic services. To coerce that labor, the defendants verbally assaulted and physically abused the victim. The defendants slapped, kicked, and pushed the victim, even beat her with wooden board, and, on one occasion, hog-tied her hands and feet and dragged her down the stairs in front of her children. In addition, though the victim, a native of Pakistan, had temporary immigration status in the United States, defendant Aman took the victim’s immigration documents. Thereafter, defendants threatened the victim with deportation should she not obey their demands. The defendants also threatened to separate the victim from her children to coerce her labor.
Following a seven-day trial in May 2022, the jury convicted all of the defendants of conspiracy to commit forced labor, convicted two of the defendants of forced labor, and convicted Aman of document servitude.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shea Gibbons, Stephen Miller, and Heather H. Mansfield are prosecuting the case, along with Trial Attorney Leah L. Branch of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:19-cr-85.
Mexican National Charged with International Cocaine and Methamphetamine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in the District of Columbia returned an indictment today charging Antonio Oseguera Cervantes, aka Tony Montana, a Mexican national, with international cocaine and methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy.
According to court documents, Oseguera Cervantes, 64, of Michoacan, is charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine for importation into the United States and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
According to court documents, Oseguera Cervantes is the brother of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, aka Mencho, who is the leader of Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG). CJNG, which is based in the State of Jalisco in Mexico, is one of the largest, most dangerous, and prolific drug cartels in Mexico. CJNG is responsible for trafficking significant quantities of illegal drugs into the United States for profit and employing violence to further their objectives.
Oseguera Cervantes is charged with conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine for importation into the United States from January 1998 until December 2022, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense from January 2000 until December 2022. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and DEA Administrator Anne Milgram made the announcement.
The DEA Los Angeles Field Office is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Kate Naseef and Nhan Nguyen and Acting Assistant Deputy Chief Kaitlin Sahni of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section are prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. Additional information about OCDETF can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Mescalero man charged with assault in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Dennett Jerome Chee was arraigned on Jan. 20 on an indictment charging him with assault resulting in serious bodily injury in Indian Country. Chee, 36, of Mescalero, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled.
A federal grand jury indicted Chee on Jan. 10. According to the indictment and other court records, in May of 2022, Chee allegedly assaulted a victim, identified as John Doe, in Otero County, New Mexico, on the Mescalero Apache reservation. The assault resulted in serious bodily injury to John Doe.
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Chee faces up to 10 years in prison.
The FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Eliot Neal is prosecuting the case.
# # #
23-13
Medical Director of Baltimore County Pain Management Clinic Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute and Dispense OxycodoneRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III today sentenced Norman Rosen, age 84, of Towson, Maryland, to four months of home detention as part of 18 months of probation, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and dispense oxycodone in connection with his operation of Rosen-Hoffberg Rehabilitation and Pain Management Associates, P.A., where he was Medical Director and part owner.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Washington Division; Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon, Office of Investigations, Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS-OIG); and Acting Chief Dennis J. Delp of the Baltimore County Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, Norman Rosen, is a doctor and was licensed to practice medicine in the State of Maryland. He served as the Medical Director and part-owner of Rosen-Hoffberg Rehabilitation and Pain Management (the “Practice”). Rosen primarily worked at the Practice’s Towson, Maryland locations. Rosen’s partner in the business and the Practice’s Associate Medical Director was Howard Hoffberg.
According to Rosen’s guilty plea, patients at the Practice were often prescribed high doses of oxycodone, and other opioid medications. Some patients were issued prescriptions for opioids after routinely providing aberrant urine toxicology screens, including positive results for cocaine and heroin; positive results for controlled substances that were not prescribed by the Practice; and/or negative results for the controlled substances prescribed by the Practice. Rosen knew that the Practice received complaints about the behavior of patients, including reports of suspected drug transactions in the parking lots near the Practice. At times, patients were observed “nodding out” in the waiting area of the Practice. Some patients tried to bring in urine that was not theirs in order to pass urine toxicology screens. Some patients of the Practice overdosed and some of these patients required hospitalization and some died. Several major pharmacies refused to fill any prescriptions issued by the Practice because of the high doses being prescribed. Both Rosen and Hoffberg were aware of the conditions at the Practice and yet continued to prescribe medications to these patients.
As detailed in his plea agreement, as the Medical Director, Dr. Rosen established the rules for the Practice. One of his rules was that the customer, i.e. the patient, is always right. Sometimes, when other providers at the Practice discharged certain patients, Rosen continued to treat the patients at the Towson location. At times, if a patient failed a urine toxicology screen because of illicit substances in their system such as heroin or cocaine, Rosen declined to discharge the patient and instead required the patient to return to the Practice more frequently for follow-up, sometimes as much as three times a week.
Rosen admitted that he issued prescriptions to some patients outside the bounds of the usual medical practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose. For example, Rosen prescribed large doses of oxycodone and clonazepam to a patient who had eight toxicology screens that were positive for cocaine and whose children had been taken from her because of her drug problems. Similarly, Rosen ignored the red flags and prescribed oxycodone and methadone to a patient who admitted to illicit drug use; had previously been criminally charged for prescription fraud and drug trafficking; had overdosed; had urine toxicology screens that were positive for heroin, cocaine, and marijuana; and had been accused of selling her pills.
In related cases, Rosen’s partner, Howard Hoffberg, age 66, of Reisterstown, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the anti-kickback statutes, in connection with a scheme to accept payments from a pharmaceutical company in exchange for prescribing a fentanyl-based drug. He was sentenced to eight months in federal prison. Also, a physician’s assistant at the Practice, William Soyke, age 69, of Hanover, Pennsylvania, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and dispense oxycodone, fentanyl, methadone, and alprazolam and was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, the DEA, HHS-OIG and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason D. Medinger, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach and click on the “Save A Life” link.
