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19 January 2023
Businesswoman Sentenced for Facilitating Unregistered Lobbying Campaign in Exchange for Approximately $3 MillionRead the Press Release
An American businesswoman with international ties was sentenced in the District of Hawaii yesterday to two years in prison for her role in facilitating an unregistered lobbying campaign of the Administration of the former President of the United States and the U.S. Department of Justice on behalf of foreign principals in exchange for millions of dollars.
According to court documents, Nickie Mali Lum Davis, 47, of Honolulu, Hawaii, admitted that between March 2017 and January 2018, she and her co-conspirators – Elliott Broidy, George Higginbotham, and Prakazrel “Pras” Michel – agreed to lobby the then-President of the United States, the Attorney General, and other high-level U.S. government officials to drop civil forfeiture proceedings and a criminal investigation into the embezzlement of billions of dollars from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), a strategic investment and development company wholly owned by the Government of Malaysia.
For their efforts, Lum Davis and her co-conspirators were paid millions of dollars by Low Taek Jho, aka Jho Low, an alleged architect of the 1MDB scheme. Lum Davis and others also agreed to lobby the Administration and Justice Department on behalf of Low and a minister of the People’s Republic of China (PRC Minister A), to arrange for the removal and return of a dissident of the PRC living in the United States. Lum Davis and her co-conspirators concealed from the officials whom they lobbied that they were working on behalf of Low and PRC Minister A, and were being paid millions of dollars by Low with the expectation of tens of millions more in success fees. The lobbying campaigns were ultimately unsuccessful.
Among other actions, Lum Davis and her co-conspirators tried to arrange meetings for PRC Minister A with the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and other high-level officials during PRC Minister A’s visit to the United States in May 2017; provided talking points to the Secretary of State referencing the 1MDB investigation in advance of a meeting between the Secretary of State and the Malaysian Prime Minister in August 2017; and pushed the White House Chief of Staff for a meeting and golf game between the former President and the Malaysian Prime Minister to allow the Malaysian Prime Minister to raise resolution of the 1MDB investigation. Lum Davis was paid at least $3 million for her role in the scheme, which she agreed to forfeit as part of her plea agreement. Broidy was paid at least $9 million.
Broidy previously pleaded guilty for his role in the scheme on Oct. 20, 2020, in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Broidy received a full presidential pardon on Jan. 19, 2021.
Higginbotham previously pleaded guilty for his role in the scheme on Nov. 30, 2018, in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He will be sentenced at a later date.
Michel was charged by superseding indictment for his role in the scheme on June 10, 2021. His trial is set to begin on March 27 in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Clare E. Connors for the District of Hawaii, Special Agent in Charge Steven B. Merill of the FBI Honolulu Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Keith Bonanno of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ-OIG), Cyber Investigations Office made the announcement.
The DOJ-OIG and the FBI Honolulu and Los Angeles Field Offices investigated the case.
Principal Deputy Chief John D. Keller, Director of Enforcement and Litigation for Election Crimes Sean F. Mulryne, and Trial Attorney Nicole R. Lockhart of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section (PIN), and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson for the District of Hawaii are prosecuting the case. Former PIN Trial Attorneys James C. Mann and Ryan Ellersick also provided significant assistance.
Billings man admits possessing child pornographyRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Billings man accused of sending two videos of minor children engaged in sexually explicit conduct to an undercover officer admitted to child pornography charges today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Ethan Andrew Schilling, 25, pleaded guilty to a superseding information charging him with possession of child pornography. Schilling faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Schilling was released pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that in March 2022, law enforcement was conducting an undercover investigation and began corresponding with Schilling on a social media application. During these communications, the officer was posing as the relative of a 12-year-old girl. Schilling’s intentions regarding the fictitious girl became increasing sexual in nature. Schilling offered that he had “pics” and sent the undercover officer two videos of a prepubescent minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. In May 2022, law enforcement served search warrant at Schilling’s residence. Schilling informed law enforcement that he did send the videos, acknowledged that it was illegal to send child pornography and that he obtained the videos from someone else.
Zeno B. Baucus is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI.
This case was initiated under the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative, which was launched in 2006 to combat the proliferation of technology-facilitated crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children. Through a network of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and advocacy organizations, Project Safe Childhood attempts to protect children by investigating and prosecuting offenders involved in child sexual exploitation. It is implemented through partnerships including the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The ICAC Task Force Program was created to assist state and local law enforcement agencies by enhancing their investigative response to technology facilitated crimes against children.
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Billings man admits lying to federal grand juryRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Billings man today admitted that he lied when testifying to a federal grand jury, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Caleb Jason Olson, 21, pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with false declaration before a grand jury. Olson faces a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for May 18. Olson was released pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that Olson testified before the Billings grand jury on Dec. 15, 2021. At the time, the grand jury was investigating an incident that occurred on Oct. 10, 2019. Olson was placed under oath and advised of the potential ramification should he make a false statement during his testimony. Olson testified about the night of Oct. 10, 2019 and of giving people a ride to a location in Billings. He explained that once at that location, two of the individuals in his car got out and that both had firearm. Olson was asked, “Prior to (John Doe) discharging his gun towards the vehicle, did you have any knowledge that was the plan or intention when you drove to the Heights that night?” Olson responded, “No. I didn’t even know that there were any firearms in my vehicle.” Olson further testified that he was unaware that John Doe had a gun until he pulled it out when he was outside his car and that he, Olson, did not have a gun that night. Those statements were false. Olson knew that he had, in fact, brought a firearm in his car that night.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zeno B. Baucus, Bryan T. Dake and Benjamin D. Hargrove are prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI.
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Belgrade drug trafficker sentenced to five years in prisonRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Belgrade man who admitted to trafficking methamphetamine and to illegally possessing 16 firearms that were found in a crawl space in his residence was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, Jesse Laslovich said.
Christopher Lee Wylie, 40, pleaded guilty in September 2022 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and to prohibited person in possession of firearms.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that the Missouri River Drug Task Force, while investigating drug trafficking, stopped a vehicle in September 2021 when the vehicle returned to Montana from California. Wylie was a passenger. Law enforcement located 5.24 pounds of meth in the vehicle, and Wylie admitted he traveled with the driver to California to obtain drugs to sell. Wylie admitted to selling drugs from his home in Belgrade. In addition, the government alleged that in February 2022, law enforcement served a search warrant on Wylie’s residence and located 16 firearms and ammunition in the crawl space and a small amount of heroin, meth and cocaine in his residence. Wylie admitted in a prior interview that he used meth and “blues,” which usually refers to counterfeit oxycodone that often contains fentanyl.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer S. Clark prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Missouri River Drug Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Augusta man admits to COVID-19 scheme that netted more than $4 million in loans and grantsRead the Press Release
STATESBORO, GA: A Richmond County man has admitted conducting a scheme to submit fraudulent applications for COVID-19 small business relief funding that netted more than $4 million in payments.
Kamario Thomas, 42, of Augusta, is charged by a criminal Information with Conspiracy, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The guilty plea to the felony charge subjects Thomas to a statutory penalty of up to five years in federal prison followed by up to three years of supervised release, along with substantial financial penalties and restitution to the U.S. government. There is no parole in the federal system.
“This conviction represents the continuing, vigorous pursuit of those who undeservedly accessed government funding for struggling small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “In collaboration with our law enforcement partners, we will hold responsible those who attempt to illegally profit from these programs.”
The 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act provided more than $650 billion in funding for qualifying small businesses facing financial challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, with grants and forgivable loans available through the Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) or Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL).
In his plea agreement, Thomas admits that he completed false and fraudulent EIDL applications for himself, and that he received hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks in return for completing and submitting fraudulent PPP and EIDL applications on behalf of his co-conspirators. To create those applications, Thomas fabricated IRS forms and tax records.
In total, the scheme caused the disbursement of more than $4 million in fraudulent CARES Act loans and grants.
“Using the Small Business Administration’s programs fraudulently undermines the spirit and true intent of bolstering the backbone of the nation’s economy: small businesses,” said SBA Office of Inspector General’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Braithwaite. “OIG is committed to rooting out bad actors and protecting the integrity of SBA programs. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and pursuit of justice.”
“In far too many cases, greedy opportunists took advantage of the PPP, diverting much-needed funds away from those businesses that desperately needed it,” said James E. Dorsey, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “This plea signals the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force will continue pursuing and holding accountable those who chose greed over compassion for their fellow Americans who faced economic distress during the COVID pandemic.”
“CARES Act funds were intended to help people and businesses harmed by the pandemic, not to line the pockets of overly greedy professionals,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI is continuing to work with our partners to do everything in our power to make sure stolen funds are returned to the public, and individuals who were involved in this type of criminal behavior are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“The defendant used deceit and fraud to obtain loans that he was not entitled to receive for his own financial gain,” said Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “This guilty plea is a reminder that the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, along with our law enforcement partners, remain committed to investigating individuals for these types of crimes and holding the offenders accountable.”
“An important mission of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General is to investigate fraud related to COVID-19 benefit programs. Through collaboration and leveraging of resources the federal law enforcement community has continued to make great strides in holding COVID-19 fraudsters accountable,” said Mathew Broadhurst, Special Agent-in-Charge, Southeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. “We will continue to work closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to safeguard COVID-19 benefit programs, including unemployment compensation benefit programs, for those who need them the most.”
The case is being investigated by the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, IRS Criminal Investigation, the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenifer A. Stanley.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Armed robbery of Butte motel sends man to prison for seven yearsRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Butte man who admitted to brandishing a shotgun while robbing a motel in Butte was sentenced today to seven years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Luther Norman Whaley, 60, pleaded guilty in September 2022 to brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that on Nov. 2, 2021, at the America’s Best Value Inn in Butte, Whaley brandished a shotgun at the clerk and demanded money. The clerk placed approximately $3,000 in a black duffle bag that Whaley provided. Whaley fled but was quickly arrested. Law enforcement recovered a shotgun and a black bag with cash. Whaley then told law enforcement, “Yeah, it’s me.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara J. Elliott prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Butte Police Department.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Armed Felon Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal Prison Following Domestic Violence CallRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Austin Majko, 33, of Indianapolis, was sentenced to 4 years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
According to court documents, on July 23, 2021, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) officers responded to a 911 call on the west side of Indianapolis. A man, who was later identified as Austin Majko, fired multiple shots at a vehicle recovery agent who was attempting to repossess Majko’s 2013 Ford Focus. The victim told officers that as he was leaving with the Focus, Majko ran toward him and fired multiple shots at the vehicle. Four .40 caliber casings were found at the scene.
