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17 January 2023
Chicago-Area Businesswoman Charged with COVID-Relief FraudRead the Press Release
CHICAGO – A Chicago-area businesswoman has been indicted on federal charges for allegedly fraudulently obtaining more than $440,000 in small business loans and grants under the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act and a State of Illinois pandemic-relief program.
KIMBERLY RAY-DUNCAN, 54, of South Holland, Ill., allegedly engaged in fraud related to the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL), and the Illinois Back to Business Grant Program. An indictment returned in the Northern District of Illinois alleges that Ray-Duncan used the fraud proceeds to purchase, among other things, a Regal 35 Sport Coupe yacht, purses by Prada, Gucci, and Saint Laurent, red leather dog collars by Gucci, sunglasses by Burberry, Gucci, Giorgio Armani, and Prada, and scarves by MCM, Louis Vuitton, Saint Laurent, Gucci, and Prada.
The indictment charges Ray-Duncan with six counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, and two counts of engaging in monetary transactions involving criminally derived property. Arraignment is set for Jan. 19, 2023, at 1:00 p.m., before U.S. Magistrate Judge Heather K. McShain.
The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Justin Campbell, Special Agent-in-Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago. The U.S. Small Business Administration participated in the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maureen Merin and Anne L. Yonover.
Pursuant to the CARES Act, a PPP loan allows the interest and principal to be forgiven if businesses spend a certain amount of the proceeds on essential expenses, such as payroll and rent, while the EIDL Program provides loan assistance or grants to cover working capital and other operating expenses. Under the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s Back to Business Grant Program, small businesses could apply for grants to cover lost revenue due to economic disruptions related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to the indictment, Ray-Duncan applied for and obtained loans and grants for numerous companies that she purportedly operated, including the K Ray-Duncan Assembly Company and An AlKymAri Production LLC. Ray-Duncan made various false representations in her applications regarding the companies’ operations, number of employees, or revenue figures, the indictment states. Some of the purported businesses did not actually exist, the charges allege. Ray-Duncan attempted to substantiate the fraudulent representations by falsely preparing IRS forms and bank statements, the indictment states.
The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Each count of wire fraud and money laundering is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison, while the maximum sentence for each monetary transaction count is ten years. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Anyone with information about attempted fraud involving Covid-19 can report it to the Department of Justice by calling the National Center for Disaster Fraud at (866) 720-5721, or by filing an online complaint at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Chicago Man Found Guilty of Heroin Conspiracy Charge in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, IA – On Thursday, January 12, 2023, a federal jury convicted a Markham, Illinois man of conspiracy to distribute 1,000 grams or more of heroin for his role in a large-scale heroin and fentanyl conspiracy.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, over the course of a 14-month investigation that included the use of wiretaps, law enforcement identified Carl Murphy, age 53, as a heroin/fentanyl supplier for numerous street-level dealers in the Des Moines Metro from 2019 through July 2021. In July 2021, over 20 members of the conspiracy were arrested and federally indicted.
Evidence at trial showed that Murphy is a member of the Black P Stone Nation, a criminal street gang based in Chicago, Illinois. Murphy had a large distribution network consisting of lower ranking gang members, which he helped run and control. The street-level dealers traveled to and from Murphy’s residence in Illinois to purchase large quantities of heroin/fentanyl for redistribution in Des Moines. In 2011, Murphy was previously convicted of distribution of a controlled substance in the Northern District of Illinois. While awaiting trial, Murphy threatened individuals he believed to be cooperating against him.
Murphy’s sentencing is scheduled for May 8, 2023. Murphy faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal court system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The investigation was conducted by the Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force (MINE) and the Central Iowa Gang Task Force (CIGTF).
This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Castro Valley Resident Pleads Guilty to Illegally Exporting American Aviation Technology to Beijing UniversityRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Jonathan Yet Wing Soong pleaded guilty today to violating export control laws in connection with a scheme to secretly funnel sensitive aeronautics software to a Beijing university, announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds; Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp; Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement (BIS), Special Agent in Charge John D. Masters; Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Special Agent in Charge Bryan D. Denny. The plea was accepted by the Hon. Susan Illston, United States District Judge.
Between August 2016 and September 2020, Soong, 35, of Castro Valley, Calif., was employed as a program administrator by Universities Space Research Association (USRA), a nonprofit research corporation focusing on advancing space science and technology. In April of 2016, USRA contracted with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to, among other things, license and distribute aeronautics-related Army flight control software for a fee. Soong’s duties included, among other things, conducting and servicing software license sales, conducting export compliance screening of customers, generating software licenses, and exporting software pursuant to purchased licenses. As part of his duties, Soong was responsible for vetting customers to ensure they did not appear on certain restrictive lists—including the Department of Commerce’s Entity List and other U.S. government lists—that placed limitations on the transfer of products to identified entities. In pleading guilty, Soong admitted that he willingly exported and facilitated the sale and transfer of restricted software to Beihang University knowing that the university was on the Department of Commerce’s Entity List. According to government filings in the case, Beihang University was added to the Entity List due to the University’s involvement in People’s Republic of China military rocket systems and unmanned air vehicle systems. In his plea agreement, Soong acknowledged he used an intermediary to complete the export of the program to avoid detection that the real purchaser was on the Entity List.
At issue in the case is a software package referred to as CIFER, a tool that allows a user to develop a dynamic model of an aircraft, based on collective flight test data using system identification techniques. According to government filings, the package could be used to analyze and design aircraft control systems. According to his plea agreement, Soong was aware in April of 2017 that the CIFER software was subject to Export Administration Regulations and that Beihang University was on the Entity List thus making it necessary to obtain a license prior to exporting the CIFER software to the university. Soong acknowledged that he nonetheless arranged to sell and transfer the CIFER software package to the entity without obtaining a license.
The plea agreement describes how, on May 1, 2017, a representative of the university communicated with Soong and expressed an interest in exploring an arrangement in which rather than use Beihang University as the purchaser of the CIFER software, the purchase would be made in the name of a third-party small company. For the next several months, Soong communicated with the representative and then, in late 2017, Soong communicated with a representative from Beijing Rainbow Technical Development Ltd. (Beijing Rainbow), identified as being the third-party intermediary for the sale of the CIFER software to Beihang University. Soong ultimately exported directly to Beihang University. In July 2018, Soong also arranged to have the passcodes for the CIFER software package forwarded to Beihang University with payment coming from Beijing Rainbow.
On September 26, 2022, Soong was charged by information with one count of violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), in violation of 50 U.S.C. §§ 1702 and 1705. Pursuant to today’s agreement, Soong pleaded guilty to the count.
The IEEPA violation carries a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. In addition, as part of any sentence, the court may order restitution and up to three years of supervised release. However, any sentence after conviction will be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Soong remains out of custody pending sentencing. Judge Illston scheduled Soong’s sentencing hearing for April 28, 2023. Assistant United States Attorney Barbara Valliere of the United States Attorney’s Office’s Special Prosecutions Section is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Maddi Wachs and Kathy Tat. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the BIS, DCIS, and the FBI with assistance from the NASA Office of Inspector General; U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division; the U.S. Army Counterintelligence; and the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations.
Cary Man Indicted on 23 Counts of Wire Fraud and Money Laundering in Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Kumar Arun Neppalli, 56, was arrested today upon the unsealing of a 23-count indictment in connection with an investment fraud scam. Neppalli faces up to twenty years in prison per count and potential fines.
According to the indictment, Neppalli allegedly relied on his good standing within the Indian-American community in Cary, North Carolina to defraud at least 12 victims or sets of victims into giving him funds under the false pretense that he would be investing their money in a legitimate real estate development in the Orange County, North Carolina area. Neppalli allegedly used the funds from these victims to pay back earlier investors who believed that he was returning their original investment and legitimate capital gains. Returning capital to earlier investors by defrauding new investors is commonly known as a “Ponzi” scheme.
“We are committed to protecting the investing public from financial schemes,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is working closely with the FBI to identify, investigate, and pursue those who cheat people out of their hard-earned money.”
As further alleged in the indictment, Neppalli would typically contact the victims telephonically or in person to describe a local real-estate investment opportunity, usually in Orange County. Neppalli allegedly leveraged his employment with the town of Chapel Hill to convince victims that he had insider knowledge of development plans with respect to the purported real estate. The indictment alleges that, Neppalli would then request a specific amount of money within a short timeframe, sometimes the same day, to facilitate closing the transaction. Neppalli would allegedly promise a return of the principal investment plus a profit within a few months and sometimes ask his victims not to discuss the transaction with other members of the community or reference a non-disclosure agreement.
“Our investigation shows Neppalli abused the trust and confidence placed in him by fellow Indian-American community members. He promised to invest their money in property. Instead, Neppalli used the funds to pay back other people he swindled as part of his scheme; now, multiple victims are left without their much-needed savings," said Michael C. Scherck, FBI Acting Special Agent-in-Charge. “Fraud can have an immediate and direct impact on people and communities, and the FBI remains determined to bring those who commit it to justice.”
Neppalli was indicted on 17 counts of Wire Fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1943 and 6 counts of Conducting Transactions in Criminally Derived Property in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1957. Arraignment before United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle is expected to occur later this year.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after United States Magistrate Judge Robert T. Numbers II presided over Neppalli’s Initial Appearance. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Triangle Fraud Taskforce is leading the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Beraka is prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-00347-BO-BM.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Cabell County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Jason Robert Henthorne, 47, of Milton, pleaded guilty today to possession of prepubescent child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in June 2021, Henthorne possessed more than 1,000 images and videos of child pornography stored on electronic devices at the Milton residence where he was staying. Henthorne admitted that some of the images and videos depict infants and prepubescent children subjected to sadistic or masochistic conduct. Henthorne further admitted that one of the images depicts adult males sexually assaulting a prepubescent female.
Henthorne is scheduled to be sentenced on April 17, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Julie M. White is prosecuting the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-234.
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Buffalo Man Sentenced for Defrauding MedicaidRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.- U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Saleh Mozeb, 67, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of health care fraud, was sentenced to serve one year probation, and pay restitution totaling $12,619.12 by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John D. Fabian, who handled the case, stated that Mozeb was a one-third owner in, and a driver for, Great Lake Transportation, which offered transportation services to Medicaid recipients. Between September 2016, and December 31, 2020, drivers for Great Lake Transportation, including Mozeb, submitted false and fraudulent attestation records to Medical Answering Service, a Medicaid transportation management company that scheduled transportation services for Medicaid recipients. Mozeb claimed that covered transportation services had been provided to Medicaid recipients, when in truth and in fact, no such transportation services had been provided.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Darren Cox; the New York State Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, under the direction of New York State Attorney General Letitia James; the New York State Police, Special Investigation Unit, under the direction of Major Eugene Staniszewski; the New York State Department of Financial Services, under the direction of Superintendent Adrienne Harris; the New York State Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Inspector General Lucy Lang; the New York State Comptroller’s Office, under the direction of Thomas DiNapoli, and U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Chief Patrol Agent Buffalo Sector Thomas G. Martin.
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Buffalo Man Going to Prison on Fentanyl ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Sherron Kye, 39, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and 4-ANPP, was sentenced to serve 40 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy C. Lynch, who handled the case, stated that on March 5, 2020, Buffalo Police and the Erie County Sheriff's Office arrived at a residence on Mills Street in Buffalo to execute a search warrant, at which time they observed Kye and co-defendant Torrance Bailey walking on the street. Recognizing law enforcement, Kye and Bailey attempted to flee. Bailey threw a set of keys prior to being taken into custody and Kye was observed discarding a bag as he attempted to enter a parked vehicle on Mills Street. Both the keys and bag were recovered. One of the keys fit the lock at the target residence of the search warrant, while the bag contained suspected fentanyl. Both men were arrested. During the execution of the search warrant, investigators recovered approximately five ounces of suspected fentanyl, a hydraulic press with suspected fentanyl residue, a metal press with suspected fentanyl residue, a digital scale with suspected fentanyl residue, and packaging material for narcotics distribution.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Chief Joseph Gramaglia, the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Michael Stansbury, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division, and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino.