# # #
Man Sentenced for Distribution of Child Pornography while on Probation for Prior Sex OffenseRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Highland Springs man was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for distribution of child pornography.
According to court documents, on or about April 12, 2022, Deric Wallace Peacock, 39, used Wickr, an encrypted messaging service, to distribute child pornography using his “vapastor” user account. At the time that Peacock distributed the child pornography, he was on probation for two prior state court convictions for procuring sex acts by computer of an individual believed to be under the age of 15. Prior to his incarceration stemming from his 2014 convictions, the defendant was a youth pastor at South Hopewell Church of God, which no longer exists.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Gibney.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carla Jordan-Detamore prosecuted the case.
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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc
In 2021, EDVA launched “UnMasked,” a community-based educational outreach and prevention program in Virginia dedicated to raising awareness and educating the community about the prevalence of online sexual exploitation involving children and young adults. UnMasked is a multi-disciplinary partnership of local, state, federal, and non-profit stakeholders. The core curriculum is provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) NetSmartz program. To report an incident involving online sexual exploitation, call 1-800-843-5678 or submit a report at report.cybertip.org. To request an UnMasked event at your school or organization, please contact EDVA’s Community Outreach Coordinator at [email protected].
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-109.
Madison County Man Sentenced to 180 Months for Armed Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.— A Richmond, Ky., man, Jacob Tyler Hensley, 28, was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison on Monday, by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to Hensley’s plea agreement, on September 17, 2020, law enforcement conducted a search warrant on Hensley’s residence and recovered approximately 705 grams of methamphetamine that he admitted he intended to distribute to others. The search of Hensley’s residence also uncovered a safe containing $8,008 in cash and a total of 16 firearms. Hensley also admitted that possessed a firearm for protection of his drugs and drug proceeds.
Hensley pleaded guilty in October 2022.
Under federal law, Hensley must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; and Sheriff Mike Coyle, Madison County Sheriff’s Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA, Madison County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, and Madison County Sheriff’s Office. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Kiebler.
– END –
Lowell Man Sentenced for Fentanyl Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lowell man was sentenced on Jan. 20, 2023 in federal court in Boston for his role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
Jonathan Bermudez, 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to time served (approximately 22 months in prison) and eight years of supervised release. In September 2020, Bermudez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and distribution and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
During the course of several months, using an undercover police officer, an investigation uncovered Bermudez’s fentanyl distribution operation. Although Bermudez was arrested on April 2, 2019, he connected the undercover police officer with his co-defendant so they could continue the fentanyl distribution operation.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Massachusetts State Police; and the Andover, North Andover, Billerica, Chelmsford, Lowell and Lawrence Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Cheng of Rollins’ Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Lincoln Woman Sentenced for Transferring Firearms to a FelonRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Kylie Thompson, 25, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard to a term of 18 months’ imprisonment following her conviction for transferring firearms to a felon, also known as a straw purchase. After she completes her prison sentence, Thompson will also serve three years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
While investigating a shooting that happened in Lincoln on July 8, 2021, Lincoln Police Department investigators located a cell phone conversation in which Thompson’s boyfriend, Chase Bass, talked about providing a gun to a convicted felon. That led to a firearms and narcotics investigation involving Thompson making straw purchases of firearms for Bass.
Investigators obtained firearms purchase records showing that Thompson bought 12 handguns between March 18 and July 15, 2021, at various locations in Lancaster County, Nebraska. After purchasing these firearms, Thompson transferred some of these firearms to Bass who was a felon, and thus not permitted to possess firearms. Bass was also serving a term of post-release supervision, following prison sentence, as a result of a Lancaster County conviction for possession of a short shotgun.
On July 16, 2021, Bass was arrested in Cass County on an outstanding warrant for violating his post-release supervision. Thompson was also present, but she was not arrested at that time. Bass was in possession of a distribution amount of methamphetamine, baggies containing methamphetamine residue, at least two functioning firearms, $1,347 cash, ammunition, drug ledgers, phones, gun magazines, pipes, and a scale. Investigators found six empty gun boxes in Thompson’s car. Bass was in the passenger seat of this car when arrested. The gun boxes in the car matched up with six of the firearm purchases Thompson had made in Lincoln between March 18 – July 31, 2021. Bass had a notebook in his possession containing his hand-written notes describing the firearms that were previously in the boxes found in the car. Bass was carrying a backpack containing ammunition and a pistol Thompson had purchased the day before at a Lincoln pawn shop. Bass also had keys to a safe located in Thompson’s car. Inside the safe investigators found a handgun with 12 rounds in the magazine. The box for this gun was found in the trunk and was the same handgun Thompson had purchased at a gun store in Lancaster County on July 1, 2021.
During the course of this investigation, investigators recovered three of the 12 firearms purchased by Thompson. Two of the three recovered were located in Bass’s belongings, while the third was recovered in an alleyway in downtown Lincoln on July 14, 2021. Thompson was arrested for making straw purchases of firearms on September 29, 2021.
Following his arrest, Bass bonded out of jail. Bass was again arrested in Lincoln on September 28, 2021, after being federally indicted in this case. At that time Bass possessed at least 17 grams of actual methamphetamine, a handgun, ammunition, baggies, a drug ledger, and scales.
A forensic scientist at the Nebraska State Patrol Crime Lab confirmed the presence of at least 8 grams of actual methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, in the suspected methamphetamine seized from Bass on July 16, 2021, and at least 17 grams of actual methamphetamine seized from Bass on September 28, 2021.