Later that day, IMPD officers responded to a domestic violence call in the same neighborhood. When officers arrived, a witness stated that they saw Majko hit a female in the street and pull a gun from his waist band. Officers found Majko sitting next to two toolboxes in his garage. Multiple guns, including a .40 caliber handgun, were located inside the toolboxes.
Majko is prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law due to his previous felony convictions, including two convictions for robbery resulting in bodily injury.
“A gun can turn domestic abuse deadly in a matter of seconds,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Research shows that armed domestic abusers pose a profound risk to the safety of those closest to them and to the public at large. Our office, together with IMPD and ATF, will continue to prioritize the LEATH initiative to save the lives of those impacted by domestic violence.”
“It unfortunately bears repeating that we all deserve to be safest in our homes, but for too many that is not the case,” stated Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Columbus Field Division. “ATF will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute domestic abusers who possess firearms to ensure our communities are safe from these offenders.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) and IMPD investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Sarah Evans Barker. Judge Barker also ordered that Majko be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 3 years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Peter A. Blackett, who prosecuted this case.
This case was brought as part of the LEATH Initiative (Law Enforcement Action to Halt Domestic Violence), named in honor of Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) Officer Breann Leath, who was killed in the line of duty while responding to a domestic disturbance call. A partnership among the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the IMPD, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana, the LEATH Initiative focuses federal, state, and local law enforcement resources on domestic violence offenders who illegally possess firearms.
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.
Arkansas Owner of Garage Door Business Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
An Arkansas man pleaded guilty today to attempting to evade the assessment of federal income taxes.
According to court documents, Ronald Clark, of Bella Vista, owned and operated Clark Overhead Doors, a garage door service company. From 2015 to 2020, Clark evaded the assessment of federal income and employment taxes by operating his business in cash, dealing extensively in currency, and failing to file individual income tax and employment tax returns. In total, the defendant caused a tax loss to the IRS of approximately $236,791.
Clark faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Wilson Stamm and Assistant Chief Greg Tortella of the Justice Department’s Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
Arizona Woman Caught Trafficking Fentanyl and Heroin on Interstate 5 Charged in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—An Arizona woman is facing federal charges after she was caught trafficking approximately 45,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl and several additional pounds of bulk heroin on Interstate 5 near Salem, Oregon.
Nancy Garcia, 47, of Yuma County, Arizona, has been charged by criminal complaint with possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin.
According to court documents, on January 16, 2023, an Oregon State Police (OSP) trooper initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle being driven by Garcia northbound on Interstate 5 near Salem. The trooper identified Garcia as the sole occupant of the vehicle and observed that she was traveling with a statue of Santa Muerte, a saint-like figure some individuals believe offers protection in drug trafficking.
Garcia first told the trooper she was traveling to Seattle, but later said she was traveling to and planning to spend a week in Portland. The trooper lawfully searched Garcia’s vehicle and found more than 10 pounds of counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl and five and half pounds of bulk heroin in a bag on the floor behind the driver’s seat. The trooper placed Garcia under arrest and transported the drugs to a law enforcement lab for further evaluation.
On January 18, 2023, Garcia made her first appearance in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Youlee Yim You. She was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
This case is being investigated jointly by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and OSP. It is being prosecuted by Paul T. Maloney, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Amarillo Man Sentenced for Threating Prominent New York RabbisRead the Press Release
An Amarillo man was sentenced Thursday to two years in federal prison for threatening to execute three prominent Jewish rabbis, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Christopher Stephen Brown was charged via criminal complaint on Dec. 6, 2021 and indicted later that month. He plead guilty in September 2022 to making interstate threatening communications and was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk.
- U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton“Mr. Brown expressed vile anti-Semitism and threatened to commit despicable, violent acts against specific Jewish authorities. We will never stop protecting the Jewish community and other religious groups from such disturbing, hateful conduct. We hope the sentence handed down today serves as reassurance of that to the victims, their loved ones, and the greater Jewish community”
- FBI Dallas Acting Special Agent in Charge James J. Dwyer“Making threatening statements intended to instill fear and cause potential physical harm is a serious criminal action with consequences. Our hope is that today’s sentence brings some relief to the affected private citizens, law enforcement and members of the Jewish community at large. This behavior will not be tolerated, and we will continue working with our law enforcement partners to pursue individuals who espouse violent, antisemitic beliefs and pose a threat to public safety, holding them accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
According to plea papers, Mr. Brown admitted to placing threatening calls to Chabad Lubavitch, a Jewish organization that has provided spiritual guidance and assistance to Jewish people since before the Holocaust. Chabad is headquartered in New York City and maintains more than 3,500 institutions worldwide.
In those calls, the defendant sated his name was “Madrikh Obadiah” and threatened to “execute” several rabbinical leaders, identified in court documents as L.S., Y.K., and M.K. Over the course of multiple calls, he vowed he would tear their eyes and tongues out, blow their heads of, and kill every rabbi he could find.
According to court documents, he also sent messages to the organization via their website, calling for death to all Jews and linking to his YouTube channel, which also contained threatening content.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, Amarillo Resident Agency and the Randall County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation in partnership with the FBI’s New York Field Office and the New York Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Frausto prosecuted the case.
13-Count Indictment Unsealed Charging 9 Defendants in Alleged Armed Fentanyl, Meth Trafficking Ring in Middle GeorgiaRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – Nine individuals are facing federal drug and firearms charges alleging their participation in the armed distribution of large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl into Middle Georgia communities.
The federal indictment was unsealed today charging the following defendants:
- Heather Breland, 38, of Atlanta, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine;
- Raiford Reeves aka RH, 42, of Warner Robins, Georgia, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, three counts of distribution of methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon;
- Travis Warthen aka Trap, 38, of Warner Robins, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon;
- Randall Heath, 62, of Macon, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine;
- Lucretia Snellgrove, 51, of Warner Robins, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine;
- Jeremiah Kaleta, 45, of Warner Robins, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine;
- Kendall Howard, 30, of Centerville, Georgia, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances;
- Kenneth Maddox, 30, of Warner Robins, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances; and
- Luis Acosta, 34, of Centerville, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
Reeves faces a mandatory minimum of 25 years imprisonment up to a maximum of life imprisonment. The remaining defendants each face up to a maximum of life imprisonment.
Five defendants were arrested today; three defendants were in state custody. Co-defendant Maddox is at-large. Initial appearances for the defendants in custody will occur before U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles H. Weigle today and at a later date to be scheduled.
According to the indictment, which was returned by a federal grand jury on Jan. 11 and unsealed today, the defendants allegedly conspired to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and more than 40 grams of fentanyl between Oct. 2021 and June 2022. In addition, four firearms were seized during the investigation.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Warner Robins Police Department, the Houston County Sheriff’s Office, the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office and the Peach County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Keyes 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.
18 January 2023
Владелец Бруклинской Компании, Оказывающей Услуги Кредитного Консультирования, Обвинен В Мошенничестве В Отношении КлиентовRead the Press Release
Сегодня в федеральном суде Бруклина было обнародовано обвинительное заключение по восьми пунктам, в котором Марату Лернеру [Marat Lerner], президенту компании Lerner Group, было предъявлено обвинение в заговоре с целью совершения мошенничества с использованием электронных средств, мошенничества с использованием электронных средств и отмывания денег в связи со схемой кражи у клиентов его компании по изменению ипотечных кредитов.
Бреон Пис [Breon Peace], прокурор США по Восточному округу Нью-Йорка, и Майкл Дж. Дрисколл [Michael J. Driscoll], помощник директора Федерального бюро расследований (ФБР) в Региональном управлении Нью-Йорка, объявили об аресте и предъявлении обвинений.
«Обвиняемый охотился на иммигрантов в русской общине Бруклина, обремененных ипотечным долгом, похищая их американскую мечту с помощью схемы, построенной на ложных обещаниях помочь им сохранить свои дома, но на самом деле, пользовался их доверием для личного обогащения, — заявил прокурор США Пис. — Прокуратура уделяет первоочередное внимание защите уязвимых жителей нашего округа, и мы призываем их добровольно дать показания и довериться нам, чтобы добиться справедливости для них».
Г-н Пис выразил признательность Погранично-таможенной службе США и Департаменту полиции города Нью-Йорка за их помощь в этом вопросе.
«Обвиняемый, как мы утверждаем сегодня, финансировал свой расточительный образ жизни, осуществляя длительную аферу по использованию доверия и страхов своих жертв с целью похищения их денег, а не выполнял свое обещание изменить их ипотечные кредиты», — заявил помощник директора ФБР Дрисколл. — ФБР будет продолжать следить за тем, чтобы любой человек, желающий обмануть и ввести в заблуждение клиентов с целью похищения их с трудом заработанных денег, столкнется с последствиями в системе уголовного правосудия. Мы призываем любых дополнительных жертв схемы г-на Лернера связаться с нами по телефону 1-800-CALL-FBI или через Интернет по адресу www.iC3.gov».