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Bronx Man Admits Role in Nationwide Credit Card Fraud Affecting Thousands of Account HoldersRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A manager for a conspiracy that used stolen credit card information to make fraudulent retail purchases around the United States pleaded guilty today, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Trevor Osagie, 31, of the Bronx, New York, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge William Martini in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From at least 2015 through November 2018, Osagie conspired with a network of individuals based in the New Jersey/New York area who made trips around the United States in order to use stolen credit card information to purchase gift cards, flights, hotels, rental cards, and other goods and services. Other participants in the conspiracy obtained stolen credit card information through the “dark web” and other sources. In addition to recruiting at least one individual to create the fraudulent credit cards, Osagie managed the individuals who traveled around the United States conducting the fraudulent transactions. The conspirators made over $1.5 million in fraudulent purchases using over 4,000 stolen credit card accounts.
The conspiracy to commit bank fraud charge carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1 million. Sentencing is scheduled for May 25, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Secret Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jose Riera, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn Barnes, Chief of the OCDETF/Narcotics Unit in Newark.
Bowmar Bowhunting LLC and Owners Josh and Sarah Bowmar Sentenced for Conspiracy to Violate the Lacey ActRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Josh T. Bowmar, 32, Sarah E. Bowmar, 33, and Bowmar Bowhunting LLC, all of Ankeny, Iowa, were sentenced on January 12, 2023 in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, by United States Magistrate Judge Michael D. Nelson for Conspiracy to Violate the Lacey Act. The Lacey Act prohibits the trafficking in interstate commerce "tainted" (i.e., taken in violation of a law or regulation) wildlife, fish, or indigenous plants. Josh and Sarah Bowmar, and their corporate entity, Bowmar Bowhunting LLC, (collectively referred to as the Bowmars) were convicted after previously pleading guilty to Conspiring to Violate the Lacey Act and sentenced each to three years’ probation and 40 hours of community service each. Magistrate Judge Nelson ordered the Bowmars to pay a $75,000 fine ($25,000 each), a $44,000 money judgment in lieu of forfeiting certain property, and $13,000 restitution. As part of the probation terms, the Bowmars shall not hunt or engage in any activities associated with hunting within the District of Nebraska during the period of probation.
The investigation determined that beginning in September 2015, and continuing through November 2017, the Bowmars conducted approximately five hunts per year at Hidden Hills Outfitters (HHO), a commercial big game guiding and outfitting business, near Broken Bow, Nebraska. During the course of commercially guided hunting activity, the Bowmars conspired to transport wildlife, or parts thereof, from Nebraska to Ohio, when the Bowmars should have known that the wildlife was attempted to be taken, possessed, and transported contrary to Nebraska state law. The Bowmars, utilizing various internet and social media platforms including their Bowmar Bowhunting website, Instagram site, and YouTube channel, published and broadcasted hunting activities that occurred at HHO.
This sentencing hearing marks the completion of all foreseen prosecutions of numerous defendants related to violations committed by owners, guides, and clients of Hidden Hills Outfitters. Violations associated with 52 individuals have been resolved throughout this investigation. A total of 39 defendants have pleaded guilty and have been sentenced and ordered to pay a total of $759,732 in fines, restitution, and forfeiture, serve 30 months of incarceration, 47 years of probation, and 72 years of hunting and guiding restrictions for underlying violations related to at least 97 unlawfully-taken big game animals or wild turkey including deer taken within baited areas; deer, pronghorn, and wild turkeys taken with weapons or firearms prohibited during their respective hunting seasons; deer taken during closed season hours, from the road, or without a valid permit; and mule deer taken within the Mule Deer Conservation Area. An additional 13 individuals resolved their cases through administrative abandonment of various wildlife trophies originating from unlawful hunts at Hidden Hills Outfitters.
The operation was a joint investigation conducted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Law Enforcement Division.
Birmingham Store Manager Sentenced for Wire Fraud and Tax FraudRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge today sentenced a manager of a Birmingham grocery store on charges of wire fraud and tax fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, Investigations, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Salina Walker, and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge James Dorsey.
U.S. District Court Judge Karon O. Bowdre sentenced Omar Motley, 42, of Birmingham, to 46 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $847,001 in restitution to the IRS and $4,750,000 to the USDA. USDA administers the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Motley pleaded guilty to one count of tax fraud and one count of wire fraud in July 2022.
"This defendant used his position and took advantage of a program intended to help families in need," said U.S. Attorney Escalona. "Together with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to investigate and hold accountable those who defraud the SNAP program."
“This investigation and prosecution should send a strong zero-tolerance message to those individuals engaged in the practice of defrauding the taxpayer-funded SNAP program,” said Salina Walker, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, USDA-Office of Inspector General. “It should also serve as a warning to all stores that participate in the SNAP program as vendors that fraud and trafficking (purchasing those benefits for cash) will be vigorously investigated and prosecuted by the USDA-OIG, the U.S. Attorney's Office, and all its federal, state, and local partners that have a stake in ensuring that fraud is eliminated from taxpayer-funded programs.
“Motley’s actions enabled himself and others to defraud the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which is in place to supplement needy families’ food budgets,” said James E. Dorsey, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “Store owners who participate in SNAP should take note that defrauding any government program will carry consequences.”
According to court documents, Motley was the manager of the Big B Food Mart located on 24th Street North, in Birmingham, which was authorized to accept SNAP benefits. Between November 2014 and March 2017, Motley unlawfully redeemed SNAP EBT benefits for cash and ineligible items. During this time, SNAP benefits redeemed at Big B Food Mart were 52 times greater than at similarly sized stores in the area. Motley’s manipulation of the SNAP program resulted in illegal gains of over $4.6 million. Also, in 2015, Motley under-reported to IRS the income he received from redeeming SNAP benefits.
The USDA-OIG and IRS-CI investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Catherine Crosby prosecuted the case.
Bank Robber with 14 Prior Felony Convictions Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
DETROIT – An Inkster resident with 14 prior felony convictions was sentenced to 86 months in prison for bank robbery in federal court this afternoon in Detroit on charges stemming from his robbery of the Dearborn Federal Savings Bank, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison. This defendant had been apprehended by police after fleeing the bank and hiding out in a port-a-potty.
Joining United States Attorney Dawn Ison in the announcement was Special Agent in Charge James A. Tarasca, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division and Issa Shahin, Chief, Dearborn Police Department.
Charles William Woolery, age 52, was sentenced to 86 months by U.S. District Judge Mark A. Goldsmith.
According to court records, on the afternoon of March 2, 2022, Woolery entered the Dearborn Federal Savings Bank wearing a black facemask. He approached a victim teller, handed her a note, and gestured to his hip as if he had a weapon. The note demanded the teller to “smile” and put money in a bag or Woolery would “kill everyone.” The teller, fearing for her safety, placed $1,690 in cash in a black bag and handed it to Woolery. Woolery then fled the bank on foot. He was later arrested by Dearborn police officers hiding out in a port-a-potty located in the parking lot of the Hampton Inn on Michigan Avenue near the bank. Officers found the $1,690 cash in the front pocket? of a Detroit Lions’ hoodie that Woolery was wearing. Officers also recovered Woolery’s facemask and paper like that of the robbery note in the port-a-potty where Woolery was hiding.
“Today’s sentence appropriately takes this defendant’s long criminal history into account,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison. “Our office stands ready to prosecute individuals who use violence or threats of violence to threaten our community.”
“Criminals who use threats of violence during robberies and other crimes create a level of fear and risk to life that are unacceptable,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Division. “This case is an example of the FBI’s commitment to working collaborative with our law enforcement partners to combat violent crime across Southeast Michigan. I commend the Dearborn Police Department for quickly apprehending this defendant and thank them for their continued partnership.”
“The Dearborn Police Department would like to thank the FBI and US Attorney’s Office for the continued partnership in working to keep dangerous criminals off the streets of Southeast Michigan," said Chief of Police Issa Shahin. "The Dearborn Police Department will continue to use all of our available resources to keep our residents safe."
This case is being investigated by special agents of the FBI along with the assistance of the Dearborn Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rosemary Gardey is prosecuting the case.
Baltimore Man Sentenced for Illegally Possessing a Loaded Firearm in a School ZoneRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander today sentenced Turrell Davis, age 25, of Baltimore, Maryland for possessing a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school. Davis has served more than 14 months and as part of his sentence Judge Hollander ordered that Davis be on federal supervised release for three years and participate in the Roca, Inc. - Baltimore’s community violence intervention and response services.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and Baltimore Field Division; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, on November 9, 2020, Davis was arrested after police, using CCTV to monitor suspected drug activity in the 300 block of South Catherine Street, one block north of Frederick Elementary School, saw Davis, who appeared to be armed. Officers in a marked car were sent to the location to investigate. When Davis noticed the officers, he ran. As he ran, Davis threw a .45-caliber handgun, loaded with 13 rounds of ammunition. Body-worn camera, CCTV, and Foxtrot helicopter footage captured the firearm sliding across the street, stopping near the curb. Davis also tossed a clear bag, later found to contain fentanyl, under a parked car and surrendered to police. A search of Davis recovered additional fentanyl, a digital scale, and $623 in cash. The quantity and packaging of the drugs indicated that Davis intended to distribute the fentanyl.
Davis admitted that he knowingly possessed the firearm and that he had reason to believe he was within 1,000 feet of a school zone, specifically, Frederick Elementary School.
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.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Logan Hayes and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Moore, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Bakersfield Man Sentenced to 3 Years and 10 Months in Prison for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Duwayne Payton, 26, of Bakersfield, was sentenced today to three years and 10 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Payton is a documented and active member of the East Side Crips criminal street gang in Bakersfield. On March 11, 2021, Payton possessed in his residence a stolen Glock Model-17 9 mm handgun. Payton may not lawfully possess firearms because of his prior felony convictions, including convictions in Bakersfield in 2014 for first degree burglary and vehicle theft.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Arin Heinz prosecuted the case.
Arizona Man Pleads Guilty to Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Telleson, Arizona, man pleaded guilty today to production of child sexual abuse material.
According to court documents, Ethan Roberts, 28, met a then 14-year-old juvenile online in January 2022. The juvenile lived in Norfolk. Roberts engaged in sexually explicit conversations with the minor for a seven-month period, repeatedly asking her to create and send sexually explicit images of herself to him. In August 2022, Roberts traveled by bus from Arizona to Norfolk. He picked up the minor and the pair traveled back to Roberts’ apartment in Arizona. The FBI was able to locate and rescue the juvenile through her use of her Nintendo Switch account.
Roberts is scheduled to be sentenced on April 19. He faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. 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; Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; and Mike Goldsmith, Interim Chief of Norfolk Police, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Yusi is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc
In 2021, EDVA launched “UnMasked,” a community-based educational outreach and prevention program in Virginia dedicated to raising awareness and educating the community about the prevalence of online sexual exploitation involving children and young adults. UnMasked is a multi-disciplinary partnership of local, state, federal, and non-profit stakeholders. The core curriculum is provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) NetSmartz program. To report an incident involving online sexual exploitation, call 1-800-843-5678 or submit a report at report.cybertip.org. To request an UnMasked event at your school or organization, please contact EDVA’s Community Outreach Coordinator at [email protected].
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-141.
16 January 2023
Texas Man Admits Role in Scamming Seniors in Rhode Island and Elsewhere in Online Romance ScamsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – Fola Alabi, aka Folayemi Alabi, 52, of Richmond, Texas, pleaded guilty in federal court in Providence to charges of conspiracy and money laundering, admitting to a federal judge that he created companies and opened bank accounts that were used to launder more than $1.6 million in proceeds bilked from seniors in at least eleven states, including Rhode Island, in online romance scams, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
To carry out these schemes, a member of the conspiracy befriended unsuspecting seniors online, often posing as a General in the U.S. military serving overseas. The conspirator feigned a personal, and sometimes romantic, interest in his victims, and convinced them to send substantial sums of money, usually in the form of bank checks or cash, to addresses and companies in Texas that were controlled by Alabi. Alabi received the money and either deposited or directed that it be deposited into one of several bank accounts that he controlled. He then quickly withdrew or transferred the funds to other accounts.