On November 29, 2022, Bass was sentenced to a term of 170 months’ imprisonment following his convictions for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. After he completes his prison sentence, Bass will also serve four years on supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln Police Department, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, the Nebraska State Patrol, and the FBI. 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.
Lexington Man Sentenced to 120 Months for Armed Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.— A Lexington Antuan Lamont Jackson, Jr., 32, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison on Monday, by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, for conspiracy to distribute 400 grams of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to Jackson’s plea agreement, on December 14, 2021, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on his vehicle, recovering a 9-milimeter pistol and three wrapped baggies of fentanyl. An additional search of Jackson’s residence found three additional firearms and 120 grams of fentanyl, digital scales, various drug trafficking paraphernalia, and $50,000 in cash. Jackson admitted to conspiring to distribute 400 grams of fentanyl, possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking.
Jackson pleaded guilty in October 2022.
Under federal law, Jackson must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA and Lexington Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Kiebler.
– END –
Latin Dragon Nation Member SentencedRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Keenan Seymour, 23, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit racketeering activity for his role and participation in the Latin Dragons street gang, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Seymour was sentenced to 180 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release. As part of his sentencing, he was held responsible for a November 2017 murder.
According to the Sixth Superseding Indictment returned on June 18, 2020, the Latin Dragons Nation is a criminal street gang that originated in Chicago and spread to other areas, including the Northern District of Indiana. It was alleged that members and associates of the Latin Dragons Nation engaged in acts of violence, including murder, attempted murder, witness tampering, and assault, to protect the gang’s territory.
In addition to Seymour, 18 other co-defendants pled guilty to participating in the racketeering conspiracy. Many of the defendants were held responsible for murders and other violent crimes they committed in Chicago and Northwest Indiana. Several of the co-defendants were sentenced as follows:
Ralph Mendez, Jr. was sentenced to 42.5 years in prison, and was held responsible for a May 2017 gang-related drive-by shooting/murder and another drive-by shooting/murder committed in July 2017.
Justin Anaya was sentenced to 35 years in prison and was held responsible for the July 2017 murder of a minor child and a November 2017 murder where he shot and killed a man while riding in a car.
Gustavo Mata was sentenced to 35 years in prison and was held responsible for a July 2012 murder where he shot the victim from the back porch of a residence.
Manuel Diaz was sentenced to 35 years in prison and was held responsible for a September 2017 murder where he shot and killed a man while driving in a car.
Jonathan Arevalo was sentenced to 20 years in prison and was held responsible for providing a firearm for a July 2012 murder and a March 2015 gang-related felony murder.
Luis Colunga was sentenced to 17 years in prison and was held responsible for a December 2012 felony murder.
Javier Aguilera was sentenced to 18 years in prison and was held responsible for a December 2013 shooting from a car.
Ralph Daniel Mendez was sentenced to 17 years in prison and was held responsible for an April 2017 drive-by shooting.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Chicago Police Department Criminal Enterprise Unit; the Cook County Sheriff’s Office; the Bartlett Police Department; the Hammond Police Department; the East Chicago Police Department; the Merrillville Police Department; the Hobart Police Department; the Lake County Sheriff’s Department; and the Calumet City Police Department, with assistance from the Lake County, Indiana Prosecutor’s Office, the Cook County, Illinois State’s Attorney’s Office, the Indiana Department of Corrections, and the Illinois Department of Corrections. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin F. Wolff and Michael J. Toth, and former Northern District of Indiana Assistant United States Attorney Joseph A. Cooley, with assistance from the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, Trial Attorney Hans Miller.
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.
Lancaster Man Sentenced to 47 Months in Prison for Smuggling Cocaine Through the U.S. MailRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Ricardo Soto, a/k/a “the Chicken Man,” age 52, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson to 47 months in prison.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Soto conspired with others to smuggle kilograms of cocaine into Central Pennsylvania through the U.S. Mail. The cocaine was shipped in Puerto Rico and mailed to various drop locations in Lancaster, where the parcels were retrieved by conspirators for further distribution. They also engaged in street level drug trafficking, including selling heroin and fentanyl to customers. The conspirators transported cash back to Puerto Rico in furtherance of the trafficking. Soto entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to traffic cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl.
Soto’s coconspirator, Jonathan Lopez Arizmendi, pleaded guilty on August 8, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute 5 kilograms and more of cocaine, and is awaiting sentencing. The remaining coconspirators are awaiting trial.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Pennsylvania State Police, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Lancaster County Drug Task Force and York County Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Consiglio is prosecuting the case.
All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
# # #
Lackawanna County Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that David Paul Quick, age 26, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on January 23, 2023, before U.S. District Court Judge Malachy Mannion, to the charge of possession with intent to distribute more than fifty grams of methamphetamine.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Quick admitted to possessing more than fifty grams of methamphetamine for distribution in the Scranton area in 2022. The charge stems from an incident in June 2022, in which members of the Scranton Police Department and Pennsylvania State Police conducted a search of a residence on South Webster Avenue in Scranton and found Quick in possession of several packages of methamphetamine for distribution, as well as a loaded .380 caliber handgun.
The charges against the defendant resulted from an investigation conducted by the Scranton Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorneys Robert J. O’Hara and Brian Gallagher are prosecuting the case.
This case was prosecuted as 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.
Under federal law, Quick faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of forty years, a term of supervised release 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.
# # #
Kansas Man Indicted for Armed Bank Robbery of Mound City BankRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Ottawa, Kansas, man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for the armed robbery of a Mound City, Mo., bank.