В обвинительном заключении утверждается, что в период приблизительно с августа 2016 года по январь 2021 года Лернер вместе с другими лицами управлял компанией Lerner Group. Lerner Group обещала клиентам, что может помочь им изменить их ипотечные кредиты, уменьшив ежемесячные платежи и непогашенные остатки по ипотечным кредитам. Лернер использовал свой доступ к банковской информации своих клиентов для создания чеков, которые выглядели как ежемесячные выплаты по ипотеке предполагаемому агенту условного депонирования под названием Testoni & Villa, а также ипотечным банкам своих клиентов. Но на самом деле Лернер тайно контролировал Testoni & Villa, и вместо того чтобы держать деньги на условном депонировании или переводить их в ипотечные банки, Лернер депонировал чеки на счет, который сам же и контролировал и который использовал для различных личных расходов, включая предметы роскоши и дорогие блюда, а также автомобиль BMW. В общей сложности Лернер присвоил не менее 550 000 долларов своих клиентов.
Если вы были клиентом компании Lerner Group и хотели бы подать жалобу, посетите веб-сайт www.iC3.gov. В своей жалобе укажите «Lerner Group» или «Marat Lerner».
Обвинения в обвинительном заключении являются утверждениями, и ответчик считается невиновным до тех пор, пока его вина не будет доказана. В случае признания виновным Лернеру грозит до 20 лет лишения свободы.
Государственное обвинение находится в ведении Отдела по борьбе с мошенничеством в сфере бизнеса и ценных бумаг. За уголовное преследование отвечает помощник прокурора США Ник М. Аксельрод [Nick M. Axelrod].
The Ответчикs:
МАРАТ ЛЕРНЕР
Возраст: 40
Бруклин, Нью-Йорк№ дела E.D.N.Y. 23-CR-15 (NGG)
Владелец Бруклинской Компании, Оказывающей Услуги Кредитного Консультирования, Обвинен В Мошенничестве В Отношении КлиентовRead the Press Release
Сегодня в федеральном суде Бруклина было обнародовано обвинительное заключение по восьми пунктам, в котором Марату Лернеру [Marat Lerner], президенту компании Lerner Group, было предъявлено обвинение в заговоре с целью совершения мошенничества с использованием электронных средств, мошенничества с использованием электронных средств и отмывания денег в связи со схемой кражи у клиентов его компании по изменению ипотечных кредитов.
Бреон Пис [Breon Peace], прокурор США по Восточному округу Нью-Йорка, и Майкл Дж. Дрисколл [Michael J. Driscoll], помощник директора Федерального бюро расследований (ФБР) в Региональном управлении Нью-Йорка, объявили об аресте и предъявлении обвинений.
«Обвиняемый охотился на иммигрантов в русской общине Бруклина, обремененных ипотечным долгом, похищая их американскую мечту с помощью схемы, построенной на ложных обещаниях помочь им сохранить свои дома, но на самом деле, пользовался их доверием для личного обогащения, — заявил прокурор США Пис. — Прокуратура уделяет первоочередное внимание защите уязвимых жителей нашего округа, и мы призываем их добровольно дать показания и довериться нам, чтобы добиться справедливости для них».
Г-н Пис выразил признательность Погранично-таможенной службе США и Департаменту полиции города Нью-Йорка за их помощь в этом вопросе.
«Обвиняемый, как мы утверждаем сегодня, финансировал свой расточительный образ жизни, осуществляя длительную аферу по использованию доверия и страхов своих жертв с целью похищения их денег, а не выполнял свое обещание изменить их ипотечные кредиты», — заявил помощник директора ФБР Дрисколл. — ФБР будет продолжать следить за тем, чтобы любой человек, желающий обмануть и ввести в заблуждение клиентов с целью похищения их с трудом заработанных денег, столкнется с последствиями в системе уголовного правосудия. Мы призываем любых дополнительных жертв схемы г-на Лернера связаться с нами по телефону 1-800-CALL-FBI или через Интернет по адресу www.iC3.gov».
В обвинительном заключении утверждается, что в период приблизительно с августа 2016 года по январь 2021 года Лернер вместе с другими лицами управлял компанией Lerner Group. Lerner Group обещала клиентам, что может помочь им изменить их ипотечные кредиты, уменьшив ежемесячные платежи и непогашенные остатки по ипотечным кредитам. Лернер использовал свой доступ к банковской информации своих клиентов для создания чеков, которые выглядели как ежемесячные выплаты по ипотеке предполагаемому агенту условного депонирования под названием Testoni & Villa, а также ипотечным банкам своих клиентов. Но на самом деле Лернер тайно контролировал Testoni & Villa, и вместо того чтобы держать деньги на условном депонировании или переводить их в ипотечные банки, Лернер депонировал чеки на счет, который сам же и контролировал и который использовал для различных личных расходов, включая предметы роскоши и дорогие блюда, а также автомобиль BMW. В общей сложности Лернер присвоил не менее 550 000 долларов своих клиентов.
Если вы были клиентом компании Lerner Group и хотели бы подать жалобу, посетите веб-сайт www.iC3.gov. В своей жалобе укажите «Lerner Group» или «Marat Lerner».
Обвинения в обвинительном заключении являются утверждениями, и ответчик считается невиновным до тех пор, пока его вина не будет доказана. В случае признания виновным Лернеру грозит до 20 лет лишения свободы.
Государственное обвинение находится в ведении Отдела по борьбе с мошенничеством в сфере бизнеса и ценных бумаг. За уголовное преследование отвечает помощник прокурора США Ник М. Аксельрод [Nick M. Axelrod].
The Ответчикs:
МАРАТ ЛЕРНЕР
Возраст: 40
Бруклин, Нью-Йорк№ дела E.D.N.Y. 23-CR-15 (NGG)
Women Sentenced for Trafficking Cocaine through the Eastern District of TexasRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas - Two women have been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Tina Gilder, 40, of Houston, and Gina Moreno, 29, of San Benito, Texas, were indicted by a federal grand jury on Jan. 8, 2020, and charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine. On Jan. 17, 2023, U.S. District Judge Crone sentenced Gilder to 121 months in federal prison and Moreno to 87 months in federal prison.
According to information presented in court, Gilder and Moreno were both part of a Houston-based conspiracy to traffic kilograms of cocaine through East Texas to the East Coast for distribution. On August 26, 2019, Gilder was stopped and found in possession of four kilograms of cocaine concealed in a hidden compartment in a Jeep. Moreno was stopped on Sep. 21, 2019 and found in possession of 22 kilograms of cocaine. Gilder was convicted at trial on Feb. 24, 2022 and Moreno pleaded guilty on Feb. 7, 2022.
These cases were investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Port Arthur Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Anderson.
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Utah Doctor and Co-Defendants Charged for Running a COVID-19 Vaccine Scheme to Defraud the Government and CDCRead the Press Release
UPDATE
Upon motion of the United States, the indictment described in the press release below against Plastic Surgery Institute of Utah, Inc., Dr. Michael Kirk Moore Jr., Kari Dee Burgoyne, Kristin Jackson Andersen, and and Sandra Flores in this case was dismissed in July 2025.
Salt Lake City, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City, Utah returned an indictment on January 11, 2023 charging a Utah plastic surgeon, his medical corporation, and three co-defendants, including his neighbor, with conspiracy to defraud the United States by issuing fake CDC COVID-19 vaccination record cards to fraudulent vaccine card seekers.
According to court documents, Dr. Michael Kirk Moore Jr., 58, of Salt Lake County, Utah and his co-defendants, listed below including his neighbor, ran a scheme out of Plastic Surgery Institute of Utah Inc. to defraud the United States and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The defendants allegedly destroyed at least $28,028.50 worth of government-provided COVID-19 vaccines, and distributed at least 1,937 doses’ worth of fraudulently completed vaccination record cards to others in exchange for either direct cash payments or required “donations” to a specified charitable organization, without administering a COVID-19 vaccine to the card recipient. As charged in court documents, defendants also administered saline shots to minors – at the request of their parents – so children would think they were receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.
"By allegedly falsifying vaccine cards and administering saline shots to children instead of COVID-19 vaccines, not only did this provider endanger the health and well-being of a vulnerable population, but also undermined public trust and the integrity of federal health care programs,” said Curt L. Muller, Special Agent in Charge with the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General. "HHS-OIG remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable bad actors who attempt to illegally profit from the pandemic.”
“This defendant allegedly used his medical profession to administer bogus vaccines to unsuspecting people, to include children falsifying a sense of security,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Chris Miller, HSI Las Vegas. “HSI remains committed to working with our partners to bring those who seek to take advantage of the pandemic to deliberately harm and deceive others for their own profit to justice.”
Plastic Surgery Institute of Utah, Inc., Michael Kirk Moore Jr., Kari Dee Burgoyne, 52, Kristin Jackson Andersen, 59, and Sandra Flores, 31, are charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to convert, sell, convey, and dispose of government property; and conversion, sale, conveyance, and disposal of government property and aiding and abetting. The defendants are scheduled for their initial appearance January 26, 2023, at 2 P.M. in courtroom 8.4.
U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah made the announcement.
The Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS-OIG), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys, Todd C. Bouton, Jacob Strain, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sachiko Jepson, for the District of Utah are 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.
Unlicensed Dealer Who Straw Purchased, Sold Guns Despite ATF Cease-and-Desist Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
A Lancaster man who sold more than 50 guns without a license pleaded guilty yesterday to a federal firearm crime, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Armani Morris, 22, was arrested following an undercover gun buy in July 2022 and indicted in August. He pleaded guilty Tuesday to engaging in the business of selling firearms without a license before U.S. Magistrate Judge Rebecca Rutherford.
“Federal law requires firearms dealers to be licensed – and, crucially, to run background checks on their buyers. Subverting these laws allows guns to fall into the wrong hands, endangering the public,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “Despite being warned that his conduct was unlawful, this defendant brazenly continued selling to anyone who would buy. Let there be no mistake: The Justice Department will aggressively pursue anyone who flouts federal firearm laws.”
“Today was a victory for law enforcement and the citizens of North Texas. Mr. Morris knew the law. Mr. Morris knew the procedures to become a licensed firearms dealer. Mr. Morris chose to ignore them all and continue to deal firearms illegally. I hope this serves as an example for all those who choose to sell firearms around the laws. ATF and its partners will investigate you and you will be prosecuted,” stated ATF Dallas Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C. Boshek II.