Among Alabi’s victims is a Rhode Island widow who was contacted by a member of the conspiracy claiming to be a “General Miller,” purportedly a four-star General, who convinced the victim to provide $60,000 to finance shipment of his personal belongings to the United States. At the purported “General Miller’s” direction, a check was made payable to Full Circle Import Exports, a company created by Alabi, and mailed to Alabi’s residence in Texas. The victim was prepared to send an additional significant sum of money to the purported “General Miller,” when it was determined by her bank and the Westerly Police Department that she was likely the victim of fraud.
According to court documents, in a cellphone seized from Alabi at the time of his arrest in May 2022, federal agents discovered photographs and videos of packages containing cash and checks received by Alabi from victims of the scam.
According to a plea agreement filed in this matter, for purposes of sentencing, the loss attributed to the romance scams perpetrated by Alabi and members of the conspiracy is $1,640,421. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Alabi will forfeit assets derived from his criminal conduct, to include his Texas residence and $31,773.22 contained in a bank account.
Alabi is scheduled to be sentenced on April 25, 2023. The defendant’s sentences will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ly T. Chin and Sara Bloom.
The matter was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, FBI, United States Secret Service, and Homeland Security Investigations.
United States Attorney Cunha thanks the Westerly, RI, and Prescott Valley, AZ, Police Departments; Texas Department of Public Safety; West Virginia State Police; the Santa Clara, CA, County District Attorney’s Office; and Defense Criminal Investigative Service for their assistance in the investigation of this matter.
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Israeli Dual Citizen Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Transmitting Sexually Explicit Video of a MinorRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Nimrod Shalom, 41, a dual citizen of Israel and the United States, was sentenced, on January 13, 2023, to seven years in prison for transmission of a sexual performance by a minor.
He was sentenced today by the Honorable Beryl A. Howell, who also ordered 10 years of supervised release.
Shalom was arrested on July 23, 2021, after traveling on a plane from Israel to Los Angeles, California. Shalom pleaded guilty on Sept. 29, 2022, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
According to plea documents, on August 1, 2016, the defendant contacted an undercover law enforcement officer (UC) over an online messaging application. The defendant asked the UC whether the UC had a child, the child’s age, and whether the UC “played” sexually with the child. In response, the UC stated that he had a daughter. The defendant stated that he was sexually active with his own four-year-old daughter and sent the UC an image of a child who appeared to be approximately four years old. The defendant informed the UC that he was “not in the US” and that where he lived, “no one cares what you do.” The defendant sent the UC sexually explicit photos of a child he claimed was his four-year-old daughter.
On August 2, 2016, the defendant was detained by the Israeli National Police (INP) in relation to this offense. INP determined that the defendant did not have a four-year-old daughter and that the images that he had transmitted to the UC were believed to have been commercially produced. During an interview with INP, the defendant admitted to using the online application and pretending to be a father with access to a child, in order to persuade individuals to send him child sexual abuse material. INP performed a forensic analysis on the defendant’s iPhone and discovered 23 images depicting the sexual abuse of children, including the images that the defendant had sent to the UC.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division commended the work of those who worked the case from the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which includes members of the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth Investigations Division, and members of the Israeli National Police. They also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caroline Burrell and Lindsay Suttenberg, and Paralegal Specialist Alexis Spencer-Anderson.
Four Sentenced in Gem and Gold Corner Jewelry Store Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Tashawn T.A. Warner, 25, Shemar Webster, 23, and Jamari Benjamin, 25, all of St. Thomas, were sentenced by United States Chief District Judge Juan R. Sánchez to terms of imprisonment ranging from 135 to 36 months for their roles in the Hobb’s Act armed robbery of Gem and Gold Corner Jewelry Store in St. Thomas. Warner, the leader and organizer of the group, was sentenced to 135 months incarceration, while Webster was sentenced to 125 months incarceration and Benjamin was sentenced to 36 months incarceration. All three defendants were also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $510,000.00 to Dorchester Insurance D/B/A Topa Insurance Services, Inc., and Gem and Gold Corner Jewelry Store.
According to court documents, on September 19, 2020, Warner, Webster and Benjamin robbed Gems and Gold Corner Jewelry Store located on the waterfront near Veteran’s Drive in St. Thomas. The group arrived at Gem and Gold Corner Jewelry Store at approximately 9:31 a.m., in a white Suzuki Vitara. Warner and Webster entered the jewelry store, both armed with an AK 47 rifle and a Glock 22 handgun and wearing face coverings, while Benjamin, the getaway driver, remained in the vehicle. Once inside the store, Webster and Warner pointed their firearms at five employees, two of whom were unarmed security officers, and ordered them to lie on floor with their hands up. Warner and Webster then used their firearms to smash glass cases and removed jewelry with a gross estimated value of approximately $1.1 million. Both men stuffed a large quantity of jewelry in a duffel bag, and when the bag was full, they stuffed more jewelry in their pants pockets. During the armed robbery, Webster physically assaulted the owner of Gem and Gold Corner with his firearm causing injury to his head. The three men later fled the scene and traveled to the Mafolie Hill area where Webster escaped in a second vehicle while Warner and Benjamin fled the area in the white Vitara. Virgin Islands Police Officers pursued Warner and Benjamin as they traveled to the Bovoni Housing Community and abandoned the Vitara and fled on foot. Forensic Officers collected masks, gloves and jewelry from the abandoned vehicle, and DNA collected from those items linked Warner and Webster to the armed robbery. Benjamin later turned himself in to law enforcement, while Webster fled to Altanta, GA, and Warner went into hiding. In November 2020, Webster was extradited back to St. Thomas, and Warner was arrested in December 2020.
During the execution of Warner’s arrest warrant, Shemelle Isaac, 31, was also arrested after federal agents observed Isaac driving a black Infiniti sedan at a high rate of speed toward Warner’s residence. Isaac stopped his vehicle next to Warner’s parked vehicle and opened the trunk of his Infiniti while still seated in the driver’s seat. Agents then observed Warner remove a duffel bag from his vehicle that matched the description of the bag used in the Gem and Gold Corner Jewelry Store armed robbery and place it in the trunk of Isaac’s vehicle. Isaac was charged as an accessory after the fact after federal agents found four firearms, including the Glock 22 used in the robbery, a large quantity of jewelry and $5,540.00 cash inside the duffel bag. Isaac admitted to the agents that he was aware that Warner was wanted by law enforcement in connection with Gem and Gold Corner’s armed robbery. For his role, Isaac was sentenced four days incarceration, and three years of supervised release.
“The effects of gun violence are felt far and wide in our small community. This vicious and senseless act left a permanent and traumatic impact on the victims of the robbery. The tremendous work of the Virgin Islands Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigations, however, delivered the ultimate reward to the victims and the people of our Territory – justice, lengthy terms of imprisonment and full restitution”, United States Attorney Delia L. Smith stated. The Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Agency investigated, and Assistant United States Attorney Daniel H. Huston prosecuted this 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.
Cyril E. King Airport Employee and Florida Man Charged with Cocaine PossessionRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Shakari Francis, 26, of St. Thomas, and Ahkoy Smith, 24, of Daytona Beach, FL, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Ruth Miller for an initial appearance hearing after being charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
According to court documents, on January 11, 2023, Customs and Border Protection Officers at Cyril E. King Airport were screening passengers on Spirit Airlines flight NK283 from St. Thomas to Orlando. During the screening, Smith, a ticketed passenger on flight NK283, attempted to flee but was apprehended by CBP officers. A CBP canine later alerted to Smith’s "Jordan" backpack which was on his back when he was apprehended. Smith admitted that he packed his backpack and that it belonged to him. CBP officers inspected Smith’s backpack and discovered two brick-shaped objects wrapped in black tape which later tested positive for the presence of cocaine and weighed approximately 2.25 kilograms. Also on January 11, 2023, CBP officers observed Francis, a Cape Air ramp agent, entering the men's restroom located in the departure terminal shortly after Smith entered the same restroom. Francis admitted that he entered the restroom with two bricks of cocaine which he later delivered to Smith. Francis and Smith both face a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment if convicted. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Patrol are investigating, and Assistant United States Attorney Adam Sleeper is prosecuting this 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.
United States Attorney Delia L. Smith reminds the public that a criminal complaint is merely an allegation that a crime was committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
14 January 2023
Two Sentenced in Heroin and Fentanyl Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two Worcester residents have been sentenced for their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy involving fentanyl and heroin.
Antonio Rosario Garcia, a/k/a “Animal,” 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 80 months in prison and four years of supervised release. Cintia Franco, 32, was sentenced to two years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. In June 2022, Franco and Garcia each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl; conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin; and distribution of and possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl. Garcia also pleaded guilty to distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Franco and Garcia were charged in October 2019 along with co-conspirators John Robles and Jector Torres. In early 2019, Robles was identified by investigators selling purported oxycodone pills, which were later determined to be counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, at Albino’s Market in Worcester. Intercepted communications from Robles’ phone identified that Garcia was the supply source and that Garcia was distributing pills through Robles and Torres. The investigation also revealed that Garcia and Franco were distributing heroin, fentanyl pills and powdered fentanyl directly to users in Worcester.
In October 2022, Torres was sentenced to 63 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Robles previously pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 18, 2023.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division, made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Worcester Police Department, Massachusetts State Police and Connecticut State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristen M. Noto and Danial E. Bennett of Rollins’ Worcester Branch Office 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.
Potsdam Man Arrested for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PLATTSBURGH, NEW YORK –John Huckabey, age 40, of Potsdam, New York, was arrested yesterday for distribution of child pornography.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
The criminal complaint alleges that between October 6 and October 31, 2022, Huckabey used a social media application to distribute videos and images depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The charge in the complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Yesterday, Huckabey made an initial appearance in Plattsburgh federal court, before United States Magistrate Judge Gary L. Favro, and was ordered detained pending a detention hearing
Huckabey faces at least 5 years and up 20 years in prison, if convicted. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
The FBI is investigating this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carling Dunham is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc
Morris County Man Indicted on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A federal grand jury indicted a Morris County, New Jersey, man for allegedly possessing and distributing images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Anselmo Girimonte, 52, of Wharton, New Jersey, is charged by indictment with one count of possession of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography. He will be arraigned at a date to be determined. Girimonte was arrested on a criminal complaint on this conduct on March 4, 2022, and consented to detention.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From Dec. 27, 2021, through Jan. 17, 2022, Girimonte distributed material containing images and video files of child sexual abuse, via a publicly available online peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing network of linked computers. Law enforcement officers conducted undercover online sessions to access the P2P program and during these sessions a user shared multiple video files of pre-pubescent children being sexually abused by adults from an internet address traced to Girimonte’s residence.
On March 2, 2022, law enforcement officers lawfully obtained a cell phone from Girimonte’s residence that contained hundreds of images and videos of child pornography, including images of prepubescent children being sexually abused.
The count of possession of child pornography carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000. The count of distribution of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, New Jersey Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s indictment. He also thanked the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, the Rockaway Township Police Department, and the United States Postal Inspection Service for their assistance with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chelsea D. Coleman of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Minnesota Man Indicted for Sexual Assault on Cruise ShipRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Minnesota man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for allegedly engaging in abusive sexual contact while a passenger aboard a cruise ship from Iceland to Boston in August 2022.
Daniel Farias, 45, of Bloomington, Minn., was indicted on one count of abusive sexual contact. He will appear in federal court in Boston on Jan. 20, 2023 at 2:15 p.m. Farias was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in August 2022.
According to the charging documents, while aboard the Celebrity Summit Cruise Ship travelling from Reykjavík, Iceland to Boston, Farias sexually assaulted a male crewmember in the early morning hours of Aug. 30, 2022. Specifically, it is alleged that the victim entered the mid-ship men’s restroom to clean. The restroom was empty apart from a male passenger – later identified as Farias – occupying one of stalls. At some point, Farias allegedly exited the stall, approached the victim and began rubbing his hand on the victim’s forearm. The victim pulled his arm away, and said, “What are you doing?” It is alleged that Farias then used both of his hands to grab the victim’s genitalia over the victim’s clothes and then made a sexually explicit comment. The victim pulled away. Farias allegedly then asked the victim if he was upset, to which the victim said he was. According to the charging documents, Farias apologized and asked the victim not to report what happened before leaving the restroom.