Marvin J. McWhorter III, 41, was charged in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. McWhorter is charged with one count of bank robbery and one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Today’s indictment alleges that McWhorter, brandishing a firearm, stole $4,445 from Citizens Bank & Trust, 904 State Street in Mound City, on Dec. 21, 2022.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie C. Bradshaw. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Holt County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Andrew County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Mound City, Mo., Police Department, and the FBI.
KC Man Indicted for Meth Trafficking, Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man who was injured when his ATV flipped over while making a turn on an Independence, Mo., street was indicted by a federal grand jury today for illegally possessing firearms and methamphetamine.
Melvin L. Carter, 48, was charged in a three-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. Today’s indictment charges Carter with one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Carter was arrested on Oct. 14, 2022, when Independence police officers were called to an address on S. Overton Avenue after Carter was ejected from his ATV as it flipped over while making a turn. Prior to the officers’ arrival, the Independence Fire Department responded to an earlier 911 call and informed officers that Carter had been armed when they arrived at the scene of the accident. They retrieved his firearm, a Keltec 9mm pistol, which they turned over to the police officers. Officers found the ATV flipped on its side when they arrived at the scene. Carter was bleeding from his head and being treated by paramedics.
Police officers checked Carter’s jacket and found a plastic baggie that contained approximately 105 grams of methamphetamine.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Carter has prior felony convictions for robbery, possession of a controlled substance, sale of a controlled substance, trafficking, and resisting arrest.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Q. McCarther. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Justice Department Sues Google for Monopolizing Digital Advertising TechnologiesRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department, along with the Attorneys General of California, Colorado, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Virginia, filed a civil antitrust suit against Google for monopolizing multiple digital advertising technology products in violation of Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act.
Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, the complaint alleges that Google monopolizes key digital advertising technologies, collectively referred to as the “ad tech stack,” that website publishers depend on to sell ads and that advertisers rely on to buy ads and reach potential customers. Website publishers use ad tech tools to generate advertising revenue that supports the creation and maintenance of a vibrant open web, providing the public with unprecedented access to ideas, artistic expression, information, goods, and services. Through this monopolization lawsuit, the Justice Department and state Attorneys General seek to restore competition in these important markets and obtain equitable and monetary relief on behalf of the American public.
As alleged in the complaint, over the past 15 years, Google has engaged in a course of anticompetitive and exclusionary conduct that consisted of neutralizing or eliminating ad tech competitors through acquisitions; wielding its dominance across digital advertising markets to force more publishers and advertisers to use its products; and thwarting the ability to use competing products. In doing so, Google cemented its dominance in tools relied on by website publishers and online advertisers, as well as the digital advertising exchange that runs ad auctions.
“Today’s complaint alleges that Google has used anticompetitive, exclusionary, and unlawful conduct to eliminate or severely diminish any threat to its dominance over digital advertising technologies,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “No matter the industry and no matter the company, the Justice Department will vigorously enforce our antitrust laws to protect consumers, safeguard competition, and ensure economic fairness and opportunity for all.”
“The complaint filed today alleges a pervasive and systemic pattern of misconduct through which Google sought to consolidate market power and stave off free-market competition,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “In pursuit of outsized profits, Google has caused great harm to online publishers and advertisers and American consumers. This lawsuit marks an important milestone in the Department’s efforts to hold big technology companies accountable for violations of the antitrust laws.”
“The Department’s landmark action against Google underscores our commitment to fighting the abuse of market power,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “We allege that Google has captured publishers’ revenue for its own profits and punished publishers who sought out alternatives. Those actions have weakened the free and open internet and increased advertising costs for businesses and for the United States government, including for our military.”
“Today’s lawsuit seeks to hold Google to account for its longstanding monopolies in digital advertising technologies that content creators use to sell ads and advertisers use to buy ads on the open internet,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Our complaint sets forth detailed allegations explaining how Google engaged in 15 years of sustained conduct that had — and continues to have — the effect of driving out rivals, diminishing competition, inflating advertising costs, reducing revenues for news publishers and content creators, snuffing out innovation, and harming the exchange of information and ideas in the public sphere.”
Google now controls the digital tool that nearly every major website publisher uses to sell ads on their websites (publisher ad server); it controls the dominant advertiser tool that helps millions of large and small advertisers buy ad inventory (advertiser ad network); and it controls the largest advertising exchange (ad exchange), a technology that runs real-time auctions to match buyers and sellers of online advertising.
Image description: Graphic of digital advertising market. The digital advertising market is divided into three sections: sell-side inventory on the left, buy-side demand on the right, and an ad exchange in the middle. Sell-side inventory is made up of website publishers that that flow to Google’s “DoubleClick for Publishers” Publisher Ad Server, which has >90% of market share. Google AdExchange, which is greater than or equal to 50% of the ad exchange market share, receives bid requests from the publisher ad server, sends them to the buy-side demand, receives bid responses from the buy side demand and sends them back to the publisher ad server. Buy-side demand is made up of advertisers that flow to either: “Google Ads” Advertiser Ad Network (Small and Large Advertisers) which has +/- 80% market share; or Google’s “Display & Video 360” Demand Side Platform (DSP) Agencies/Large Advertisers which has +/-40% share.Google’s anticompetitive conduct has included:
- Acquiring Competitors: Engaging in a pattern of acquisitions to obtain control over key digital advertising tools used by website publishers to sell advertising space;
- Forcing Adoption of Google’s Tools: Locking in website publishers to its newly-acquired tools by restricting its unique, must-have advertiser demand to its ad exchange, and in turn, conditioning effective real-time access to its ad exchange on the use of its publisher ad server;
- Distorting Auction Competition: Limiting real-time bidding on publisher inventory to its ad exchange, and impeding rival ad exchanges’ ability to compete on the same terms as Google’s ad exchange; and
- Auction Manipulation: Manipulating auction mechanics across several of its products to insulate Google from competition, deprive rivals of scale, and halt the rise of rival technologies.