According to plea papers, Mr. Morris admits that between 2021 and 2022, he sold at least 52 firearms despite the fact that he did not have a license to engage in the business of dealing in firearms.
(Federal law requires that people engaged in the business of dealing in firearms – defined as repeatedly devoting time and attention to purchasing and reselling guns for monetary gain – obtain Federal Firearms Licenses, or FFLs, and run background checks on potential buyers.)
On Dec. 16, 2021, ATF agents served Mr. Morris with an administrative cease-and-desist letter that explained firearms licensing laws so that Morris would know that his conduct was illegal. However, Morris continued to purchase and sell firearms.
On April 7, 2022, ATF Special Agents met with Morris at his residence, where he acknowledged that he read the cease-and-desist letter but asserted he did not want to sign it. When agents confronted Morris with evidence of 54 firearm purchases, Morris could fully account for only two of the guns. Morris also admitted to agents that he had spent all his income on firearms while he sought to sell them for a profit. However, Morris admitted that dealing in firearms was turning out to be a bad investment.
Despite continued warnings from law enforcement, Morris continued to deal firearms without a license. ATF then proceeded with an undercover investigation. On four separate occasions in the summer of 2022, undercover agents purchased from Morris a total of seven firearms, including two AR-type pistols, a Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol, and a Glock 9mm pistol and with a Glock switch that made the Glock fire fully automatic as a machinegun.
Mr. Morris now faces up to five years in federal prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division and the Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Walt Junker is prosecuting the case.
Three men sentenced for roles in bribery conspiracyRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – Three Texas men have been sentenced for their roles in a conspiracy to pay bribes to two city commissioners in Weslaco in exchange for their official actions in connection with city contracts worth tens of millions of dollars.
U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez sentenced former Hidalgo County Commissioner Arturo C. Cuellar Jr., 69, of Progresso Lakes, to 20 years in prison yesterday. Ricardo Quintanilla, 57, and John F. Cuellar, 60, both of Weslaco, were sentenced to 198 months and three years in prison, respectively.
“Americans deserve safe, clean water provided through fair and open contracting, not illicit back-room deals,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “As this prosecution demonstrates, the Department of Justice is committed to prosecuting public officials and their enablers who award infrastructure contracts based on corrupt connections instead of merit.”
“Our office will not turn a blind eye to public corruption, especially when it results in significant burdens to residents within our district,” said Alamdar S. Hamdani, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas. “Weslaco was warned for years to upgrade its water infrastructure in order to provide potable water. The defendants used this opportunity to participate in a multi-million dollar scheme that ultimately saddled residents with debt and bribery costs for their drinking water system. We hope the message in today’s sentencings will deter others from committing such crimes and provide some closure to the citizens of Weslaco.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Arturo Cuellar and Quintanilla agreed with others to bribe two Weslaco City Commissioners, John Cuellar and Gerardo Tafolla, in exchange for official actions favorable to engineering companies seeking large contracts with the city. From approximately March 2008 through December 2015, one of the participants in the scheme received approximately $4.1 million from two engineering companies and shared nearly $1.4 million with Arturo Cuellar. Arturo Cuellar used a company he controlled to facilitate the payment of approximately $405,000 in bribes to his cousin, John Cuellar, which were disguised as legitimate legal expenses. In exchange for these payments, John Cuellar took several official actions to benefit the companies, including helping to award contracts worth approximately $38.5 million to rehabilitate Weslaco’s water treatment facilities. Quintanilla received approximately $85,000 during the course of the scheme and used that money to pay cash bribes to Tafolla for his official actions to benefit the companies that received the water treatment plant contracts.
Arturo Cuellar and Quintanilla were convicted at trial in the Southern District of Texas in October 2022. Arturo Cuellar was convicted of 61 counts in total, including one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, four counts of honest services wire fraud, one count of federal programs bribery, one count of money laundering conspiracy, 27 counts of money laundering, and 27 counts of Travel Act violations. Quintanilla was convicted of 15 counts in total, including one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, four counts of honest services wire fraud, one count of federal programs bribery, one count of money laundering conspiracy, and eight counts money laundering. John Cuellar pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud in August 2019.
“Today’s sentencing is a testament to the FBI’s commitment to pursue public corruption alongside our law enforcement partners. Any public official who chooses to serve themselves over their constituents will be brought to justice. Rio Grande Valley residents deserve elected leaders who can be trusted," said Special Agent in Charge Oliver E. Rich Jr. of the FBI San Antonio Field Office. “The FBI would like to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Department of Justice Public Integrity Section, and the IRS for their partnership and dedication to bringing these corrupt individuals to justice.”
“IRS - Criminal Investigation (CI) remains steadfast in its commitment to quickly unravel public corruption schemes, as these frauds greatly undermine the trust placed by the public in its elected officials,” said Special Agent in Charge Ramsey E. Covington of IRS-CI’s Houston Field Office. “No matter how complex the financial fraud, or well-insulated the corrupt officials and individuals or businesses are, our special agents will rigorously work to hold all accountable to face the consequences of their crimes and personal greed. We continuously ask the public to submit allegations of public corruption fraud to IRS-CI, FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
Tafolla pleaded guilty in April 2019 and will be sentenced at a later date.
The FBI San Antonio Field Office and IRS-CI Houston Field Office investigated the case.
Senior Litigation Counsel Marco A. Palmieri and Trial Attorney William J. Gullotta of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section (PIN) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Roberto Lopez Jr. for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case. Deputy Chief of PIN Peter M. Nothstein and former PIN Trial Attorneys Erica O’Brien Waymack and Jessica C. Harvey provided valuable assistance.
Three Fugitives Arrested on Federal Drug Charges in Westmore, VermontRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont - The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Vermont resident Michelle Provencher (also known as Michelle Hall)—24, originally of Irasburg, Vermont—was arrested and held in federal custody on Friday, January 13, 2023, following the search of a rented Airbnb residence in Westmore, Vermont pursuant to a federal search warrant. Two Massachusetts residents identified as Nathaniel Jamal Jones (also known as “JJ”), 36, and Jermaine Douchette, Jr. (also known as “Bear”), 42—both previously of Springfield, Massachusetts—were also arrested at the rental property. All three individuals were fugitives who had active federal warrants for their arrests based upon an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in the District of Vermont on December 22, 2022, charging them with conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl between August 2022 and October 26, 2022. Jones and Douchette face additional counts for specific distributions of controlled substances. Jones and Douchette had previously been charged in a criminal complaint relating to those charges on October 24, 2022.
The indictment alleges that the defendants were participants in a conspiracy that involved at least seven individuals who agreed with one another to distribute controlled substances in the District of Vermont. According to an affidavit filed with the earlier criminal complaint, defendants Jones and Douchette distributed controlled substances from the Barton residence of codefendant Erika Desormeaux. Investigators arranged the purchase of cocaine and fentanyl from the defendants on multiple occasions between August and October 2022, and most of those transactions occurred at the Barton residence. The complaint affidavit alleges that the conspirators acquired and possessed firearms during the investigation and attempted to acquire firearms through straw purchases.
Defendants Jones, Douchette, and Provencher made initial appearances before the Court yesterday and were arraigned on the indictment. United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle ordered defendants Jones and Douchette to be detained in federal custody pending further proceedings. Defendant Provencher will have a detention hearing on January 20, 2023.
The charges in the indictment against Jones, Douchette, and Provencher are accusations only, and they are each presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in further proceedings. If convicted of the lead conspiracy count, each defendant would face a maximum possible penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000. The actual sentences, however, would be determined by the Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the governing sentencing statutes.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Northern Vermont Drug Task Force (NVDTF) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) in this case. In particular, he noted the collaboration of NVDTF and ATF with the Vermont State Police, the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations, the Newport Police Department (NPD), and Homeland Security Investigations in the execution of the search for these charged fugitives.
“This case involves the distribution of deadly substances in a portion of the state that has seen a concerning rise in drug-related violence,” said U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest. “When Vermont residents who misuse controlled substances support or host the distributors of those dangerous substances in their homes, the hosts contribute to the opioid crisis and the rising violence. We will continue to investigate and charge not only the individuals who traffic narcotics, but also the individuals who host drug dealers in their homes and straw purchase firearms for them.”
“VSP is committed to deploying resources to combat and interrupt the dangerous drug trafficking organizations that have set up for business in Vermont,” said Major Dan Trudeau of the Vermont State Police. “We will continue to work diligently with our Federal and Local partners to hold accountable those who are trafficking narcotics into the State and committing violence related to drug trafficking.”
James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Boston Field Division, said, “With the arrest of Nathaniel Jones, Jermaine Douchette, and Michelle Provencher, Vermonters—especially those in the Northeast Kingdom—can rest assured knowing that serious offenders are being held accountable. Through tireless and cooperative efforts with federal, state, and local agencies, these fugitives were arrested as quickly as possible to protect our community, and they were finally brought before the Court to address the charges.”
Orleans County Sheriff Jennifer Harlow noted the positive impact of the apprehensions for the Northeast Kingdom. “The community can rest a little easier knowing they have been apprehended. I want to thank the Northern Vermont Drug Task Force for the diligent and endless work they put into these cases, which often take months to investigate. I also thank our federal partners who will continue to work hard every day to hold those who do harm in Orleans County accountable.”
The United States is represented in this matter by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Lasher. Attorney Robert Kaplan, Esq. will be representing Jones. Attorney Gregory Mertz, Esq. will be representing Douchette. Attorney Robert Sussman, Esq. will be representing Provencher in this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn
Taos man pleads guilty to kidnapping and assault in domestic violence caseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced that Richard Mascarenas pleaded guilty on Jan. 13 to one count each of kidnapping, assault resulting in serious bodily injury, and assault of an intimate partner by strangling and suffocating. Mascarenas, 37, of Taos Pueblo, and an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Taos, will remain in custody pending sentencing, which is scheduled for April 19, 2023.