The charge of abusive sexual contact provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Jennifer De La O, Director of Field Operations of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Boston Field Office; and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Trevis Avante Strawder, 28, of Fort White, Florida, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after previously pleading guilty on October 26, 2022, to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“The collaborative efforts of our partners in the Gainesville Gun Violence Initiative continue to produce impactful results, and we will continue working tirelessly to make North Florida safer,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “This sentence ensures that our community will be safer and sends a message that there are real and severe consequences for federal firearm offenses.”
On August 17, 2021, Gainesville Police Department (GPD) officers responded to a 911 call reporting an armed disturbance at Woodland Park Apartments. The caller described that the male suspect with the firearm was leaving the scene in a vehicle and provided a description. Officers responding to the area located a vehicle matching the caller’s description and attempted to conduct a traffic stop on it. The suspect vehicle slowed in a residential neighborhood and Strawder exited the rear driver’s side door of the vehicle and fled on foot while carrying a black bag. Officers gave chase and were able to observe Strawder running into a wooded area while no longer wearing the black bag. A GPD K9 tracked from the scene of the attempted traffic stop to the location of a black bag, near where Strawder jumped the fence to get into the wooded area. The bag was ultimately searched and discovered to contain two loaded pistols and several different controlled substances (cocaine, crack cocaine, MDMA, MDPV, etc.).
Officers set up a perimeter in the area and were subsequently alerted that Strawder attempted to force entry into the residence of an elderly man. The homeowner was able to keep Strawder from gaining entry through the front door, and GPD officers were later able to locate and apprehend Strawder hiding in another part of the residence. Once he was apprehended, Strawder provided a false name to officers, but he was positively identified and taken into custody on charges stemming from this incident as well as other outstanding arrest warrants.
Strawder had multiple prior felony convictions, to include burglary, grand theft, drug possession, possession of a firearm by a felon, and battery on a detainee. The case was brought to the attention of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, who adopted the case for federal prosecution. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher M. Elsey prosecuted the case.
This federal conviction is the result of the joint efforts of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies that form the Gainesville Gun Violence Initiative (GVI). The Gainesville GVI was established in April 2019, by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida in an effort to stem the escalating gun violence in Gainesville and the surrounding areas. As GVI partners, the State Attorney’s Office for the Eighth Judicial Circuit, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Gainesville Police Department, the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, the Alachua Police Department, the University of Florida Police Department, and the Florida Department of Corrections share this commitment to protecting public safety.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Convicted Felon Indicted for Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A repeat convicted felon has been charged by a federal grand jury in a superseding indictment on firearm and drug offenses.
Christian Soares, a/k/a “Eazy,” 29, of Brockton, was indicted on two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition; one count of possessing with intent to distribute cocaine, fentanyl, and buprenorphine (suboxone); one count of possessing with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, MDA and 40 grams or more of fentanyl; and two counts of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. Soares was previously indicted in August 2019.
According to the indictment, in 2019, Soares possessed a loaded firearm while a convicted felon and did so in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense – namely, possessing cocaine, fentanyl and buprenorphine (suboxone) intended for distribution. In 2021, while on pretrial release following the August 2019 indictment, it is alleged that Soares possessed multiple firearms and ammunition while a convicted felon and did so in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. Additionally, it is alleged he did so while also possessing cocaine, methamphetamine, MDA and 40 grams or more of fentanyl intended for distribution.
Soares was previously convicted of at least one prior felony conviction.
The charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, fentanyl, and buprenorphine, provides for a sentence of not more than 20 years, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl (which charge also alleged cocaine, methamphetamine, and MDA) provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $5 million. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. The charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug offense provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to life in prison, to be served from and after the term of imprisonment imposed for any other count, supervised release of up to five years, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Boston Division; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Bryan Kyes, U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Braintree, Cambridge, Canton, Randolph and Weymouth Police Departments; the Suffolk, Norfolk and Bristol County District Attorneys’ Offices; and the Suffolk, Plymouth and Norfolk County Sheriffs’ Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin R. O’Donnell of Rollins’ Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This effort is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
13 January 2023
Westminster Man Sentenced to 66 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Commit Home-Invasion Style RobberyRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont - The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Daniel King, 41, of Westminster, Vermont, was sentenced yesterday to serve 66 months of imprisonment for conspiring to obstruct interstate commerce by robbery, in violation of the Hobbs Act. Chief United States District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford ordered King’s sentence to begin yesterday and ordered King to serve a three-year term of supervised release after his incarceration.
According to court records, King forcibly entered a Westminster man’s residence, intending to rob the man of heroin and money King believed to be proceeds from heroin sales. King picked his target because of his belief that the resident of the house was an easy mark. King also recruited an accomplice, Jacquelyn Fougere, 29, of Springfield, Vermont, to help him with the robbery. King obtained supplies for the robbery (including zip ties to use as hand restraints and a fake firearm), and King planned with Fougere to forcibly enter the man’s home, restrain and rob him. On the morning of March 14, 2022, King broke open the door to the man’s residence while holding the fake firearm. The homeowner then discharged a firearm at King striking him. King and Fougere then fled the scene.
King’s sentence was informed by the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines, which factor in a defendant’s criminal history. King’s significant criminal history dates back to 1998 and includes felony convictions in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.
Fougere has pleaded guilty to conspiring to obstruct commerce by robbery. Fougere’s sentencing hearing is currently scheduled for March 3, 2023.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Vermont State Police and the Federal Burau of Investigation.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Ophardt. King is represented by Devin McLaughlin, Esq. Fougere is represented by Robert S. Behrens, Esq.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
Westminster Man Indicted for Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Ameen Alai, age 49, of Westminster, has been indicted on one count of distribution of ibogaine, a Schedule I controlled substance, resulting in death.
According to the indictment, on or about March 19, 2021, the defendant, also known as “Adam Powars,” knowingly and intentionally distributed a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of ibogaine, the use of which resulted in the death of an individual on or about March 19, 2021.
If convicted, this charge carries a penalty of 20 years to life in prison. The charge contained in the indictment is an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The defendant made his initial appearance before Magistrate Judge S. Kato Crews on January 12, 2023.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Rocky Mountain Division and the HIDTA Front Range Task Force (FRTF) conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Marshals Service took the defendant into custody after a 3-month fugitive investigation. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Cyrus Y. Chung.
CASE NUMBER: 22-cr-00339-RM
Washington, D.C. Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Federal Prison for a Series of Maryland Carjackings and for Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of ViolenceRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang today sentenced James Albert Borum, age 20, of Washington, D.C., to 11 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release for carjacking and for brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, in connection with a series of carjackings he committed in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Chief Jarod Towers of the City of Hyattsville Police Department; Chief Robert J. Contee III of the Metropolitan Police Department; United States Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew M. Graves; Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy; and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy.
According to his guilty plea, in June 2021, Borum and his accomplices committed a series of carjackings in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties. At the time, Borum was on pre-trial supervision related to charges in Washington, D.C. and was wearing an ankle monitor. According to the plea agreement, Borum and an accomplice participated in four carjackings and an attempted carjacking. Borum admitted that a firearm was brandished in three of the carjackings.
As detailed in the plea agreement, on June 4, 2021, Victim 1 was beaten and carjacked by Borum and an accomplice, who also stole the victim’s cell phone. Victim 1’s wallet, which contained several items, including a bank card, was inside the vehicle at the time of the carjacking. Law enforcement recovered Victim 1’s bank card and a social security card in the name of Victim 1’s spouse from Borum’s bedroom during a search on July 1, 2021.
On June 10, 2021, Borum and his accomplice committed another carjacking in Silver Spring, Maryland. After Victim 2 had parked his car, he began walking into a nearby apartment courtyard. Borum and his accomplice followed Victim 2 and approached Victim 2 in the courtyard. Borum and the accomplice pointed a handgun at Victim 2’s forehead and stated, “I’ll kill you. Give me the keys.” Victim 2 gave Borum and the accomplice his keys and the carjackers drove away in Victim 2’s car. A global positioning device in Victim 2’s vehicle placed it near Borum’s home most of the time when the vehicle was not in use following the carjacking.
According to the plea agreement, on June 18, 2021, Borum and an accomplice attempted to carjack Victim 3 in a parking garage in the 8700 block of Cameron Street in Silver Spring. Borum and his accomplice demanded Victim 3’s keys, but she refused to give them up. Borum and the accomplice grabbed for Victim 3’s purse and a struggle ensued. Neither Borum nor his accomplice were able to obtain Victim 3’s keys, and both men fled as another vehicle pulled into the parking garage.
Surveillance footage obtained from the Rhode Island Avenue, Silver Spring, and Wheaton Metro stations both before and after the attempted carjacking shows Borum and his accomplice wearing clothing that matched the clothing worn by the carjackers. The footage also shows Borum wearing an ankle monitor and a distinctive white sweatshirt. The sweatshirt was later recovered from Borum’s residence.
As detailed in the plea agreement, on June 18, 2021, Borum and his accomplice carjacked Victim 4, who was sitting in his car in the parking lot in the 3500 block of East West Highway in Hyattsville, Maryland. Victim 4’s doors were unlocked and the windows were down. Borum and the accomplice opened the driver’s side door, pointed a gun at Victim 4’s head, and told him to get out of the car. Borum and the accomplice pulled Victim 4 out of the vehicle, pushed him to the ground, then got into Victim 4’s vehicle and drove away. Law enforcement tracked and recovered the vehicle later that evening in the 1200 block of Douglas Street, N.E. in Washington, D.C. The key to Victim 4’s car was found in Borum’s residence.
Finally, on June 23, 2021, Borum and an accomplice carjacked Victim 5 as Victim 5 was entering his car in a parking garage in the 8700 block of Colesville Road in Silver Spring, Maryland. Borum and his accomplice approached Victim 5 from behind, held a black handgun at the left side of Victim 5’s head, and repeated, “Give me the keys!” Victim 5 handed the carjackers his keys and wallet. Borum and the accomplice then fled in Victim 5’s vehicle. Victim 5’s vehicle was located by law enforcement five days later, parked on the same block as Borum’s residence. Borum’s fingerprints were identified on the car.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN, an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime, is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, the Montgomery County Police Department, the Prince George’s County Police Department, the City of Hyattsville Police Department, the Metropolitan Police Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, and the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Barron thanked Special Assistant United States Attorney Jared C. Engelking and Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Collins, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Wanblee Man Charged with Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal grand jury has indicted a Wanblee, South Dakota, man for Bank Robbery and Discharge of a Firearm During the Commission of a Crime of Violence.
Francis White Lance, age 65, was indicted in November of 2022. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on January 10, 2023, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to life in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and $200 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on November 7, 2022, White Lance took money belonging to Lakota Federal Credit Union, located in Kyle, South Dakota. White Lance also brandished and discharged a firearm during the commission of the robbery.
The charge is merely an accusation and White Lance is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey Blair is prosecuting the case.
White Lance was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has been set for March 21, 2023.
Violent armed robbery results in massive sentence for Cle Nightclub security guardRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 27-year-old security guard working at a downtown Houston nightclub has been sent to prison following his conviction of a violent armed robbery in 2019, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
A federal jury sitting in Houston convicted Hakeem Alexander Coles for interference with commerce by robbery and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence June 6, 2022, following a five-day trial.
Today, U.S. District Ewing Werlein Jr. handed Coles a 240-month term of imprisonment for the robbery. He also received another 240 months for the firearms charge which must be served consecutively to the other sentence imposed. The total 40-year prison term will run consecutively to a 17-year sentence he received in Minnesota for another robbery and assaulting a federal agent.
Coles, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, used a false identity to get hired as a security guard for Cle Nightclub. He worked there for about two weeks. On Sept. 7, 2019, after the business closed, he robbed the employees at gunpoint and demanded $20,000 cash.
At trial, the jury heard from witnesses who described how Coles was hired as a security guard using someone else’s identity. They also heard from employees at Cle who described how he had robbed them at gunpoint and discharged his firearm toward them as he fled the scene.