As a result of its illegal monopoly, and by its own estimates, Google pockets on average more than 30% of the advertising dollars that flow through its digital advertising technology products; for some transactions and for certain publishers and advertisers, it takes far more. Google’s anticompetitive conduct has suppressed alternative technologies, hindering their adoption by publishers, advertisers, and rivals.
The Sherman Act embodies America’s enduring commitment to the competitive process and economic liberty. For over a century, the Department has enforced the antitrust laws against unlawful monopolists to unfetter markets and restore competition. To redress Google’s anticompetitive conduct, the Department seeks both equitable relief on behalf of the American public as well as treble damages for losses sustained by federal government agencies that overpaid for web display advertising. This enforcement action marks the first monopolization case in approximately half a century in which the Department has sought damages for a civil antitrust violation.
In 2020, the Justice Department filed a civil antitrust suit against Google for monopolizing search and search advertising, which are different markets from the digital advertising technology markets at issue in the lawsuit filed today. The Google search litigation is scheduled for trial in September 2023.
Google is a limited liability company organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware, with a headquarters in Mountain View, California. Google’s global network business generated approximately $31.7 billion in revenues in 2021. Google is owned by Alphabet Inc., a publicly traded company incorporated and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware and headquartered in Mountain View, California.
Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Louisiana Tax PreparerRead the Press Release
The United States filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana seeking to bar a Louisiana tax return preparer and her business from assisting in the preparing of federal income tax returns for others.
The complaint alleges that Whylithia R. Robinson prepared and filed 2,629 federal income tax returns for customers though AAA Tax Service from 2019–2021. According to the complaint, Robinson displayed a pattern of filing tax returns during this period that understated the customer’s tax liabilities and overstated tax refunds by fabricating business losses, claiming false charitable donations, and/or falsely claiming education credits for customers who were not entitled to them.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
Taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers. The IRS also offers 10 tips to avoid tax season fraud and ways to safeguard their personal information.
In the past decade, the Department of Justice Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.
Independence Man who Made False Statement During Purchase of Firearm Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
A man who made a false statement during the purchase of a firearm at a hardware store in Independence, Iowa, was sentenced January 23, 2023, to five years of supervised release.
Dallas Shannon, age 47, from Independence, Iowa, received the term of supervised release after a September 28, 2022 guilty plea to making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm.
At the guilty plea, Shannon admitted that on or about February 14, 2022, he knowingly made a false representation of an ATF Form 447 in connection with the purchase of a firearm. Shannon knowingly stated that he was not an unlawful user of marijuana on the form. At the time he filled out the form, Shannon knew that he was an unlawful user of marijuana.
Shannon was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Shannon must serve a five-year term of supervised release and is now prohibited from possessing firearms.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Liz Dupuich and investigated by the Independence Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-2038.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Glenpool Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Sexually Exploiting a MinorRead the Press Release
A Glenpool man was sentenced Tuesday for sexually exploiting a 16-year-old and other crimes, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel sentenced Thomas Anthony Pearce, 55, to life in federal prison. On March 22, 2022, Pearce was convicted at trial of coercion or enticement of a minor, production of child pornography, possession of child pornography in Indian Country, and distribution of marijuana.
“Thomas Pearce preyed on a teenage girl that he coerced into engaging in sexual acts by providing her drugs. His illicit behavior escalated when he restrained her with zip ties and sexually assaulted her. He also photographed the sexual acts resulting in the producing and possessing child pornography charges,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Federal prosecutors and our law enforcement partners will do everything in our power to protect victims and bring to justice those who have harmed them. I am proud to say justice has been served in this case.”“Protecting minors from sexual exploitation is one of the primary law enforcement priorities of Homeland Security Investigations. The deviant, calculated and exploitive actions of this defendant caused deep wounds and scars to the children he routinely victimized,” said Lester R. Hayes Jr., Special Agent in Charge HSI Dallas. “Our hope is now that justice has spoken and with this predator spending the remainder of his life behind bars, the victims he abused can continue the healing process.”
The crimes occurred from Feb. 3, 2021, through Feb. 8, 2021. Pearce met the victim online, coerced her into sexual activity, provided her with marijuana, and took sexually explicit photographs of the teenager. He was also found to possess additional child pornography on various electronic devices.
Pearce’s crimes were discovered after an alert Jenks police officer noticed a suspicious white Dodge pick-up parked on a partially paved area just off a road in the early morning hours of Feb. 8, 2021. As the officer turned around to investigate, the driver, later identified as Pearce, quickly drove away. The officer conducted a traffic stop and initiated contact with Pearce and a minor female in the passenger’s seat. Pearce claimed the minor was his niece but could not provide a phone number for the officer to contact the child’s parents.
During the stop, the minor victim told officers that she was high on marijuana that Pearce had given her and stated that nothing had occurred “this time” but that the defendant had zip tied her hands and took explicit pictures of her on another occasion. Pearce was taken into custody.
During a search of the vehicle at the scene, officers located marijuana, four thumb drives, a package of zip-ties, duct tape, three cell phones and other items.