According to the plea agreement and other court records, from April 17, 2022, to May 4, 2022, Mascarenas assaulted Jane Doe and held her against her will at a residence in Taos Pueblo. In his plea, Mascarenas admitted that he would not allow Jane Doe to leave, contact her family or report the assaults because he did not want anyone to know how severely he had hurt her.
Mascarenas admitted that he pushed, pulled, threw, grabbed, and punched Jane Doe, causing serious bodily injury. Mascarenas also assaulted Jane Doe by strangling and suffocation. Medical imaging and records show that Jane Doe suffered blood clots and a stroke, as well as tears to her carotid artery.
The kidnapping and assaults took place on the Taos Pueblo in Indian Country.
By the terms of the plea agreement, Mascarenas faces nine years in prison.
The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office and the Taos Pueblo Department of Public Safety investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Novaline D. Wilson is prosecuting the case.
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Tampa Man Sentenced to over Six Years in Federal Prison for Possessing A Firearm as A FelonRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Mary Scriven has sentenced Damien Boatwright (23, Tampa) to six years and five months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Boatwright was also ordered to forfeit the Glock 26 handgun, large-capacity magazine, and ammunition used in the offense.
According to court documents, on February 23, 2022, Boatwright, a convicted felon, possessed a Glock 26 handgun with a large capacity magazine that held 24 rounds of ammunition during a recorded Instagram live video. As picture below, Boatwright was brandishing the firearm online while traveling in a vehicle in Hillsborough County.
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 Hillsborough Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Beckman.
Tampa Area Man and Woman Plead Guilty to Series of Convenience Store RobberiesRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Christopher Alvarez (19, Tampa) and Dyonnie Alvarez (22, Tampa) have pleaded guilty to four robberies, conspiracy to commit those robberies, and two counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Each faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each robbery count and the conspiracy count. For each of the firearm counts, the minimum mandatory penalty is 7 years, up to life, in federal prison to be served consecutive to any other sentence. Dyonnie Alvarez also pleaded guilty to an additional attempted robbery for which she faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment. Sentencing dates have not yet been set. A co-defendant, Enrique Marquez, previously pleaded guilty and his sentencing hearing is set for March 2023.
According to court documents, on May 1, 2022, Dyonnie Alvarez and Marquez attempted to rob an individual in an attempt to obtain narcotics. On May 5, 2022, Christopher Alvarez, Dyonnie Alvarez, and Marquez robbed two convenience stores in the Tampa area. During the robberies, Marquez brandished a firearm. The next morning, the three individuals robbed two more Tampa area convenience stores in the same manner.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Nebesky.
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.
Tabor Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Embezzling from Two Catholic ParishesRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Tabor, South Dakota, man convicted of Wire Fraud. The sentencing took place on January 17, 2023, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Steven Joseph Bares, age 53, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $287,457.37 in restitution and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
According to court documents, Bares willfully and unlawfully devised a scheme to defraud and obtain money and property from two parishes by false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises. Saint Wenceslaus Parish in Tabor, South Dakota, and Saint John the Baptist Parish in Lesterville, South Dakota, are two small Catholic parishes located in rural South Dakota towns. The churches shared a single priest. The only administrative staff at the churches was Bares, who primarily worked as the bookkeeper. In that capacity, Bares wrote checks to pay bills and entered checks in the general ledgers.
In May of 2021, the Sioux Falls Catholic Diocese, on behalf of the above-named parishes, hired an accounting firm to conduct a forensic audit. The audit uncovered multiple checks made out to companies belonging to Bares that did not correspond to any service or equipment purchased from those companies. Furthermore, these checks were neither entered in the general ledger nor entered as a legitimate expense.
Between January of 2013 and March of 2020, Bares embezzled money from the two parishes, totaling $324,001.37. The investigation confirmed that the checks identified in the audit report were deposited into accounts held by Bares.
This case was investigated by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri prosecuted the case.
Bares was ordered to self-surrender to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service on February 13, 2023.
Sturgis Man Convicted of Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury convicted Todd Deutsch, age 54, of Sturgis, South Dakota, of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance following a four-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on January 13, 2023.
The charges carry a mandatory minimum of at least 10 years up to a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and/or a $10,000,000 fine, at least five years up to life supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Deutsch was indicted by a federal grand jury in January of 2020. The evidence at trial showed that for at least two and a half years, Deutsch conspired with multiple other persons in western South Dakota, to obtain large volumes of methamphetamine from places like California, Nevada, and Colorado, and then worked with his co-conspirators to distribute the methamphetamine within the District of South Dakota, primarily in the Black Hills area.
This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET) and the Drug Enforcement Agency. UNET is comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the South Dakota National Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gina S. Nelson and Kathryn N. Rich prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date has not been set. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Statement from United States Attorney Kevin G. RitzRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Kevin G. Ritz, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, issued the following statement today:
“Last week, Tyre Nichols tragically died, a few days after he was involved in an incident where Memphis Police Department officers used force during his arrest. State authorities have publicly announced that the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating. In addition, the United States Attorney’s Office, in coordination with the FBI Memphis Field Office and the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, has opened a civil rights investigation. As this is an open investigation, we are not able to provide additional comment or release further information at this time.”
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For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at 901-544-4231 or [email protected]. Follow@WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.
St. Francis Man Indicted for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal grand jury has indicted a St. Francis, South Dakota, man for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
Tanner Kills Enemy, age 24, was indicted in January of 2023. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Moreno on January 13, 2023, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that between October 19, 2022, and January 11, 2023, Kills Enemy, a person required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and a sex offender by reason of a conviction under Indian tribal law, failed to properly register and update his registration.
The charge is merely an accusation and Kills Enemy is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson is prosecuting the case.
Kills Enemy was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Spokane Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Church ArsonRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington –United States District Judge Rosanna Malouf Peterson sentenced Rio A. Mirabal, 25, of Spokane, Washington, to 5 years in federal prison for arson of a building used in interstate commerce. Judge Peterson also ordered Mirabal to pay restitution in an amount $4,981,859.07 for damages caused from a fire he started at the St. Charles Parrish and School, located at 4515 N. Alberta Street in Spokane. Mirabal will also serve three years of supervised release following his release from prison. Mirabal pleaded guilty to the offense on September 7, 2022. He has been in federal custody since his arrest on March 26, 2021. Mirabal’s 5-year sentence was the mandatory minimum permitted by statute for the offense.
According to information presented at Mirabal’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, the fire was first observed at 1:30 am when a patrol officer with the Spokane Police Department stopped in the church parking lot. The officer noticed an orange light coming from a panel of windows. The officer investigated and saw a fire through the windows. Shortly after reporting the fire, the office heard a “boom” sound inside of the church and noticed the fire was spreading to the church roof. A second officer arrived and alerted a priest, who had been asleep in a parish residence attached to the church. The Spokane Fire Department responded and extinguished the fire, which damaged to areas associated with the church and parish school, including the parish residence. Security video later revealed that Mirabal broke into the church and entered numerous rooms with a lit candle. Smoke began coming out of the doors minutes after Mirabal exited each room. Mirabal also removed several bottles of communion wine on which he left fingerprints that identified him as the intruder. At the sentencing hearing, Judge Peterson noted that Mirabal had a history of both mental illness and drug abuse. There was no evidence indicating that Mirabal was motivated by any personal animosity toward the church.
Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, praised the investigative team for identifying Mirabal as the intruder who started the fire and noted the resources available through the Federal Bureau of Prisons to assist persons with both mental illness and drug addiction. U.S. Attorney Waldref noted, “but for the timely intervention of a single patrol officer in noticing that something was not right, the fire would have gone undetected for much longer and could have resulted in a loss of life. Patrol officers continue to deserve our respect and support as they carry out their important role in protecting our community.”
This case was investigated by Spokane Resident Office of the ATF, with significant assistance from the Spokane Police Department and Spokane Fire Department. The case was prosecuted by Timothy J. Ohms and Russel E. Smoot, Assistant United States Attorneys for the Eastern District of Washington.
2:21-CR-0093-RMP
South Bend Man Sentenced to 169 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Dustin Hartline, 29 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr. after pleading guilty to carjacking and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Hartline was sentenced to 169 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to court filed documents, in February 2022, Hartline ordered a ride through a rideshare company. After the rideshare driver picked him up and drove him to his destination, Hartline pressed a loaded pistol into the driver’s body. Hartline threatened the driver and as the driver was pleading for his/her vehicle, Hartline fired a round from the pistol into the ground. Hartline then drove away in the car. Using information from the driver’s cell phone left in the stolen car, law enforcement officers were able to track Hartline to a residence in Niles, Michigan, where he was arrested. The stolen car and the firearm Hartline used – which likewise had been stolen-- were recovered when Hartline was arrested. A factor in the imposed sentence was Hartline’s recent criminal history of multiple felony convictions for grand theft of a motor vehicle, resisting law enforcement, and fleeing a police officer.
“Carjacking of rideshare drivers is a violent crime that is increasing as the public’s use of those services becomes commonplace. Frequently, as here, perpetrators use firearms as part of the carjacking. Fortunately, the driver that Mr. Hartline victimized was not physically hurt, but whenever a gun is discharged during a crime, all the ingredients for deadly consequences are present,” said United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. “My Office and our law enforcement partners will cooperatively utilize all combined resources to bring such lawless, violent and dangerous criminals to justice.”
“Today’s sentencing demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to investigating cases of violent crime to protect innocent victims and sends the message these crimes will not be tolerated,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton. “The teamwork between the FBI and our law enforcement partners ensured there is one less predator on the street and helped make our communities safer.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the South Bend Police Department and the Niles Michigan Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Molly E. Donnelly.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Shooting Near Federal Courthouse in Elizabeth City Gets Man 8.5 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – An Elizabeth City man was sentenced today to 103 months in prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition. On October 18, 2022, Amos Dekendric Parker, also known as “Bay Bay,’ pled guilty to the charges.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Parker, 36, and another man, Tavori Ditron Lindsey, were involved in an early morning shooting on September 5, 2021, at the intersection of East Colonial Avenue and McMorrine Street in Elizabeth City, which is about a block away from the federal courthouse in Elizabeth City. Street cameras captured the shooting and showed Parker and Lindsey engage in a verbal altercation with a man outside the Cue, a nearby establishment. Parker can be seen on video surveillance firing a handgun at another man as he fled the area on foot. Lindsey can also be seen shooting an AR-15 style rifle at the same man. The Elizabeth City Police Department (ECPD) quickly responded and noticed damage to a nearby building consistent with gun shots. Officers recovered several .223 caliber and .45 caliber shell casings in the street where the shooting occurred. The pair were arrested by ECPD and charged with state offenses and they were later indicted in federal court.