The investigation led to Coles’ arrest in Louisiana. At that time, he was found in possession of a loaded firearm and the false identification he used to gain employment at Cle. Law enforcement was soon able to uncover his true identity.
The jury also heard evidence of another robbery Coles had committed in Minneapolis three weeks prior to the Cle robbery. In that case, Coles was working as a security guard at Cowboy Jacks Bar and Restaurant and robbed the employees during closed hours as well. Coles pleaded guilty in 2020 and received 17 years in federal prison on that case.
The defense attempted to convince the jury in this case that Coles did not commit the crime and it was, in fact, the individual whose identity he had stolen. The jury did not believe those claims and found him guilty as charged.
Coles will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office; Gretna Police Department in Louisiana and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Britni Cooper and Luis Batarse prosecuted the case.
This is an example of coordination between law enforcement who are part of the Houston Law Enforcement Violent Crime Initiative which combines personnel and resources from numerous federal, state and local agencies. The goal is to proactively fight and reduce violent crime across the Greater Houston area by targeting the region’s most violent offenders, augmenting investigative and prosecutorial efforts and enhancing training, public awareness and education. It stems from the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.
In May 2021, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced a new effort to reduce violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core. Integral to that effort was the reinvigoration of PSN, a two-decade old, evidence-based and community-oriented program focused on reducing violent crime. The updated PSN approach, outlined in the department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime is guided by four key principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.
United States Files Complaint Against Bob Dean Jr. and Affiliated Corporate Entities for Financial Misconduct Stemming from Evacuation of Nursing Homes During Hurricane IdaRead the Press Release
The United States has filed a complaint under the National Housing Act of 1934 (NHA) against Bob Dean Jr. and several affiliated corporate entities for misappropriating and misusing the assets and income of four nursing homes in Louisiana before and after Hurricane Ida’s landfall in August 2021. The four nursing homes, all of which were owned and operated by Dean and his companies, and had loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), are Maison De’Ville Nursing Home – Houma, Maison De’Ville Nursing Home of Harvey, Maison Orleans Healthcare of New Orleans, and West Jefferson Health Care Center.
The FHA, which is part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), provides mortgage insurance on loans that cover residential care facilities, such as nursing homes, pursuant to the NHA. To encourage lenders to make loans to such facilities, FHA mortgage insurance provides lenders with protection against losses that result from borrowers defaulting on their mortgage loans. To obtain such FHA-insured loans, loan recipients must enter into Regulatory Agreements with the FHA that provide, among other requirements, that the assets and income of an FHA-insured nursing home may only be spent on goods and services that are reasonable and necessary to the operation of the nursing home. The NHA permits the United States to recover twice the amount of any assets and income of FHA-insured nursing homes that were improperly distributed or misspent.
The United States’ complaint, filed in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana, alleges that, from 2016 to 2021, Dean required the nursing homes to pay “rent” on an industrial warehouse he had acquired supposedly to serve as a hurricane evacuation center. The rent, which totaled more than $1 million, was paid to one of his corporate entities. Rather than using the funds to prepare the warehouse for a hurricane, he funneled much of that money to his personal bank accounts. In the days leading up to Hurricane Ida’s expected landfall in August 2021, Dean evacuated the residents of the four nursing homes to the warehouse. After residents arrived, sanitation was not maintained, and the nursing homes’ staff did not prepare sufficient food, provide wound care, or ensure adequate medical care and support for the residents. As a result, on Sept. 2, 2021, the Louisiana Department of Health removed the residents from the evacuation center and revoked Dean’s nursing home licenses.
The complaint further alleges that after the residents had been evacuated and the licenses revoked, Dean and his corporate entities continued to misdirect and misspend the nursing homes’ assets and income. Specifically, Dean directed his bookkeeper to sweep all of the nursing homes’ bank accounts and transfer the millions of dollars of funds to his personal accounts. The United States alleges that Dean did not use these funds to operate or maintain the nursing homes, which at this point were not operating because of the hurricane, and instead used this money to purchase personal goods and services, including antiques, firearms, and cars, and to fund allowances for his family members. The complaint alleges that, in total, Dean misspent and misallocated more than $4 million of the nursing homes’ assets and income.
“The department is committed to protecting our nation’s seniors and the important federal programs designed to support them,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “When individuals seek to exploit these programs for their own financial gain, we will use all of the appropriate tools at our disposal to hold them accountable.”
“Federal loan guarantees are designed to facilitate the care of our most vulnerable citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Gathe Jr. for the Middle District of Louisiana. “It is unfortunate that some chose to use the tragic landfall of Hurricane Ida as an opportunity to take advantage of the system to unjustly enrich their business. This office will continue to work with our partners to hold those accountable who misappropriate federal funds.”
“Upon learning of the callous manner in which residents of nursing homes owned by Bob Dean were treated during Hurricane Ida, HUD referred this matter to the Justice Department to investigate Dean’s alleged misuse of HUD’s funds,” said General Counsel Damon Smith of the HUD. "By working with our partners at the Justice Department and supporting this action, HUD reaffirms that it takes the obligations of nursing home owners seriously.”
“Dean’s alleged actions represent a gross disregard for human life and our most vulnerable community,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Lawler of HUD Office of Inspector General (HUD OIG). “HUD OIG will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to diligently pursue, investigate, and hold accountable bad actors who willfully misuse and mismanage Federal assets and place HUD beneficiaries in harm’s way.”
The complaint is the result of an effort by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana, with substantial assistance from HUD and the HUD OIG. This matter is being handled by Fraud Section Trial Attorney Christopher Reimer and Assistant U.S. Attorney Davis Rhorer Jr. for the Middle District of Louisiana.
The case is captioned United States v. Bob Dean, Jr., et al., 3:23-cv-00019 (M.D. La.).
The United States’ complaint stems from an investigation that the Department of Justice initiated as part of its Elder Justice Initiative, which supports the efforts of state and local prosecutors, law enforcement, and other elder justice professionals to combat elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation, with the development of training, resources and information. Learn more about the Justice Department’s Elder Justice Initiative at http://www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
Two Thornton Women Sentenced for Money Laundering Related to a Denver-area Drug Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
DENVER - The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Maria Aurora Garcia-Paulino, age 41, of Thornton, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for money laundering related to a Denver-area drug trafficking operation. Co-defendant Laura Iveth Trujillo-Solano, age 44, of Thornton, was sentenced to 72 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering.
In February 2021, Garcia-Paulino and Trujillo-Solano were named in a 13-person indictment for a conspiracy to launder funds derived from the distribution of heroin, fentanyl pills, and methamphetamine in the Denver area. According to the plea agreements, from April 10, 2020 through March 31, 2021, Garcia-Paulino and Trujillo-Solano controlled a series of businesses in a strip mall located at 88th Ave. and Washington St. in Thornton, Colorado, which included Fiesta Multiservices. These two defendants would receive the proceeds from the drug activity at Fiesta Multiservices, typically in large currency amounts. As part of their operation, before transferring the money to Mexico they would divide the funds into smaller increments to evade various reporting and identification requirements imposed by money service businesses. According to court documents, from April 10, 2020, to January 28, 2021, Trujillo-Solano transferred or directed the transfer of drug trafficking proceeds totaling between $3,500,000 and $9,500,000 from the business in Thornton, and Garcia-Paulino handled or aided in the transfer of between $250,000 and $550,000 of that amount.
Judge Daniel D. Domenico sentenced Garcia-Paulino on January 10, 2023. She is the last of her co-defendants in federal custody to be sentenced. Judge Domenico sentenced Trujillo-Solano on December 8, 2022. Marduk Ernesto Ruiz-Leon, also listed in the indictment, remains a fugitive.
“These defendants took part in a multi-million dollar money laundering and drug trafficking operation that was shut down because of excellent work by our investigating partners at IRS Criminal Investigations and the DEA,” said United States Attorney Cole Finegan. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to prosecute the people who run these types of criminal organizations.”
“IRS Special Agents are experts in disrupting and dismantling drug trafficking organizations by targeting their illegal profits used to finance their operations,” said Andy Tsui, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation Denver Field Office. “IRS-CI, our law enforcement partners, and the United States Attorney’s Office will continue to work together to eliminate this threat to our communities. Today’s sentence should send a clear message to others who engage in money laundering associated with narcotics, you will be caught and you will be prosecuted.”
“Today’s sentencing affirms DEA’s commitment to attack drug networks from every angle,” said DEA Rocky Mountain Division Special Agent in Charge Brian Besser. “The DEA will continue to use all of its investigative resources to break down criminal enterprises who intend to harm our communities.”
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). Assistant United States Attorney Cyrus Y. Chung handled the prosecution.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF is a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
CASE NUMBER: 21-cr-00063
Two Oakland Residents Indicted Following Seizures of Fentanyl, Heroin, and CocaineRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Melvin Alexis Diaz Arteaga appeared in federal court to face an indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and possessing fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine with the intent to distribute it, and Luis Almicar Erazo-Centeno also appeared to face the indictment’s charges against him of possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute and for accessory after the fact, announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and Drug Enforcement Administration Acting Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris. The indictment also charges Diaz Arteaga with two counts of distributing methamphetamine, including one occurring in San Francisco’s Tenderloin District.
The indictment charges Diaz Arteaga, 27, a resident of Oakland, with engaging in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl from September 16 to November 16, 2022. He is also charged with three separate counts of possessing fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine on November 16, 2022, with the intent to distribute each drug. According to a detention memo filed by the government, Diaz Arteaga was arrested on November 16, 2022, outside of a house in Berkeley. Police allegedly seized approximately two pounds of fentanyl and a combined total of one pound of heroin and cocaine at the arrest scene.
The indictment further charges Diaz Arteaga with two earlier sales of methamphetamine, one occurring on September 20, 2022, and the other on October 5, 2022. The government’s detention memo alleges that in the earlier sale, Diaz Arteaga sold methamphetamine in San Francisco’s Tenderloin District. In the later sale, the government’s detention memo alleges Diaz Arteaga again sold methamphetamine, this time in Richmond, California.
The indictment separately charges Erazo-Centeno, 31, a resident of Oakland, with one count of possessing fentanyl on November 16, 2022, with the intent to distribute it. According to the government’s detention memo, police arrested Erazo-Centeno on November 16, 2022, at a residence in Oakland where officers found him attempting to dispose of drugs. For that conduct, Erazo-Centeno is charged with one count of accessory after the fact.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Diaz Arteaga is charged in the indictment with one count each of conspiracy to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl and possession of more than 400 grams of fentanyl for purposes of distribution, each of which carries a maximum sentence of life and a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. The indictment also charges Diaz Arteaga with one count each of possessing more than 100 grams of heroin for distribution and more than 500 grams of cocaine for distribution, and each of these counts carries a maximum sentence of 40 years and a minimum of 5 years in prison. The indictment also charges Diaz Arteaga with two counts of distributing methamphetamine. One count carries a maximum sentence of 40 years and a minimum sentence of 5 years in prison, and the other count carries a maximum of 20 years in prison.
Erazo-Centeno is charged in the indictment with one count of possession of fentanyl for distribution, which carries a maximum of 20 years in prison. The indictment also charges Erazo-Centeno with being an accessory after the fact to Diaz Arteaga’s possession of fentanyl for distribution, and that count carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Parker is prosecuting the case, with the assistance of paralegal Jessie Chelsea and legal assistant Soana Katoa. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by DEA and the San Francisco Police Department.
One Pill Can Kill: Avoid pills bought on the street because One Pill Can Kill. Fentanyl is a highly potent opioid that drug dealers dilute with cutting agents to make counterfeit prescription pills that appear to be Oxycodone, Percocet, Xanax, and other drugs. Fentanyl is used because it’s cheap. Small variations in the quantity or quality of fentanyl in a fake prescription pill can accidentally create a lethal dosage. Fentanyl is the leading cause of drug poisoning deaths in the United States. Fake prescription pills laced with fentanyl are usually shaped and colored to appear to be pills sold at pharmacies, like Percocet and Xanax. For example, fake prescription pills known as “M30s” imitate Oxycodone obtained from a pharmacy, but when sold on the street the pills routinely contain fentanyl. These particular pills are usually round tablets and often light blue in color, though they may be in different shapes and a rainbow of colors. They often have “M” and “30” imprinted on opposite sides of the pill. Do not take these or any other pills bought on the street – they are routinely fake and poisonous, and you will not know until it is too late.