The victim was later forensically interviewed. She disclosed that she and Pearce had contact on six different occasions and that Pearce’s sexual advances and abuse escalated with each encounter, to include sexually assaulting the victim, ziptying her, and taking sexually explicit photographs of her.
She stated that Pearce provided her with marijuana. He also told her to take a pill, which she refused.
On a phone found in the vehicle, investigators with Homeland Security Investigations and the Jenks Police Department discovered a file with the victim’s name on it, which contained explicit photographs depicting the sexual acts that the victim described in her interview.
In text messages between Pearce and the victim, Pearce made references to his sexual abuse of the victim, told the victim that she should take a pill that would make her feel good because “he said so,” and stated that he had had sexual encounters with other minors. When the victim texted that she did not want to meet him again, he threatened to harm her siblings.
Search warrants were also executed on Pearce’s residence in Glenpool and at two storage units in Tulsa. Officers seized a computer and numerous hard drives during the searches.
On a thumb drive seized, investigators found another file with a female’s name on it that contained sexually explicit images of a minor. The woman, now an adult, was contacted. She confirmed that she had met Pearce online while she was in high school and that Pearce had sex with her and took sexually explicit photographs. She stated that Pearce would pay her in cash, gifts and marijuana.
Investigators also located child pornography on one of the hard drives seized. Video and image titles specifically referenced “raped teens” and other child sexual abuse.
Pearce was one of 33 defendants apprehended during Operation Clean Sweep. The four-month long operation focused on identifying predators who exploit children and ultimately led to the identification of 12 child victims. The operation was conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and more than a dozen local, state, tribal and federal law enforcement agencies in 10 of the 11 counties in the Northern District of Oklahoma.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Jenks Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Victor A.S. Régal and Richard M. Cella prosecuted the case.
Georgia Pair Sentenced for Conspiracy to Use False or Counterfeit PassportsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that DANIELLE DORSETT, age 54, and her brother, BYRON J. LAFOREST, age 50, both residents of Atlanta, Georgia, were sentenced on January 19, 2023 for conspiracy to use false or counterfeit passports.
According to documents filed in federal court, beginning in November 2021, DORSETT and LAFOREST obtained counterfeit passport cards with the names and other details of victims whose personal identifying information they stole. While these cards had victims’ personal information, they had DORSETT’s or LAFOREST’s photograph. DORSETT and LAFOREST then used these cards to withdraw money from their victims’ bank accounts. Over the course of the conspiracy, DORSETT and LAFOREST used the personal information of at least six individuals to withdraw (or attempted to withdraw) funds from these individuals’ accounts. They withdrew money from bank branches in Florida, Louisiana, and Texas.
The scheme drew to a close in early 2022. On January 28, 2022, DORSETT was arrested by Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies while attempting to obtain a victim’s bank statement at an IberiaBank branch in Harvey, Louisiana. DORSETT was released on bond after her arrest. Approximately two weeks later, on February 14, 2022, she and LAFOREST were arrested together at a hotel in New Orleans East by federal agents. In the hotel room, agents recovered several additional false passport cards that portrayed LAFOREST’s photograph, but provided the victims’ personal identifying information instead.
DORSETT and LAFOREST were both sentenced to time served, supervised release for a term of 3 years and an $100 mandatory special assessment fee by United States District Judge Carl J. Barbier.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Diplomatic Security Service’s New Orleans Field Office in investigating this matter. U.S. Attorney Evans thanked the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney’s Office for the 24th Judicial District for their assistance in this prosecution. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew R. Payne is in charge of the prosecution.
* * *
Genesee & Wyoming Railroad Services Inc. to Address Clean Air Act Violations in Settlement with United StatesRead the Press Release
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Justice announced a settlement with Genesee & Wyoming Railroad Services Inc. and numerous affiliated companies (collectively, GWRSI) for violation of Clean Air Act (CAA) locomotive regulations. The complaint, also filed today, alleges that GWRSI’s locomotives with rebuilt engines failed to meet applicable EPA emission standards, and that GWRSI did not perform required emissions-related maintenance or keep records of maintenance performed.
The locomotives at issue in this settlement burn diesel fuel which produces significant emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and fine particulate matter. NOx is a contributor to the formation of summer ozone, and particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns has been shown to cause lung damage and cancer. GWRSI estimates that the company will spend approximately $42 million to comply with consent decree requirements which will reduce NOx emissions from its locomotives by approximately 469 tons per year and particulate matter emissions by 14 tons per year.
“By requiring locomotives to follow emissions standards, and requiring dozens of older, higher-polluting locomotives to be scrapped altogether, this consent decree reduces health threats from air pollution nationwide, particularly in those communities that live along railroad corridors,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Environment and Natural Resources Division.
“Today’s settlement requires GWRSI to bring its fleet of locomotives into compliance with Clean Air Act pollution control requirements,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Larry Starfield of the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “The settlement is expected to reduce tons of nitrogen oxide and particulate matter pollution and improve air quality where their trains operate.”
Due to cost and other considerations, locomotives and their engines are typically rebuilt (or remanufactured) multiple times during their operational lives. EPA regulations require that rebuilt locomotive engines use the latest technology (for that model year locomotive) to reduce emissions. The consent decree requires GWRSI to comply with this requirement for rebuilt engines and take steps to ensure that it does not purchase or sell locomotives that have been rebuilt without conforming to applicable emissions standards. It also requires that GWRSI timely perform critical emissions-related maintenance. To mitigate excess pollutants associated with the alleged violations, the settlement requires GWRSI to remove from service and permanently destroy 88 older locomotive that are not required to meet any EPA emission standards. GWRSI has further agreed that it will replace any locomotive it has scrapped only with locomotives subject to, and meeting, EPA emission standards. The consent decree also requires GWRSI to pay a $1.35 million civil penalty.