Parker is a convicted felon, having prior convictions for common law robbery, accessory after the fact of robbery with a dangerous weapon, and possession with intent to sell or deliver cocaine and marijuana, as well as several misdemeanor convictions.
Lindsey also pled guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition. Lindsey is scheduled to be sentenced during the Court’s February 2023 term of court.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Elizabeth City Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Dodson prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-CR-33-BO.
Seven Charged in Multi-State Heroin and Meth Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A federal grand jury in Abingdon, Virginia has indicted seven individuals as part of a large-scale heroin and methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy that brought the drugs from Michigan into Southwest Virginia and Eastern Tennessee for redistribution.
The four-count indictment, returned under seal last week and unsealed today following multiple arrests, charges Robert Earl Warr, 32, of Detroit, Michigan, David Edward Farmer, 56, of Strawberry Plains, Tennessee, John Joel Foster, 50, of Lee County, Virginia, Robert Lee Jenkins, 25, of Detroit, Michigan, Ray Anthony McSwain, 28, of Detroit, Michigan, Garrett Lee Teffeteller, 42, of Townsend, Tennessee, and Darin Ken Thomas, 38, of Kodak, Tennessee, as follows:
Warr, Jenkins, Farmer, Foster, and Teffeteller are charged with conspiring to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.
Warr, Jenkins, McSwain, Farmer, and Thomas are charged with one count of conspiring to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin.
Farmer and Thomas are each charged with one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, the co-conspirators operated in Southwest Virginia and Eastern Tennessee from approximately September 2021 through September of 2022. During that time, Warr, Jenkins, and McSwain traveled from Michigan to Tennessee to secure large quantities of heroin and crystal methamphetamine for local suppliers to sell throughout Southwest Virginia and Eastern Tennessee.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and ATF Washington Field Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon announced the arrests.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Wise County Sheriff’s Office, the Southwest Virginia Drug Task Force, the Knoxville, Tennessee Police Department, the Knox County, Tennessee Sheriff’s Office, the Sevier County, Tennessee Sheriff’s Office, and the Lee County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena L. Busscher is prosecuting the case for the United States.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Serial Bank Robber Sentenced to 11 ½ Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A Florida man tied to at least five bank robberies in North Texas was sentenced today to more than 11 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Thomas Joseph Banno, 54, pleaded guilty in August 2022 to bank robbery. He was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr to 140 months’ imprisonment.
According to plea papers, Mr. Banno admitted he was involved in at least five bank robberies and attempted bank robberies in the DFW metroplex between June and August 2021 – while he was on probation for a bank robbery in Florida.
Each time, Mr. Banno donned a mask, entered the bank, and demanded “all the $50s and $100s” from the teller. On at least one occasion, he gestured as if he had a gun concealed under his shirt; on another, he told the teller he had a gun; and on two others, he brandished what appeared to be a silver pistol.
After each robbery, Mr. Banno fled the scene in a Dodge Caravan driven by his codefendant, Sade Miranda Salters, 36, who later pleaded guilty to bank robbery; aiding and abetting.
Both Mr. Banno and Ms. Salters admitted in plea papers that they knowingly traveled from Florida to Texas with the intent to commit the robberies.
Shortly after two of the robberies, Ms. Salters posted a Facebook Live video of herself flashing a stack of banded cash. The video later pans to Mr. Banno asleep in the backseat of the van.
Ms. Salters is currently awaiting sentencing.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Dallas Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Briggs is prosecuting the case.
Screening of the Film “Sextortion: the Hidden Pandemic” Rescheduled in Cheyenne Due to Inclement WeatherRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office announced that tonight’s screening in Cheyenne of the documentary, “SEXTORTION: The Hidden Pandemic,” has been cancelled due inclement weather. Laramie County Community College is closing early due to the winter storm. The new date and time is set for 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 24, in the auditorium at Laramie County Community College. The Laramie showing is still scheduled to take place at 6:00 p.m. tomorrow night at Laramie High School.
The United States Attorney’s Office is partnering with the Governor’s Human Trafficking Task Force, Uprising, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Wyoming Division of Victim Services to screen the film in communities across Wyoming in the coming months.
Each event will include a screening of the film, followed by a panel discussion on current trends in Wyoming and tips on how to keep children safer. The following is a list of tentative dates and locations.
January 19: 6:00 p.m. at Laramie High School – Laramie
January 24: 6:00 p.m. at Laramie County Community College – Cheyenne
February 1: 6:00 p.m. at Cody Auditorium – Cody
February 2: Sheridan
March 21: Fort Washakie/Riverton
March 22: Lander
April 4: Casper
April 5: Gillette
May 22: Rock Springs
May 23: Evanston
If you are interested in hosting the film in your community, please contact the United States Attorney’s Office’s Victim/Witness Coordinator Yulonda Candelario at 307-772-2124.
Round Hill Man Convicted of Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal judge convicted a Round Hill man yesterday on charges of receipt of child pornography and attempted destruction of evidence.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, from at least November 2019 through January 2022, Max Christian Frear, 35, used a peer-to-peer file-sharing program to receive child pornography. When the FBI executed a search of the defendant’s home, law enforcement found a damaged computer storage device in Frear’s toilet. The evidence showed that Frear tried to destroy the storage device by dunking it in liquid for his 3D printer, breaking it in half, and attempting to flush it down the toilet. The FBI was able to recover and examine the storage device, which contained 84 videos and more than 5,600 images depicting child sexual abuse. Many of those files depicted the sexual abuse of prepubescent minor victims, including infants and toddlers.
Frear faces a mandatory‑minimum penalty of 5 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on May 26. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton rendered the verdict.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Halper and Trial Attorney Rachel Rothberg of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) are prosecuting the case.
Tis case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-183.
Rochester Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Jennelle Brown, 38, of Rochester, pleaded guilty in federal court today to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Brown and her co-defendant sold drugs multiple times from their hotel room in Portsmouth. Law enforcement then searched their room and uncovered large quantities of money, drugs, and drug ledgers. A search of two vehicles the defendants used in their drug operations uncovered more currency and drugs. Officers also searched storage units and safety deposit boxes the defendants controlled and discovered additional money and drugs. In total, law enforcement seized over $130,000, 1.3 kilograms of fentanyl, almost 650 grams of methamphetamine, and smaller amounts of cocaine.
Brown is scheduled to be sentenced on April 27, 2023.
Brown’s co-defendant has pleaded not guilty. The charges in the indictment are only allegations. The co-defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration and Strafford County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander S. Chen and Jarad Hodes.
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Rochester Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Joseph Perez, 23, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa to possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who is handling the case, stated that in November 2020, Twitter reported that one of its users uploaded four images of child pornography to the Twitter site. Subsequent investigation traced the images to a Twitter account belonging to Perez. On November 5, 2021, investigators seized Perez’s electronic devices, including a cellular phone, which contained approximately 125 videos of child pornography. Some of the videos included children under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
At the time of his federal arrest, there was an active arrest warrant for Perez out of Potter County, Texas. As a part of his federal plea, Perez admits that he sexually abused a minor victim in the State of Texas on more than two occasions.
The plea is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Eugene Staniszewski. Additional assistance was provided by the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 15, 2023, before Judge Siragusa.
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Rochester Man Charged with Being A Felon in Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Raymond G. Girard, 34, of Rochester, NY, was charged by criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of ammunition, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Marangola, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office and the New York State Police have had ongoing investigations into Girard stemming from a death threat he allegedly made against a Monroe County Politician in early January 2023 and for possession of stolen property and identity theft. This resulted in Girard being charged with Making a Terroristic Threat.
On the afternoon of January 14, 2023, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office took Girard into custody as he exited his Hudson Avenue residence in Rochester. New York State Police Investigators then executed a search warrant on the residence, during which they seized multiple rounds of live and spent ammunition. In June 2016, Girard was convicted in Monroe County Court of Attempted Criminal Possession of a Weapon 2nd and is legally prohibited from possessing ammunition.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Brian Ratajczak, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. DeVito, New York Field Division.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Robeson County Violent Drug Dealer Sentenced to 27 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – Jamie Christopher Henderson, 47, of Robeson County, was sentenced to 27 years in prison today. The sentence followed a trial last year where a jury found him guilty of all charges for drug trafficking and illegal possession and use of guns to further his drug trafficking.
“Henderson is a former federal felon who went back to a life of crime. He shot two people at a local racetrack and was found to be trafficking narcotics with stolen handguns and an AR-15,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “His 35-year sentence should stand as a warning. Gun violence and drug trafficking will put you in the fast lane to federal prison.”
“The Robeson County Sheriff’s Office appreciates the hard work and efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in prosecuting this particular case,“ said Robeson County Sheriff Burnis Wilkins. “This is yet another opportunity to rid our county of a dangerous drug trafficker and felon with a gun that continues to wreak havoc throughout the county. The Robeson County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to ridding our county of crime and this is an example of that commitment as we continue our partnerships with federal law enforcement.”
The investigation was initiated after reports of a shooting at the Thunder Valley Racetrack in Robeson County. Henderson shot two people at the racetrack, ran away, and obtained a ride from a local citizen. When the citizen refused to take Henderson any further down a dirt road, Henderson pulled out a handgun, shot the driver’s radio, and continued to run.