Two Men Charged with Scheme to Defraud the Pa Turnpike of A Million Dollars in TollsRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Duvany Zambrano, age 43, of Hamilton, New Jersey, and Sergio Jara, age 37, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, were indicted on January 4, 2023, by a federal grand jury for defrauding the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that beginning in 2018, Zambrano, Jara and others began acquiring thousands of E-Z Pass transponders from retailers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. They then registered the transponders using false personal information and false credit card information. They sold the transponders to truckers in the New Jersey area who travelled on the Pennsylvania Turnpike hauling materials. In doing so, the indictment alleges that Zambrano, Jara, and others avoided paying approximately $1,000,000 in tolls.
The indictment was unsealed following Zambrano and Jara’s initial appearances. Defendants are currently scheduled for trial on March 4, 2023, before U.S. District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Consiglio is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Third Man Charged in Bank Robbery ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK –Brian Tierney, age 29, of Rustburg, Virginia, was arrested today for conspiring to commit bank robbery. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
The criminal complaint alleges that between November 14 and November 26, 2022, Tierney agreed to and planned to commit an armed bank robbery at a bank branch in Johnstown, New York, with two conspirators, Luke Kenna and Michael Brown Jr. a/k/a “Doc Grimson.” Kenna, as part of that conspiracy, conducted surveillance of the bank and purchased items, including weapons, to commit the robbery.
Kenna and Brown have already been charged and arrested.
Kenna appeared on December 21, 2022, in Albany federal court, and was ordered detained pending trial.
On December 14. 2022, Brown made an initial appearance in Philadelphia, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and was ordered detained and transported to the Northern District of New York. Brown made his initial appearance today in Albany federal court, before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel, and was ordered detained pending trial.
The charges in the complaints are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The charge carries a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
The FBI Albany Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), which includes FBI Special Agents, and federal, state, and local investigators, including from the New York State Police, is investigating the case. The FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office, the FBI’s Richmond Field Office and the New York State Police Special Investigations Unit also provided assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping is prosecuting the case.
Terre Haute Felon Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking and Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
TERRE HAUTE- Emmanuel Dareon Jones, 30, of Terre Haute, Indiana was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to distribution of cocaine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, on July 24, 2018, Jones sold approximately 4.5 grams of cocaine for $250.00. On September 19, 2018, Jones was pulled over by law enforcement officers after they saw him exit his residence and leave in his car. Officers found $12,620 on Jones’ person during the stop.
At the time of the traffic stop, Jones was on probation and had been previously convicted of four felonies related to possessing and dealing marijuana. The prior felony convictions prohibited Jones from ever owning a firearm. Jones’ residence was searched pursuant to the conditions of his probation waiver.
During the search of Jones’ residence, officers located a loaded pistol, a vacuum seal machine with a sealed bag containing a large amount of loose marijuana, a digital scale, and several bulk packaging materials in the kitchen. In the bedroom, officers found a box of multiple, vacuum-sealed bags of marijuana, a tactical, 12-gauge shotgun, an assault style rife with a 30-round magazine, and a safe containing two Crown Royal bags full of $100 bills, as well as other stacks of $100 bills. Jones stated that each Crown Royal bag contained $50,000. Investigators seized a total of $134,500 and approximately six pounds of marijuana from Jones’ vehicle and home.
In a recorded interview with Terre Haute Police Department Officers, Jones admitted to selling marijuana for $125.00 per ounce. Jones confirmed that all marijuana and guns found during the searches belonged to him and was able to list descriptions of each gun.
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers and Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Columbus Field Division made the announcement.
“Multiple felony convictions did not deter the defendant from continuing to deal drugs and illegally arm himself, including possessing an assault rifle with an extended magazine—even while on probation,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers. “The serious federal prison sentence imposed today demonstrates that law enforcement agencies will work to keep the public safe through prosecution of armed drug dealers. We are grateful to the Terre Haute Police Department and ATF for their work in getting these drugs and guns off the street and out of our communities.”
The Terre Haute Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James R. Sweeney. Judge Sweeney also ordered that Jones 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 Pamela S. Domash, who prosecuted this case.
Tennessee Man Sentenced to 17.5 Years in Federal Prison for Robbing Five Louisville Area BanksRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A Tennessee man was sentenced yesterday to 17.5 Years in prison and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $8,126 for robbing five Louisville area banks.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel made the announcement.
“The lengthy sentence in this case is the direct result of the outstanding work of the LMPD Robbery Unit,” stated U.S. Attorney Bennett. “The investigation and prosecution of multiple bank robberies exemplifies the strong working relationships that exist between LMPD, local law enforcement agencies, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. I commend the work of the detectives and officers who worked to bring Mr. Jones to justice.”
According to court documents and the evidence presented at trial, on April 2, 2021, Salvador Jones, 36, of Tennessee, entered the Fifth Third Bank located at 401 South 4th Street in Louisville, Kentucky, and presented a demand note and robbed the bank. Additionally, beginning on April 8, 2021, and continuing until May 5, 2021, Jones entered four Louisville-area U.S. Banks and a U.S. Bank in New Albany, Indiana, and robbed each bank by presenting a demand note. Evidence presented at trial detailed how the Robbery Unit with LMPD coordinated with area law enforcement to determine Jones’ getaway vehicle, which eventually led to his apprehension in Nashville, Tennessee.
Jones was also sentenced to 3 years of supervised release upon completion of his term of imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system.
The LMPD investigated the case and was assisted by the Shively Police Department, the New Albany Police Department, and the Nashville Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia P. Gomez and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Lantz prosecuted the case with the assistance of paralegal Adela Alic.
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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Superseding Indictment Charges Two Cottonwood County Farmers in $46 Million Organic Grain Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Two Cottonwood County men have been charged in a superseding indictment with conspiring to defraud grain purchasers out of more than $46,000,000 by selling non-GMO grains falsely labeled as organic, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, between 2014 and 2021, James Clayton Wolf, 65, a certified organic farmer, engaged in a scheme to defraud grain purchasers by selling them non-GMO grains falsely represented as organic. The charges allege that as part of his scheme, Wolf also grew conventionally farmed crops using chemical fertilizers and pesticides, in violation of organic farming standards, and provided grain purchasers with copies of his National Organics Program certification but withheld that the grains were not organically farmed. The superseding indictment charges that after Wolf’s organic farming certification was revoked in 2020, Adam Clifford Olson, 45, also a certified organic farmer, helped Wolf sell non-GMO crops falsely described as organic.
The superseding indictment charges Wolf and Olson with three counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy. Wolf, who was charged in the first indictment, made his initial appearance on July 22, 2022, in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge David T. Schultz. Olson is scheduled to make his initial appearance on January 26, 2023, before Magistrate Judge John F. Docherty.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Inspector General (USDA-OIG), the FBI, and the U.S. Marshals Service, with assistance from the Cottonwood County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Lewis, Craig Baune, and Quinn Askew are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
St. Louis Sex Offender Caught in Online Sex StingRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis, Missouri was arrested by the FBI Friday on a federal charge that accuses him of being caught in an online sex sting.
James Wessley Rankin, 46, was charged by complaint in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Friday with one count of transfer of obscene material to a minor.
An affidavit filed in support of the complaint says Rankin responded to a posting on an anonymous chat site by an undercover detective with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department in California. Rankin, using the screen name “Lonely Nerd,” struck up a conversation with the detective, who was pretending to be a 14-year-old girl. Rankin sent the “teen” an obscene picture and began making plans to pick her up from her home, the affidavit says.
Rankin is listed on Missouri’s sex offender registry after being found guilty in Greene County Circuit Court of first-degree statutory rape, the affidavit says. He was sentenced in March 2021, to five years in prison. He was also found guilty in Christian County Circuit Court of endangering the welfare of a child and domestic assault in 2019 and sentenced to probation and shock incarceration time.
At the time of his arrest, Rankin was living at a locked transition house in St. Louis that allowed him passes to go to work during the day, the affidavit says.
Rankin appeared in court Friday and has been ordered jailed.
Charges set forth in a criminal complaint are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was investigated by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis Man Convicted of 2021 Carjacking SpreeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis, Missouri on Friday convicted a man of all charges connected to a series of carjackings and a home invasion in May of 2021.
Jurors deliberated less than two hours before convicting Drew Clark, 37, of three counts of carjacking, three counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and one count of possession of a stolen firearm.
Clark, of the 4000 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, started by stealing a man’s Jeep Cherokee at Union Station in St. Louis on May 22, 2021 as the victim was unloading the vehicle, according to evidence presented at trial. Inside was the man’s 9mm handgun.
Four days later, Clark committed a series of crimes in less than four hours, often discarding items he’d previously stolen and stealing new clothing, vehicles and other items.
“This was an absolute rampage,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Finlen told jurors during closing arguments Friday morning.
Just before noon on May 26, 2021, Clark left the first victim’s Jeep near a commercial business in the 3700 block of South 1st Street and stole a white Dodge Ram belonging to the business. One worker tried to block Clark in with his own truck, until Clark aimed the stolen handgun at him and forced him to move out of the way.
About 30 minutes later, Clark burglarized a home in the 2700 block of South 13th Street, taking a wallet and debit card, a set of keys and running shoes and leaving behind the Dodge Ram and work boots. He unsuccessfully tried to use the debit card, then tossed it in a dumpster behind a nearby deli.
Shortly thereafter, in the same block, he entered the home of a woman and demanded money at gunpoint. He stole her keys and her Jeep Cherokee, leaving the terrified woman zip-tied in her bathroom.
At roughly 1:30 p.m., he left the Jeep in the 1100 block of South 7th Street, along with a blue jacket he had been wearing. He put on a safety vest and helmet stolen from the woman’s home and walked towards the Purina facility just south of downtown. After wandering around the grounds and buildings and changing into clothing he stole from an employee’s locker, he carjacked a Subaru Impreza from a different employee who was on his way to happy hour.
He left the Subaru in the 1600 block of South 9th Street, leaving behind a Purina vest, temporary contractor badge and radio in the Subaru.
St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers spotted him nearby. Clark fled on foot, running through another victim’s home before officers were able to catch and subdue him. He had the stolen handgun and a backpack containing an unused zip tie, keys from Purina and items from the Jeep stolen at Union Station: a business card, gift card envelopes and a charging plug.
At sentencing later this year, Clark faces up to 15 years in prison on the carjacking charges, up to ten years in prison on the stolen gun charge and seven years to life in prison for each brandishing charge, consecutive to the other charges, for a total of at least 21 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Finlen and Jennifer Szczucinski are prosecuting the case.
St. Lawrence County Man Pleads Guilty to Failing to Update Sex Offender RegistrationRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – John Arthur Nolan, III, age 48, of Norfolk, New York, pled guilty today in federal court in Syracuse to one felony count of failing to update his sex offender registration, United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and David L. McNulty, United States Marshal for the Northern District of New York made the announcement.
Nolan pled guilty to violating the federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”), which requires a convicted sex offender to register, and keep that registration current, wherever he or she resides. Nolan admitted that he was previously convicted of Unlawful Sexual Activity with Certain Minors in Florida, which required him to register as a sex offender for 25 years. Nolan further admitted that he moved from Pennsylvania to New York in July of 2022 and failed to register as a sex offender in New York from that time until his arrest in October of 2022.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 12, 2023, before Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes. Nolan faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
The United States Marshals Service is investigating this case. Assistant United States Attorney Geoffrey J. L. Brown is prosecuting this case as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc
South Florida Residents Sentenced to Prison for $28 Million COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Four South Florida residents have been sentenced to prison for participating in a conspiracy to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) out of loan proceeds. These loans are guaranteed by the Small Business Administration under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.
Marcgenson Marc, 37, of Coconut Creek, Fla., was sentenced today to 15 months in prison. Previously, Wally Dorlus, 41, of Margate, Fla., was sentenced to 48 months in prison; Edward Moise, 45, of Coral Springs, Fla., was sentenced to 18 months in prison; and Roberto Geronimo, 40, of Miami Gardens, Fla., was sentenced to 70 months in prison, to run concurrently with his sentence for drug conspiracy charges.