The consent decree, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval. The consent decree will be available for viewing at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
Four Indicted in Controlled Substance Distribution and Money Laundering ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Four individuals have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston in connection with a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and launder the proceeds in Massachusetts and Virginia.
Sathtra Em, 35, of Lowell; Kenneth Owen, a/k/a “Apple,” a/k/a “Carlos,” 22, of Charlotte Court House, Va.; and Michael Mao, a/k/a “Whitebodian,” a/k/a “Spook,” a/k/a “Leno,” 36, an inmate at the Buckingham Correctional Center in Dillwyn, Va., were indicted on charges of money laundering conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute MDMA and Buprenorphine. Em was also indicted in a separate money laundering conspiracy with Sarath Yut, a/k/a “Black,” a/k/a “Khmao,” a/k/a “Asian Warrior,” 36, of Lowell.
Em and Owen were arrested on Jan. 19, 2023 and were released on conditions following initial appearances in federal court in Boston and the Western District of Virginia, respectively. Mao is currently serving a prison sentence in Virginia for several state convictions for violent offenses, including attempted murder. Yut was previously charged in June 2021 for his alleged role leading a long-running and lucrative drug trafficking enterprise involving numerous gang members and associates of the Lowell-based criminal street gang, One Family Clique. Yut has remained in federal custody and is pending trial in that case.
According to the indictment, from approximately December 2019 through May 2021, Mao, Em and Owen conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute MDMA and Buprenorphine in Lowell, the Western District of Virginia and elsewhere. It is alleged that Mao, Em and Owen also conspired to launder the drug proceeds to conceal their drug distribution activity. It is further alleged that Em also conspired to launder drug proceeds with Yut via cash deposits into bank accounts with Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union as well as via mortgage payments for a residence in Lowell.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute MDMA and Buprenorphine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $500,000, or twice the amount of the property involved, whichever is greater. Both charges also include forfeiture of assets traceable to or involved in the distribution and laundering offenses. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. The investigation was led by the FBI’s Merrimack Valley Transnational Organized Crime Task Force. Special assistance was provided by the Virginia Department of Corrections. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak, III of Rollins’ Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Amrhein of Rollins’ Asset Recovery Unit is handling the forfeiture aspects of the case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Spokane Doctor Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal Prison After Paying Dark Web Hitmen $60,000 in Bitcoin to Kidnap Estranged Wife and Assault Former ColleagueRead the Press Release
Spokane – On January 24, 2023, Senior United States District Judge William Fremming Nielsen sentenced Ronald Craig Ilg, 56, of Spokane, Washington, to 96 months in federal prison for hiring hitmen on the dark web to kidnap and assault multiple victims. It was the highest sentence available under the terms of Ilg’s plea agreement. In addition to ordering Ilg to spend eight years in federal prison, Judge Nielsen ordered him to pay more than $25,000 in restitution and a
$100,000 fine. Ilg will also spend three years on federal supervision following his release from prison. Judge Nielsen described Ilg’s conduct as “really egregious, and even evil,” and highlighted that “not only were there numerous communications, you spent a lot of money to hire these people to ensure what you asked them to do would be done.” Finally, Judge Nielsen emphasized that Ilg’s crimes were all the more egregious given his career as a doctor: “A doctor’s goal in life is to protect people, keeping people alive – not taking overt steps to do the opposite.”According to court documents and information from the sentencing hearing, Ilg, a former neonatologist in Spokane, transmitted dozens of messages in early 2021 through the dark web as part of a plot to injure a former professional colleague and to have his estranged wife kidnapped.
Using the moniker “Scar215” and password “Mufassa$$” to conceal his identity, Ilg sent more than $60,000 in Bitcoin in furtherance of his nefarious schemes.With respect to the first victim, Ilg directed the purported hitmen to assault a Spokane-area doctor, specifying that the victim “should be given a significant beating that is obvious. It should injure both hands significantly or break the hands.” As part of this scheme, Ilg paid more than
$2,000 in Bitcoin, sent the purported hitmen the victim’s address, and provided the hitmen with a link to the victim’s picture. In followup messages, Ilg directed “I would like to see evidence that it happened. If this goes well, I have another, more complicated job” for “[a]n entirely different target with entirely different objectives.”Ilg also solicited purported hitmen to kidnap a second victim: his estranged wife. Specifically, Ilg directed that she be kidnapped and injected with heroin – all so she would drop divorce proceedings that were pending at the time and return to a failed relationship with Ilg. Even though Ilg was subject to a no-contact order, he devised a bonus structure if the victim was in fact kidnapped and certain goals were achieved. Ilg again promised the hitmen that he had
“other jobs worth quite a bit to accomplish in the near future. So, if all goes well, then we can work together on a few other things also.” In all, Ilg paid more than $60,000 in Bitcoin so the hitmen would kidnap this victim.After the FBI obtained copies of Ilg’s dark web messages, he also obstructed justice. First, during a voluntary interview with the FBI, Ilg falsely claimed he paid the hitmen to kill him, rather than his victims. Second, Ilg sent a letter to a key witness against him, begging the witness to marry him so he could control whether she testified. He even offered to pay tuition for the witness’s children to attend St. Aloysius Catholic School and Gonzaga Preparatory School.