Robeson County Sheriff’s Office detectives continued to investigate and identified where Henderson was living and obtained a search warrant. As detectives approached, they saw Henderson toss a handgun under a car in the front yard. When recovered, the handgun was found to be loaded. Baggies of cocaine and crack were found next to the handgun. Inside of the house, detectives seized two more loaded handguns that were stolen, a loaded AR-15 style rifle, and more cocaine and crack along with baggies and digital scales for selling drugs.
Further investigation revealed a series of videos of Henderson at the house in the days leading up to the search warrant. In these videos, Henderson could be seen selling drugs at all times of the day and night. And in most videos, Henderson was armed with at least one handgun or a rifle. In some instances, Henderson could be seen with multiple firearms while pointing the rifle at approaching cars.
At sentencing, Henderson’s violent history with guns was highlighted. In 2005, he pled guilty in federal court to felon in possession of a firearm after he led detectives on a car chase while pointing a loaded rifle at them.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Robeson County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tyler Lemons and Katherine Englander prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:20-CR-00088-FL.
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Plum Felon Charged with Possessing Drugs, Guns and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Plum Borough, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal narcotics and firearm laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
The two-count Indictment named Taiwan Donje Rodgers, 25, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on or about May 18, 2020, Rodgers unlawfully possessed with intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin and a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl. Additionally,Rodgers possessed firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon. Under federal law, a convicted felon is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
The law provides for a term of imprisonment of not more than 20 years, a fine of $1,000,000 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 Carl J. Spindler is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Duquesne Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives 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.
Plaquemines Parish Man Sentenced on Federal Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – LONNIE WILLIAMS, age 39, a resident of Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, was sentenced on January 17, 2023 to 30 months imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory $200 special assessment fee by U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack”), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, DEA agents started investigating WILLIAMS in June 2020 as a narcotics distributor in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. On August 24, 2020, agents observed WILLIAMS engage in a drug deal with a co-conspirator. Following the deal, officers made a traffic stop where they discovered that WILLIAMS was in possession of distributable amounts of crack cocaine.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers.
Owner of Brooklyn-Based Credit Counseling Business Indicted for Defrauding ClientsRead the Press Release
An eight-count indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging Marat Lerner, president of the Lerner Group, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering in connection with a scheme to steal from clients of his mortgage loan modification business.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the arrest and charges.
“The defendant preyed on immigrants burdened by mortgage debt in the Russian community in Brooklyn, stealing their American dream through a scheme built on false promises to help them keep their homes, but in truth, he took advantage of their trust to enrich himself,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “This Office has prioritized protecting vulnerable members of our district and we encourage them to come forward and put their trust in us to seek justice for them.”
Mr. Peace expressed his appreciation to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the New York City Police Department for their assistance in this matter.
“The defendant, as we allege today, funded his own lavish lifestyle by operating a lengthy scam exploiting his victims' trust and fears in order to steal their money rather than fulfill his promise to modify their mortgages,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll. “The FBI will continue to make sure any individual willing to cheat and deceive clients out of their hard-earned money will face the consequences in the criminal justice system. We urge any additional victims of Mr. Lerner’s scheme to contact us at 1-800-CALL-FBI or online at www.iC3.gov.”
The indictment alleges that, in or about and between August 2016 and January 2021, Lerner, together with others, operated the Lerner Group. The Lerner Group promised clients it could help them modify their mortgages by reducing their monthly mortgage payments and their outstanding mortgage balances. Lerner used his access to his clients’ banking information to create checks that appeared to be monthly mortgage payments to a purported escrow agent called Testoni & Villa and to his clients’ mortgage banks. But in truth, Lerner secretly controlled Testoni & Villa, and instead of holding the money in escrow, or transferring it to the mortgage banks, Lerner deposited the checks in an account that he controlled, and which he used for a variety of personal expenses, including luxury goods and expensive meals and a BMW automobile. In total, Lerner misappropriated at least $550,000 from his clients.
If you were a Lerner Group client and would like to file a complaint, please visit www.iC3.gov. Please reference “Lerner Group” or “Marat Lerner” in your complaint.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Lerner faces up to 20 years in prison.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorney Nick M. Axelrod is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendants:
MARAT LERNER
Age: 40
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-15 (NGG)
Nigerian National Sentenced to Prison for Bank Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A Nigerian national was sentenced today to more than three years – or 37 months – in prison by U.S. District Judge James S. Gwin after he was convicted by a jury of formulating a conspiracy to obtain stolen financial information, making fraudulent and unauthorized purchases of retail goods and gift cards, and stealing funds from victim bank accounts in Northern Ohio and elsewhere.
Blessing Adeleke, 31, of Nigeria, was convicted in October 2022 of one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and 16 counts of bank fraud.
According to court documents, between January 2014 through October 2016, Adeleke served as an administrator for an online marketplace, Shad0w.info, where compromised data, such as credit numbers and personally identifiable information (PII), were sold.
As part of the conspiracy, Adeleke and others obtained stolen credit card information and purchased items, such as retail goods and gift cards for themselves. Adeleke shared this stolen credit card information with others, including co-defendant Kylie Ann Harlow.
Court documents state that Adeleke and Harlow shipped retail goods purchased with the stolen financial information to Harlow and others and, in some instances, returned the goods and gift cards to retail stores to obtain cash. Adeleke and Harlow eventually forwarded the fraudulently obtained goods, gift cards, and money to other members of the conspiracy for their personal enrichment.
Adeleke gained access to at least one bank account belonging to a victim in Pepper Pike, Ohio, from which he sent 16 fraudulent checks.
Kylie Ann Harlow previously pleaded guilty to her role in the scheme and was sentenced in June 2021.
This case was investigated by the Cleveland FBI and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian S. Deckert and Daniel J. Riedl.
The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided significant support and assistance in securing the defendant’s arrest and extradition from Ghana. The U.S. Department of Justice thanks its Ghanian partners, specifically the Ministry of Interior and the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice, for supporting this extradition. The FBI Legal Attaché in Accra and the U.S. Marshals Service also provided significant support and assistance to Adeleke’s extradition.
New Milford Woman Pleads Guilty to Tax OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, today announced that MELISSA PEZZOLO, 66, of New Milford, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to federal tax offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, for nearly 20 years, Pezzolo was employed as the office manager and bookkeeper for a nursery and landscaping services company in Bethel. Pezzolo was responsible for managing the company’s books and invoices, paying the company’s bills, and handling the company’s payroll and employment tax obligations. She also was responsible for coordinating with the company’s tax return preparer who prepared the yearly filed corporate tax returns.
Beginning in or before 2014 and continuing through 2018, Pezzolo willfully failed to file any employment tax returns (Forms 941) and failed to make any related payments of withholding taxes on behalf of the company. Nevertheless, she continued to distribute paychecks to employees that withheld employees’ income and FICA taxes. She accounted for the withholdings on the employees’ annual W-2 forms, which she continued to issue, though she did not provide the W-2 forms or pay the related withholding taxes to the IRS or the Social Security Administration. She also failed to pay the company’s own share of FICA taxes.
With respect to her own withholdings, Pezzolo neither withheld nor paid her withholding taxes to the IRS, nor issued herself any W-2 forms between approximately 2010 and 2018. She also failed to pay her own required income taxes.
In pleading guilty, Pezzolo further admitted that she stole thousands of dollars from her employer by giving herself raises that were not authorized and by paying personal expenses using the company’s corporate bank account and company credit card.
Pezzolo has agreed to make restitution of $1,329,314, which reflects $1,170,992 in unpaid company payroll taxes and $158,322 in unpaid personal income taxes for the 2014 through 2018 tax years.
Pezzolo pleaded guilty to one count of willful failure to collect or pay over tax, and one count of tax evasion of assessment. Each offense carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.
Pezzolo is released pending sentencing, which is not scheduled.
This investigation has been conducted by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elena L. Coronado and Christopher W. Schmeisser.
New Jersey Tax Preparer and Arizona Man Charged with Conspiracy to Defraud and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A New Jersey tax preparer and an Arizona man were charged for their roles in conspiracies to commit wire fraud and defraud the IRS, and for aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Omar Khater, 32, of Fairfield, New Jersey, and Walid Khater, 37, of Mesa, Arizona, are each charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to defraud the IRS, and one count of aggravated identity theft. Omar Khater is scheduled to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andre M. Espinosa in Newark federal court. Walid Khater is expected to appear on Jan. 19, 2023, before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in federal court in Arizona.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Omar and Walid Khater were relatives who worked together and with others to steal victims’ identities, which they used to file false tax returns and fraudulently receive tax refunds from the IRS. They electronically submitted tax documents to the IRS falsely claiming that the individual taxpayers listed on those documents had earned certain income or won thousands – and in some cases millions – of dollars in gambling and lottery winnings. The false filings also claimed tax withholdings on the purported income or gambling winnings that entitled the tax filer to refund payments from the IRS. The Khaters and others typically submitted these fraudulent tax filings using the names and personal identifying information of victims without the victims’ knowledge or permission. The fraudulent filings caused the IRS to pay $4.49 million in tax refunds, the Khaters and others directed to various bank accounts that they controlled.
The wire fraud conspiracy count is punishable by a maximum of 20 years in prison; the count of conspiracy to defraud the IRS is punishable by a maximum of five years in prison; and each count aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory sentence of two years in prison, to run consecutively to any term of imprisonment on the underlying felony.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the IRS-Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins, and special agents of FBI-Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Fatime M. Cano of the Economic Crimes Unit and Katherine M. Romano of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Mobile Man Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing an Unregistered MachinegunRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Mobile man was sentenced to 70 months in prison for illegally possessing an unregistered machinegun.
According to court documents, Austin Jaden Jones, 22, was arrested by Mobile police following the execution of a search warrant at an apartment that he and several other people were occupying on June 2, 2022. Before clearing the apartment and conducting the search, officers heard the sounds of a toilet repeatedly flushing, people moving around, and items being broken. When Jones eventually came out of the apartment, he had a severe cut and bleeding on his hand. Inside the apartment, officers seized, among other things, eight pistols (five of which had been reported stolen), scattered ammunition, more than four pounds of marijuana (some of which was floating inside a toilet), several bottles of promethazine syrup, drug paraphernalia, and more than $4,100 in cash.