According to facts admitted by the defendants as part of their guilty pleas, Dorlus was a tax preparer who—in exchange for kickbacks—filed approximately 170 fraudulent PPP loan applications. These applications misrepresented the number of employees, payroll expenses, and gross revenues to qualify for the loans seeking more than $28 million on behalf of companies he controlled and more than 100 other ones. Of those loans, approximately 33 were funded to the tune of $5.5 million. Dorlus’ kickbacks ranged from 12.5 to 25 percent of the PPP loan proceeds.
Marc was a recruiter for Dorlus who shared in and facilitated the payments of kickbacks to Dorlus. Marc, in turn, recruited Moise to apply for fraudulent PPP loans run through Dorlus and to recruit additional applicants.
One of Moise’s recruits was Geronimo, who at that time was on bond pending trial on federal drug conspiracy charges in Case No. 20-CR-20066. As an individual subject to federal indictment, Geronimo was prohibited from applying for a PPP loan on behalf of any entities he controlled. Despite that, he applied for and received a fraudulent PPP loan for approximately $250,000 for a liquor store business under his control based on falsified payroll tax documentation submitted by Dorlus. Geronimo paid 25% of the loan proceeds as a kickback shared between Dorlus and Marc. It was Geronimo’s PPP loan on the liquor store that tipped law enforcement off and led to the broader investigation into Dorlus’ fraudulent PPP loan scheme and recruitment structure.
In addition to prison time, Dorlus will have two years of supervised release and must pay $5.6 million in restitution. Marc will have two years of supervised release and must pay $886,809 in restitution. Moise will have three years of supervised release and must pay approximately $860,000 in restitution. Geronimo will have five years of supervised release and must pay approximately $262,000 in restitution, as well as forfeit more than $86,000 from the sale of his liquor store through which he received the PPP loan.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe of the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. Line, IRS Criminal Investigation, Miami Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation, Miami Field Office, and DEA, Miami Field Division, investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Hauser prosecuted it and Assistant U.S. Attorney Annika Miranda handled asset forfeiture. Assistant U.S. Attorney Monique Botero prosecuted Geronimo in case number 20-CR-20066.
You may find related court documents and information on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case numbers 21-CR-60119 (Dorlus and Geronimo), 21-CR-60199 (Marc), and 21-CR-60293 (Moise).
Rusk County Man Pleads Guilty to False Statements to Federal Agencies Regarding Non-Citizen WorkersRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – A Bruce, Wisconsin man has pleaded guilty to making false material statements to the U.S. Department of Labor and to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, concerning workers from other countries hired to perform labor in the United States. Alfredo Aguilar, 52, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Madison, Wisconsin. The guilty plea is announced by Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin.
According to the plea agreement, from 2015 until December 2018 Aguilar was a co-owner of Northwoods Forestry, Inc., a business based in Eleva, Wisconsin. Aguilar recruited workers from Mexico and Central America, known as H-2B workers, to work in forestry by planting and caring for trees and clearing and developing woodland. Through the H-2B program, employers are permitted to hire temporary workers from other countries to perform labor to address one-time, seasonal, intermittent, or peak needs. Northwoods Forestry agents made statements and attestations under oath to the Department of Labor and USCIS regarding the type of work the workers would do and the wages they would receive.
Aguilar admitted that he placed Northwoods Forestry H-2B workers with non-forestry employers, including in meat packing, construction, roofing, agriculture, painting, fur processing, and landscaping businesses, and that he assured those employers that the H-2B employees could legally work at their businesses when he knew that was not true. Aguilar also admitted that Northwoods Forestry did not pay the workers the highest applicable wages, did not pay the workers overtime, deducted the cost of safety boots from the wages of employees sent to work in meat packing, and deducted expenses and subsistence for transportation to and from the United States from the H-2B employees’ pay, all contrary to their sworn statements to the Department of Labor.
As part of Aguilar’s plea agreement, Aguilar will pay restitution to the H-2B workers in the amount of $1,144,693.56 and a civil penalty in the amount of $210,696.39.
Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson scheduled sentencing for April 19, 2023, at 9:30 a.m. Aguilar faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison.
“My office is committed to partnering with the Department of Labor to protect the rights of all workers,” said U.S. Attorney O’Shea. “We will work with our federal colleagues to bring to justice those who seek to exploit vulnerable workers.”
“Alfredo Aguilar conspired with others to abuse the H-2B program by making false statements to the U.S. Department of Labor and by failing to provide foreign workers with the wages and benefits they were entitled to receive. We will continue to work with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division to vigorously pursue those who commit fraud involving foreign labor certification programs,” said Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge, Chicago Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.
The investigation in this matter was conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General and Wage and Hour Division, with assistance from the U.S. Department of State and the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation. U.S. Attorney O’Shea is handling the prosecution.
Registered Sex Offender from West Virginia Indicted on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – A registered sex offender from Morgantown, West Virginia was arraigned in U.S. District Court in Nashville Wednesday, on charges of attempting to produce child pornography and attempting to transfer obscene material to a minor through interstate commerce, announced U.S. Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Shaun J. Sanders, 44, was indicted in November 2022 by a federal grand jury in Nashville, after using a messaging app to contact whom he believed was a 13-year-old female but was in fact an undercover FBI agent. During the online conversation, which occurred in July 2022, Sanders sent obscene photos and videos, including photos of himself clothed and unclothed, and requested the purported minor female send him obscene photos of her.
Sanders was arrested in West Virginia in December and was recently transported to the Middle District of Tennessee for further proceedings. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and an additional 10 years in prison for committing these offenses as a registered sex offender.
This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica Morrison is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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Rapid City Man Sentenced for Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Viken has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on January 9, 2023.
John Winn, 44, was sentenced to nine years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Winn was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Possession of a Stolen Firearm by a federal grand jury in November of 2021. He pleaded guilty on August 31, 2022.
In June of 2021, in Rapid City, Winn, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms, was found in possession of a SIG Sauer Incorporated, model P320, 9x19 mm Parabellum caliber, semi-automatic pistol; a Colt’s Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company, model Combat Commander, .45 AUTO caliber, semi-automatic pistol; a Sturm, Ruger & Company Incorporated, model LCR, .357 Magnum caliber, double-action-only revolver; and a Taurus, model PT145, .45 AUTO caliber, semi-automatic pistol, which were found after Winn came into contact with law enforcement. The SIG Sauer firearm had been reported stolen and the Taurus firearm had an obliterated serial number. Along with the firearms, law enforcement recovered numerous items consistent with drug distribution, including methamphetamine.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.
Plainville Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Boston, announced that KYLE FASOLD, 52, of formerly of Plainville, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 300 months of imprisonment, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for child exploitation offenses.
“This defendant’s reprehensible conduct involved a tremendous violation of trust and the ultimate invasion of privacy,” said U.S. Attorney Avery. “The many victims in this case, several of whom provided impact statements to the court and bravely spoke at today’s sentencing, will have to manage their trauma for the remainder of their lives. May this sentence serve as fair warning to anyone involved in this type of reprehensible behavior, and anyone who believes that they can engage in illicit dark web activity anonymously. Our law enforcement partners will find you and bring you to justice.”
“Fasold betrayed the trust of the families who put their children in his care,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Millhollin. “I hope this significant sentence brings a measure of justice to those he harmed with his crimes. This case was brought to light by the remarkable work of HSI’s cyber investigations. We will not cease in our efforts to track down predators like Fasold who victimize children.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 6, 2020, after an investigation revealed that Fasold had uploaded images of child pornography to the dark web, HSI special agents, with the assistance of the Plainville Police Department and Connecticut State Police, executed a court-authorized search of Fasold’s residence and seized numerous electronic devices. Analysis of the seized devices revealed that between June 2017 and March 2020, Fasold surreptitiously recorded at least 36 minors, as well as several adults, by placing video-recording devices in locations where he knew minors would likely be partially or fully naked, including bathrooms in his residence, the girl’s locker room in Plainville High School, and the bathroom adjacent to the coach’s office in Plainville High School. Fasold edited the videos to produce hundreds of images depicting lascivious exhibition of the victims’ genitals or pubic area, and uploaded numerous images to the dark web.
At time of the offense, Fasold was a parent volunteer for a youth recreational swim program in Plainville.
Investigators also found on Fasold’s seized devices numerous images and videos depicting child sexual abuse that Fasold did not produce.
Fasold has been detained since his arrest on March 6, 2020. On September 29, 2022, he pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography.
This investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Plainville Police Department and the Connecticut State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy V. Gifford.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Ocean Beach Drug Dealer Sentenced to More Than 15 Years for His Role in Fatal OverdoseRead the Press Release
For Further Information, Contact: Assistant U. S. Attorneys Adam Gordon (619) 546-6720 and Daniel D. Shin (619) 546-7609
SAN DIEGO—Alexander Michael Randise of Ocean Beach was sentenced today in federal court to 188 months in prison for distribution of fentanyl that resulted in the fatal overdose of 30-year-old Tyber Joseph Lustig.
According to his plea agreement, Randise admitted providing four counterfeit M-30 pills laced with fentanyl, commonly referred to as “blues,” to Lustig on December 11, 2021. These pills caused Lustig to have a fatal overdose. Randise had been selling counterfeit M-30 pills laced with fentanyl to Lustig and others for at least one year prior to Lustig’s death. Randise instructed Lustig in a drug transaction approximately one year prior to Lustig’s death that Lustig needed to “be careful” because the pills were “[really] strong.”
On January 5, 2022, law enforcement officials conducted a search of two of Randise’s residences in Ocean Beach. During the search, authorities seized approximately 680 counterfeit M-30 pills laced with fentanyl, 2.33 grams of cocaine, suspected MDMA, $1,175 in U.S. currency, and a loaded 9-millimeter non-serialized handgun.
U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman said: “Fentanyl has taken so many lives. Our community lost another bright and extremely talented young man to this epidemic. We stand together with our law enforcement partners in stating directly: If you choose to sell drugs and a death results, you will be held accountable for that death.”
Grossman thanked the prosecution team and investigating agencies for their excellent work on this case.
“Another young person is gone too soon and another family is shattered because of fentanyl,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Shelly Howe. “Fentanyl dealers are a top priority for the DEA and our law enforcement partners and we will continue to attack this crisis at every level.”
“HSI will continue to work tirelessly alongside its San Diego law enforcement partners to bring justice to those who distribute fentanyl in our community,” said Chad Plantz, special agent in charge for HSI San Diego.
Special Agents and Task Force Officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Overdose Response Team (formerly known as Team 10) led the investigation into Lustig’s death. This case is the result of ongoing efforts by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the San Diego Police Department, and the California Department of Health Care Services to investigate and prosecute the distribution of dangerous illegal drugs—fentanyl in particular—that result in overdose deaths. In 2018, the Drug Enforcement Administration created the Overdose Response Team as a response to the increase in overdose deaths in San Diego County.
DEFENDANT Case Number 22-CR-497-JLS
Alexander Michael Randise Age: 29 San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Distribution of Fentanyl – Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a) and (b)(1)(C)
Maximum Penalty: Twenty years in prison
AGENCY
Drug Enforcement Administration
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Homeland Security Investigations
San Diego County District Attorney’s Office
San Diego Police Department
State of California Department of Health Care Services
Oakland Resident Who Sold Fentanyl in San Francisco’s Tenderloin Sentenced to Four YearsRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Jose Alvarado, a/k/a Chepe, was sentenced today to 48 months in federal prison for distribution of fentanyl in San Francisco’s Tenderloin District and for possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Acting Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Charles R. Breyer.