Ilg also directed the witness to destroy evidence by burning Ilg’s letter. More recently, and after pleading guilty to his crimes, Ilg sought “a book or movie deal” so that Ilg could obtain “a lot of financial gain” from his crimes.“This case demonstrates how violent offenders exploit cyberspace and cryptocurrency to further their criminal agendas,” said Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington. “Mr. Ilg solicited and paid for multiple dark web hitmen to target the two victims in this case. Mr. Ilg even stated he would target additional victims if the hitmen followed through with the plan to harm these first two victims.” U.S. Attorney Waldref continued: “The amount of money Mr. Ilg paid to advance his schemes and his efforts to obstruct justice in this case indicate Mr. Ilg would stop at nothing to maintain control over his victims. Thankfully, the
FBI learned of Mr. Ilg’s scheme and prevented him from following through on his plans to harm another doctor and kidnap his estranged wife. I am grateful to the tremendous investigative agents and Assistant United States Attorneys Richard Barker and Patrick Cashman, who spent significant time and resources to ensure that our community continues to be safe and strong, and that individuals who perpetrate violent and cyber crimes are held accountable.”“Mr. Ilg’s actions read like plot of a true-crime show, but his intentions had real-life consequences,” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “Despite his efforts to remain anonymous and subsequently cover up his activities, our investigators were able to prevent innocent people from being harmed. This case demonstrates that even the anonymity of the dark web will not prevent the FBI from identifying and disrupting individuals who are intent on engaging in criminal activity. I am thankful for our partnership with the US Attorney’s Office, which brought Mr. Ilg to justice.”
“The victims in this case demonstrated incredible courage,” stated Assistant United States
Attorney Richard Barker, who led the prosecution. “Even before Mr. Ilg sent his terrifying messages through the dark web and paid more than $60,000 to multiple purported hitmen, Mr.
Ilg sought to manipulate and maintain control his victims – sending them harassing text messages, placing GPS trackers on their cars, and even subjecting them to domestic abuse.
Following his arrest, Mr. Ilg even tried to thwart the case against him by obstructing justice.
Incredibly, he even attempted to profit from his crimes by offering to sell his story to the media.”
AUSA Barker continued, “I’m grateful for the victims’ willingness to stand up to Mr. Ilg. As a result of their courage and the incredible work of the FBI, Mr. Ilg – who was a doctor and had a clean criminal history – will spend the better part of the next decade in federal prison.”This case was investigated by the Spokane Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation. Richard R. Barker and Patrick J. Cashman, Assistant United States Attorneys for the Eastern District of Washington, prosecuted this case. Brian M. Donovan, Civil Chief for the
United States Attorney’s Office, assisted with seeking restitution and the imposition of a fine against Ilg.2:21-cr-00049-WFN
Former Miami-Dade County Resident Sentenced to Prison for Running Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Former Miami-Dade County resident Judith Dianne Paris-Pinder, 49, has been sentenced to 48 months in prison for defrauding more than 500 people out of $2.4 million through a Ponzi investment fraud scheme.
A Ponzi scheme is a form of fraud where belief is created in a nonexistent venture by paying strong returns to initial investors using money paid in by later investors.
According to facts admitted during her guilty plea, Paris-Pinder was president of Pinder Associates Inc. and from November 2019 to August 2021 she obtained money from investors by lying to them. She told them she worked with or for lawyers who represented litigation plaintiffs. She told investors these plaintiffs had settled claims and were just awaiting payouts from insurance companies.
Paris-Pinder told investors she was looking for “hard money lenders” to finance payments to the attorneys’ clients. Investor funds would be used to loan plaintiffs a portion of their settlement amounts and in exchange the plaintiffs would provide their full settlement money to Paris-Pinder. Then, once the settlement checks were received from the insurance companies, Paris-Pinder supposedly would distribute to investors their initial contributions plus any returns–which could be as high as 50 percent.
According to her plea, the entire investment was a scam. Paris-Pinder did not work for or with lawyers with litigation clients and there were no settlement agreements. It is alleged that Paris-Pinder kept the Ponzi scheme going by using money from new investors to pay existing investors and that she raised approximately $4.6 million causing $2.4 million in investor losses.
In addition to prison time, Paris-Pinder will have three years of supervised release, 200 hours of community service, and must pay $2.4 million in restitution.
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe; acting Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough, FBI, Miami Field Office; and Florida Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) Commissioner Russell C. Weigel III made the announcement.
FBI, Miami Field Office, and OFR investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric E. Morales prosecuted it.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-CR-20452.
Former Homeland Security Investigations Agent Sentenced for Theft from AgencyRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Sean M. Nelson, 44, of Mesa, Arizona, was sentenced last week, by United States District Judge Susan R. Bolton to two years of federal probation and ordered to pay $133,999 in restitution to the Department of Homeland Security. Nelson pleaded guilty to Theft of Government Property in October 2022 and agreed to resign from the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) as part of his plea agreement with the government.
Between November 2019 and October 2021, Nelson, then a Special Agent with HSI, worked without permission or authorization for several private companies while on duty for HSI, and used his government owned vehicle (GOV) for such unauthorized outside work. Nelson drove the GOV, that he agreed to use only for HSI duty purposes, while working for Amazon, Uber, and Lyft during time periods he was supposed to be working for HSI. Nelson’s actions in working for these companies while on duty for HSI resulted in tens of thousands of dollars in losses to the government.
“As a result of the conviction, Mr. Nelson has forfeited much of his salary during the time period of his on-the-job criminal activity, and as a federal felon he’ll never lawfully possess or use a firearm ever again,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “His dereliction of duty was a grave disservice to his hard-working law enforcement colleagues and the taxpayers alike.”
The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of Professional Responsibility conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Sean K. Lokey, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-01307-PHX-SRB-1
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-008_Nelson# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.