Two of the stolen pistols, which contained Jones’s blood and DNA material, had been equipped with machinegun-conversion devices, commonly known as Glock “switches.” Jones admitted that he had attempted remove and destroy the switches using a hammer and scissors before police entered the apartment. When equipped with a switch, a semiautomatic Glock pistol becomes a machinegun that will automatically fire more than one shot, without manual reloading, with a single pull of the trigger. It is illegal under federal law for any person to possess such a machinegun without registering it in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Jones admitted that he had not registered the above-referenced machineguns at the time he possessed them.
Senior United States District Judge Callie V.S. Granade ordered Jones to serve a three-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time he will undergo drug testing and treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge Granade ordered Jones to pay $100 in special assessments.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Mobile Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Mexican National Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Illegal Reentry and Role in Fentanyl Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
TOLEDO – A Mexican national was sentenced on Friday, Jan. 13, 2023, to 15 years in prison by U.S. District Judge James G. Carr after he pleaded guilty to his role in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy in the Toledo area, as well as illegal reentry into the United States.
According to court documents, in June 2019, Toledo Police Department officers arrested Felipe Penuelas-Rodriguez, 53, of Mexico, following a traffic stop and search of his vehicle. During the search, officers obtained, among other items, 118 fentanyl pills, a duffel bag containing a kilogram brick of fentanyl, and an additional 2,125 fentanyl pills stored in the trunk of the vehicle.
Penuelas-Rodriguez was charged and sentenced under an enhanced penalty due to a prior serious drug trafficking conviction in the Arizona Superior Court. He was also convicted of illegal reentry, having been removed from the United States to Mexico on four separate occasions before he was found in Toledo.
Penuelas-Rodriguez’s passenger, Reyna Trejo, was charged as a co-conspirator with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute a controlled substance. Trejo was sentenced to five years in prison on Dec. 5, 2022. Agents determined that Penuelas-Rodriguez and Trejo were traveling across the country delivering fentanyl and bulk cash to co-conspirators along the way when they were stopped in Toledo.
Penuelas-Rodriguez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute a controlled substance and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance in July 2022.
This case was investigated by United States Homeland Security Investigations, the Toledo Police Department, and the Northwest Ohio Interdiction Task Force. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert N. Melching.
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McLaughlin Man Charged with Kidnapping and AssaultRead the Press Release
ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal grand jury has indicted a McLaughlin, South Dakota, man for Kidnapping, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury.
Elias Glen Sims, age 18, was indicted in January of 2023. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on January 17, 2023, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and $300 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that in November of 2022, at McLaughlin, within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation, Sims kidnapped and assaulted another person with a handgun.
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 charge is merely an accusation and Sims is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook is prosecuting the case.
Sims was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Maryland Man Pleads to Voluntary Manslaughter in September 2020 Killing of 17-Year-Old YouthRead the Press Release
Shooting Took Place in 300 block of Allison Street, N.W.
WASHINGTON – Brandon Nguyen, 24, of Laurel, Maryland pleaded guilty to one count of Voluntary Manslaughter in the September 29, 2020 killing of 17-year old Brian Ward, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.
The plea was entered before the Honorable Rainey R. Brandt in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia subject to an agreement between the parties pursuant to Superior Court Rule of Criminal Procedure 11(c)(1)(C) that a sentence of seven and a half to eleven years of incarceration, followed by supervised release, was the appropriate sentence. Sentencing is scheduled for April 26, 2023.
According to the government’s evidence, on September 29, 2020, at approximately 3:59 p.m., officers of the Metropolitan Police Department responded to the report of the sound of gunshots in the 300 block of Allison Street, N.W. Witnesses described a dark blue sedan driving off at high speed following the shooting. Further police investigation revealed that the defendant, Brandon Nguyen, was driving the car and that he had met with the decedent for a purported marijuana transaction. The decedent was never seen alive again after entering Nguyen’s vehicle, and the investigation revealed a likely struggle over a firearm within the vehicle by the defendant and the decedent. The investigation also showed that after shooting the decedent, Nguyen drove him 15 miles to the 6900 block of Contee Road, in Laurel, Maryland, where he dumped the decedent’s body in the woods. The defendant later used bleach to clean his vehicle, and subsequently sold the vehicle.
In December 2021, police confronted the defendant concerning this offense, and the defendant admitted that he shot the decedent following a struggle over a firearm. The defendant then led detectives to the location of the decedent’s skeletonized remains. Further forensic examination and testing by the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives revealed that the defendant fired at least six shots and the decedent was shot in the neck and front and rear of his head.
Nguyen was arrested on November 21, 2022, and has been in custody since that time.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. They acknowledged the efforts of those who provided assistance in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Allen. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael P. Spence, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Man Sentenced to 262 Months in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – United States District Court Chief Judge Raúl Arias-Marxuach sentenced Aníbal Joel Burgos-Vargas to 21 years and 10 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for transporting a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity. Burgos-Vargas was indicted on November 17, 2021 and plead guilty on October 17, 2022.
According to court documents, from October 2020 to October 2021, Aníbal Joel Burgos-Vargas, 27 years old, transported and sexually assaulted a male minor when between the ages of 9 and 10. The defendant used a cellular phone to record the minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
“The defendant engaged in devastating acts of sexual exploitation against a defenseless child and produced videos of his sexual abuse for his personal gratification. Child pornography and exploitation are intolerable crimes committed against children, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue our commitment to prosecute these criminals to the fullest extent of the law,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.
“This sentencing is a clear message to those individuals that are considering harming our children, HSI agents work long hours investigating these heinous crimes,” stated Rebecca C. González-Ramos, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations. “It is our responsibility as a society to come together and protect our children.”
The Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenifer Hernández-Vega, Chief of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit, prosecuted the case.
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Man Sentenced to 10-Year Statutory Maximum After Shooting Two People and Leaving One for DeadRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – William Brian Coghill was sentenced this past Friday to 10 years in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a felon after shooting two acquaintances and leaving one for dead at his home in Oxford, North Carolina. This is the statutory maximum sentence available for this offense. Coghill also pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree attempted murder in state court and was sentenced to 15 to 19 years.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, on August 14, 2021, Granville County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) responded to a 911 call regarding a gunshot victim located at Fredrick Road, Oxford, North Carolina. Upon GCSO’s arrival, the first victim, who had a gunshot wound to his right arm, advised that he had been at the residence next door when he was shot. He was then transported via EMS to a local hospital. As deputies tried to find a blood trail to ascertain the first victim’s direction of travel, they heard a male voice groaning from the front porch area of Coghill’s home that he shared with his mother. A second male victim was located on the porch, doubled over, writhing in pain. Victim two had two gunshot wounds to his lower right side/back area and the front lower left abdomen area. The second victim was transported via Life-Flight to a local hospital.
Minutes after knocking at the doors and windows of the residence, Deputies were permitted inside by Coghill’s mother, and he was found hiding in the attic of the home with a shotgun. Deputies discovered two spent 9mm shell casings on the porch of the residence. Coghill’s mother later told deputies she witnessed her son take the shotgun in one hand, and a black pistol in his other hand, to the porch where the two victims were sitting and began pointing both the shotgun and the pistol at the victims. She stated that both victims begged Coghill not to shoot them. Coghill’s mother stated she was able to take the shotgun away from her son and took the shotgun to her bedroom. She returned to the porch and watched as her son pulled the trigger of the pistol, shooting the first victim, then turned the pistol toward the second victim, and fire again, striking him. Coghill then went into the house, turned out the lights, and forbid his mother from calling for help. The second victim spent several weeks in the hospital and was close to death at one point. He also underwent several surgeries.
Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II presided over the sentencing. Granville County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer May-Parker prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. 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 PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-CR-00030-M.
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Man Accused of Aiding the Carjacking of St. Louis Sheriff’s DeputyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from East St. Louis, Illinois was arrested Wednesday on an indictment that accuses him of a role in the carjacking of a uniformed St. Louis Sheriff’s deputy in November.
Montez L. Montgomery, 18, was indicted November 16 on one count of carjacking and one count of possession and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime. He appeared in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Wednesday.
The indictment alleges Montgomery aided and abetted others in the carjacking of a 2011 Chevrolet Cruz and possessed the firearm used in the carjacking.
A detention motion says Montgomery provided the gun to two juveniles “for the express purposes of completing a carjacking in St. Louis.” It also says Montgomery discarded the deputy’s personal items, hid the carjacked vehicle and was later caught in it, with the gun used in the crime.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The carjacking charge carries a potential penalty of up to 15 years in prison, and the firearm charge carries a penalty of seven years to life in prison consecutive to any other charge.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
Lowell Man Pleads Guilty in Cocaine Conspiracy Tied to Colombian Organized CrimeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lowell man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to conspiring to distribute cocaine.
Miguel Colindres, 61, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for April 24, 2023. Colindres was arrested and charged on July 15, 2020 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury on July 21, 2020.
Colindres conspired with members of La Oficina de Envigado (La Oficina), a criminal organization based in Medellín, Colombia to distribute five kilograms of cocaine. La Oficina originated in the 1980s when its members provided enforcement and collection services for the Medellín Cartel, including deceased Medellín Cartel leader Pablo Escobar. Today, La Oficina is allegedly involved in international narcotics trafficking, drug debt collection, money laundering, extortion and murder for hire.
It is alleged that co-defendants Fabio de Jesus Yepes Sanchez and Mario Zapata Velez were members of La Oficina who were tasked with collecting a $750,000 drug debt from two cocaine traffickers in Massachusetts. It is further alleged that Yepes and Zapata conspired with Colindres and others to obtain five kilograms of cocaine from the Massachusetts traffickers, sell those kilograms, and then repatriate the drug proceeds to Colombia, in partial satisfaction of the outstanding drug debt.
The charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs of the Justice Department; Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and the Government of Colombia. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren A. Graber and Jared C. Dolan of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
This effort 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.