Alvarado, 27, an Oakland resident, pleaded guilty on July 8, 2022, to charges of distributing fentanyl and possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute it. In his plea agreement, Alvarado described selling fentanyl to undercover law enforcement agents on four occasions in the Tenderloin District from November 2021 to February 2022. He admitted that on November 30, 2021, at the corner of Eddy Street and Polk Street in the Tenderloin, he sold approximately seven grams of fentanyl for $40 to an undercover law enforcement officer and then advised the officer “don’t die.” On January 13, 2022, near the corner of the Tenderloin’s Eddy Street and Larkin Street, Alvarado described that he sold just more than 12 grams of fentanyl for $200 and seven grams of methamphetamine for $100 to an undercover officer. A week later on January 20, 2022, and a few blocks away at Ellis Street and Van Ness Boulevard, he sold approximately two ounces of fentanyl to an undercover officer for $1,000. Alvarado further described that on February 10, 2022, at the corner of Golden Gate Avenue and Polk Street, Alvarado met up with another undercover officer and sold the officer approximately two ounces of fentanyl and one ounce of methamphetamine for $1,200.
Alvarado was arrested outside his Oakland residence on March 31, 2022. In his backpack and inside his residence, law enforcement officers found approximately 18 ounces (518 grams) of a substance containing fentanyl and 45 grams of a substance containing methamphetamine. Alvarado admitted in his plea agreement that he possessed the fentanyl and methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it in the Tenderloin.
Officers also seized more than $38,000 inside the residence. Alvarado admitted the cash was proceeds from past drug sales. The money was forfeited as part of his sentence.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Breyer ordered a four year term of supervision for Alvarado following his release from prison. Alvarado was in custody at the sentencing hearing and will begin serving his sentence immediately.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin Paulson prosecuted the case, with the assistance of Jessie Chelsea. The prosecution is the result of investigations by DEA and the San Francisco Police Department.
One Pill Can Kill: Avoid pills bought on the street because One Pill Can Kill. Fentanyl is a highly potent opioid that drug dealers dilute with cutting agents to make counterfeit prescription pills that appear to be Oxycodone, Percocet, Xanax, and other drugs. Fentanyl is used because it’s cheap. Small variations in the quantity or quality of fentanyl in a fake prescription pill can accidentally create a lethal dosage. Fentanyl has now become the leading cause of drug poisoning deaths in the United States. Fake prescription pills laced with fentanyl are usually shaped and colored to appear to be pills sold at pharmacies, like Percocet and Xanax. For example, fake prescription pills known as “M30s” imitate Oxycodone obtained from a pharmacy, but when sold on the street the pills routinely contain fentanyl. These particular pills are usually round tablets and often light blue in color, though they may be in different shapes and a rainbow of colors. They often have “M” and “30” imprinted on opposite sides of the pill. Do not take these or any other pills bought on the street – they are routinely fake and poisonous, and you will not know until it is too late.
Oakland Resident Pleads Guilty to Distributing Fentanyl and Methamphetamine in San Francisco’s Tenderloin DistrictRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Elio Hernandez-Zuniga pleaded guilty in federal court today to three counts of drug distribution in San Francisco’s Tenderloin District, including two counts of possessing with intent to distribute 40 grams and more of fentanyl and a third count of distributing 50 grams and more of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris. The plea agreement was accepted by the Honorable Charles R. Breyer, Senior United States District Judge.
In his plea agreement, Hernandez-Zuniga, 25, of Oakland, admitted that he has been involved in distributing drugs in the Tenderloin district since at least May of 2022. Hernandez-Zuniga’s plea agreement describes six transactions that occurred between May 26, 2022, and July 27, 2022; in each case, Hernandez-Zuniga communicated with a customer that, unbeknownst to Hernandez-Zuniga, was an SFPD officer working in an undercover capacity (“the UC”). Hernandez-Zuniga sold drugs to the UC on multiple occasions. For example, on June 7, 2022, the UC contacted Hernandez-Zuniga and arranged to purchase $100 worth of methamphetamine and $100 worth of fentanyl. That afternoon, the UC met Hernandez-Zuniga on the 800 block of Geary Street in the Tenderloin and handed Hernandez-Zuniga $200 in exchange for a bag containing 10 individually wrapped rocks of methamphetamine. After the UC reminded Hernandez-Zuniga that he wanted $100 worth of fentanyl, the defendant said he could “make it up” to the UC next time. Then, after the UC began to walk away, Hernandez-Zuniga caught up to the UC and said he (Hernandez-Zuniga) could get the remaining $100 worth of what he owed. A few minutes later, Hernandez-Zuniga handed the UC $100 worth of methamphetamine in a plastic bag. Similarly, on July 6, 2022, Hernandez-Zuniga agreed to sell the UC two ounces of fentanyl for $1,500 the next day. On July 7, 2022, the UC drove a vehicle and parked at the southeast corner of Post and Larkin Streets. Hernandez-Zuniga approached and entered the UC’s vehicle. Hernandez-Zuniga handed the UC two large bags containing approximately 56.8 grams of fentanyl and, in exchange, the UC handed Hernandez-Zuniga $1,500.The plea agreement also described the results of arrest and search warrants that law enforcement officers executed on Hernandez-Zuniga, his residence, and his vehicle on August 4, 2022. In sum, officers found in Hernandez-Zuniga’s possession 162.2 gross grams of fentanyl, 180 gross grams of methamphetamine, 120.7 gross grams of cocaine base, 35.3 gross grams of heroin, $2,100 in cash, packaging materials, and multiple digital scales. Hernandez-Zuniga admitted that he possessed the drugs with the intention of distributing them to others and acknowledged that the cash was the proceeds of drug sales.
On August 17, 2022, a federal grand jury handed down an indictment charging Hernandez-Zuniga with six counts of possession with intent to distribute drugs. The six counts included one count each of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, methamphetamine and fentanyl, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(c); two counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, 40 grams and more of fentanyl, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B)(vi); and two counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, 50 grams and more of methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B)(viii). Pursuant to today’s plea agreement, Hernandez-Zuniga pleaded guilty to both counts of distributing 40 grams and more of fentanyl, and one of the counts of distributing 50 grams and more of methamphetamine. If Hernandez-Zuniga complies with the agreement, the remaining counts will be dismissed at sentencing.
Judge Breyer scheduled Hernandez-Zuniga’s sentencing for April 5, 2023. Hernandez-Zuniga faces a statutory maximum prison term of 40 years and a statutory minimum prison term of five years for each of the three counts for which he has pleaded guilty. In addition, Hernandez-Zuniga faces a minimum term of four years of supervised release and a maximum fine of $5 million for each of the three counts. However, any sentence will be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Hernandez-Zuniga remains in custody pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Yeh is prosecuting this case with assistance from Mimi Lam. This case is the result of an investigation by the DEA with assistance from the San Francisco Police Department.
Northborough Nurse Sentenced for Tampering with Patient's Liquid MorphineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A registered nurse was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Worcester for tampering with morphine prescribed to a nursing home resident in her care.
Gwen Rider, 43, of Northborough, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 52 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On March 8, 2022, Rider pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with a consumer product and one count of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud and deception.
Rider was a registered nurse employed by a Worcester County nursing home. From approximately 11:00 p.m. on Nov. 6, 2020 until 7:00 a.m. the following morning, Rider was on duty in a unit specializing in care for residents suffering from dementia. During her shift and while entrusted with the care of a resident suffering from dementia, Rider tampered with a bottle of morphine sulfate prescribed to the patient by removing some of the morphine and adding water to the remaining supply. Morphine sulfate is a Schedule II controlled substance under federal law. A nurse on a subsequent shift administered the adulterated morphine to a patient before the tampering was discovered.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Fernando McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; Margret R. Cooke, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health; and Phillip Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was also provided by the Northborough Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen M. Noto of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Nine newly indicted on federal charges for crimes including drugs and illegal firearms possessionRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Nine defendants are among those facing federal charges including illegal possession of firearms after separate indictments by a grand jury in the Southern District of Georgia, while recent actions in U.S. District Court include guilty pleas and criminal sentences related to illegal gun possession.
The indicted cases are being investigated as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally carry guns.
“Convicted felons illegally carrying firearms are significantly involved in violent crime plaguing our communities,” said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “With our law enforcement partners, we will continue to make our streets safer by putting such people behind bars.”
In the past four years, more than 800 defendants have been federally charged in the Southern District of Georgia for illegal firearms offenses – most often for possessing a firearm after conviction for a previous felony. Recent federal legislation increases the maximum penalty for illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon to 15 years, up from 10, for those found in possession after June 25, 2022.
Defendants named in federal indictments from the January 2023 term of the U.S. District Court grand jury include:
- Akeem Ajmia Lanier, 34, of Metter, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime;
- Dexcadrick Graddy, 25, of Dublin, Ga., charged with Distribution of Fentanyl; Distribution of Methamphetamine and Fentanyl; Possession with Intent to Distribute Metonitazine (a fentanyl analog), and Eutylone (bath salts); Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine; Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and Metonitazine; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime;
- Milton Parker III, 36, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
- Michael Floyd, 30, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
- Reginald General Jackson, 36, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
- Tyrique Marquez Mills, 25, of Waycross, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
- Robert Sanders, 65, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
- Tony Lavardo Blount Jr., 32, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and,
- Terrance Webster Dunn, 32, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Additional defendants recently have been adjudicated on federal charges that include illegal firearms possession:
- Raheem DaSheen Jackson, 31, of Savannah, was sentenced to 116 months in prison after his conviction at trial of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. A jury convicted Jackson of the charge Aug. 17, 2022, where court testimony from Savannah Police officers described Jackson running from a January 2021 traffic stop and dropping a pistol as he fled. Jackson, who was adjudicated to be an Armed Career Criminal because of multiple prior felony convictions including illegal gun possession, faced a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison.
- Daquan Dwayne Young, 27, of Savannah, was sentenced to 100 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah Police officers arrested Young after a March 2022 traffic stop when they found a pistol in his waistband.
- James Wayne Cooper Jr., 37, of Waynesboro, Ga., was sentenced to 44 months in prison and fined $2,000 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Burke County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Cooper in October 2020 after Cooper drove into a field and attempted to run away from a traffic stop. Deputies found a loaded pistol in Cooper’s vehicle.
- Cody Truitt Devore, 24, of Sylvania, Ga., was sentenced to 32 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Devore was on federally supervised release from a prior firearms conviction in January 2022 when Columbia County Sheriff’s deputies conducted a traffic stop and found two rifles in his vehicle.
- Maurice Brown, 21, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. In July 2022, Brown sped away from an attempted traffic stop in Savannah by a Georgia State Patrol trooper and later ran from the vehicle. Savannah Police officers found him hiding in a nearby home, and found a pistol under the driver’s seat of the vehicle Brown was driving.
- Christopher Donnell Crumbley, 34, of Waynesboro, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Burke County sheriff’s deputies arrested Crumbley on outstanding criminal warrants in Dec. 2021 and found three pistols in his possession.
- Dontrell Kydreek Mathis, 30, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies found two pistols in Mathis’ vehicle after a traffic stop in Aug. 2022.
- Trevor Elijah Walker, 24, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies were attempting to serve arrest warrants on Walker in November 2019 when he ran away, dropping a pistol as he fled.
- Windsor Hodge, 64, of Martinez, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Columbia County Sheriff’s deputies searched Hodge’s residence on a warrant in January 2022 and found 13 firearms. Hodge previously was convicted of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, a felony.
- Deontre Hubert, 28, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Hubert had a pistol in his waistband in June 2022 when pulled over by Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies for a traffic violation. He previously was convicted in state court of Involuntary Manslaughter, a felony.
- Marshall Lee Cushman, 39, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. A Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent retrieved a rifle from an Avera, Ga., residence in September 2021, and Cushman admitted leaving the gun there. Cushman has multiple prior felony convictions.
- Titus Nathaniel Travis, 23, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Travis was on probation from a prior felony conviction in June 2022 when Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies, FBI agents and officers from the Georgia Department of Community Supervision searched Titus’ residence and found two pistols and a rifle. Travis is a member of a Bloods-affiliated criminal street gang.
- David Alexander Harris, 42, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Eutylone and Cocaine, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Harris in March 2020 after finding him asleep at the wheel of his vehicle at a traffic light. A pistol was lying in Harris’ lap.
Agencies investigating these cases include the ATF, the FBI, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Savannah Police Department, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, and the Georgia State Patrol.
The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to purchase – firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense.
For more information from the ATF on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atfw-form-4473